Starch Nemesis (with Waffles & Mochi)

Summary

Home Cooking: “Starch Nemesis (with Waffles & Mochi)”

Hosts: Samin Nosrat & Hrishikesh Hirway
Date: April 1, 2021

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Episode Overview

In this playful bonus “bottom of the bag fries” episode, Samin and Hrishi return after a break to answer listener cooking questions and share laughs, kitchen tips, and personal stories. The episode highlights Samin’s involvement in the new Netflix kids show “Waffles + Mochi,” and even features a visit from the titular characters. The hosts dive into topics such as reviving soggy fries, cooking to impress on dates, rutabaga dilemmas, the fruit/vegetable status of bananas, maraschino cherry surplus, uses for preserved citrus, affordable meals for large families, sentimental sauce mysteries, and the joys of raisins in savory cooking. Throughout, Samin and Hrishi’s natural banter, puns, and warmth shine, making for an engaging and informative kitchen companion.

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Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Welcome Back & The “Bottom of the Bag Fries” Episode

• Tone Setting Metaphor: The hosts compare this episode to the last soggy fries at the bottom of a fast food bag—unexpected and a little less crisp, but still a welcome treat.
  • Quote: “We're like the last two french fries and you're like, yeah. And they're kind of cold and soggy.” (Samin, 00:49)
• Purpose: Return after hiatus, primarily to share excitement for “Waffles + Mochi,” featuring Samin.

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2. “Waffles + Mochi” Netflix Show Shout-Out

• Samin shares her joy in participating in the new family/kids’ cooking show, produced by Higher Ground (the Obamas’ company), exploring global ingredients through puppet characters—Waffles and Mochi.
• Quote: “It's the best thing I've ever been a part of.” (Samin, 01:22)
• Waffles and Mochi later appear for a special segment (see below).

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3. Listener Questions & Kitchen Quandaries

Reviving Soggy Fries (02:24)

• Issue: Takeout fries arrive limp and sad.
• Samin’s advice: “I just wouldn't order fried food that I know is gonna go through the process of, like, being delivered to me...not something like a french fry. That, to me, is unrevivable.” (Samin, 03:36)
• Oven/toaster oven may marginally help, but nothing beats fresh fries.
• Sidebar: Pandemic nostalgia for tater tots, “spud TSD.”

What Samin’s Been Cooking Lately (05:03)

• Samin raves about Lara Lee’s Indonesian cookbook “Coconut & Sambal.”
  • Highlights: New aromatic flavor bases (shallot, garlic, lemongrass, ginger)
  • Favorite dishes: roast potatoes with soy vinaigrette, tamarind coconut roasted chicken with chili-garlic paste.
• Quote: “It's so spicy and you want to cry and you're so happy and your sinuses are very clear.” (Samin, 07:13)

Rishi’s Sweets Self-Control Safe (07:33)

• Rishi describes buying a timed-safe to restrict access to sweets after birthday excess.
• Quote: “Locked all my sweets in the safe. So I can't open till next weekend.” (Rishi, 09:12)
• Both find amusement (if not a universal recommendation) in this method.

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4. Cooking for a Date: What’s Sexy Food? (10:10)

• Caller Gary (Samin’s assistant) asks how to impress a date with food.
• The hosts agree: There is no universal “sexy” dish; what matters is thoughtfulness, readiness, and cooking for someone’s preferences.
  • “The sexiest thing is really, like, paying attention to somebody.” (Hrishi, 12:40)
• Tips:
  • Don't overcomplicate
  • Prep ahead; favor dishes served room temp or easily reheated (braises, salads)
  • Spend time with your guest, not at the stove
• Playful plug: Listeners invited to find Gary on Instagram (@WhoIsGaryLee) (14:09)

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5. The Rutabaga Conundrum (14:47)

“We got a 7 lb rutabaga in our CSA box. What do we do?”

• Samin discusses vegetable “ageism”: large rutabagas are starchy and fibrous, requiring more cooking.
  • “You are going to have to peel quite a bit off the outside... probably have to roast it or turn it into mashed rutabaga.” (Samin, 17:56)
• Suggestions: roast or mash with brown butter, Parmesan, or get creative with Szechuan flavors.
• Knife safety tips discussed: keep stable, use sharp knives; dull knives are more dangerous.

Memorable Rutabaga Moments:

• “I am a vegetable ageist and I'm not ashamed to admit it.” (Samin, 17:14)
• “Rutabaga Ginsburg” pun tangent (15:34)

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6. Is a Banana a Fruit or Potato? (21:48)

• Hannah asks: Bananas are so starchy, shouldn’t they be more like potatoes?
• Hrishi references a PBS article: “Bananas are both a fruit and not a fruit. ...the banana plant...is actually an herb distantly related to ginger.” (22:36)
• Samin: “There are starchy fruits.”
• They riff on banana/potato similarities (“banana bread/potato bread, banana chips/potato chips...banana hammock/potato hammock”). Verdict: Banana’s still a fruit, but fun debate!

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7. Too Many Maraschino Cherries (27:40)

• David has a massive jar; what to do beyond cocktails?
• Samin reads Thomas Lux’s poem “Refrigerator, 1957,” an ode to the enduring maraschino cherry in the family fridge—a poignant, poetic interlude. (29:01)
• Advice:
  • Make pineapple upside-down cakes.
  • Use for ham garnishing (luau style).
  • “Surprise cookies” (almond dough + maraschino cherry + chocolate chip inside).
  • Humor: “We made 64 cakes and finally used all the cherries!” (Hrishi, 32:11)

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8. Preserved Citrus Ideas (33:04)

• Cassie asks: What do I do with all this preserved citrus (lemons, limes, blood oranges, grapefruit) besides tagines?
• Samin explains how preserved citrus is made and how a small amount goes a long way.
  • Suggests:
    • Mince/rinse rind into vinaigrettes, salsas, stews, and salads.
    • Pastry chef Nick Muncie candies preserved lemon for meringue tarts. (36:24)
    • Blend whole preserved citrus to use as a tart paste in dressings/marinades (Chris Crawford’s “Tart Vinegar”).
  • “With your two huge jars, you have, like, enough to last you the next six to seven pandemics.” (Samin, 35:45)

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9. Affordable Meals for a Big Blended Family (38:14)

• Katie seeks new, affordable ideas to feed 11 (ages 4–24, various backgrounds).
• Samin’s solution: hearty one-pot/shared-dish meals.
  • “Shakshuka... you create a really rich sort of tomato sauce and then you crack a bunch of eggs into it, and then you have a pile of pita breads and that's basically it.” (Samin, 39:54)
  • Hrishi’s go-to: chole (chickpea curry) with rice.
  • Legumes named as nutritious, cost-effective for large groups.

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10. Sauce Detective: Family Tomato Sauce Mystery (42:03)

• Cecily from NY/London asks: How do I recreate my grandmother’s light, orange, smooth, bitless tomato sauce for white fish?
• Samin suggests a Marcella Hazan–style sauce: canned tomatoes (crushed/pass through food mill), cooked with a halved onion, finished with butter and/or cream for that distinctive orange hue and silky texture.
  • Tip: Add dairy at the end to avoid separation.
  • “It truly sounds like that's probably what your grandma was making, so probably what I'm guessing is that all the rest of you are overthinking it.” (Samin, 45:46)

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Special Segment: Waffles & Mochi Interview (46:03)

• Waffles and Mochi (puppets) join to ask about raisins in savory food after encountering them in mole.
• Samin explains “kishmish polo,” an Iranian rice-and-lentil dish with fried raisins—“so it kind of tastes like you're having dessert in your dinner.” (Samin, 48:06)
• Warm, playful exchange with puns and play—Rishi is offered “Rishikesh Mesh Pol” when it’s safe to visit.
• Recipe briefly outlined: cook rice and lentils, top with fried raisins.

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “We're like the last two french fries...kind of cold and soggy.” (Samin, 00:49)
• “No one can revive fries once they’re sogged by takeout.” (Samin, 03:36)
• “It's the best thing I've ever been a part of.” (Samin on Waffles & Mochi, 01:22)
• “You have spud-tsd.” (Samin, 04:31)
• “Locked all my sweets in the safe. So I can't open till next weekend.” (Rishi, 09:12)
• “The sexiest thing is really...paying attention to somebody.” (Hrishi, 12:40)
• “I am a vegetable ageist and I'm not ashamed to admit it.” (Samin, 17:14)
• “My answer to everything: Parmesan cheese.” (Samin, 19:13)
• “Bananas are both a fruit and not a fruit.” (Hrishi, reading PBS, 22:36)
• “You have, like, enough [preserved citrus] to last you the next six to seven pandemics.” (Samin, 35:45)
• “Shakshuka...crack eggs into it, pile of pita breads, and that's dinner.” (Samin, 39:54)
• “Probably what I'm guessing is that all the rest of you are overthinking it.” (Samin, 45:46)

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Additional Fun/Pun Moments

• “Rutabaga Ginsburg” (15:34): A pun spree connecting vegetables to RBG.
• “Banana hammock. Potato hammock.” (Samin, 24:50): Word association run wild.
• Samin’s elegant reading (with music) of “Refrigerator, 1957,” making maraschino cherries poetic (29:01).
• Hrishi’s signature pun recipe pitch: “Samini's Teeny Tahini Sardini Panini.” (49:44)

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Waffles & Mochi—Puppetry Wisdom (46:03-49:10)

• Waffles and Mochi bring the joy of childlike curiosity to the kitchen.
• “Kishmish polo”—Persian comfort food, lovely example of cross-cultural food exploration.

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Timestamps for Segments

• [01:22] — Samin on Waffles & Mochi
• [02:24] — Reviving soggy fries
• [05:03] — Samin on Indonesian cookbook
• [07:33] — Rishi’s sweets safe story
• [10:10] — Cooking for a date—sexy food
• [14:47] — 7lb rutabaga dilemma
• [21:48] — “Is banana a fruit or potato?”
• [27:40] — Maraschino cherry overload
• [33:04] — Preserved citrus ideas
• [38:14] — Feeding a family of 11
• [42:03] — Family tomato sauce mystery
• [46:03] — Waffles & Mochi interview

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Final Thoughts

This episode is a delightful blend of kitchen wisdom, gentle encouragement for intimidated or overwhelmed cooks, and the playful, pun-laden camaraderie of two friends. Whether you need practical solutions or food for thought (and laughter), this “bottom of the bag fries” episode delivers a warm, satisfying snack for both heart and mind—just like those last, unexpected fries.

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Transcript

[A]

Hey, it's Christopher Kimball from Milk Street Radio. Sounds like I'm bragging, and I am. We're the number one most downloaded food podcast in America. You know, Milk Street Radio travels the world in search of the very best food stories. You'll hear about smuggling eels on the black market, the secret intelligence of plants, and insider tips to eating in Paris. And every week, listeners call in with their toughest culinary mysteries. Discover a world of food stories by searching your podcast app for Mill Street Radio.

[B]

I'm Samin Nosrat.

[C]

And I'm Hrishikeshirway.

[B]

And we're home cooking. We're still home cooking.

[C]

You know when you order French fries from a fast food place and you eat all the french fries?

[B]

Uh huh.

[C]

And then you look in the bag and there's still some french fries down.

[B]

At the bottom of the bag and you're so excited.

[C]

That's what this episode is.

[B]

We're like the last two french fries and you're like, yeah. And they're kind of cold and soggy.

[C]

Yeah, exactly. They're not really as good, but you know, it's a nice surprise.

[B]

It's totally. Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

Welcome to the Bottom of the Bag fries episode of Home Cooking. We're back with this bonus episode for one main reason, which is to tell you about this amazing, adorable new Netflix show that Samin's part of called Waffles and Mochi.

[B]

Ugh. I am so sorry to tell you this, Rishi, but it's the best thing I've ever been a part of.

[C]

I know I've about how excited you are about the show for months. So I'm glad I get to finally at least watch the thing that's better than anything else you've done.

[B]

It's a family show, it's a kids show, but I think it's for kids of all ages, including grown up kids. It's made by Higher Ground, the Obama's production company. And Waffles and Mochi are two amazing puppets who aspire to be chefs. They have lived their whole lives in the freezer section until one day they get to escape. And this is the story of the adventures in the grocery store and beyond. And it was really an honor for me to get to be a part of it and I'm so excited for everyone to get a chance to watch it.

[C]

Yeah. And later on in the episode, we've actually got Waffles and Mochi themselves as guests. Our first fictional characters as guests.

[B]

But first we're going to answer some.

[C]

Questions, actually, before we get to other people's questions. Here's my question. What is the right way to revive some soggy fries? Much like we need some reviving right now as the soggy fries of this show. How would you bring us back to delicious life?

[B]

Wait, I'm so confused. Who lets a fry get soggy?

[C]

Okay, this is coming from recent experience. I mean, it's an experience I've had many times in life. But recently, I got takeout, and they put the french fries in with the hot sandwich.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And so by the time it arrived, you know, the steam from the sandwich kind of soggied up the fries a little bit.

[B]

Yes. Okay. It's a takeout problem.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay, Okay, I understand. I understand. I mean, I think you gotta go in the oven, but who has the patience? Let's be honest here. Who has the patience?

[C]

I tried. I went to the toaster oven, I put them in. I tried to be good about it. Cause I was. I really wanted fries, but I did not want to settle for these episode 15 fries. I wanted some real, like, nice, fresh fries. And so I was like, I'm gonna commit to actually, like, putting them in the toaster oven, But I just still feel like they just weren't. They weren't as good.

[B]

Okay. I think the problem is just terrible ordering. Honestly, I just wouldn't order fried food that I know is gonna go through the process of, like, being delivered to me. And I would have to eat it 30 minutes, 40 minutes later. Especially not something like a french fry. That, to me, is unrevivable.

[C]

Yeah. I accept this as an answer. I do remember at the time of this recording a year ago, you know, when the pandemic first hit. I remember the last time I went to sort of my regular grocery store when nobody was wearing masks and people were grabbing all kinds of things. I tried to get tater tots just because I had a craving for tater tots. And the entire tater tot aisle, like, the whole thing was cleaned out.

[B]

Comfort spuds.

[C]

Because I was thinking, oh, maybe what you do is you order the rest of your meal. You don't get the french fries, and then you just make some tater tots at home. And I just had a tater tot scarcity flashback.

[B]

Yeah, of course you have ptsd. You have, like, spud tsd. I mean, if I were you, I would have, like, a perfectly good pun prepared.

[C]

But, like, oh, for potato tot scarcity disasters. Okay, well, that's. That's enough of that. Let's get some questions going Wait, you're.

[B]

Not even going to ask me, like, what I've been cooking or what you've been cooking?

[C]

Remember how to make this podcast? Okay. Have you had anything in the three month. Have you had anything to eat in the three months since I last talked to you?

[B]

Have I eaten anything or cooked anything?

[C]

Yes, please.

[B]

I will say the most delicious stuff that I've been cooking has been out of that wonderful cookbook coconut ensemble, which I just, like, can't stop thinking about and cooking out of. It's not even that I'm, like, cooking so much directly out of it anymore. It's just that I probably have made, like, eight or 10 things out of it. It's by a cook named Lara Lee, and it's an Indonesian cookbook. And so many sort of. It seems like a lot of the foundational flavors are shallot and garlic and lemongrass and ginger. And a lot of things start with sort of sizzling some combination of those ingredients at the beginning. And so it's a completely new flavor base for me, like aromatic flavor base, which just takes my food into a whole new direction, which is so welco.

[C]

What's your number one out of that book?

[B]

Ooh, one of the number ones. There's like, these roast potatoes that you make, and then you toss them with this soy vinaigrette with, like, ginger and garlic. I mean, everything is so good that I've made out of that. Oh, my gosh. There's this chicken that you make. Oh, my God. You make this pepper paste. You take, like, a ton of chilies and garlic, and you fry the bejesus out of them chopped chilies and garlic, and you dry them out. And then you stuff a whole bunch of that under the skin of the chicken. And then you put the chicken in like, a kind of a deep roasting pan. And then you make this paste out of, like, tamarind and a whole bunch of the rest of the chilies and garlic. And then you mix that with coconut milk and all this other stuff. So then the chicken gets roasted in this, like, bath. But then it also has all these chilies and stuff under the skin. And so at the same time, it becomes roast chicken on top. It's also kind of this, like, curry ish juice bath thing happening on the bottom. And then you take all of the liquid that it comes out of and you reduce it and you have this kind of like two in one curry deliciousness. And you're just a very happy person. And it's so spicy and you want to cry and you're so happy and your sinuses are very clear.

[C]

That sounds awesome.

[B]

Wait, can you please do me a favor because there is one development in your eating life that I have been enjoying hearing about.

[C]

Oh, okay.

[B]

That I would like you to share with our listeners.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Dear listeners, it was our friend Rishi's birthday not long ago. And as everyone knows, he loves sweets. Sometimes he can't control himself. And so he went into his birthday weekend with like this plan to eat all these sweets. And I think also like some of his friends brought some sweets over.

[C]

Also for context, I had not eaten any sweets the entire month of January.

[B]

For an entire month leading up to his birthday, he had eaten no sweets. So he was very excited to go into his birthday weekend and eat all the sweets. So like, really mature. So, so he sent me this picture and he's like, oh, my friends brought me these chocolates, these really nice chocolates. But they brought it and it's in this safe and, and it's locked and I have no access to it until it unlocks automatically on such and such date. And I was like, wow, these people really know you well because they know that like you have no self control and like this is actually really good because it's going to force you into not eating these things all at the same time. Little did I know it was not that they had like given you this gift of this like safe. It was that it was their own safe and they were just trying to give you a taste of their chocolate. They couldn't even let you taste some of their chocolate chocolate because it was locked away from their own selves.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

And so they just had to leave the safe at your house until it automatically unlocked so you could taste some of it. But you were so impressed by the experience of the safe and the unlocking that you bought yourself your own safe.

[C]

In fact, I just locked my safe before coming to record this. Locked all my sweets in the safe. So I can't open till next weekend.

[B]

So like, is the safe working for you?

[C]

I think it is. I mean, you know, my dad sent me some sweets, some Indian sweets in the mail and so that's what's in the safe currently.

[B]

Because you can't trust yourself?

[C]

No. He sent me like three boxes and in a few days I realized I had eaten two of the boxes already. And so I put the contents of the third box in the safe. And so my plan is to only eat sweets on the weekends and not during the week. And this is like my way of forcing myself into having Some self control, and it's working. I think it's sort of because you can't get in there unless you, like, break the safe.

[B]

Not that I think this is a good idea for anyone. I'm just so amused by this.

[C]

All right, let's start with this question from Gary. Okay?

[B]

Okay.

[D]

Hi, Samin and Rishi. This is Gary from Oakland, California.

[B]

It's scary.

[D]

Being single and alone during the pandemic was not easy, and not only because my parents kept reminding me that I was single and alone. I did, however, spend a lot of quarantine learning to cook. As we enter into this new phase with the world opening up and I somehow try to start dating again, I'm hoping to cook something that would really impress a date. I guess my question is, what's a sexy dish? Chimichangas, soup, dumplings, sog paneer. Thanks for your help.

[B]

Oh, Gary.

[C]

I love that Gary sent us a question. Gary works for Samin.

[B]

Gary's my assistant.

[C]

His name is in the credits.

[B]

Is it in the credits? Gary, I'm so proud of you for opening your heart, because when you moved here and we went to Target and I tried to convince you to buy more than one dish, like, as in more than one spoon and more than one plate, you resisted because you were like, no, I'm never gonna have more than one person. There's never gonna be.

[C]

Oh, Gary.

[B]

So the idea that you are thinking about dating, this is really good. But I think if anyone knows what sexy food is, Rishi, it's you. Because of the two of us, you're the only one who's partnered.

[C]

Well, I don't think there's really such a thing as a sexy dish. Sexiness is in the eye of the beholder. Just like people have different flavors that they like or don't like. I think the idea of a sexy food, it's too hard to predict. I do think, though, the idea of cooking for someone is inherently sexy. Like, that is an experience that's just awesome.

[B]

Agreed.

[C]

And I don't even think you have to do something that wild to impress them.

[B]

Agree.

[C]

But I think the idea that you're like, hey, we're gonna go on a date. Oh, why don't you let me cook for you? So many points just from that.

[B]

Totally. To me, I think the best way to make someone happy is to cook toward them and for them toward what their preferences are. A question I always get asked is, like, if you could cook for Mrs. Obama, if you could cook for Beyonce, if you could cook for whoever it's like, what would you make them? And I'm like, whatever they want. Do you know what I mean? Like, if I get the chance to cook for somebody really fabulous, I'm gonna make the thing that you want.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So I think probably, like, the best way to delight someone, Gary, is to ask them what they want, you know, Totally.

[C]

The sexiest thing is really, like, paying attention to somebody.

[B]

Mm. Also, I would say here are some practical tips I'll offer you. Don't overdo it. Don't try to, like, reach too far and keep things simple.

[C]

Just cook within your comfort level.

[B]

Yeah. And also do stuff where you can get stuff done in advance and maybe choose dishes where some part of it, or maybe most of it can be served at room temperature. Or things can be done the day before and you're just reheating. Or even things that taste better when they're done the day before and reheated, like stews or braises or the kinds of salads that taste yummy after they've been marinated for a while.

[C]

Yeah. I will say anything that lets you not be stressed in the moment.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

You want to just be able to have fun. And again, you want to be able to pay attention to them. You don't want to be leaving them alone to sort of, like, look at a magazine While you go 10 to 6 different dishes exactly on the stove.

[B]

Yeah. You don't want to be stressed in that moment. You want to be putting the finishing touches on at the last moment. So you want to already have marinated all of the things you want to have already made your farro salad or your chickpea salad, and then at the last second, you're just adding the last few herbs.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, or you already made your beautiful stew and you're just reheating it and sprinkling some chopped parsley on top.

[C]

Yeah, that's a great idea. Something that's. That you serve hot and something that you can serve room temperature.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

Should we tell people where to find Gary if there are any ladies who want to go on a date with him?

[B]

Oh, yeah. If you're interested in Gary, who is very delightful and so charming and so funny, you can find him on Instagram or Twitter. WhoIsGaryLee.

[C]

He is the best.

[B]

He is truly the kindest and also funniest person. And also he will be so mortified that I'm, like, shilling for him.

[C]

On.

[B]

This podcast, which has just become a singles podcast, apparently.

[C]

Well, as a way to take a cold shower from that last question, Let me go to a word that I love but I think is maybe not so sexy.

[E]

Hi, Samin and Rishi. My roommates and I just got a really big rutabaga in our last CSA box of the year and we have no idea what to do with it. By really big, I mean it's just over £7 and so far the only suggestion we've gotten was from my mom who told us to trim the sides and use it as a bowling ball.

[B]

Please help.

[E]

Thanks.

[B]

There are babies that are like smaller than that.

[C]

Is there a vegetable with a more fun name than rutabaga though?

[B]

Rutabaga. Rutabaga. Rutabaga. No.

[C]

Anyway, I just figured you could probably judge the best way to use this. You could judge it like ruda bada Ginsburg.

[B]

Oh, no you didn't. How did I not anticipate that?

[C]

I apologize to everybody. I don't know. There's like not enough people that I can apologize to for that. I'm so sorry.

[B]

I mean, I think you have to first of all apologize to Justice Ginsburg.

[C]

Yes. But I would love to see Claire's rutabaga with a little RBG with the little collar. Step one, make the RBG collar for your rutabaga and then call it rutabaga Ginsburg. And then what should they do?

[B]

Well, I will say first of all, this clearly was a three month old voicemail, so hopefully by now you've worked your way through the seven pounds of rutabaga. Secondly, a seven pound rutabaga is going to be a different story than like a typical rutabaga. Any vegetable that's that huge probably means it's quite mature. And you know, the more mature a vegetable is, the starchier it will be and like the more fibrous typically. And so you'll have to treat it differently, you know, like, you know when you get perfect baby turnips or baby carrots and those are the ones that you eat raw.

[C]

Are you a vegetable ageist, Samin?

[B]

First, I'm a vegetable segregationist. I'm a vegetable ageist.

[C]

Yeah, Samin has discriminating taste. Emphasis on discriminating.

[B]

I am a vegetable ageist and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

[C]

All you starchy fibrous vegetables out there, get outta here. I don't know if people know this, but the working title originally of waffles and mochi was listen to your vegetables. And I think Samina's taken that too far now. Now she's talking to her Vegetable.

[B]

Okay. Basically, all I'm saying is you do need to listen to your vegetables.

[C]

You need to show respect to your elder carrots in a way that you don't have to when they're just young baby naive carrots that don't know any better and you can just eat them raw.

[B]

Exactly. And so when they're young baby naive carrots, you can do anything to them. They can just be, like, dipped in boiling water for a second, like, drizzled with a little bit of olive oil or butter and salt, and they're like, so delicious and so perfect. But by the time it's grown to be seven pounds, it is going to be quite starchy and fibrous. And so you are going to have to peel quite a bit off the outside. And you're probably going to have to, like, maybe even deal with some of the inside and maybe discard some of the inside if it is fibrous. Or, or just you're not going to be able to, like, eat it raw. You're not going to be able to cook it lightly. You are probably going to have to do a little bit more to it to make it really delicious. And so probably that means roasting it or even turning it into mashed rutabaga.

[C]

What does a rutabaga actually taste like? Are they delicious?

[B]

Well, yeah, of course. I mean, any vegetable can be delicious. Like, basically by the time you roast anything, you know what I mean? Like, and caramelize it and make it yummy with like, some, some oil and salt, like, it's gonna be really tasty. So they're cousins of turnips. They're in that Kohlrabi family. We've had Kohlrabi questions here, too. It's like in that Kohlrabi turnip situation.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So a smaller rutabaga you could actually shred and serve like a coleslaw with apples, but I think a bigger one like this, I would probably recommend roasting or turning into, like, mashed apples with probably brown butter and some salt and maybe even some, like, Parmesan cheese would be delicious in there. Like, my answer to everything, Parmesan cheese or. You know what I've been cooking with a lot lately is Szechuan peppercorns. And so, like, forget butter altogether and just do, like, sesame oil and Szechuan peppercorn, a little bit of ginger, garlic, and mashed rutabaga. That would be super delicious.

[C]

That sounds amazing, actually.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

When you have to cut up the rutabaga before you mash it or roast it or whatever. I mean, a seven pound vegetable, you just need to reach for the biggest knife you have.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Oh, actually, that's a fantastic question, because this is one of the ways that I've hurt myself the worst in the kitchen cutting an unwieldy squash. And I'm not kidding, I went to emergency room and had surgery and was in physical therapy for months afterwards.

[C]

Oh, geez.

[B]

So in order to not hurt yourself, what you would need to do is to get yourself to a flat surface so that this thing isn't like, rolling around on the cutting board. And you do need to use the largest knife that you have. To be honest, probably the safest thing to do is to keep one hand completely out of the way and just use your other hand and just, like, whack it through. You know, just like, hack through it so that you just have cut through and you end with two halves.

[C]

Yeah, but you need to have a really sharp knife.

[B]

You have to have a pretty sharp knife or just, like, use, like, a lot of strength and speed to go through.

[C]

I can't remember if we've talked about this before, but people don't realize how much a really sharp knife is essential for kitchen safety.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

People think, oh, it might be dangerous if you have a really sharp knife. But actually, most kitchen injuries happen because you have a dull knife.

[B]

Yes. Because you're pushing a lot harder with a dull knife.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

A sharper knife is much safer than a dull knife. Absolutely.

[C]

All right, Claire, this is, and for everybody else for this very outdated question next time Thanksgiving rolls around. Now, you have some rutabaga ideas, and I really hope we're going to see some pictures of rutabaga Ginsburgs, please. Tagin and Rishihirway. If you do, dress your rutabaga up as Justice Ginsburg. And on that note, on the basis of starch, here's another question.

[E]

My name is Hannah. I live in Sarasota, Florida, and I've had an ongoing debate with friends for years now about whether or not a banana should be considered a fruit. And this is based upon, like, I understand the scientific reasons as to why it is considered a fruit, but the texture of a banana is so starchy compared to a peach or a plum or a lemon that, honestly, I more closely related to a potato. And all of my friends think this is hilarious. But I would like you guys to weigh in. Should a banana be considered a fruit?

[C]

I'm just gonna read from PBS NewsHour.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Please do an article from their website. Headline, eight things you didn't know about bananas. Okay, we'll link to this. Number one. Bananas aren't really a fruit. Well, they are and they aren't.

[B]

That's what they said was a question asker lady named Hannah.

[C]

Oh yes, she definitely was Hannah. If your friends are real friends, they will get you a shirt that says ban Hannah on it and they will appreciate this. Answer from pbs. Bananas are both a fruit and not a fruit. While the banana plant is colloquially called a banana tree, it's actually an herb distantly related to ginger. How about that?

[B]

I don't think that addresses her specific concerns though, doesn't it? No, because you're like giving us a botanical answer.

[C]

A bananacal answer. Really?

[B]

A bonanical answer. And she wants more of a cooking answer. Her sort of argument is this thing is really starchy and hence it belongs alongside a potato.

[C]

Yes. Well, let me complicate things and introduce the plantain to the potato.

[B]

Okay. Sorry, I just. That was just like.

[C]

So what?

[B]

Dorky.

[C]

Dorky? Am I a rutabaga? Did I suddenly. Why are you roasting me? I was gonna say, what about a plantain?

[B]

Oh, yeah. Well, that's where I was going too.

[C]

Oh, okay.

[B]

I mean, that's the natural place to go. That's not that complicated.

[C]

Well, I'm just saying, if banana feels easier to write off as a fruit and not a vegetable, what about a banana? Starchy or cousin.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, it's still also a fruit. They're just starchy fruits.

[C]

Okay, well, final answer.

[B]

I don't know, because a banana. Banana bread. Potato bread. Banana cake. Potato cake.

[C]

You're just putting nouns together now. Lamp curtain.

[B]

Banana chips. Potato chips.

[C]

Uh huh.

[B]

Banana hammock. Potato hammock.

[C]

Jeez.

[B]

Wow. I'm just trying to think of like.

[C]

All the ways in which bananas are like potatoes.

[B]

I was just trying to feel my way through it. The uses of a banana and the uses of a potato. And I was feeling like a banana feels like a fruit. Sorry, Hannah. I'm always up for like a nutty theory.

[C]

I for one am with you. And thank you, Ben. Hannah. Not only are we back with a new season of episodes, we've also got brand new home cooking merch. We finally put our tomato can home cooking logo on a shirt. You can get it as a T shirt or a sweatshirt or a tank top or even a onesie for little baby home cooks. Plus there's a tote bag with the drawing of the round salt can thing that has samin and myself and our dogs, Fava Bean and Watson on it. It is the pinnacle of tote bags and there is a pun in there if you think about how pinnacle is spelled. There's also a special shirt in honor of our special recurring guest, the man with hot takes and a surprisingly high pitched giggle. My dad, known to Samin and all my close friends as Sumesh Uncle. He has his own shirt that says Team Sumesh uncle, featuring three little jars of saffron, and he undoubtedly has very strong opinions about their color and flavor. And of course, there's also still the OG sweatshirt with the drawing of the can of sardines and and the inexplicable shrimp Jenga Forever shirt. And all of this stuff was illustrated by our wonderful Mamie Ryan Gold. And all of it is available at Homecooking Show Slash Merch. Again, it's Homecooking Show Slash Merch.

[B]

If you're a fan of home cooking and the way it's all put together. But like me, you wish it had a little less Rishi in it. Let me recommend Rishi's other podcast, the brilliant and magical Song Exploder. Rishi is the host, but he cuts himself entirely out of the interviews he does with amazing musicians like Janelle Monae, Robin, Fleetwood Mac, U2, and more. So you just hear them talking about the creative process behind the making of one of their songs. I was actually a fan of Song Exploder way before Rishi and I became friends. Two of my favorite episodes are the ones with Solange and single Sylvan Esso. The show is so carefully and thoughtfully made and it's just really inspiring for anyone who creates things. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.

[C]

We're not done. I have more fruit questions for you.

[B]

It's fine. I'm in the fruit mood.

[C]

Okay, good. It's a whole fruit salad. Here we go.

[F]

This is David. I'm from Chicago, and I have a question in regards to maraschino cherries. So my boyfriend, his mom gave us like a 72 ounce or 2 kilogram jar of maraschino cherries. And we love cocktails and not saying we don't want to have more cocktails, but looking to see if there's something else we can do with these. Apparently the shelf life once opened is four weeks.

[C]

What?

[F]

And it's been about 12. So anything you can do to help, that would be great. Thank you.

[C]

That is very surprising to me because what I remember from my childhood is that there was like one jar of maraschino cherries that was in the fridge in the garage for about six years.

[B]

Yes. Also, can I please. Excuse me. David, this being a poetry friendly podcast.

[C]

Are you gonna write a poem?

[B]

No, I'm gonna read one.

[C]

There once was a maraschino who loved the films of Al Pacino.

[B]

This is truly one of my very favorite poems in the whole world.

[C]

The one that I'm just writing right now. About Al Pacino.

[B]

No.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

This is why I almost went to get an MFA in poetry was this poem.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

It's called Refrigerator, 1957, by Thomas Lux.

[C]

Okay. I'll noodle on the piano.

[B]

More like a vault. You pull the handle out. And on the shelves, not a lot. And what? There is a boiled potato in a bag, a chicken carcass under foil, looking dispirited, drained, mugged. This is not a place to go in hope or hunger. But just to the right of the middle door, shelf on fire. A lit from within. Red heart red, sexual red, wet neon red, shining red in their liquid, exotic, aloof, slumming in such company. A jar of maraschino cherries, 3/4 full, fiery globes like strippers at a church social. Maraschino cherries. Maraschino the only foreign word I knew. Not once did I see these cherries employed, not in a drink, nor on top of a glob of ice cream or just pop one in your mouth. Not once. The same jar there through an entire childhood of dull dinners, bald meat, pocked peas and sea above boiled potatoes. Maybe they came over from the old country family heirlooms or were status symbols bought with a piece of the first paycheck from a sweatshop which beat the pig farm in Bohemia, handed down from my grandparents to my parents to be someday mine, then my child's. They were beautiful. And if I never ate one, it was because I knew it might be missed or because I knew it would not be replaced. And because you do not eat that which rips your heart with joy. The maraschino cherry poem. I love it so much. Refrigerator, 1957 by Thomas Lux. And it has a few uses for maraschino cherries in there. And so beautiful and inspiring, actually, but. And I feel like it actually says that there's the same jar of cherries, like throughout his whole childhood in the refrigerator door. There you go.

[C]

That's exactly what I'm saying. That was my experience too.

[B]

But like, I'm like. The whole thing with maraschino cherries is they're like all preservatives. So, like, whatever shelf life you're talking about for Forget about that.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Unless they are, like, artisanal ones, which maybe there's some kind that I. I don't know about.

[C]

So, I mean, Lindsay has those fancy ones, the Luxardo maraschino cherries, but even those have a shelf life of three years.

[B]

I mean, the two uses that come to mind for me are kind of fun, sort of like Americana classic ones. And one is, you know, like to sort of use a bunch of toothpicks and stick it on a ham and make a roast ham.

[C]

Oh, really?

[B]

Like a luau ham. And the other one is classic pineapple upside down cake where you stick a half a maraschino cherry in the center of a pineapple ring. Why are you laughing? It's amazing.

[C]

No? Yeah, yeah. I was just imagining they have 72 ounces of cherries. The number of cakes, that's a lot.

[B]

Of pineapples in our cake to make.

[C]

To go through all cherries, they're like, we did it. We made 64 cakes and we finally used all the cherries. Anything else?

[B]

There's also these cookies you can make. There are these, like, little surprise cookies. My friend Emily made them for Christmas. They were like little almond cookies that had a little surprise inside. So when you bit into it, it had a candied cherry that was wrapped in. I think it had, like, maybe chocolate inside. So you could totally make that where like, you basically wrap the cookie dough around a cherry and a chocolate chip and then you bite into it, and that's a kind of like a delicious, like, cherry chocolate surprise cookie.

[C]

That sounds great.

[B]

I think you're gonna be able to do it.

[C]

Good luck, David. Okay, next we have a question from Cassie.

[B]

I got really excited about citrus and preserving it and went a little overboard. And now I have two. Two Colin jars of preserved limes, blood oranges, lemons, one grapefruit. Any tips outside of Tangenes to use these?

[G]

Thanks in advance.

[B]

Bye. Have I got some ideas for you, Cassie. First of all, I've been scrolling Instagram.

[C]

Lately and you saw a pair of khakis, but they were made of denim. And you were like, oh, my God, tan jeans. But she's already said, outside of Tangenes, what can she do?

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

So you gotta come up with something else.

[B]

After the tangines, I was like, what is this? To begin with? Like, just to describe what preserved citrus is usually like, the most basic version is just lemons. You would take a lemon and you would score it with an X sort of lengthwise.

[C]

You're not cutting all the way through it, but you are cutting it open.

[B]

You're cutting it open, but not all the way apart so that it's kind of like a little flower.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But it's held together at the very bottom. You know, it kind of looks like.

[C]

The Mind Flayer from Stranger Things.

[B]

I don't know what that is, but. Or a tulip. Sure. You kind of like unfold it open. And then the idea is you use as much salt as you possibly can and you take all the exposed bits of flesh and you just rub, like, obscene amounts of salt. You can't possibly use too much salt. And then you jam all of this super salty lemon into a jar and then pack all of that with as much lemon juice as you possibly can so that there's no air. So you just take like a skewer or a fork or a knife or something and you just like work any air bubbles out as much as possible. Seal that with a lid, an airtight lid, and leave it on a counter or like in a dark corner, room temperature, for three weeks. And it would sort of just like lightly ferment. And then there you have it, your preserved lemons. So to use them, you essentially wanna rinse off all of the salt and get rid of all of the, like, flesh. And what is the usable part is the skin. Like a tiny little bit goes a really, really long way. So, Cassie, with your two huge jars, you have, like, enough to last you the next six to seven pandemics.

[C]

So don't even joke about that.

[B]

In addition to these vinaigrettes and salsas, you know, I think you can turn to some of these other things that I can suggest.

[C]

Yeah. What was the thing on Instagram that you saw that you started talking about?

[B]

I saw something new to me. So there's a pastry chef named Nick Muncie, and he has, like a pastry box that you can subscribe to. It's called Drool. And I have been eyeing it. And one of the items in this box that looks so beautiful is this kind of inside out, upside down lemon meringue tart. It's so beautiful. Do you see this, Rishi?

[C]

Yeah. This is gorgeous.

[B]

It's so gorgeous. And so he folded little bits of preserved lemon that he's candied into the meringue. So it's like studded with this savory thing. It had never in a million years occurred to me to take something savory salted preserved lemon and candy it. And so I was like, oh, my gosh, this is amazing. It's brilliant. So clever. This is just one of those things where I'm like, oh, these are the kinds of brilliant things people are doing. You know, it's just kind of this. I feel so lonely. I think that's one of those feelings that I've had this year is this kind of, like, total isolation culinarily. And I'm like, oh, here I am just eating my broccoli again. And so to see, like, oh, people having, like, innovation and being creative and, like, using ingredients in these ways that I've never even thought, like, that's the kind of stuff I really miss. And so to be able to, like, see that even if I can't taste it, and hopefully I will be able to taste it, but then to see it and then get to share it with you through the podcast is exciting, too. And then another thought that I also have is my friend Chris Crawford. She has this company called Tart Vinegar.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

And she makes all of these really delicious vinegars, but also she does all sorts of other fermented goods. And she started asking herself, why do I throw away all of this other part of the citrus? Seems, like, so wasteful. So she started taking the whole citrus and just dumping it in a blender and blending the whole thing up. And she just started sending me, like, a whole jar of the entire blended paste. Like, and she had both mandarins and Meyer lemons and lemons. And she was like, it's really good. Start mixing it into your vinaigrette. Start mixing it into different, like, you know, marinades and stuff. I started doing that last year, and it's really tasty. So that's another way to use it up.

[C]

Awesome. All right, should we switch out of this fruit mode? Okay, I have a question here from Katie. She said, we have a big blended family. My husband's from the Midwest. I'm from Louisiana, and our seven children are Thai, Chinese, Korean, and Midwestern. Ages 24 through 4.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

I'm so tired of cooking fried rice, spaghetti, goulash, mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese. What else is affordable that will feed my big family? We love to cook. I'm just running out of ideas. The kids love trying new foods, so we're up for an adventure. And she sent this great picture of the whole family. There's 11 people in this photo.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[C]

Of all different ages. So the question for you, Samin, is, if you have to cook for, say, 11 people all the time on the cheap, what's a great thing to feed that many people?

[B]

That's a lot of people.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Katie, you are Inspiring.

[C]

As you ponder this question, let me tell you where my mind goes. There's three elements, right? There's like a big salad, so everybody's getting some vegetables, and then there's something that you cook in a pot. And then there's like some easy to multiply carb, big carb, something to put on top of the carb, and then a salad.

[B]

Exactly. That's the simplest formula for sure. And then I think there are ways to do it where it's even easier on Katie, where it's just even like a one step dish or like a one pot thing, like the Mac and cheese or. A lot of those things she listed are a one pot thing. So one thing I came up with is something like shakshuka, where you create a really rich sort of tomato sauce and then you crack a bunch of eggs into it, and then you have a pile of pita breads and that's basically it. And then that's dinner. There you go.

[C]

And it's delicious.

[B]

And it's super delicious. And it's super satisfying and filling. And yeah, maybe if you want, you can have on the side a big salad. And there you go. That's dinner. You add some like hot sauces and some yogurts. That can make it a little more interesting for people, but doesn't even necessarily need it, you know?

[C]

Right. But yeah, condiments can be the way for them to customize it, personalize it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I know we've talked about this dish before, but there were times in my life when I would have to cook for a big group of people. Usually bands that I was friends with were coming to town and they would crash on my floor. Suddenly there's six, seven people that I'm cooking for and I would make chole for them because it was something that I could do. As long as you have a couple of onions, garlic, spices, and a bunch of cans of chickpeas and some crushed tomatoes, you can make it and then you just make some rice. That was always my go to thing. Whenever I would have to cook for, like, suddenly what felt like a lot of people. I mean, I'm talking about this. It's still not even as many people as Katie has to cook for every day. But in the times when I was like, oh my gosh, so many people, how do I do this? And, you know, I didn't have any money. I would make chole cold beans. No, no, no. You have to cook them, Samin. They're hot beans.

[B]

Oh, my God. But generally, like, I think Legumes are a really great source of protein and also keep costs down. Every place in the world has their. Like, go to legume. And so if you sort of look at your family and all the different places that people come from, like, you could probably go from place to place and find the source dish. There's the people from the south, and there's, like, the beans and greens. And I'm looking right now at Rishi, and I'm like, oh, he's got his doll. My family, we have lentils and rice. And so, like, that's always the classic sort of comfort food that's really healthy, highly nutritious, and inexpensive way to feed a family and keep costs down.

[C]

Thanks so much for the question, Katie, and thanks for sending a photo of your beautiful family. Okay, and once again, we have a chef detective question. Yes, here it is.

[H]

Hi, my name is Cecily, and I'm calling from New York. Although, as you might be able to tell from my accent, I'm originally from London. It's about my maternal grandmother. She was famously a really good cook, kind of quite a traditional English cook, but she died when my mom and her sister were teenagers. So a lot of her recipes have been kind of lost to the mists of time. And we've tried to recreate some of them over the years with, you know, reasonable success, but there's one that we just can't figure out. It's a tomato sauce that she used to serve with white fish. My mom and my aunt describe it as a smoke smooth sauce without any bits. Kind of very light red, almost orangey, a kind of bright color and translucent. Kind of the texture and viscosity of a raspberry coulis or something. She would have had, like, a two hob small oven, nothing fancy or posh in her kitchen at all, and no access to any particularly fancy ingredients. And we really can't figure out how she was making this thing. So we would love your thoughts.

[C]

Can you think of a way to recreate this kind of beautiful tomato sauce from Cecily's grandmother?

[B]

Well, yes and no. I fear that without tasting and seeing it, I won't be able to give the exact sauce, obviously. But upon, you know, having gotten this very beautiful description, it kind of reminds me a lot of the Marcella Hazan tomato sauce recipe. The main clue is the orangey color and the smoothness, the fact there are no bits. It's a little bit orangey and quite, like, thin. The fact that it's orangey makes me think that there's A little bit of dairy in there, like a little bit of butter or even cream. It kind of changes the color from red to, like, a little bit of pale orange.

[C]

Yeah, I love that.

[B]

Yeah, me too. And that classic Marcella sauce, it doesn't have anything, you know, it doesn't have chopped garlic in it. It doesn't have chopped tomato in it. It's just like can of tomatoes that's, like, crushed, and that one's actually just crushed by hand. So this one might just be processed, like, through a food mill or, like, passed through a sieve or something. And then that Marcello one just is, like, cooked with, like, a half of an onion for a little while. And then you remove the half onion, and then at the end, you add a little knob of butter, and that kind of turns it orange.

[C]

So for an English recipe, though, I think probably best not to call it a knob of butter.

[B]

It's true.

[C]

This really is our most, like, rated R episode.

[B]

A little bit of butter.

[C]

Would you serve that kind of Mochella Hazan tomato sauce with a white fish?

[B]

Oh, absolutely, I would. I mean, there are people who, like, don't believe in combining dairy and fish.

[C]

Yeah, that was what I was thinking of because you told me that that was a rule one time, but I'm.

[B]

Not one of those people.

[C]

Okay, me neither.

[B]

I'm guessing, like, a classic tool that she might have is a food mill, you know, which is also called a mooli. It's not like a food processor. It's just sort of creates a pretty smooth sauce, depending on what size plate it has in there. Or you would pass it through a sieve, and then at that point, you could add some butter, or you could add butter and cream or a little cream. And the key is to add the dairy right at the end or even after it's come off the heat so that it doesn't separate. It's literally the simplest possible sauce. And it truly sounds like that's probably what your grandma was making, so probably what I'm guessing is that all the rest of you are overthinking it. Yeah.

[C]

Awesome. Cecily, let us know.

[B]

I hope it helps.

[C]

Yeah, let us know if that works. Joining us now are the two main characters from the new Netflix kids show Waffles and Mochi, which also features Samin. Here's Waffles and Mochi.

[B]

Hey. Hi, Waffles. Hi, Mochi.

[G]

Hi, Samin. It's good to hear your voice again.

[B]

It's been really fun watching and learning about all your adventures around the world.

[G]

Yeah, we Went on so many tasty adventures. We went to Venice, Italy. We went to Peru.

[B]

Were there any ingredients that you didn't get to learn about, but you encountered that you have any questions about?

[G]

I did have a question, actually. We went to meet chef Brisia Lopez, and she was making a thing called mole, and she put all kinds of ingredients.

[B]

Like, so many ingredients.

[G]

It's like so many things she kept saying. And then this goes in, and then that goes in, and this and this and this. And then she said, raisins. I was like, wais. And what's a raisin? And it'll just look like a shriveled up little thing.

[B]

Yeah, raisins. Rishi, do you know about raisins?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I think I'm probably in the raisin family, as I slowly become a shriveled up thing myself. Samin, this is a really interesting question, because I think of raisins primarily as an ingredient for desserts. You know, of course, my mind goes to an oatmeal raisin cookie or something like that. I know that raisins are an ingredient in mole. Are there other dishes that use raisins as an ingredient that aren't desserts? Of course, in Indian food, there's a lot of raisins that are in rice.

[B]

Huh. Can I tell you about one of my favorite dishes that my mom used to make me when I was a little kid?

[G]

Yes. Yes, please.

[B]

So my family is from a country called Iran, and we have a dish called Kashmir polo. Because kash mesh is the word in our language for raisins.

[G]

Kishmish.

[B]

Kishmish, yeah. And polo is our word for rice. And so my mom used to make kashmish polo for me as a little kid, and I loved it because it was rice and it had lentils in it, which are a kind of a bean. And then it had fried raisins, and so they were crispy and chewy on top. You can fry a raisin, and even though it's part of your dinner, it tastes sweet. So it kind of tastes like you're having dessert in your dinner.

[G]

Growing up, did you ever play kashmish polo? Like, someone would say keshe mesh, and then you say polo. Quech mesh polo. That sounds like a fun game.

[B]

No, but I would play that with you. If you ever want to come back.

[G]

And visit next time when you're in your garden, I'll just say quech mesh. That's how you'll know to find me. And I'll hear you say Polo. And then we'll find each other.

[B]

Okay, perfect.

[C]

And Samin, how do you actually make kashmish polo?

[B]

Oh, sure. Yeah. I have a recipe for a similar dish called Adas Polo in my book, and it's just rice and lentils that are cooked together until they're done in a pot. And then you make fried raisins that you can fry in oil or butter and you put em on top. And so what I love is getting a bite that has just the right number of raisins and lentils and rice. And it was always my favorite when I was a little girl. I asked for it every time my mom asked what I wanted.

[G]

That sounds great.

[B]

Thank you so much. I know you're really busy, so it was really wonderful to get to chat with you. Thank you.

[G]

Come on, Mochi, let's go.

[C]

Bye.

[B]

Bye.

[C]

Bye.

[B]

You can watch all of Waffles and Mochi right now on Netflix and you can find them on Instagram at wafflesandmochiofficial.

[C]

The show is so good. I wanted to share this thing that happened over text during our hiatus. Normally it would have happened on our podcast, but we weren't making the podcast. I'll play both parts. Okay. I had an idea for a signature recipe for your book. This had better not be a pun. What if you only had a little bit of bread and some tinned fish and some tahini, could you make a recipe?

[B]

Oh, no.

[C]

Could you use the bread for a sandwich? Yes. I'm thinking maybe grill the bread. And could you call it Samini's Teeny Tahini Sardini Panini? I don't deserve this. All caps.

[B]

I don't deserve this. This is just beyond.

[C]

Okay, here's a question, though. When we get out of this pandemic fully and I come over, are you going to make me my own signature version of the Iranian raisin rice dish?

[B]

Is that what you want?

[C]

Yeah, as long as you call it Rishikesh Mesh Pol.

[B]

100%. That one is so good. And that's it for this episode.

[C]

We're going back into hibernation mode for now or forever? Who knows? Who knows?

[B]

Yeah, who knows? I'm working on my book and Rishi's working on his album.

[C]

We make this podcast with the help of Margaret Miller, Zach McNeese, Gary Lee, who loves a sexy dish, and Casey Deal made me. Ryan Gold does our artwork.

[B]

She also just had a baby. Congratulations, Mamie.

[C]

Go follow Michelle Zamora, the wonderful puppeteer who plays Waffles. Michelle ZamoraOfficial.

[B]

We're a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independent podcasts. You can learn more about all the Radiotopia shows at Radiotopia fm.

[C]

Our website is homecooking show where you can find recipes and transcripts for all of our episodes.

[B]

You can follow Rishi on Twitter and.

[C]

Instagram rishiheeereway and Samin is at the Ciao Sameen.

[B]

Stay healthy, eat well and take care of each other.

[C]

And thanks for listening.

[B]

Until we meet again. I'm Samin.

[C]

And I'm Rishi and we'll be home.

[B]

Cooking.

[C]

Radiotopia.

[B]

From PRX.