Podcast Summary: New Books Network — Daria Lavelle, "Aftertaste"
Date: December 9, 2025
Host: GP Gottlieb
Guest: Daria Lavelle
Book: Aftertaste (Simon & Schuster, 2025)
Episode Overview
This episode features an in-depth conversation with Daria Lavelle about her debut novel, Aftertaste. The book blends ghost story with foodie narrative, following the life of Kostya Dahovny, a young man uniquely gifted—or haunted—with the ability to taste the last meals craved by the dead. The discussion explores themes of grief, immigrant family dynamics, culinary passion, and the intricate connection between food and memory.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Origins and Personal Connection to Food
- Daria’s Background: Grew up in a Ukrainian immigrant family where cooking and food traditions were essential.
- “My family is Ukrainian. …Ukrainian food and cooking everything from scratch were just sort of staples in my household.” (03:00 — Daria Lavelle)
- Observing a chef cousin’s journey in New York deeply informed parts of the book.
2. The Tasting Game and Memory
- The “guess what I’m feeding you” game between Kostya and his father becomes a powerful emotional touchstone.
- “The object of the game is to correctly guess what he’s”— Daria on the origins of the tasting game. (04:51)
- Daria herself didn’t play the exact game but remembers sampling family cooking as a bonding ritual.
3. Childhood Grief and Guilt
- Kostya’s last words to his father (a childish rebuke) before his dad’s sudden death serve as the emotional lodestone for the entire narrative.
- “That’s kind of the last thing he ever says to his dad. …it serves as this sort of anchor and this reason for why, following his father’s death, Kostya can’t seem to move on from it.” (06:10 — Daria Lavelle)
4. Kostya’s Supernatural Palate
- Kostya begins to experience vivid, involuntary aftertastes of meals he never ate—initially interpreted as messages from his father, but eventually realized to be the last tastes yearned for by different spirits.
- “The aftertastes are these tastes, these flavors just appear in his mouth kind of magically, psychically.” (07:15 — Daria Lavelle)
- Preparing these dishes, he learns, can summon the corresponding spirit for a final meal.
- “By cooking this food, he can actually bring a spirit back from the afterlife for a last meal.” (10:18 — Daria Lavelle)
5. Family Dynamics: Relationship with Vera (Kostya’s Mother)
- Vera, trapped in her own grief, withdraws, forcing Kostya into adulthood prematurely.
- “She is entangled in her own loss and it affects her so profoundly that she can’t even bring herself to take care of her child.” (08:14 — Daria Lavelle)
6. Nicknames and Russian Literary Traditions
- “Kostya” is Russian for “bones,” inspiring layered uses of nicknames throughout the novel.
- “I thought it would be fun to play on that tradition in Russian literature, in Slavic literature, where there are many, many diminutives for a name.” (09:12 — Daria Lavelle)
- Frankie, Kostya’s roommate, dubs him “Bones”—a nod to both language and character relationships.
7. Frankie and Maura: Secondary Characters
- Frankie: Kostya’s charismatic chef roommate; brings energy and connection to the world of culinary artistry.
- “He is just effervescent… the kind of person who, if you were to party with him, he would be the center of the room.” (11:19 — Daria Lavelle)
- Maura Elizabeth Struck: Initially presented as a "party psychic," she is deeply wary of Kostya’s ghostly gift and holds complex connections to the spirit world.
- “She shuts him down pretty immediately. She’s like, this is a terrible idea. …Don’t feed them, don’t mess with them. Leave it alone.” (12:08 — Daria Lavelle)
8. Central Themes: Longing, Closure, and the Restaurant Dream
- Kostya’s motive for harnessing his supernatural ability: to see his father again and apologize.
- “Maybe I can see my dad again. Maybe I can get the closure that I never got all those years ago as a child.” (15:13 — Daria Lavelle)
- His path evolves toward helping others find closure—in life and death.
- Launching a restaurant becomes possible when a shady Russian businessman offers full financial backing, in exchange for less savory influence.
- “It’s very much a Faustian bargain…[the terms] are pretty nefarious.” (16:45 — Daria Lavelle)
9. Palate vs. Training in Haute Cuisine
- Kostya’s supernatural “palate” compensates for his lack of traditional chef training. Years of ghostly aftertastes have made him uniquely sensitive to the optimal versions of countless dishes.
- “His palate is almost like a chameleon palate that takes on exactly what the spirit needs to eat and the way that it tastes.” (18:44 — Daria Lavelle)
10. Writing Craft and Favorite Scenes
- Daria researched NYC’s distinct ethnic neighborhoods and markets to bring the full breadth of world cuisines to life within Kostya’s restaurant.
- “Most of the places you can actually go to and visit and you can shop for the same ingredients I talk about…” (21:29 — Daria Lavelle)
- Her favorite scene: Kostya’s creation of the “spectral sour” cocktail and his first spirit restoration at a bar.
- “That was a powerful scene, too. That was truly moving.” (22:27 — GP Gottlieb)
11. Future Work
- Daria hints her next novel is a historical/fantastical love story set aboard an enchanted ship spanning a century, featuring lovers who can meet only one day each year. (22:39)
Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
-
On Grief and Later-Life Closure:
“I can apologize. I can alleviate some of that grief and that guilt that I’ve been feeling.”
(15:13 — Daria Lavelle) -
On the Gift of Aftertaste:
“He’s able to figure out exactly what goes in a dish and how much… but he has to learn how to, like, braise or boil or saute or sous vide…”
(18:44 — Daria Lavelle) -
On Researching Food in NYC:
“That scene required so much research, not only into sort of the different cuisines, but also, like, where to shop for them in Manhattan.”
(20:56 — Daria Lavelle) -
Host’s Response to Emotional Resonance:
“That was a powerful scene, too. That was truly moving.”
(22:27 — GP Gottlieb)
Key Segments & Timestamps
- [03:00] — Daria’s family and food background
- [04:29] — The tasting game & food as memory
- [06:10] — Kostya’s guilt over his father’s death
- [07:15] — The aftertaste phenomenon explained
- [08:14] — Vera’s struggle with grief
- [09:12] — Russian names and the “Bones” nickname
- [11:19] — Frankie’s role as roommate and chef
- [12:08] — Maura’s introduction and warnings
- [15:13] — Closure, longing, and the father-son dynamic
- [16:45] — The Faustian bargain of running a restaurant
- [18:44] — The training of a supernatural palate
- [20:56] — Writing, research, and scene favorites
- [22:39] — Preview of Daria’s next novel
Tone & Style
The episode maintains a warm, engaging, and reflective tone—balancing the wonder of magical realism with the poignant aches of family loss and personal growth. Both host and guest share a clear enthusiasm for the minutiae of cooking, the power of memory, and the life of a debut novelist.
Listeners who haven’t read or listened will gain a vivid picture of both Aftertaste’s narrative and its emotional themes, as well as a strong sense of Daria Lavelle’s voice, background, and literary ambitions.