The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
Guest: Alison Roman (Extended Edition)
Release Date: November 24, 2025

Episode Overview

In this extended episode, Stephen Colbert welcomes bestselling cookbook author and chef Alison Roman to discuss her new book, "Something from Nothing." The conversation revolves around making great food with minimal, everyday ingredients, approachable pantry hacks, and playful banter about favorite (and least favorite) foods. The exchange is hands-on, with the duo preparing a crispy chicken cutlet dish while offering practical cooking advice, debunking kitchen myths, and sharing plenty of laughs.
Tone: Lighthearted, witty, conversational, and a little irreverent.

Key Discussion & Cooking Segments

1. Introducing Alison Roman and Cooking Philosophy

[04:01-04:24]

• Colbert introduces Roman as one of his favorite chefs and NYT bestselling author.
• Roman discusses the core theme of her cookbook: making "something from nothing."
  • Quote:
    Roman [04:24]: "You can make something from it, is what you can."
  • On minimalism: boiled potato with salt as an underrated snack.

2. Making the Chicken Cutlet: Pantry Essentials & Simple Gear

[04:41-05:54]

• The featured recipe is a crispy chicken cutlet with parmesan and burst tomatoes.
• Roman advocates for panko breadcrumbs as a pantry MVP:
  • Quote:
    Roman [04:41]: "Panko breadcrumbs are that breadcrumb. They are like, a thing that I use for everything and especially a cutlet."
• Emphasis on using tools you actually have (like a skillet instead of a mallet).
  • Quote:
    Roman [05:16]: "I'm not calling for any equipment that you might not have."

3. Cooking Technique: Bread, Egg, and Fry

[06:12-08:25]

• Step-by-step, Roman walks Colbert through pounding out the chicken, breading, and frying.
• Highlights not soaking fried food in sauce—maintain that crunch!
  • Quote:
    Roman [06:43]: "I am not a huge fan of what we like to call a crispy gone soggy food... feels like a crime."
• On home cook realism:
  • Quote:
    Roman [07:02]: "Making your own breadcrumbs is a real fantasy, and we all love to live that fantasy, but that's not the world I'm living in."
• The key to restaurant flavor: more salt and olive oil.
  • Quote:
    Roman [07:37]: "People are always like, why does it taste so good in a restaurant? Because they're using so much salt and so much olive oil."

4. Parent Humor & Halloween Costumes

[08:34-08:57]

• Colbert jokes about Roman’s viral family Halloween costumes as Ina Garten, her husband as Jeffrey, and their son as a roast chicken.

5. The Perfect Sauce & The "Soggy Chicken" Debate

[09:30-10:14]

• Roman shares her alternative: a “light, saucy, burst tomato situation,” not a heavy marinara.
  • Quote:
    Roman [09:34]: "It's not like a heavy marinara sauce with, like, goopy cheese. It's sort of just like a light, saucy, burst tomato situation that you would cook in the same skillet."
• Roman, playfully exasperated as Colbert adds too much tomato: "You're making it wet. He made it wet. Okay, well, we can't eat this now."
  • Memorable Exchange:
    Colbert [10:01]: "Why is that too much?"
    Roman: "That's way too much... not too saucy. You're making it wet."

6. Hers and His Herbs: Basil, Dill, Parsley, & Tarragon

[10:22-10:47]

• Roman admits to not loving basil, preferring dill and parsley—audience reacts in mock-shock.
  • Quote:
    Roman [10:28]: "It's not my favorite herb. I think it was."
    Roman [10:32]: "Dill, parsley."
• Colbert declares, "Garbage herb!" about tarragon, causing more playful banter.

7. Pasta Debates: Bucatini vs. Penne

[10:51-11:39]

• Colbert ribbing Roman over her anchovy-shallot-harissa pasta, served on bucatini—claims you can't "Lady and the Tramp" it.
  • Quote:
    Colbert [11:07]: "You say, oh, there's a hole in the bucatini. And when you eat it, it's like a straw, and it gets everywhere..."
    • Roman stands by bucatini; least favorite? Penne.
      • Quote:
        Roman [11:29]: "It's the worst pasta shape. It is."
    • Fond nostalgia over farfalle (bowtie) pasta.

8. The Final Taste Test & Book Plug

[11:58-12:39]

• The reveal: Colbert and Roman swap sides, sample the dish.
• Roman explains the dish as a "lighter, crunchier, crispier, fresher" take on chicken parmesan.
  • Quote:
    Roman [12:11]: "So basically the idea is like the idea of a chicken parm, but like lighter, crunchier, crispier, fresher."
• They joke about cheese (Colbert: "How's that cheese candy?").
• Show closes with Roman’s book plug:
  • Colbert [12:39]: "Something from Nothing is available now. Alison Roman, everybody!"

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Using What You Have:
  "I'm not calling for any equipment that you might not have, but we all have a tiny skillet."
  – Alison Roman, [05:16]

• On Realistic Home Cooking:
  "Making your own breadcrumbs is a real fantasy, and we all love to live that fantasy, but that's not the world I'm living in."
  – Alison Roman, [07:02]

• On Restaurant Food at Home:
  "People are always like, why does it taste so good in a restaurant? Because they're using so much salt and so much olive oil."
  – Alison Roman, [07:37]

• On Herbs:
  "Dill, parsley."
  – Alison Roman, [10:32]
  "Garbage herb."
  – Stephen Colbert, on tarragon, [10:42]

• On Pasta Shapes:
  "It's the worst pasta shape. It is."
  – Alison Roman, on penne, [11:29]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:01] — Alison Roman introduction and philosophy
• [04:41] — Essential pantry ingredients
• [06:12] — Cooking technique insights
• [08:34] — Halloween costume banter
• [09:30] — Tomato sauce methodology and debate
• [10:22] — Herb preferences
• [10:51] — Pasta debates
• [11:58] — Tasting, book plug, and closing laughter

Summary

An episode filled with practical culinary wisdom, charming authenticity, and spontaneous laughs. Listeners and aspiring home cooks are guided through making delicious food with minimal fuss, and fans of both Colbert and Roman will especially enjoy the rapport and uniquely relatable kitchen confessions. The episode concludes with a spirited defense of bucatini, a takedown of penne, and universal agreement—never enough cheese.

Perfect For: Anyone who loves approachable humor, home cooking tips, and witty irreverence about food culture.