The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Stephen Presents: Chef Samin Nosrat
Date: October 8, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively, food-filled episode, Stephen Colbert welcomes renowned chef, author, and James Beard Award winner Samin Nosrat. The conversation dives into Nosrat’s culinary background, the creative overlap between food and poetry, the making of a ricotta custard pancake, and family stories that reveal the role food plays in identity and memory. Colbert’s signature humor and curiosity set the tone as he and Nosrat whip up a recipe from her new book, Good Things, serving up insights, mishaps, and plenty of laughs along the way.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Samin Nosrat’s Rise: From Poet to Chef

[09:58–11:27]

• Food and Poetry: Nosrat reveals she originally aspired to be a poet, describing both cooking and writing as deeply creative vocations.
  • "I wanted to be a poet. Oh, yes. So it’s a natural transition from poet to [chef]." (Nosrat, 10:04)
• First Steps in Food: Nosrat wrote a letter to Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, landing a job as a busser and beginning her hands-on culinary education.
  • “I wrote a letter to Alice Waters at Shape and Eats... and asked for a job.” (Nosrat, 11:13)

2. Cooking a Ricotta Custard Pancake, Live On Air

[09:13–17:05]

• The Process: The pair create fluffy soufflé-like pancakes, with Nosrat guiding Colbert through egg separation, whisking egg whites to stiff peaks, delicate folding, and pan-frying.
• Kitchen Chemistry and Mishaps: Nosrat stresses the importance of technique, like “waiting for the sizzle,” while Colbert jokes about taking shortcuts and their hands-on struggles:
  • "I have to get peaks with a hand? By hand? This is only an hour show." (Colbert, 10:54)
• The Joys—and Dangers—of Cooking on Camera: They laugh over previous technical difficulties with cooking equipment, including a raw pancake incident:
  • "I want you to know that the pancake you see me eat on air was raw." (Colbert, 05:56)
  • "I am eating, like, raw batter." (Colbert, 06:03)

3. Food Rituals, Family, and Cultural Memory

[13:57–14:53]

• Nosrat reflects on her Iranian heritage and her family’s ritual treks for authentic ingredients, highlighting the deep role of food in memory and community:
  • "My mom...always was looking for the best ingredients that reminded her of Iran. So we would drive, at least once a month, 88 miles... to buy special Persian sangak breads." (Nosrat, 14:21)
  • Story of kids being enlisted to circumvent bakery purchase limits—a testament to food’s ability to connect generations.

4. Cooking Techniques, Tools, and Preferences

[06:24–07:52]

• Cast Iron vs. Stainless Steel: Colbert, when picking a skillet for a desert island, sides with stainless steel due to resilience against saltwater:
  • “A cast iron pan is gonna rot... cast iron won’t resist the rust of the sea.” (Colbert, 06:44)
• Cast Iron Care: Colbert firmly answers the cast iron soap debate:
  • "No, no, no. Just a little chain mail... rinse it thoroughly... dry it thoroughly... only takes a minute." (Colbert, 07:35)
• Favorite Tools: Colbert shouts out Smithy and Lodge, two favorite cast iron brands, noting the beauty and utility of a well-made pan.
  • "Smithy is a local Charleston... cast iron and wrought iron. Really beautiful quality, super heavy." (Colbert, 08:11)

5. Chef’s Touches and Pancake Toppings

[15:36–16:27]

• Nosrat shares her homemade apricot jam (her favorite) and advises on the “best ratio” of pancake to topping:
  • "I think you should put on your plate... 50. 50. Don’t you think? One and one to one." (Nosrat, 16:31)
• Personal Touches: Nosrat brings cardamom ghee, a pandemic invention inspired by an overabundance of butter—a reminder that improvisation often leads to the best flavors.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Food and Creativity:
  • “They’re both, like, a place for you to be creative.” –Samin Nosrat on cooking and poetry, (10:23)
• Colbert’s Pancake Mishap:
  • “I want you to know that the pancake you see me eat on air was raw.” –Stephen Colbert (05:56)
• Advice from the Pantry:
  • "Wait for the sizzle, and get yourself a stiff peak. It’s great dating advice as well." –Stephen Colbert (13:49)
• Kitchen Real Talk:
  • “You could just buy this stuff in a box.” –Stephen Colbert, poking fun at scratch cooking, (12:09)
  • "This always upsets me when it says 'fold in but don’t mix in.'” –Stephen Colbert, (12:15)
• On Family Food Adventures:
  • "There was a limit at the bakery, three per person. So she would put all the kids in the car, so we each would have to get them..." –Samin Nosrat (14:34)
• Colbert’s Take on Cookware:
  • "Iron rusts. I think we’ve known this for about 3,500 years." –Stephen Colbert (06:50)

Timeline of Important Segments

• 04:05 — Samin Nosrat’s background and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat appreciation
• 05:05 — On-set mishaps: raw pancake story
• 06:24 — Colbert’s skillet of choice and cast iron care
• 09:13 — Introduction: cooking ricotta custard pancakes
• 10:04 — Nosrat’s journey from aspiring poet to chef
• 13:57 — Food heritage and the Iranian grocery run story
• 15:36 — The chef’s toppings: butter, homemade apricot jam, and the “50/50” rule
• 16:50 — Taste test and the joy (and hazard) of confectioner’s sugar

Final Thoughts

This episode blends humor, technical cooking advice, and heartfelt stories about food and family. Colbert and Nosrat’s chemistry makes for engaging, approachable listening, with plenty to learn whether you’re a home cook, food lover, or just in the mood for a good story and a laugh.

Summary by The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert