Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! – "HTDE: How To Make Lasagna Without An Oven, with Peter Sagal"

Date: September 17, 2025
Host: Peter Sagal (NPR)
Guests/Contributors: Ian, Mike, Colby, Dr. Michael Lerner, Amanda, JP

Episode Overview

This episode is a playful and informative crossover between "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" and "How To Do Everything," where the hosts tackle two unusual challenges: making lasagna in a dishwasher (with Peter Sagal as the taste tester) and helping a listener who physically cannot burp. The show blends quirky problem-solving, offbeat humor, and expert advice, culminating in a memorable taste test and a surprisingly scientific explanation of "No Burp Syndrome."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Can You Really Make Lasagna in a Dishwasher? (00:58 – 11:29)

• The Plan:
  Hosts Ian and Mike embark on the adventure of cooking a lasagna—in a dishwasher.

  • They phone local appliance stores to fact-check whether this is even theoretically possible.
  • Colby, an appliance expert, confirms: “Anything that hits sanitary level of like, I think, 162 degrees or something” could cook food (02:33).

• Dishwasher Lasagna Process:

  • Ingredients are wrapped in three layers of aluminum foil and placed flat in the dishwasher.
  • The “sanitize” cycle is used to guarantee the highest heat.
  • Advice: Do not use detergent (03:00).
  • Colby suggests, “Just wouldn’t tell anybody” about using the dishwasher for food preparation, regarding potential warranty issues (03:29).

• Kitchen Prep:

  • The hosts riff on the surrealism of audio-only cooking lessons, the protective properties of aluminum foil, and the importance of robust seasoning:
    • "I think anything to mask the centuries of Tide pods that have gone through the dishwasher." (05:39)

• The Big Reveal:

  • After two and a half hours, the lasagna is unwrapped and delivered to Peter Sagal for judgment.
  • Peter’s Assessment:
    • Observing the lasagna: “I see before me what I would have to say looks like maybe a one or two layer lasagna.” (08:07)
    • Describing the taste: “It doesn’t taste good, but kind of a humid feel to it. You know, it’s a little soggy.” (09:11)
    • “If I were served this, perhaps in a restaurant, I might push it slowly away and then do the thing where you cut it and so it looks like you’ve eaten it. So I don’t want to offend the server.” (09:31)

• The Reveal:

  • Peter discovers the lasagna was cooked in a dishwasher. His primary concern: “Was it just sitting there?... so that’s why it feels wet.” (10:13)
  • The team jokes about potential new Italian names for the dish:
    • “Lasagne dalla La Vastoville” (10:45)
    • “If somebody came out and said with that accent... you’d be like, aren’t we lucky, honey?” (10:50)

• Final Judgment:

  • "It’s not good... It’s not inedible. If I was very, very hungry and I didn’t want to offend the person who gave it to me." (11:17)

Memorable Quotes:

• “We're using the food to create garbage, which we’re gonna feed to Peter.” – Ian (05:31)
• “It’s a little bit cooking, it’s a little bit dishwashing. It’s a little bit origami. It’s a little bit ending a friendship.” – Ian (06:25)
• “It doesn’t taste good, but kind of a humid feel to it. You know, it’s a little soggy.” – Peter Sagal (09:11)

Timestamps:

• 00:58 – Start of lasagna segment
• 02:33 – Appliance store call on dishwasher cooking
• 04:21 – Assembling lasagna
• 08:04 – Peter Sagal tastes the lasagna
• 09:31 – Peter’s restaurant analogy
• 10:05 – The reveal

2. Listener Help Desk: Out-of-Office Stand-ins & Wine Bottling (14:26 – 17:00)

• Ian and Mike offer to be "out-of-office" email contacts for listeners.
• Amanda's email, sent to the wrong address, leads to a lighthearted call about wine bottling:
  • “So when I spoke with her, she gave me a different one.” (16:16)
  • “From my understanding, you guys are off the hook.” – Amanda (16:28)

3. How (Not) To Burp: A Listener’s Real-Life Problem (17:54 – 26:45)

• Listener JP’s Dilemma:

  • JP has “never burped in their life” and feels left out, describing chest gurgling in place of burps (18:34).
  • Mike apologizes for “showing off” after burping involuntarily (19:11).

• Audio Experiment:

  • JP records and sends a "gurgle" noise to the hosts, who have fun slowing it down and adding beats underneath (20:28–21:27).

• Expert Segment: Dr. Michael Lerner, Yale Medicine

  • Dr. Lerner explains “No-Burp Syndrome,” formally retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction (22:24).
    • “So basically, [the muscle] is supposed to relax, to vent air... when it doesn’t, that trapped air can lead to... really uncomfortable bloating.” (22:59)
  • Remedy: Botox injection into the affected muscle (23:19).
    • “In 80 to 90% of people... after the Botox goes away, they’re able to relearn how to burp.” (23:29)
    • Patients often describe their “burp day”—the day they burp for the first time after the treatment (24:24).

Timestamps:

• 17:54 – JP explains inability to burp
• 21:27 – Dr. Lerner joins
• 22:24 – Syndrome and explanation
• 23:19 – Medical remedy

Memorable Quotes:

• “It turns out that it is a thing, and only in 2019... a condition was described in which people couldn’t burp.” – Dr. Lerner (21:48)
• "Botox into that muscle, and 80 to 90% of people afterwards could burp..." – Dr. Lerner (23:19)
• “It’s like going to be on their birthday, so it’ll be like their ‘burp day’.” – Dr. Lerner (24:24)

4. Lighthearted Wrap-up and Future Culinary Innovations (26:08 – End)

• The hosts speculate about other dishwasher-cooked dishes, like ribs or soup (26:11–26:49).
• Mike proposes "Tide seasoning pods" as a business idea (27:05).
• Episode credits and invitations for listener questions.

Memorable Quotes:

• “I think these Tide seasoning pods, this could be our path to financial independence.” – Ian (27:14)
• “It’s a new meal prep kit from Tide.” – Mike (27:14)

Notable Quotes & Moments by Timestamp

| Quote | Speaker | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|------------| | "Anything that hits sanitary level of like, I think, 162 degrees..." | Colby | 02:33 | | "I just wouldn't tell anybody." (on using the dishwasher to cook) | Colby | 03:29 | | "We’re using the food to create garbage, which we’re gonna feed to Peter." | Ian | 05:31 | | "It’s a little bit cooking, it’s a little bit dishwashing. It’s a little bit origami. It’s a little bit ending a friendship." | Ian | 06:25 | | "It doesn’t taste good, but kind of a humid feel to it. You know, it’s a little soggy." | Peter Sagal | 09:11 | | “If I were served this...I might push it slowly away and then do the thing where you cut it and so it looks like you’ve eaten it.” | Peter Sagal | 09:31 | | “Lasagne dalla La Vastoville.” | Ian | 10:45 | | “Botox into that muscle, and 80 to 90%...could burp.” | Dr. Lerner | 23:19 | | "It's like going to be on their birthday, so it'll be like their 'burp day'." | Dr. Lerner | 24:24 | | "I think these Tide seasoning pods, this could be our path to financial independence." | Ian | 27:14 |

Summary Table of Segments

| Segment | Start Time | End Time | Main Topic | |--------------------------------------------|------------|------------|--------------------------------------------| | Dishwasher Lasagna Calls & Cooking | 00:58 | 11:29 | Attempting to cook (and taste) lasagna in dishwasher | | Out-of-Office Email Follies | 14:26 | 17:00 | Listeners use hosts as automated out-of-office contacts; wine-bottling call | | JP's No-Burp Mystery | 17:54 | 21:27 | Listener submits lack-of-burping issue for investigation | | Dr. Michael Lerner: Medical Explanation | 21:27 | 25:45 | Explanation of No-Burp Syndrome & medical solution | | Wrap-Up & Dishwasher Recipe Brainstorm | 26:08 | 27:23 | Other dishwasher meals, fake business ideas |

Episode Mood & Tone

• Dry, irreverent, and nerdily whimsical—hosts maintain a light, self-deprecating banter.
• Willingly lean into absurdity ("origami," "ending a friendship," "burp day"), but balance with genuine curiosity and real research.
• Guests and experts riff with the hosts, keeping the tone accessible and fun.

For Listeners Who Missed This Episode

You’ll hear a hilarious test of culinary limits (lasagna in the dishwasher), an unexpectedly heartfelt medical mystery (a listener who’s never burped), and goofy help desk hijinks. With both questionable recipes and genuine expertise, the episode is equal parts “don’t try this at home” and “you’re not alone with weird problems.” Peter Sagal’s willingness to put his taste buds on the line, plus Dr. Lerner’s modern medical insight, make for an offbeat but surprisingly informative ride.