Tinfoil Swans

Chef and Food Network star Ayesha Nurdjaja shares how one Lidia Bastianich recipe steered her away from law school to the kitchens of Felidia, A Voce, Artisanal, and then her own restaurants Shuka, and Shukette. She opens up about defying her family's expectations, breaking the cycle of toxic kitchen culture, the realities of running restaurants, her new cookbook Mediterranean All the Way, and why her goal is to become a legend.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Daniel Patterson and Sarah Lewitinn (a.k.a. Ultragrrrl) went on their first Hinge date, neither of them was in a great place. No one was, really, because it was in January of 2021. Daniel is an acclaimed chef who'd just been through a divorce and couldn't be in his natural habitat of restaurants. Sarah had spent her whole life in the music industry and found herself burned out — not even able to enjoy listening to bands she loved. But that spark between them roared into a fire, and the two of them aren't just married — they have opened a restaurant together in Los Angeles based on the delight they discovered throwing dinner parties together, with him in the kitchen and her creating the musical and hospitality vibes at the dining table. The two joined Tinfoil Swans to talk about their radically different upbringings, finding their driving passions early on, burning out, and how finding one another at a low point helped them fall back in love with food and music.

Visit foodandwine.com/tinfoilswans for more

Episode Art Courtesy of Food & Wine /Tyler Curtis
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aaron Franklin, the Hot Luck Festival founder and James Beard Award-winning pitmaster behind Franklin Barbecue, talks about the long road from tinkering with guitars at his grandparents' music shop and playing punk shows to teaching himself brisket on a $99 backyard smoker. He shares stories of the warmth and support of Austin community that helped turn backyard barbecues into a national pilgrimage site, the exhaustion and family strain that came with explosive success, the choice not to become "another cranky barbecue guy," President Obama’s unforgettable visit, and why supporting local restaurants matters more than ever.

Visit foodandwine.com/tinfoilswans for more

Episode Art Courtesy of Food & Wine /Paul Shirley
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With her shows Pati's Mexican Table and La Frontera and cookbooks Treasures of the Mexican Table and Mexican Today, Pati Jinich uses her exceptional empathy, political science background, and fearless curiosity to share the stories of the people living, creating, and cooking all around Mexico, and celebrate our shared humanity. For the Season 2 finale, Jinich joined Tinfoil Swans to talk about learning English by watching Sesame Street, her comfort with being laughed at, cooking nopalitos with eggs, and why now more than ever, she wants to celebrate the beauty of the U.S.-Mexico border.

For more info visit: foodandwine.com/tinfoilswans

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Arjav Ezekiel arrived in America at age 12, the first person he met was Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Years later, after navigating life as an undocumented immigrant, he would help build Birdie's in Austin, Texas, into one of the country's most celebrated restaurants. He reflects on the burden of keeping secrets, the people he calls his "guardian angels," why making people feel seen has become the foundation of his work with his wife, Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, and the color he believes hospitality can bring to people's lives.

Visit foodandwine.com/tinfoilswans for more

Episode Art Courtesy of Food & Wine /Eva Kolenko
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices