🎙️ EP140 – Chef Jackie Villena, a.k.a. The Caviar Queen, knows more about caviar than most people know about salt. From harvesting secrets to wild pairings, she breaks down the luxury ingredient like only an insider can.

She’s cooked in renowned kitchens across the Americas — from Gusto in Bolivia and Barra Lima with Francis Mallmann, to The Inn at Little Washington with Patrick O’Connell — and now serves as Executive Chef at RH’s Champagne & Caviar Cellar, earning her the crown as The Caviar Queen.

🎧 Topics Covered in This Episode:

🐟 Fisherman’s Butter – Caviar’s humble beginnings

⏳ Ten-Year Fish – Why it takes a decade to harvest

🍷 Caviar Matures Like Wine – Flavor gets better with age

🌍 Caviar Around the World – From Madagascar to China

🍩 French Toast & Donuts – Sweet pairings that just work

🧈 Brioche, Butter & Bliss – The perfect bite

🥩 Tartar Without Capers – Why caviar replaces the classic

🥄 Never Use Metal – Caviar etiquette and preservation tips

🍗 Fried Chicken & Caviar – The pairing no one expects

🏰 The Inn at Little Washington – Jackie’s fairytale kitchen

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🎙️ EP139 – The Umami Conspiracy. From parmesan-in-mayo hacks to kombu-fueled flavor bombs, Phil and Eric dive mouth-first into the misunderstood world of umami. They trace the Japanese origin of the term, bust myths about MSG, and confess the bastardized secrets that supercharge their sauces. Also in this episode: dessert umami bombs, rule-breaking parmesan, and a tomato sauce that hits harder than it should. This one’s full of science, swearing, and savory revelations.

🎧 Topics Covered in This Episode:

🇦🇪 Back in the Fryer – Phil lands in Dubai

🍄 What Is Umami, Really? – And why no one can describe it

📜 The Japanese Chemist Who Named Umami – A kombu-flavored discovery

🧂 MSG, Sugar & Ajinomoto – The factory-made flavor crystal

🚫 Chinese Restaurant Syndrome – The racist roots of anti-MSG panic

🍟 Shio Kombu on Fries – A flavor bomb you didn’t know you needed

🧀 Parmesan Power Moves – How to hack beurre blanc and mayo

🍅 The Tomato That Punches You – A sauce built to kick your ass

🍫 Dessert Umami – From cheesecake to ganache with blue cheese

🥄 Umeboshi Turnips – A subtle Japanese breakfast that hits deep

🌀 Too Much Umami? – When your pupils become tea saucers

🇮🇹 Rule-Breaking Parmesan – Culinary Crimes Against Italy

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🎙️ EP138 – 🔬From Fine Dining to Harvard Ft. Alejandra Touceda. From her early days dodging crazy chefs, staging at El Celler de Can Roca to now managing the food lab at Harvard University, Alex’s path is anything but linear. In this episode, she dishes on what happens when food meets science.

🎧 Topics Covered in This Episode

👨‍🍳 First Kitchen Trauma – Crying cooks, forced coffee, and surviving a toxic brigade.

🥘 Traditional Roots – Falling back in love with cooking at La Taverna del Clínic.

🌟 Fine Dining Entry – Product-forward learning at Casa Solla.

🏛️ El Celler Energy – Why staging there felt like summer camp for the obsessed.

📚 Thesis at LCA – Rediscovering forgotten plants through grandma’s recipes.

🧪 Nerding Out at Harvard – Teaching food science through pizza elasticity and Harold McGee lectures.

🍶 Amazake Hits Different – A ferment that smells like fruit and flowers.

🧫 Indigenous Beverages – How Alex’s PhD is mapping microbes in traditional fermentation.

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