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Artwork for Special Sauce

Special Sauce with Ed Levine

Ed Levine
Pizza
Thanksgiving
Food Industry
Food Insecurity
Martha's Vineyard
Cooking
Seattle
Teriyaki
New York City
ICE
Food Culture
Leftovers
Spices
Cooking Tips
Pasta
Grilling
Kamala Harris
Immigration
Chocolate
Cookbooks

Serious Eats' podcast Special Sauce enables food lovers everywhere to eavesdrop on an intimate conversation about food and life between host and Serious Eats founder Ed Levine and his well-known/famous friends and acquaintances both in and out of the food culture.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes479Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
FoodArts

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Artwork for Special Sauce

Latest Episodes

On this episode of Special Sauce we talk to the fine documentarian Betsy West and chef Michael Lomonaco about West's superb new film "Top of the World". The film tells the heartbreaking story of Windows on the World, the restaurant on the 106th and 1... more

For Jacques Pépin, cooking has always been about bringing people together and sharing the basic skills to make something delicious. This week we return to my conversation with the legendary chef which we recorded at Jacques' home in Connecticut. We w... more

What a treat it was to go up to Jacques Pépin's home in Connecticut and interview Jacques, his daughter Claudine Pépin, and her husband Rollie Wesen on the occasion of the publication of the 50th Anniversary  edition of Pépin's seminal work La Techni... more

This week on Special Sauce we go way back into the Internet time machine (2015!) with the brilliant Susie Essman regaling us with hilarious stories about her years of dues paying in comedy clubs, renouncing vegetarianism when the smell of bacon just ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Roland Wesen
Co-founder of the Jacques Pépin Foundation
Jacques Pépin Foundation
Episode: Jacques Pepin Part 2: Jacques on Julia & Much More
Jacques Pépin
Chef, cookbook author, and television personality
Jacques Pépin Foundation
Episode: Jacques Pepin Part 2: Jacques on Julia & Much More
Claudine Pépin
President of the Jacques Pépin Foundation and Jacques Pépin's daughter
Jacques Pépin Foundation
Episode: Jacques Pepin Part 2: Jacques on Julia & Much More
Rollie Wesen
Claudine's husband
Pépin family / related culinary figure
Episode: Jacques Pépin Part 1: The Legend at 90+
Susie Essman
Comedian and Actress
Actor/Comedian
Episode: Susie Essman Reheat: An Oldie but a Goodie
Meherwan Irani
Chef, restaurateur, author of Number 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World
Chai Pani / Botiwalla
Episode: Meherwan Irani: Indian Street Food Evangelist
Ashok Selvam
Journalist reporting on ICE and immigration issues for Ravenous
Ravenous
Episode: ICE in Chicago: Still Destroying Food People's Lives
Marcos Carbajal
Owner of Carnitas Uruapan, Chicago taqueria
Carnitas Uruapan
Episode: ICE in Chicago: Still Destroying Food People's Lives
Adam Chandler
Wall Street Journal columnist and restaurant industry reporter
The Wall Street Journal
Episode: Restaurant Reservation Insanity

Host

Ed Levine
Host of the show; founder of Serious Eats

Reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars from 499 ratings
  • Political show

    This is not a cooking show. Way too many politically based opinions. Its more of a left leaning news program. I just like food too bad your waisting my time with your agenda

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    jloy oyster
    United States6 months ago
  • Using your platform for good

    Thank you to Ed Levine and the podcast team for being one of the few “fun” podcasts out there for shining a light on ICE and making sure the truth is told about their inhumane and unlawful tactics. We need more brave people in the media using their voices to highlight the ways in which the most vulnerable members of our community are being targeted.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    meownisota
    United Statesa year ago
  • these reviews make me lol

    Giving this show a 5 stars for getting Zionists and folks who wish discussing food could really be apolitical (or rather that it would leaning more to their own views/beliefs) BIG mad!!! It’s very funny and I haven’t even listened to the podcast yet! But I loveeee to see whiny adult baby reviews, always an incentive to listen!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    txhxy j
    United Statesa year ago
  • LA look at New Orleans

    Look how long it took New Orleans to come back. It was the chefs that bought New Orleans back. Building back will take years. And a lot of people moved away to never to return.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Bsbooker
    United States2 years ago
  • Great show

    Very much enjoy the show but, enough with the pizza already!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mgd1961
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Critiques often target host interview style but consistently highlight strong guest selections.
Some reviews note politics or host focus can be polarizing, but guests and topics remain engaging.
Fans praise the breadth of guests and the accessible yet insightful discussions.
Listeners appreciate the deep dives into cooking technique and the backstory of guests.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#25
United States/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#129
United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#57
Canada/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#210
United Kingdom/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#74
Australia/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#81
Germany/Arts/Food

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Jacques Pepin Part 2: Jacques on Julia & Much More
Q: So Rollie, tell us about the foundation.
Roland Wesen describes grants and resources for community organizations that provide culinary training to people facing barriers to employment, including people impacted by the justice system and people experiencing homelessness or recovery.
Jacques Pepin Part 2: Jacques on Julia & Much More
Q: So do you regard yourself as a perfect example of an immigrant story?
Jacques Pépin says he came from France by choice, initially intending to stay for a year or two, but found a new life in America through Columbia University, friendships, and work.
Meherwan Irani: Indian Street Food Evangelist
Q: What does Jugaad mean in practice for home cooks and for your restaurants?
Jugaad is an improvisational mindset; use what's at hand, improvise with pantry staples, and turn limited resources into something delicious, which trains cooks to be inventive rather than hindered by absence of perfect ingredients.
Susie Essman Reheat: An Oldie but a Goodie
Q: So, tell us something surprising about yourself. Like, what's something that no one would possibly believe about Susie Essman?
She is incredibly kind and nice, which contrasts with her iconic on-screen persona, and she has a deep love for cooking.
Dolly Parton: Working Class Food Hero
Q: So how, when and why do you feel so connected to Dolly?
Amy describes a multi-layered connection: Dolly's embodiment of resilience, her accessibility, and her ability to blend artistry with genuine warmth and community, which resonates across generations and geographies, especially for people from rural backgrounds.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Special Sauce

What is Special Sauce about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful interview series centered on food culture, cooking craft, and the people behind beloved culinary traditions. Conversations often blend technical cooking insights, restaurant culture, and personal storytelling, with episodes ranging from ramen and coffee to iconic American foods and media narratives about food. Noteworthy is the mix of hard cooking technique, food history, and cross-industry perspectives (journalists, historians, and chefs), plus occasional forays into political or cultural topics that are framed through a food lens. This balance of rigorous technique, vivid storytelling, and guest-driven exploration makes it appealing to deeply curious food lovers, industry professionals, and media-minded listeners who enjoy le... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Special Sauce?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Special Sauce:

1. Good Food
2. Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio
3. The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters
4. Bon Appétit
5. The Sporkful

How many episodes of Special Sauce are there?

Special Sauce launched 11 years ago and published 479 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Special Sauce?

Recent guests on Special Sauce include:

1. Roland Wesen
2. Jacques Pépin
3. Claudine Pépin
4. Rollie Wesen
5. Susie Essman
6. Meherwan Irani
7. Ashok Selvam
8. Marcos Carbajal

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