Tinfoil Swans

Lane Regan and the Beaver Sabotage

Chef and writer Lane Regan left Chicago for the remote woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and built a life beyond their wildest dreams. They joined Tinfoil Swans for a

Nina Compton and the Moldy Plum

Nina Compton grew up in Saint Lucia marking time by fruit seasons, dreaming of becoming a chef, and learning to cook alongside her mother and grandmother. The Top Chef fa

Alex Stupak and the David Lynch Cheeseburger

Alex Stupak has built a career by questioning what food can and should be. The Empellón chef and restaurateur and 2013 Food & Wine Best New Chef talks about rebellion as

Tiffanie Barriere and the Extra-Fancy Kool-Aid

Whether she was mixing extra-fancy Kool-Aid as a kid, shaking cocktails at Applebee's, helping people forget their airport anxiety, or teaching a cocktail class, Tiffanie

Eli Sussman and the Most Miserable Dining Experience Anyone Could Have

Chef, restaurateur, author, and satirist Eli Sussman talks about growing up in a food-loving family outside Detroit, the painful mistake of giving away his treasured cook

Encore: Vikas Khanna and the Beautiful Lie That Saved His Childhood

When Vikas Khanna was growing up in a small town in India, he was bullied by the other children for wearing braces on his legs and not being able to play like them. But h

Patrick O'Connell and the Paul Newman Diversion

Patrick O'Connell has spent nearly five decades building The Inn at Little Washington into one of America's most celebrated restaurants. At the age of 80, he is finally s

Ayesha Nurdjaja and the Beefsteak Charlie's Buffet

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

Daniel Patterson, Sarah Lewitinn, and the Killing Moon

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 J

Aaron Franklin and the Cranky Pitmaster Pivot

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 h

Encore: Pati Jinich and the Bedtime Cookbooks

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 sc

Arjav Ezekiel and the Color of Hospitality

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 immigra

Omar Tate, Cybille St. Aude-Tate and the Mix CDs

Over the course of three months, Cybille St. Aude-Tate and Omar Tate met, got married, and started the project of Honeysuckle. It's one of the most ambitious and personal

Scott Conant and the Power of the Necklace

Scott Conant wanted to be a plumber, but getting shut out of a vocational school class set him down a different path. The 2004 Food & Wine Best New Chef and Food Network

Fermín Núñez and the Tortilla-Scented Candle

2021 Food & Wine Best New Chef Fermín Núñez grew up moving between Mexico and the United States, never quite feeling like he belonged in either place. He reflects on navi

Encore: Cody Rigsby and the Chicken Finger Math

In the 10 years since Cody Rigsby joined Peloton as an instructor, the former McDonald's drive-thru worker, backup dancer, and cater waiter's life has changed in unimagin

Donna Hay and the 22 Thousand Person Dinner Party

Australian food icon Donna Hay joins Tinfoil Swans to discuss the evolution of home cooking, the emotional weight of becoming a brand, and why you shouldn't trust bad int

Dr. Arielle Johnson and the Dorito of Sadness

Flavor scientist and Flavorama author Dr. Arielle Johnson charts her path from fashion-focused teen to being the go-to food nerd for Noma and Alton Brown. She unpacks the

Nancy Silverton and the Artichoke That Knows

1990 F&W Best New Chef Nancy Silverton recounts growing up craving white bread and sugary cereal while her mother served spanakopita and beef bourguignon, how a college c

Claudette Zepeda and the Canned Bodega Escargot

Cooking the Borderlands author and chef Claudette Zepeda opens up about growing up in Tijuana learning English from PBS shows, being told she’d “never make it” as a chef