Proof

Have you ever wondered what really goes into developing a recipe at America’s Test Kitchen? In this episode of Proof, ATK Associate Producer Angelica Quintanilla-McCall takes us behind the scenes as Deputy Food Editor, Andrea Geary, embarks on a mission of testing, tweaking, and tasting, in order to create the ultimate Levain-style cookie recipe. If you want to bake Andrea's take on the Levain Cookie, follow this link for the free recipe on our website and app! And if you're interested in being a recipe tester for ATK, click here! Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dinner parties are having a moment again; where homemade meals feel almost radical in our fast-paced world. But this isn’t the first time they’ve surged back into American life. Reporter Otis Gray visits three New York dinner parties where we learn it’s never just about the food. Inspired to host your own dinner party? Check out our website for this list of dishes that are sure to wow. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when two chefs, Yia Vang and Colby Rasavong, inherit a fraught history and decide to cook their way through it? In this episode, reporter Ngoc Bui takes us inside a Hmong-Lao dinner where they use food to open conversations about a complex past and explore how a new culinary vernacular can bridge generations. Check out our recipe for Hmong Grilled Hilltribe Chicken with Kua Txob, inspired by Yia Vang, and this classic Laotian recipe for Nam khao! Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when food travels with a diaspora? Reporter Kat Chow thought her family’s corned beef stew was a Chinese take on an Irish dish... until she discovered its true origins. In this episode of Proof, go on a journey with Kat to trace the surprising journey of luo song tong across continents and generations. Craving a hearty beef stew? Check out this recipe on our website. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The way wild mushrooms make it to your plate defies almost every rule of the modern food system. Unlike most produce, wild mushroom cultivation isn’t easily scalable, predictable, or consistently regulated. Instead, a web of small-scale, often hidden systems connects wild fungi to the commercial marketplace, including one that operates deep in the forest. Reporter Sarah Vitak embeds with mushroom foragers to understand this mysterious supply chain. Foraged some mushrooms? Consider making our Wild Mushroom Lasagna, which uses oyster, shiitake, and chanterelle mushrooms. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s story, from Dan Pashman and The Sporkful, is about the people behind New York’s hot dog carts, and one man’s fight to keep his spot. From street corners to museum steps, street vending is a grind that is shaped by city politics, impossible permits, and everyday hustle. In this episode, we meet Dan Rossi, a Marine vet who’s spent nearly 20 years guarding his cart outside The Met, the most coveted location for selling a hot dog in New York City, and fighting for his right to stay. Listen to and learn more from The Sporkful on their website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the mushroom foraging business as innocent as it seems? What does it take for two cultures at odds to come together to make the ultimate fusion cuisine? How does the development of a viral cookie recipe work here at America's Test Kitchen? We answer these questions and more on the new season of Proof. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this three-part series, reporter Otis Gray explores the extraordinary life of James Hemings; the enslaved chef who forever changed American cuisine. Episode three investigates the mysterious final chapter of James Hemings' life, exploring the unanswered questions surrounding the death of one of America's first great chefs. We also examine his undeniable legacy and the widespread impact of his cooking on modern day American cuisine and traditions. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this three-part series, reporter Otis Gray explores the extraordinary life of James Hemings; the enslaved chef who forever changed American cuisine. Episode two meets Hemings back at Monticello where his cooking became the backdrop to some of the most pivotal moments of Jefferson's political career and our country's history; all the while training his brother Peter in exchange for his freedom. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this three-part series, reporter Otis Gray explores the extraordinary life of James Hemings; the enslaved chef who forever changed American cuisine. Episode one traces James’ early years at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, his journey to becoming the first American to train in the kitchens of Paris, and the pivotal choice that would ultimately shape his future and his freedom. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many meat eaters might have experienced a phenomena called the meat paradox, where we acknowledge our love animals--like beef, or cow--but we...eat them. Reporter Avery Thompson faces the paradox head-on at a farm in Oklahoma. (We discuss death, animal slaughter, and other sensitive topics in this episode, so listener discretion is advised.) Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/proof⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to serve a dinner in first class at 37,000 feet? And are we in a new golden age of fine dining on airplanes? Reporter Emily Siner reports. Want to channel your inner first-class diner? Check out our breakdown of different kinds of caviar here. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠⁠⁠ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/proof⁠⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When reporter Justin Barney first moved to Nashville, he kept seeing signs for "Chicago-Style Gyros." Chicago-style? What's that? And why Chicago? These questions sent him down a deep reporting rabbit hole as Justin tries to uncover the origins of this fabled dish. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠⁠ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/proof⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often see labels that say "Fair Trade" -- particularly in the context of chocolate or coffee. But what does it actually mean for a food to be "fair trade"? Reporter Andrew Steltzer follows the people and revolutionaries who helped jumpstart fair trade coffee in the United States. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠https://www.rula.com/proof⁠ EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠https://nordvpn.com/proof⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1924, a man in Iowa named Henry built a radio station so that he could sell more seeds. Then, his rival Earl also created a radio station to sell more of his seeds. This rivalry laid the groundwork for the radio homemaker movement, where women—usually the men’s wives and sisters—filled air time sharing step-by-step recipes, dispensing advice and becoming early social media influencers recording straight from their kitchens, with fans writing letters by the thousands, and visiting the beloved hosts' homes by the busloads. We dive into who these radiomakers were in this episode of Proof. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/proof EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/proof Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new season of Proof is filled with food origin stories that you'll want to share at your next dinner party. We ask: What can we learn from trad wives and kitchen influencers from a century before? How do mushrooms make their journey from the hands of foragers to our dinner table? What even is a Chicago Style Gyro, and where does it come from? These are just some of the questions we dig into in Season 20 of Proof from America's Test Kitchen. How did James Hemmings, born into slavery and trained in France, impact the foods we know and love today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While developing her award-winning cookbook, 50 Pies, 50 States, Stacey Mei Yan Fong was about to become a permanent American resident. As she navigated the application process, she researched, developed, and baked pies that represented all 50 states, and delivered them to recipients in each of those states. Now, Stacey will soon be eligible to apply for American citizenship. In this episode, Stacey revisits the pie recipes and recipients to contemplate her choice. Check out America's Test Kitchen's favorite pie recipes! Get a 14-day free trial for an America’s Test Kitchen digital subscription ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Proof contributor Aaron Pang wasn't sure if he'd find community and people to eat with when he arrived in Iowa to attend his creative writing program. In this episode, Aaron offers listeners a slice into his life today, and shares the mic with his ride-or-die culinary companion. Make our version of Aaron and Connie's beloved "Filet-O-Fish" sandwich with our recipe for Crispy Fish Sandwiches! Get a 14-day free trial for an America’s Test Kitchen digital subscription ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s story comes from The Hustle, the new podcast series from Feet in 2 Worlds about the ways immigrants navigate a changing economy — today and throughout history. In the face of oppressive working conditions and economic exploitation, thousands of predominantly Mexican American women in San Antonio took a stand against the pecan industry’s giants in 1938. Their determination and the strike’s eventual success serves as a reminder of the potential for collective action. Feet in 2 Worlds and Proof contributor Avery Thompson reports. To learn more about Feet in 2 Worlds' mini-series: The Hustle, visit their website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We dig into Ireland's storied spirit, poitin, Peru's historic beverage, chicha and Uganda's traditional brew, malwa. What accounts for their staying power, and how has their popularity transcended time? Avery Thompson, Julie Carli, and Anne Kirya report. Turn this ⁠Irish Coffee⁠ into a Belfast Coffee by replacing the whiskey with poitin! Get a 14-day free trial for an America’s Test Kitchen digital subscription ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices