Shows
SALT PIGWater Is the Best IngredientWelcome to Salt Pig! This week, we're celebrating the glory of tap water. Ellie and Lukas break down the numerous ways that water is one of the most useful ingredients in our cooking and helpful tool in the kitchen—from controlling temperature in a pan and dispersing flavor, to making the purest-tasting soups, risottos, and more. Plus, catch Ellie’s quick lemon spaghetti and Lukas’ hot take on leftover pasta. Join us, and if you enjoy — please like and subscribe!Discussed in this episode:Via Carota's Insalata Verde Does Pasta Water Thicken the Sauce? by Nik Sh...
2026-03-1033 minSALT PIGWhat Recipes Get WrongWelcome to Salt Pig! Does our society’s penchant for using recipes broaden the horizons of home cooks, or constrain them? This week, Lukas and Ellie discuss who recipes are written for, what a successful recipe is, and what to do when a finished recipe needs something beyond the page. Plus a hand’s-off technique that is balm to one’s often-overcooked sockeye salmon. Join us, and if you enjoy — please like and subscribe!Discussed in this episode:Calabrian Chili Peppers, the BIG jarSamin Nosrat’s Scallion Pancake and Scrambled Egg TacosThe New York Times No-R...
2026-03-0337 minSALT PIGCast Iron's MystiqueWelcome to Salt Pig! What do Alice Waters, Ellie’s ex-boyfriend, and everybody’s militant neighbor have in common? They all clean their cast iron pans differently than Lukas and Ellie do. We discuss the ways this versatile pan works for us, from searing and baking, to grilling and camping, and how to get and keep that satiny patina. Also covered: ambitious vacation packing, re-using bacon fat, and how Lonesome Dove may have scooped all of our food topics. Join us!Mentioned in this week's episode: Sourdough Biscuits from Lonesome DoveWar and PeaceCafe ViennaCasa de Mozzarella ...
2026-02-2436 minSALT PIGThe Hot Drinks We Can and Can't Live WithoutWelcome to Salt Pig! This week, we are talking about coffee culture, tea rituals, and all the surprising hot concoctions we drink now as people in our forties. Tune in for Lukas’ gleeful goodbye to his fancy burr grinder and Ellie’s awkward intro to the Seattle Freeze. Pop quiz: Which enthusiastic teen in a big scarf was the first person in line at the first ever Starbucks in Boise, Idaho?? Join us!Mentioned in this episode:Oxo Coffee GrinderDandy Blend Coffee AlternativeStash Earl Grey Double Bergamot TeaHeidi Swanson's Turmeric TeaCCF Tea (via Sapna Punjab's Dal Chaw...
2026-02-1737 minSALT PIGConvenience Food SnobsWelcome to Salt Pig! This week Ellie and Lukas discuss the convenience foods that we love and the ones we snub. Indian jarred sauces and Trader Joe’s frozen treats are in, but Italian jarred sauces and pre-chopped produce is out. Turns out we are full of contradictions and biased as hell. Plus, are tech companies behind everything? Join us!A Very Good Tomato Sauce (by Alison Roman)Brooklyn Delhi (maker of Tomato Achaar and Cashew Korma)Trader Joe’s Thai Vegetable Gyoza and Orange ChickenFreedom with a Side of Guilt: How Food Delivery Is Reshaping Mealtime (New York...
2026-02-1034 minSALT PIGUnfussy Sourdough, for Better or for WorseWelcome to Salt Pig! This week Ellie and Lukas discuss our sourdough bread baking journeys and all the practical and existential questions it provokes: How many starters has Ellie killed? Can you bake sourdough without being consumed with fussiness? How far is too far when experimenting with sourdough discard? What is a “real” baker anyhow?? Join us! Discussed in this episode:Il Buco: Stories and Recipes by Donna Lennard with Joshua David SteinTartine Bread by Chad RobertsonThe Perfect Loaf by Maurizio LeoKing Arthur Baking's Sourdough Discard CrackersKing Arthur Baking's Sourdough Granola (and Lukas' adaptation) Alexandra Stafford's websit...
2026-02-0338 minSALT PIGIt's Always SpinachWelcome to Salt Pig! This week Lukas and Ellie detail all the ways we love spinach, and all the ways we hate cleaning it. Plus Lukas shares his secret ingredient for smoothies and Ellie discloses her favorite 3-minute home lunch. Join us! For more information and to get in touch, visit saltpig.substack.com.Mentioned in this episode: Noah Galuten’s Health SludgeLukas’ Smoothie Formula Everyone’s Table by Gregory GourdetCaramelized Fish Sauce Tuna Instagram | Substack
2026-01-2734 minSALT PIGWe ❤️ DishwashersWelcome to Salt Pig! This week Ellie and Lukas discuss all things dishwashers, which uncovers some personal compulsions. Plus Ellie has a broth disaster and Lukas throws something surprising into the waffle iron for dinner. Join us! For more information and to get in touch, visit saltpig.substack.com.Mentioned in this episode: Deep Cleaning Your DishwasherWhy running a dishwasher even twice a day is better than hand washing dishes Instagram | Substack
2026-01-2030 minSALT PIGFood Waste vs. RecipesWelcome to Salt Pig! This week, Lukas and Ellie talk about food waste. We discuss the absurd lengths we go to to repurpose ingredients like milk that was left out overnight, leftover cranberry sauce, or even two precious spoonfuls of restaurant biryani. Plus, we debate the pros and cons of following recipes to a T or going rogue. Join us! For more information and to get in touch, visit saltpig.substack.com.Instagram | Substack
2026-01-1337 min