Tinfoil Swans

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 immigrant, he would help build Birdie's in Austin, Texas, into one of the country's most celebrated restaurants. He reflects on the burden of keeping secrets, the people he calls his "guardian angels," why making people feel seen has become the foundation of his work with his wife, Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, and the color he believes hospitality can bring to people's lives. Visit foodandwine.com/tinfoilswans for more Episode Art Courtesy of Food & Wine /Eva Kolenko Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 star reveals the exact dish that convinced him to devote himself to Italian cooking, the emotional fan encounters — from a grieving mother to a man struggling to stay alive — that reshaped how he thinks about television fame, how the best thing he's ever done in his professional life isn't in a restaurant, and why Alex Guarnaschelli calls him the "most human" of the Chopped judges. Visit foodandwine.com/tinfoilswans for more Episode Art Courtesy of Food & Wine /Ken Goodman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cassandra Peterson — better known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark — grew up as a misfit kid with a bad perm, burn scars, and a mother who told her she'd never make it. Despite it all, she became a Las Vegas showgirl, a Groundling, a horror icon, and a beacon for weirdoes everywhere. The "Martha Stewart of the Macabre" talks about her new cookbook, the cooking tip Vincent Price gave her, the advice she didn't take from Elvis, and the power of entertaining to build community — even if it all goes hilariously wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Madhur Jaffrey published "An Invitation to Indian Cooking" in 1973, she had no idea that half a century later, the book would not only still be in print, but also get an anniversary reissue that would welcome future generations in the vast and varied cuisine of her homeland. In this encore of one of our favorite first-season epsiodes of Tinfoil Swans, Food & Wine's executive features editor Kat Kinsman finally meets her lifelong culinary hero and gets some sage advice from the writer, teacher, and actress about self worth, righteous anger, perfectionism, and what actually matters to you when you turn 90. For more info visit: foodandwine.com/tinfoilswans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From fixing radios and writing slam poetry as a kid in the Bronx, to becoming one of the most celebrated pastry chefs and community builders of her generation, 2021 Food & Wine Best New Chef Paola Velez has never followed the expected path. Along the way, she’s embraced subcultures that gave her belonging, built spaces where strangers connect over shaved ice and cocktails, and redefined what it means to be a chef — on social media, in restaurants, and in the wider world. In this conversation, she shares the courage it takes to choose joy in the face of struggle, the humility behind turning down a major accolade, and the celebrity chef moment that meant everything to her mom. For more info visit: foodandwine.com/tinfoilswans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices