Best Americas Test Kitchens Podcasts (2025)

1
Ish Ensemble brings St. Louis musicians together to play from the heart 24:56

4h ago24:56

24:56

Brit Lockhart started jazz fusion band Ish Ensemble in 2016. Its creation came from love for St. Louis’ local music scene and putting its musicians first. He shares his method of creating music, collaborating with fellow artists and choosing just the right venue for a performance. According to Lockhart, it boils down to doing what feels right. Ish …

1
St. Louis rapper Big Boss Vette turns hardship into certified gold 24:01

1d ago24:01

24:01

Female rappers are dominating the charts, including St. Louis’ very own Diamond Smith — better known by her stage name Big Boss Vette. The writer and rapper behind hits like “Snatched” and “Pretty Girls Walk” reflects on her St. Louis roots, her fast-growing career and the lessons she’s learned along the way.…

1
Ryan Klejment-Lavin, "Evil: A North Korean Christian Refugee Perspective" (American Society of Missiology, 2024) 46:02

1d ago46:02

46:02

The purpose of Evil: A North Korean Christian Refugee Perspective (American Society of Missiology, 2024) is to describe how the North Korean refugee understanding of evil can shape missionary practice in the Korean Peninsula. The central research question guiding this study is, How do North Korean Christian refugees describe evil based on their liv…

1
‘Don't ever try to outrun a tornado’ — and other storm myths busted 25:46

2d ago25:46

25:46

As a tornado swept through St. Louis on Friday, traffic stood still on Interstate 170 near Berkeley after a handful of drivers parked underneath an overpass. Experts have long warned motorists not to do so during storms, but the idea that it’s a safe practice persists. National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Deitsch and AAA spokesperson Nick C…

1
A tornado tore St. Louis apart. Community relief efforts are bringing it together 24:33

2d ago24:33

24:33

The tornado that tore a path through St Louis on May 16 has sparked ongoing community relief efforts on the city’s north and west sides. Three organizers of that effort, Kayla Reed, Aaron Williams and Ohun Ashe, share their experience and takeaways as they work with hundreds of volunteers to distribute aid, clear debris, and reach people who are st…

1
Episode 350: Inside Magnolia Bakery: Bobbie Lloyd Talks Icebox Desserts and Iconic Recipes 1:01:45

3d ago1:01:45

1:01:45

Welcome to today’s episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast! I’m thrilled to bring you a conversation with a true baking powerhouse: Bobbie Lloyd, CEO and Chief Baking Officer of the iconic Magnolia Bakery @bakewithbobbie. You might know Magnolia for its world-famous banana pudding and charming New York City roots, but under Bobbie’s leadership, it’s g…

1
Local restaurants, World Central Kitchen feed people impacted by St. Louis tornado 25:48

3d ago25:48

25:48

Local restaurants are working with World Central Kitchen to provide thousands of meals to people impacted by the EF3 tornado that hit the St. Louis area on Friday, May 16. Kate Dozier, a St. Louisan and member of the World Central Kitchen Chef Corps, shares how World Central Kitchen assembles and deploys its disaster response teams. Tom Schmidt, co…

1
How Missouri teen Ruby Leigh yodeled her way to ‘The Voice’ finale — and rocked with Green Day 25:10

3d ago25:10

25:10

When Ruby Leigh stepped onto “The Voice” stage in 2023, she got all four chairs to turn during her blind audition. Just 17 at the time, Leigh went on to finish as runner-up on the NBC singing competition. But her journey started long before reality TV, in the tiny town of Foley, Missouri, population 100. Leigh talks about her journey as a self-taug…

1
Shake Shack’s test kitchen: Developing a good jobs and automation combo 39:36

3d ago39:36

39:36

Shake Shack Chief Growth Officer Steph So and HBS professor Chris Stanton join Bill Kerr to discuss the fast-casual chain’s digital strategy and how technology is changing the dining experience and restaurant work, from frontline to back office.By Harvard Business School

1
Christopher Hanscom, "Impossible Speech: The Politics of Representation in Contemporary Korean Literature and Film" (Columbia UP, 2024) 1:11:14

4d ago1:11:14

1:11:14

How does art engage with its social context? What does 'the politics of art' even mean? In his new book Impossible Speech: The Politics of Representation in Contemporary Korean Literature and Film (Columbia University Press, 2023), Christopher P. Hanscom takes on these questions in the context of contemporary Korean literature. Moving away from rea…

1
A north St. Louis family counts its blessings, and frustrations, in the wake of the tornado 17:58

4d ago17:58

17:58

Gloria Nolan is counting her blessings after an EF3 grade tornado tore through her neighborhood near Fairgrounds Park in north St. Louis. She shares her family’s experience surviving the storm, assessing the damage and securing assistance for the long road to recovery.

1
Missouri’s political leaders honor Kit Bond as a bipartisan doer at state funeral 9:58

4d ago9:58

9:58

During a state funeral at the Missouri State Capitol on Tuesday, former U.S. Senator and Governor Kit Bond was remembered as a dedicated public servant who forged bipartisan ties. Bond died last week at the age of 86. STLPR’s Jason Rosenbaum talked with people who worked closely with Bond over his more than four decade public service career.…

1
It took years to close the Workhouse. Now a $4 million settlement is in sight 23:07

4d ago23:07

23:07

A lawsuit that accused St. Louis running an “unspeakably hellish” jail has ended in a $4 million settlement. Pending a judge’s approval, the settlement would allow at least 16,000 people who were jailed in the now-demolished Workhouse jail to file a claim. ArchCity Defenders Executive Director Blake Strode and Inez Bordeaux, a former Workhouse deta…

1
After EF3 tornado wrecks St. Louis neighborhoods, recovery begins 22:06

5d ago22:06

22:06

On Friday afternoon, an EF3 tornado with winds topping out at 152 mph inflicted serious damage on about 4,400 St. Louis-area buildings, including homes, businesses, churches and schools. Dozens of people sustained injuries and five people lost their lives. STLPR reporter Chad Davis shares what he's heard from officials, community leaders and reside…

1
Breaking down a productive, but contentious, 2025 Missouri legislative session 28:42

5d ago28:42

28:42

The 2025 session ended last week and lawmakers endorsed many of Gov. Mike Kehoe’s priorities. That included placing a state board in charge of the St. Louis Police Department and sending $50 million to help fund K-12 scholarships that could go toward private schools. The session also included the passing of contentious GOP-led efforts to repeal Pro…

1
Andrew Ofstehage, "Welcome to Soylandia: Transnational Farmers in the Brazilian Cerrado" (Cornell UP, 2025) 46:19

6d ago46:19

46:19

Following a group of US Midwest farmers who purchased tracts of land in the tropical savanna of eastern Brazil, Welcome to Soylandia: Transnational Farmers in the Brazilian Cerrado (Cornell University Press, 2025) by Dr. Andrew Ofstehage investigates industrial farming in the modern developing world. Seeking adventure and profit, the transplanted f…

1
A Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist tested AI. What he found troubled him 24:49

8d ago24:49

24:49

As a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist for the last 25 years at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, David Carson knows what makes an excellent photograph. But AI is getting better and better at that, too. Carson, a 2025 John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, has spent much of the past year on leave from the paper studying the collis…

1
Be.Be the Neosoul and her CVPA students unite for a benefit concert 23:35

8d ago23:35

23:35

Vocalist and songwriter Brianna Brown — known on stage as Be.Be the Neosoul, has performed on many St. Louis stages during her singing career. By day, she’s the artistic director at her alma mater Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. Next Tuesday, she’s hitting the stage at the Sheldon Concert Hall for something of a full circle moment. …

1
Carrie Helms Tippen, "Unpalatable: Stories of Pain and Pleasure in Southern Cookbooks" (UP of Mississippi, 2025) 1:17:09

9d ago1:17:09

1:17:09

The cookbook genre is highly conventional with an orientation toward celebration and success. From glossy photographs to heartwarming stories and adjective-rich ingredient lists, the cookbook tradition primes readers for pleasure. Yet the overarching narrative of the region is often one of pain, loss, privation, exploitation, poverty, and suffering…

1
The Focal Point celebrates 50 years as a gathering space for traditional music, dance 30:13

9d ago30:13

30:13

Since 1975, the Focal Point has played a critical role in promoting and shaping St. Louis’ folk, roots, jazz, blues and world music scene. As the nonprofit celebrates its 50th anniversary with a year-long series of special concerts, we hear from musicians, volunteers and fans who have supported the organization from its humble beginnings — operatin…

1
Historic Illinois places are in danger of demolition or collapse. Here’s the case to save them 20:06

9d ago20:06

20:06

Dilapidated and vacant buildings are more than eyesores for the community. They can lower property value and impact safety. But before starting up the bulldozers, Landmarks Illinois wants property owners and city governments to consider renovation and restoration. Their latest list of endangered historic places includes the Spivey Building in East …

1
Improv team ‘Some Black People’ wins 2024 Cagematch Tournament in St. Louis 9:37

9d ago9:37

9:37

Just a year and a half after forming, the St. Louis-based improv team Some Black People took the championship belt in the Improv Shop’s 2024 Cagematch Tournament. Jessica Nicole, founder of Some Black People, shares what clinched it for them, and how far they’ve come in their goal to encourage more Black folks to get into improv as performers and f…

1
Episode 349: Easy Everyday Meals, Recipe Strategy, and Writing Cookbooks with Jessica Merchant of How Sweet Eats 53:17

10d ago53:17

53:17

Welcome to today’s episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast! I’m delighted to be joined by Jessica Merchant, the force behind the wildly popular blog How Sweet Eats and the bestselling author of Everyday Dinners, The Pretty Dish, and Seriously Delish. Jessica is a full-time recipe developer and writer known for her down-to-earth approach, vibrant flavo…

1
Maria Bamford Wants Her Savory Muffins 36:57

11d ago36:57

36:57

In this week's episode: Comedian Maria Bamford joins Dan Souza and Hannah Crowley in The Test Kitchen. They dig into Maria's time on Worst Cooks In America, share laughs over waiting tables, savory muffins, eating peanut butter straight from the jar, and chat about when it's okay to just eat food off of the floor. We have a recipe for a power bar..…

1
Black baseball players shaped America’s pastime. A new book tells their stories 49:24

11d ago49:24

49:24

In the new book “Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America,” Washington University professor Gerald Early traces the powerful impact of Black Americans on the game from the post-Civil War era to today. Written in collaboration with the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the book highlights pivotal figures, defining moments, and the lasting…

1
A researcher traced the music of her Filipino ancestors. It led to St. Louis, and a story of exploitation 28:16

12d ago28:16

28:16

The 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis highlighted the nation's triumphs but it also reveled in public exploitation of indigenous Filipinos, who were put on display to demonstrate the "savagery" of other cultures. In addition to the 47-acre "Philippine Village," the Philippine Constabulary Band was also a popular attraction. Piccolo player Pedro B. Nav…

1
Robert Cohen captured St. Louis in photos. He reflects on 30+ years behind the lens 20:12

13d ago20:12

20:12

Robert Cohen recently retired after a 38-year career, the last 25 years spent at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Cohen was part of a team of Post photographers who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015 for their work covering the Ferguson protests. Cohen reflects on his famous photo of Edward ‘Skeeda’ Crawford throwing a tear gas canister during the protests, …

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