Chef Suzanne Cupps of Lola’s NYC joins Dave and the crew for a wide-ranging conversation about her culinary evolution—from a math major with zero kitchen experience to leading her own restaurant in Manhattan. They dig into the reality of building a restaurant, fried chicken technique, and the rigors of fine-dining criticism, all while celebrating Lola’s recent inclusion in the New York Times Top 100.

• From Aiken to Anisa – Suzanne shares her journey from boiled peanuts and George Foreman grills in South Carolina to formative years under Anita Lo and Michael Anthony. Her unexpected path to professional cooking included stints in hospitality HR and six years learning every station at Anisa.

• Lola’s Layers: Cabbage, Cornbread, and Crispy Chicken – Cupps explains how Lola’s menu balances Asian and Southern influences with seasonal precision. Highlights include grilled Conehead cabbage, a blue cornmeal dessert with whipped buttermilk, and a signature Filipino-style double-fried chicken with fermented Fresno hot honey.

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This week on Cooking Issues, Dave welcomes back Matt Sartwell from Kitchen Arts & Letters for a special “Classics in the Field” episode. They dig into historic cookbooks, from Mrs. Marshall’s 1890s ice cream innovations to early 20th-century Russian preservation techniques involving millet, pig bladders, and cellars. Dave recounts recent culinary misadventures—including purging a pantry, misidentifying whiskey as tequila, and investigating black garlic from the early pandemic era—while fielding listener questions about ancient wheat, Spinzall butter math, sturgeon spinal cords, and more. Plus: a deep dive into American barbecue lore, McGee’s nut superiority, and how Star Trek IV changed the whaling conversation forever.

• Deep Freeze and Dairy Experiments – Dave and Matt explore Fancy Ices by Mrs. Marshall, dissecting her unconventional custards, starch-thickened ice creams, and patented rapid-freezing contraptions from 1890s England.
• Pantry Purges and Questionable Bottles – The crew shares horror stories and small victories from cleaning out ancient ingredients, including black garlic, forgotten miso, and mystery whiskey in fancy tequila decanters.

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This week on Cooking Issues, the crew goes deep on unforgettable meals, kitchen gadgetry, and the enduring legacy of experimental cooking. Dave revisits the lessons of the "molecular gastronomy" era and breaks down his latest cream syrup experiments, while the team debates service etiquette, restaurant value, and the emotional weight of food memories. Plus: anesthetizing crabs, carbonating cocktails without a freezer, and why it might be time to resurrect original soy-based Worcestershire.

• Highs and Lows of Dining Culture – Michelin stars, pajama dress codes, and the eternal question of whether anyone actually wants their dish described at the table.

• Kitchen Workarounds and Technical Deep Dives – Clove oil protocols for humane shellfish prep, DIY cold plates for carbonation, and what Dave regrets calling “milk washing.”

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