[Photograph: Vicky Wasik. Oyster photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
Daniel Gritzer, Serious Eats' culinary director, is in many ways our not-so-secret weapon.
He's obsessive, talented, smart as hell, and more than a little quirky. And, since we like obsessive, smart, quirky people at Special Sauce, I thought he would make a great guest on the podcast. Well, I was right. Daniel's cooking career is a long one. He started working in the kitchens of serious restaurants—first the influential, now-closed Chanterelle in New York—at the age of 13, in lieu of getting a bar mitzvah. He makes up songs as he's cooking; in fact, you'll hear us both sing one of his original, improvised-on-the-spot ditties in this episode. To learn more about the surprisingly nonlinear career path that landed him at Serious Eats (which involved two stints herding sheep in Europe), and about the martial art he practices (one he describes as physical, real-time chess), you're just going to have to listen. I promise you won't be disappointed.
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Wanted: Your Baking Questions for Stella
Calling all serious bakers: We're planning an extra-special call-in episode of Special Sauce starring our beloved pastry wizard, Stella Parks, and we're looking for your most pressing pastry questions! Need advice on make-ahead sweets to reduce your anxiety over the holiday season? How about the best desserts for a crowd? Send us the whole story at specialsauce@seriouseats.com, and you just might get featured on the show. And, of course, keep plying us with your general cooking queries for future call-in episodes with me, Kenji, and Daniel.