Is Cooking Art or Science? with Kenji Lopez-Alt

What this episode covers

Why are food memories so hard to recreate? Are eggs actually underpriced? Is brunch a scam? And does owning a rice-cooker make Nayeema a bad Asian? Nayeema asks the dumbest food and dining questions she could think of to J. Kenji Lopez Alt, the James Beard award-winning chef, cookbook author and recipe developer who came to fame for his scientific understanding of food. Kenji dispels cooking myths, unpacks the reality of restaurant economics, explains if anyone needs 18 knives and shares insights from a fascinating background that fuses Asian and Western culture, East and West coast and science and music. Oh, and we learn what he’s cooking up in his kitchen (it involves rotten eggs, if you’d like a literal spoiler alert). Thanks to my partners at Noom, the perfect companion for feeling good in your body as you age. Check out Noom.com today. Follow us on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. You can find Nayeema on Instagram too or on X. And you can find Kenji on YouTube or find his books, podcast and more here. Send us your dumb questions! [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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How long is this episode of Smart Girl Dumb Questions?

This episode is 47 minutes long.

When was this Smart Girl Dumb Questions episode published?

This episode was published on April 18, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Why are food memories so hard to recreate? Are eggs actually underpriced? Is brunch a scam? And does owning a rice-cooker make Nayeema a bad Asian? Nayeema asks the dumbest food and dining questions she could think of to J. Kenji Lopez Alt, the...

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