Nº 91: Sourdough Starters, World’s Best Cheese, and a 100-Year-Old Oyster Promise

WATCH THE EPISODE HEREIn this EpisodeHighlights & “Must-Listen” Moments* 0:00 — Welcome to the live, and a tech hiccup: We start strong (one minute early!) before Amy promptly drops off the call. Welcome to live television, folks.* 2:22 — Big announcement — we’re moving to Wednesdays at noon ET: David (Fatty Daddy) is almost 66 and exhausted by late-night shows. Starting next week, Talking with My Mouth Full goes live every Wednesday at 12 noon Eastern. West Coasters, that’s 9 a.m. Europeans, we see you, too.* 6:20 — Amy’s sourdough report: The Miche: Amy’s been baking her way through the King Arthur Big Book of Bread, and this week’s loaf was a miche — a classic French whole-grain sourdough, deeply tangy, chewy, and wonderfully moisture-retaining. Her starter is named Lazarus (given to her by a pastry chef at The Alna Store in Maine), and the name fits.* 10:28 — David’s food week: Lasagna Bianca and the Coca-Cola Brisket Aftermath: David finally had all the right cheeses (ordered from Caputo’s) for his five-cheese lasagna bianca, with handmade noodles rolled to setting 6 or 7 — so thin you can see through them. (Marcella Hazan once wrote him to say that’s exactly how it should be done.) He also confesses to eating an entire five-pound Coca-Cola brisket over the course of several days. No regrets.* 10:45 — The L. Reuteri Yogurt Rabbit Hole: Amy has gotten into making homemade yogurt using Lactobacillus reuteri, a culture promoted by Dr. William Davis (Wheat Belly) for its alleged gut-health and serotonin-boosting effects. The evidence: her sister-in-law went from tightly wound to noticeably chill. It’s made with half-and-half and is genuinely delicious. Amy’s verdict: she may have a delightful personality again.* 15:30 — ADHD confessions: David opens up about struggling to function without The One around — 269 unpublished posts sitting in his website backend, four photos from a shoot last June never uploaded, six holiday videos still in draft. Amy relates: She says she’s somewhere on the spectrum, and got into a fight with Scott when she started raking leaves at 1 p.m. for a 2 p.m. departure. (She was ready by 2:05, for the record.) Audience members chimed in to share their own experiences.* 22:10 — Books We Love: Morning Baker by Roxana Jullapat: David shares his excitement about this upcoming baking book (drops April 7th), packed with gorgeous recipes from the author of Mother Grains. Donuts, French toast, and beautiful photography — this one earned a “must have the physical copy.”* 24:46 — Amy’s Pick: A Kitchen on Goose Cove by Devin Finigan: Amy recommends this forthcoming cookbook from the chef of Aragosta restaurant in Maine, arriving later in April. The restaurant sits at the edge of an enchanted-forest cove overlooking the bay — and the food is just as stunning.* 27:18 — Amy’s current read: Le Road Trip by Vivian Swift: A beautifully illustrated chronicle of a honeymoon road trip through France, with sections on Bordeaux’s food and wine scene. Swift is an illustrator and writer, and Amy is captivated by the humanity of the hand-drawn work — especially in an AI-saturated moment.* 29:56 — Dorie’s Anytime Cakes and the illustrated cookbook debate: David and Amy discuss the reactions to Dorie’s latest book, which uses a photorealistic illustration style. Beautiful graphic design, but some readers found it less effective than photographs. The conversation leads to a broader point: in the age of AI perfection, people are gravitating toward the human, the imperfect, the messy, and real.* 33:20 — Product Spotlight: The Rose Levy Beranbaum Reduction Spatula: David finally retrieved it from the kitchen. It’s a ThermoWorks product from her Signature Series — a long spatula with raised measurement markings so you can track a sauce as it reduces right in the pan, no pouring into a measuring cup required. You can also use it to check viscosity. David has been trying to show it on the show for three weeks. Worth every penny.* 35:46 — Also worth having: Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Spurtles: Amy sings the praises of her spurtles — a cross between a spoon and a spatula, available in solid and slotted versions. Great for flipping pancakes, stirring risotto, and pretty much everything else. A quiet classic.* 37:09 — Food News: The 100-Year Oyster Promise Fulfilled: Wintzell’s Oyster House in Mobile, Alabama, had a long-standing promotion: free oysters to any man 80 years old, accompanied by his father. In early 2026, 99-year-old James Rush finally walked in with his 80-year-old son Jimmy to claim it. This is the first time in nearly 100 years the promotion has been fulfilled.* 39:13 — The World’s Best Cheese: The World Championship Cheese Contest recently crowned the Beemster Royaal Grand Cru — a 12-month-aged Gouda made by a cheesemaker with a Royal Warrant from the Netherlands — as best in show. The cows graze on seagrass near the ocean; the resulting milk delivers butterscotch and toasted almond notes. It is available at specialty cheese shops in the U.S.* 41:03 — Amy’s personal favorite: Abbaye de Belloc: A butterscotch-nutty, alpine-style cheese from the Pyrénées in the Comté family, made by affineur Mons and sold at Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge (which has an in-store aging cave and an online shop).* 43:07 — A love letter to Queijo Serra da Estrela: David raves about Portugal’s greatest cheese — an oozy, thistle-rennet sheep’s milk cheese from the Serra da Estrela mountains. He recalls a peak life moment at Quinta do Crasto in the Douro, when a nearly empty wheel arrived at the table, spaghetti swirled in the gooey inside with just black pepper. Nearly impossible to find properly aged in the U.S.* 48:35 — So long, and see you Wednesday at noon: Thank you for joining us. The Prosecco is gone, Amy is laughing, and we’ll see you next Wednesday at 12 noon Eastern.Products We Love* Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Reduction Spatula (ThermoWorks Signature Series) — A long spatula with raised measurement markings for tracking sauce reductions right in the pan. Also useful for checking viscosity. An absolute game-changer for anyone who reduces stocks, sauces, or caramels.* Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Spurtles — A cross between a spoon and a spatula, available in solid and slotted versions. Great for stirring, flipping, and doing basically everything at the stove.Books and Publications* Morning Baker by Roxana Jullapat — A baking book dropping April 7th, from the author of Mother Grains* A Kitchen on Goose Cove by Devin Finigan — From the chef of Aragosta restaurant in Maine; coming May 19, 2026.* Le Road Trip by Vivian Swift — Illustrated travel memoir covering a honeymoon journey through France* Dorie’s Anytime Cakes by Dorie Greenspan — Out now; photo-realistic illustration style sparked a lively debate* Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis — The classic tome on eliminating wheat from your diet and whyRecipes* Sourdough Miche (French whole-grain sourdough)* Porridge Bread* L. Reuteri Yogurt (made with half-and-half)* Lasagna Bianca with Five Cheeses (with handmade pasta)* Coca-Cola Brisket* Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)Where to Find Us* Amy Traverso* Instagram | Yankee* David Leite* Leite’s Culinaria | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | YouTubeChow,David This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidleite.substack.com