Live (well, lifelike anyway) from Kitchen on Fire in the heart of Berkeley’s renowned Gourmet Ghetto comes “The Open Kitchen with Olive and James”, two guys who are used to talking with their mouths full. Chef Olivier Said and food writer James Mellgren answer some of today’s most poignant food questions – and a few of yesterday’s – in this provocative podcast that The New York Times called “…audible…” and about which the editors of The San Francisco Chronicle exclaimed “What, the kitchen’s ...
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In this episode, the boys discuss the challenges they’ve had to overcome in the kitchen – and not just their psychological ones. They also talk cheese – yes, again – and more specifically, the different categories of cheese and how to best enjoy them (hint: it involves eating), and what to drink with them (hint: it involves alcohol). They also shar…
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Join us as our two intrepid hosts discuss the best kept secrets in the kitchen. Hint: we can’t tell you, they’re secrets (just kidding). Also, what is the tool you can’t live without. Fire? Water? Air? A good apron? What about guilty pleasures? No guilt, but plenty of pleasures. Plus tips for storing cheese, great food quotes, and much more talk, o…
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Can cooking everyday help make one a better cook, or does it just make for a messy kitchen? The boys weigh in on this with their usual insightful brand of kitchen humor. They also discuss the intricacies of pasta – what defines quality, the differences between dry and fresh, why such price variation, and what’s up with all those different shapes? T…
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Episode TwoThe boys begin what it means when an olive oil is labeled “extra virgin” and why it’s good to use in the kitchen. These fools go on to discuss how to properly, and safely, defrost a chicken and other meats, how best to season with salt and pepper when cooking meat, and some tips on basic meat safety and the importance of fat. They answer…
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Episode OneWelcome to the first episode of The Open Kitchen in which Olive and James introduce themselves and the format of the show, and begin to answer questions from students at Kitchen on Fire. They reveal how they each first learned to cook, talk about what a beginning cook should learn first – hint: it’s knife skills – and explain the importa…
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