№ 88: We're Back and Live as Hell!

WATCH THE EPISODE HERE In this Episode Highlights & “Must-Listen” Moments * 01:28 — Why the Podcast stopped (The “Icky” Business of Sales): A candid look at the costs of production and why going “unscripted” on Substack is the new frontier. * 05:15 — The “Day-to-Day Grind”: Amy reveals how even a professional food editor loses the spark for cooking dinner (and the “Hello Fresh” solution). * 09:20 — The “Juno The Bakery” Mystery: Why are some of the world’s best bakery books so badly written? Amy and David vent about confusing recipes. * 11:45 — The 2-Ingredient Flatbread Debate: David’s “outrage and indignation” over viral TikTok food trends versus real culinary craft. * 13:21 — The Homemade SpaghettiO’s Reveal: David explains Anellini pasta and how he turned a canned childhood memory into a gourmet flat-lay. * 18:53 — Behind the Lens: David shares his specific lighting secrets (Godox AD 600) and how he makes “brown food” like chocolate mousse look like art, not 💩. * 26:38 — Caramelized Onions: The OG Method: David’s take-down of “new” TikTok hacks for onions. Spoiler: Water is the secret, and we’ve been doing it for decades. * 29:04 — Whatever Happened to Clementines? Amy’s moment of outrage over the “Mandarin-ization” of the produce aisle. (Thanks, Lyla Kraft ) * 39:38 — Reading with the Boston Pops: Amy shares the nerve-wracking story of reading The Night Before Christmas at Symphony Hall. * 42:24 — A Tour of Portugalia Marketplace : A deep dive into the “Eataly of Portuguese Food” in Fall River—from the Salt Cod room to the best sardines. * 49:20 — Creative Escapism: Why Amy started watercolor painting and the “flow state” benefits of the right side of the brain Recipes * Garlic Butter Steak Bites * Chocolate Mousse (not the Portuguese version, that’s coming) Related Recipes * Vegetarian Lasagne * Easy Bechamel Sauce * Swedish Cardamom Buns * Seared Skirt Steak with Brazilian Salsa * Clam Shack-Style Fried Clams Cookbook Mentions * The Flavor Bible by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page * The Talisman of Happiness by Ada Boni * Who Put the Beef into Wellington? by James Winter ( Rob Machado mentioned buying it) * Juno The Bakery by Emil Glaser and Nina Schmiegelow * Forever Paris by Marin Montagut * The Apple Lover’s Cookbook by The Ames herself! * The New Portuguese Table by moi * Notes on a Banana by me Weekend with Yankee * The new season of Weekend with Yankee premieres in April. (Check your local PBS listings.) Gear * Godox AD600Pro Witstro All-in-One Outdoor Flash Where to Find Us * Amy Traverso * Instagram | Yankee * David Leite * Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Youtube 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

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№ 88: We're Back and Live as Hell! is an episode from Talking With My Mouth Full by David Leite.

This episode is 57:53 long.

This episode was published on Mar 5, 2026.

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