Alon Shaya is having a moment—he’s just opened two new restaurants and published his first book. But his success wasn’t always a given. We chat about his circuitous path and the food he ate along the way.

Also on this week's show: Julia Turshen makes magic out of leftovers (tomato sauce becomes tomato soup); secrets to oven-poached salmon; four unexpected ways to use tahini; and Dan Pashman remembers Homer Simpson and food.

Questions in this episode:

“I love making braised lamb and coq au vin in my Dutch oven. The flavors and textures are always so wonderful but the liquid never gets to that deep brownish burgundy color that you see in the pictures. Mine always looks like a yellowish brown (even when I use rich heavy red wines). What do you think I’m doing wrong? And how can I fix it?”

“I read with great interest the article on a method for a better pie crust, however it poses a challenge for me. As one who observes all the laws and intricacies of Kosher, I am not permitted to eat dairy and meat in the same recipe, or even the same meal. One has to wait six hours after eating meat, before one can partake dairy. Therefore, I cannot use butter or sour cream in a recipe if I wish to serve a pie after a meat meal. Are there any possible substitutions for these ingredients that could yield the same result?”

“My local market had three farm-raised frozen geese tucked away. When I requested one, we found out they were about to expire. Instead of letting them throw them away, I convinced the manager to sell me one for $1 per pound...I saved about $100! I want to do this beautiful bird justice and either rotisserie or roast it for a party. What’s the best way to cook this bird?”

“When I make a strawberry cake, the recipe always calls to use a paddle attachment. I used someone else’s mixer who only had a whisk attachment and for some reason the cake came out much better. It was much less dense and lighter crumb. Why was this?”

“How do I know what to brown first, the protein or the aromatics? I see each done first for different recipes, but don’t understand why?”

This episode is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill, Ferguson, Butcher Box, and Quip