How do flavors become trends? Who determines trends, and how do they catch on with the mainstream? These are some of the questions that David Sax is trying to answer on the season finale of Taste Matters, hosted by Mitchell Davis. David Sax is a freelance writer specializing in business and food. His writing appears regularly in the New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Saveur, The Grid Toronto, and other publications. His latest book, The Tastemakers, uncovers the world of food trends: where they come from, how they grow, and where they end up. Tune in to talk taste on a “tastemaking” episode of — you guessed it Taste Matters. This show was sponsored by Fairway Market

“Trends really rule a large part of the food industry. Everybody pays lip service to their independence and how they’re doing things differently, and yet consciously and unconsciously everybody sort of falls into line. It’s almost impossible to escape trends, especially in the dining world.” [20:00]

–David Sax on Taste Matters

What happens when one of the most celebrated restaurant critics and non-fiction food writers suddenly decides to take on fiction? Ruth Reichl is about to find out, as her first fiction work Delicious! is set to be released on May 6th. She’s this week’s guest on Taste Matters, and host Mitchell Davis chats with her about the inspiration to take on fiction, the writing process behind the novel and why this experience was like none other for Ruth. Get a preview of the story and the characters as Ruth candidly discusses the book, food culture at large and American cuisine. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market.

“When you’re faced with a problem – do the hardest thing. Do the thing you don’t know that you can do.” [03:00]

“We’re now getting a place where any mature culture should be – where food is central.” [20:00]

“The fact that we are a nation of immigrants that changes so quickly and easily is our strength. We borrow from all of the immigrant communities that come through and quickly make them American.” [22:00]

–Ruth Reichl on Taste Matters

What exactly is foie gras? We’ll find out on a fatty-liver themed episode of Taste Matters with special guest Michael Aeyal Ginor, co-founder, co-owner, and President of Hudson Valley Foie Gras and New York State Foie Gras, the most comprehensive Foie Gras producer in the world. Tune in to learn all the ins and outs of foie gras production, consumption and culinary history. Michael not only talks live, but highlights each part of the duck as it relates to food. Learn why duck fat is so revered by chefs and eaters and why foie gras is such a fine product. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

“At the end of the day, we [the foie gras industry] have less mortality rates than any other operation.” [15:00]

“Chefs are so much more aware of other ingredients. Anybody can cook a filet mignon, but taking kidneys, hearts ad trotters and making them taste right is really a skill.” [24:00]

–Michael Gino on Taste Matters

This week on Taste Matters, Crop to Cup’s Director of Operations Dan Shafer comes in to discuss everyone’s favorite morning beverage. From growing communities to direct trade and direct buying models, tune in to hear all about the coffee business! This program has been sponsored by Rolling Press. Today’s music provided by Idgy Dean.

“You can absolutely affect the flavor depending on what you put in the soil.” [6:15]

–Daniel Shafer on Taste Matters

Nancy Harmon Jenkins knows a thing or two about a thing or two. Nancy is an authority on Mediterranean cuisines, on the Mediterranean diet and its consequences for good health, on extra-virgin olive oil, and (to her own surprise) on ancient Egyptian maritime technology. She is the author of many books, the latest of which is a revision of her early best seller, The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook. She’s written articles for countless publications including The New York Times. The list goes on and on. This week on Taste Matters, tune in as Mitchell Davis chats with Nancy about olive oil, pasta, her life and all things taste related. This program was sponsored by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

“Light and heat are the two great enemies of olive oil.” [03:00]

“The thing that’s appealing about the Mediterranean Diet is that it grows out of a food culture. It was just the way people ate.” [15:00]

–Nancy Harmon Jenkins on Taste Matters

How does Good Housekeeping keep its reputation as a trusted source for women and homemakers to depend on? This week on Taste Matters, Mitchell Davis joined by Miriam Arond, Directo of The Good Housekeeping Research Institute. How does Good Housekeeping test products and recipes? What is the history of Good Housekeeping and its role in food advocacy? How has the role of women and food changed of over the past century? Find out on this week’s episode of Taste Matters. Today’s show was sponsored by Fairway Market

“There’s been a real impact from the media on [home] chefs when they cook. People are much more savvy. Ingredients that were only available in specialty stores are now available in supermarkets.” [15:00]

“A lot of the celebrity chefs are men – and it’s quite ironic because predominately it’s the women that do the cooking.” [22:00]

–Miriam Arond on Taste Matters

This week on Taste Matters, Mitchell talks to Hasia Diner, Author and Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies and History at NYU , about the foodways of Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants. This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods Market. Today’s music provided by Obey City.

“While there certainly are elements in every culture that want to police the boundaries of their food system, one might say the fact that human beings can look into each others pots and say “That smells good, I’d like to try it” is in some ways one of the more positive interactions and that it paves the way for cooperation between people.” [24:50]

–Hasia Diner on Taste Matters

This week on Taste Matters, Mitchell talks to Erika Davis, chocolatier, pastry chef, and founder of the Minority Chef Summit. The event will take place in Nassau, Bahamas, and they are expecting over 200 chefs. For four days chefs from across the country will come together to eat drink and fellowship. They have been discussing all of the important issues in our community for many years and want to take this opportunity to come together, in one place at one time, to speak on the issues and concerns of our industry. This program has been sponsored by International Culinary Center. Today’s music provided by Cookies.

“Everybody’s going to have to go through their own culinary struggle to be the greatness they want to be.” [22:30]

“We are a plate that has a rainbow of food.” [27:15]

–Erika Davis on Taste Matters

Myra Goodman is the co-founder of Earthbound Farms, the largest producer of organic produce in North America. Mitchell meets up with Myra at the recent TEDx Manhattan conference where she is giving a talk about the importance of organics at scale. Mitchell interviews Myra about how Earthbound Farms was started, as well as about her new cookbook Straight from the Earth: Irresistible Vegan Recipes for Everyone. This program has been sponsored by The International Culinary Center. Today’s music provided by Takstar.

“Most people choose organic and spend the extra money for organic for self-preservation. They don’t want to ingest these chemicals. Originally it was very intuitive…That’s the biggest motivator for choosing organic.” [5:45]

Myra Goodman on Taste Matters

This week on Taste Matters, Mitchell interviews Robert LaValva, founder of the New Amsterdam Market in Lower Manhattan. Robert tells us about a number of markets in New York City and explains their intricacies and how they differ from one another. After the break, he talks about the historic South Street Seaport where the New Amsterdam Market is located. This program has been sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Today’s music provided by The Hollows.

“We’ve really come to a point where something is happening and changing, and there could be a whole reemergence of a local food distribution system.” [14:40]

“If you’re eating from the land around you and what it best produces and in the seasons that it produces it, that I think is kind of the baseline from which a local food culture can grow.” [28:50]

Robert LaValva on Taste Matters