On this very special LIVE episode, recorded at The Cascade PBS Ideas Festival on May 31, 2025, host Rachel Belle sits down with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who represents Washington’s 7th District. She’s also the first elected official to be a guest on Your Last Meal! 

Congresswoman Jayapal is an activist and fierce advocate of immigrant rights, but she was thrilled to (mostly) take a break from talking politics to chat about one of her favorite topics: food!  

She talks about what it was like immigrating to the United States on her own at 16, what she thought of American food when she arrived and what American snack has been her favorite since she was a child living in India. She recalls the time President Joe Biden personally called her to invite her to the White House for breakfast, and a tells a charming story about why her daughter became such an avid cook at such a young age.  
Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!
Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV showThe Nosh with Rachel Belle - Season 2 out now!
Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings!
Follow along on Instagram!
Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame.

On this very special LIVE episode, recorded at The Cascade PBS Ideas Festival on May 31, 2025, host Rachel Belle sits down with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who represents Washington&rsquo;s 7th District. She&rsquo;s also the first elected official to be a guest on Your Last Meal!&nbsp;
Congresswoman Jayapal is an activist and fierce advocate of immigrant rights, but she was thrilled to (mostly) take a break from talking politics to chat about one of her favorite topics: food! &nbsp;
She talks about what it was like immigrating to the United States on her own at 16, what she thought of American food when she arrived and what American snack has been her favorite since she was a child living in India. She recalls the time President Joe Biden personally called her to invite her to the White House for breakfast, and a tells a charming story about why her daughter became such an avid cook at such a young age. &nbsp;
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<li><a href="https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1?ref=cascadepbs.org">Become a Cascade PBS member </a>and support public media!</li>
<li>Watch Rachel&rsquo;s Cascade PBS TV show <a href="https://video.cascadepbs.org/show/the-nosh-with-rachel-belle/episodes?ref=cascadepbs.org">The Nosh with Rachel Belle -</a> Season 2 out now!</li>
<li><a href="https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133765/subscribe/1?ref=cascadepbs.org">Sign up</a> for Rachel&rsquo;s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings!</li>
<li>Follow along on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hellorachelbelle/?hl=en&amp;ref=cascadepbs.org">Instagram</a>!</li>
<li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747086/open-sesame-by-belle-rachel/?ref=cascadepbs.org">Order</a> Rachel&rsquo;s cookbook Open Sesame.</li>
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YOUR LAST MEAL is a James Beard Award finalist for best podcast hosted by National Edward R. Murrow award-winning reporter, cookbook author and Cascade PBS TV hostRachel Belle. 

Each episode Rachel asks a celebrity (Greta Gerwig, Jonathon Van Ness, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Margaret Cho, Alton Brown, Isaac Mizrahi, Ani DiFranco, Iron & Wine, etc) what they would choose to eat for their last meal. Then she uncovers the history, science and culture of these dishes with everyone from the designer who created Lady Gaga's meat dress to the ice cream scientists at Ben & Jerry's. 

YOUR LAST MEAL is a James Beard Award finalist for best podcast hosted by National Edward R. Murrow award-winning reporter, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747086/open-sesame-by-belle-rachel/">cookbook</a> author and Cascade PBS <a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/the-nosh-with-rachel-belle/">TV host</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hellorachelbelle/?hl=en">Rachel Belle.</a>&nbsp;
Each episode Rachel asks a celebrity (Greta Gerwig, Jonathon Van Ness, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Margaret Cho, Alton Brown, Isaac Mizrahi, Ani DiFranco, Iron &amp; Wine, etc) what they would choose to eat for their last meal. Then she uncovers the history, science and culture of these dishes with everyone from the designer who created Lady Gaga's meat dress to the ice cream scientists at Ben &amp; Jerry's.&nbsp;

Your Last Meal with Rachel Belle

YOUR LAST MEAL is a James Beard Award finalist for best podcast hosted by Rachel Belle, Emmy-nominated Cascade PBS TV host ("The Nosh"), cookbook author ("Open Sesame") and National Edward R. Murrow award-winning feature reporter.

Each episode Rachel asks a celebrity (Greta Gerwig, Jonathon Van Ness, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Margaret Cho, Alton Brown, Isaac Mizrahi, Ani DiFranco, Iron & Wine, etc) what they would choose to eat for their last meal. Then she uncovers the history, science and culture of these dishes with everyone from the designer who created Lady Gaga's meat dress to the ice cream scientists at Ben & Jerry's. 

YOUR LAST MEAL is a James Beard Award finalist for best podcast hosted by Rachel Belle, Emmy-nominated Cascade PBS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/the-nosh-with-rachel-belle/">TV host</a> ("The Nosh"), <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747086/open-sesame-by-belle-rachel/">cookbook</a> author ("Open Sesame") and National Edward R. Murrow award-winning feature reporter.
Each episode Rachel asks a celebrity (Greta Gerwig, Jonathon Van Ness, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Margaret Cho, Alton Brown, Isaac Mizrahi, Ani DiFranco, Iron &amp; Wine, etc) what they would choose to eat for their last meal. Then she uncovers the history, science and culture of these dishes with everyone from the designer who created Lady Gaga's meat dress to the ice cream scientists at Ben &amp; Jerry's.&nbsp;