Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and pianist Regina Spektor grew up in Soviet Russia, so when she moved to the Bronx with her family in 1990, American food was a bit of a culture shock. Cereal! Oranges! Chocolate pudding cups! It was all brand-new! Regina shares a handful of her family’s immigration eating stories.  

When in doubt, order the soup! That’s what Regina does. She tells host Rachel Belle about her (nearly) lifelong love of soup, what caused her to rebel against it in high school and why the simplest of broths would be her last meal.  

Cookbook author Caroline Wright never set out to have a career in soup, but a terminal cancer diagnosis resulted in a soup club, two vegan soup cookbooks and the title of Seattle Soup Lady. She tells Rachel her story.  
Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV showThe Nosh with Rachel Belle! Season 2 out now!
Sign up for Rachel’s new (free!) Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings!
Follow along on Instagram!
Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and pianist <a href="https://reginaspektor.com/tour">Regina Spektor </a>grew up in Soviet Russia, so when she moved to the Bronx with her family in 1990, American food was a bit of a culture shock. Cereal! Oranges! Chocolate pudding cups! It was all brand-new! Regina shares a handful of her family&rsquo;s immigration eating stories.&nbsp;&nbsp;
When in doubt, order the soup! That&rsquo;s what Regina does. She tells host Rachel Belle about her (nearly) lifelong love of soup, what caused her to rebel against it in high school and why the simplest of broths would be her last meal.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Cookbook author <a href="https://www.carolinewrightbooks.com/">Caroline Wright </a>never set out to have a career in soup, but a terminal cancer diagnosis resulted in a soup club, two vegan soup cookbooks and the title of Seattle Soup Lady. She tells Rachel her story.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<ul>
<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 new (free!) 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.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

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;

Regina Spektor: Chicken Broth

This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Alice Waters, award winning chef, creator of the iconic 54-year-old restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley California, food activist and author of the new cookbook, “A School Lunch Revolution.” 

In this week’s lightning round, Alice talks about a memorable school lunch from her own childhood, her signature holiday dish, and her favorite comfort food, as someone who eats extremely healthfully, local and organic.  

Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Alice Waters here!

Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!  

Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV showThe Nosh with Rachel Belle.
Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings.
Follow along on Instagram.
Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Alice Waters, award winning chef, creator of the iconic 54-year-old restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley California, food activist and author of the new cookbook, &ldquo;A School Lunch Revolution.&rdquo;&nbsp;
In this week&rsquo;s lightning round, Alice talks about a memorable school lunch from her own childhood, her signature holiday dish, and her favorite comfort food, as someone who eats extremely healthfully, local and organic. &nbsp;
Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Alice Waters<a href="https://www.cascadepbs.org/podcasts/your-last-meal/2025/12/alice-waters-frisee-salad-pear-galette/"> here!</a>
<a href="https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1?ref=cascadepbs.org">Become a Cascade PBS member </a>and support public media!&nbsp;&nbsp;
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> <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. Follow along on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hellorachelbelle/?hl=en&amp;ref=cascadepbs.org">Instagram.</a> <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747086/open-sesame-by-belle-rachel/?ref=cascadepbs.org">Order</a> Rachel&rsquo;s cookbook Open Sesame.&nbsp;

The Leftovers with Alice Waters

Alice Waters opened her iconic Berkeley, California restaurant Chez Panisse 54 years ago, introducing the concept of farm-to-table eating to Americans and only serving local, seasonal produce at peak ripeness. She’s also a food activist, and through The Edible Schoolyard Project, has spent the past 30 years showing schools how to integrate locally farmed, organic produce into their cafeterias. 

On today’s episode, Alice shares two life-changing experiences that inspired her to open her restaurant; what diners thought about being served two figs for dessert in Chez Panisse’s early days; how schools can afford to serve kids farm fresh food; and what she packed in her own daughter’s lunchbox. And we take a peak inside her her new cookbook, A School Lunch Revolution. 

Then the Director of Nutrition Services for California’s Sweet Water Union High School district joins the show to talk about how he flipped the district’s lunch program on its head, buying more than half of the food from local farmers and producers or having the students grow it themselves.  
Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!
Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV showThe Nosh with Rachel Belle. 
Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings.
Follow along on Instagram. 
Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

Alice Waters opened her iconic Berkeley, California restaurant Chez Panisse 54 years ago, introducing the concept of farm-to-table eating to Americans and only serving local, seasonal produce at peak ripeness. She&rsquo;s also a food activist, and through The Edible Schoolyard Project, has spent the past 30 years showing schools how to integrate locally farmed, organic produce into their cafeterias.&nbsp;
On today&rsquo;s episode, Alice shares two life-changing experiences that inspired her to open her restaurant; what diners thought about being served two figs for dessert in Chez Panisse&rsquo;s early days; how schools can afford to serve kids farm fresh food; and what she packed in her own daughter&rsquo;s lunchbox. And we take a peak inside her her new cookbook, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/598361/a-school-lunch-revolution-by-alice-waters/">A School Lunch Revolution.</a>&nbsp;
Then the Director of Nutrition Services for California&rsquo;s Sweet Water Union High School district joins the show to talk about how he flipped the district&rsquo;s lunch program on its head, buying more than half of the food from local farmers and producers or having the students grow it themselves. &nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><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 aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">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>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><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 aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Follow along on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hellorachelbelle/?hl=en&amp;ref=cascadepbs.org">Instagram.</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747086/open-sesame-by-belle-rachel/?ref=cascadepbs.org">Order</a> Rachel&rsquo;s cookbook Open Sesame.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Alice Waters: Frisée Salad + Pear Galette  

This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from chef and best-selling cookbook author Gaby Dalkin, who's known online and on social as What’s Gaby Cooking. 

In this week’s lightning round, Gaby and host Rachel Belle bond over their favorite childhood birthday cake, Gaby shares the late-night, stand-over-the-sink snack she’d never put in a cookbook, and surprises Rachel with her answer to the question, “What do you wish people would ask you about in interviews, that’s not related to food?”  
Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! 
Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV showThe Nosh with Rachel Belle. 
Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings. 
Follow along on Instagram. 
Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from chef and best-selling cookbook author Gaby Dalkin, who's known online and on social as What&rsquo;s Gaby Cooking.&nbsp;
In this week&rsquo;s lightning round, Gaby and host Rachel Belle bond over their favorite childhood birthday cake, Gaby shares the late-night, stand-over-the-sink snack she&rsquo;d never put in a cookbook, and surprises Rachel with her answer to the question, &ldquo;What do you wish people would ask you about in interviews, that&rsquo;s not related to food?&rdquo; &nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><a href="https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1?ref=cascadepbs.org">Become a Cascade PBS member </a>and support public media!&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">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>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><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.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">Follow along on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hellorachelbelle/?hl=en&amp;ref=cascadepbs.org">Instagram.</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747086/open-sesame-by-belle-rachel/?ref=cascadepbs.org">Order</a> Rachel&rsquo;s cookbook Open Sesame.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Regina Spektor: Chicken Broth

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