846: Hello, Home Cooking with Ham El-Waylly and Obsessed with the Best with Ella Quittner
3/27/202650 min
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This week, we amp up your home cooking with nostalgic dishes, perfect recipes, and pro cooking techniques. First, we talk with Chef Ham El-Waylly about his favorite dishes that were inspired by his wildly international upbringing and what draws him to comfort foods. From his mom’s cheesy empanadas to his riff on cinnamon toast cereal, he gets imaginative with recipes like his Tahini Roasted Swordfish. Ham El-Waylly is the author of Hello, Home Cooking: Do-Able Dishes for Every Day. Then we dive into the brilliant mind of food writer Ella Quittner, who shares her obsessive search for the perfect techniques to make the very best recipes. She traveled the world to learn how to make buckwheat soba noodles and find the secret to getting the best flavor in tsukune, Japanese chicken meatballs. Ella Quittner’s latest book is Obsessed with The Best, and she left us with her recipe for Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Insurance Cheese.
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Broadcast dates for this episode:
March 27, 2026 (originally aired)
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsFrancis Lam· Host0:00
The Splendid Table is supported by Visit California. Play brings out the best in us. It fuels our creativity, lifts our spirits, and connects us to both ourselves and each other. And the ultimate form of play is a California vacation. It's the perfect place to savor your next unforgettable experience or your next unforgettable meal. From vineyard picnics and farmers markets to tacos by the beach, flavor is a part of every adventure. Discover endless ways to play in California, the ultimate playground. Start planning your trip to the ultimate playground at visitcalifornia.com.
Megan Rapinoe0:33
[upbeat music] Megan Rapinoe here. This week on "A Touch More," we've got two insiders to help us unpack the WNBA's new CBA, three-time champion and WMBPA Vice President, Alicia Clark, aka AC, and ESPN basketball analyst, Andrea Carter. We're also gonna take a look at our NCAA brackets and check out what's next in March Madness. Check out the latest episode of "A Touch More" wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.
Francis Lam· Host0:59
[upbeat music] I'm Francis Lam, and this is "The Splendid Table" from APM. You know, sometimes the world is small in the nicest little ways. Take our two guests today. One, Ham Elwhaly, is a super creative restaurant chef with a new book about genuinely simple but surprising and delicious home cooking.