logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
31m 29s

Zarna Garg Had To Tell Jokes For Her Sup...

Dan Pashman
About this episode

The stand-up comedian Zarna Garg spent 16 years as a stay-at-home mom. Now she sells out shows across the country and has her own special on Prime Video. In her stand-up and her social media videos, food is often a main character. But Zarna has mixed feelings when it comes to cooking. As a teenager, she wasn’t always sure where her next meal would come from. And as a parent, she came to resent the burden of feeding her family of five. She talks with Dan about her frustration with American parenting, why her kids eat steamed broccoli for breakfast, and how Indian Americans fought to bring back Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza.

The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell, with production on this episode by Grace Rubin.

Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Up next
Oct 6
What's In Taylor Swift's Signature Cocktail?
Are chicken tenders having a renaissance? Are lit candles in restaurants worth the risk of a few people’s hair catching on fire? And when Taylor Swift designs a signature cocktail…what’s in it? We cover all these questions and more in this edition of the Salad Spinner — our rapid ... Show More
47m 18s
Oct 3
How Ketchup Got Its Name (Reheat)
Ketchup started as a far different product from what’s on the shelves today. A lot of its evolution can be traced to an early government agency and a group there called “The Poison Squad” that tested the safety of different chemicals -- by eating them. We hear that story. Then a ... Show More
37m 52s
Sep 29
What Can McDonald’s Tell Us About Black America?
Growing up as a Black kid in Chicago, Dr. Marcia Chatelain says she learned more about Black history from McDonald’s than from her fancy prep school. Now, she’s a professor of Africana studies at the University of Pennsylvania. In her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Franchise: The G ... Show More
34m 26s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
Welcome to Your Mama’s Kitchen
Sharing another podcast we can’t get enough of: Your Mama’s Kitchen. It’s a show about cuisine and culture, ingredients and identities, and the meals and memories that make us who we are. Host Michele Norris talks to Michelle Obama, Glennon Doyle, José Andrés and so many other gu ... Show More
43m 37s
Aug 2022
Jayde Adams and steak with polenta mash
Comedian Jayde Adams brings her West Country wit to Dish HQ this week. Dawn French calls her the ‘3rd funniest woman in the world’ and we know why. Her passion for acting, singing and comedy is rivalled only by her fondness for fodder. Jayde was nominated for best newcomer at the ... Show More
27m 18s
Jul 2022
Actor and comedian Michelle de Swarte and roast lamb with lemon chickpeas
This week Michelle de Swarte brings lots of laughter to the table at Dish HQ. Our guest is multi-talented! At 19 she swapped South London for the catwalks of NYC. Struggling to find her voice, Michelle left modelling for journalism and began making documentary films with icon and ... Show More
32m 50s
Apr 2025
Before Kenji and Deb, there was Lena
Deb and Kenji are taking a break this week. Please enjoy this classic episode from our friends at Sidedoor, "America’s Unknown Celebrity Chef". For more information, visit Sidedoor's episode page, and subscribe to Sidedoor on your favorite podcast player.************************* ... Show More
32m 30s
Mar 2025
Stacey Dooley, puttanesca puff tart and a Masi Campofiorin
Nick and Angela celebrate Mother’s Day this week on Dish. Stacey Dooley MBE is an investigative journalist, TV presenter and author. Born in Luton, she first appeared on television in Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts, a documentary exploring the realities of fast fashion in India. Stace ... Show More
38m 47s
Aug 2024
Gaby Dalkin: On Running a Multi-Faceted Food Company, and Why Frozen Butter Makes the Best Homemade Burgers of Your Life
Katie talks with Gaby Dalkin of What’s Gaby Cooking? about running her food brand while being a mom. Gaby is pregnant with her second child and reveals all of her funny pregnancy foods, including pineapple and soda. She explains how she keeps up with her successful culinary busin ... Show More
30m 6s
Nov 2024
S17 Ep 8: Meera Sodha
It’s a foodie dream today with our next guest, chef and entrepreneur Meera Sodha. Author of the new vegetarian & vegan cookbook ‘Dinner’, Meera joined us for lunch bringing an absolutely delicious freshly baked honey cake with her! We discovered that Meera learned to cook from he ... Show More
54m 8s
Nov 2024
Judi Love, Korean crispy spiced chicken with gochujang mayo and a virgin picante
Judi Love is one of five born to her Jamaican parents in Hackney, East London. Always the funny one in the family, she gained a Masters in social work before kicking off her career in stand-up. In 2011, she made her professional debut with a show named after her motto in life, La ... Show More
33m 12s
Jun 2023
Andi & Miquita Oliver, sweet and sour pork belly and a Viognier
Nick and Angela welcome their friends Andi and Miquita Oliver to DISH HQ. Andi Oliver is a chef, broadcaster, author and restaurateur. She is best known as the presenter of Great British Menu, having previously also been a judge. Andi has just released her first cookbook The Pepp ... Show More
36m 42s
Feb 2025
Chris O’Dowd, sticky pulled pork and a pickled salad and a whisky
Nick and Angela welcome another Irish guest to Dish HQ. Chris O'Dowd is an award-winning actor, writer and director. He was born in Boyle, County Roscommon, and studied politics at University College Dublin, later enrolling at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Chris p ... Show More
36m 16s