We chat with Alice Waters: chef, restaurateur, and philosopher. She tells us about the French film that inspired Chez Panisse and explains why good lunch and good conversation are the keys to her career. Plus Chris McDade shows us how to make great food from tinned fish, Dan Pashman tells us about his favorite Halloween candy, and we bake Liberian Banana-Rice Bread.

This episode is brought to you by Matter of Fact.

Questions in this episode:

"I have a question about a goat cheese cheesecake I made that curdled. I've made the recipe before and never had a problem. The only change I made was using a local chèvre with vegetable rennet. Is that the culprit or is there something else going on?"

"I roast a lot of vegetables, but sweet potatoes have proven to be a special challenge. They often burn before they’re cooked the way I want and they also seem to absorb oil like a sponge. Any tips?"

"We are a big fan of Milk Street’s Mujaddara recipe. Recently, when I doubled the recipe, I opened up the lid and found that the rice and lentils were the consistency of a porridge. Is there a secret to doubling the recipe for things like rice and lentils?"

"I’m looking for a good fried steak taco. How could I make that at home?"