No Substitutions, Please

Tag: Entrées

  • Episode 94: Seared Salmon

    Not just for Fionn mac Cumhaill anymore! You, too, can gain all the knowledge of the world by listening to Louisa and Noah make several other references that will send you to Wikipedia. Also, some fish gets discussed.

  • Episode 92: Smashed Burgers

    Do you want a burger right now? Smashed burgers. Do you want to be able to bite through an entire hamburger without having to unhinge your jaw? Smashed burgers. Do you want to listen to Noah and Louisa get incredibly hungry while discussing comments on a food they both love and clearly wish they were…

  • Episode 81: Fried Rice

    We really shouldn’t have used that joke already, huh? Join Noah and Louisa on this tribute to the inadequacy of average kitchen equipment. Follow us:@NoSubsPlease on Twitter.@NoSubsPlease@mastodon.online on Mastodon.@NoSubsPlease on BlueSky. Noah: @elderrumbao on Twitter, @nsmckinnon@laserdisc.party on Mastodon, @nsmckinnon.bsky.social on BlueSky.Louisa: @louisa@mastodon.xyz. Our theme is Street Food, by FASSounds, and is governed by the Simplified…

  • Episode 80: Fettuccine Alfredo

    Last week was great if you liked episodes where Noah doesn’t like the food; this week is great if you like episodes where Noah and Louisa go on an absolutely massive tangent that, somehow, is still relevant to the food in question. Oh, yeah, and we talk about some pasta, too.

  • Episode 75: Birria Tacos

    From a goat stew in Jalisco to a fried taco in Tijuana, to the food trucks of San Diego and beyond, this complex dish has gained decadence at every stop along the way. Noah and Louisa get into all the different steps and their appurtenant pitfalls and wonders.

  • Episode 72: Boneless Pork Chops

    Or are they porch chops? The humble, versatile, and wonderful lean cut of pork loin finally gets its due on No Substitutions, Please. Louisa and Noah tell you how to cook it properly, wax poetic about its wide range of accompaniments, and demonstrate that people will refuse to get anything right, no matter how simple.

  • Episode 71: Risotto

    Who knew a dish this luxurious could be based on simple rice? Well, not just simple rice. You have to get the right kind, and do things in the exactly right order, and pay a lot of attention to what you’re doing—unless you use this one neat trick Noah recently acquired. He and Louisa will…

  • Episode 68: Seared Scallops

    While everyone else is talking about the Super Bowl, we’re looking forward to Valentine’s Day—and what better way to celebrate the love of your life than making a plate of fresh, sweet, delicately-caramelized scallops? Louisa and Noah discuss all the ways to nail this wonderful dish.

  • Episode 58: Pot Roast

    Such a one-pot meal they put it in the dang name, and yet so much variation in the recipes that no two people make it the same way—which means it’s some fertile podcasting ground. Noah and Louisa take on one of the truest classics.

  • Episode 44: Pulled Pork

    A beloved mainstay of many a summer barbecue, whether you like it with spicy vinegar, grown mustard, or that thick brown ketchup Kansas City calls barbecue sauce. Louisa discusses the importance of making an effort, while Noah tries to hang on to his faith in humanity.

  • Episode 40: Shrimp Scampi

    There are few pleasures in life as simple as butter, garlic, and good shrimp—or so you’d think. Noah and Louisa discover that a lot of people have rather interesting ideas on how such a classic combination can be . . . well, is “improved” the right term?

  • Episode 28: Shepherd’s Pie

    If you’re the weirdo who thinks we haven’t done enough British food, well, this one’s for you. Noah and Louisa discuss the classic comfort casserole that dares to say: is there anything better than a blanket of mashed potatoes over ground meat? Follow us:@NoSubsPlease on BlueSky.@NoSubsPlease@mastodon.online on Mastodon. Noah: @nsmckinnon.bsky.social on BlueSky, @nsmckinnon@laserdisc.party on Mastodon.Louisa:…

  • Episode 14: Pernil

    Something like half of Puerto Rican Christmas carols involve the key subject of cooking pork. There is a good reason for this: it’s absolutely delicious. Let Noah and Louisa tell you about this magical dish and all the ways in which it’ll make you happy.

  • Episode 13: Roast Beef

    Whether a Sunday dinner staple or the centerpiece of a beautiful holiday dinner, whether eye of round or prime rib, a roast beef treated well is a memorable treat. Louisa’s got the reins on this episode, as Noah asks her how to choose a good cut, tricks to combat shrinkflation-induced lean roasts, and more. Plus,…

  • Episode 11: Turkey

    If you went to a Thanksgiving dinner this coming week (*brag*), chances are pretty good the centerpiece of it was a turkey cooked to crispy and golden perfection. Or so we hope. For the people who didn’t quite get to enjoy that, Noah and Louisa have some things to say.

  • Episode 10: Mac & Cheese

    As a tenth-episode bonus, they also do two firsts: dunk on a recipe they found on the Internet, and discuss a comment received from a reader!

  • Episode 9: Potato Leek Soup

    In the fall, a home cook’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of spuds—and, perhaps, leeks cooked in butter. Noah and Louisa discover that, no matter how simply a dish may be named, you can’t stop some people from overcomplicating it.

  • Episode 8: Spaghetti and Meatballs

    What could be more Italian than spaghetti and meatballs? Well, to hear some people tell it, lots of things—and they might be right. Noah and Louisa attempt to defuse this source of ongoing cross-Atlantic tension.

  • Episode 6: Fried Chicken

    Whether breaded, battered or even dredged—depending on your recipe—delicious poultry covered in equally tasty starch and goldened in oil is beloved the world over. Unless it’s made by some of the people Noah and Louisa tripped over in their research.

  • Episode 5: Rice and Beans

    Like all classic comfort food, they’re infinitely customizable in flavor, seasoning, texture, technique . . . and yet Noah and Louisa managed to find the one thing you probably shouldn’t do to them.

  • Episode 2: Chili

    Whether it’s about beans, tomatoes, onions, or garlic, no food seems to cause arguments with more frequency, or more vehemence, than good old chili. This week, Louisa and Noah try to get to the bottom of the bowl.