Proof
We take America's Test Kitchen's inquisitive and relentless approach to telling unexpected, funny, and thought-provoking narratives about food and drink. This is not a recipe show. And this is not a show about celebrity chefs or what they like to eat. Proof plunges into history, culture, science, and the psyche to uncover the hidden backstories that feed your food-obsessed brain. A production of America's Test Kitchen.
Episodes
October 30, 2025 • 30 mins
Today’s story, from Dan Pashman and The Sporkful, is about the people behind New York’s hot dog carts, and one man’s fight to keep his spot. From street corners to museum steps, street vending is a grind that is shaped by city politics, impossible permits, and everyday hustle. In this episode, we meet Dan Rossi, a Marine vet who’s spent nearly 20 years guarding his cart outside The Met, the most coveted location for selling a hot d...
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October 23, 2025 • 2 mins
Is the mushroom foraging business as innocent as it seems? What does it take for two cultures at odds to come together to make the ultimate fusion cuisine? How does the development of a viral cookie recipe work here at America's Test Kitchen? We answer these questions and more on the new season of Proof.
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October 16, 2025 • 42 mins
In this three-part series, reporter Otis Gray explores the extraordinary life of James Hemings; the enslaved chef who forever changed American cuisine.
Episode three investigates the mysterious final chapter of James Hemings' life, exploring the unanswered questions surrounding the death of one of America's first great chefs. We also examine his undeniable legacy and the widespread impact of his cooking on modern day American cui...
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October 9, 2025 • 33 mins
In this three-part series, reporter Otis Gray explores the extraordinary life of James Hemings; the enslaved chef who forever changed American cuisine.
Episode two meets Hemings back at Monticello where his cooking became the backdrop to some of the most pivotal moments of Jefferson's political career and our country's history; all the while training his brother Peter in exchange for his freedom.
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October 2, 2025 • 38 mins
In this three-part series, reporter Otis Gray explores the extraordinary life of James Hemings; the enslaved chef who forever changed American cuisine.
Episode one traces James’ early years at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, his journey to becoming the first American to train in the kitchens of Paris, and the pivotal choice that would ultimately shape his future and his freedom.
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September 4, 2025 • 53 mins
Many meat eaters might have experienced a phenomena called the meat paradox, where we acknowledge our love animals--like beef, or cow--but we...eat them. Reporter Avery Thompson faces the paradox head-on at a farm in Oklahoma. (We discuss death, animal slaughter, and other sensitive topics in this episode, so listener discretion is advised.)
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August 28, 2025 • 36 mins
What does it take to serve a dinner in first class at 37,000 feet? And are we in a new golden age of fine dining on airplanes? Reporter Emily Siner reports.
Want to channel your inner first-class diner? Check out our breakdown of different kinds of caviar here.
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August 21, 2025 • 57 mins
When reporter Justin Barney first moved to Nashville, he kept seeing signs for "Chicago-Style Gyros." Chicago-style? What's that? And why Chicago? These questions sent him down a deep reporting rabbit hole as Justin tries to uncover the origins of this enigmatic dish.
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August 14, 2025 • 50 mins
We often see labels that say "Fair Trade" -- particularly in the context of chocolate or coffee. But what does it actually mean for a food to be "fair trade"? Reporter Andrew Stelzer follows the people and revolutionaries who helped jumpstart fair trade coffee in the United States.
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August 7, 2025 • 50 mins
In 1924, a man in Iowa named Henry built a radio station so that he could sell more seeds. Then, his rival Earl also created a radio station to sell more of his seeds. This rivalry laid the groundwork for the radio homemaker movement, where women—usually the men’s wives and sisters—filled air time sharing step-by-step recipes, dispensing advice and becoming early social media influencers recording straight from their kitchens, with...
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July 31, 2025 • 1 min
The new season of Proof is filled with food origin stories that you'll want to share at your next dinner party. We ask: What can we learn from trad wives and kitchen influencers from a century before? How do mushrooms make their journey from the hands of foragers to our dinner table? What even is a Chicago Style Gyro, and where does it come from? These are just some of the questions we dig into in Season 20 of Proof from America's ...
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July 3, 2025 • 45 mins
While developing her award-winning cookbook, 50 Pies, 50 States, Stacey Mei Yan Fong was about to become a permanent American resident. As she navigated the application process, she researched, developed, and baked pies that represented all 50 states, and delivered them to recipients in each of those states. Now, Stacey will soon be eligible to apply for American citizenship. In this episode, Stacey revisits the pie recipes and rec...
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June 5, 2025 • 50 mins
Proof contributor Aaron Pang wasn't sure if he'd find community and people to eat with when he arrived in Iowa to attend his creative writing program. In this episode, Aaron offers listeners a slice into his life today, and shares the mic with his ride-or-die culinary companion, Connie Chen.
Make our version of Aaron and Connie's beloved "Filet-O-Fish" sandwich with our recipe for Crispy Fish Sandwiches!
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May 29, 2025 • 37 mins
Today’s story comes from The Hustle, the new podcast series from Feet in 2 Worlds about the ways immigrants navigate a changing economy — today and throughout history. In the face of oppressive working conditions and economic exploitation, thousands of predominantly Mexican American women in San Antonio took a stand against the pecan industry’s giants in 1938. Their determination and the strike’s eventual success serves as a remind...
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May 22, 2025 • 49 mins
We dig into Ireland's storied spirit, poitin, Peru's historic beverage, chicha and Uganda's traditional brew, malwa. What accounts for their staying power, and how has their popularity transcended time? Avery Thompson, Julie Carli, and Anne Kirya report.
Turn this Irish Coffee into a Belfast Coffee by replacing the whiskey with poitin!
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May 15, 2025 • 40 mins
Proof's fact-checker sets off in search of Georgia's famed dish.
Craving Georgian food now? Check out America's Test Kitchen's recipe for Adjaruli Khachapuri!
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May 11, 2025 • 44 mins
You may know our America's Test Kitchen colleague Sarah Ahn as the popular content creator behind the social media account, @AhnestKitchen. Sarah chronicles her mother Nam Soon's Korean recipes against the backdrop of her everyday, regular life at home. What you might not know is the backstory behind her social media account, and how it became the inspiration for her and Nam Soon's New York Times best-selling cook. Proof's Managin...
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May 1, 2025 • 44 mins
Americans love ice, and it's no surprise given the food's (yes, you read that right; ice is a food) rich history and its start as an American invention. In this episode, we look at the history, science, and culture of ice and why it's such an iconic culinary item. Claudia Rosenbaum reports.
If directional freezing is too much of a hassle for you, try our Reviews Team's favorite Countertop Ice-Makers!
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April 29, 2025 • 40 mins
We're excited to introduce Proof listeners to a new video podcast from America's Test Kitchen! Each episode of In the Test Kitchen is a mix of expert insights, personal anecdotes, and lively discussions with guests from the culinary world and beyond.
The premiere episode features comedian Matteo Lane, who has comedy special called The Al Dente Special coming out on Hulu in May. He’s also just released a book called Your Pasta Suc...
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April 24, 2025 • 36 mins
On his quest to brew the perfect cup of tea, reporter Jerome Campbell gathers insights from a tea historian and a chemist. Is loose-leaf really worth the hassle? What actually happens when you microwave tea? And can you fix a cup of tea that’s been brewed for too long? Join us in this week’s episode of Proof as we investigate tea truths and tea myths.
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