Francis Lam talks food and podcasting

When Francis Lam took over the reins for The Splendid Table, it was anyone’s guess on how the show would fare after losing its long-time (really, only) host Lynne Rossetto Kasper. It’s fair to say that Lam has exceeded expectations, especially given how beloved and integral Kasper was to the program. Recently Grub Street sat down with Lam for a wide-ranging inteview that covered everything from why people seem to like listening to food (a subject that seems more in tune with eyes than ears), and why food came to play a major role in Lam’s life and career. 

In addition to his Splendid Table hosting duties, Lam is also an editor-at-large for Clarkson Potter. Apparently, we can thank him – at least in part – for convincing Chrissy Teigen to write cookbooks. It’s too bad that Steven John (the Grub Street writer who interviewed Lam) did not ask the obvious question to someone who took over hosting The Splendid Table – does he have any plans to write another Splendid Table cookbook? 

John did ask Lam if there were any food conversations that he wished would end. Lam answered that he is tired of people dismissing the food choices of other people. “If someone likes it, likes a food, sure maybe they’re three months late to it, four years late, who cares?” he said. “I’m tired of people feeling like the thing they want to do in food isn’t okay…there are better, more fun, more interesting things to talk about than how much you hate someone for liking avocado toast.”