We’re interrupting our regular Friday programming to share a Q&A that Kate and I did with the writer and chef Aliza J. Sokolow, who has been a guest on Food with Mark Bittman a couple of times and has become a pal of Kate’s. She’s an early supporter of Bittman’s (take 20% off with code ALIZA20) and generously offered to interview us about it for her newsletter. (A fresh Question Mark will be in your inbox next Friday.) – Mark
Aliza: First and most importantly—everyone names their sourdough starter. What’s yours called?
Kate: My dad refuses. His starter is always perfect, always smells good, is always a mess, and never gets a name. It’s almost like he doesn’t love it the way it deserves to be loved. When he goes away on extended trips, I babysit his starter, and I haven’t killed it so far. Next time I’m going to give it a secret name and not tell him. I’ll keep you posted.
Our colleague Holly names her starters—her favorite so far is Dough’sephine Baker. She’s very good at coming up with names, and my dad loves her, so if anyone will eventually convince him to name his starter, it’ll probably be Holly.
Aliza: What propelled you to take your love of fermented bread into the [consumer packaged goods] world? Was this something you’d been thinking about for years?
The business feels like a natural extension—making great bread like ours doesn’t fit into most people’s schedules, and there aren’t many people doing this commercially.
Mark: I’ve been baking bread since 1970, with a variety of cookbooks and mentors. It evolved into this wholegrain sourdough which was good enough to talk about a few years ago. The business feels like a natural extension—making great bread like ours doesn’t fit into most people’s schedules, and there aren’t many people doing this commercially.
Aliza: What is your go-to morning ritual—and where does bread fit into it?
Mark: I tend to eat toast in the middle of the night! Bread before or during dinner, not so much at breakfast. Though the occasional egg sandwich on our ciabatta is pretty great.
Aliza: How often do you feed your starter, and what was the loaf that made you fall in love with the craft?
Mark: I try to feed it daily, but fail. Despite the mistreatment, it works. Our commercial bread is better than what I make at home, so that’s being slowly left behind. I can’t point to one loaf—learning baguettes was a milestone, the no-knead phase too. But getting into whole grain sourdough in Berkeley around 2015 was the real turning point.
Aliza: What is one thing your dad makes for you that instantly brings you back to childhood?
Kate: Lobster on Cape Cod. Everyone gets their own bowl of melted butter—I’m adamant about not sharing. Sometimes we eat them whole like we did on my birthdays growing up, and sometimes he makes pasta with lobster and mint, which has become a family favorite.
Aliza: What is your favorite thing Kate makes for you?
Mark: She makes my life hopeful every day. She only cooks for me about once every three years.
Aliza: The world feels a bit insane right now—what’s something that gives you hope?
Mark: I can’t be flippant about this. I see people struggling, but I also see them organizing and pushing back against what can only be called oppression. That gives me hope that we’ll have the strength to rebuild something better.
Aliza: Three kitchen tools you can’t live without?
Mark: The stove, the refrigerator, and the sink. Second tier: a pressure cooker, a food processor, and a bread slicer—that’s the one I use most.
Kate: My OXO One Stop Chop—I haven’t chopped an onion in forever. I cry every time otherwise, I’ve even worn sunglasses. This saved me. My Made In bread knife is perfect for our bread, and my Breville Joule might be the best kitchen purchase I’ve ever made. Even Nick loves it, and he’s a total contrarian.
Aliza: What place in the world most inspires your cooking?
Mark: My kitchen. Never fails.
Aliza: Is there anything you wish people would ask you that they never do?
Mark: How I keep my good looks at such an advanced age. Why I gave up being a world-class runner for food. Why I don’t sing in public more.
Lightning round!
Aliza: A piece of advice you’re glad you ignored?
Kate: I like to think i’m a good judge of character, but recently I’ve been very wrong—in a good way.
Aliza: Advice for young cooks who admire you?
Mark: Keep cooking. Don’t become a chef unless you’re sure. Make cooking a centerpiece of your life, something you’ll do forever no matter what happens.
Aliza: How do you stay grounded amidst global admiration?
Mark: There’s no such thing. Everyone who wants to find me can, and there really aren’t that many trying.
Aliza: What’s your favorite thing to make for your grandsons?
Mark: Bread, actually.
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