Does ice cream really need a job beyond being delicious? Dan Pashman, host of The Sporkful and inventor of cascatelli pasta, joins Catherine to make the case for pleasure as a perfectly good reason to eat—and explain how he turns his food obsessions into projects he actually finishes.

We talk about following your curiosity without chasing every idea, getting through the middle of a project when the excitement wears off, and why Dan’s seemingly sprawling career comes down to doing one thing at a time. He also shares how six layoffs in eight years led him to start The Sporkful, and why he’s more interested in making something that lasts than going viral.

Plus: grilled chicken thighs that do double duty for dinner and lunch, duck-fat tortillas worth ordering by mail, a spirited disagreement about Jack and Coke, and the annual White Castle party at Dan’s house.

In this episode:

• Why Dan hates the term “functional food”
• Hyperfocus, outside deadlines, and finishing what you start
• What inventing a pasta shape taught him about playing the long game
• His approach to family dinners, leftovers, and build-your-own meals
• Making the kitchen less chaotic before you start cooking
• Dan’s advice as Not From Concentrate approaches its first anniversary

Find Dan on Instagram @thesporkful, listen to The Sporkful wherever you get your podcasts, and look for his cascatelli pasta from Sfoglini.

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