Turkey Confidential 2026

It’s time to start thinking about Thanksgiving and our annual show, Turkey Confidential! We’re looking for great questions to throw at our amazing roster of guests:

• Melissa Clark, Best-selling cookbook author and food columnist for The New York Times. Her latest book is The Big Book of Dinner

• Ayesha Nurdjaja, Award-winning TV personality, chef, and author of Mediterranean All The Way, Bold Flavors, Built to Share: A Cookbook

• Monti Carlo, TV personality and author of Spanglish, Recipes & Stories.

• J. Kenji López-Alt, Food Journalist and best-selling author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

And of course, Francis!

You can be part of the show too! Record your Thanksgiving question on your voice memo app and submit it below or give us a call and leave a message at 800-537-5252.

FEATURED GUESTS

Melissa Clark

Melissa Clark is a best-selling cookbook author and food columnist for the New York Times, where she writes the popular column: A Good Appetite and has starred in over 100 cooking videos. She’s written 46 cookbooks, including the award-winning Dinner, Changing the Game. Her latest book, The Big Book of Dinner, will be published in November. Melissa attended Barnard College, and Columbia University, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts in Writing. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she lives there with her family. She loves anchovies, radishes, chicken feet, and lox but not in that order.

Monti Carlo

Monti Carlo is a Puerto Rican cook, writer, and award-winning television host whose work spans Food Network, PBS, FYI, Netflix, and Roku. A James Beard Foundation advisor and two-time Telly Award winner, she has appeared on Cutthroat Kitchen, Supermarket Stakeout, and MasterChef, and she has created a digital community of more than one million followers. Her work blends storytelling, culture, and cuisine to celebrate Puerto Rican cooking and the evolving story of American food. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

Ayesha Nurdjaja

Ayesha Nurdjaja is an award-winning chef, television personality, and visionary leader in hospitality. Born and raised in Brooklyn with Italian-Indonesian roots, she has long viewed food as a powerful form of connection. Ayesha is Executive Chef & Partner of two of New York’s most beloved restaurants, Shuka in SoHo and Shukette in Chelsea, where her vibrant Eastern Mediterranean cooking has earned critical acclaim and a devoted following. Her approach centers on seasonal, sustainably sourced ingredients that showcase quality and intention. Beyond the kitchen, Ayesha is committed to mentorship, equity, and community impact, serving on the board of The Sylvia Center and collaborating with the Food Education Fund and the U.S. Department of State Culinary Corps. Named a 2026 finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York State, an honoree on Cherry Bombe’s 2026 Power List, a Woman of Industry Trailblazer by the Food Education Fund, the recipient of the 2025 IACP Trailblazer Award, and the newest titan on Food Network’s Bobby’s Triple Threat, Ayesha continues to shape the industry with her leadership, candid personality, and passion for cooking. Her debut cookbook titled Mediterranean All the Way will be released October 20, 2026.

J. Kenji Lopez- Alt

Celebrated chef and food writer J. Kenji López-Alt is a New York Times columnist and the author of the New York Times best-selling and James Beard Award–winning cookbooks The Food Lab and The Wok. Known for his approachable, science-driven style, Kenji has helped millions of home cooks understand how great food really works—and how to make it at home. On YouTube, more than 1.5 million subscribers tune in to Kenji’s Cooking Show for his unedited, deeply nerdy kitchen experiments and practical cooking Q’s. He’s also the author of the best-selling children’s book Every Night Is Pizza Night, a story about curiosity, community, and the joy of food. Kenji lives in Seattle with his two children, where he spends his time exploring the city’s vibrant food scene and sharing his favorite local bites and hidden gems.