Mark Ladner, chef at Del Posto, joins Dave, Nastassia, and Piper for this week's Cooking Issues! Dave talks about his upcoming trip to Senegal, and the importance of learning about authentic cuisine from different regions around the world. Dave revisits a question about rice noodles, and then delves into different types of miso. How can one substitute duck fat into baking recipes? Later, Mark weighs in on the bacon vs. pancetta debate. What does he prefer when making a carbonara? The cast tastes different olive oils to decide what temperatures and cooking times cause flavor to degrade. Want to try Mark's Italian-style barbecue? Buy your tickets here! This program has been sponsored by Underground Meats.

"Poorly-made industrial pancetta is absolute garbage. It's too salty; just stick with the bacon for carbonara." [22:00] -- Mark Ladner on Cooking Issues

What happens to food the food in your refrigerator after you die? It may be a weird thought, but Chefsmartypants aka Erica Wides is here to ease your mind. Tune in to hear more about food & decay as it relates to expiration dates, ripeness and scavenging. Also hear Erica's Duck Platinum recipe. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch.