Christina Tosi is a James Beard Rising Star Chef and the creative force behind the popular Momofuku Milk Bar bakeries in New York. But she's taken an unusual path to get to this point. She studied electrical engineering and, even when she ended up in the kitchen of the award-winning WD-50 (as a pastry chef, not an engineer!), she chose to take an unexpected next step: working as a cashier and resolving unsexy problems – such as unclogging toilets – at the newly started Momofuku. In fact, it was a boring paperwork problem that sparked her creative collaboration with Momofuku's David Chang. She went on to challenge his belief that "dessert is for wusses" and continues to prove to be the exception "to any assumption you make". We talk about her career; her famous creations, such as "crack pie" (it's "the dare of all dares to just have one slice and just walk away") and Australia's connection to it; the local flavours she fell in love with during her trip here, and much more.

Thanks to Bloomsbury (publisher of Christina's book, "Momofuku Milk Bar") and Crave Sydney International Food Festival for making this interview possible. It was recorded (in a crowded props room during my lunch hour – very glamorous!) while Christina was in Sydney as a festival guest last year.

Naomi Hart ended up in hospitality by accident. But her unintentional career path has taken her to some interesting places – such as a New York restaurant where she almost dropped a table on Tom Hanks (he was very nice about it) and the stylish coat-check woman was straight from a Bill Cunningham photograph (in fact, she was often the subject of his lens). After working in LA, she came back to Australia with her husband Gregory to start Hartsyard, a Newtown eatery that quickly became known for its big flavours, its popularity with locals (the Porteno crew are regulars) and its famous mascot – George, the eyepatch-wearing duck. She's had many adventures working as a waitress and restaurant manager, and she reveals quite a few entertaining examples in this podcast.

Elvis The Fat Years, Tiramisu, Hansel He’s So Hot Right Now, Sage and Burnt
Butter, Risotto Milanese, Breakfast of Champions: The Sequel, Pavlova and
Raspberry & Rose Gelato with Pomegranate Brownie – these are just some of the
attention-seeking flavours that have made Gelato Messina famous over the
years. Nick Palumbo, who opened the original gelato parlour in Darlinghurst
more than a decade ago, chats about the very first scoops that launched
Messina, how he and his team come up with such original, unexpected flavours
(one flavour was inspired by his nephew's twisted love for 'The Mighty Boosh'
TV show) and if there's any downside to being surrounded by ice cream all
day. He also chats about Gelato Messina's expanding universe, which now
includes stores in Pyrmont and Surry Hills and, soon, Bondi and, yes, China!
We wonder how Elvis The Fat Years will translate.

Thanks to Alex Watts for his ace production work on this podcast and to FBi
studio for lending us use of its sweet studio. You can follow Gelato Messina
on Facebook (Gelatomessina) or Twitter (@Gelato_Messina)

Jack Hanna knows his coffee. He has been awarded national roasting competition and won the world latte art competition. He's also one of the people behind The Grounds, the many-things-in-one cafe that opened in Alexandria earlier this year. He talks about the coffee-related adventures he gets up to in the “research facility” at The Grounds, his feelings about coffee snobs, and what latte art he's gotten away with "drawing" (you'd be surprised). Oh and there was the time he fitted out a vintage coffee machine like a hot rod, too. He also covers his favourite places to drink in Sydney (and guess what, they're not cafes).

Thanks to Alex Watts for producing this podcast and making it sound slick and also FBi radio for lending us sweet use of its studio.

You can follow The Grounds on Twitter at @groundsroasters.

Myffy Rigby's pathway towards being Chief Food and Drink Critic at Time Out
Sydney magazine was  not so obvious: she grew up as a vegetarian, dropped out
of school early and soon found herself producing kilos of batter a day for
Pancake At The Rocks. It took her a long while (and a few career detours) to
figure out that she wanted to be writing about food.

As someone who covers the most noteworthy places to drink and dine in this
city, Myffy talks about the upsides and downsides of being a food critic
(yes, there are downsides) and the most memorable meals she's had – the ones
at the greatest restaurants in the world and also one experience so violently
stomach-churning that it gives her a little post-traumatic stress disorder
just thinking about it. Myffy also discusses the Time Out Food Awards, the
Bar Awards, the secret identities she assumes when out reviewing and also her
favourite places to eat and enjoy a glass in Sydney (the ones she can talk
about, anyway).

Thanks to the excellent (and superhumanly patient) Alex Watts for producing
this podcast and FBi radio for lending us the studio space.

You can follow Myffy Rigby on Twitter <@myffyrigby> or pick up Time Out
Sydney every month from newstands.

Japanese cuisine and Australian bush tucker don't usually go together, but chef Josh Nicholls made this culinary mash-up his signature at Cafe Ish, the popular Surry Hills eatery he opened with his wife, Ai, in 2007. It later morphed into an izakaya and, recently, has transformed into The Milk Bar by Cafe Ish in Redfern, with its menu of $5 burgers, Malteser pies and killer shakes (think Miso Caramel or Rosewater, Berry and Rosella).

Josh chats about his accidental career as a chef (mainly inspired by chasing 'the girl'), how he once got headbutted by an apprentice in the kitchen, the renewal of Redfern, the keys to a good burger, the cheat's guide to native ingredients and his favourite dining spots around Sydney. Oh, and whale bacon gets a mention, too.

Thanks to the wonderful Alex Watts for producing this episode and the just-as-ace FBi radio for lending us its studios.

Josh on Twitter: @Milkbar_CafeIsh
Ai on Twitter: @torandkinpira

In the first episode of the Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry, Lee Tran Lam catches up with David Ralph, a chef who has worked at diner-impressing restaurants in Sydney (Quay, Flying Fish and Sails at Lavendar Bay) and London (Michelin-starred La Noisette and Kensington Place).

David's an expert at placating anyone with a sweet tooth as he currently runs Kakawa, the best chocolatier in Sydney with his partner Jin. He chats about his kitchen war stories (he once had to break up a fight between two chefs), what the staff meals at flash restaurants are like (the better the restaurant, the worse they are!), dealing with the day-to-day temptation of working with chocolate and shares his favourite places to dine in Sydney.

As always, thanks to FBi for letting us record in its wonderful studios. And thanks to Alex Watts for his excellent production work.