Every Labor Day weekend since 1990, tens of thousands of people descend upon a Nevada desert to build an elaborate, eccentric, temporary town called Black Rock City. This is the famed Burning Man festival, and once you’re inside the gate, nothing (but ice) is for sale and bartering and trading are forbidden.

So how do 70,000 people feed themselves at the Black Rock Desert festival without electricity or running water?

Burning Man runs on a gifting economy, and food is a major currency. On this Very Special Episode of Your Last Meal, we’ll explore Burning Man’s culinary camps, where festival attendees set up makeshift restaurants and feed thousands of Burners for free. You’ll meet the creator of Cheese & Advice Palace, who says waiting in line for a grilled cheese sandwich is part of the experience, and the chef behind Domakase, a desert sushi bar.

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This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from J. Ryan Stradal, the bestselling author of three novels, all set in Minnesota: Kitchens of the Great Midwest, The Lager Queen of Minnesota and Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club.

Through a not-so-rapid-fire speed round, J. Ryan tells host Rachel Belle about his favorite Minnesota State Fair food, what the J. in his name stands for, and why you really need to open that bottle of wine you're forever saving for a special occasion.

And we'll explore the history behind a Midwestern fried-food debate: corn dog vs Pronto Pup! What's the difference? Listen and find out!

Watch Rachel's Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle!

Follow along on Instagram!

Pre-order Rachel Belle's new cookbook, Open Sesame: 45 Sweet & Savory Recipes for Tahini & All Things Sesame!

Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New York Times bestselling novelist J. Ryan Stradel tells host Rachel Belle it was “totally weird to be a teenage foodie in the 1990s.”

He couldn’t wait to get his driver’s license so he could drive into the Twin Cities and eat at restaurants serving mysterious, flavorful, global food — a complete contrast to the bland dishes his parents cooked at home.

Food plays a role in all three of Stradal’s novels, all set in his home state of Minnesota: Kitchens of the Great Midwest, The Lager Queen of Minnesota and Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club — supper clubs being a uniquely Midwestern throwback institution. Rachel chats with the owners of two multigenerational supper clubs, Lehman’s and Ettlin’s Ranchero, about what sets them apart from other restaurants.

Watch Rachel's Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle!

Follow along on Instagram!

Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.