In this episode José and Stacey talk about how to bolster democracy, be persuasive in a polarized world--and Stacey's amazing cheesecake. José also teaches listeners to make a great fried egg and answers listeners' questions.

On the very first episode of Longer Tables, José talks to his good friend, the one and only Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in New York. He’s one of the best chefs in the world. But there's a lot people don't know about Eric: the laugh-out-loud story how his teachers wanted him to be a server, not a cook--and just how much weight he gained on a one-week vacation with José. José also shows us how to make a fast squid-ink pasta with mussels and, as always, takes questions from listeners.

Longer Tables with José Andrés explores all the ways that food shapes our world and makes us who we are. In each episode, José talks to friends from the worlds of culinary and creative arts, politics, and media: Stacey Abrams, Ron Howard, Yo-Yo Ma, Eric Ripert, and Liev Schreiber, and more. He also takes listeners into his home kitchen to learn his favorite recipes, and answers their burning culinary questions.