Press, TV & Radio Appearances for David Leite

For almost three decades, I’ve had the privilege of sharing my stories about food, life, and my Portuguese heritage with a global audience. I’m deeply grateful for every opportunity to connect with readers and viewers. Below is a selection of media appearances, interviews, and professional honors from over the years.

ABC News/Dan Harris

Forbes Magazine

  • How to Make Money as a Food Blogger
    • A Forbes feature on the business of blogging, where David Leite is highlighted as an expert panelist from the BlogHer conference, advising aspiring professionals to “Start with your passion.”

Weekends with Yankee

BlogHer/SheMedia

  • How A Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Broke The Internet
    • A keynote speech from the #BlogHer19 Food conference, where David Leite shares the behind-the-scenes story of his viral New York Times chocolate chip cookie recipe. Leite discusses the rigorous testing process (consuming over 100 cookies!), the science of resting dough, and the lessons on innovation versus imitation that every content creator should know.

Eat Your Books

  • Notes on a Banana: Author Interview
    • A detailed Q&A with the premier community for cookbook lovers, discussing the “banana notes” origin story and the challenge of pivoting from recipe writing to memoir.

Between The Covers (WXEL Public Television)

  • David Leite Talks About his Book “Notes On A Banana”
    • A nearly 30-minute, in-depth interview with host Ann Bocock on the WXEL public television program “Between The Covers.” The conversation is a deep dive into David’s memoir, “Notes on a Banana,” exploring its themes of food, love, and mental health.

Publishers Weekly

  • Author Interview: PW profiles David Leite
    • A profile of David Leite in Publisher’s Weekly that explores the rediscovery of his Portuguese heritage through food, leading to his award-winning cookbook, The New Portuguese Table, and the success of his website, Leite’s Culinaria.

RTP Notícias

Observador

The Takeout

  • A 60-Second Intro to Portuguese Food
    • An introductory guide to Portuguese cuisine where David Leite, author of The New Portuguese Table, is featured as a key expert, providing insights on the country’s essential dishes and flavors.

New Haven Independent

  • 185-Pound Hog Grows Community
    • A feature covering the Institute Library’s annual Flying Pig Roast, where David Leite’s personal stories of his family’s Azorean hog traditions provided the central theme and cultural context for the community event.

Connecticut Insider

  • Peeling the Banana — Author David Leite Reveals Himself
    • A feature interview in the Connecticut Insider exploring David Leite’s candid memoir, “Notes on a Banana.” The piece delves into his journey of reconciling his Portuguese heritage, sexuality, and eventual bipolar disorder diagnosis, highlighting how food became his path to self-acceptance and a celebrated career.

Preston Hollow Advocate

  • Central Market’s Passport Event Returns
    • An announcement for Central Market’s “Passport Portugal” event, identifying David Leite as the James Beard Award-winning food expert leading the culinary direction for the promotion.

Houston Food Finder

MedCircle

  • MedCircle Living with Undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder
    • A MedCircle original series featuring David Leite’s candid discussion on navigating life with undiagnosed bipolar 2 disorder. Based on his memoir Notes on a Banana, Leite details his experiences with anxiety, panic attacks, and the stigma of mental illness, sharing how he eventually found the right tools and support to advocate for his own mental health and well-being.
    • Update: Since the recording of this interview and the publication of his memoir, David’s diagnosis has been revised to Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), though the symptoms and experiences discussed remain accurate and relevant.

Dianne Jacob (Will Write for Food)

  • Q&A: David Leite and The One, on Writing about the People You Love
    • A rare, behind-the-scenes interview featuring both David and his partner, Alan (“The One”). They discuss the boundaries of privacy, the decision to make their relationship a central character in Leite’s writing, and how they navigate the public gaze as a couple in the culinary world.

NJ.com / The Star-Ledger

  • David Leite Talks About his New Cookbook Featuring Portuguese Cuisine
    • A video interview with David Leite discussing the inspiration behind his book The New Portuguese Table. Leite explains how the death of his grandmother sparked a journey to preserve his family’s culinary heritage, eventually leading him to explore the modern evolution of Portuguese cuisine—from traditional “peasant food” to the contemporary dishes redefining the country’s table.

Weber Grills

  • Grill Marks™: How to Grill a Perfect Steak
    • A classic grilling tutorial (recorded c. 2008) featuring David Leite and cookbook author Jamie Purviance. In this “Grill Marks” segment, Leite learns the secrets to the perfect ribeye: from bringing the meat to room temperature and achieving the perfect “quadrillage” (cross-hatch marks) to the importance of the “sear and slide” technique.
  • Grill Marks™: How to Grill Salmon
    • In this second installment of the “Grill Marks” series (c. 2008), David Leite joins Jamie Purviance to tackle the intimidation of grilling fish. Leite learns the “70/30 Rule” for timing, the importance of a screaming hot grate, and a “Zen” technique for sliding the skin off right on the grill to reveal a perfectly seared fillet.
  • Grill Marks™: How to Grill Rotisserie Chicken
    • In this final segment of the “Grill Marks” trilogy, David Leite masters the art of the rotisserie. Jamie Purviance walks him through the essential trussing technique (no flapping wings!), how to center the bird on the spit, and the secret of using the infrared burner to get that perfect “sunburnt” crispy skin.

Publishers Weekly

  • Author Interview: PW Profiles David Leite
    • An in-depth industry profile marking the release of The New Portuguese Table. Leite takes Publishers Weekly on a tour of Newark’s Ironbound district, discussing his mission to modernize the American perception of Portuguese food and the journey from ad executive to James Beard Award-winning writer.

Television Appearances

Radio & Podcasts

Mind Body Spirit Food

  • Thanksgiving Prep: Balancing Emotions and Logistics with David Leite
    • A deep-dive interview with host Nikki Sizemore exploring the intersection of culinary logistics and mental well-being during the holidays. David Leite shares his detailed “Saturday-start” timeline for a stress-free Thanksgiving and opens up about managing depression during the festive season, offering his personal mantra for setting boundaries: “If I can’t do it, I can’t do it.”

The QWERTY Podcast

  • How to Be a Food Writer – and More – with David Leite (Ep. 18)
    • In this special “exit interview” episode, David Leite reflects on his tenure as QWERTY co-host and shares hard-won wisdom on the writing life. He discusses the vital difference between imitation and innovation, avoiding the “Google algorithm trap,” and how to cultivate a unique voice in a crowded digital landscape.

Milk Street Radio

  • The World of Food According to David Leite
    • Christopher Kimball sits down with David Leite for a candid self-analysis, discussing the themes of his memoir Notes on a Banana. Leite opens up about his struggles with mental health, the comfort found in cooking, and the complex relationship between food, identity, and mental health.

onGRIT Podcast

  • Resilience: An Interview with David Leite
    • A candid conversation exploring the themes of David’s memoir, Notes on a Banana. The discussion moves beyond food to tackle the “resilience of the human spirit,” focusing on how Leite navigated bipolar disorder and the long road to self-acceptance while building a high-profile culinary career.

The Brighter Side Podcast

  • Bipolar: Notes on a Banana
    • David Leite joins this popular comedy-mental health podcast for a raw and humorous deep dive into his memoir, discussing the highs and lows of mania and the journey to stability.

Harvesting Happiness

The Splendid Table

  • David Leite Opens Up About Family and Food
    • An interview on the nationally syndicated public radio program “The Splendid Table,” where David Leite discusses his memoir, the complex role food played in his journey, and how reconnecting with his Portuguese heritage was central to his healing.

The Azorean Greenbean (Maria Lawton)

  • Our Portuguese Table: David Leite
    • David Leite joins Maria Lawton, known as “The Azorean Greenbean,” to discuss their shared Portuguese heritage, the nuances of Azorean culture, and the stories that shape their culinary lives.

Food & Wine with Chef Jamie Gwen

  • Recurring Guest & Contributor (2015–Present)
    • For more than 10 years, David Leite has been a regular voice on Chef Jamie Gwen’s syndicated radio program. Their conversations span the culinary gamut—from the release of The New Portuguese Table and Notes on a Banana to seasonal baking tips, holiday survival guides, and the evolving world of food media.

More

  • Martha Stewart Radio (frequent guest and guest host)
  • WNYC: Last Chance Foods
  • Mad Hungry Radio with Lucinda Scala Quinn
  • KCRW: Good Food with Evan Kleiman
  • WHYY: A Chef’s Table
  • WBUR: Here & Now
  • Food and Wine Talk Radio
  • Food Talk 790 with Mike Colemecco
  • Food Talk (Florida NewsTalk Radio)

Mentions + Expert Quotes

The New York Times

  • How to Make the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie … Even Better?
    • This video features the iconic Jacques Torres recipe adapted by David Leite, demonstrating the science of the 36-hour dough rest, which David discovered, that made the recipe a viral sensation.
  • Cilantro Haters, It’s Not Your Fault
    • In this exploration of the chemistry behind cilantro aversion, food science legend Harold McGee selects David Leite’s “Cilantro Sauce” recipe to demonstrate his findings. McGee uses the recipe to prove that crushing the herb transforms its flavor profile, presenting David’s pesto-style sauce as the delicious, science-backed solution for skeptics.

The New Yorker

  • Sweet Morsels: A History of the Chocolate-Chip Cookie
    • In this cultural history of America’s favorite dessert, the author cites David Leite’s 2008 New York Times article as a definitive resource on baking. The piece highlights David’s “invaluable” discovery of the 36-hour dough rest, noting that while it requires patience, it is the secret to achieving superior texture and flavor.

Allrecipes

  • I Asked Chefs the Best Way to Store Chicken Thighs, and They All Said the Same Thing
    • In this expert roundup, David shares why he hasn’t looked back since he started using a vacuum sealer over 30 years ago. He discusses the space-saving benefits of the FoodSaver Compact Vacuum Sealer and reveals his secret “cookie hack”: using the vacuum sealer to mimic his legendary 36-hour dough rest in just a fraction of the time.
  • The Surprising Ingredients Courteney Cox Uses in Her “Best Damn Cookie” Recipe
    • In this celebrity spotlight, Allrecipes gives “credit where credit is due,” identifying David Leite as the true creator of the viral 36-hour cookie method. The article highlights how his original 2008 New York Times research remains the definitive blueprint for celebrities and influencers looking to bake the “best damn cookie” possible.

Simply Recipes

  • I Asked 3 Chefs How to Make Perfect Pasta—And They All Swore by These Two Simple Rules
    • In this expert roundup, David Leite disrupts the “big pot of boiling water” rule when it comes to delicate filled pastas. He explains why he cooks ravioli and tortellini more like rice—steaming them in a skillet with a lid and just enough liquid—to ensure they puff up without bursting. David also shares his strategy for hoarding “liquid gold,” advising home cooks to freeze starchy pasta water in ice cube trays to rescue split sauces, loosen pestos, and enrich soups long after pasta night is over.

The Boston Globe

  • Are ‘Instagrammable’ Restaurants and Food Dying in 2026?
    • In this deep dive into the shifting restaurant landscape, David Leite weighs in on the industry’s move away from “stage set” decor and back toward “taste-first” dining. He discusses the rise of “aesthetic fatigue” among diners and why, when every restaurant is designed for a selfie, no thing feels truly special anymore.

Yahoo Life

  • Add This Bold Ingredient To Your Pot Roast For A Brighter Flavor
    • A syndicated Food Republic article featured on Yahoo Life, highlighting David Leite’s expert advice on upgrading pot roast. Drawing inspiration from North African tagines, Leite explains how dried fruits (like prunes, apricots, and figs) add a complex sweetness and acidity to create a more balanced, professional-tasting dish.

Food Republic

  • How To Fully Upgrade Your Soup With One Ingredient
    • An article in Food Republic featuring expert insights from David Leite on elevating soups using vinegar as a key ingredient. Leite shares advice on achieving flavor balance and brightness, its impact on perceived texture, pairing specific vinegars with various soup types.

Raptive

  • How Creator-Led Retreats Help Build a Stronger Brand
    • A feature on the business impact of creator-led travel, highlighting David Leite’s successful expansion into hosting culinary tours in Portugal and Florence. He shares candid insights on overcoming imposter syndrome, the strategy of brand diversification, and why personal connection is the ultimate differentiator in the age of AI.

Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum

  • Mac & Cheese French-a-Fide
    • The legendary author of The Cake Bible credits David with redefining her standard for macaroni and cheese. In her quest for the perfect texture, she notes that while she thought she had found the “end of the road to perfection,” it was David’s approach that ultimately changed her mind.

The Guardian

  • How to make the perfect pastel de nata – recipe
    • Columnist Felicity Cloake turns to David as the authority on these iconic Portuguese tarts for her “How to make the perfect” series. She cites his expertise regarding the authentic, high-heat baking methods—specifically the blistering 400°C ovens used at Pastéis de Belém—needed to achieve the perfect texture.
  • Our 10 best chocolate recipes
    • In this collection of essential chocolate dishes, The Guardian features David’s “Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies” as the definitive version of the American classic. The piece credits Leite’s Culinaria for the recipe and highlights it as a “viral sensation” worth the effort.

Houstonia Magazine

Food 52

  • Maionese de Leite (Milk Mayonnaise)
    • In multiple features and recipe adaptations, Food52 credits David Leite with the introduction of this classic eggless Portuguese technique to American home cooks, highlighting its “glossy, cloud-like” texture.

The Kitchn

  • Homemade Milk Liqueur
    • The editors at The Kitchn highlight David Leite’s “unusual and fascinating” recipe from The New Portuguese Table, reviewing the smooth, syrupy results as a “sweet treat” for their digital audience.
  • Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Loaf from Leite’s Culinaria
    • The editors at The Kitchn admitted to being “sheepish” about how quickly they devoured this loaf, calling it “extremely, ridiculously good.” The feature highlights the “ingenious method” of assembly they discovered on Leite’s Culinaria and recommends it as a must-make for anyone craving a “tender, buttery” citrus masterpiece.
  • NY Times Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie: Changes and Substitutions
    • In this deep-dive investigation into what makes a cookie “perfect,” The Kitchn editors put David Leite’s 36-hour dough-resting technique to the test. They concluded that the “real key idea to take away” is David’s method, which they found transformed a standard pantry staple into a “Special Events” gourmet treat.

Grub Street

  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Hack
    • A deep-dive into the science of the 36-hour dough rest, citing David Leite’s “painstaking findings” in his original New York Times research as the definitive guide to the “perfect” cookie.

Awards & Distinctions

James Beard Foundation Awards

  • 2009 James Beard Nomination for Best Newspaper Writing
  • 2008 James Beard Award for Best Newspaper Writing
  • 2007 James Beard Award for Best Internet Food Site
  • 2006 James Beard Award for Best Internet Food Site

IACP Awards

Cookbook Awards

2010 Julia Child | First Cookbook Award

More

  • Best Food Writing (Anthologized in 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001)
  • 2012 Bert Greene Award Finalist
  • 2011 Saveur Best Food Blog Awards Finalist: Best Culinary Essay
  • 2008 In Magazine
  • 2008 Philadelphia Magazine
  • 2007 Rocky Mountain News
  • 2007 Association of Food Journalists Award
  • 2006 Bert Greene Award
  • 2006 Association of Food Journalists Award
  • American Egg Board’s Fellowship at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow
  • Alexa.com Chooses Leite’s Culinaria as Editor’s Pick for Glorious Food

Website & Digital Media Honors