Sadie Davis-Suskind Shares Stories About Food, Fun, and Cheetos
Sadie Davis-Suskind is an amazing podcast guest. During 2019 Sadie participated in Junior MasterChef. As a semi-finalist she has some amazing stories to share with us.
Starting off in the kitchen as her moms Sous-chef, stirring the pot. Sadie has found her joy in cooking. She calls it her love language.
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Sadie Davis-Suskind Episode Transcript
You’re welcome at my house if you bring a cake anytime. Just just putting that out there. Welcome to the Exploring Washington State podcast. Here’s your host, Scott Cowan. So my guest today, Sadie, is well, I’m gonna read I’m gonna read a a bio that I see online right now. So it it says that you’re an aspiring chef, former MasterChef Junior competitor, and you attend Lakeside High School.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:00:45]:
Yes.
Scott Cowan [00:00:47]:
You’re gonna be a sophomore coming up? I am.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:00:49]:
Yeah. I start school tomorrow.
Scott Cowan [00:00:51]:
Okay. So at the time of this, you’re still a freshman. You’re not a sophomore yet. Just kidding.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:00:55]:
Yes. That’s true. That’s true.
Scott Cowan [00:00:56]:
So my well, first question for you off totally not related is, did you go to school school virtually last year or did you get to go in person at all?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:01:07]:
So I was super fortunate that so for the first semester, we were entirely, virtual.
Scott Cowan [00:01:14]:
Mhmm.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:01:14]:
But for the second semester, we had the opportunity to do hybrid learning. So I was in school for one week, and then the next week I was remote and I just alternate. And so I was very grateful for that.
Scott Cowan [00:01:28]:
So you don’t have the big shock of going to school for the first time tomorrow. You’ve you’ve you’ve already you’ve already walked the halls. You’ve you’ve kind of met some of your classmates in person and all of that. So that’s kind of cool.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:01:40]:
Oh, yeah. Alright.
Scott Cowan [00:01:41]:
Alright. Well, we’ll come back to school. But what I really want to know, so you competed in a food show, you’ve you’ve contributed, articles and recipes to the Seattle Times. You’re a high school kid. I gotta call you a kid. I mean, come on.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:01:59]:
I mean,
Scott Cowan [00:01:59]:
look at me compared to you. Right? How did you get started with food? When did you figure out that food was something that made you happy?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:02:12]:
Well, I’ve been interested in food since basically the dawn of time. It’s something that connects my family. It’s really a form of communication almost. So my mom is an amazing chef. She went to culinary school in France, which I hope to do someday. Okay. My grandma was also an incredible chef and their love of food was just kind of passed down onto me. So yeah, I was interested in it in cooking and food and the world of cuisine and chefery, since I was little.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:02:53]:
And it also connects me to my culture and my Jewish roots and also I can use it as a form of communication with my friends. And what’s better than bringing your friends over and presenting them with a big cake for no reason, and things like that?
Scott Cowan [00:03:15]:
You’re welcome at my house if you bring a cake anytime. Just just putting that out there. Feel free. Drive over. Well, you’re not driving yet. Have somebody drive you over. We’ll drive. Don’t drive yet.
Scott Cowan [00:03:25]:
Drive over, bring a cake. You’re welcome anytime.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:03:27]:
Okay.
Scott Cowan [00:03:29]:
I think that’s awesome that you just described that it’s a way you communicate and it’s it’s a it’s one of those big, connectors within your family and with the heritage. I think that’s so important to so many people. And I think we all would be better if we paid a little more attention to that versus just grabbing the food through the window as we’re driving on in our busy lives. Going back to your earlier memories of being interested in food, what was the first thing you ever started making in the kitchen? Were you with your mom or your grandmother? Do you remember, like, did they like say here, you can, you can do this? What, and what was that?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:04:12]:
You know, sort of. I think one of my earliest cooking memories is, just being my mom’s sous chef in a way, which basically just meant that she was like, oh, you can, stir this pot and that is your big cooking job for the day. And I was so excited about it. But I think the first like real recipes I made with my mom and my grandma, were bread, particularly challah, which is delicious and I love making it. It’s so therapeutic to just like knead the bread dough and I’ve also kind of been relying on that as like a form of a a relaxation technique if you will, throughout, you know, the pandemic and this past year especially because it’s so it’s so nice to just knead the bread and think about my family and my cooking memories.
Scott Cowan [00:05:06]:
That’s cool. See, I I love that. That’s that’s that’s amazing. So you started off stirring the pot Mhmm. And and you eventually graduated to, you know, I guess I’m gonna guess you well, let me ask you this question. At home, meal family meals, who’s cooking for the family?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:05:29]:
Mainly my mom.
Scott Cowan [00:05:30]:
Your mom? Okay. So mom’s got mom’s got the duties. So mom’s cooking. Okay.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:05:34]:
Yeah. But do
Scott Cowan [00:05:35]:
you ever cook meals for the family? Do you ever say, hey, it’s Wednesday. I got this. Let me let me do something.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:05:40]:
You know, sometimes I do. Not really during the school year. That’s kind of my excuse. Like, oh, I’m so sorry, mom. I have so much homework. I wish I could help in the kitchen. I really do, but alas, I’m too busy with, history paper.
Scott Cowan [00:05:57]:
So the problem with your strategy now your mom can’t listen to this part, but the problem with your strategy is if you play that card, you have to get good grades. You have to get good grades. See, if you if you say, hey. Sorry. I got a history paper, And you get a c on it, mom’s gonna say, you coulda cooked, and you coulda helped out. So I’ve just given you some friendly advice to make sure your grades are good. And how are your grades?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:06:21]:
My grades are well, I have not started this school year yet.
Scott Cowan [00:06:26]:
How were your grades last year?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:06:28]:
They were good. They had Good. I had good grades. Thank you for asking.
Scott Cowan [00:06:32]:
Good for you. That’s cool.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:06:33]:
Thank you.
Scott Cowan [00:06:34]:
That’s that’s cool. Alright. Well, let’s let’s go down that road. And I, you know, I warned your mom when we talked, and hopefully she passes along to you, is that these my questions will bounce all over the place, so, you know, just don’t get comfortable. Okay. What’s your hope what do you plan on doing after high school?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:06:52]:
That’s a great question, and I have given so much thought to that that but I still somehow do not have a solid answer. That’s okay. I want to, at some point, go to culinary school like my mom.
Scott Cowan [00:07:08]:
Which one which one would you aspire to?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:07:10]:
Le Cordon Bleu, just like Julia Child, my idol. Okay.
Scott Cowan [00:07:13]:
But Julia Child is your idol. Okay.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:07:15]:
Yeah. Awesome. Alright. I want to the dream school is Princeton.
Scott Cowan [00:07:22]:
Alright. Alright.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:07:23]:
I feel like
Scott Cowan [00:07:24]:
Why Princeton?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:07:26]:
Okay. So I’ve planned it out in my brain.
Scott Cowan [00:07:29]:
I will
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:07:29]:
be going with my good friend, and her dad went. So primary source document. He loved it. And I love New York City. I have family in New York. My god kids live there. It’s they’re so adorable. And, I however, I would not like to live in New York City.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:07:55]:
I’m not a big fan of the noise pollution at night. Okay. But if I went to Princeton, I could live in this adorable little college town and be with my friends, but I’d also get the benefit have the benefit of, you know, having full access to Right. New York City. That is my reasoning.
Scott Cowan [00:08:19]:
Alright. And put you on the spot, if you’re gonna go to Princeton, what are you gonna major in?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:08:23]:
I have no idea. That’s a great question.
Scott Cowan [00:08:26]:
Okay.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:08:26]:
I think I might want to go into palliative care like my mom. I think it’s a really rewarding job, and I get to help a lot of people. And I think dealing with learning how to cope with grief is really important. And talking about death and how it relates, to your own personal beliefs is also really crucial. And I think it’s just a very interesting world to explore. So
Scott Cowan [00:08:59]:
Okay. So So I gotta I gotta say for somebody who’s gonna be a sophomore in high school, you you really kinda got this dialed in. And it’s completely cool if you change and you decide you wanna go to Yale instead or something, you know? I mean, it’s okay. Who
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:09:11]:
knows? Who knows?
Scott Cowan [00:09:12]:
Don’t beat yourself up if you change your mind. Maybe go to Columbia. Yeah. Because I’m ten year and year. Okay. Well, let’s go back to food though.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:09:20]:
Okay.
Scott Cowan [00:09:22]:
So, stirring the pot with mom. Do you have a recollection of what was the first dish you prepared by yourself from start to finish?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:09:36]:
I have a feeling it was mac and cheese. I don’t know. I have this vague memory.
Scott Cowan [00:09:46]:
Was it was it no. Wait. I have to ask. Was it no. Are you talking mac and cheese, like, in a box or mac and cheese boiling the noodles? Do I mean
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:09:58]:
Admittedly, it might have been boxed Annie’s mac and cheese.
Scott Cowan [00:10:02]:
Oh, okay. Alright.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:10:04]:
Hey. You gotta start somewhere. Baby start.
Scott Cowan [00:10:06]:
See so how old do you think you were with this box of Annie’s mac and cheese?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:10:14]:
I wanna say six, five, six.
Scott Cowan [00:10:19]:
So kindergarten.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:10:21]:
Kindergarten. Yeah.
Scott Cowan [00:10:22]:
Kindergarten. Wow. Okay. So you so we’re just gonna go with that as fact, just for sake of this conversation. You started cooking for yourself mac and cheese in kindergarten. Yes. Okay. Now that didn’t really count because some of those ingredients were already prepared for you.
Scott Cowan [00:10:38]:
How about how about the first thing that you can remember that you gathered all the ingredients from the refrigerator, from the the pantry, whatever, didn’t have to go shopping for them. What was that? And about how old were you then?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:10:53]:
Probably challah, and I’d probably say that same year. It was a big you know, cooking’s a big learning curve. You start with boxed mac and cheese, and then soon enough, you’re making your own bread dough. It it just goes like that. So
Scott Cowan [00:11:06]:
Well, I mean, some of us have stayed with boxed mac and cheese. Okay. So you started out in babysit. So you started out in kindergarten, and that’s kind of when this whole thing really began to gain speed for you. Would that be fair?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:11:21]:
Yes. I think that is accurate.
Scott Cowan [00:11:24]:
So let’s jump ahead to MasterChef. I I’d like to hear okay. Whose idea was it for you to what’s the word I’m looking for? Help me. Apply. You just don’t show up on the set and go, hi. I’m here today. Let’s go. What was, audition.
Scott Cowan [00:11:51]:
There we go. Sorry. I was like, words can be hard for me sometimes.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:11:54]:
I get
Scott Cowan [00:11:54]:
that. Whose idea was it for you to audition to be on TV?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:11:58]:
Well, actually, it is like you said. I just kind of walked on the set and said, I’m here. And they were like, oh my gosh. We’re so happy to have you. No. It was actually my, my aunt’s idea to for me to apply. I was, going to LA in January of twenty seventeen, I wanna say. And she she knew.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:12:28]:
She knows. I am an avid binger of all things reality TV cooking. I watch MasterChef, MasterChef Junior, Chopped, Great British Baking Show, Top Chef even though it’s kind of a MasterChef Junior rip off. But that’s another story for another day. Anyways, she was like, they are holding open call auditions for MasterChef Junior. And me, who had been watching it since first grade, was like, oh my gosh. That’s so cool. I did not expect to get on to the show or even get as far in the audition process as I did.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:13:05]:
Mhmm. It was just kind of a YOLO moment. I was like, this seems like a fun thing to do and even if I don’t get far, I can still say I auditioned for MasterChef Junior and I can still, you know, flex some of my cooking talent. Yeah. So that’s how it all started.
Scott Cowan [00:13:28]:
Okay. How did you flex your cooking talent in the addition? I I love that phrase. Thank you. That was awesome. Mhmm. What what was it like when you you showed up? What did they what did they have you do?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:13:42]:
So
Scott Cowan [00:13:43]:
It wasn’t box mac and cheese, was it?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:13:45]:
It was not box mac and cheese, believe it or not. But the there were it was like a series of challenges, each one being a bit more difficult than the next. So at the basic level, I walked in there all fancy and ready to show off, and they were like, okay. Now we want you to, measure some water in this measuring cup with measurements written on it. And I was like oh okay so I did that. But then pretty soon they had me, make dishes whilst being filmed on camera that were more and more complex. And so yeah. It’s a little climbing ladder of cooking.
Scott Cowan [00:14:32]:
And so how long did this this audition process take?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:14:37]:
I’d say it took hold on. It was I started in January. We started filming in April. So
Scott Cowan [00:14:44]:
Okay. So a couple of month I mean, so if there was a couple of months of this okay. Mhmm. So, obviously, we know you got selected. Yes. What was it like to be cooking with cameras and stage lights? Because that’s I I’m I’m gonna guess. I can’t see your kitchen here at your house right now, but I’m gonna guess if you were to move your camera that your kitchen doesn’t have stage lights and and, you know, all that stuff. So it’s different than your your what you’re accustomed to.
Scott Cowan [00:15:12]:
Right?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:15:13]:
Yes. Very different.
Scott Cowan [00:15:15]:
So what what was hard for you? What was hard to get adjusted to? Or was it? I mean, what’s what was that like?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:15:23]:
I so, it kind of worked out for me in some magical way because, besides cooking, my other greatest passion is theater. And I love the stage lights, and I love the camaraderie, and I love the all the action, all the fun stuff. And so it definitely was a bit nerve wracking at first to be having a mic all the time and, be under all of these stage lights. But I got used to it pretty quickly, and it was I don’t know. The attention was it was kinda nice.
Scott Cowan [00:15:59]:
You kinda you kinda liked it. So you see if, like, to to be honest, like me, you know, the fact that you can see me right now is about as public as I could possibly be. If there was three people watching this right now, I’d be freaked out. So I can’t honestly imagine you or myself doing that. I think it’s really cool that you did it. So I have not watched any episodes of that season, so I can’t, I’m speculating here and, you know, full warning, I’m totally speculating.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:16:26]:
That’s okay.
Scott Cowan [00:16:27]:
But I’m gonna guess, now in one of the competitions, you had an, you know, you were challenged to do something and you had this idea like, mhmm, I’m gonna do blah blah blah, and it didn’t work.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:16:42]:
Yes. That happened several times.
Scott Cowan [00:16:45]:
I would love it if you would share one of those examples. Oh, okay. What did what did you think was gonna be like, This is cool. And for whatever reason, it just didn’t hit.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:17:01]:
There were I’m trying to pick which one to to tell you. There were You can
Scott Cowan [00:17:07]:
share more than one if you want. I’m not trying to be make I’m not trying to be mean.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:17:10]:
I I
Scott Cowan [00:17:11]:
you know? Yeah. Go ahead.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:17:15]:
There was this one challenge. I believe it was the episode I wanna say the episode before the semifinals. And it was a tag team challenge. And I was paired with my good friend Malia who is a very talented chef and wonderful person. And we had this plan, this strategy of what we were gonna do, we laid it all out and we were like, okay. We were making, like a little tapas board. It was really cute with, churros and these little like octopus snacks and some shrimp. There was a lot of seafood on there.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:17:55]:
It was delicious. But, we had this plan of what we’re gonna do and we wanted to do it really quickly just to get it over with and then we could focus on pleading and make sure we get the dish out in time. The problem is we worked too fast, which Oh. You might say, oh, that sounds like a good thing. You know, you get things done early. It was not. Gordon Ramsay came over to us and totally just berated us for working too fast. He was like, you cook the shrimp too soon.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:18:32]:
By the time I eat them, they’re gonna be dry. He could have eaten them then and there, but, you know, he just didn’t want it. I guess that’s not how the competition worked. But there were just moments like that where they were kinda uh-oh moments. What do we do now? Are we screwing up a little bit?
Scott Cowan [00:18:51]:
I I was okay. So how do I wanna say this? I’m shocked I think shocked is the word that Gordon Ramsay would have said anything less than kind to any contestant on a show.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:19:05]:
Oh, are you?
Scott Cowan [00:19:07]:
I’m shocked. That’s okay. So that didn’t go well because you cooked too fast. Okay. And Gordon took objections that you’ve okay. Yes. Alright. I can kind of I can kind of see that happening.
Scott Cowan [00:19:25]:
I really can. Alright. The reason I ask is whenever I ask a question of somebody that, you know, what didn’t go right? You know, tell us about that. You had this idea and you were gonna do blah, blah, blah, and then it didn’t work. We all learn something from that. I mean, you do. You learn. So what did you learn from that experience besides not work so fast? Or maybe that was maybe that was the lesson.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:19:51]:
Sort of. Sort of.
Scott Cowan [00:19:54]:
Okay. Alright.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:19:55]:
I feel like I also learned how to pace myself. Yeah. That’s that’s literally the same exact thing. But I learned how to pace myself. I learned it was a great leadership exercise, and also it taught me how to deal with adults yelling at me.
Scott Cowan [00:20:25]:
I think we could just leave it that.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:20:27]:
Yes. We’ll
Scott Cowan [00:20:28]:
just leave
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:20:28]:
it at that. Okay.
Scott Cowan [00:20:29]:
Awesome. Okay. Well, actually, no. I am gonna ask. I’m gonna I’m kinda putting you on the spot here a little bit.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:20:33]:
Okay.
Scott Cowan [00:20:34]:
In your opinion, what, if anything, did you find out about Gordon Ramsay that you think is not all that well known?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:20:51]:
A lot of people are very confused about who he is because, you know, he plays this great not great. Big personality, big character on TV. Mhmm. But he is also a character in his own personal life. He’s also a really good mentor, I would say. And he whenever I’d get overly stressed in the kitchen, and start acting like serious Sadie and be like okay I need to do this and this and this, he would help to remind me that cooking is about fun. It’s about passion, and I don’t need to take it that seriously. It’s about, starting from scratch and creating something beautiful and shareable with the world.
Scott Cowan [00:21:46]:
That’s awesome. Do you think it would be fun to cook with Gordon Ramsay?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:21:56]:
No.
Scott Cowan [00:22:01]:
What celebrity, because you you said earlier that you like, you you binge watch all the reality cooking shows.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:22:07]:
Mhmm.
Scott Cowan [00:22:08]:
Of the celebrities that are on those shows, is there one you’d like to cook with? One that you would say would be fun to have over like, invite them over to the house and use your kitchen.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:22:19]:
Mhmm.
Scott Cowan [00:22:20]:
Who who would that be?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:22:21]:
Guy Fieri, one hundred percent. I love his hair. That’s all. That’s all I need to say. I’m speechless. That’s okay.
Scott Cowan [00:22:37]:
Guy Fieri because of his hair. So not because he’s a a talented chef, but just because
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:22:44]:
The man has style. I don’t know. He he seems like he’d be fun to hang out with, to be around. I mean, look at his hair. Who No. Would yeah. Definitely not a Gordon Ramsay type guy.
Scott Cowan [00:22:59]:
No. No. He’s not. But he’s a long way away from your your stated hero of Julia Child too. So Oh, Atoo. Atoo. So who let me put so we got we got Guy Fieri because of his personal style.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:23:14]:
Mhmm.
Scott Cowan [00:23:16]:
Let’s go with who you think would be a fun collaborator in cooking. Like, who who do you think would be fun, you know, personal style aside because, you know, we we I could make fun of Guy Fieri here, but
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:23:28]:
I won’t. Okay.
Scott Cowan [00:23:31]:
But so is there somebody else, though, that you think would be kind of a fun collaborator?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:23:37]:
I think Julia Child, you know, I resonate with her. Always add more butter to everything philosophy. I think it’s Hard
Scott Cowan [00:23:46]:
to go wrong with butter.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:23:46]:
Yeah. It’s a great way to live. And I also think, you know, maybe just Julia. I would have said I would have said Giada de Laurenti, Uh-huh. Because I she used to be one of my idols. But Okay. To be honest, Scott, I actually kind of have some beef with her now.
Scott Cowan [00:24:09]:
Do we wanna do we wanna dish dirt on the show? I mean
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:24:12]:
We can
Scott Cowan [00:24:13]:
We want
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:24:13]:
I mean, here’s the thing. So little little tiny Sadie who was in fifth grade, something, somewhere in the elementary school category, I went to Vegas when I was in fifth grade. And
Scott Cowan [00:24:34]:
Every fifth grader goes to Vegas.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:24:36]:
Every fifth grader. It’s yeah. It’s a wonderful place to be as a fifth grader. But we went to Vegas. It was for a work trip for my dad and, she has a restaurant there and I really wanted to go. So my parents were like, okay, Sadie, we can go for brunch. So we went and it was great. And then the waiter was like, oh, you know, she’s actually coming into town later today for a meeting.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:25:03]:
And I was like, is she here right now? Can I meet her? When is she coming? Where is she? Like, what’s her exact location? Please let me know.
Scott Cowan [00:25:11]:
Give me her give me her phone number.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:25:13]:
Right. Exactly. Give me the phone number. Give me the email, Social Security number, three numbers on the back of the credit card, all that fun stuff. But I was, you know, fantasizing about meeting her all day. And then my, my dad and I, we, were in our hotel room. We were like, okay. We wanna go for a walk.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:25:40]:
We wanna get out of the hotel room. We walked down, the stairs, and we walk into the lobby, and there she is standing right there. And she was on a phone call. So I just kind of for like a solid it was a really weird thirty seconds. I was just overcome with emotion. I just stood there for thirty seconds with my dad, like, staring her down just hoping she’d get off the phone so I could come talk to her. And it was magic. She did.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:26:11]:
She got off the phone. And then literally as soon as I saw her put it down, I was like, okay, now is my chance. Now’s I can shine now. And I ran up to her and I was like oh my gosh. Hi. My name is Sadie. I’m an aspiring chef. I am such a big fan.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:26:29]:
And you know she really got that a lot. And I was like this little cute tiny fifth grader and she was like, oh you’re so sweet. Oh my gosh. I have a daughter your age. And we kinda made like some nice chatty small talk. And it was such a such a fun day. But then I was like, can I give you my email? And she was like, yes. Oh my gosh.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:26:51]:
I would love that. I will totally email you. And so I wrote down my email for her. I hugged her goodbye. I got a photo with her. I posted it on my Instagram account in fifth grade. I’m not even sure I have that account anymore, but I did because I was so excited to meet her. And then she never emailed me.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:27:11]:
And then I got on her rival network because she was on Food Network, and then I got on Fox, for MasterChef Junior. And so we have beef now. I she probably doesn’t remember me, but I have beef with her.
Scott Cowan [00:27:30]:
Okay.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:27:31]:
That’s my story.
Scott Cowan [00:27:33]:
What’s your story? Okay. That’s a great story, Sadie. That is a great story. I really I well, let’s just hope Guy Fieri, if he ever promises to email you that he does because I’d really hate for you to have beef with him too.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:27:47]:
Oh, yeah. Me too. Okay.
Scott Cowan [00:27:51]:
Was what was the what was your I’ll ask you. What was your biggest takeaway about being on the show? What like, do you wanna do it again? Do you wanna do this competitive cooking, or was that enough? You’ve you’ve you’ve got you you know, I jokingly say, you know, you’ve been there, you’ve done that, you got the t shirt. Do you do you but how did you elaborate on the on the whole thing for you. What was it what was it like, and would you do it again?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:28:23]:
You know, it was a really great experience. I don’t think I would do it again. I think I’ve had I’ve done my fair share of reality TV. I really came on the show to better my my cooking skills. And I also went on the show to receive priceless mentorship from all of the judges. And I think I got that. And I also got I came home from the experience with amazing friends who, I’m like family with now. I love that.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:28:58]:
Oh, my mom is next to me and she just gave me the picture of me and Jada De Laurentiis. And I know this is a podcast so you can’t they’re not gonna see it, but this is me in fifth grade with her.
Scott Cowan [00:29:11]:
You were so tiny.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:29:12]:
I was so I was like three Oh my gosh. I am still. Yeah.
Scott Cowan [00:29:17]:
Because she’s not very tall and she’s bent over to to to give you the hug.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:29:21]:
Yeah. I, at the moment, Scott, am, finally five feet. I am a proud two inches taller than Danny DeVito.
Scott Cowan [00:29:37]:
You’ve lived a full life.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:29:39]:
I have. Cross that off my bucket list.
Scott Cowan [00:29:42]:
You got you’re taller than Danny DeVito.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:29:44]:
Mhmm. I am. Life accomplishment. I can die happy.
Scott Cowan [00:29:49]:
I don’t know what else you got to look forward to. I just don’t. I mean, you know Gordon Ramsay? You’re taller than Danny DeVito. Mhmm. And you’ve got beef.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:29:58]:
And I’ve got beef. Yes.
Scott Cowan [00:30:00]:
It’s all downhill from here. I’m sorry. I hate to I hate to burst your bubble, but the rest of it’s just downhill.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:30:06]:
I’ve already peaked.
Scott Cowan [00:30:08]:
It peaked. And that’s not true at all.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:30:13]:
Oh, thank you. Thank you.
Scott Cowan [00:30:15]:
No. Not true because you’ve done it great. Well, no. Because you’ve done stuff since then too. You you know, how I found you and I I stumbled across an article that you wrote in the Seattle Times, and I can’t remember what it was, but it was a recipe. And I was like, that sounds really kinda cool. And I’m reading it, and I go, oh, this I think I should talk my wife into cooking. Not because my wife, she cooked, but because I know if I did, it would be it wouldn’t come out right.
Scott Cowan [00:30:43]:
And I’m reading it, and I’m like, what do you mean this is a kid that wrote this? I mean, I was just like, are you kidding me? And not that not that it wasn’t it wasn’t that I I was just surprised. And so then I started reading more of your stuff. So that’s how I first heard about you. And then we reached out to you on Instagram. And I have to give you a plug. I have to give you a legitimate, serious, sincere compliment, even though it might sound like I’m making fun. But we reached out to you on Instagram and said, hey, we’d like to have you on the podcast. Mhmm.
Scott Cowan [00:31:20]:
Do you remember what you said?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:31:23]:
I am not entirely sure.
Scott Cowan [00:31:26]:
I will tell you what you said. You said, you know, I think that’d be a lot of fun, but you need to talk to my mom. Oh, yeah. And I was really impressed that you just said, look, you know, that’s cool, but I don’t know you and talk to my mom. And so we reached out to your mom, joking, your mom dropped the ball. She and I talked on the phone and had a great conversation with your mom. She’s a character, as I’m sure you know. And here we are now sitting today having this conversation, which I’m finding to be very entertaining.
Scott Cowan [00:31:56]:
So, I’m very grateful that I stumbled across you in the times. How did you get started? So so you did the TV show. You’re you’re you’re cooking with family and all of this stuff. And now what was the motivation and the inspiration for you to be creating content in the newspaper?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:32:19]:
So I as soon as I got the job offer, I took it in a heartbeat. But what happened was in 2018 when 2019, ’20 ’18, I have no concept of time in my brain anymore.
Scott Cowan [00:32:36]:
It all blurs together with with COVID. Who knows? Yeah.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:32:40]:
Yeah. Childhood. You know?
Scott Cowan [00:32:41]:
Yeah. Your child is
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:32:44]:
Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. But, way back then, at some point in time, when MasterChef Junior came out, the Seattle Times called me and wanted to do an interview so that they could write an article about me. And I met with this amazing man, named Chris Talbot and he interviewed me and wrote the coolest article about me. It was the first article that had ever been published just about me, and I was so excited to see it. And then we basically had no contact for, like, two years. And then, you know But
Scott Cowan [00:33:24]:
he didn’t email you either.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:33:26]:
He didn’t email me either. I these people with their their hollow promises, so unfortunate. But, then in 2010 in 2020, March, he called my mom up and was like, hey, we’re looking to expand our kids section of the Seattle Times. Would Sadie be interested in writing some articles for the Seattle Times? And I was like, heck yes, I would. And it sort of just kept going and I kept writing articles and then it turned into a weekly column which was amazing. So that’s how it started.
Scott Cowan [00:34:12]:
That’s that’s kinda cool. So you so the the TV show was the springboard for the introduction to the Seattle Times. That’s that’s that’s kind of the way, you know, fame works.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:34:21]:
Yes.
Scott Cowan [00:34:23]:
Of all the recipes that you publish there, what’s your favorite?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:34:32]:
You know, I knew a question like this would come up, but there’s so many. So many.
Scott Cowan [00:34:37]:
Give us a cup give us give us a couple. Tell us a couple of them that you I’m gonna say you’re particularly proud of.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:34:43]:
Okay. So one of the first ones I published was my dear, delicious, wonderful, godly, beautiful mac and cheese recipe, and it was so good. And I love it. And then I also made Wait.
Scott Cowan [00:34:59]:
Wait. Wait. We’re gonna stop. We’re gonna stop you.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:35:01]:
Okay.
Scott Cowan [00:35:01]:
We’re gonna stop you.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:35:02]:
Alright.
Scott Cowan [00:35:05]:
Earlier on in the show, you admitted to opening a box. So we’re not gonna pass I’m I’m teasing you. We’re not gonna pass off, you know, Annie’s mac and cheese to the south. So what is what makes your mac and cheese so good?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:35:20]:
It’s real it’s the real stuff. It’s made with real cheese, believe it or not.
Scott Cowan [00:35:27]:
What type of cheese?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:35:28]:
Any cheese your heart desires.
Scott Cowan [00:35:31]:
What’s your what if if I were turning you loose in the kitchen right now and I said, hey, I’d like to try your mac and cheese. I want you to make it the way you like it the best.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:35:41]:
Well, see, I don’t
Scott Cowan [00:35:42]:
What cheese what cheese what cheeses would you go with?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:35:45]:
I don’t cook for myself. I cook for the people around me. So if I were making it for one family member, I may use cheddar. I may use Gruyere. I may use I was gonna say American cheese, but I would never use American cheese. That was just
Scott Cowan [00:36:03]:
a great cheese hot sauce. We we have standards.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:36:05]:
We have standards. Okay. Cool. No. No no boxed Kraft mac and cheese. This is this is good stuff. It’s, bechamel based, and it’s delicious. Like, real mac and cheese should be.
Scott Cowan [00:36:18]:
Right. Okay. But so but I’m putting you on the spot for you. What cheese do you like in the mac and cheese?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:36:24]:
Mozzarella. Okay. Alright. Easy answer.
Scott Cowan [00:36:29]:
So we’ve got okay. So we’ve got this mac and cheese recipe that you are thrilled with, and you’ll customize it for family members. I love that, except for no American cheese.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:36:40]:
Mhmm.
Scott Cowan [00:36:40]:
Yeah. Family member wants American cheese, they’re they’re voted off the family.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:36:45]:
Yeah. Exactly.
Scott Cowan [00:36:46]:
Alright. But I interrupted you. You were gonna say another recipe. So what what was the other recipe?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:36:51]:
In, I think, last August, August, September, it was like about the time when school was starting. I published a recipe for, these peach muffins that are, like, so so close to my heart. They’re so warm and ooey gooey and peach y, peachy. That’s a word. Peachy. Peachy. Yes. They’re wonderful.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:37:20]:
And if you’re gonna make if you’re gonna make one of my recipes, you should make those. Or if you’re gonna get your wife to make it. Sorry. My bad.
Scott Cowan [00:37:32]:
You have no idea the trouble I’m gonna get in by my wife for saying these things. You have just no trouble. You have no idea the trouble I’m gonna get into. So alright. But not only were you providing recipes, you were you were writing content too. So where are you okay. Now, today, where do you get your inspiration for food?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:38:01]:
The people around me. I’m just gonna keep circling back to this whole communication thing. I’m so sorry. I get inspiration from from my mom mainly, from my friends sometimes. Okay. From I think one of the wonderful things about living in Seattle is that, you know, you there’s so much you get so much exposure to all of these different types of cuisine. And Mhmm. Also PNW food is delicious and so fresh and so wonderful.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:38:34]:
So I also get a lot of inspiration for food, from things things around me. Whatever is available seasonally. Okay. And whatever sometimes I go through food phases where I’m like, oh, wow. I really I really wanna make pie and then I’ll just make one type of pie for like the next two weeks and that’s like the only thing I’ll make. Or in a couple years ago, I went through this huge pasta phase where the only thing I would make was, like, homemade pasta, and I, like, dyed it different colors. So I get inspiration from my faces as well, I would say. So
Scott Cowan [00:39:23]:
So speaking of pasta and dyeing in different colors, have you seen the the I know her as, I think, Salty Seattle.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:39:29]:
Yeah. Mhmm.
Scott Cowan [00:39:30]:
I mean, some of that stuff that that I see on that Instagram channel is crazy
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:39:34]:
I know.
Scott Cowan [00:39:35]:
What what what is being done. Yeah. Alright. Well, you you’ve referenced your mom a couple of times. So what’s the best thing that your mom makes in your opinion?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:39:48]:
So she she’s really great at making classic French cuisine.
Scott Cowan [00:39:56]:
Okay.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:39:57]:
And she sort of brought some of that knowledge to me. And now I know how to make French food, which is wonderful because it’s a great cuisine. But she makes really amazing beef bourguignon, but oh no. You know what? The best dish she makes is she makes really good lemon chicken. It is a family recipe and no one else no one else knows how to make it, but I do and she does, and she’s really, really good at making it. And I will eat, like, a bajillion plates of
Scott Cowan [00:40:31]:
A bajillion.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:40:32]:
Lemon chicken and rice.
Scott Cowan [00:40:33]:
I’d hate to see that recipe for a bajillion plates. That’s a lot of chicken. Oh. No lemon. Oh, yeah. Okay. Well, alright. You mentioned, you know, seasonal cuisine or seasonal ingredients, local stuff, love of the PNW.
Scott Cowan [00:40:52]:
I love the fact that you like French fries. I actually think that that’s kind of cool because I’m a big fan of the fries. Yes. Sorry, that was really bad. That was really bad. Where are you do you do you go to many of the farmers markets in the Seattle area?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:41:13]:
I do. Yeah. I live, near The U District near near enough. So I love going there. A big family favorite is the Ballard Farmers Market. We have a lot of friends there. There’s this one vendor. There’s a little plug for them.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:41:34]:
It’s called Pastaria Lucchese, and it’s wonderful. And they also catered my bat mitzvah. Okay. And it was amazing. And they make great fresh, pasta. And they also have a crepe stand and a pizza stand there, and they’re wonderful pizza. So
Scott Cowan [00:41:50]:
Okay. Yeah. What else, what else at Ballard Market have you have you stumbled across that you’ve, that you’ve that’s caught your interest? You know, is there any anybody else there at the I mean, there’s a ton last time I was at the Ballard Market, there was, I mean, it’s kind of daunting how many how many stands are at the Ballard Market, frankly. But, yeah. What else? What else at the Ballard Market?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:42:13]:
Ever since I was little, I’ve been going to
Scott Cowan [00:42:18]:
You’re only five by the way, you’re only five foot tall, so
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:42:20]:
I’m still little. Yeah. I’m yeah. Ever since life started for me, I have been going to, Pete’s Toffee, which is one of the stands there, and it’s so good. And I will Yes. I will impulse buy, like, three containers of, like, toffee and just eat the entire thing in, like, one sitting, with my mom not with my mom. No. She tries to steal it, but it doesn’t really work.
Scott Cowan [00:42:51]:
It doesn’t work.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:42:52]:
It doesn’t work. No. I’m very protective over my toffee. That’s one of my favorite places, in the market. Okay. It’s really good.
Scott Cowan [00:43:02]:
Alright. Before we go on to other favorite places, I wanna back up and you said you got some inspiration for food from your friends.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:43:09]:
Mhmm.
Scott Cowan [00:43:10]:
So a question I have now, it’s gonna be a little well, no. It’s not gonna be really difficult. You can you can go back to when you’re in middle school or even grade school.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:43:19]:
Do you
Scott Cowan [00:43:19]:
take your lunch to
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:43:21]:
school? I do not. No. I used to. I used to. But now I’m at fancy private school where they have vending machines. And
Scott Cowan [00:43:29]:
Alright. So you’re eating vending machine food for lunch. Okay. And
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:43:32]:
I am proud of it.
Scott Cowan [00:43:34]:
You’re proud
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:43:34]:
of it.
Scott Cowan [00:43:35]:
Alright. So what alright. So tomorrow’s the first day of school. Mhmm. You’re gonna walk up to the vending machine. It’s lunchtime. What are you getting?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:43:45]:
That’s a great question. It depends what there is. I would say I don’t know. As as a small child, I was never allowed, to indulge in junk food like, or sometimes in moderation. But Mhmm. I the first time I ever tried a singular Cheeto was last year. Or no, when I was in eighth grade. So year before then.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:44:20]:
I I was a sheltered junk food child. And I love Cheetos now, so I’d probably get Cheetos. I also I love Fritos. They’re I don’t know what is in them other than pure serotonin, but they’re delightful. Any chips, really. I love chips. Okay. Mhmm.
Scott Cowan [00:44:45]:
What Cheetos do you like? Because there’s more than one. You know? There’s the there’s the deep fried and there’s the puffed, and then there’s the thermonuclear hot ones that are, you know, that that stain your fingers for days. What Cheetos do you like?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:45:02]:
So this is all news for news to me. I’ve only tried the the regular the original ones. So I have to say the original ones.
Scott Cowan [00:45:13]:
Okay. Because well, back in the day, there was two types or these puffed ones, and then there’s the ones that were fried that were they’re kind of not puffed, and they were kind of crisp when you when you bite into them. They’re in the orange bag now, if you will.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:45:28]:
Oh, okay.
Scott Cowan [00:45:28]:
But they they make a, I don’t know, thermal nuclear hot Cheeto. And it’s, they’re, in my opinion, they’re disgusting. They’re just awful. They’re just awful. But, you know, and it’s literally deep red. You know what? You know when you eat Cheetos, you get orange, your fingers are orange, right?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:45:54]:
Yeah.
Scott Cowan [00:45:54]:
Okay. No. These will be deep, deep red. I can’t I can’t recommend them. If you like hot, you might like them, but no. Not not for me.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:46:04]:
I’ll try them. I’ll try them once.
Scott Cowan [00:46:06]:
You’re gonna you’re gonna eat from the vending machine. Alright. I I I’m not gonna that and I did that in high school too. My my go to high school lunch was two cans of Coke, a hostess fruit pie, and a candy bar. Wow. That was What
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:46:21]:
a balanced meal.
Scott Cowan [00:46:23]:
Perfectly balanced meal. It had all the sugars that you needed for the week in one meal.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:46:29]:
Definitely. Yeah.
Scott Cowan [00:46:30]:
It was pretty bad. And it was always a Charleston Chew candy bar, which
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:46:34]:
I love those.
Scott Cowan [00:46:36]:
Yeah. Okay. Most people don’t know what they are. But yeah, and you put those in their freezer and they’re amazing. Okay. Well, that was that was my nutritious high school experience a long time ago.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:46:44]:
That’s great.
Scott Cowan [00:46:45]:
When you were bringing lunches to school, what did your lunches look like? Don’t tell me it was white bread with American cheese.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:46:55]:
It was not. It was not. It was actually Velveeta, Nank. It was it was different every day, and I am so, you know, I am so grateful to my mom for providing me for offering such variety in eating choices. I got pasta a lot. I got soup. Really? I got sandwiches. I got everything.
Scott Cowan [00:47:23]:
You got so you were you were one of those kids that always had an interesting lunch at Kai.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:47:26]:
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Scott Cowan [00:47:29]:
That brings me to another question. Because all now this whole episode, you have talked glowingly about food.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:47:35]:
Mhmm.
Scott Cowan [00:47:37]:
French food, pasta, glowing, toffee. Mhmm. What don’t you like?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:47:45]:
Okay. So
Scott Cowan [00:47:46]:
There’s gotta be something that you don’t like.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:47:50]:
I okay. Well, I do have a philosophy that I will I think it’s good to try everything at least once unless you’re, like, anaphylactically allergic to it. But, you know, then you’ll then you’ll know. Mhmm. I I think everything is edible at least once. Okay. I do not like durian. It’s one thing that I cannot eat.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:48:18]:
My
Scott Cowan [00:48:18]:
Have you tried it?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:48:19]:
I have.
Scott Cowan [00:48:19]:
Have you tried it?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:48:20]:
I have. My dad was born in Thailand. So, we he is a durian fanatic, and I Really? Cannot even be in the same room as it. It is I don’t know. Have you smelled it before? It’s like a rotting flesh. It’s not appetizing. No. Not even comparable to a bag of Cheetos.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:48:45]:
No.
Scott Cowan [00:48:46]:
No. Not okay. So durian. But durian’s durian’s very polarizing. People like it or people nobody I have never heard or met anybody who goes, yeah, durian. Yeah. It’s okay. You know, I’m okay with it.
Scott Cowan [00:49:01]:
You know, you either go, yeah. I’ll eat it. I like it. Or No. But but what else? So more mainstream. What what have you tried? Because it sounds like you’ve tried everything. I mean, not everything, but, you know, you’ve tried foods, and you say you have an open mind. But, like, for me, like, I do not like pumpkin.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:49:18]:
You know what? Nor do I.
Scott Cowan [00:49:20]:
I like pumpkin pie.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:49:22]:
Oh, not good.
Scott Cowan [00:49:23]:
Is something k. Next, I I can totally just, like, no. Thank you. I’ve tried it. Don’t like it. Don’t want it. Yeah. What how about for you, though? What what what’s out there that people like that you this just doesn’t work for you?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:49:38]:
Okay. So this is very controversial, and you may have some listeners stop listening after this point.
Scott Cowan [00:49:48]:
Now that’s a risk we’re gonna take.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:49:49]:
Okay. Alright. I do not like pizza.
Scott Cowan [00:49:56]:
Okay. Well, I’m hanging up
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:49:57]:
on you. You No. Not you too.
Scott Cowan [00:50:00]:
I had no idea that you were gonna be this controversial.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:50:03]:
I I told you. I gave a content warning.
Scott Cowan [00:50:08]:
How okay.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:50:10]:
I have grown to be okay with it. And if I am at, like, a friend’s house and we get pizza for dinner because we don’t wanna make anything, or it’s really late at night and, you know, pizza’s just an easy option, I will eat it. I am open to that. But would I would I make it for my friends and family? No. Would I order it in a restaurant? Absolutely not. It it’s tolerable, but I don’t I’m not a pizza fan.
Scott Cowan [00:50:44]:
So wow. Because there’s nothing on a pizza no ingredient on a pizza that you haven’t already stated you like. You you like bread? You like cheese, we haven’t talked about, you know, tomatoes, but I’m gonna I’m gonna guess that you’re okay with tomatoes. So it’s interesting to me that make those combinations and it doesn’t work for you. Yeah. But what’s really important here about pizza is so and it’s gotta be a yes or no answer. So I’m gonna put you on the spot and this is yes or no. Pineapple on a pizza.
Scott Cowan [00:51:22]:
You and I can still be friends. Okay.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:51:23]:
Great.
Scott Cowan [00:51:24]:
Okay. Cool. Good answer. But wow, pizza. Okay. I’m shocked by that. Alright. I’m gonna drive over to Seattle.
Scott Cowan [00:51:34]:
We’re gonna get your mom, your dad, you. We’re gonna get in the car, and you’re going to take me and show me some restaurants that I need to check out.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:51:44]:
Gladly.
Scott Cowan [00:51:45]:
So we’ve already ruined it because you’re not gonna take me to any pizza places.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:51:48]:
I will not.
Scott Cowan [00:51:49]:
Where are we going? What what what? I it’s help me out. I’ve got all day. We’re gonna eat our way through Seattle, so we’re gonna start with breakfast, and we’re gonna end up with dessert. Okay. Where’s a breakfast place in Seattle? Or in the Seattle area?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:52:04]:
Going, just brainstorming, spitballing from off the top of my head. Portage Bay Cafe for breakfast.
Scott Cowan [00:52:14]:
Why is that?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:52:15]:
I I think they have a great variety of dishes. And I ever since ever since little Sadie existed, ever since I existed, I have been getting their Swedish pancakes, and they are to die for. They are so good, Scott. You have no idea. They also have this really good, Dungeness crab cake Benedict, which is really tasty.
Scott Cowan [00:52:42]:
That would be that would yeah. I’m not a pancake fan, so I’d I’d go the crab Benedict.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:52:46]:
Okay. Alright.
Scott Cowan [00:52:46]:
But here’s a question here’s a question. And I don’t know how you’re gonna answer this, so this is gonna be an interesting question. And it’s okay if you answer no, by the way. I’ll let you the pizza, you’ve already broken my heart for
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:52:56]:
the pizza. My apologies.
Scott Cowan [00:52:58]:
Yeah. It’s okay. I had no idea I was gonna be this sad. Are you a fan of coffee?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:53:05]:
I love coffee. I’m a Seattleite. How could I not? It’s why I’m so short, Scott.
Scott Cowan [00:53:12]:
Well, I’ve drank coffee since I was eight, and and I’m I’m six foot four. So you imagine how tall I’d be if I wouldn’t have drank coffee as a kid?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:53:19]:
I was drinking coffee fresh out of the womb. So
Scott Cowan [00:53:22]:
Okay. So Portage Bay, do they have good coffee?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:53:27]:
They do. They they they have coffee. Alright. Yeah.
Scott Cowan [00:53:30]:
So we’ve we’ve we’re going to Portage Bay Cafe for breakfast. Now me being me, I’m gonna say, hey, I need a cup of coffee after breakfast, you know, because that’s how I roll. Where are we gonna go to get coffee?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:53:42]:
To get coffee? That’s a great question. I’m gonna say well, it depends. What what kind of coffee do you like? Do you do you like lattes or espresso, or are you I mean, gonna go out on a limb here. I don’t think you’re the frappuccino type guy, but maybe. What do you like?
Scott Cowan [00:54:07]:
I’m surprised that you figured it out, but I’m not a Frappuccino fan. I my go to drink is just regular black coffee. So if I go to a a an espresso bar that only serves espresso beverages, I’m either gonna have an Americano or a dopio. So I I like my, someone’s coming into the studio, but we can keep going.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:54:35]:
Oh, okay.
Scott Cowan [00:54:36]:
She’ll sit here. So I not I am not a fufu drink, person. So, yeah. What are you gonna recommend?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:54:43]:
Okay. I’m gonna say either we go back to my house. We have this great coffee machine. It’s like, you know, one of the fancy Starbucks barista ones. Delicious. Make wonderful Americanos here. Perfect. Or maybe Zoka coffee.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:55:02]:
Oh, yeah. Zoka’s good. It’s near ish my house.
Scott Cowan [00:55:06]:
You’re you’re redeeming yourself. Okay.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:55:08]:
Thank you. Thank you. Alright.
Scott Cowan [00:55:10]:
So so we’ve we’ve wandered around. We’ve maybe went to the Ballard Farmer’s Market, walked off some of breakfast. Now about lunch. Where are we going for lunch?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:55:17]:
Are you a burger person?
Scott Cowan [00:55:20]:
Look at me. Do I look like I’m a burger person?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:55:23]:
Okay. So in Madison Park, there is the arguably, the best burger place known to man. It is so it’s so good. It’s I I am I have no words to describe this place. It’s called Scoop de Chore. It’s kind of under it’s very underrated. What am I saying? Not many people know about it. Not many people go there for burgers.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:55:58]:
It is an ice cream shop, but in the fact, they make burgers. And they are so delicious. And and if you’re gonna ask me, Sadie, what should we do for dessert? After we go to Scoop du Jour, we can get their ice cream too. They have really good Moose Tracks ice cream. I’m a big, Reese’s peanut butter cups fan. So
Scott Cowan [00:56:18]:
Alright. Alright. And then, you know, since, you know, since we’ve worked up we’ve worked up an appetite by having a burger and ice cream, flash forward to dinner.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:56:30]:
Oh, dinner. Dinner. Dinner. Dinner. So I am a something you should know about me. Though I may be small, my ability to consume steak is out of this world. I am a big carnivore, and I will devour a 24 ounce porterhouse in, like, fifteen minutes by myself. So it is only it it just makes sense for me to take you to my favorite steakhouse, Osadero in Ballard, and it’s like right next to the market.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:57:17]:
So it’s so convenient. It’s great. They have really good stuff there. I’d probably get So
Scott Cowan [00:57:24]:
what okay. Yeah. What would you get? What would you well, you just said porterhouse, but what would you what would you get?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:57:30]:
They have really, really good quality Wagyu, but if we’re going we’re if we wanna stay away from the pricey side.
Scott Cowan [00:57:39]:
Okay. I’m buying. It’s okay.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:57:41]:
You can spend it. Oh, thank you. That’s very very kind of you. Maybe Oh. Filet mignon tacos with bone marrow. It’s so, oh, it’s so good. I love bone marrow so much. I’ve been eating it since I was little and it’s so good.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:57:56]:
I would get the bone marrow filet mignon tacos. It’s like the perfect amount of like fatty and salty and melt in your mouth wonder. Or I’d I’d just go classic and I’d get a steak. Nothing wrong with that.
Scott Cowan [00:58:14]:
No. Nothing wrong with that. Mhmm. So we’re gonna wrap this up. I got a few more questions for you. So because you just said a word and it sparked I wasn’t gonna go into the direction because I hadn’t thought about it, but you said a four letter word that is amazing, and you said taco.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:58:29]:
Oh, yes. It’s quite an amazing word.
Scott Cowan [00:58:33]:
I’m always on the the looking out for taco recommendations. Any you got any taco recommendations besides these filet mignon and marrow? That sounds amazing. But let’s just go more, you know, more traditional street taco fare. Any suggestions?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:58:51]:
I’m gonna say, while they do have my favorite tacos in Seattle, because bone marrow and filet mignon, enough said, there is oh, there’s this little food truck, right, that’s like five minutes away from my house. It’s right near Seattle Children’s. It’s called El Camion, and they have pretty good tacos. But my favorite taco place ever in Seattle, other than other than Ocadero, is Agua Verde. And I was literally just there yesterday, two days ago with my friend eating tacos because it’s so wonderful. They have, do you like So
Scott Cowan [00:59:33]:
what what talk what type of tacos did you get?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:59:36]:
Birria.
Scott Cowan [00:59:38]:
Oh, alright.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [00:59:39]:
They have really, really good birria tacos. Okay. And they’re just so, like, juicy and delicious and flavorful and wonderful, and they pair really well with a nice bowl of crispy tortilla chips and some guacamole.
Scott Cowan [01:00:01]:
We could get along just fine even if you don’t like pizza. I mean, really, you’re you’re making it up. You the coffee and the taco things, you’ve you’ve I’m
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:00:07]:
repeating myself. That’s good to
Scott Cowan [01:00:10]:
know. But I wanna I wanna wrap this up because you and I could I could keep talking to you for a long time, and and hopefully in the future, we will. Yes. Couple of a couple of final questions for you. When you’re not cooking and you’re not in school, what do you like to do for fun?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:00:25]:
I love theater and well, that’s kind of an in school thing as well, but I love theater. I love performing. I love having that sort of creative outlet to just express myself. I also not many people know this, but I love ukulele. I love playing ukulele so much. It is so relaxing, and I can just sit in my house and stare out the window on a nice sunny day, and look at the Burke Gilman Trail, which we live right next to, and just strum on my ukulele with my cat at my feet and a nice taco in my hand.
Scott Cowan [01:01:09]:
Awesome. Alright. And then this was I hopefully, this is okay for me to to say this, but your mom mentioned it, and you mentioned it when we were talking on the phone before. You are in process, I guess, is the word I can use, of putting together a cookbook.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:01:29]:
I am. Yes.
Scott Cowan [01:01:32]:
What can you share with our audience? It it’s I’m I’m gonna guess it’s your 50 favorite pizza recipes that you’re gonna be doing.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:01:41]:
Oh, it is. Hawaiian satoff.
Scott Cowan [01:01:44]:
Yeah. Perfect. Mhmm. Now is it do you have a theme that you’re gonna be working on?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:01:50]:
I do, actually. And it’s something that I’ve been thinking about for a couple years now, and it’s I don’t wanna give too much away. But I’m gonna say I
Scott Cowan [01:02:02]:
don’t want I don’t want you to do that.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:02:04]:
It’s gonna be something that you’ve never seen before. It’s it’s a clever idea, and Okay. Hopefully, I will hopefully, I will be able to get this idea out of my brain and into an actual book, but it’s it’s gonna be fun.
Scott Cowan [01:02:22]:
Okay. Well, we’re looking forward to that. And, you know, we’d like to have you back on to talk about that when when you get closer to being able to do it. I love that. The other thing we talked about once again, hopefully, I’m not putting words in your mouth and you you please speak up and tell me, you know, don’t. But we have talked to you about the idea of maybe helping out with some content, on our site for possible ideas of places to go and eat in the Seattle area that are teen friendly. That’s something you still think you wanna do?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:02:54]:
Yes. Yes. Very much so. I would be honored
Scott Cowan [01:02:57]:
to do it. Well, honored. Connor’s a little strong. Come on now. I mean, you know, I made fun of you for boxed mac and cheese and not liking pizza. You don’t wanna honor anything. But I I think that, you know, what I’d I’d like to say is that I’m looking forward to you working with us and getting us some content for for teens.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:03:21]:
Yes.
Scott Cowan [01:03:22]:
Especially especially because I have a feeling it’s you’re you’re not gonna say you’re you’re the top three burger places in in Seattle or Jack in the Box McDonald’s or Burger King.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:03:31]:
I’ve never been to any of those places, believe it or not.
Scott Cowan [01:03:35]:
Are you kidding me?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:03:36]:
Remember, shelter junk food child.
Scott Cowan [01:03:39]:
Oh, okay. Oh, you’re okay.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:03:42]:
Rest assured, I will not.
Scott Cowan [01:03:44]:
I almost I almost wanna talk to your mom and dad and see if we could actually, like, have you go and try this piece and review.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:03:50]:
I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed to that.
Scott Cowan [01:03:53]:
That would be really bad. Like, go have the Jack in the Box tacos. So Yeah.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:03:57]:
Let’s do it.
Scott Cowan [01:03:57]:
And we might no. We might it might just destroy your beautiful life. It might not be a good idea. But as we wrap this up, if anyone wants to find out more about you, is are you currently doing anything online where they can they can go and see your adventures or anything like that, or have you are you taking a hiatus at the moment?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:04:16]:
I have sort of taken a social media hiatus, but you are welcome people are welcome to, go check out my Instagram even though I haven’t posted for a very, very long time, and I cannot guarantee that there will be a, you know, posting schedule that will happen and be consistent. Okay. But it’s, at Sadie Eats Seattle. Okay. Yeah. We’ll put
Scott Cowan [01:04:45]:
a link in the show notes there. But you’re not you’re not, like, doing TikTok or anything?
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:04:49]:
I don’t
Scott Cowan [01:04:49]:
believe you’re
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:04:50]:
not. I am not doing TikTok.
Scott Cowan [01:04:54]:
Well, the fact that you haven’t tried any of those Mac or if you you know, you get the idea. If you haven’t tried that, I’m not surprised. And it’s
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:05:00]:
not hip like that.
Scott Cowan [01:05:02]:
No. You’re not hip like that. Well, I’m gonna let you go because, like, when we started this off, tomorrow’s your first day of school. So I’m sure you’re looking forward to that in some some manner and you’re it’s exciting. And I really am glad we were able to make this happen. I’ve had a lot of fun.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:05:17]:
Yeah. Same.
Scott Cowan [01:05:17]:
And I think that, I think you’ve got a great outlook. And I’m serious. I gotta come over to Seattle One of these days, and and we’ll we’ll all go out and try, we’ll we’re gonna go try some of those places together. I think that would be an absolute hoot.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:05:30]:
Agreed.
Scott Cowan [01:05:31]:
And so, I appreciate you. I will email you.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:05:35]:
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Scott Cowan [01:05:38]:
Actually, I will email your mom because that’s the email address we have. But we will we will reach out, but we will talk, soon, and I thank you for being on.
Sadie Davis-Suskind [01:05:45]:
Thank you so much. I’ve had so much fun doing this. Thank you, Scott.
.
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The Exploring Washington State Podcast is your go-to source for discovering the diverse wonders of the Evergreen State. Whether you’re seeking inspiration for your next adventure, looking to savor local cuisine, or eager to learn about the businesses and artists that call Washington home, this podcast has something for everyone. Join us as we showcase the splendor of Washington State, reminding you that “there is always more to explore!”
