Did you ever wonder what it's like to live alone, hidden in the woods not speaking to a single soul for 30 years?

Or wander to the desert, uncover a hidden well, and die to the bottom of the deepest waterhole for 2,000 miles.

The Snap Judgment podcast takes you there with amazing stories told by the people who live them,

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Snap Judgment, listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcast.

This is Mel Street Radio from PRX and I'm your host, Christopher Kimball.

It's our first episode of 2026, and we have predictions.

Kim Severson is here to declare the latest in food trends and their viral buzzwords.

Chewy, crispy, fluffy, you know,

the cheese pole vibe.

We'll decode the trends for the year ahead,

from Grandma Core to Dopamine Decor, a little bit later in the show.

But first, it's my interview with show Spath, who has spent over two decades making and mastering

ramen at home.

Show, welcome to Milk Street.

Thank you, Chris.

Thank you for having me.

Of all the recipes that I might make at home,

ramen would be at the bottom of my list because two things. The broth, et cetera, is very time-consuming.

And two, the expertise, I know the difference between good ramen and great ramen. The expertise really shows up.

So let's start there.

Can you make good ramen at home?

...