Ivan Orkin is the chef and owner of two popular ramen restaurants in New York: Ivan Ramen and Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop. His first cookbook, "Ivan Ramen: Love, Obsession, and Recipes From Toyko’s Most Unlikely Noodle Joint," told the very dramatic story of how a Jewish troublemaker from Long Island managed to become a respected ramen chef in Japan. He's just released a second book, "The Gaijin Cookbook: Japanese Recipes From a Chef, Father, Eater, and Lifelong Outsider." This one is all about Japanese home cooking — the stuff he makes for his wife and kids. I sat down with the chef on a rainy afternoon to talk about his new book, his delicious food, and his rather extraordinary life.
Sound editing by Rex Jannot.
