The Food For ThoughtCast: Call Me Chef
Life is better with food. Join Melissa as she chats with other chefs, and friends alike or just waxes poetic on all the culinary things that bring us together. At the virtual table, there’s something tasty for everybody!
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98
March 13, 2025
98. Dan Abel Jr. - A Guest Ep!
Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast, it's time for Episode 98 and life just got a little sweeter. Today we are talking to the Willy Wonka of The Midwest, Dan Abel! He is the Chief Chocolate Officer at Bissinger's in St. Louis, Missouri- not only is he an incredible podcast guest and natural conversationalist, this guy really knows chocolate- and he should, after all- this chocolate-making tradition has a history that dates all the way back to 1668! We ask Dan all of the burning questions- d
108
May 22, 2025
108. Phillip Foss- A Guest Ep!
Hey there food fans, welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast! Melissa and Steve are honored (and Steve is so excited!!!) to talk to Chef Phillip Foss today. Chef Phillip is not only one of Steve's culinary idols, he's also got one heck of a story pioneering his way through the food world. He is currently at El Ideas in Chicago- an incredible restaurant that hopes to flip the script on fine dining. From their home page: Paying homage to Chicago’s elevated train system, EL ideas is an abbreviati
113
June 26, 2025
113. Cookbook Time Capsule
Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast - It's time for Episode 113! After catching up a little, Melissa and Steve are taking you through the pages of a few of their cookbooks at home. We're asking each other.... What was the one recipe you bought this book for? What is your favorite part? What all have you actually cooked out of this book? Why did you buy it? Sometimes, not unlike some of our listeners I'm sure- we've purchased them for the title or the pictures-- and other times, the book has
122
Sept. 25, 2025
122. Chef Joe Sasto- A Guest Ep!
Hey there food fans! Get ready to lose your minds and be inspired to grow creative facial hair- because Chef Joe Sasto is here! You may know him from Top Chef: Colorado, Chopped, or The Great Food Truck Race or you may also know him for having the sickest handlebar mustache this side of a crazed railroad villain. Whatever the case, we're glad you're here. It's time for Episode 122 of The Food For ThoughtCast. We are talking about pasta, white people taco night (that's what Chef Sasto has nicknam
124
Oct. 9, 2025
124. Bennett Rea- A Guest Ep!
Would you ever try beef tongue jello or Newt's fruit? What about tuna loaf or a mayonnaise ice cube with pears and nuts? Bennett would, and he has! Buckle up food fans, today we're talking to Bennett Rea from Cookin' with Congress. It's time for Episode 124 of The Food For ThoughtCast. You may have seen his content through Facebook or Instagram, the Los Angeles Times, Eater, or NBC California. Bennett is an incredible guest with tales of woe from all over the culinary map- including his unique,
Recent Sound Bites
164
Aug. 26, 2026
164. Michele DiMeo, The Restaurant Diva
Hey there food fans! Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast- it's time for Episode 164 with my special guest, Michele DiMeo. Michele, aka “The Restaurant Diva,” is a restaurant executive, entrepreneur, franchise leader, speaker, and host of the syndicated Dine & Dish Podcast. With more than 30 years in the restaurant and hospitality industry, Michele serves as COO and co-founder of MONTE Restaurant Development Group and President of Squisito Franchise Enterprises. Michele and I talk about gett
163
Aug. 19, 2026
163. The Stretch Grocery Revolution with Andy Ellwood
Hey there food fans! Happy Thursday and welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast , it's time for Episode 163! Today I'm talking to Andy Ellwood. Andy is the founder of Stretch, a new AI platform reimagining how families navigate the grocery aisle. A serial entrepreneur behind companies acquired by Facebook and Google, Andy has built everything from global learning communities to purpose-driven tech startups. His philosophy—Make Room For Many—guides his work as he uses technology to create more a
162
Aug. 13, 2026
162. Fuerza Divina and Other Adventures with Ana Olson
Here there food fans! Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast, Episode 162. Today I welcome Ana Olson, Co-Founder of Fuerza Divina Tequila. Ana has spent several years in the hospitality business, working both front and back of house, as a tequila educator and as a restaurateur. Now, she’s taking everything she’s learned and bringing it to her next adventure in the tequila industry, with Fuerza Divina. We talk about women, restaurant culture, food, drink, entrepreneurship, and what it means to
161
Aug. 6, 2026
161. The Taco "Kiss" and Tell
Hey there food fans! I'm so excited to welcome Mauricio Velázquez de León! He's a longtime food writer, publisher, and the founder of duopress (now part of Sourcebooks), and his work has been featured in Saveur, Gourmet, Escala, and Lonely Planet. He's joining me on Episode 161 of The Food for ThoughtCast to talk about his new book, An Illustrated Guide to Tacos and Burritos: A Comic Book with Stories, Recipes, and More (it comes out August 11, 2026!), and it is going to be incredible. This book
160
July 30, 2026
160. Marvels of Madagascar
Hey there food fans! It's time to travel to Madagascar today for Episode 160 of The Food For ThoughtCast. I am honored to speak to Emmanuel Laroche, the author of A Taste of Madagascar: Culinary Riches of the Red Island, this Flavor Explorer and Culinary Storyteller uses the lens of food—wild black pepper, zebu meat, pink peppercorn, each intimately described and explained—to journey through and celebrate this faraway place that most of us know little about. Appreciating the food ingredients tha
159
July 23, 2026
159. Kalm with Kava with Morgan Smith
Hey there food fans, welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast. Episode 159 brings us Morgan Smith from Kalm with Kava. Morgan is the CEO of Kalm with Kava. He has spent the past decade immersed in the world of kava. What is kava? Listen to find out! It is as much ritual and tradition, as it is beverage and ingredient. His work regularly takes him across the South Pacific, where he works directly with growers in Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, and Hawaiʻi to learn from local communities, collaborate with f
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About the Host
Melissa Reagan
Host/chef/dog mom
Hi, I'm your host, Melissa Reagan! I'm a 20-year veteran of the foodservice industry formerly of steakhouses, private clubs, restaurants, other random locations, catering events, and near nervous breakdowns. I reside in Texas with my two canine companions who are doing their best to make sure it isn't quiet enough for me to effectively record these podcasts. Food and wifi will bring us together! Thanks for listening.