Sound Bites

Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast, it's spooky season and time for Episode 168! It's a solo episode today, and I'm going on a deep dive into the history of some iconic Halloween foods. There is a little history, a little science, a dash of nostalgia, and a lot to learn! Did you know that candy corn used to be sold year-round and was initially a marketing gimmick? Did you know that oranges, carrots, and turnips were the initial pieces of produce to be carved, long before anybody put a pump...

Hey there food fans! It's just me today as I share the eats and drinks I experienced this past Sunday at the Woody Creek Whiskey Dinner at Whiskey Cake Restaurant in Plano, Texas. I had the immense pleasure of experiencing five carefully crafted courses paired with cocktails and pours from Woody Creek Distillery in collaboration with the team at Whiskey Cake. The dinner was hosted by none other than William H. Macy himself, and the culinary and dining team of the restaurant. The standout was the...

Hey there food fans! It's time for Episode 166 of The Food For ThoughtCast. Today I was honored to be joined by Greer Jackson, a fermenter, forager, and story-keeper of all things food and family. We talk about what it means to carry on culinary legacies, and how all of the elements of the people that came before and where and how you grew up can influence your kitchen identity. Greer writes a beautiful substack that examines food and culture, specifically the connections between ritual and belo...

Hey there food fans! Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast. It is time for Episode 165. My guest today is Christina Mitchell. Christina is the creator behind MANDUBRE, a food and lifestyle project that brings together the food she grew up with, the places she’s lived and worked, and all the flavors she’s picked up along the way. She’s spent more than 20 years working with photography and visual design, so she’s always been interested in how things look, feel, and tell a story. Food is just an...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

Hey there food fans! Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast. I'm glad you're here! You're just in time for Episode 158. Today I'm talking to Brittney Miller. Brittney is the CEO of Manchester Farms, America's first and oldest quail farm. This was an amazing conversation. More than 40 years ago, her dad started raising quail as a backyard hobby. Today, that small family project has grown into a thriving business that raises 80,000 quail every week, all without antibiotics or hormones. Since ste...

Hey there food fans! After a short hiatus, I am glad to bring you more of The Food For ThoughtCast. Thank you so much for listening and for following on social media. I am joined today for Episode 157 by Wayne Swanson Jr. He is the Founder and CEO of Swanson Family Farm, a Black-owned, multi-generational farm dedicated to producing premium, pasture-raised meats while advancing sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty. We discuss getting to know your food supply, the hype around organic, and ...

In quite possibly the most "Seinfeld" episode ever of The Food For ThoughtCast, Steve and Melissa take a soft glance at random pasta shapes, talk briefly about pasta sauces, go on rabbit trails galore, and explore lots of other tangents about absolutely nothing. Sometimes we need a break from the hard-hitting journalism to just catch up. Jimmy Dean waffles ain't it. Welcome back to the pod, food fans, it's time for Episode 156! Find us wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to rate, rev...

After a bit more shenanigans than usual, we're back for Episode 155 of The Food For ThoughtCast. Melissa returns from a trip to Atlanta and surrounding areas, visiting a couple of dear friends, and tells Steve all about it. If you're around the area, be sure to check out Marietta Fish Market, Rocket Fizz, Dough In A Box, Rumi's Kitchen, Douceur de France, Piedmont Provisions, Bottega Italian Market, and Bantam & Biddy. Thanks so much for listening. Sorry for the language, food fans. Some flavors...

Hey there food fans, we have a special guest returning for his third time on The Food For ThoughtCast- Chef Dominic Hawkes! You may remember him from such favorites as Episodes 67 and 100. He's the incredible culinary educator , all around food hero, a master chef of Great Britain, and foodie extraordinaire. Not to mention, he's a super nice dude. There were stories, there were tangents, there were numerous updates about the state of culinary education- and most of all, we talked about lots and ...

Did you think we forgot about you today, food fans?! Fear not, Episode 153 is here- hot off the presses and better late than never! That's right, if it's a Thursday, it's time for The Food For ThoughtCast, so don't you worry. Today's episode is a travel recap of Steve's Memorial Day weekend in Chicago. He did his best to eat his way through the entire city, and did a pretty amazing job! From El Ideas, their epic tasting menu, and meeting his culinary hero Chef Phillip Foss (our esteemed guest fo...

Hey there food fans! Episode 152 of The Food For ThoughtCast is shaping up to be mighty tasty, because our guest today is a master of flavors! We're talking to Blackwell Smith, he is a Southern cook who believes in honest flavor and hands-on practices, always grounded in real kitchens and real food. He is currently launching the No BS Cookbook series, including the latest No BS Holiday Cookbook and the upcoming No BS Seafood Cookbook, which features custom blends made by Lucky Cajun Handmade. Th...

The allure of the 90s is back, baby! In snack form, that is. It's that time again- The Food For ThoughtCast is kicking off Episode 151 by welcoming Yousuf Ahmed to the show. Yousuf is dedicated to infusing joy back into snacking. B-SIDES crafts allergen-free , accidentally vegan, protein puffs using upcycled ingredients, prioritizing taste and experience above all else. Their vibrant and whimsical branding draws inspiration from the nostalgic snack brands of the 90s. With three great flavors and...

Hey there food fans! It's time to eat your veggies. Today on Episode 150 we are talking to Heidi Herman, author of The Hidden Vegetables Cookbook: 90 Tasty Recipes for Veggie-Averse Adults. Heidi takes us on her cooking and literary journey and we talk all about the ways we love to use vegetables to add nutrition and fiber to everyday items. Rather than urging readers to learn to love spinach or zucchini, Herman’s cookbook works with existing taste preferences. The recipes cleverly disguise vege...

Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast, food fans! Today on Episode 149, we are joined by Brian Baumal, a registered psychotherapist who specializes in food addiction. This is a bit of a different episode, really focusing on the "thought" part of the "cast." We explore diet culture, the stories we tell ourselves about food, the mindsets that determine how and why we eat, and Brian helps us understand the connection between the brain and all things sustenance. This was an incredible conversatio...

Nothing better than a back-up plan, right? Sometimes the pivot is the ultimate consolation prize! Melissa had a trip to Virginia planned, but had to cancel at the last minute so she took full advantage of being a tourist in her own town instead. Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast, it's time for Episode 148. Sit back , grab a tasty snack, and be completely jealous of all the amazing things she ate as we take a culinary tour through Raleigh and Durham. Rabbit cavatelli? Yes please! Soft pill...

Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast, where everything is made up and the tangents don't matter. Stephen and Melissa start out trying to do a comedy bit and then ease ourselves into Episode 147. Today we're catching up about life in general, the amazing things we ate, and tackling a variety of topics from tuna poke, Trader Joe's kimbap, toddler food jags, foods we used to hate, and so much more. Thanks for listening and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe. Watch us on YouTube, and go...

Hey there food fans! Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast. In Episode 146, Stephen and Melissa are checking in with each other. We discuss being a tourist in your own town, upcoming travel and eating, foods we wish we knew more about, and what we've been cooking and eating. We talk about a few texture icks, shopping stories, and food memories. We like a little bit of a more chill conversation once in a while, and we hope you will too. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe. Thanks for l...

Are you living intentionally? Cooking with love? Gathering with purpose?! This week's guest Jeannie Jacobs is here to share the secret to doing just that. Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast, it's time for Episode 145. Melissa here. Stephen and I had an incredible time talking to Jeannie about her inspiring journey from physician to people gatherer. Jeannie is on track to be the next Martha Stewart- her goal is to share her work as a lifestyle expert, offering a modern approach to elevated ...