Dear Food – Details, episodes & analysis

What's your favorite thing to get from Trader Joe's? I surveyed friends, and tried out all the winners of the 12th annual Trader Joe's Customer Choice Awards, and I'm spilling all the Sparkling Peach Black tea for y'all. Yep, you guessed it - that's one of the winners! 

What's in this episode:

• I tried the winners of the 12th Annual Customer Choice Awards
• What to grab, and what to skip from Trader Joe's 
• Some of the products you will hear about: Orange chicken, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, cheddar cheese, everything but the bagel, and lots more
• Plus, my personal Tj's recommendations. You have to try these! 

Links from the show: 

• The Trader Joe's Podcast 
• Trader Joe's Website: https://www.traderjoes.com/
• Dear Food on Instagram @DearFoodPodcast
• Dear Food on YouTube
• 'Here For The Food' on Facebook - Click this link 

Be on the Show

Tell us your food stories!  The first time you remember tasting food, your dream dinner, or just a food that you can't stop thinking about. Call in to leave us a voicemail at 626-709-6551 or send your messages to dearfoodpodcast@gmail.com 

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts (it's free!)  and share this episode with a friend! It makes a huge difference for independent podcasters like me.

We're sharing our favorite gadgets, gizmos and products that we think you will love! None of them break the bank, by the way. Please enjoy this short and sweet episode, and let us know what you think of the NEW WEBSITE! 

What's in this episode:

• Announcement: brand new website is now live! 
• We now have a store that is a curation of our favorite products featured on the show 
• This mini episode covers Ashley's favorite gifts that she got this year
• Find all the products we mentioned in the show notes, or in the store on our website. 

CHECK OUT THE NEW WEBSITE

www.dearfoodpodcast.com

• Dear Food on Instagram @DearFoodPodcast
• Dear Food on YouTube

Here are the products we mentioned: 

Tortilla Warmer 

https://amzn.to/3beQfdF

Tortilla press

https://amzn.to/38t10Hr

Lime squeezer 

https://amzn.to/396D8Zb

Maldon sea salt 

https://amzn.to/2Xo99GO

Be on the Show

Tell us your food stories!  The first time you remember tasting food, your dream dinner, or just a food that you can't stop thinking about. Send your messages to dearfoodpodcast@gmail.com 

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts,  and share this episode with a friend! It makes a huge difference for independent podcasters like me.

What IS Santa Maria Style BBQ, anyway? It's so much more than just a cut of meat and special seasoning. As the name implies, it's a style of cooking that embodies the Ranchero lifestyle that's unique to the Central Coast of  California. Food + Drink Journalist, Jaime Lewis, joins us this week to educate us about the not-so-little town of Santa Maria, and the food that put it squarely on the food map. 

What's in this episode:

• What exactly is Santa Maria Style BBQ 
• How Santa Maria Style BBQ  came to be 
• The original cut of meat that defines the dish 
• The ingredient you will NOT find on SM Style BBQ 
• What a traditional fiesta looks like 
• The three components of great BBQ 
• What indigenous trees give this BBQ it's special flavor 
• The hole-in-the-wall spot that does this dish the best in the world
• The side dishes that must be served alongside top sirloin 
• The reason Santa Maria is no longer a Tourist destination 
• Details on a secret BBQ society, oh my!
• How spreading the message about food can preserve culture 
• And much more!

Links from the show: 

• Jaime's Website: https://jaimelewis.com/
• Jaime on Instagram: @JaimeCLewis
• 'Consumed with Jaime Lewis' Podcast - listen here

Be on the Show

Tell us your food stories!  The first time you remember tasting food, your dream dinner, or just a food that you can't stop thinking about. Call in to leave us a voicemail at 626-709-6551 or send your messages to dearfoodpodcast@gmail.com 

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and share this episode with a friend! It makes a huge difference for us independent podcasters. Help a sister out!

Do you know about the cacao belt? It's the agricultural belt that runs along the equator, and it's the only place in the world where chocolate grows. Well, where the cacao beans that make chocolate grow, that is. That means, to make chocolate, you've got to visit some pretty exquisite places like Belize, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and lots of other destinations most of us have only ever seen in travel magazines. Sounds glamorous, right? Chocolate Maker David Menkes, and his wife Corey would disagree. It's a lot of hard work, but the (cacao) juice is always worth the squeeze. 

What's in this episode:

• How to make chocolate, from bean to bar 
• David started a secret chocolate society at Dreamworks Animation 
• Why chocolate tasting is a lot like wine tasting 
• How to eat chocolate (besides simply shoving it in your face) 
• Refined sugar is made with cow bones - yes, you read that right. Details inside the episode 
• LetterPress chocolate bars are not candy. David explains why. 
• The difference between a Chocolatier and a Chocolate Maker 
• Bribing police in Dominican Republic in the name of chocolate 
• And many more adventures in chocolate! 

Links from the show: 

• The LetterPress website: https://letterpresschocolate.com/
• LetterPress on Instagram: @LetterPressChocolate 

Be on the Show

Tell us your food stories!  The first time you remember tasting food, your dream dinner, or just a food that you can't stop thinking about. Call in to leave us a voicemail at 626-709-6551 or send your messages to dearfoodpodcast@gmail.com 

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and share this episode with a friend! It makes a huge difference for us independent podcasters. Help a sister out!

Ever dreamed of visiting Hong Kong? Me too. Listening to Elaine Truong walk us through the streets of her childhood will make you feel like you're there in person. She is now the owner of a fabulous Chinese restaurant in San Luis Obispo, Mandarin Gourmet, where I worked all throughout college. If you've ever worked in hospitality, you'll understand the bond that restaurant buddies share. Grab your chopsticks, and dig in! 

What's in this episode:

• Delicious street food from Hong Kong 
• The difference between Chinese food from the North and the South 
• The special skill that both Elaine and her husband Eric have - they can recreate anything they taste in a restaurant! 
• The difference between cake flour and all purpose flour
• How Elaine learned to make the most beautiful cakes 

Links from the show: 

• Mandarin Gourmet's website: https://mandaringourmetslo.com/
• Elaine's Cupcake Hobby: @JustBecause_Cupcakes  on Instagram 

Quotes from this episode: 

• "Food is where the heart is. If you cook food for your family, you show your heart, your love, to your family" 

Be on the Show

Tell us your food stories!  The first time you remember tasting food, your dream dinner, or just a food that you can't stop thinking about. Call in to leave us a voicemail at 626-709-6551 or send your messages to dearfoodpodcast@gmail.com 

Don't forget to subscribe, rate and share this episode with a friend! It makes a huge difference for us independent podcasters. 

Have you heard of the Kim Kardashian of the Food Network? Her name is Louisa Sharamatyan, and we nabbed her for this week's show!  She's here to tell us all about her experience on, not one, but TWO Food Network shows.  We also talk about the food she grew up eating in her Armenian home. 

What's in this episode:

• How Louisa got cast on Food Network's 'Worst Cooks in America' 
• What Louisa cooked for her audition to get cast on the show 
• The unique food Louisa remembers as her first taste - ever heard of gogli?
• The BIZARRE habit Louisa has with her leftovers! You've never heard this one before.
• Louisa discusses the Armenian foods she grew up eating 
• What is Armenian food versus Middle Eastern food? 
• Dolmas recipe - the food that make Louisa infamous on Food Network
• How Louisa was able to advance in Worst Cooks in America 
• Who inspired her to go to Culinary  School
• The recipe for Chee Kufta 

Links from the show: 

• Louisa's YouTube Channel - click here or search for Louisa Cooks on YouTube 
• Louisa's Instagram - @LouisaSharamtyan

Quotes from this episode: 

• "The first time I ever used a Kitchen Aid mixer was on national TV, on Food Network." 
• "I'm like, wow, I can be the next Armenian Food Network Star."
• "Translated to English,  it would be 'The taste  of your hand is good.... Whether you try or not, you're good."

Be on the Show

Tell us your food stories!  The first time you remember tasting food, your dream dinner, or just a food that you can't stop thinking about. Call in to leave us a voicemail at 626-709-6551 or send your messages to dearfoodpodcast@gmail.com 

Are you loving the show?? Tell a friend about it, and please write us a review!

Have you ever had a popover? If you know, you know!  My 91 year old grandfather is sharing his tried and true popover recipe with us. Plus, he takes us back in time with his stories of growing up outside the jungle in the Philippines, and the special relationship he shared with their family Cook. I had heard some of his stories growing up, but this was probably the first time I really listened. And you know what? I have a pretty fascinating grandpa. 

What's in this episode:

• My grandfather shares his stories about growing up around the world 
• Why he was the only one allowed in the kitchen as a boy 
• Rice and Hash: my grandpa's first taste memory in the Philippines
• His grandma remembered the Civil War!
• What makes the perfect popover 
• The exact type of pan you want to use for popovers
• What is was like going to Stanford in the 1940's
• Tuition was $500 the year he went to Stanford 
• How my grandfather subsidized his tuition by becoming the house Cook 
• The lessons he learned from cooking for 19 college boys 
• What goes in to his Thanksgiving turkey stuffing  
• The division of labor between him and my grandma 
• Life  advice from a 91 year old 

Links from the show: 

• The Fanny Farmer Cookbook

Quotes from this episode: 

• "I kept ahead of getting fired one meal at a time."
• "You have to decide breakfast is going to be at 8:30am, because that's when the popovers will be ready." 
• My grandfather's sage life advice? "Marry a good woman."

Be on the Show!

Tell us your food stories!  The first time you remember tasting food, your dream dinner, or just a food that you can't stop thinking about. Call in to leave us a voicemail at 626-709-6551 or send your messages to dearfoodpodcast@gmail.com 

Are you loving the show?? Tell a friend about it, and please write us a review!

Looking for healthy meal inspiration? So were the 1.4+ Million people who now follow Amanda Meixner for meal prep ideas and nutrition information. She joins the show this week to share her favorite make-ahead meals, that are both delicious AND aesthetically pleasing.  Hey, if you're not photographing your meals, did they even really happen?!

Amanda hasn't always had a healthy relationship with food though. In high school, she developed anorexia, but it was through her journey to recovery that she learned to use food as part of her healing. After making a full recovery, she made it her mission to show people that being healthy wasn't about starving yourself, but rather about fueling your body with the right foods.

She now uses her social media and podcast to support people on their own nutrition journey.

What's in this episode:

• Amanda shares how her meal prep photos made her Instagram famous
• Here first taste is one that most kids would not like! 
• We talk about the years Amanda spent in India as a child 
• She talks about the Austrian food influence in her life 
• How Amanda overcame an eating disorder 
• How a chance encounter at Trader Joe's led to her marriage! 
• The ways her husband helps her maintain a healthy mindset around eating 
• The Food of the Day is Salad Jars!
• Salas jars can keep fresh for up to 5 days 
• Amanda's second favorite meal prep is Chili 
• The fight that turkey chili caused between Ashley and her boyfriend 
• The secret ingredient in Amanda's mom's chili recipe 
• The most used kitchen gadget in her kitchen is her egg cooker 
• Amanda teaches us how to make the perfect salad jar 
• She shares some fun suggestion for kids back-to-school lunches
• The diet that Amanda recommends? The one that works for you. 
• Why the Paleo diet fit well into her lifestyle 
• How Covid has affected her meal planning 
• Who does the cooking in the Rocchio household 
• The biggest lesson from Amanda's career as an Influencer 
• Amanda answers these questions from Listeners: 
• What do you do when you don't want to eat what you've prepped? 
• Do you have any vegan go-to's for meal prep? 
• What's the best time to cook meats in relation to consumption date?
• How do you keep costs down while cooking healthy? 
• Do you have any thoughts on meal delivery services? 
• How do you decide what to cook each week?
• Amanda's favorite treats: sweet potato brownies, paleo fudge, homemade popsicles

Links from the show: 

• Link to Amanda's ebook  '101+ Healthy Snacks' 
• https://www.101healthysnacks.com/order40587018
• Here's Amanda's Sweet Potato Brownie Recipe 
• https://meowmeix.com/paleo-brownies/
• Here's the post that describes the anatomy of a salad jar recipe 
• https://www.instagram.com/p/B7B05bQFAil/?igshid=ra4fti23hypr
• Link to Amanda's chili recipe 
• https://meowmeix.com/paleo-turkey-chili/
• Master Your Health Podcast 
• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/master-your-health-podcast/id1477761062

Quotes from this episode: 

• "Look at how beautiful mother nature is, with the fruits and the vegetables, and the protein and all that together." 
• "Eat the rainbow, but the actual rainbow, not skittles." 
•  "I do try to make sure I'm getting a nutritious well-balanced week, so I always have some fruit. I have a lot of vegetables."

Be on the Show

Tell us your food stories!  The first time you remember tasting food, your dream dinner, or just a food that you can't stop thinking about. Call in to leave us a voicemail at 626-709-6551 or send your messages to dearfoodpodcast@gmail.com 

Are you loving the show?? Tell a friend about it, and please write us a review! 

Felicia Brantner grew up in the mountains of West Virginia, and learned how to peel a potato with a knife when she was five years old.  Now, she's the mom of FIVE children, all boys, which includes two sets of twins. Yes, you read that right. This woman gave birth to twins, TWICE. That alone should secure her title as 'Mom of the Year', but she goes above and beyond to make her children feel supported and full. She pours her heart and soul into everything she makes, and anyone who is lucky enough to eat one of Mama Fee's meals feels the love in every bite. 

What's in this episode:

• Meet Felicia Brantner, the ultimate BoyMom
• Felicia describes the first food she remembers tasting  
• We hear what Felicia's life was like growing up in German valley, West Virginia 
• Felicia's Aunts taught life lessons through cooking
• Mill gravy versus brown gravy 
• Ever heard of "ramps'? They're a particular onion only grown in West Virginia. Felicia explains. 
• We learn exactly what Hamburger Steak is and why this meal is so special in Felicia's home
• Cooking tip! Add sour cream or heavy cream for ultra creamy mashed potatoes
• Felicia's tip: If you're cooking with milk, flour or tomatoes, add extra salt 
• Felicia gives us a delicious green bean recipe. 
• The sneaky ways that Felicia gets her children to eat veggies 
• How Felicia meal preps for a family of seven 
• Life lessons from Felicia's father
• Friday curse words: her house rules around swearing
• The hilarious reason they have FOUR Alexa devices in their house
• How Felicia earned the nickname "Mama Fee" 
• The difference between hamburger steak and salisbury steak and chicken fried steak 
• What foods the state of Virginia does right 
• The only two states you can find Queso dip
• Y'all - three words: Pineapple. Cheddar. Casserole. 

Quotes from this episode: 

• "We were onion people." 
• "Every time I make that meal, I think about what it meant to grow up in the country, in West Virginia, on the side of a mountain."
• "In my home, the ultimate focus is that my children feel loved. That they have all the encouragement to be exactly who they are and that they have this really deep sense of 'Mom's got me'.

Connect with Felicia's Mom Group at https://www.midlothianmoms.com/

Be on the Show

Tell us your food stories!  The first time you remember tasting food, your dream dinner, or just a food that you can't stop thinking about. Call in to leave us a voicemail at 626-709-6551 or send your messages to dearfoodpodcast@gmail.com 

Are you loving the show?? Tell a friend about it, and please write us a review! 

Raise your hand if you hopped aboard the sourdough bread train? With all this time at home, a lot of us have taken on lofty kitchen projects like baking sourdough bread from scratch.  In this episode, we're joined by the fabulously sassy, bread-making wizard, Roya Platsis. By day, Roya is a big wig in the HR world, but at home, she's mastered the art of sourdough bread and has taken to social media to show us the easy, no-frills technique that guarantees successful bread. We talk about bread making, the pressures of producing content, and being true to yourself - even when that means embracing your potty mouth!

What's in this episode:

• Roya and Ashley rehash their time working together at Lucasfilm 
• How Roya's cooking videos went viral on Facebook
• Roya's first food memory at the San Francisco zoo 
• How eating out threatened her relationship early-on
• Though she's a self-taught cook, who Roya credits for her cooking skills
• How to make sourdough bread starter 
• What a levain is 
• The step-by-step process for making sourdough bread 
• Roya shares her lemon rosemary bread recipe 
• What is was like to bake bread, live, in front of a huge audience
• Why it was so important to fail in front of viewers
• The non-intimidating approach Roya takes to bread making
• How bread has become a great teacher for both Roya and Ashley 
• Roya describes her family life and how they are doing during the pandemic
• The best type of bread for a beginner to make 
• Similarities between brewing beer and making sourdough
• What "hooch" is in relation to starter 
• What to do if your sourdough starter isn't active 
• Roya's dream dinner 

About Roya:

In Roya's own words, she is the dirt-loving mother of two, wife to one, who swears too much and is great at cooking. She is currently the Director of Human Resources at CamelBak, and lives with her darling family in Petaluma, California. 

Connect with Roya:

Find Roya on YouTube by searching "Fancy as Fork" 

Or on Instagram and Twitter  @DirtDontHurtMom

The cookbook Roya mentions is called 'Della Fattoria Bread' 

Quotes:

• "You fold it for what feels like an entire day. And then you bake the sh*t out of it" - Roya 
• "There's a beautiful, fancy, loaf of bread at the end of the process." - Roya 
• "It's just flour and water. And that was what I was trying to get across." - Roya 
• "I don't need pasta, I need bread. Good bread especially. The $8 kind." - Roya 

Be on the Show

Tell us your food stories!  The first time you remember tasting food, your dream dinner, or just a food that you can't stop thinking about. Call in to leave us a voicemail at 626-709-6551 or send your messages to dearfoodpodcast@gmail.com 

Are you loving the show?? Tell a friend about it, and please write us a review!