Episode 284: Eggplant, Cold Noodle Bowls, and Kids

Are apples better than an expensive probiotic? Probably.

This week, Joy welcomes guest hone Jackie Botto!

In food news this week, we compare notes on an article in the Atlantic called The Best Probiotics. Trust us, click on the apple video in the article. Here’s the link.

In our What’s for Dinner segment, we talked all about eggplant. It’s worth turning the oven on!

In How’d You Make That? Jackie describes the Asian-inspired cold noodle bowls she can’t get enough of this summer. (Here’s one on Joy’s to-make list.)

With Marisa and her new kiddos on our minds, Jackie talks about the pleasures and challenges of feeing a little one–she’s got the heart of a food lover and picky eater in the house.

And finally, in What We’re Loving, it’s Trader Joe’s sauces–specifically the amba, zhoug, and toum.

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Episode 283: Chopped Salad, Carrot Salad, and Bon Appetit

Joy’s carrot salad

Molly Watson is back in the co-host chair this week!

In Food News, we over a San Francisco Chronical article about how SF chefs feel that the Impossible Burger has left them behind as business has boomed.

In our What’s for Dinner segment, we are all about chopped salads, especially for summer.

In our How’d You Make That? segment this week, the salad theme continues with a discussion of carrot salad with cumin, harissa, and pistachios.

We talk about the evolving media brand and magazine, Bon Appetit.

And in what we’re loving, Joy shares a tip she got interviewing Melissa Clark on her other podcast. It’s the only American espellete, Piment D’Ville. Buy it, use it, love it.

Episode 282: Ground Beef, Corn & Clams, and Some Assembly Required Meals

It’s definitely ice cream season.

Marisa is on maternity leave, so today I’m with guest host Casey Barber, writer, photographer, storyteller, road tripper, cat mom. (She’s also the author of Pierogi Love and Classic Snacks Made from Scratch.)

In today’s Food News segment, we talk about a recent essay published on Vice.com about easing economic anxiety with familiar food, in this case, Starbuck’s sous vide egg bites.

In our What’s for Dinner segment, Casey talks about how to deal with a large quantity of meat-CSA sources ground beef. She likes meatballs, lots of meatballs.

And in our How’d You Make That? segment Casey shares her go-to summer meal: Corn and clams all made on the grill.

Because he works the night shift, Casey and her husband don’t eat dinner together during the week. So she explains her approach to meal planning, which has many smart make-ahead, mix-and-match options built-in. She basically tells us how to plan for on-the-fly customization and meals on the go!

And in our What We’re Loving segment, it’s Ample Hills Creamery all the way. (Especially the “tour de chills challenge.”)

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Episode 281: The Best Ribs, Okra, and Dal

Molly Watson’s “Best Ribs Ever”

As Marisa’s maternity leave continues, Molly Watson, writer, cookbook author and editor in chief for Edible Communities, joins as guest co-host!

In food news this week, Joy and Molly discuss a recent Washington Post article concerning the new book, Burn the Ice: Is the Golden Age of Restaurants Over? The book is by Kevin Alexander, known by many as the writer of this now-infamous article.

In our What’s for Dinner segment this week, we’ve got Molly’s terrific Sichuan peppercorn baby back ribs.

In our How’d You Make That segment, we talk about the easiest, least messy way to make slime-free okra that everyone wants to eat.

In our Wildcard segment, we talk about dal. All the different types of dal we love. This is one of them.

In our What We’re Loving Segment, Molly tells us about Mexican chile peanut sauce. And here’s how she makes it:

  1. Toast about 1/2 cup peanuts in a frying pan over medium-high heat—keep swirling the pan once they start to color to last the evenly. Maybe 3 minutes. Put them on a plate to cool.
  2. Put the pan back on the heat. Add about 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 cup sesame seeds, 8 cloves garlic—roughly chopped is fine, 1 chopped onion, and a dozen dried arbol chiles.
  3. Cook until the onion and garlic are soft and the sesame seeds are lightly browned—5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Transfer to a food processor and let cool. Add a tablespoon of cider or red vinegar and a teaspoon of salt. Some oregano is optional, but not my thing.
  5. Puree until smooth. Then add the peanuts and pulse until just barely still a bit chunky.

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