Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Coming up on this episode, Is there more than tequila, sunshine and waves in Puerto Vallarta? Steve Dolinsky takes us on a culinary tour of the city, visiting some of the favorites on the locals.
Coming up on this episode, Is there more than tequila, sunshine and waves in Puerto Vallarta? Steve Dolinsky takes us on a culinary tour of the city, visiting some of the favorites on the locals.
In Denmark, they craft a towering cake called a kransekage with layers of marzipan. The shape is reminiscent of a cornucopia, promising a new year of success. In Italy, the coin like shape of lentils represent luck and prosperity. And in the Philippines, they hold Media Noche parties with circular fruit – think coins again – and plenty of roast pork. It does seem like every culture has some sort of New Year’s tradition, usually with the intention of good health, happiness or wealth. Maybe it’s just an excuse to eat. On this episode, What does “Happy New Year” look like in other countries? It might be lentils in Europe, baked goods in Scandinavia or something as simple as black-eyed peas in the American South.
On this episode, some greatest hits from the past year, as Rick and Steve share some of our favorite sounds and interviews from 2018. It’s a lot better than another re-run of “A Christmas Story” and a fruitcake.
Coconuts are one of the few ingredients that immediately conjure images of palm trees, and by extension, warm, tropical days spent sipping the refreshing water out of the cavity of their tough shells. Not sure people realize there’s young coconut, and the water inside, but the milk we often see in Thai restaurants comes from pressing on the grated flesh from the inside of the more mature coconut. Coming up on this episode, a coconut challenge with Chef Patty Neumson from the upscale Thai restaurant Herb, as she and Rick attempt to come up with an easy weeknight meal in 15 minutes or less, using just some coconut, plus five extra ingredients you can find pretty much anywhere.
When faced with placing an order in a bar or restaurant, I always gravitate to lighter, more quaffable, or sessionable beers, because I don’t want to get hammered after one round. Coming up on this episode, we are going dark. Beer, that is. Imperial Stouts, brown ales, schwartbiers, you name it. As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, why not pour yourself something a little more beguiling to ease into winter.
On this episode, our annual cookbooks show, featuring interviews with two prolific authors. One, the chef of a few well-known Israeli restaurants in Philadelphia and New York; the other, one of the nation’s baking experts whose new book takes a broader approach to the kitchen. Then, in our final segment, Rick and Steve talk about a few of the books we really like this holiday season.
When one thinks of pomegranates, we think of the drink, or pomegranate seeds scattered across something only as a garnish. Coming up on this episode, a pomegranate challenge with Brian Jupiter, the chef from two restaurants in Chicago, as he and I attempt to come up with an easy weeknight meal in 15 minutes or less, using just some pomegranates, plus five extra ingredients you can find pretty much anywhere.
Belgium is a tiny country. You might think of chocolate as its most famous export, but beer is just as important, if not more so. There are nearly 200 breweries in this country of about 11 million people, so you know beer there is practically a religion. Coming up on this week’s show, we dive deep into the world of Belgian beers, with a few experts. We’ll talk to a legendary bar owner, Michael Roper, who carries more Belgian beers on his list than just about any bar in the U.S. Then we’ll meet a pair of brewers, each of whom are producing some Belgian-style beers, right here in the middle of the country. Claudia Jendron, the Head Brewer at Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, and Tom Korder, the Founder of Penrose Brewery in bucolic Geneva, Illinois, who’ll tell us about Belgian-style session ales, aged in oak barrels with alternative fermentation.
Attend any local farmer’s market, and you’ll see a few vendors selling homemade beer, sausage or cured meats. Like any do-it-yourselfer, they probably started in their basement or garage, with a few tools, a couple of buckets and a lot of enthusiasm. On this episode, doing things yourself this winter. Become your own craft brewer or sausage maker, or even charcuterie master. First, Steve visits Derek and Yolanda Luscz, the brother and sister owners of Gene’s Sausage Shop and Deli, a legendary sausage-maker here in Chicago. Then, he meets up with Patrick Whistler, the Manager of Brew and Grow, a home brew and hydroponics hobby store that’s been in business for more than 20 years. And finally, he and Rick welcome Joe Frietze, the Chef de Cuisine at Publican Quality Meats in Chicago, into the test kitchen and they talk curing meats.
Coming up on this episode, a trip to Seattle reveals a lot more than legal weed and oysters. It’s a chance to talk with a couple of writers covering the area, to learn more about the Emerald City, as well as a local chef who has pretty much dominated the Seattle food scene for more than a decade. Plus, the bonus discovery of a fantastic Chicago-style deep dish.