Not A Single Fork

Do you remember when we started the podcast? Summer of 2019 and we’re still here. We’re still “not here” but never fear, we will be back with new episodes soon. It’s taking a bit longer than anticipated because we are changing things up. Don’t worry! It’s still Candace and Natalia and still irreverent as ever talking about food and cooking. That will always stay the same. You just may notice a little change in structure and how we’re doing things. Still under construction so stay tuned. Here’s a reminder of how we sounded on our very first episode. Definitely finding our way in this one. Hope you enjoy it and another stroll down Memory Lane from 3 years ago! Welcome to our crazy world of food and cooking classes where we teach real people how to cook real food. We don’t pull any punches and we are about as real as two bitches can get. Try to guess who’s crazier?.I’m Chef Candace Conley and this is my partner in culinary (and other types) crime, Natalia Banjac. We’ve worked in the food industry together for over 10 years; we are still besties and are still keeping it real.. So, we thought it was about time we shared that with you. We’re making that happen in our first ever podcast, Not A Single Fork. Our first episode is intended as an introduction not only for you to get to know us but to get to know our approach to food, cooking and well, life. And, yep, you guessed it…we don’t give a single f**k, er, fork…not really for much of anything. It has to be really, really important. We ascribe to the philosophy of @Mark Manson in his book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F**k. If you aren’t familiar, we strongly recommend it. You’ll be SO much HAPPIER!This episode sets the stage for Season 1. We give you a brief overview of what kinds of topics we’re going to be talking about. Flavor profiles and what that means in your personal cooking style “GO TO” ingredients and suggestions of what you might want to always have on hand Building your own reference library of your cooking faves, like magazines, cooking shows, books and such Cooking basics and my “secrets” (The secret is, I don’t have any secrets…I’ll tell you everything!) We just want you to stop taking yourselves so seriously!Life is short and you usually have to spend a lot of time cooking so let’s have some fun, dammit!Some of our episodes will run longer and some shorter but no matter the length we hope you enjoy them..We want you to relax and just cook! No more judging, just cooking and loving what you make in the kitchen.So leave us comments, ask questions, call us out, but most of all, subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. You’ll find us on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and Stitcher. And, one more thing…we are heavily in to our online cooking classes. We’ve been taping for six months now so that means we’re up to almost 30 recipe videos. You should go take a look. And, if you’re really, really interested in our online classes, you can click right here to be whisked away to our other website and check out the whole program.

During our very first season, we spent the whole time talking about food and cooking. I mean, we were just getting started and hadn’t really figured this whole podcast thing out. Still working on that, by the way. In an effort to make things more fun and interesting, I had Natalia play a game with me. I also think games are a really good way of teaching people about boring subjects, like vegetables and beans. So here comes our next throwback episode. It’s all about, you guessed it, veggies and how to cook them with some bean games thrown in. Hope you have as much fun as we did. From Season 1 – It’s Bean, Legume or Vegetable. Let’s face it, the world of vegetables is daunting. I mean, there is just so.much.produce in the groceries, farmers markets, wholesale clubs. Where do you even start?This vegetable mountain of choice was never a problem for our grandparents or even parents. There were carrots, green beans, peas, iceberg lettuce (also known as just lettuce back then), spinach and that was about it. Now, carrots come in a rainbow, lettuce can be bitter, leafy, Romaine, butter, and more. Then, there are all the beans out there and we’re not talking just pinto and navy, those are so yesterday. The new beans are heirloom as are tomatoes. And, we can’t forget the whole legume issue. What are they or it and how does it/they fit into this whole balanced diet thing.We have so many questions. Lucky for you, we have A LOT of answers, too!We’ll be sorting through this confusing topic of bean or legume or vegetable, we’ll share everything we know (or found out) about this super important part of your diet and even play a game! It’s all coming up!So, play along, learn a few new things (and in such a fun way, right?) and join us over here in Episode 14 where you get the ins and outs of beans, legumes and, oh yeah, vegetables.And don’t forget, there are even more Rants and Raves (or Tips and Tricks) as we go crazy talking about what we love or DON’T. If you have a question, leave it in the comments below and we will be happy to address it in our next episode (and in the comments section). It’s time for you to get involved in this whole thing, too! We love to give our peeps a SHOUT OUT! Be sure to listen, subscribe and review our podcast wherever you prefer to listen.. We want to keep doing this! And, one more thing…we are heavily in to our online cooking classes. We’ve been taping for six months now so that means we’re up to almost 30 recipe videos. You should go take a look. And, if you’re really, really interested in our online classes, you can click right here to be whisked away to our other website and check out the whole program.

Remember when we really wanted to talk to the people from the Holiday Hotlines? We’re so glad we got that out of our systems although when I listened back to this episode from Season 5, it was so funny and worth it, I guess. We’re still taking a break but will be back in the coming weeks with more food and cooking fun so in the meantime, have a laugh with us from the past. Here’s our post from the episode: We may not be talking to a lot of hotline people but we sure are having a lot of fun!So far, we’ve found that any person we have reached on a cooking or baking hotline has to refer us to their supervisor for comment. Seriously?! All we want to do is ask you a question or two to help our listeners with their holiday cooking. Is it really that hard? The answer is apparently: YES!But we are undaunted and we will continue calling hotlines until someone talks to us. In the meantime, we just get crazy and tell you all kinds of stories and give you other information about cooking that actually is helpful. Don’t forget, you can find us all over the place now! We’re on Amazon Music now so you really can tell Alexa, “Hey Alexa, play the podcast, Not A Single Fork!” and she will play the podcast. I tried it last night and it works! But wherever your favorite podcast listening place is, we’re probably there. Take us on the road anytime you like with Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play or with our player right here.The podcast is moving! You will find Episode 4 and beyond at www.notasinglefork.com, the podcast-only website. This page will still be here but if you just want podcast stuff…you’re welcome! Thanks for listening. We love you!! Now…Enjoy the craziness…From Season 5, here’s episode 3. Ridiculous-ness Ensues!

Since we’ve been playing a lot of your favorite episodes, I thought it would be fun to play one of our favorites from the archives. Season 4 from the Fall of 2020 was all about food stories and, in general, was one of our favorite seasons. We talked to a lot of different people from in and outside of the food world but everyone had a story (or more) about how food affected their lives. This next episode was recorded with Joe Breaux, our favorite Somm (wine guy) and all around person. I think after listening, he will become one of your favorites, too. This picture is the way we like to think of his evolution as a presenter/entertainer in our wine tasting classes. He’s just the BEST! From the previous post of 2020: “I don’t want people to know much about me…” So, we got a couple of drinks in him and Joe Breaux told “all” in spite of being a private person. You might know Joe from the monthly wine tasting classes that he teaches at the kitchen. If not, and you’re in Tulsa, maybe from his time spent in any number of the fine dining restaurants where he took care of business in the wine department. And, if neither of those are the case, then prepare yourself for getting to know, Joe Breaux. He is a Houston transplant and as a young man got to know Tulsa through the food industry. From his first job at Tony Roma’s (remember that place?) to present day where he is taking a break from the food world. Although he admits that his identity lands squarely in restaurants and wine lists. He didn’t always know a lot about wine and vineyards and grape growing. In fact, he describes his upbringing as “sheltered” so the restaurant industry was at the very least “eye-opening” for Joe. In fact, he had no idea that food and wine really existed. Food was sustenance and nothing much more. A far cry from the classic pairings that he became fascinated with as he went in search of…Sauternes and foie gras, anyone? Even with his vast knowledge of wine, Joe is about the farthest thing from a wine snob as you can get. He laughs that he sounds pretentious with all of his interest in caviar and champagne but he can also get down with a Coors and canned seafood. Oh wait… Don’t forget, Rat In The Kitchen. Remember, that’s the TBS Network show I taped last summer. My episode is finally scheduled for Thursday, May 26th. We’ll be hosting a Watch Party at the kitchen studio (if you’re in the Tulsa/BA area) and also live streaming on Facebook Live and Instagram Live starting at 7:30 pm CDT that night. So now you can be involved in solving the whodunnit as in Who Is The Rat? Keep an eye out on IG and FB and the website as more details become available. And, now I promise this is last…If you’re really, really interested in our online classes, you can click right here to be whisked away to our other website and check out the whole program. And, now, really…here is our favorite Somm…Joe Breaux.

“To Market, To Market” aka Season 3 of Not A Single Fork was epic. Not because we were able to execute on our plans to visit some fun places to shop for food but because well…we couldn’t. We were trapped in the beginning of what would become the Pandemic Odyssey so we invented ways to entertain you without leaving home. We described how grocery stores work and how they strategically locate the products they want to sell. We even “shopped” in our own pantries and played our version of Chopped and “What’s In Your Pantry?”. Season 3 ended up being not only fun for us but one of our best season’s yet! So here is a replay of the Season 3 Finale (because we’re still elsewhere although Season 10 is coming soon!) for your listening pleasure. Oh wait… Don’t forget, Rat In The Kitchen. Remember, that’s the TBS Network show I taped last summer. My episode is finally scheduled for Thursday, May 26th. We’ll be hosting a Watch Party at the kitchen studio (if you’re in the Tulsa/BA area) and also live streaming on Facebook Live starting at 7:30 pm CDT that night. So now you can be involved in solving the whodunnit as in Who Is The Rat? Keep an eye out on IG and FB and the website as more details become available. And, now I promise this is last…If you’re really, really interested in our online classes, you can click right here to be whisked away to our other website and check out the whole program. And, now, really…here is the Season 3 Finale. Thanks for listening!

And, isn’t that a fun logo. It belongs to a butcher in Cape Town, South Africa of the same name and we’re borrowing it to emphasize our episode. But first…THIS! We’re taking a break. But we don’t want you to forget about us! We started this podcast back in 2019 with our opening season based on a failed online course I spent hours putting together. But you guys seemed to like it on the podcast so while we’re away…you get the treat of listening to our greatest hits. This episode is all about MEAT. Yep, you read that right, MEAT. All kinds of meat from the exotic to the mundane. We tell you how to figure out what it is and what to do with it. It’s a pretty fun episode if I do say so myself. Don’t forget, Rat In The Kitchen. Remember, that’s the TBS Network show I taped last summer. My episode is finally scheduled for Thursday, May 26th. There will be lots of info coming including how to be involved in solving the whodunnit as in Who Is The Rat? Keep an eye out on IG and FB and the website. And, now I promise this is last…If you’re really, really interested in our online classes, you can click right here to be whisked away to our other website and check out the whole program. We’ll be back in a few weeks with an all new season but in the meantime, enjoy MOO, BAA, OINK.

I really can’t say this enough but this week has been one helluva week! Yep, it exploded. We had the floor drains back up into our dishwashing area after Tuesday’s class. And, what we thought would be a simple “snaking” of the pipes turned into an all Wednesday afternoon, $$$$ investment. Could have been worse. Could have been a broken pipe requiring jack-hammering of our concrete floor. As people arrived for Wednesday’s class, we had to turn them away but Thursday’s class went off without a hitch…so there’s that. We made it. Then, we had to re-record this final episode due to extreme technical issues. That’s why you were listening to an archived show last week (still a really good episode, btw). So, this is the final episode of Season 9. It’s all about the next online class installment – Authentic Mexican. You get to hear about all the video shenanigans and more, of course. We made it. Last but not least, Rat In The Kitchen. Remember, that’s the TBS Network show I taped last summer. My episode is finally scheduled for Thursday, May 26th. There will be lots of info coming including how to be involved in solving the whodunit as in Who Is The Rat? Keep an eye out on IG and FB and the website. And, now I promise this is last…If you’re really, really interested in the classes, you can click right here to be whisked away to our other website and check out the whole program.

Weird title, right? Well…that’s because although we recorded the final episode for Season 9, we can’t air it. It kinda exploded. When that happens, we don’t want you to go without so we’re re-running one of the old favorites. And, that’s what this is. The Season 2 finale was one of the most popular episodes ever and since we love to stroll down Memory Lane, we thought you would like it, too. I mean, instead of radio silence. This episode is the stand-in, stunt double for Episode 6 of Season 9. We’ll be back soon with the real one but we’re going to call it Episode 7. Below, you will find the notes from the episode. It originally aired on January 13, 2020. In the Dark Ages, before the pandemic blip… It is the last episode of Season 2 and yes, you guessed it, we hate Valentine’s Day. Not for the reason you think, neither Natalia nor I is single, screaming Adele songs at my cat. I mean, you have been introduced to my cat and she does plenty of screaming on her own so no extra screaming needed.No, we hate Valentines for different reasons. And, you’re going to hear all of them!We are in the food industry and for years we had to endure Valentine’s dinners at the restaurant. Although, those nights are cash cows, it’s never really worth the stress. V-Day diners are typically the ones who never go out and are only out now because it’s “expected”. Honestly, we’re trying to give you all the leftover food that we haven’t been able to sell and the same goes for the alcohol. Mediocre at best and we are going to charge you A LOT for it. Actually, we’re mainly charging you for the pain we have to go through to deal with all the people who have no clue how to behave when they’re out in public.Does that set the stage for you? We are definitely ending on a crazy note with this episode. We cover everything from sexy food, aphrodisiacs (not the same as sexy food) and weird bedroom games. In the end, we would just like you to treat every day like it’s Valentine’s Day. Do you really need a special day to let your person know you love him/her? We sure hope not!Buckle up buttercup, here comes the final episode. Happy Valentine’s Day!?So, that’s it guys. Thanks for hanging in with us for Season 2. We all made it together and hopefully, mostly stress-free. If we gave you a few laughs along the way, good! That was our plan. Don’t take yourselves too seriously and have fun. Life is short so we’re okay with you eating dessert first.We’re going to take a break for a few weeks but we’ll check back in here and there so be sure to follow us on Instagram (@notasinglefork) and Twitter (@notasinglefork1) and we’ll keep you updated on what we’re up to. Also, check out our Facebook Lives from the kitchen! We’ve got lots of classes coming up so you won’t want to miss that craziness.In the meantime, you can catch up on Season 1 and 2, our episodes are evergreen so you can listen and listen again. Please subscribe, download, and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play. And, we love to hear from you, so comment below…all those things! They mean so much to us but not as much as you!Thanks for listening! We’ll be back soon with Season 3 and trips to the farmer’s markets plus interviews! WE LOVE YOU!

And, we’re back with more! More food and fun and kinda weird throwback recipes that frankly, no one can believe anyone would eat, back in the day. We’re pretty fascinated with throwback/retro recipes so we’re going to be sharing lots of them in our online classes. April’s lessons (dropping on the 15th, it’ll make Tax Day a little easier) include not only a super yummy throwback but beet roasting, carrot glazing and risotto making. I especially hate Jello so stay around for the end of the episode when we talk about all the awful Jello salads that were made (and eaten) when I was a kid. A lot of food preparation and cooking is intimidating so our mission is to make cooking more fun and accessible to you. We want you to enjoy it, have a good time…like we do! So here comes Episode 5 of Season 9. If you like it, please drop us a line here or review us on wherever you listen. If you’re really, really interested in the classes, you can click right here to be whisked away to our other website and check out the whole program.

Happy to report that Natalia returned in the nick of time from NOLA and in this episode, shares (overshares?) their escapades in the great state of Louisiana. From St. Patrick’s Day parades and crawfish boils in Baton Rouge to restaurants off the beaten path in NOLA, you will hear it all because in true Natalia style, she shares it all. You also get a sneak peek from the online cooking classes’ COMFORT FOOD lessons. It was a super fun set of lessons to tape because not only did we show you how to make Chicken Pot Pie and Mac N’ Cheese but we included specific lessons on making sauce and pie dough. Cool, right? Our plan is to not only teach you about food and cooking but just as we do here in the podcast, we’re hellbent on entertaining you, first and foremost! And, man, are your going to be entertained here and in our online classes. Then, be one of the cool kids…drop us a comment here and we’ll add you to the mailing list. The emails (and the online classes) have already started so don’t wait to get on the list. Live and super interactive online classes are coming soon so get on the list and you’ll be one of the first to know when we bust it all out! If you’re really, really interested in the classes, you can click right here to be whisked away to our other website and check out the whole program. So sit back, relax and listen to this next episode.

This has been quite the journey and basically, shit show. Somehow we lost the Not A Single Fork website posts but they are still existing somewhere out in the podcasting universe. We are making every effort to not lose them but we’ve had no control over anything else so…who knows!? In this episode, Natalia has a confession and we start explaining the whole online course process. From running wild to realizing we really had to pull this shit in. I spend and continue to spend some time on what we should call our monthly video offerings. Any suggestions? I would love to consider them. Frankly, not happy with anything I’ve come up with to this point. Our intent is to provide you with sensible content that fits into your cooking life. To that end, our January videos are all about Healthy-ish Eating. We were overly ambitious but the content is still really good with Black Bean Burgers (already getting rave reviews from members who have made them), two shrimp dishes, a pork tenderloin with burst tomatoes (my personal fave and go-to) and then seared salmon and a stuffed mushroom appetizer. Whew! After taping for 3 months, I can tell you just from looking back at the sheer number of recipes, we were waaayyy too ambitious. We’ve paired it back and learned our lessons. Oh wait! Did I just have an epiphany? I think we’ll call our monthly videos…wait for it – LESSONS! DUH!! Yep, that’s the ticket. So the January video lesson was Healthy-ish Cooking since we’re coming back from holiday indulgence! So each month’s lesson with have a theme. February is COMFORT. March will be a full meal that celebrates Winter to Spring. April, May and beyond? We’ll share those when we get closer to well. April and May but I’ll give you a hint. May will celebrate a favorite Anglo holiday that really is not Mexican. How about that? Break out the Margaritas! So, here is Season 9, Episode 3. All about how we do the Online Classes. ENJOY!

Ummm…well, I remember 1968 and in this episode, we take a walk down Memory Lane via a well-preserved magazine. We’re also talking Throwbacks because we’re going to be offering up some throwback recipes in our online classes. I know, I know, you guys like to call them “retro” and yes, they are that, too. But we’re going to take you back and throw the recipe atcha. Get it? Throw – back? We’re also experimenting with adding images and other fun stuff to these website posts so let us know what you think in the comments below. What you’re seeing above is an actual McCall’s magazine from October, 1968. It cost $.50. Crazy, right? Can’t imagine how much it would cost now, maybe $20? Not only is it tabloid size (or bigger) it advertises itself as the “first magazine for women“. Rightfully, so, because it plays to its audience…it definitely knew that audience and man, have we changed! Or, at least, I like to think we’ve changed. Maybe some people haven’t? It’s like saying, “You’ve come a long way, baby.” That was the slogan for Virginia Slims cigarettes, also, circa 1968. Natalia found this 1968 McCall’s to be particularly fascinating because it did know its audience so well. She takes you (mostly) page by page through the entire magazine. Reading the advertising as we traveled back to 1968 in this little time machine. By the way, I was 12 in 1968 so there you go. You may be wondering, what is the significance of all this? I mean, besides that we will be sharing some Throwback Recipes with you? Well, this magazine holds my mother’s famous “Beef Wellington” recipe. There are a lot of interesting (very weird, 1960’s-type) recipes included but the “Tenderloin in Brioche” (not technically, Beef Wellington, but hey, we’re in Oklahoma) was the highlight for my mom. She made the brioche and wrapped it around an entire beef tenderloin then baked it. It was supposed to have truffles and truffle sauce but I don’t remember that part. I’m pretty sure we couldn’t get truffles in Oklahoma in 1968. Mom was very proud of this dish and it became something of a legend. I think she only made it once. Probably because it was a pain in the ass and no one really appreciated it. But Mom was always willing to take on a challenge even if she had never made the recipe before. This applied to other areas of her life as well but we’re here to talk about food, at least for the moment. She also tried to help us be a bit more sophisticated in our eating and, frankly, our lives than the rest of our family. This was one of those attempts. We also talk about both us having COVID even though we were sure we had dodged the bullet (having been fully vaccinated and boosted). I spent my time combing through thousands of recipes I had saved since the 2000s. I whittled those many folders and files down to one and in the process, could see how my cooking and knowledge evolved over 20+ years. That’s also going to be part of the online classes. Our plan is to not only teach you about food and cooking but just as we do here in the podcast, we’re hellbent on entertaining you, first and foremost! And, man, are your going to be entertained here and in our online classes. So sit back, relax and listen to this next episode. Then, be one of the cool kids…drop us a comment here on the website and we’ll add you to the mailing list. The emails (and the online classes) have already started so don’t wait to get on the list. Live and super interactive online classes are coming soon so get on the list and you’ll be one of the first to know when we bust it all out!

Wondering when you were going to get that notification that a new episode had dropped? Well, wait no longer. We have a take a little break between seasons so we can get some fresh ideas, take a little break and then come back with some more fun for you. Remember how we told you at the end of last season that we know you can’t get enough of us so ICYMI, we’re putting together a “for real” series of online cooking classes packed full of all that stuff you want to see (and not just hear about)? Your wish is our command and this season is all about our NEW Online Classes. You’ll get all of the background and what we went through to figure all this out, the topics, recipes, tips, tricks and hacks that will all be a part of our online classes. So as we progress, online…we’ll shadow/mirror whatever here in the podcast. You get a little extra intel and then you’ll be dying to sign up for our very reasonably priced cooking class entertainment. Plus…you’ll be the first to know when we go LIVE with the classes. Be one of the cool kids…drop us a comment here on the website and we’ll add you to the mailing list. You’ll be the first to know when we bust it all out! The emails (and the online classes) have already started so don’t wait to get on the list.

Welcome to almost 2022! Let’s put 2021 in the rearview and move on! Let’s include 2020 in that rearview as well, in fact, way, way back. So, we come to the last episode of Season 8 and this year. And, yes, several seasons ago, we talked about black eyed peas but since we seriously need some good juju, we thought, why not? Let’s go again and maybe throw in some additional tidbits…like a recipe! Black eyed peas are an Old World plant first domesticated in West Africa. When Africans were abducted and brought to the US as slaves, they hid the seeds and were able to then grow and cultivate them, providing a rich source of nutrition in their otherwise meager diet. Then, during the Civil War, the Union troops left the pea fields (salt pork also) alone thinking they were inedible and only food for animals. This history gives rise to the Southern tradition of eating black eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good luck. For you recipe hounds (I was going to write “whores” oh, I guess I just did!), this is a little different twist. Black Eyed Pea Pineapple Salad Serves 8 1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed well 1 cup whole kernel corn, canned, frozen or fresh ½ whole fresh pineapple, medium dice ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped 1 small red onion, small dice ½ red bell pepper, small dice 1 small serrano pepper, seeded, deveined and minced ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded deveined and minced 2 tbsp brown sugar ¼ cup sherry wine vinegar 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Mix first 8 ingredients together in a large bowl.  Set aside.  In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine brown sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and oil; replace lid and shake vigorously until an emulsion is created.  Pour over salad ingredients and toss.  Do not over-mix.  Refrigerate and allow flavors to meld for at least an hour.  Serve cool but not ice cold. This is great as a side but we like to serve it with tortilla chips as a dip! We also share our own cracked version of the tradition along with poke greens (listen to the episode). Here are some highlights but still listen to the whole episode. 02:15 – Christmas dinners 04:15 – Natalia is very proud of her dried oranges 07:11 – Moving one 13:11 – Poke greens are poisonous? 16:07 – Let’s talk about the recipe 19:45 – The lucky trifecta We know you can’t get enough of us so ICYMI, we’re putting together a “for real” series of online cooking classes packed full of all that stuff you want to see (and not just hear about). And, if you’re interested and want to be one of the cool kids…drop us a comment here on the website and we’ll add you to the mailing list. You’ll be the first to know when we bust it all out! The emails have already started so don’t wait to get on the list. In the meantime, enjoy the episode and Happy New Year! We’ll be back in a few weeks with Season 9.

Are you guys noticing a theme? We are totally into ingredients this season. And, we’re trying to help you out with some of the more challenging ones. A suggestion here, a recipe there and then you have branched out without any pain or suffering! Sweet potatoes are one of those ingredients that you hear about a lot especially if you’re into that whole healthy eating thing because let’s face it, they are really good for you. But the really good thing is that they also taste really good and, you can’t say that about a lot of food that’s good for you, right? Sweet potatoes are also able to go savory or sweet with equal success. Now, as you listen to the episode, you’ll notice that Natalia (and me too, for that matter) does not get or like the whole candied yams with marshmallows and brown sugar thing. I know, I know, lots of you absolutely love that recipe but we’re pretty sure it’s just nostalgia…kinda like the cheese coneys from before. You don’t really think that tastes good, do you? But we’re including a savory recipe for your next holiday (or just regular cold weather) dinner. These are the spicy ones that I adapted from Bobby Flay. It’s super easy and you can adjust the level of spice to suit yourself. The other cool thing? You can make them ahead of time! Final cool thing…4 ingredients! So here they are: Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes Serves 8 – 10 5½ lbs sweet potatoes 1 tbsp minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into chunks 1 tsp kosher salt Preheat oven to 450° Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish, and set aside. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Roast the sweet potatoes in preheated oven until easily pierced with a fork, 1 to 1½ hours. Remove from the oven, and cool about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop flesh into a mixing bowl. Discard potato skins. Beat the sweet potatoes with the chipotle peppers, butter, and salt; spread evenly in the prepared baking dish. This can baked now or refrigerated until the next day. Bake until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes. Don’t forget there’s another (cooler) recipe over on Patreon. Remember, it’s the place where you can watch fun videos, get fun recipes and become a fun member of our gang! Just click below to check it out: Become a Patron! If our podcast shows up when it’s supposed to and these days, that’s a big IF… You should be able to find us all over the place. Listen on your favorite podcatcher, we’re probably there, even on Alexa! We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play and, of course, here, AND, you can take us on the road anytime you like! We love and appreciate you guys. Keep listening, hang in there. And, hopefully, the publishing gods will provide.

True to form, we covered many topics on our way to pie but we did talk A LOT about pie and a lot of other stuff as well. Natalia, being from England, did not grow up with pie as we know it. Pie was savory. Meat pies, for example, so she kinda doesn’t get how much people here obsess over pie and pie crust. She, of course, came along for the ride anyway. In this episode, you’ll hear about Christmas pudding, fruitcake and a drunken cat, lighting food on fire and how much I hate meringue and then back to pie. My personal favorite is pumpkin. But my kids love my butterscotch cream pie so that is the recipe you’re going to find on Patreon. If you haven’t found our Patreon page yet, here you go. It says “become a member” but you won’t become one if you click on that widget. Become a Patron! You’ll find highlights below but stay for the entire ride…lots of information whether you want it or not. 02:51 – Natalia did not grow up with pie 04:25 – I used to bake a lot of cookies 09:55 – I am a pie crust Nazi 16:45 – What is mincemeat? 19:45 – White fruitcake that my cat really enjoyed 28:30 – I HATE meringue 31:29 – The thing about pie crust 38:23 – Cheddar cheese and apple pie If our podcast shows up when it’s supposed to and these days, that’s a big IF… You should be able to find us all over the place. Listen on your favorite podcatcher, we’re probably there, even on Alexa! We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play and, of course, here, AND, you can take us on the road anytime you like! We love and appreciate you guys. Keep listening, hang in there. And, hopefully, the publishing gods will provide.

That is the question, for chili anyway. In this episode, we travel far afield (as usual) but end up talking mostly about chili because it's chilly outside, right? So chili when it's chilly. Chili is a big deal in this part of the country and maybe it is where you live as well but we didn't stop to find that out. Chili contests abound this time of year and sometimes other times of year, too. The biggest discussion is around whether you put beans in it and if you do, is it still chili and if you don't, is it still chili? Natalia has some pretty strong opinions about this...surprise! We had to talk about one of our great landlords because he often texts me pictures (okay, get out of the gutter!) of his cooking. Last year, I got a pic of his chili fixins' (that's what we call mise en place in Oklahoma) and then a newspaper article from the '70s (I think) about his family's chili recipe. And, you lucky people, I'm going to share it with you later in this post. Another chili topic centered around using something besides ground meat and tomatoes so I shared my recipe (adapted from America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Illustrated) for White Bean Chicken Chile Verde. I'm not sure what the Test Kitchen called it but I changed it up and renamed it to suit me and you will find that recipe on our Patreon page along with lots of other fun stuff so if you're interested...click below and you'll be over at our page in an instant. Become a Patron! Also, I want you to know that we have been on the cutting edge of food topics this season. Most recently, stuffed and baked pumpkin. It appeared on the cover of the Thanksgiving issue of Food and Wine magazine and then the website, The Kitchn featured it in their Thanksgiving Food Fest series with Dorie Greenspan. So, clearly, we are some of the cool kids. So before we get into the highlights, for those who want them. Here is the Synar family's chili recipe. SYNAR CHILI Makes 2½ gallons (enough for 12 – 16 servings) 2 cups chopped onion 2 cups chopped green bell pepper 3 – 4 stalks chopped celery 8 lb lean ground meat, chili grind ¼ cup Worchestershire sauce (up to ½ cup), ½ cup A-1 sauce, and 10 – 12 oz bottle of ketchup 1, 8 oz can tomato paste 2, 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes 2, 14.5 oz cans tomato sauce 3 – 4 large garlic cloves chopped (up to 10) Gebhardt’s Eagle Brand chili powder seasoning, to taste Seasoned salt, to taste 2 tbsp dried oregano 2 – 3 cups salsa 1 chile pepper, hot, 3” long Garlic salt, to taste Black pepper Heat canola oil in large pot. Add Holy Trinity and cook until softened about 10 minutes. Increase heat, add meat until pink is gone. Add worchestershire sauce, A-1 and ketchup and stir well. Add remaining ingredients and 1 cup of water. Simmer uncovered for 1 – 2 hours. Add another cup of water after 30 minutes. Add another cup of water at end of cooking time. If you are one of those people who is only interested in highlights, here you go but, of course, you'll really want to listen to the entire episode so you can access it below. I mean, it's only 30 minutes and it will occupy you during your commute or whatever you're doing.

Continuing on our journey to breakdown recipes and harvest fall, we now attack the pumpkin. Not really attack it but we are cutting it up in one way or another. In this episode, we do spend some time sharing the pumpkin carving that I did with my kids but we're mostly into the cooking of pumpkins. And, yes, a pumpkin is just another variation on winter squash that originated in northeastern Mexico and the southern United States. The oldest evidence - pumpkin fragments dated between 7,000 and 5,500 BC found in Mexico. So, actually, all kinds of winter squash (especially, pumpkins) have been around for a really long time. Isn't it interesting that, for the most part, we don't know what to do with one besides make a jack o'lantern? Or buy the puree in a can? So...we are coming to the rescue! In case, you want to do more than carve it, watch it mold on your front door step, or better yet, have some errant teenager throw it as far as he/she/they can and watch it explode on the concrete. Those days are over, my friend. We are talking you through not only a Baked Stuffed Pumpkin but a soup and a risotto recipe. Since the risotto recipe is one we teach in class, it is widely available so you're getting it below. Or, you can always go to our RECIPES page on the website to find even more recipes and then class info, pictures, etc., etc. Here's the recipe...you're welcome. Pumpkin Risotto with Goat Cheese and Dried Cranberries Serves 4 4 cups vegetable stock 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 onion, minced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1 cup Arborio rice ¼ to ½ cup white wine ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ½ cup crumbled goat cheese ½ cup dried cranberries or cherries In a medium saucepan, whisk together the stock and pumpkin over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cover and keep warm. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large heavy sauté pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft. Add rice stirring to coat with butter until grains are almost translucent. Add wine, cook and stir until it is completely absorbed. Begin adding stock, about 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until it is completely absorbed then add the next cup of stock. Continue this process until the rice is tender and creamy but still slightly al dente. Remove rice from the heat, add Parmigiano, half of the parsley and dried cranberries. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining parsley and goat cheese. Serve immediately. If you are one of those who like to hit the high points, I've listed some for your casual listening pleasure. Of course, what we really want you to do is invest about 30 minutes of your time in the entire episode to get the full effect. And, by the way, we're back in the "proper studio". 06:55 - Eating pumpkins 08:30 - Baked Stuffed Pumpkin, the recipe breakdown 16:13 - The critical element of stuffing 20:17 - All in with @inquiringchef on Instagram 23:35 - Did you know Candace hates soup? 25:20 - Baking a pumpkin pie 26:25 - What is a silpat? 31:00 - Risotto variety Don’t forget, you can find us all over the place now! Listen on your favorite podcatcher, we’re probably there, even on Alexa! We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play and, of course, here, AND, you can take us on the road anytime you like!

How about those Winter Squash? Intimidating for some. They look weird or they skin is hard and basically, you have not idea what to do with them. So...what do you do? Just buy the diced butternut squash in the produce section? NO! You can DO this! Listen to this episode and you will become a winter squash master...well, maybe not a master but you'll be able to practice to become one, okay?! We're going to tell you about acorn, butternut and even spaghetti squash in this episode and yes, I'm going to hit the high points below. At least, I consider them high points. You will also get a recipe that I just made up on the spot, right here. The fancy, schmancy recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is on the Patreon site for patrons-only so if you want this delicious soup (and I hate soup but I like it), you'll have to become a patron, sorry! Membership has its privileges, right? I've included the Become A Patron button in case you're interested. If you're not, ok. You'll have to be satisfied with this one I'm pulling out of you know where. Become a Patron! And, after this episode, we were able to move back into our "recording studio" because the pecans have finished falling from the neighbor's tree that hangs over my bedroom. We apologize for the ups and downs of the sound quality and effects and who knows...you might enjoy them. But first, a recipe: Soy Glazed Acorn Squash Rings Serves 2 – 4 1 large acorn squash 2 tbsp canola oil 3 tbsp soy sauce (I use Bragg aminos because I like the flavor better, not because I care about gluten) 3 tbsp maple syrup (doesn't have to be expensive maple syrup) 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp freshly ground pepper Preheat oven to 375°.  Cut both ends off the squash, clean out seeds and strings and discard.  Cut squash into 1 –1 ½ inch wide rings.  There should be at least four slices.  Brush each squash slice on both sides with oil and place on cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake squash for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine soy sauce and syrup.  Baste squash rings with soy sauce mixture.  Continue baking another 15 – 20 minutes basting with sauce every 5 -10 minutes until the squash is fork tender and glazed. But wait, there's more! Episode highlights but we hope you listen to the whole thing...it's not even 30 minutes! 02:15 - Natalia explains what a bully stick is 04:49 - All the squashes 07:20 - General descriptions, storage, actually good information 10:45 - How to acorn squash 18:05 - The butternut 20:55 - Roasting, cutting, peeling 22:58 - Spaghetti squash and my opinion, again 25:54 - The problem with spaghetti squash, among other things Don’t forget, you can find us all over the place now! Even though there was a bit of a glitch trying to publish the last episode, we are back! Listen on your favorite podcatcher, we’re probably there, even on Alexa! We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play and, of course, here, AND, you can take us on the road anytime you like! We love and appreciate you guys. Keep listening, hang in there.

The Wursts and Wieners We're so glad to be back! Sorry for the hiatus but we have a really good excuse or at least, explanation. We've got SO much going on!! From social media to photos to online videos...we've got it all so STAY TUNED. In fact, this season (Season 8, btw) is going to be a big tease for what's to come in January. In the meantime, since we're heading into the holidays and we've pretty much overdone talking to Turkey Hotlines and telling you what we like to do for the season, we thought you might like to hear some specific recipes and actually break them down for you. Not everyone, in fact, probably no one, even a really good home cook, approaches a recipe the way a "professional" does. So we're here to help you out. We're hoping it helps you out! Starting with October and all the fun fall foods that go with that month of harvest and beer and oh yeah, brats. Really any and all sausages. We're going to give you a recipe here and then the other recipe, well, it's going on our Patreon. So if you're really dying to get that second recipe...click below and you can check it out. If you don't want to do that, we still love you, just not as much. Just kidding!! We LOVE ALL you guys!! Become a Patron! I'm not giving away everything on this episode. You've got to listen and don't you want to because you've missed us so much!? Here are some highlight times and then after that, the recipe for Kielbasa (or any sausage) with Warm Potato Salad. 01:30 - Shoutouts to our Marketing Team 04:15 - What are we talking about? 07:30 - My "particular" way 10:55 - The recipes begin 11:46 - Kielbasa 18:30 - Let me tell you what I would do... 22:20 - It's all about the water bath 26:05 - I'm creative! The Recipe - Adding my comments below (if you're interested) Kielbasa (Sausages) with Warm Potato Salad Serves 4 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian pork sausages 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced 12 ounces pale ale beer 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add sausages and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add beer, potatoes, and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper and press to submerge potatoes in cooking liquid. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer sausages to a serving platter and keep warm. In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon oil, vinegar, and parsley. With a slotted spoon, transfer potato mixture to dressing (reserve cooking liquid) and toss to combine. Return pot to high heat; boil cooking liquid until reduced to 1 cup, about 12 minutes. Return sausages to pot and cook until heated through, 2 minutes. Place sausages and dressed potatoes on serving platter; drizzle half the sauce over top. Serve sausages and potatoes with remaining sauce alongside. Candace's Comments (for what they're worth) So,