90. Brines, Cures, and Catch Up

Hey there food fans, this is a snack-sized episode of your favorite food podcast- It's episode 90 of the Food For ThoughtCast! Today Steve and Melissa are checking in with each other and doing a little review of brines and cures. What makes a turkey into a pastrami? Listen in to find out! If you like what you hear don't forget to rate, review, or subscribe and tell a friend! Thanks for listening and for watching us on YouTube!

When the dog bites, run. And when the bee stings, you should probably get it looked at. But anyway, welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast- today we are pulling an Oprah ( and a bit of the Grinch!) to tell you about our favorite things! This episode probably has enough rabbit trails to qualify it for national park status. Episode 89 is all about gifts for food fans and chefs alike, and also things we have no use for. Melissa says no shade to Pampered Chef (but there is) and Steve says he's not a Grinch but we all know the truth. Thanks for listening and don't forget to watch us on YouTube!

Don't let the title fool you, we talked about both of these things for no good reason, but not served together. Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast- Steve and Melissa are catching up today on Episode 88 and talking all about what we made for those non-Thanksgiving events we attended and hosted last week. Thanks so much for listening and don't forget to watch us on YouTube!

It's that time again, it's Turkey Day! (or Thursday for those who celebrate it) Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast, episode 87! Melissa and Stephen are ready for the big day, and both feeling ready for pie and all the things. Today we are talking about retro and vintage Thanksgiving dishes, and tackling the important issues- like where celery doesn't belong. Thanks so much for listening and have a most excellent Thanksgiving!

What is the one convenience item you always have in the house? For me, it's cream of chicken soup. At any time, I always have at least two cans in the pantry. No shame in my game! It's time for episode 86 of The Food For ThoughtCast- today Melissa and Stephen are talking about conveneince items. Chefs use them too! From jarred pesto, to rotisserie chicken, there are all sorts of things we like to use at home to either get food on the table faster or make something really tasty with a little less work. What is in your home cook arsenal? Are you ashamed of a cake mix, or does your freak flag have some cans and boxes on it? Join us on this episode, and be proud of feeding yourself and your friends and family. That's the important part! Thanks so much for listening. 

Are you content with your content? See that? It works two ways- just like our conversations! Lol! Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast, it's time for Episode 85! Today, Steve and Melissa are pondering what it takes to make amazing food content- whether audio or video , or both. We discuss how we decide what we will cook or post and we also chat about how we get ahead of the algorithm, as it were. Thank you so much for listening!  Find some of our favorite food content creators below:  Binging with Babish Arnie Tex Lilyloutay Beardo Weirdo  So Vegan Your Barefoot Neighbor Liam Layton (The Plant Slant) Mississippi Kween Cooking w/ Cajun Ian Fujimoto IthinkIcancook (FB) Chef Hawkes (YouTube)

What's the difference between a shallot and a scallion? Are red or yellow onions better for burgers? These questions and lots more answered on today's episode-Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast! It's Episode 84, where we talk about onions and their uses (and their flavors, and their names). Melissa and Steve are excited to peel back all the layers of this topic, leaving no allium unturned. Whether you are just onion-curious, crazy about caramelized, or cautious about chives- you'll enjoy this episode. Thanks for listening. Find us where all finer podcasts are served. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

This week's episode of The Food For ThoughtCast is a thought-provoking look into the world of bartending and its connections to food and the service industry. We are joined by Chef Stephen's pal Phil, for Episode 83. Coming to us from St Louis, he clues us in to the musician- to-service industry pipeline. We talk about why he hates the word "mixologist", a little bit of the science behind choosing food and drink together, the non-alcoholic beverage movement, Japanese whiskey, and most important of all- our feelings. Truly though, it is a fascinating cross-section of humanity that you will find in our business- and Phil leaves us with a lot of food for thought. Thanks for listening and don't forget to watch us on YouTube!

Donuts and hoagies and kibbeh, oh my! It's time for a recap of Chef Stephen's recent trip back to Philly. Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast- it's Episode 82- A Return to Reading Terminal! We are talking all things saganaki, Thanksgiving sandwiches, and Steve celebrates crabfries! Today's episode is a personal victory for Melissa as Steve finds crinkle fries he actually likes, and truffle flavor that he doesn't. We travel just to eat and we can't wait to tell you all about it. Don't eat terrible airport food if you can help it. Find us in all the usual podcast places and thanks for watching on YouTube.

Melissa and Steve are reminiscing about birthday meals past, present, and future today! Welcome back to The Food For ThoughtCast. It's Episode 81! We kick things off by hearing about the amazing meal that Steve recently made for his lovely better half's birthday. We ponder the many ways to cook chuck ribs, how to make friends without salad, and how to make people feel special on their birthday. What is your ultimate birthday meal? Thanks for listening and don't forget to watch us on YouTube!