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Hi guys, another episode, finally!  The internet quality was bad, so there's some glitching, but Jesse tried his best to edit the worst of it out.  Still, this is not our best-sounding episode.  (When we finally DO have a best-sounding episode, we'll let you know.) Time Stamps: 2:09 Tarver’s Nightmare Gig 14:41 Winkies, Schmekels, and Nozzles 15:54 Jesse’s Bartending Beat-Down 17:10 On Tiny Spider Crabs 30:30 What TV NOT to Watch on Acid 31:54 Jesse’s Mushroom Experience 34:22 Jesse’s NYC Trip Part 1: Bubbie’s 36:36 NYC Part 2: Daniel 39:03 A Digression on Bread Service 42:54 The Best Dish in NYC 50:57 Jesse’s Embarrassing Shoe Story 53:02 Tarver and Nate Talk Artichokes … and Mutual Esteem

Tarver couldn't make it, so Jesse and Nate planned something special.  Wait, no they didn't, they just spitballed on random topics.  The guys discuss sending food back, brick oven bread, cookbooks, and a particularly virulent strain of culinary misinformation. Time Stamps: 2:34 Nate’s Christmas Calendars 5:09 Nate’s Science Experiment (Mesophillic Cheese Culture) 7:03 People Like Grilled Cheese 9:42 Kenny Shopsin 14:37 Uncle Bucks 15:10 Huff’s Question on Sending Stuff Back 36:19. The Guys’ Actual Advice for Dissatisfied Diners, Sort Of 41:26 On Food Poisoning Fears 44:35 Nate’s Pop-Up Pizza Oven, Which Devolves Into a Discussion of Jesse’s Mom’s Xmas Gift Buying Habits 50:16 The Absurdity of Fondue Sets 51:50 Whittingstall’s Oueuvre 58:00 Signature Dishes that Matter 1:09:28 The Ultimate Nomenclature Controversy Question: Sorbet v. Sherbet

Hi everyone!  We got TK in the house today.  We didn't have a ton of time, so we just had a conversation about weird food, and everywhere that topic took us. Warning: Some of the jokes get a little raunchy on this one, even for us. Time Stamps: 1:00 Nate Reveals a Funny Compliment he Received 3:35 The Boys Get Down to Business 3:40 Nate’s Mildly Racist Kim Chee 5:20 Kimchee Tuna Tartare 7:07 Oldest Food the Guys Have Had 13:57 Eating Insects 16:00 Jesse Confuses Lionfish and Scorpionfish\ 18:50 On Rays, Catching and Cooking 28:50 Natto, and Why Tarver Hates It 34:21 Durian Fruit 35:55 The Taleggio Story (Funny) 42:21 Around the Horn, 1 More Weird Food Each 43:26 Nate Ate Dehydrated Scorpion 43:23 Tarver Ate Testicles 45:27 Jesse Ate Raw Horse 49:19 Red Stag Venison 54:00 Jesse’s Insane Pop Tart Idea

Hi guys, we didn't really have a plan for this one, so we went to the mail bag.   Time Stamps: :30 We begin with a tribute to Scott ‘Razor Ramon’ Hall 4:14 Nate Introduces Ray Finkle, his Einkorn Wheat Starter 8:33 Nate’s Cabbage Proclamation 10:24 Jesse’s Sad Story with a Funny Punchline 20:17 Listener Question #1: Knife Brands Recommendations 21:40 Jesse and Nate’s Knife Go-Tos 28:13 The Diamond Steel Issue 32:55 On Quentin Middleton 37:14 Steven’s Charcuterie Question 38:17 How to Create the Protein Web 40:40 Aged vs. Fresh Charcuterie 42:00 How to Make Sure Your Pate is Cooked Properly 42:45 On Aromatics in Pate 44:44 Heat Management is Paramount! 45:09 Take Good Notes! 47:00 Michael’s Training/Management Question 47:30 Leading By Example 48:42 Breaking the Jerk Cycle 50:52 The Crab Salad Story 53:17 The Value of Empathy 53:50 Orange-Lemon-Orange 55:00 Help People Find their Role 1:00:09 Jesse’s Passive-Aggressive Final Thought 1:03:00 The Towel Story 1:07:11 Michael’s Real-Time Menu Request!

Hi guys, no Nate this week, so Jesse and TK ATTEMPT to talk about cookbooks, but lose the plot for a while first.  No technical discussion this time, just a bunch of chatting about various aspects of chef culture. 1:02 Jesse’s Charleston Wine and Food Hot Take 2:35 Tarver and Jesse’s Beer Crushing Vendetta 5:10 On Restaurant Week 8:36 Jesse’s Chopped Audition Story, Amid a Broader Discussion of Top Chef 13:11 Why Iron Chef is the Best Competitive Food Show 20:19 TK on the Overriding Positivity of the Great British Bake-Off 21:12 Jesse’s Bobby Flay Confession 25:05 Tarver’s Vegas Adventures 25:20 Tarver and Jesse’s Roku Coincidence 29:00 On Robuchon’s Potato Puree 30:14 Gagnaire’s Was Overrated! 30:47 On Skydiving 34:02 The Guys Get On Topic: What We Look For In Cookbooks 35:16 When Recipes Don’t Work
42:22 Pie Crust Talk 52:17 Beauty Counts in Cookbooks… But Pretentiousness is a Thing 58:21 On Michel Bras’s Legacy 59:53 On the Importance of Photography in Cookbooks 1:07:00. A Cookbook’s Duty of Safety 1:16:36 The McDonald’s Fries Conversation

Hey all, TK got back from the UK, and he is telling all!!  This episode is basically porn. Note: At one point, TK refers to a place called 'Sea to Sea,' where they are known for dry-aging fish.  The restaurant is actually called 'The Sea, The Sea.'   We apologize for any confusion.   Time Stamps: :30 The Pre-show.  Thoughts on vodka and country pudding 7:55 A look behind the Hot Dogs and Caviar curtain 8:37 Jesse finally counts it in 11:44 Tarver’s Fat Duck stage 15:39 The Big Fat Duck Cookbook 18:47 Do they still make Bud Ice?? 20:12 Dry Aged Fish 28:04 A new anchovy snack 29:44 Dinner 37:12 JUMP CUT 38:24 On unscrupulous fish vendors 40:13 Abundant Seafood 41:52 How to be a chef 42:48 Caviar and Burrata 44:44 The iconic Dinner dessert 48:26 Harrod’s 49:49 The Fat Duck 50:28 Bartender talk 52:34 Tarver rhapsodises about Fergus F*****G Henderson
1:06:02 The Fat Duck 1:12:00 On culinary Lister-mint 1:15:45 Ikoyi 1:19:06 Crab Fat 1:25:00 Michelin Theory, and 11 Madison Park 1:32:00 The Fried Rice Thing 1:35:22 Jesse’s Burrito Theory 1:37:48 Jesse and Tarver’s 2 lunches

Okay, y'all.  We are calling this episode Time Warp Tuesday, because Jesse is an idiot, and produced the episodes out of order.  Anyone that pays attention to the NFL playoffs will notice that, so there's no sense in trying to hide it.  Anyway, apart from that, we have a spirited discussion of food cost, and then share our best chilli tips.  Enjoy! Time Stamps: 1:39 Jesse Hates Football 5:35 Chef-Bitching, Specifically Jesse’s Waste Rant 10:40 Jesse Thinks 16*12 is damn near 100. Wow. 17:20 Cleaning is Discarding 18:54 Why Being an Angry Chef is a Sub-Optimal Strategy 20:55 It’s Okay to Have Standards 23:50 On Utilization 27:40 Your Diners are Probably Cooks, Don’t Piss Them Off 30:30 Restaurant Cost Accounting, and Why It Matters 33:30 The Chilli Talk 34:08 On Chilli Dogma 38:33 The Origins of Chilli 39:00 The Purist Principle 40:18 On Frito Pie 41:15 An Amusing Non-Sequitur 42:36 Secret Ingredients in Chilli 47:47 Jesse Hates His Mom’s Cooking. Like, a Lot 50:35 Jesse’s Quick and Dirty Hot Dog Chilli 53:43 Jesse’s Insane Short Rib Chilli (Work in Progress) 56:50 Insta-pots are Awesome (and Air Fryers Suck) 1:00:14 A Quick Note on Beans

Hi guys!  New episode, sorry it's late.  With Nate and Jesse both working, it's been harder to maintain the illusion of a schedule, but we'll keep cranking these out, as long as all 60 of you keep listening!  We discuss several small topics, from football party snacks and Meat Loaf, to cruel nicknames, and how to shop for cheese and olive oil. Time Stamps:  00:57 On Nicknames (Multiple Funnies) 12:44 Jesse’s New Dessert Drink: The Iceball Slide 16:42 How Name-Control Works 20:00 The Guys Veer into Olive Oil 28:02 A Shout Out to the Late, Great Michel Richard 29:30 The Great Meatloaf Discussion 31:53 On the Interesting Properties of Pork Protein 33:53 On Filler in Meatloaf 36:44 Seasonings and Flavorings 41:05 How Many Eggs? 42:07 How to Check Seasoning 44:03 Bacon Wrapping, and the Parchment Trick 46:46 Jordan’s Meatloaf-Mayonnaise Trick 48:18 Time to Talk About Super Bowl Snacks, Starting with Dips 48:49 Brun-WOW 52:19 Definitions of Pimiento Cheese and Bagna Cauda 55:15 Bread Bowl Dips 56:06 Helluva Good Dip 57:06 Jesse’s Wife’s Family’s Cocktail Weenies 58:36 Nate’s Trash-ass Artichoke Dip 1:00:00 What are the Seven Layers in Taco Dip? 103:12 A Heartfelt Goodbye to DD Pecker’s

Hi everyone!  TK is back, and his daughter is on backing vocals.  The dudes discuss pancakes, among other things.   Time Stamps: 1:46 The Nate Burns His Melon Story 5:41 On the Ansul System 8:46 On Wood Ovens 11:37 The AMAZING Drago’s Oysters 12:45 Agege Bread from Nigeria 14:14 Bao Bread, and a Crazy Bread Rant 17:0t6 Tarver’s Brilliant Recipe Naming Convention 18:30 Tarver’s Wok Method, He’s Super-Excited 19:30 Jesse’s Linguistics Theory 20:42 Tarver Goes All Hippie, and We Discuss Chinese Food 24:38 We Attempt to Pivot to Pancakes, and Get Sidetracked By Injeera 27:45 The Guys Finally Get Around to Pancakes 29:10 On Acid Balance in Baking 31:48 Jesse Goes 6th Grade Chemistry Teacher 33:30 On Different Flours 36:40 Jesse’s Pancake Quest 38:06 Tarver Drops Some Pancake Science 40:14 Jesse’s Humbling Pancake Experience 40:50 Abelskiver Talk, and the Wizard’s Cookbook 45:16 Back to Jesse’s Humbling Pancake Experience 47:48 Jesse’s Pancake Recipe (Not Perfect!) 51:12 Hide the Beer Can

A short episode, with no real agenda.  Tarver is back!  We answer reader questions, talk about HR, and discuss funny expo calls.   2:11 Reader Question: Best Ways to Cook Octopus 3:00 Fun Expo Calls 4:52 The Ethical Issues of Eating ‘Pus 8:10 On Baby Octopi 10:22 Why Octopus Gets So Tough 12:31 What’s Up With Appalachian Cuisine 17:07 Brunswick Stew Vs. Burgoo 21:36 Books on Appalachian Cooking (and other Southern Cooking) 26:04 Revisiting the Issue of Hostesses 28:44 The Dreaded Ascended-Hostess Manager 32:44 Tarver’s Brilliant, Next-Level Solution to the Ascended Hostess Problem 34:38 The Moto Story

Hi guys!  Nate and Jesse have an impromptu discussion of issues in the restaurant business.  There is some immaturity sprinkled in to lighten the mood. Time Stamps: 1:30 Jesse’s Jackrabbit Filly Experience 6:07 Jesse’s Constructive Criticism 9:22 The Indaco Incident 12:44 Fine Dining Versus Casual 14:35 On Overcommunicating 18:36 The Emeril’s Incident (and Nate’s Fish and Cheese Interlude) 22:17 How Servers Size Up Diners 29:02 The Spookiest Charcuterie Plate in Charleston 31:41 The Hostess Problem 36:14 The 492 Service Pivot 39:50 The Guys Get Introspective 41:11 On Different Ways to Mitigate Food Cost 45:15 The One Metric that Matters 46:54 On Manipulating Food Cost Percentages 49:18 Why Hors D’Oeuevres are Crucial 51:12 Pharma Dinners! 54:16 What Happens When Your Loss Leader Is Your Best Seller 56:30 Why Fine Dining Is Hard 57:50 Why Hotels Help So Much 1:00:00 TK’s Really Mean Bibb Lettuce Prank 1:00:36 Jesse’s Totally Reasonable and Justified Nate-Scare Prank

Hi guys!  First, we discuss spice blending, and the total lack of decent resources on the subject.  Then, we get into whether it's OK to make your employees work on Christmas (a fraught topic, every year.)  Finally, we discuss some of our hits and misses over the years on our Christmas menus. Time Stamps: 1:00 The Story of the Mouth of the South 3:54 Listener Question: Good Books About Spice Blending? 6:46 Madras Curry 9:30 Nate’s Hail Mary Recommendation. 12:22 Jesse’s Insane Spice Research Idea 16:13 Reverse Engineering 17:52 The Spice House 20:00 Back to Curry Powder and Vadouvan 21:55 On the Dual Nature of Cinnamon 23:43 The Biggest Difference Between Nate’s Cooking and Jesse’s 27:00 Restaurant Cooking on Christmas 31:28 The Fiscal Evils of a Special Christmas Menu 32:04 On Reservations and Tickets 33:19 People REALLY DO Eat at Restaurants on Holidays 40:42 Heather’s Gingersnap Cookie 41:49 Nate’s Great-Grandma’s Spiced Chocolate Cookies 42:50 On the Feast of Seven Fishes 43:57 On Italian Seafood Simplicity 45:47 Jesse’s Feast of Seven Fishes Dish 49:50 The Difficulty of Getting Rid of Leftover Turkey, and the Worst Charcuterie Plate EVER 52:20 On the Once-a-Year Potato Puree 55:25 On 86’ing Specials and Why That’s Not a Bad Thing 56:22 Jesse’s Xmas Dessert Fail 59:32 The Tale of the Dreaded Minty Sanchez