097 Trevor and Jess of Community Cultures

104 Laura Magone - The Wedding Cookie Table Community

The wedding cookie table is one of Pittsburgh’s most joyful food traditions.  We sit down with Laura McGone, founder of The Wedding Cookie Table Community, to talk about how a simple Facebook page started in 2015 as research for a documentary, and grew into a network of bakers preserving family recipes, cultural identity, and the “cradle to grave” role cookies play in our lives. Laura challenges the common myth of the cookie table origin story. We also get into why recipe boxes matter, how handwritten recipe cards and imperfect old measurements can still guide us, and how the community helps people recover “lost” cookies just by describing what they remember. Along the way, we talk record-setting cookie tables, Cookie Table University, and a major cookbook project tied to America’s 250th anniversary, plus the charitable cookie tables the group organizes for causes and communities in need.  We switch gears to a healthy recommendation from Caleb of Cravings with Caleb (Live Fresh Juicery) and hear a comforting savory craving from Nick of Inside Out Cookie (his mom’s meatloaf, leftovers included).  If you love Pittsburgh food, baking traditions, and practical tips like how many cookies per guest to plan, hit subscribe, share this with a fellow cookie-table fan, and leave us a review. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304813/support]

103 Jia Ji of @JiaAnimalSelfies

We're joined by Jia (you may know them as @JiaAnimalSelfies), a Pittsburgh creator with roots in Chengdu, Sichuan, and a deep love for the kind of food that doesn’t apologize for being specific. Jia shares their family’s path from China to Pittsburgh, including stories shaped by the Cultural Revolution, immigration, and the restaurant work that helped make education possible.  We talk about what “secret menu” really means, why it exists, and how to explore it without treating culture like a dare. For anyone chasing authentic Sichuan cuisine in Pittsburgh, Jia defines what mala actually is, how to prep your stomach before hot pot, and how sesame oil and soy milk fit into the tradition. Jia drops a smart Squirrel Hill hack for finding QR-code promos and ordering off-menu through delivery apps, plus local recommendations including dry hot pot at Little Corner Grill House and late-night options when the shift ends after midnight.  If you like Pittsburgh food podcasts, Asian American stories, and real tips you can use tonight, hit play and come hungry. Subscribe to The Pittsburgh Dish, share this with a friend who always orders the same thing, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304813/support]

102 Mike Ambeliotis of Mediterra

We sit down with Mike Ambeliotis of Mediterra Bakehouse and Mediterra Cafe to talk about what it really takes to grow a family business without losing the craft, the standards, or the relationships that built it in the first place. A local bakery that still sells at Pittsburgh farmers markets is also baking bread for Whole Foods across the country, and that tension is what makes this conversation so good. We go upstream to the ingredients. Mike breaks down their heritage grain work, including Red Fife grown in Arizona, natural pest control with ladybugs, and why milling their own flour gives them control from field to finished loaf.  Then we spotlight Mediterra Cafe, the thoughtfully designed spaces in Sewickley, Mt Lebanon, Lawrenceville, and Cranberry, plus the in-house pastry program and chef-driven food that turns the bakery’s bread into full meals.  Later in the show, wine expert Catherine Montest spotlights Ruby’s Wine House, and makes the case for wine flights as the fastest way to expand your palate. From exotic whites to bouquet-forward pours and horizontal flights that compare terroir across regions, you’ll leave with a clear plan for your next night out.  Subscribe for more Pittsburgh food stories, share this with a bread or wine fan, and leave a review with your favorite loaf or wine flight pick. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304813/support]

101 Zack Mazur, The Sizzle Sauce

A condiment that’s hard to categorize is usually the one worth chasing, and the Sizzle Sauce fits that bill. We talk with creator and owner Zack Mazur about a Pittsburgh-made sauce that starts with sweet barbecue vibes, shifts into a savory comfort-food depth, and then tags you with heat at the very end.  Zack walks us through the real behind-the-scenes journey of building a small food business: the first batch made at home for his daughter’s chicken nuggets and fries, the rounds of tinkering, to the encouraging push of family and friends to do more.  We round things out with two food wins: Sarah of Sarah Loves Yinz recommends Kitchen on Main in Ligonier for a treat-yourself brunch, and Sarah Kaminski of Best Ever Granola drops a weeknight “empty the fridge” taco hack that feeds a family without a strict recipe. If you like discovering local Pittsburgh food brands, small business stories, and practical meal ideas, hit subscribe, share this with a sauce-loving friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304813/support]

100 Maddy Hernandez of Pastries A-La-Carte

Episode 100 hits a little different, because the best parts of Pittsburgh food culture aren’t just pierogi, pepperoni rolls, and perfect cookie tables. It’s the way people use food to find each other, support each other, and build something that lasts.  We're joined by Shayla Penn, who returns to the table to share what’s happened since her early appearance on the show, and it’s a lot: hosting cooking demos & competitions, founding a non-profit, all while her Facebook community Burgh Eats and Treats has grown to nearly 33,000 members. Shayla is truly cooking with fire in our food community.  Then we go from community power to cookie craft with Maddy Hernandez of Pastries A-La-Carte in Pleasant Hills. Maddy is the lead cookie decorator, and she breaks down what it takes to oversee custom cutouts, weddings, and wholesale at a busy Pittsburgh bakery. She shares the sweet headline you’ll want to repeat: Pastries A-La-Carte is the official bake shop of the Pittsburgh Penguins, with desserts in the suites and beyond, plus the behind-the-scenes systems that keep quality high when the volume is nonstop. If you like Pittsburgh bakeries, and stories about how local food turns into real connection, you’ll feel right at home here. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who loves a good cookie, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304813/support]