True Crime Culinary

Episode 33: Gu gel and the Chicago Marathon Heatwave

The history of endurance sports is basically the history of humans trying to avoid bonking by aggressively eating increasingly weird snacks. This week on True Crime Culinary, Leah Llach looks at the 2007 Chicago Marathon heat disaster, the sticky rise of PowerBar and GU, California’s endurance culture boom, and why athletes went from believing food during races was weakness… to carrying caffeinated sugar goo in tiny foil packets. Also: mountain bikes, ultramarathon aid stations, and why humans eventually realized they actually like chewing. This episode references reporting and historical information related to the 2007 Chicago Marathon heat disaster, endurance fueling, women’s marathon history, and the rise of California endurance culture. Sources include historical information on PowerBar and founder Brian Maxwell, early mountain biking pioneers Gary Fisher and Joe Breeze, the 2007 Chicago Marathon, and marathon pioneers Kathrine Switzer, Stamata Revithi, and Marie-Louise Ledru. Additional information on endurance physiology, glycogen depletion, and carbohydrate fueling during exercise was referenced from peer-reviewed sports nutrition research. * PowerBar History [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBar?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Brian Maxwell Biography [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Maxwell?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Joe Breeze Biography [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Breeze?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Gary Fisher Biography [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Fisher?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * 2007 Chicago Marathon Overview [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Chicago_Marathon?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Stamata Revithi Biography [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamata_Revithi?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Marie-Louise Ledru Biography [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Louise_Ledru?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Kathrine Switzer Biography [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathrine_Switzer?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Nutrition and Athletic Performance Research Review [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3464793/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]

Episode 32 - Fortune Cookies and the Order That Solved the Murder

Fortune cookies aren’t actually Chinese — and their history connects immigration, war, restaurant culture, and one devastating murder investigation in Queens. In this episode of True Crime Culinary, Leah traces the surprising origins of fortune cookies from Japanese tea gardens to Chinese takeout counters across America. Along the way, she explores how World War II and the internment of Japanese Americans reshaped restaurant culture in the United States, how fortune cookies became mass produced, and how a Chinese food delivery order helped investigators solve the 2000 murder of restaurant owner and delivery driver Jin-Sheng Liu. From handwritten fortunes to forensic timelines, this is a story about food, history, labor, and the strange paper trails we leave behind. References * YouTube — Fortune Cookie History Video [https://youtu.be/OsOA4eYzG5s?si=eZ71whY1s3AyTOU4&utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Smithsonian Magazine — “Cracking Open the History of Fortune Cookies” [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/cracking-open-the-history-of-fortune-cookies-28538557/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Wikipedia — Internment of Japanese Americans [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_Americans?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * The New York Times — “Owner of Restaurant in Queens Is Killed During a Delivery” * The New York Times — “Teenagers Accused of Killing for a Free Meal” * ABC News — “Prosecutor: Five Teens Order Takeout, Kill Deliveryman” [https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=95451&page=1&utm_source=chatgpt.com]

Episode 31 - Snickers and the Foiled Race Horse Doppelgänger

A horse wins a race by a hair… and then the paint starts dripping down its legs. This week on True Crime Culinary, Leah dives into one of the strangest scandals in horse racing history: the 1984 Fine Cotton scandal, where gamblers swapped a racehorse, used spray paint to disguise it, and nearly pulled off the perfect betting con. But somehow, this story also leads directly to the history of Snickers — the candy bar named after a real horse. From the rise of Mars Incorporated during the Great Depression to Olympic sponsorships, endurance athletes, and one extremely questionable spray-paint decision, this episode looks at how money, perception, and horses collided in one absolutely batshit true story. 🎧 New episodes every Thursday. Grab a snack — preferably one not named after a racehorse involved in fraud. References / Sources 1. “Snickers.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snickers [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snickers] 2. “Fine Cotton scandal.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_Cotton [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_Cotton] 3. Mars Incorporated — “Our History.” https://www.mars.com/about/history [https://www.mars.com/about/history] 4. “Facts About SNICKERS® | Candy Bar History and Contact.” https://www.snickers.com/our-story [https://www.snickers.com/our-story] 5. “Story and history of Snickers, Mars and other classic chocolate bars.” https://harshchocolates.com/blogs/news/the-story-of-how-the-all-classic-chocolate-bars-mars-snickers-and-more [https://harshchocolates.com/blogs/news/the-story-of-how-the-all-classic-chocolate-bars-mars-snickers-and-more] 6. YouTube — “Fine Cotton Scandal” documentary/video source. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyOx32awSXQ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyOx32awSXQ] 7. YouTube — horse racing/Fine Cotton coverage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYq1qwvB3co [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYq1qwvB3co] 8. YouTube — additional Fine Cotton scandal coverage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB1WNDyilNY [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB1WNDyilNY]

Episode 30: Ketchup History and the Ketchup Assault

Where does ketchup come from—and why does it taste so good? In this episode of True Crime Culinary, we explore the origin of ketchup (from Chinese kê-tsiap to tomato-based Heinz) and break down a real fast food incident sparked by a ketchup dispute. Learn how ketchup evolved—and why it’s more powerful than it seems. * Heinz Company History [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Overview of Henry J. Heinz founding the company in 1869, early failure in 1875, and relaunch in 1876 with tomato ketchup, along with the brand’s focus on purity, transparency, and large-scale production. * Ketchup (Wikipedia) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Traces ketchup back to the Chinese fermented fish sauce kê-tsiap, its evolution into mushroom and walnut versions in Europe, and the eventual shift to tomato-based ketchup in the 1800s. * Flandrin, Jean-Louis, and Massimo Montanari. What We Eat: A Global History of Food. Explains how foods evolve through trade and cultural exchange—ketchup as a combination of Asian origins (name), Latin American ingredients (tomatoes), and Western industrialization (modern form). * Hunt’s (Wikipedia) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunt%27s?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Background on the Hunt’s brand as a major U.S. tomato processor producing sauces, ketchup, and canned tomatoes—highlighting how ketchup became part of a broader tomato industry beyond Heinz. * News report detailing a real fast-food altercation involving a dispute over ketchup packets that escalated into physical violence, forming the basis for the episode’s cold open narrative.

Episode 29: Betty Crocker and the History of Brownies

Where did brownies actually come from—and how did they go from a color-themed party trend to one of the most trusted desserts in America? In this episode of True Crime Culinary, Leah Llach explores the surprisingly layered history of the Chocolate brownie—from 1880s “brown” dinner parties and molasses-based proto-recipes to the rise of boxed mixes and the invention of Betty Crocker (who, famously, wasn’t even real). Along the way, we look at how brownies became a global, adaptable dessert—from British traybakes to matcha brownies in Japan—and why their structure makes them one of the most common foods for modification, including cannabis edibles. Finally, we examine a modern case where THC-laced brownies were accidentally served at a dinner party, sending multiple guests to the hospital—raising a bigger question: Why do we trust certain foods without thinking twice? If you’ve ever wondered: * Who invented brownies? * Why are brownies so popular worldwide? * Why are brownies commonly used for edibles? * And how food can become a vehicle for unintended harm… This episode is for you. New bite-sized episodes drop every Thursday. Grab a snack—it’s time to dig in. * THC-Laced Brownie Dinner Party Case [https://www.lewislawwins.com/case-caterer-served-thc-laced-brownies-at-dinner-party/] * Chocolate Brownie – History & Origins (Wikipedia) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_brownie] * The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book * Betty Crocker History (General Mills Archives) * Palmer House Hotel Brownie History