50 Tastes Of Gray

She Wrote a Murder Mystery to Survive Turning 40

She wrote a murder mystery to survive turning 40 — literally. British author Gemma Denham sits down with Matthew Gray to talk about her debut thriller The Storm, the “40 Before 40” list that pushed her into writing, and the real controlling relationship she turned into fiction. Gemma opens up about parenting differences between the UK and US, the creative shift from illustrator to novelist, and the hilarious moment her family taped her to a chair for book‑research accuracy. A cozy‑crime, midlife, creative‑chaos conversation filled with British traditions, personal growth, and the joy of becoming a first‑time author. 📖 The Storm — available wherever books are sold 📲 Follow Gemma: @GemmaDenham on X and Instagram Follow Matthew Gray: 🎙️ 50 Tastes Of Gray - Broadcasting from Honolulu. One guest. No rules. New episodes weekly. Subscribe for more. 📸 Instagram: @50tastesofgray 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/50TastesOfGrayPodcast 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-hawaii ✍️ Substack: 50TastesOfGray.substack.com ▶️ YouTube: @50TastesOfGray   #50TastesOfGray #author #MurderMystery #DebutNovel

The Restless Chef: Jay Reifel on Creativity, Technique, and Survival

Jay Reifel is a lot of things — simultaneously, always. He's a historical chef who owns a larding needle and uses it. He's a catering director feeding pro baseball teams, law schools, and high-end weddings in the same week. He's a published food writer, a fiction writer with a novel always in progress, a rock climber on unbolted traditional routes, and a chess player who uses the game as a deliberate cognitive reset between creative projects. He's also writing a new cookbook — not a recipe collection, but a guide built around technique and logic. His argument: once you understand why braising works, you can walk into any kitchen, open the fridge, and cook something delicious without a recipe. The recipe is training wheels. The technique is the actual skill. In this episode, Matthew and Jay cover: the logic of cooking vs. the tyranny of recipes · traditional climbing in the Shawangunk Mountains · writing fiction in your head on a six-mile walk · playing chess to clear the creative decks · a therapeutic farm in the country with no cell service and a commercial bakery · what being handed an axe and trusted with it can do for a person at their lowest · and carrying a half pig and a recently deceased rooster onto the New York City subway. The rooster's feet smelled terrible. He felt bad about it. Find Jay at jayreifel.com or @jayreifel on Instagram. He answers cooking questions in the DMs. He means it.

The Food Granny: Grit, Jam, and a Cat Named Milo

Christine Smith — better known as The Food Granny — joins me for a conversation seasoned with grit, jam, humor, and the kind of lived‑in wisdom that only comes from a life cooked slowly. Born in post‑war Yorkshire and shaped by ration‑era kitchens, Christine learned to cook by watching her grandmothers move through a kitchen like it was a language. She talks about simple food, wooden spoons, jam that forces you to slow down, and why Italian food is “peasant food done properly.” We explore her unexpected journey: breaking her arm in Vietnam, writing a book with one finger on her phone, and accidentally turning her cat Milo into an AI‑generated internet celebrity. We also dive into language, grit, Aussie‑isms that “rip her knitting,” and the joy of embracing who you are instead of performing for the world. This episode is warm, grounded, funny, and full of the kind of small truths that sneak up on you. Pull up a chair. Pour a cup of tea. Let Milo sleep on the stool next to you. You’re going to love this one. #TheFoodGranny #50TastesOfGray #CookingStories Christine Smith – The Food Granny Website: thefoodgranny.com.au Instagram: @thefoodgranny Book: Granny’s Gripes Follow Matthew: 🎙️ 50 Tastes Of Gray — Broadcasting from Honolulu. One guest. No rules. 📸 Instagram: @50tastesofgray 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/50TastesOfGrayPodcast 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-hawaii ✍️ Substack: 50TastesOfGray.substack.com 🌺 HawaiiFoodTours.com ▶️ YouTube: @50TastesOfGray

He Told Me to "Shut My Mouth"… and I Lost It | Michael McGlone

He's the voice that's lived inside your head for years. "Geico could save you 15% or more on car insurance." But Michael McGlone — Brooklyn-born actor, author, and voiceover legend — is so much more than a tagline. In this episode of 50 Tastes of Gray, host Matthew Gray sits down with McGlone for a wide-open conversation covering food, faith, sobriety, Hollywood survival, and the real story behind one of America's most iconic commercial voices. Michael reveals how he landed the GEICO campaign and shot 20 spots, why he won't call himself an alcoholic after 20+ years of sobriety, his nightly Warrior Diet ritual of spinach and turkey eaten while watching All in the Family, and the real-life father lines hidden inside The Brothers McMullen — delivered live with Matthew's name dropped right in. Plus: James Gandolfini's peerless genius, AI versus the human heart, cooking for rock legends, and why love is the only religion that never starts a war. This is the conversation AI can mimic but never replace. ABOUT THE GUEST Michael McGlone is an actor, author, and voiceover artist best known for the iconic GEICO "Did You Know?" commercial campaign, his role on NCIS Hawaii, and his breakout performance in Ed Burns' The Brothers McMullen. He has been sober for over 20 years and lives in Los Angeles. ABOUT THE HOST Matthew Gray is a broadcaster, culinary expert, and Cordon Bleu-trained chef who toured with the Eagles, cooked for Pink Floyd, Robin Williams, and Heather Locklear, and now hosts 50 Tastes of Gray from Honolulu, Hawaii — where food, culture, and real human conversation meet. New episodes weekly. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes | Share with someone who loves great conversation. Connect with Michael https://www.michaelmcglone.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdmcg/ Follow Matthew:  🎙️ 50 Tastes Of Gray — hosted by Matthew Gray Broadcasting from Honolulu. One guest. No rules. 📸 Instagram: @50tastesofgray 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/50TastesOfGrayPodcast 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-hawaii ✍️ Substack: 50TastesOfGray.substack.com 🌺 HawaiiFoodTours.com ▶️ YouTube: @50TastesOfGray #MichaelMcGlone #geico #50tastesofgray

How She Blends Creativity and Business | Sonia Victoria Werner

In this episode of 50 Tastes Of Gray, from Hawaii, Matthew talks with Vikki Werner — actor, producer, and co‑founder of Lighthouse Ladies — about the intersection of creativity and business, and how she built a life that holds both. They explore her multicultural upbringing, her early creative life, the “before” version of herself, the becoming, and the business instincts that allow her creative work to thrive. They also discuss identity performance, food memories, family influence, travel, and the emotional intelligence behind her leadership style. A warm, human, deeply honest conversation about becoming yourself.   00:00 Cultural Roots and Multilingualism 03:11 The Thriving World of Film and Micro Dramas 06:00 The Lighthouse Ladies: Building Community in Film 11:48 Navigating the Business of Creativity 17:56 Personal Growth and Creative Expression 24:45 Nostalgic Food Memories 27:05 Influence of Family on Personal Growth 28:39 Balancing Work and Family Aspirations 30:25 The Art of Conversation and Connection 32:40 Exploring Love Languages 36:02 Creative Aspirations and Unlimited Possibilities 37:08 Confessions of Insecurity in Leadership 42:36 The Importance of Collaboration and Community   Follow Sònia Victoria "Vikki" Werner: @soniavictoriawerner Lighthouse Ladies, LLC lighthouse-ladies.com Follow Matthew: @50TastesOfGray 🎙️ 50 Tastes Of Gray — hosted by Matthew Gray Broadcasting from Honolulu. One guest. No rules. 📸 Instagram: @50tastesofgray 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/50TastesOfGrayPodcast 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-hawaii ✍️ Substack: 50TastesOfGray.substack.com 🌺 HawaiiFoodTours.com ▶️ YouTube: @50TastesOfGray   #Creativity #Business #Identity