Bitchin' About Food

Jan goes way back with screenwriter and author Parker Bennett and his wife Tish Hicks. As one of LA's most successful voiceover artists for over 25 years, there’s a good chance you have heard Tish’s voice talking to you about Subaru, Citibank or Pop-Secret...or maybe you have even taken her voice-over class (head to www.thevodojo.com [http://www.thevodojo.com/] - Jan keeps promising to). Tish recounts the Polish feasts of her childhood and how her Swedish stepfather was really the one who introduced her to thoughtfully prepared and executed meals. We talk about the three-meat minimum for any Polish get-together, Parker’s infamous ground turkey "crumble", Kath’s love of pierogis, the famous Croquembouche project and the annual turkey photo with their kids. A delightfully tasty and fun episode – listen in!

Long-time veterans of Chicago theatre Steve Totland and Meryl Friedman join Kath and Jan in the studio to discuss a wide-variety of subjects: vegetarianism, their very long marriage, the journey to Los Angeles from Chicago, Steve’s garden, how working long hours impacts who does the cooking, the price of food, a salmon dinner that went south and Meryl’s face-to-face with a ham sandwich on white bread with mayo served on a Christmas plate.  We marvel at how we’ve known each other for decades, but have never really hung out much, yet still have much in common to talk about, especially when it comes to food. A terrific episode that seemed to fly by – listen in!

It's a rollicking good old Chicago love-fest when Kath's old pal and stage manager, Steve Sweeney, joins Jan and Kath in person. We talk about Steve's health journey from scary to svelte, using food quality improvement and portion control as the ultimate medicine. We reminisce about Margie's Candies in Chicago, and Steve finally gets to tell HIS side of the story about how he helped an elderly woman with her Thanksgiving dilemma of a too-big turkey by (let's call it) re-homing it. A hilarious conversation with the cleverest of them all - listen in!

Kath and Jan are back at it, welcoming Ruth Arnold, Kath’s former hash-slingin’ co-worker at D. B. Kaplan’s in Chicago. Ruth’s life has had many chapters and we delve in to the good, the bad, and the gritty. From persimmon pudding in Indiana, to acting, marriage, Passover challah (oops) children, career-change, sudden deaths and untimely illness, Ruth keeps it real and focuses on what’s really important: food. It’s ultimately the stuff of life! A terrific conversation with the best of the best. Listen in!

Native New Orleans chef Richard Papier began his culinary journey with vichyssoise when, as a child, he suddenly found himself as a third-wheel on his Mom’s date at a fancy French restaurant. To everyone’s surprise, the kid liked cold potato soup! His passion for food started then and has not stopped since. In a far-ranging conversation, we discuss his current gig helping chefs (both in New Orleans and around the country) become more efficient and his former life as a restaurant owner. We learn how butter really is the secret to New Orleans cuisine and how to woo a partner with mussels instead of muscles. Kath and Jan of course manage to wangle a dinner invitation out of him and also his current favorite restaurants. It’s always great fun to visit the Crescent City, even if it’s virtually and this was a terrific conversation – listen in!