Bites & Banter

Is a certain amount of jealousy in a relationship ok? In episode 3, my 2nd cousin Sherman will weigh in on that issue, and extoll the virtues of Houston’s Restaurant [https://www.houstons.com/] and telling us about the time in high school when he threw THE house party of 1987 (and he almost got away with it too!). Between Sherman’s hilarious stories, great advice, and soothing voice, trust me, you will not want this episode to end. SHOW NOTES * The proper way to dine at Houston’s Restaurant [3:05] * How to spend 24 hours in Memphis [3:56] * Who Sherman would invite to his dream dinner party (the food would be amazing!) [6:44] * Where he would go if he could travel back in time [10:48] * How he threw THE house party of 1987 [13:25] * The best thing to listen to when you’re having a crappy day [16:43] * His favorite Marvin Gaye song [17:34] * The most painful game of “one has to go” ever [17:53] * The time he was semi-catfished [21:48] * Is a little jealousy in a relationship ok? (He gives the exact percentage of the acceptable amount). [24:26]

In Episode 2 of Bites & Banter, I catch up with Melanie, my 4th cousin from Honolulu, Hawaii. Melanie and I cover how we're related, the best way to spend 24 hours in Honolulu (spoiler alert--she makes every single hour count), her dream dinner party, and family advice for siblings dealing with child loss. SHOW NOTES What to do if you only have 24 hours in Honolulu (3:25) How awkward is it to reach out to people you meet on DNA sites (6:22) How her family’s restaurant, Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood is helping seniors during the pandemic (6:52) Dream dinner party guests (10:23) Odd features we find attractive in men (21:07) How do you pull off ghosting in Hawaii (22:19) Family advice for a woman who wants to cut off her sibling after child loss (23:08)

In the inaugural episode of Bites & Banter, I chat with my 4th cousin Emanuel--an analytical chemist from Huntsville, AL. In this episode, we discuss: * an amazing Filipino restaurant in Washington, D.C. (2:00) * our shared love of Nick Saban (8:06) * why Percy Julian gets a seat at the table (9:53) * the cultural phenomenon/train wreck that is Tiger King (13:29) * One has to go: Marvin Gaye, John Coltrane, and Michael Jackson (20:20) * advice for giving tough love when adult kids move back home (22:10)

On each episode of Bites & Banter, I sit down for a call with a distant family member I met on DNA testing websites. We try to find common ground as we dish about food, family and more. In addition to DNA relatives, I also interview experts in the DNA industry to help listeners discover tips to inspire their own DNA journeys.