Hot Dogs and Caviar

Hi all.  Sorry about the delay, whoever produces this podcast needs to get his sh** together.  Anyway, here's the new episode, culminating Jesse's recounting of his NYC trip, but with lots of dirty jokes and swear words.

Time Stamps:

2:30 On the Great Joey Chestnut

3:55 On to Chuck Norris (Funny Story)

6:00 More Hot Dog Talk than is Normal, Even For Us

14:14 On Mister Happy, Bygone Sushi Master

15:16 Meditations on the Intensity of Cooking at a High Level

16:58 The Rest of Jesse’s NYC Trip

17:42 Jesse’s First Real Restaurant Meal, and on Being Jaded

21:00 Xian’s Famous Foods

27:03 Ernesto’s

40:30 An Anchovy Tangent (The 2 Amy’s Story)

42:12 TK Finds His Anchovy Compound, and the Guys Descend into Chaos

47:37 Nobu (Jesse Gets Serious, and Waxes Philosophical)

58:20 The Nobu-Peru Connection, and a Hasty Outro

Hi guys, another episode, finally!  The internet quality was bad, so there's some glitching, but Jesse tried his best to edit the worst of it out.  Still, this is not our best-sounding episode.  (When we finally DO have a best-sounding episode, we'll let you know.)

Time Stamps:

2:09 Tarver’s Nightmare Gig

14:41 Winkies, Schmekels, and Nozzles

15:54 Jesse’s Bartending Beat-Down

17:10 On Tiny Spider Crabs

30:30 What TV NOT to Watch on Acid

31:54 Jesse’s Mushroom Experience

34:22 Jesse’s NYC Trip Part 1: Bubbie’s

36:36 NYC Part 2: Daniel

39:03 A Digression on Bread Service

42:54 The Best Dish in NYC

50:57 Jesse’s Embarrassing Shoe Story

53:02 Tarver and Nate Talk Artichokes … and Mutual Esteem

Tarver couldn't make it, so Jesse and Nate planned something special.  Wait, no they didn't, they just spitballed on random topics.  The guys discuss sending food back, brick oven bread, cookbooks, and a particularly virulent strain of culinary misinformation.

Time Stamps:

2:34 Nate’s Christmas Calendars

5:09 Nate’s Science Experiment (Mesophillic Cheese Culture)

7:03 People Like Grilled Cheese

9:42 Kenny Shopsin

14:37 Uncle Bucks

15:10 Huff’s Question on Sending Stuff Back

36:19. The Guys’ Actual Advice for Dissatisfied Diners, Sort Of

41:26 On Food Poisoning Fears

44:35 Nate’s Pop-Up Pizza Oven, Which Devolves Into a Discussion of Jesse’s Mom’s Xmas Gift Buying Habits

50:16 The Absurdity of Fondue Sets

51:50 Whittingstall’s Oueuvre

58:00 Signature Dishes that Matter

1:09:28 The Ultimate Nomenclature Controversy Question: Sorbet v. Sherbet

Hi everyone!  We got TK in the house today.  We didn't have a ton of time, so we just had a conversation about weird food, and everywhere that topic took us.

Warning: Some of the jokes get a little raunchy on this one, even for us.

Time Stamps:

1:00 Nate Reveals a Funny Compliment he Received

3:35 The Boys Get Down to Business

3:40 Nate’s Mildly Racist Kim Chee

5:20 Kimchee Tuna Tartare

7:07 Oldest Food the Guys Have Had

13:57 Eating Insects

16:00 Jesse Confuses Lionfish and Scorpionfish\

18:50 On Rays, Catching and Cooking

28:50 Natto, and Why Tarver Hates It

34:21 Durian Fruit

35:55 The Taleggio Story (Funny)

42:21 Around the Horn, 1 More Weird Food Each

43:26 Nate Ate Dehydrated Scorpion

43:23 Tarver Ate Testicles

45:27 Jesse Ate Raw Horse

49:19 Red Stag Venison

54:00 Jesse’s Insane Pop Tart Idea

Hi guys, we didn't really have a plan for this one, so we went to the mail bag.  

Time Stamps:

:30 We begin with a tribute to Scott ‘Razor Ramon’ Hall

4:14 Nate Introduces Ray Finkle, his Einkorn Wheat Starter

8:33 Nate’s Cabbage Proclamation

10:24 Jesse’s Sad Story with a Funny Punchline

20:17 Listener Question #1: Knife Brands Recommendations

21:40 Jesse and Nate’s Knife Go-Tos

28:13 The Diamond Steel Issue

32:55 On Quentin Middleton

37:14 Steven’s Charcuterie Question

38:17 How to Create the Protein Web

40:40 Aged vs. Fresh Charcuterie

42:00 How to Make Sure Your Pate is Cooked Properly

42:45 On Aromatics in Pate

44:44 Heat Management is Paramount!

45:09 Take Good Notes!

47:00 Michael’s Training/Management Question

47:30 Leading By Example

48:42 Breaking the Jerk Cycle

50:52 The Crab Salad Story

53:17 The Value of Empathy

53:50 Orange-Lemon-Orange

55:00 Help People Find their Role

1:00:09 Jesse’s Passive-Aggressive Final Thought

1:03:00 The Towel Story

1:07:11 Michael’s Real-Time Menu Request!

Hi guys, no Nate this week, so Jesse and TK ATTEMPT to talk about cookbooks, but lose the plot for a while first.  No technical discussion this time, just a bunch of chatting about various aspects of chef culture.

1:02 Jesse’s Charleston Wine and Food Hot Take

2:35 Tarver and Jesse’s Beer Crushing Vendetta

5:10 On Restaurant Week

8:36 Jesse’s Chopped Audition Story, Amid a Broader Discussion of Top Chef

13:11 Why Iron Chef is the Best Competitive Food Show

20:19 TK on the Overriding Positivity of the Great British Bake-Off

21:12 Jesse’s Bobby Flay Confession

25:05 Tarver’s Vegas Adventures

25:20 Tarver and Jesse’s Roku Coincidence

29:00 On Robuchon’s Potato Puree

30:14 Gagnaire’s Was Overrated!

30:47 On Skydiving

34:02 The Guys Get On Topic: What We Look For In Cookbooks

35:16 When Recipes Don’t Work
42:22 Pie Crust Talk

52:17 Beauty Counts in Cookbooks… But Pretentiousness is a Thing

58:21 On Michel Bras’s Legacy

59:53 On the Importance of Photography in Cookbooks

1:07:00. A Cookbook’s Duty of Safety

1:16:36 The McDonald’s Fries Conversation

Hey all, TK got back from the UK, and he is telling all!!  This episode is basically porn.

Note: At one point, TK refers to a place called 'Sea to Sea,' where they are known for dry-aging fish.  The restaurant is actually called 'The Sea, The Sea.'   We apologize for any confusion.  

Time Stamps:

:30 The Pre-show.  Thoughts on vodka and country pudding

7:55 A look behind the Hot Dogs and Caviar curtain

8:37 Jesse finally counts it in

11:44 Tarver’s Fat Duck stage

15:39 The Big Fat Duck Cookbook

18:47 Do they still make Bud Ice??

20:12 Dry Aged Fish

28:04 A new anchovy snack

29:44 Dinner

37:12 JUMP CUT

38:24 On unscrupulous fish vendors

40:13 Abundant Seafood

41:52 How to be a chef

42:48 Caviar and Burrata

44:44 The iconic Dinner dessert

48:26 Harrod’s

49:49 The Fat Duck

50:28 Bartender talk

52:34 Tarver rhapsodises about Fergus FUCKING Henderson
1:06:02 The Fat Duck

1:12:00 On culinary Lister-mint

1:15:45 Ikoyi

1:19:06 Crab Fat

1:25:00 Michelin Theory, and 11 Madison Park

1:32:00 The Fried Rice Thing

1:35:22 Jesse’s Burrito Theory

1:37:48 Jesse and Tarver’s 2 lunches

Okay, y'all.  We are calling this episode Time Warp Tuesday, because Jesse is an idiot, and produced the episodes out of order.  Anyone that pays attention to the NFL playoffs will notice that, so there's no sense in trying to hide it.  Anyway, apart from that, we have a spirited discussion of food cost, and then share our best chilli tips.  Enjoy!

Time Stamps:

1:39 Jesse Hates Football

5:35 Chef-Bitching, Specifically Jesse’s Waste Rant

10:40 Jesse Thinks 16*12 is damn near 100. Wow.

17:20 Cleaning is Discarding

18:54 Why Being an Angry Chef is a Sub-Optimal Strategy

20:55 It’s Okay to Have Standards

23:50 On Utilization

27:40 Your Diners are Probably Cooks, Don’t Piss Them Off

30:30 Restaurant Cost Accounting, and Why It Matters

33:30 The Chilli Talk

34:08 On Chilli Dogma

38:33 The Origins of Chilli

39:00 The Purist Principle

40:18 On Frito Pie

41:15 An Amusing Non-Sequitur

42:36 Secret Ingredients in Chilli

47:47 Jesse Hates His Mom’s Cooking. Like, a Lot

50:35 Jesse’s Quick and Dirty Hot Dog Chilli

53:43 Jesse’s Insane Short Rib Chilli (Work in Progress)

56:50 Insta-pots are Awesome (and Air Fryers Suck)

1:00:14 A Quick Note on Beans

Hi guys!  New episode, sorry it's late.  With Nate and Jesse both working, it's been harder to maintain the illusion of a schedule, but we'll keep cranking these out, as long as all 60 of you keep listening!  We discuss several small topics, from football party snacks and Meat Loaf, to cruel nicknames, and how to shop for cheese and olive oil.

Time Stamps: 

00:57 On Nicknames (Multiple Funnies)

12:44 Jesse’s New Dessert Drink: The Iceball Slide

16:42 How Name-Control Works

20:00 The Guys Veer into Olive Oil

28:02 A Shout Out to the Late, Great Michel Richard

29:30 The Great Meatloaf Discussion

31:53 On the Interesting Properties of Pork Protein

33:53 On Filler in Meatloaf

36:44 Seasonings and Flavorings

41:05 How Many Eggs?

42:07 How to Check Seasoning

44:03 Bacon Wrapping, and the Parchment Trick

46:46 Jordan’s Meatloaf-Mayonnaise Trick

48:18 Time to Talk About Super Bowl Snacks, Starting with Dips

48:49 Brun-WOW

52:19 Definitions of Pimiento Cheese and Bagna Cauda

55:15 Bread Bowl Dips

56:06 Helluva Good Dip

57:06 Jesse’s Wife’s Family’s Cocktail Weenies

58:36 Nate’s Trash-ass Artichoke Dip

1:00:00 What are the Seven Layers in Taco Dip?

103:12 A Heartfelt Goodbye to DD Pecker’s

Hi everyone!  TK is back, and his daughter is on backing vocals.  The dudes discuss pancakes, among other things.  

Time Stamps:

1:46 The Nate Burns His Melon Story
5:41 On the Ansul System
8:46 On Wood Ovens
11:37 The AMAZING Drago’s Oysters
12:45 Agege Bread from Nigeria
14:14 Bao Bread, and a Crazy Bread Rant
17:0t6 Tarver’s Brilliant Recipe Naming Convention
18:30 Tarver’s Wok Method, He’s Super-Excited
19:30 Jesse’s Linguistics Theory
20:42 Tarver Goes All Hippie, and We Discuss Chinese Food
24:38 We Attempt to Pivot to Pancakes, and Get Sidetracked By Injeera
27:45 The Guys Finally Get Around to Pancakes
29:10 On Acid Balance in Baking
31:48 Jesse Goes 6th Grade Chemistry Teacher
33:30 On Different Flours
36:40 Jesse’s Pancake Quest
38:06 Tarver Drops Some Pancake Science
40:14 Jesse’s Humbling Pancake Experience
40:50 Abelskiver Talk, and the Wizard’s Cookbook
45:16 Back to Jesse’s Humbling Pancake Experience
47:48 Jesse’s Pancake Recipe (Not Perfect!)
51:12 Hide the Beer Can

A short episode, with no real agenda.  Tarver is back!  We answer reader questions, talk about HR, and discuss funny expo calls.  

2:11 Reader Question: Best Ways to Cook Octopus

3:00 Fun Expo Calls

4:52 The Ethical Issues of Eating ‘Pus

8:10 On Baby Octopi

10:22 Why Octopus Gets So Tough

12:31 What’s Up With Appalachian Cuisine

17:07 Brunswick Stew Vs. Burgoo

21:36 Books on Appalachian Cooking (and other Southern Cooking)

26:04 Revisiting the Issue of Hostesses

28:44 The Dreaded Ascended-Hostess Manager

32:44 Tarver’s Brilliant, Next-Level Solution to the Ascended Hostess Problem

34:38 The Moto Story

Hi guys!  Nate and Jesse have an impromptu discussion of issues in the restaurant business.  There is some immaturity sprinkled in to lighten the mood.

Time Stamps:

1:30 Jesse’s Jackrabbit Filly Experience

6:07 Jesse’s Constructive Criticism

9:22 The Indaco Incident

12:44 Fine Dining Versus Casual

14:35 On Overcommunicating

18:36 The Emeril’s Incident (and Nate’s Fish and Cheese Interlude)

22:17 How Servers Size Up Diners

29:02 The Spookiest Charcuterie Plate in Charleston

31:41 The Hostess Problem

36:14 The 492 Service Pivot

39:50 The Guys Get Introspective

41:11 On Different Ways to Mitigate Food Cost

45:15 The One Metric that Matters

46:54 On Manipulating Food Cost Percentages

49:18 Why Hors D’Oeuevres are Crucial

51:12 Pharma Dinners!

54:16 What Happens When Your Loss Leader Is Your Best Seller

56:30 Why Fine Dining Is Hard

57:50 Why Hotels Help So Much

1:00:00 TK’s Really Mean Bibb Lettuce Prank

1:00:36 Jesse’s Totally Reasonable and Justified Nate-Scare Prank

Hi guys!  First, we discuss spice blending, and the total lack of decent resources on the subject.  Then, we get into whether it's OK to make your employees work on Christmas (a fraught topic, every year.)  Finally, we discuss some of our hits and misses over the years on our Christmas menus.

Time Stamps:

1:00 The Story of the Mouth of the South

3:54 Listener Question: Good Books About Spice Blending?

6:46 Madras Curry

9:30 Nate’s Hail Mary Recommendation.

12:22 Jesse’s Insane Spice Research Idea

16:13 Reverse Engineering

17:52 The Spice House

20:00 Back to Curry Powder and Vadouvan

21:55 On the Dual Nature of Cinnamon

23:43 The Biggest Difference Between Nate’s Cooking and Jesse’s

27:00 Restaurant Cooking on Christmas

31:28 The Fiscal Evils of a Special Christmas Menu

32:04 On Reservations and Tickets

33:19 People REALLY DO Eat at Restaurants on Holidays

40:42 Heather’s Gingersnap Cookie

41:49 Nate’s Great-Grandma’s Spiced Chocolate Cookies

42:50 On the Feast of Seven Fishes

43:57 On Italian Seafood Simplicity

45:47 Jesse’s Feast of Seven Fishes Dish

49:50 The Difficulty of Getting Rid of Leftover Turkey, and the Worst Charcuterie Plate EVER

52:20 On the Once-a-Year Potato Puree

55:25 On 86’ing Specials and Why That’s Not a Bad Thing

56:22 Jesse’s Xmas Dessert Fail

59:32 The Tale of the Dreaded Minty Sanchez

It finally happened!  The Guys got together and talked wings, including explaining the INFAMOUS Jordan Moore method!  Also, goofy conversation, and the Boner Game!  (Explicit, natch.)

00:54 The Boner Game

3:40 Introducing Jordan Moore

10:26 Nate’s Thoughts on Buffalo Wings

15:05 Refinements on Buffalo Sauce

17:02 The Legend of KY-Jelly

20:04 Pressure-Frying

23:30 Jesse’s Home Deep Frying Method

26:11 The Guys Get Confused About Brine

31:53 Jordan Moore’s Wing Method

35:55 Tarver’s Wing Method

41:34 The Question of the Double Cook

42:10 A Digression About Fries, and then Chaos

47:39 Jesse Waxes Romantic About Peckers

53:10 Ranch Sucks! Thoughts on Blue Cheese

Hi guys!  The much-discussed wing episode has been postponed again, so Nate and Jesse do a deep (and totally improvised) dive into the world of meatballs.

1:12 The Warrior Story (The Second-Most Pissed Off Sheree’s Ever Been at Jesse)

3:28 The Red Velvet Cake Incident (The Most Pissed Off Sheree’s Ever Been at Jesse)

6:10 Nate’s Key to Meatballs: Not Too Much Meat!

9:55 The Three Meat Blend

12:40 Nate’s QUOTE OF THE YEAR

13:54 Jesse’s Notion of Culinary Black Magic, and the Alice Waters Vinaigrette Trick

19:20 Back to Meatballs: Panade

20:58 Nate’s Ricotta Trick, and Fundamental Meatball Ratio

25:49 The Secret of Juliette’s Meatballs

28:01 Tech Talk on Salt and the Protein Matrix

31:20 Sausage Rules the Wasteland

34:30 Nate Bodily Drags Jesse Back onto Topic

37:10 The Dried Oregano Debate: Teach the Controversy

41:06 To Sear or to Roast?

43:32 Nate’s Italian Wedding Soup

46:50 Azerbaijani Meatball Soup

48:55 On Lamb Meatballs in General

54:07 On Kefta, and the Power of Mint

57:25 Nate and Jesse’s Diverging Paths

Hi everyone!  This was a FUN one!  Sorry it took 2 weeks to come up, Jesse had some technical issues with his macbook last week (JESSE SMASH).  But all is well, and we're back in business.  

Also, Jesse would like to apologize in advance for his state, the only time he and Nate could find to do this was after a social function that left Jesse somewhat worse for wear.  This wasn't exactly a Cocktail Hour episode, but homeboy was a little loose.  Listen up at 3:08 for an epic belch.  (All jokes aside, it's getting harder and harder to find time we are both off, since Nate works mornings and Jesse works nights, but we are getting creative.  If we have to cut an episode after a night out, you'll just have to deal with the consequences of Jesse, just like everyone else does.)

So anyway, we went into the mailbag and answered a few questions.  We got into the best way to cook a steak for home cooks, we gave a little gravy boot camp, and we answered a really fun question from alert listener Tim Lillig about the possibility of making a Reuben pie.  Oh, and Jesse blindsides Nate with an Iron Chef-style challenge that was patently ludicrous.  Have fun!

1:50 The First Question: How to Best Cook a Steak

3:08 Jesse’s Epic Beer Belch (You Have Been Warned)

4:00 How to Buy a Steak

6:38 The High-Low Principle

8:14 The Tempering Principle

10:14 Jesse’s Method (The Fine Dining Butter Baste)

12:30 The Flipping Controversy

14:47 On Digital Thermometers

16:50 The Importance of Carryover Cooking

18:55 2-Zone Grilling

20:16 The Second Question: What Are Some Great Gravy Tricks

20:30 Great Gravy Starts with Great Stock

24:20 The Grocery Store Chicken Trick

25:49 The Wondra Solution

28:39 Kitchen Bouquet is the Dirty Secret

30:27 Korean Soy Sauce

34:24 Jesse’s Crazy Iron Chef Game

41:55 Tim’s Insane Reuben Pie Question


52:35 The Spaghetti Incident

Hi all!  A continuation of last week's Jesse and TK special, featuring Tarver's daughter Henley on backing vocals.  Recorded on location at the playground, if you want to know why the sound quality is a little wonky.  Note!  Listen to Part 1 before you get into this one.  It's a two-parter, and the previous episode has a lot of necessary context.

Time Stamps: 

1:58 Tarver’s Soup Course

11:13 Jesse’s Fish Course

23:14 Tarver’s Bread Service

24:55 The Guys’ Collaborative Meat Course

41:00 Jesse’s Cheese Course

52:45 Tarver’s Dessert Course

Hi guys,

Nate had a family commitment this week, so TK and Jesse went it alone, and did something new.  We designed a 7 course tasting menu in real time, live, with zero prior discussion.  It took a while, so this is the first half.  Head over to hotdogsandcaviar.blogspot.com to have a look at links and menu copy.  

THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN!!

Time Stamps:

2:50 Themes and Parameters

8:43 A Brief Interlude for Tarver’s Best Hot Dog

11:02 The Guys Get Down to Business

11:10 Tarver’s Hors D’Oeuvre Course

28:39 The Woodlands’ ‘Oysters from Cold to Hot Dish’

30:36 Back to the Hors Course

48:34 The Only Good Thing About Colonialism

1:02:43 Jesse’s Fish Course

Hi all!  The guys had drinks and discussed eggs.  For, like, a while.  We managed to pare it down to about an hour and a quarter.  We had SO MUCH FUN doing this one!  

Time Stamps:

1:00 The Tale of Chilo ‘Fes’ Costa

6:20 Alex M’s Listener Question: What Do We Think of Roy Choi

20:05 Tarver’s Grilled Cheese Trick

23:50 The Guys Get Into the Topic du Jour

26:00 The Voodoo Story

28:05 Back to Eggs Again

30:44 Getting into the Details of Royale- Creme Brûlée, Etx

37:21 Tarver’s Double Boiler Method

40:19 Nate’s Extra Yolk Trick

41:44 The Jesse Variant

43:32 Jesse’s New Method

45:40 TK Shoots on Marco Pierre White

48:30 The Buffet Question

50:32 TK’s Insane Pressure Cooker Trick

52:45 The Quay Induction Burner Trick

53:45 TK’s Egg White Tofu Trick

54:47 Jesse’s Gribiche Vendetta and the Peeled Grape Story

58:40 Jesse Reveals his Hypocrisy

1:01:16 TK Pisses Off Nate Shapiro

1:05:00 The Guys Get Into Fried Eggs

1:05:40 Michelin 3-Star Fried Eggs

1:09:27 On Basting and Steaming

1:11:00. The Egg in a Basket Debate

Hi all!  Here's the second part of the first ever Hot Dogs and Caviar Cocktail Hour.  I think I still might be hungover.  Trigger warning (specific to Tarver's mom): there's a fair amount of profanity in this one.  I try to keep a lid on your baby boy, but I'm just one man, and today was past my editing skills.

Time Stamps:

1:58 Tarver’s French Laundry Story

10:42 The Ramen Discussion Begins- with Tampopo

12:52 On the Impact of Dave Chang

17:26 On Cultural Differences and Pavlovian Conditioning

20:08 Tarver’s Dan Dan Noodle and Chile Crisp Rant

32:09. On Industrial Cooking Smells

35:11 We Are Hardwired to Want BBQ

39:23 A Shout Out to Jordan Moore

40:33 The Guys Get Back to Ramen

41:36 The Ramen Fundamentals

47:28 Nate (Predictably) Gets Into the Science

50:37 The Ramen Otaku Issue

53:53 Lemon Salt!!

54:37 Schmaltz!

55:46 The Molleux Egg Method

The gentlemen have themselves a late evening.  They also don't talk about ramen, even a little bit.

2:25 Jesse Tries to Stump Tarver and Nate — A Lengthy Digression on Latin American Cuisine

16:26 Tarver Gives Praise, and Loses the Plot

18:00 On Brining

21:36 Country Pate

25:17 TK says WEIGH YOUR EGGS

The Fellas give a short discourse on culinary math, and also ass-parsley.

2:25 The Bitch Be Cool Story

7:58 Oh, Shit. It’s Perfect!

12:02 Baker’s Percentages

20:36 Units App

33:27 The Parsley Story

Hi all!  This is just a quick one, recorded at the end of our last session.  It's all about how to think laterally with dishes, and how to manipulate the components, rather than to be a slave to a recipe.

Time Stamps

1:07 On Following Recipes

2:22 Jesse’s Rant on Formula

3:00 The Formula of Vinaigrette

5:27 The Formula of Ramen

7:12 The Formula of Grilled Cheese

11:53 A Shout-Out to Jordan, and a Funny Jordan Story

18:30 Nate’s Roman Pasta Formula

19:30 Jesse’s Soda Jerk Formula

20:38 Spitballing on the Omelet Formula

23:08 The Relation Between Formula and Ratio

23:55 Michael Ruhlman’s Ratio Book

26:10 The Guys Wax Philosophical

32:30 The Music Analogy

Hi everyone!  Sorry we're late on this one!  Nate and Jesse do Shrimp and Grits, and also do a bit of a dive on the local shrimping industry.

Time Stamps

00:48 Tarver is Like an Excited Dog

3:45 The Guys Get on Topic: Shrimp

12:02 How to Buy Shrimp in Charleston

13:45 A Brief Digression on Langoustines

18:53 The Economics of Local Shrimp

24:28 Getting Into Shrimp and Grits

28:40 How to Buy and Soak Grits

31:52 Hold the Cheese

32:47 How to Rescue Mediocre Grits

33:37 On Reinforcing Flavors

34:48 How to Handle Shrimp in Shrimp and Grits

35:50 Pre-Seasoning Shrimp

38:04 How Shrimp are Sized

41:00 The Only Time Chem Wash Shrimp is OK

42:55 Gravy Talk

51:30 Last Minute Shrimp Cooking Thoughts

Hi everyone!  Here it is!  Nate, TK, and Jesse discuss the excellent film Pig, inexplicably starring Nicholas Cage.

Producer's Note: Jesse sucks at podcast production, and on this Very Special Episode, he learns that even though he can't hear his keyboard in his headset, everyone else (including y'all) can.  Lesson learned.  Mute rig before typing.  How did it take this long for him to figure this out?  We promise, we know a lot more about food than we do about Zoom and GarageBand.

Time Stamps:

2:27 The context for pig: State of the Labor Crisis, Pre- and Post-COVID

10:35 On Shots of GranMa

15:05 Remembering the Monk Menu

16:20 Logan Stories

17:05 The Guys Get Back to the Task at Hand, “Pig”

19:26 On Pretentious Menu Descriptions

25:48 Jesse Shoots on 11 Madison Park - The Mixtape Analogy

29:00 On the Harsh Labor Economics of the Restaurant Industry

33:18 Why Pig was Perfectly Timed

36:24 Getting the Little Stuff Right

42:27 On Being in ‘The Club’

46:43 Jesse Doesn’t Realise his Mic Picks Up His Keyboard (Whoops)

50:14 On Food, Memory, Ratatouille, and Revenge

53:34 The Only Problem With the Film (and it’s Not That Big a Deal)

56:57 Random ‘Pig’ Snippets

Hi all!  Our much anticipated Pig review episode is postponed, cause Nate's kids blah blah blah whatever.  At any rate, the Guys and TK spitball on a number of culinary topics!

2:20 The Guys’ Favorite Food Movies

7:50 The Microgreens Debate, with Digressions

21:20 The New Heights Story (Logan vs. Jesse)

25:10 Logan Busts Chef’s Garden’s Balls

27:46 Another Kuma’s Corner Monstrosity

30:33 Crazy Brazilian Dogs

39:00 The Lips and Assholes Myth

46:48 Cream Searing

54:00 Maple Searing

57:32 A Weird Segue into Weird Chocolate

Hi everyone!  Nate had a fun idea for this week's cast.  He wanted to spend some time doing a deep dive into some basic topics.  On this episode, he covers blanching (boiling) vegetables, and Jesse gets into how to select the proper cooking fat.

Also, they get into a bunch of nonsense and tell stories about pranks.

Time Stamps:

0:59 The Double Scare Prank Story

6:21 Introducing Culinary Boot Camp

9:35 Jesse’s Stage at Jacky’s Bistro

12:45  The Sarah Duncan Revenge Story

14:24 On Big Pot Blanching

27:16 The Thomas Keller Effect

35:20 On the Additive Nature of Best Practices

36:45 How Not to Make Your Stock Suck

38:35 How to Choose Your Cooking Fat

42:42 Nate Gets Pissed Off, part what, like 97?

43:44 Butter is Different

44:45 On Ghee, and How to Sauté in Butter

53:50 On the Evils of Seed Oils

57:48 Jesse Visits the Skylight Inn for 100 Mile BBQ

Nothing crazy this episode, just more culinary conversation.  You know the drill, stories, dish ideas, philosophy, things of that nature.  Special highlights include discussions about lost (and found) dish ideas, the right and wrong way to 86 fan favorites, and Nate's hints and tips on how to maximize conversations with members of the culinary fraternity (AKA the 'Fight Club').

Time Stamps:

1:13 The Story of Jesse’s Best-Ever Workplace Nickname

7:35 How Nate Became Nate-Dogg, and Mrs. Dogg Learns to Deal With It

9:30 John Holmes is the Last Guy in the World to Get a Cell Phone.  Also, He’s a Badass

12:16 How to Get the Most Out of Conversations with Chefs

22:50 The Joys of Finding Old Culinary Ideas

27:00 Jesse’s Fantasy Menu

35:30 How it Feels When Your Total Ass-Pull Dish is the Big Winner

41:30 On the Dangers of Changing or 86ing Fan Favorites

45:25 The She-Crab Raviolo (Nate’s Master Stroke)

50:07 A Cautionary Tale About Changing Fan Favourites

Hi everyone!  Summer vacation is over!  We recorded an episode while Jesse was wrapping up his trip abroad (well, he crossed the Mason-Dixon line, anyway), with special guest Tarver 'Super-King' King!  This one was fun because there are almost NO edits (except for excising a flurry of f-bombs from someone, who was trying so hard to be on his best behavior.  We essentially went live.  Enjoy, kids!

Time Stamps:

1:37   The Escolar Tartare Story

15:00 On Seasonality

18:25 Tarver’s Jam Ice Cream Recipe

26:00 Winterized Vegetables

28:25 Nate’s Pastry Chef Rant

36:39 TK on the Legend of Rocky and Jocky

41:50 On Nate’s Hilarious Gag Reflex

Hi everyone!  Nothing too crazy, theme-wise.  The funny story is maybe Nate's best prank ever, and apart from that, it's a lot of fish cookery for beginners, and Nate and Jesse jawing each other about pizza.  Good stuff!

Time Stamps:

2:53  Nate’s Favorite Ever Staff Meal

6:16  Audra’s Special Truffle Story

9:50 Mario’s Peruvian Chicken, and Jesse Gets on his Soapbox

20:27 We are featured by Stephanie Burt, and we appreciate it

25:13 Deep Dish Pizza- Nate finally tries it!

42:14 The Guys Get Into Fish Cookery, Starting with Sourcing

46:00 Jesse Rhapsodizes About By-catch

48:15 Hints on Fish Cookery

Hi all, here's this week's episode!!  Many topics discussed.  No script followed.  It was nuts.  But we didn't use any profanity, or at least Jesse edited most of it out.

Time Stamps:

1:16 The TK Profanity Story

7:18 The Bertolli Fanboy Story

11:36 The Tarver Buys a Really Expensive Ham Story

18:40 The Cat Coffin Story

20:00 Jesse’s New Favorite Dish

24:38 Scallop Mousse Discussion

27:50 The Giant Tuna

32:30 Remembering Verena Strauss

37:04 Peruvian Cuisine, and Then Some

45:16 Jesse’s Obsession with Hmong Food

50:47 On Fusion Cuisine

1:02:26 Tarver’s Duck Additcion

1:06:18 Paw Paws…. Weren’t We Going to Shorten  the Episodes?  Oh Well…

Okay, guys, it's that time again.  Jesse had a great episode planned, but instead, this happened!  A long, fun, educational digression about smoking, char-grilling, and woodfire cooking!

0:00 Pre-show Antics

4:30 Tarver’s Epic Prank Call Backfire

7:20 The Fake Reservation Story

10:30 The Talk Turns to Hot Peppers

13:40 The Guys Pivot to the Topic at Hand: Charcoal

23:35 Tarver’s Next-Level Half-Baked Charcoal Trick

28:30 On Cooking as Time Travel

32:12 Smoked Oil

37:09 Smoked/Grilled Dish Ideas

Hi guys, here's the new episode.  No overarching theme, here, we just make a few general announcements and then answer some listener questions.  However, the listener questions are all on awesome topics!  Wings, bacon, and greasy Italian hoagies!  Oh, and we get pretty molecular about Buffalo sauce.

Time Stamps

1:30 Nate’s Dad Joke

2:39 The INFAMOUS Treasure Hunt Prank

11:52 General Hot Dogs and Caviar Announcements

19:00 On Buffalo Wings (Thanks, Alex!)

31:06 On Italian Beef (Thanks, Alex!)

45:20 The Best Way to Cook Bacon (Thanks, Joe!)

Hi everyone!  Sorry we missed last week!  Nate and I both finally have jobs again, so it's been a little hectic.  We are trying to get back on track.  Thank you all so much for bearing with us!

Time Stamps

2:33 The Tarver is Gullible Story

5:30 The Hungover Jesse is Gullible Story

8:56 The Tarver Steals Dale’s Car Story

10:05 Reminiscing About Kobe Sushi

11:55 On KFC Flour, Pressure Frying, and Vegetarian Fried Chicken

21:00 Tarver Hints at the UFO Burger, and Discusses AEbleskiver

26:18 The Guys Get On Topic (Finally, Sort Of)

26:50 On Concentrating By Reduction, the Smart Way

37:20 Tarver Schools Us on Dan Doodle Sausages

42:40 On Lemon Juice

46:26 On Layering Flavors

47:50 How to be a Cook

58:25 It’s Time to Start Treating Cooks Like People

1:04:05 How COVID Has Changed Restaurant Economics

1:05:00 Jesse Discusses His Shortcomings, and Nate and TK Are So Nice

Hi all, 

Got a great show for you today!  We discuss Italian-American cuisine, it all of its glory.  

Time Stamps:

1:28 The Case of TK’s Lawn Furniture

3:48 Yes, smartass, Jesse meant to say ‘emasculated,’ not ‘emaciated’

4:23 The Case of Jesse’s Wife and the Mystery Photos

10:24 The Guys Get On Topic (Italian American Cuisine, Sausage, Candied Seeds, We Really Get All Over the Place)

22:42  Dishes That Typify Italian American Cuisine

28:30  Garlic and its Use in Italian Cuisine v. Italian American

38:28 Nate’s Great-Grandmother’s Tomato Issue

46:48 Crimes on Cuisine Perpetrated in the Name of Italian American Cuisine

1:05:45 On The Big Night

Hi everyone!  Doing a couple of things different.  First off, we decided to clean the Topic Walk-In!  This episode is a little of this, a little of that, various things we haven't been able to stretch in to a full episode.  It was pretty fun, and super scatterbrained.  Well, more scatterbrained than normal, anyway.  Also, we've stopped numbering the episodes.  We were worried that we were giving the impression that you had to listen to all the episodes, but in reality, new listeners are encouraged to jump in wherever!  

Technical Difficulty Dept: This episode was plagued by a noise issue.  The good news is, it was a NEW noise issue, which means we haven't started going backwards, competence-wise.  The bad news is, it was a NEW noise issue, so clearly, we need to get to the bottom of it.  As it is, please excuse the odd crackle or pop.  When we work out what it is, we'll address it.  Also, if any listeners have any helpful suggestions, we will totally trade cooking advice for podcasting advice.  Thanks!

Time Stamps:

3:40 The Jesse-Is-On-the-Business-End-of-Divine-Retribution Story

6:34 A Brief Digression on Balls Powder

9:55 The Labor Crisis

28:12 Jesse’s Brillat-Savarin Breakfast Toast

34:21 Nate Triggers Jesse About the Produce Mister

42:26 The Gizmo (A Sandwich Discovery)

49:19 Nate and Jesse on Truffles

1:13:00 Jesse on Charleston’s Best Sandwich

1:22:30 Shout out to Goat Sheep Cow, again

1:24:45 Nate and Jesse Issue Challenges

Hi all,

We interrupt our regularly scheduled podcast for a very special treat:  The Guys sit down with their friend and mentor, Tarver "Superking" King!!!

He was our executive chef at the Woodlands Inn.  He's one of the best natural talents in the game, and he's the nicest guy in the world.  

He also has the loudest voice in human history, just a heads up if you're listening on ear buds.   Also note, we've clicked the 'explicit content' button again.  There's nothing too bad, just some PG-13-rated profanity.

Time Stamps (I didn't too many time stamps this time, since we were mostly meandering and spitballing.  Just listen to the whole thing.)

1:00 Introducing Superking

6:00 The Ukranian Romantic Story (TK’s Guest Funny Story)

11:30 till End: A Frenetic, Meandering Conversation with the Best Chef We Know

33:30: The Cartoon Weiner Chef Coat Story (A Bonus Funny Story)

Hi, everyone!  No one asked for it, but here it is!  The pulse-pounding, head-spinning (wait, that was pulse-weakening, head-pounding) conclusion of our two hour discussion of cookbooks you need to read, along with a bonus discussion of ones you probably shouldn't waste too much of your hard-earned money on, at least at first.  Warning: opinions!

Timestamps!

1:35 Nate’s Brother is Definitely a Sociopath: a Story

8:05 Our Questions to the Listeners

13:12 On Food and Cooking (McGee)

16:01 The Man Who Ate Everything (Steingarten)

18:35 The River Cottage Meat Book Fearnley-Whittingstall

20:27 The Professional Pastry Chef (Friberg)

22:35 Ma Gastronomie (Point)

23:37 In Search of Perfection/Further Adventures… (Blumenthal)

26:00 Under Pressure (Keller)

28:50 Charcuterie (Polcyn/Ruhlman)

30:00 Chocolates and Confections  (Grewling)

33:00 Nate and Jesse’s Over-Rated Book List

33:34 Cooking School Textbooks and Why They Aren’t All That

36:38 Dornberg and Page, Purveyors of Dangerous Crutches

42:30 Escoffier, an Interesting Historical Document

45:20 The Grandma Cookbooks

Hi guys!  So you've heard Nate and Jesse say, repeatedly, that there are certain cookbooks that, if you don't have them, it's not their problem.  Well in this episode they start to run it down.  Listen up, to find out how too step up your library game.  And also funny stories about errant turkeys, dangerous crank calls, and the nature of being a warrior.

Time Stamps:

1:00 The Turkey Story

6:30 The Jesse Steps in a Bucket of Chicken Fat Story

9:56 Listener Questions (Sous-Vide and Rocotillo Peppers)

19:16 The ‘It’s Not Our Problem Boooklist’

22:25 Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Child)

24:40 In Pursuit of Flavor (Lewis)

26:48 The French Laundry Cookbook/Bouchon (Keller)

33:28 Chez Panisse Vegetables (Waters)

36:33 Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (Hazan)

39:45 Cooking By Hand (Hazan)

45:10 Tarver King Invades Hot Dogs and Caviar with Real Time Listener Questions

48:01 The Jesse Crank Calls Sheree, and Sheree Almost Skins Him Story

52:43 The Whole Beast (Ferguson)

57:40 Momofuku (Chang)

The next episode of the podcast is upon us!  This is a continuation of the 5 up, 5 down game that Nate and Jesse started last episode.

No way to sugar-coat it.  This one is just an hour of us ranting about ingredients we can't stand.  Non-stop, unchecked rage.  We hope you found it as funny as we did.  Jesse pontificates like a puffed-up clown, and the fact that Nate is funny when he's mad is a matter of public record.  Enjoy!

Also, yes, I do realize we only did 4 down, before moving to the lightning round.  These things happen.  This wasn't the first episode we recorded this session, and we were pretty lit by this point.  Don't you judge us!  Or judge us.  See if we care.

Time Stamps!

0:38 A few more ingredients that the guys love

4:01 The Jesse-Pisses-Off-His-PR-Girl story

6:05 The Strawberry Stem Story {I hate you, Nate.  -js}

12:12 The guys get back on topic

12:28 Shelf-stable Parmesan 'Cheese'

15:32 'Balsamic' Vinegar

19:06 Pre-fab Boiled Eggs

22:20 Portabello Mushrooms

27:00 Green Peppers

30:56 Cream Cheese

35:55 Miracle Whip (AKA goblin spoo...)

39:40 Mirepoix

49:45 The Seafood at the Grocery Store

51:08 Canned Asparagus and Canned Beets

52:19 Iodized Salt

53:15 Turkey

54:45 Pasteurized Crab

58:05 Grouper

Hi all, new episode is out.  It's part one of a two-parter, in which Nate and Jesse get into the deep weeds of their favorite ingredients.  

Also, note, we've switched to the 'explicit' tag for this episode.  We want to clarify that there is nothing all that bad, here, we just wanted to err on the side of caution.  We got a little bit into some of the raunchy, goofy conversations cooks get into in the kitchen, and didn't want to ruffle any feathers.   There is minimal profanity, and a couple of sexually charged jokes (all good-natured, of course). The entire thing is a perfectly solid PG-13 rated affair.

Time Stamps

1:45 Nate’s Jesse’s Lack of Might Story

5:28 The Restaurant Week Triathlon (Bonus Story)

8:30 The Philosophical Question (Another Bonus Story)

12:51 Listener Questions

18:42 Ingredients- The 5 Up 5 Down Concept

23:36 Colatura di Alici

29:00 Anchovies

35:07 Kewpie

38:10 Cane Syrup

41:30 Kombu

49:08 Bycatch

53:56 Chinese 5-Spice

58:35 Wondra

1:03:20 Fresh Bay Leaves

1:05:56 Pig Skin

Hi everyone!  Episode 6 is upon us!  You'll notice that the sound quality is a little less... amateurish than the last few.  We CAN learn.  I mean, we are still amateurish, but we are very happy with the fact that we've apparently taken care of that noise issue.  No no more pretending that we are broadcasting from the back seat of a car that had just been driven off a New Jersey pier by a couple of Gambino family associates.  So there's that.

Timestamps:

1:06 The Insane Burger Roundup (Funny Story)

10:10 Introducing Sous Vide Cooking

21:47 Practical Applications for Circulator Cooking We’ve Seen in the Field

46:00 A Digression on the New Best Taco Place in Charleston

49:00 Another Digression, This Time About Pepperoni Grease

54:34 The Guys Get Back On Topic- Sous Vide

57:36 The Water Displacement Method

1:06:00 Techniques You CAN’T Do With the Ziploc Method

1:11:05 Jesse Claims Vacuum Sealers Cost $3000, Actually, It’s More Like $1200

Okay, y'all, have fun with this one!

Hi everyone!  This is the final episode of the infamous It-Sounds-Like-They-Are-Recording-From-the-Inside-of-a-Whack-a-Mole-Machine sessions.  By next week, the noise problems will be fixed.  Learning curve, y'all.  On this episode, the guys discuss the faces on their culinary Mount Rushmore.  I'll give you a hint: none of them are named Rachel or Guy.

1:06 The Goose’s Neck Wiener Story

9:41 Jesse Introduces his Thesis

13:20 The First Face on Rushmore

27:40 The Second Face on Rushmore

43.58 The Third Face on Rushmore

1:00:09 The Fourth Face on Rushmore

Well, here we go, the fourth episode, being the third episode of the infamous NOISE PROBLEM sessions.  Jesse and Nate broadcast live while tandem-hang gliding in gale-force winds!  Or something.

Time Stamps

1:43- The Story of the Name

4:08- The Story of the Moustache Bubbles

10:54- Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich?

12:13- How to Buy Hot Dogs

32:30- How to Cook Hot Dogs (Best)

34:05- A Discussion of Hot Dog Toppings

40:15: How to Step Up Your Hot Dog Game

Here's the other 8 recipes (of a total of 10) in our presentation of quick and easy pasta recipes.  Note that this was recorded in the same session as the previous episode, which means the audio issues have persisted.  So what we are going to need you guys to do is imagine that Nate and I recorded this session while fighting S.P.E.C.T.R.E. agents atop a moving passenger train in 1980's Budapest.  

Time Stamps:

1:10 Pink-lipped Mussel Story

3:30 Jesse’s Pasta al Funghi

9:25 Nate’s Pasta Pomodoro

14:00 Jesse’s Cacio e Pepe

22:12 Nate’s Pasta a l’Amatriciana

26:05 Jesse’s Fra Diavolo

44:36 Nate’s Pesto Genovese

55:23 Jesse’s Pork and Ginger ‘Bolognese’

57:36 Nate’s Onion Impasta

1:05:30 Jesse’s Bruschetta Tirade

1:08:07 Fennel Contorno Recipe

A quick note on sound quality: we had some problems with levels when we recorded our 2nd through 5th episodes.  This was partly because, due to the pandemic, we are recording everything on Zoom, so we have no monitoring, and partly because we are rank amateurs, and have literally no idea what we are doing.  The final result is that Jesse's level was a lot lower than Nate's, and we had to fix it in post.  The trouble is, the massive compression required to correct the issue also resulted in the listener being able to hear individual oxygen molecules bouncing off one another.  There's a bit of a noise problem.  We considered re-recording the episodes, but we were concerned we'd lose our spontaneity.  After all, we don't rehearse, this is live conversation.  We just ask the listener to bear with us as we figure this out, and for this group of episodes, kindly pretend that Nate and Jesse are broadcasting live from the Screaming Eagle, a classic wooden rollercoaster at Six Flags Great America, because that's definitely what it sounds like.

Okay, here's the first half of our two-part exploration of quick, easy pasta dishes.  This one is 80% theory, 20% recipes.

Here's the time stamps:

1:10 The Stabbing Story

9:30 How to Select Pasta

18:25 How to Boil Pasta

31:43 How to Cook Pasta Like Risotto(!)

41:43 Jesse’s ABC Pasta

48:37 Nate’s Aglio Olio

Weird edits, meandering diatribes, hosts challenging the mic stands to a fist fight, it’s our first episode!! The Hot Dogs and Caviar guys discuss hamburgers.

1:30 The Panisse Story

5:25 Burger Poll

15:30 Thoughts on Toppings

35:00 Thoughts on Burger-ish Dishes

42:45 The Great Debate: Smash vs. Thick, Topping Inflation, Fine Dining Burgers

1:05:00 Juicy Lucys