Check the Pantry

Jeff Lockwood and Kevin Co fry up a batch of Dutch-Brooklyn-Homer-style French fries.

Jeff Lockwood sits down with the Grog Shop's Patrick Driscoll for a journey through Germany and beyond with the enigmatic, shapeshifting Riesling.

Jeff Lockwood makes short ribs three ways - red braised, 48-hour sous vide, and chili.

Jeff Lockwood makes short ribs three ways - red braised, 48-hour sous vide, and chili.

Jeff Lockwood stuffs and pickles beets, and puts them on a galette, while exploring how beets and banjos are similar.

Thanksgiving's in the air, so Jeff Lockwood tips his hat to pumpkin pie and makes pumpkin-pecan eclairs, then visits Teri Robl to make a pumpkin and black bean chili.

Host Jeff Lockwood makes a shrimp and blue crab gumbo with his mom, Patricia Lockwood, at his aunt Patsy Johnson's house in Iowa, LA, a couple of weeks after Hurricane Ida.

It might get a bad rap these days, but rendered pig fat is still an excellent cooking medium. Jeff Lockwood uses it to make a pot pie, as well as experiment with a couple of ways of frying French fries.

Corn's an elusive crop in Alaska, but Jeff Lockwood finds a whole high tunnel of it at Hannah Prescott's Up Yonder Farm.

On this week's Check the Pantry, Jeff Lockwood gets dirty with some rice and silky smooth with some chicken liver pate. Well, not as smooth as he'd like, but pretty smooth.

Whether you call it black cod, sablefish, or something else entirely, Anaplopoma fimbria can always be called delicious. Jeff Lockwood makes black cod court-bouillon, smoked black cod boudin balls, and a smoked black cod and garlic scape farmer's cheese dip.

On this week's Check the Pantry, Jeff Lockwood sits down with vermouth enthusiast Matt Iverson of Turnagain Vines for an in-depth look at the many faces of this often-mistreated aperitif. This season of Check the Pantry is made possible by the generous support of Bay Realty and The Grog Shop. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 7/25/21.

The Québécois classic poutine demands fresh, squeaky cheese curds, which are difficult to find in Alaska. Jeff Lockwood takes matters into his own hands, transforming two gallons of milk into a pile of curds, then using them in a smoked-salmon-chowder-inspired poutine, in an attempt to provide a karmic boost to the Montréal Canadiens in their unlikely run to the Stanley Cup Finals. This season of Check the Pantry is made possible by the generous support of Bay Realty and The Grog Shop. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 07/11/21.

Vinegar's much more than a component of vinaigrette. Jeff Lockwood turns it into a beverage, a barbecue sauce, and a quick pickle. This season of Check the Pantry is made possible by the generous support of Bay Realty and The Grog Shop. Produced by KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 6/27/21.

With grilling season upon us, Jeff Lockwood breaks out the grinder to see what grinding technique means for a hamburger patty. Plus buns and onion rings! This season of Check the Pantry is made possible by the generous support of Bay Realty and The Grog Shop. Produced by KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 06/06/21.

Green onions are more than just a last-minute garnish. For this week's Check the Pantry, Jeff Lockwood makes the classic Chinese snack scallion pancakes and a tamarind and burnt green onion dressing for some chicken salad. This season of Check the Pantry is made possible by the generous support of Bay Realty and The Grog Shop. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 5/23/21.

It's hard to cook without fire, and you can't have fire without fuel. Wood's been the #1 choice throughout history. Jeff Lockwood is joined by former Three Legged Mule and Twitching Sushi bassist Atz Lee Kilcher and his massive Spanish wood cookstove, and do a little ice fishing on Caribou Lake hunting for kokanee and trout to cook on it. Produced by KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 4/11/21.

There's not much better for lunch than a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. Host Jeff Lockwood builds it from the ground up, including some experimentation in the tomato soup department, and battles serious impatience while waiting for the cheddar cheese to melt. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 3/28/21.

It's time to brown some butter - Jeff Lockwood goes into the kitchen to get his Maillard reaction on, and then make a couple of Indian dishes using the resulting ghee. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 3/14/21.

It's time for a trip to the culinary mind of an eight-year-old, Webster Martin, who joins host Jeff Lockwood (and Webster's mom, Lisa Asselin, who handles the cutting and the fire) to demonstrate his own invention, Rainbow Stew. Jeff also makes a sweet potato creme brulee. First aired 02/28/21. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska.

One of the stars of the winter table, Brussels sprouts take the spotlight in a three-course dinner that features them in two different preparations. Jeff Lockwood also talks with The Grog Shop 's Patrick Driscoll about what to drink alongside the meal. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 2/14/21.

Green bell peppers make a nice springboard to cooking up the New Orleans brunch classic grillades and grits. Host Jeff Lockwood expounds at length on his indifference to grits, and explains why they are not merely boring, but dangerous. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 12/20/20.

For many of us, coffee is utilitarian, the tool that knocks us awake in the morning. For Justice Sky, of Ano Kissaten Coffee Roasters , it's much more than that - it's a world of flavors specific to where the beans are grown. Justice walks Jeff Lockwood through making coffee from roasting raw beans to brewing the perfect cup - for you and for the bean. Produced by KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 12/6/2020.

With a worldwide pandemic raging, getting together for a big meal is a terrible idea. Finding ways to shrink Thanksgiving classics down? Fantastic idea. Jeff Lockwood makes turkey ballotines (and has unkind things to say about the turducken), as well as sweet potato gnocchi and green bean casserole, with a remote appearance from Teri Robl's stuffin' muffins. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 11/22/20.

There comes a time in a hen's life where she's not laying too much, and you have to make some decisions. One of the options, the one Jeff Lockwood chooses this week, is stock - the best stock you can make. Stock leads inexorably to soup - potato leek, this time. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 11/8/20.

Milk is much more than a drink - it's an important ingredient, contributing fat, texture, and flavor to many different foods - meatballs and quiche among them. Jeff Lockwood is joined by Teri Robl for a look at one of the many useful products squeezed from underneath the cow. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 10/25/2020.

Harvest means carrots, and carrots mean cake! Jeff Lockwood spends the hour making carrot cake (using a slight adaptation of this recipe ). Produced by KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 09/27/20.

Jeff Lockwood visits Alaskan brewing legend Lasse Holmes for a tour through the beer-making process, which, at every step, keeps coming back to yeast. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer Alaska. First aired 09/13/20.

Bubbles aren't just for special occasions. The Grog Shop's Patrick Driscoll leads a tasting panel with Teri Robl, Grady Avant, and John Cottingham through five inexpensive, everyday sparkling wines from around the world. Host Jeff Lockwood makes gougères to eat during the tasting. Wines provided by the Grog Shop. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 08/30/20.

Jeff Lockwood makes a Basque cake and a dacquoise with almond flour, then heads into Teri Robl's kitchen for an Italian tomato sauce with almonds and a forty-year-old recipe for almond chicken. Produced by KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 8/16/20.

Host Jeff Lockwood returns to the F/V Captain Cook to spend some time with the tool that makes modern seining possible - the Puretic Power Block, then goes to the headwaters of Stariski Creek with the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve to learn about the ways salmon depend on the land. Plus, making the dish in the picture! Part two of a two-part episode. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 8/2/2020.

On this week's Check the Pantry, host Jeff Lockwood jumps aboard his old boat the F/V Captain Cook for a day of purse seining for red salmon with skipper Malcolm Milne, then takes some fish home to butcher, grill, and more. Part one of a two-part episode. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 7/26/20.

Jeff Lockwood explores some of the many uses of cornstarch, and gets involved in some rather unpleasant tasting experiences. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 5/24/20.

Jeff Lockwood speaks to Alice Qannik Glenn, host of the podcast Coffee and Quaq , about maktak, one of the central foods of the Iñupiat of the North Slope. From whaling in sealskin boats to how to eat maktak in Florida, Alice covers just about anything you might want to know about eating the bowhead whale. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 05/17/20.

With spring in the air, host Jeff Lockwood turns his attention to the major indigenous North American source of sugar - maple syrup. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 05/03/20.

Host Jeff Lockwood makes three different batches of mac-and-cheese - one with a Bèchamel, one with a custard-style sauce, and one with sodium citrate. First aired 4/26/2020

Jeff Lockwood is joined by The Grog Shop's Skip Clary for a chat about white wine that's aimed at going beyond the Big Three - Napa chardonnay, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. From what to drink with Halibut Olympia to what the height of Spanish farmers means for Albariño cultivation, it's an overview of what can happen to grape juice if you strain the skins out immediately. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 04/19/2020.

On this week's Check the Pantry, host Jeff Lockwood cooks five batches of rice in different ways - and learns that at least one of the common instructions for cooking rice isn't worth listening to. Plus, chicken fricasse! Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 4/12/20.

Host Jeff Lockwood makes the most of a bag of supermarket frozen shrimp - the New Orleans classic BBQ Shrimp, English Potted Shrimp, and an elegant little Shrimp and Smoked Sausage Terrine. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 3/1/20.

Teri Robl picks the topic on this week's Check the Pantry, and Teri wants to talk about moose! She brings her friend Nancy Wise into the kitchen at Station Twelve , and Nancy's son Cody Wise talks with Jeff Lockwood about hunting the animal. Plus, all you ever wanted to know about Swedish møøse management! Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 02/16/20.

This week on Check the Pantry, host Jeff Lockwood goes into the kitchen with an authentic English person, John Cottingham, to learn about the use of coriander and other spices in Anglo-Indian curries, as well as the saga of Beaver Dave. Produced by KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired February 2, 2020.

On this week's Check the Pantry, host Jeff Lockwood makes a pot of red beans and rice. Since Jeff took the easy route, guest Teri Robl digs into her culinary bag of tricks to come up with something else to do with red beans.... Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. Partially recorded at Station Twelve . First aired 01/26/20.

On this week's Check the Pantry, Jeff Lockwood sits down with Fresh Catch Cafe's Harrison McHenry for a conversation about sourdough, from creating a starter to baking a loaf. Produced at the KBBI studios in Homer, Alaska. First aired January 19, 2020.

Check the Pantry takes a road trip to Soldotna to meet Vincent and Jessica Johnson at the Schnitzel Bomber to talk about schnitzel and spaetzle. Plus, host Jeff Lockwood roasts a pork loin using the once-common technique of larding. Produced at the KBBI studios in Homer, Alaska. First aired 01/12/20.

Host Jeff Lockwood waxes enthusiastic about the versatility and flavor of an underappreciated meat on the American table - duck. From rendered fat to lentil stew to duck breast, hot water cornbread, and stir-fried pickled mustard greens, this week's Check the Pantry is all about kitchen economics. Produced by KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 12/1/19.

Jeff Lockwood talks with AJ's Steakhouse head chef John Brown, as well as sous chef Josh Prentice, about ribs 6-12 on the cow - the prime rib. Plus, Jeff makes a couple of sauces to serve alongside it. Recorded in part at AJ's Steakhouse. Produced by KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 11/24/2019.

Jeff Lockwood and Teri Robl go head to head in a mustard competition, judged by Joey Lothian, Kenny Williams, and Cristina Ferman. Recorded in part at Station Twelve . Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 11/10/19.

Host Jeff Lockwood sits down with Skip Clary, who before he came to Homer spent many years in the Scottish whisky trade, for a long discussion on Scotch. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 11/3/2019.

On this week's Check the Pantry, host Jeff Lockwood attends the Smoked Seafood School in Kodiak to learn wood smoke science, how to make lox, and more, then uses the products made during the school to make a lox and leeks terrine and smoked silver salmon carbonara. Thanks to Chris Sannito, Alaska Sea Grant , and the University of Alaska Fairbanks for allowing us to record the show. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska.

Filé powder, the dried and ground leaves of the sassafras tree, is a major ingredient in the classic South Louisiana dish gumbo. Host Jeff Lockwood walks Adriane Huff through her first Cajun gumbo, and makes up a batch of smoked sausage to go into it. Partially recorded at Station Twelve . Produced by KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska.

Host Jeff Lockwood visits Darius Kleine at Fritz Creek Fungi to learn about cultivating mushrooms, then takes some oyster and button mushrooms into the kitchen to make duxelles and stuff them into hand pies. Produced at KBBI AM 890 in Homer, Alaska. First aired 08/25/2019