Deep Dish: Twisted Food History!

In this off-topic episode of Deep Dish, we look at another Google Trends map which shows some interesting search results from different U.S. states related to what kinda Super Bowl foods they're looking to make! After this, we tear apart an op-ed written by possibly the richest, most spoiled douchebag on Planet Earth, who published an entire article complaining that his vacation to Hawaii, in the middle of a pandemic, had to be cancelled. We finish up with a mind-boggling edition of Shitty Old Recipes which makes up for its short ingredient list by being truly confusing.

In the first 2021 edition of Deep Dish, we take a look at a beloved Christmas cookie, and find out why they're so associated with Christmas!  Are gingerbread cookies medicine?  Which came first, gingerbread loaves or gingerbread cookies?  What connection do these wholesome cookies have to Roman orgies?  Listen now to find out!HighlightsA brief discussion of our New Year's Resolutions and the new foods we want to make in 2021.Learning about molasses and that time it killed 21 people... in absolutely the last way you'd expect. Queen Elizabeth I set the bar really high in the area of impressive treats for guests!Story time as we review the fable of the gingerbread man, Shrek, and a random video game series from the Amiga days.  Defending a Taco Express Plus in Selden, NY from 1-star review trolls in another Review Roast!

We go off-topic in this holly-jolly Christmas edition of Deep Dish!  We go a bit overboard with Advent calendars this year. (Hint, there's two of us, and FIVE calendars)We discuss the abomination that is pizza-flavored candy canes.Inexplicably, pizza candy canes isn't even the worst variety that we talk about in this episode...A very special holiday edition of Shitty Old Recipes, with TWO unthinkable nightmares! (One of which looks like something that you dragged out from underneath your car.)

In this edition of Deep Dish, we investigate the pinnacle of Tex-Mex cuisine, chili con carne. Learn about how it came out of the complicated history of Mexico and Texas, before spreading to the rest of the U.S. This week, we also bring on a special guest for the very first time in Deep Dish! A longtime friend of the show, Patrick R., a born and bred Texan, shows up for the latter half of the ep to tell us all about how much Texas loves its chili.HighlightsChili peppers have been farmed for almost ten thousand years, which is crazy to think about! Take that, paleo diet!Despite its reputation as a Texas treasure, chili actually has a surprisingly international origin story? South America, Spain, Texas, and even Germany all played a part in its creation!Ghost peppers are really, REALLY freaking spicy. Modern chili has a bunch of different variations ranging from the pasta-paired Cincinnati Chili to Sonic the Hedgehog's favorite, chili dogs. We debut a brand new Dessert section game, "Pokemon or Medicine?" ...it's exactly what it sounds like.

In this off-topic episode we're getting ready for food's biggest holiday - Thanksgiving!  We're ranking traditional Thanksgiving foods to determine the best and the worst of the bunch.  No history this episode, just a good old fashioned battle between foods to see who comes out on top.  Which food will reach God tier status?  Which food will be the bottom of the barrel?  Listen now to find out!HighlightsA brief discussion of how Halloween went. A disagreement over what tier cranberry sauce belongs in.A last minute change in the rankings!Another edition of the classic dessert segment Shitty Old Recipes!  This one manages to have Erik almost completely stumped.

Join us for a special Halloween edition of Deep Dish in which we discuss cherished Halloween memories, and look into the sweet 'n' salty history of peanut butter cups! We also take a peek at some seasonally-appropriate news stories about licorice killing people, stupid 2020 trick-or-treat ideas, and the age old myth of poison candy that doesn't exist!Happy Halloween, everyone! Stay spooky! (And hungry!)

In this episode of Deep Dish, take a look at the cultural phenomenon that is pumpkin spice lattes! Did Starbucks actually invent them? Are pumpkin pie spice products supposed to actually contain pumpkin?  What spices actually ARE “pumpkin spice”?!  Listen now to find out!HighlightsMeg makes a confession about her relationship to this week’s topic.An overview of what exactly constitutes a basic bitch.An in-depth look at the spices that make up pumpkin spice  – and no discussion of lattes because well…we forgot.  We put in the work and research to finally determine, shockingly, there are over 60 pumpkin spice products released by major brands in the last twenty years!Another edition of Review Roast! that roasts reviews for Roast!  (It’s not as confusing as it sounds).

In this super-stuffed episode of Deep Dish, we do a deep dive on all things burrito-related! How long have people been eating tortillas? What the hell is nixtamalization? Why is Taco Bell getting rid of all its menu?! All these answers and more await, if you can stomach this 2-hour-long behemoth!HighlightsErik makes a confession about their dark past, as a Taco Bell addict.Corn and tortillas have been around for a long time. A lonnnnnnng, long time. Like, a REALLY long time.Exactly when did burritos get invented? That's a tough question. When did they first enter our lexicon? Well, it started off in a Mexican dictionary!Chipotle sucks. Chipotle is really stupid. We don't like Chipotle. Find out why!Another edition of Review Roast! for our favorite dim sum place, defending Red Tiger Dumpling House in Stonybrook from review trolls! (Spoilers: A lot of racists eat at Chinese restaurants!)

In this episode of Deep Dish, we head over to India...or...Scotland? and cozy up with some curry.  Which country can lay claim to the origin of Chicken Tikka Masala?  Has the UK finally redeemed itself, culinarily speaking?  You'll have to listen to find out!HighlightsWe revisit some beloved childhood snacks, inspired by our recent purchase of the s'mores lookalike Mallowmars! We finally cover the rise of a food that DOESN'T correspond to the Industrial Revolution!  PCFG Erik puts on his best British accent to discuss some fine*, traditional British dishes. (*Not fine)There's like three different curry dishes that are all basically the same thing... It's so confusing.The introduction of a new dessert topic - Poor Taste!  We take a look at Taco Bell's newest item, and it's not what you would expect.

In this off-week edition of Deep Dish, we discuss our Labor Day weekend, which included our very first wedding anniversary! We also play another round of Shitty Old Recipes! Highlights include...We discuss our Labor Day weekend, briefly going over what "The Hamptons" actually means.  How many Hamptons are there? Are they actually ritzy?Speaking of ritzy, we take some time looking over the list of traditional wedding anniversary gifts, and some of them are a bit, uh, abstract. (How does one give "fire" as a gift?)Despite some audio problems, we delve into perhaps the nastiest meal we've done yet, in Shitty Old Recipes! Hint: Combine fruity Jello with things that should NEVER be combined with fruity Jello)

In this episode of Deep Dish, we explore the history of the ice cream sandwich!  How many different types of ice cream sandwich are there around the world?  What does the Jersey Shore have to do with ice cream sandwiches?  Which member of the Jersey Shore are we related to?  You'll have to listen to find out!HighlightsWe start off with a recap of the exotic fruit party we had last weekend. (Spoilers: The fruits were exotic.)Some people take ice cream sandwich a little too literally.We establish an interesting connection between ice cream innovations and hot dog vendors, for some reason.Chipwiches have a surprisingly convoluted history that almost resulted in them disappearing forever. Another edition of shitty old recipe that stretches the limits of what constitutes a salad!

In this episode of Deep Dish, we hang out around the campfire and roast up some s'mores!  How long have we been roasting marshmallows around fires?  Did the person who wrote down the s'mores recipe have the best Girl Scout leader name?  You'll have to listen to find out!HighlightsA brief trip down memory lane of school cafeterias/school lunches.The history of s'mores basically stops at the invention of s'mores because they're so perfect!  What else is there to talk about?Marshmallows used to be medicine!? Well... sort of!An insane deep-dive on one of the biggest fad-diet purveyors of all time, Sylvester Graham!We finally praise England for one of their contributions to the culinary world!A somewhat more recent edition of Shitty Old Recipes that tragically combines s'mores with hamburgers... (It's as terrible as it sounds.)

Deep Dish is back! After our brief hiatus to collect feedback, we've returned with our best episode yet. This week, we discuss the surprisingly ancient history of lemonade! Where did lemons come from? What's an ade? Your answers await! Highlights Lemons actually originate from a cool, old lineage of citrus fruits that sound like something from a shonen anime!Erik and Meg are in an incredibly anti-government mood thanks to an unfortunate letter from the IRS. Where's Ron Paul when you need him?On that note, Erik and Meg officially decide they hate the federal government more than annoying children. The origins of pink lemonade in particular would make everyone with a foot fetish proud! Another edition of Review Roast takes place, defending Brickhouse Brewery & Restaurant of Patchogue, from review trolls... some of which sound like they were written by an 18th century playwright, bizarrely.Next week we'll be focusing on one of the truest summertime treats that exist, though strangely only in America! These toasty, campfire favorites are simple, yet satisfying. Think you know what it is? Write in or comment with your guesses, and if you're correct, we'll give you a great bit shout-out in a future episode!Until then, stay hungry!

Following our trial run of five episodes, we've decided to do a bonus episode while we work on taking your feedback and suggestions for the future of Deep Dish! This episode is a bonus, so there's no topic, no research, just food talk!Highlights Include:Camping food is awesome! We share some tips for campfire cookouts and what to make!PCFG Erik and Meg visit the new Lidl grocery store that opened recently! As the Germans tend to be, their grocery stores are efficient and clean.Speaking of Germany, Shitty Old Recipes returns with a recipe that combines chocolate cake with... fermented cabbage. Brilliant.We're all-ears for constructive criticism! So please write in to poorcouplesfoodguide@gmail.com, or hit us up on Facebook and Instagram to let us know what you want more of and less of, in Deep Dish! Episode 7 will be back to normal, once we get some more feedback on the show! Until then, stay hungry!

In this episode of Deep Dish, we take you all the way back to Ancient Rome where everybody's favorite jiggly custard dessert, flan, was first created! It's a miracle we still eat this stuff considering how many collapsed empires it survived! In the spirit of custard, we also go over some Jell-o mold horrors from the 1960s! And uh, yeah, they're pretty bad.

In this episode of Deep Dish, we discuss the incredibly specific circumstances that led to banana bread's creation in the early 1900s! This sweet, quickbread seems so simple, but there's more to it than just someone thinking banana-flavored bread was be a good idea!

In this episode, we take a look at a true New York favorite, penne alla vodka. This rich, creamy, vodka-infused pasta dish has a disputed origin with some people claiming it was invented in Italy, and some saying it was invented state-side! Which was it? Listen to find out!

In this episode, we take a look at one of the most iconic foods in American history, hamburgers! Find out how a disgusting hockey puck of raw meat and bread turned into a beloved BBQ favorite! Then discover its path from a country-fair staple to fast food icon and more! 

In the premiere episode of PCFG Deep Dish Podcast, Erik and Meg take a look at Irish Soda Bread. Discover the origins of this humble, easy, little bread loaf, and how it came to become a St. Patrick's Day favorite!