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