Dishing With Donna

Growing up in the south, BBQ is one of my all-time favorite foods to salivate over! Take a listen to the infamous Pitmaster, Myron Mixon, as he shares his story of growing up working the pits with his Dad and then later becoming a legendary competition Pitmaster seen all over television. Myron also gives us some professional tips on how to create insanely delicious BBQ at home for your friends and family. Take the time to learn, and your tastebuds will reap the reward!

When you dine out at a restaurant, what is the standard protocol for tipping your server and what specific expectations should you look for from your overall service? Join Donna and Dan Hott for another entertaining conversation about how to calculate 20% right off the top of your head without needing a calculator, and what to tip for carry out orders versus delivery versus buffets versus the new controversy of the restaurant industry adding an automatic gratuity into your final bill! It's all here in this episode. What to tip or not to tip, that is the question . . .

I was shocked to see that the apple I served to my son never ever turned brown. The left over apple slices left on the counter stayed white and fresh looking for over 24 hours! So of course I had to dive in and research what in the world happened to make my apple NOT turn colors. I learned why engineers are genetically modifying apple varieties now as a more common technique, and which apples naturally carry an enzyme to keep from browing, safely staying away from GMO's. I wanted to share this information with you! As well as quick easy tips on how to keep your yummy apple from turning colors after slicing, perfect for school lunches and the kiddos!

What is it like working in a restaurant that caters to celebrities? Find out as you join Donna in her candid conversation with successful restauranteur, Dan Hott, as they share comical and interesting and memorable stories about their experiences with many different celebrities while working in the restaurant industry. What is the proper protocol for a famous guest? Does it change for an athlete vs. an actor vs. a singer vs. a famous pastor? Find out when you enjoy this fun and entertaining episode!

It's hard to have a constructive conversation about anything to do in the foodie industry when your guest is your husband who is not only an Executive Chef but also the world's most hilariously snarky human being who has something sarcastic to say about everything! So as we recall the times when we used to judge burger competitions amongst restaurants, we also "attempt" to discuss the current popularity between veggie burgers, vegan, the Impossible burger, turkey, black bean, bison, and finally the all American classic hamburger making a comeback!

"Ask and ye shall receive"! As a radio personality who has a food podcast, I am approached ALL THE TIME with questions about cooking or recommendations. I thought it would be fun to answer some of the random questions I've been asked just recently, including; What do I do with a ham bone? How can I eat pasta every day and still lose weight? What's wrong with store-bought broth? What else is quick and easy to make when my family is bored of meals with rice, but I'm not a good cook?? . . . Well let me shed some light on these answers for you, my pleasure!

Do you have a picky kid when it comes to eating? I do! It is a struggle trying to get my son to try or taste any food that isn't pizza or chicken nuggets or waffles. Outside of his tiny little box of things he WILL eat ... I want to pull my hair out finding ways to get him interested in the things he WON'T eat. So! Here are some of my own helpful ideas, tips and new yummy dishes I have learned by experimenting that have gotten my son to surprise even himself. As parents, it's our job to change these picky palates! ;-)

Taking on some new resolutions this year, Donna is ready to learn some new cooking techniques, new recipes to attempt, and wants to put the phone down and use classic cookbooks instead! Just like the scene in Schitt's Creek where they try to figure out what it means to "fold in the cheese", Donna is going to lean on trial and error to figure out what it means to expand her own comfort zone in the kitchen and add some new experimental dishes to her repertoire.

Its time to "fall" into the new season of everybody's favorite Fall foods, where we look forward to sugar and spice and everything nice! Are you someone who loves pumpkin spice everything?? Or do you dread the pumpkin spice obsession every year? Either way, this episode is for anyone and everyone who embraces the new chill in the air with new warm aromas coming from the kitchen. Learn some tips for creating the perfect spiced cocktail as well as the coziest of dinners.

School is back in session!  What are your kids eating?  What are they bringing in to eat?  What is the school actually giving them?  How do teachers really feel about what's going on with school lunches and the kids?  What's important to know?  .... Join Donna and her guest, Mrs. Giselle Matthews who is a longtime elementary school teacher with young kids of her own, as they analyze how far school lunches have actually come and what foods help your child stay focused and energized.  School lunches can rock when you realize it all starts from .... HOME.