Love Bites

Weddings are magical, and many people dream of that singular day from a young age. Pastry chef Ron Ben-Israel and his team at Ron Ben-Israel Cakes play a fundamental role in that celebration for their clients, creating massive cakes with cascading sugar flowers, models of New York's most iconic buildings, and pretty much anything else their hearts desire, layered with artistry, geometry, architecture, traditional, precision, and love.

On today's show, Ron shares what he's learned from this intimate relationship with his clients. Have the successes and failures he's witnessed taught him anything about lasting love that he's then pulled into his own romantic life? How have gay weddings, specifically, flourished since the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York five years ago on June 24th, 2011? As a gay man, what is Ron observing in his community after the recent horrific events in Orlando? What has being a food celebrity taught him about communication in romantic relationships? And does he think true romance is dead?

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We're on a food-obsessed radio station, with shows solely focused on cheese, farming, Japanese food, hospitality, food tech, school food programs... you name it. We take a slightly broader approach on Love Bites, focusing on a breadth of relationships in the food field: between our minds and how we feed our bodies, between diners and restaurant staff, and between what we're cooking and where it came from etc..

On today's show, we welcome author Ina Yalof, whose recently-released Food & The City collects first-hand stories from chefs, purveyors, and street vendors, whittling them down into first-person narrative. How did the journalist -- who has no inside relation to the hospitality field -- get inside the heads of her subjects? What was her learning curve like? What was her greatest takeaway? And does she wish her foodie husband, who passed away six years ago, could most experience through it now?

But before we even get to that, Jacqueline shares why she's embarking on a 40-day social media cleanse, starting tomorrow! That's right - no Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or dating sites like OKCupid, Bumble or Tinder. She's out. Why? Listen to the show to find out, or read her Huffington Post piece for Heritage.

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Yeehaw for Texas!

Today is our first Love Bites on the Road show! Jacqueline recently traveled to San Antonio for the Culinaria festival, asking folks in food and drink at restaurants, bars, wineries, boutique hotels, and the barbecue and Grand Tasting events at Culinaria how they love and eat well in Texas. She picked brains about first dates, what people are looking for in their love lives, how they seduce through food, and what their favorite date restaurants are in the city they adore so.

She discovered that love bites a little differently in Texas than it does in good ol' NYC. So after having spent the day downing pork and brisket at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party in Madison Square Park this past Saturday, Jacqueline and Ben sat together to discuss what she learned, and how her findings apply to their own dating scenarios. Have a listen to our first podcasty-cut show. And thanks to the team at Culinaria, the folks at La Cantera Resort and Spa, and the 13 pit masters and their teams who brought the best barbecue the country has to offer to the city we still love to call home.

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"Last season, private chef and nutritionist Ariane Resnick came on our Ladies Who Lyme show to talk about how Lyme disease and chemical poisoning affected more than just her health. On that episode, she started to get into intuitive eating -- how she guides clients to listening to what their bodies want them to eat rather than prescribing a "diet" that's "good for their condition". Today, Ariane returns to delve into this idea more fully. How do we calm our minds enough to listen to our bodies? What correlation between what we eat and how we think or feel might we be missing? How can we instinctively reach for something better when all we want is the sweet or salty or alcoholic quick fix?

And before we even get to that – how does what we eat affect how we date? Jacqueline has a plethora of food restrictions, despite her field – how would Ben want them to be presented on a first date? What foods do we avoid before sexy time, and what does how one eats speak to compatibility?

Have a listen to find out.

Our Spring/Summer Theme Song is Josh Dion‘s GIVE LOVE! We both fell hard for Josh‘s insane drumming skills and deliciously expressive vocals (smooth like honey, ladies, and then wild and raucous as hell) way back when we first moved to NYC, dancing our hearts out to the Josh Dion Band all over town. Now he performs all over NYC (and in residency at Rockwood Music Hall) as Paris Monster. Find, chat, listen, and buy on Twitter and iTunes."

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There's something to be said about being single in your thirties. There's the rush of not knowing who you're gonna kiss next, and the freedom to do whatever the hell you want whenever the hell you want. But looking for your counterpoint on the Earth can be exhausting and annoying, too.

On today's show, we explore this dichotomy. What romantic wins from the last six weeks – the last time the two of us were together live in the studio before Ben took off to perform in Maine – can we celebrate? What challenges have arisen from breaking out of the patterns we usually function within?

Then we're joined by Kristin Newman, the author of the memoir What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding. While many of her friends got hitched and started popping out babies, Kristin traveled the world, pushing herself into experiences that she would never dare embrace at home. What did overcoming fears, meeting people from around the world, and "doing the thing you're supposed to do in the place you're supposed to do it" teach her about love? Have a listen to find out.

Our Spring/Summer Theme Song is Josh Dion‘s GIVE LOVE! We both fell hard for Josh‘s insane drumming skills and deliciously expressive vocals (smooth like honey, ladies, and then wild and raucous as hell) way back when we first moved to NYC, dancing our hearts out to the Josh Dion Band all over town. Now he performs all over NYC (and in residency at Rockwood Music Hall) as Paris Monster. Find, chat, listen, and buy on Twitter and iTunes."

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's show marks the second in our series, OUR BODIES, OURSELVES, where we explore the connection between what we want from life, and how to get it in the bodies we live in. What kinds of impressions do we want to make on a date, and what's most important about how a date presents themselves to us off the bat? How do we think we're presenting our best selves, and what might the reality look like from the other side of the table?

We discuss what these questions mean to us personally and then are joined by Kim Dower, the owner of the literary publicity company Kim-From-LA. Kim shares what she's learned from coaching clients into presenting themselves to the public, and what we might not understand about how others see us. She gives her top tips for getting our best selves out there, and where she wishes we would cut ourselves some slack.

Have a listen, and remember to email your questions about dating to us or any upcoming guests at [email protected]! Or Tweet them to as at @lovebitesradio!

Our Spring/Summer Theme Song is Josh Dion‘s GIVE LOVE! We both fell hard for Josh‘s insane drumming skills and deliciously expressive vocals (smooth like honey, ladies, and then wild and raucous as hell) way back when we first moved to NYC, dancing our hearts out to the Josh Dion Band all over town. Now he performs all over NYC (and in residency at Rockwood Music Hall) as Paris Monster. Find, chat, listen, and buy on Twitter and iTunes.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Some jobs are just more physical than others. Actors, dancers, chefs and bartenders beat the shit outta our bodies doing what we love. But we don’t have to.

Today's show is the first in our OUR BODIES, OURSELVES series, where we explore how our bodies can help or harm our work and how they affect our romantic relationships. Joined by returning guest co-host chef Daniel Holzman, we discuss the physicality of kitchen work, and how your body changes with many years spent over a hot stove. Then we're joined by occupational Pilates instructor Marcia Polas and one of her students, bartender Russell Dillon of Ba'Sik in Williamsburg, who's just gone through Marcia's THE BARTENDER'S PILOT PROGRAM with Rutte Distilleurs. What wisdom can we steal from how she trains chefs and beverage folks to work more healthfully? And has the 10-week program really helped Russell at work?

Have a listen!

Our Spring/Summer Theme Song is Josh Dion‘s GIVE LOVE! We both fell hard for Josh‘s insane drumming skills and deliciously expressive vocals (smooth like honey, ladies, and then wild and raucous as hell) way back when we first moved to NYC, dancing our hearts out to the Josh Dion Band all over town. Now he performs all over NYC (and in residency at Rockwood Music Hall) as Paris Monster. Find, chat, listen, and buy on Twitter and iTunes.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Going to an Ex's Wedding: Sweet and supportive -- or scary and just plain weird?! On today's show, we share our craziest weddingscapades, then dig into the deep stuff: When you're going to an ex's wedding, what do you want to happen, and what should be prepared for in case it happens without your instigation? Hopefully, Ben's insight from being on the male side of a bridal party where an ex was the bride will fortify Jacqueline for when she watches her first boyfriend get married, showered by all of their still-mutual friends. Then we're joined by Daniel Neiden, a Jewish Cantor and wedding officiate, who's going to offer up some general wedding know-how gleaned from his many years of being the guy who literally stands between couples on their big day. What kinds of questions does he suggest couples ponder before they say "I do"? What does he personally think about the institute of marriage? And what does he suggest we keep in mind when the pressure of the wedding occasion starts to build? Finally, we come full circle as Daniel shares his own craziest wedding experience...as a guest. Tune in.

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Can you really be friends with an ex? What challenges arise when romance shifts to platonic affection? And if you’re fighting hard to keep the friendship going, are you truly over the loss of the mate?

On this week’s show, Jacqueline discusses the intricacies of being friends with an ex with her guest co-host, Jonathan Wiener, who’s currently struggling with how to be friends with the man who hurt his heart. What steps does he need to complete to get himself to a better place? And since Jacqueline’s headed next week to the wedding of the ex she dated for almost a decade, what advice can she share?

Then the team is joined by Steve Viksjo and Lukas Volger, two of the threesome behind Jarry Magazine, a biannual mag that celebrates the art of gay domesticity. What holes in the food media world did they see needed filling? How sustainable are professional relationships in a world where food and drink easily make things feel personal? Have a listen to find out.

Today’s wine sponsor is Simi Winery’s 2014 Dry Rose! This beautiful rose is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon finished with Merlot, Malbec and Syrah. Shell-pink with notes of citrus, strawberry, and tart cherry, it’s the perfect pairing for summer fried chicken or raw mussels. More at SimiWinery.com.

Our Spring/Summer Theme Song is Josh Dion‘s GIVE LOVE! We both fell hard for Josh‘s insane drumming skills and deliciously expressive vocals (smooth like honey, ladies, and then wild and raucous as hell) way back when we first moved to NYC, dancing our hearts out to the Josh Dion Band all over town. Now he performs all over NYC (and in residency at Rockwood Music Hall) as The Paris Monster. Find, chat, listen, and buy on Twitter and iTunes.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We've spent a lot of time on this show talking about how hard dating is in your thirties and, according to Shari Bayer, it doesn't get a whole lot easier once you've slipped into your fourth decade. But as we celebrate the final show of our second season, we're lightening it up a bit and discussing why it's awesome to be a single professional in New York City, and why coupled up kids should be jealous of all the things we can do that they can't.

So for today's show sit back, singletons, and get ready to celebrate. Grab two drinks and get ready to glug them down - because you can! Paint the town red, sleep 'til noon, get into trouble, and pick up a nasty habit - because you can! DVR your favorite guilty pleasure and dig into that disgusting food you don't want anyone else to know about - because you can! And then Tweet us, email us, Facebook us, flirt with us, make out with us, do whatever the hell you like with us - BECAUSE WE CAN!

Have a listen, and come back April 25th when we kick off Season Three with even more love bites and stories about how love BITES!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.