SOJcast

Episode 24

Special Guest: Chef Diane DiMeo from The Taste

This week we reflect on what we did for Easter. Once the kids are too old to hunt for eggs, life is a little more mundane.

Ron's Roost

Imagine the Easter eggs a 14' chicken would lay.

Dishwashers (the machines) are the signs of progress here at the SOJCast. What happens when they go out? A lot of eating over the sink. We wonder if our guest Chef Diane DiMeo ever eats over the sink.

Interview with Chef Diane DiMeo (12:30)

This was an awesome interview. Listen to what it's like being a woman and a kick-ass chef. Chef Diane offers up hard-won wisdom and insider info on Chopped and The Taste. Catch up with Chef Diane Dimeo:

Website: Chef Diane Dimeo's Web Page

Facebook: Chef Diane Dimeo on Facebook

Twitter: Follow Chef Diane Dimeo on Twitter

Diane's Fermented Products: Bootleg Farms

Hooves and Teats

Food Porn  (43:00)

Mark's Selection:

Nada Mexican Restaurant

You can put Crispy Pork Belly in a taco?!?

Baja Fish Tacos

Tacos!

Stacey’s selection:

Szechwan Garden

In order to ensure delivery, Stacey ordered enough to feed all the people in the Szechwan province.

General Tso's chicken and Beef and Broccoli were top notch. Best of all: no plates to clean! 

This week the SOJCast is sponsoring

 Women Helping Women

Women Helping Women serves Southwestern Ohio as a unique provider of crisis intervention and support services for direct and indirect victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking.

Episode 23

We have our second ever co-co-host. Mark’s son Oren. He’s a fisherman and after all the fish stories we got this month, we wanted some professional help.

Also he attends the media's latest darling: Florida Gulf Coast College. Go Eagles!

FGCU is not only where they were hiding an amazing basketball team, they also have an on-campus sushi bar. Did your college? How about alligators and snakes? They have them too. Did you know they treat their freshmen like royalty? They do, and maybe this is why they win. 

We also have a number of fishing questions that Oren answers. He was good enough to take time away from shore fishing on beaches filled with bikini clad co-eds. What dedication! 

This is a tarpon. They sure are shiny.

Food Porn  (29:00)Oren’s selection:

Paula's crazy creation!

After 120 bites of luxurious peanut butter, we needed something salty and savory.

The Slaughterhouse Sandwich The Slaughterhouse is a KFC Double-down inside of a Wendy's Baconator.

Probably best to enjoy this during your college years while you still have a high metabolism

 Mark's Selection:

Curiously enough it was not the Amish Buffet that was full of Amish. It turns out they all hang out at the McDonalds next door!

Can you see all the beef in that gravy? Oh yeah.

It's a buffet. Seconds is sorta mandatory. Spaghetti and mash potatoes? Don't judge.

This week the SOJCast is sponsoring The Way Home Rescue Alliance They take animals from kill shelters and give them a place to stay until you adopt them!Like them on FB and give them a few bucks, or better yet - Adopt a new friend.

Episode 22

Special Guest: Robert Irvine from Restaurant Impossible

This week the SOJCast doesn't have a sponsor. Instead, we are sponsoring the Freestore Foodbank. We spend a lot of time talking about food here at the SOJCast but it's vital to remember that not everyone has access to food, even here in Cincinnati. That's where the Freestore Foodbank comes in.

Don't forget there's still time to get your entry in the March Writing Contest here.We extended the deadline to March 25, so what's your excuse? Your favorite team won't make the Final Four anyway.  Cash prizes, trophies and other great stuff.

Lex-Con is host to such greats as Billy Dee Williams, Margot Kidder and Charity Parkerson. The SOJCast got on the road and went to bring Charity some Abby Girl cupcakes and some GiGi's cupcakes so she can decide which was best. We suspect future food porn in the making...

Taco Bell troubles call The Wolf, or Mark, whichever. He'll talk you through it. Don't forget the Verde sauce. You were warned.  We also lament the loss of Taco Viva.

That Clint Eastwood spoof of a commercial has been saved on the internet hereIf you remember Taco Viva, drop us a comment. We love to commiserate. Interview with Chef Robert Irvine (14:15)A SOJCast impossibility becomes possible as the Food Network's Chef Robert Irvine does an interview while driving. Always cool under pressure, Chef Robert does not crash his car. He talks Restaurant Impossible, how to get your kids to eat vegetables (without bribery of ANY kind), the charities he supports, and his favorite food. You'll never guess what it is. You'll have to listen. He also tells us what his ultimate restaurant deal breaker is and the one dish he makes better than anyone else. You'll never guess that one, either.

Find out what question we were afraid to ask, but did it anyway. Chef Irvine was kind enough to let us leave it in the broadcast. Take that, Anne Burrell!

Watch his television show: Restaurant Impossible!

Visit his website: http://chefirvine.com

Follow Robert Irvine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/robertirvine1

In keeping with the philanthropic tone of this week's episode, please visit the Gary Sinise Foundation, which supports all of our wounded warriors. Food Porn  (39:00)

Stacey’s selection:

Red State BBQ

It was so good, Stacey forgot to take a picture. Like all good BBQ joints, when they are out of something, they won't have any more for hours. We enjoyed the pulled pork and brisket but when's Rib and Chicken Day?

Good thing Laura got a picture of hers:



Mark's plate: Pulled Pork, Brisket, Green Beans and Corn Pudding.

Mark's Selection:

Django's Western TacoIf you’re in Northside, definitely stop by Django’s.  The Jalapeno and Bacon Cornbread as mind boggling. The bean dip was unimaginably delicious. Also try some of their tacos. On display here are Al Pastor (Marinated Pork, Pineapple, mint), Chicken (salsa verde) and Beef (horseradish crema and cilantro)

See that empty plate? That was the bean dip.

Episode 21

 

Special Guest: Emily Joy from Biggest Loser

 

The SOJCast announces its first writing contest: The SOJys.

Cash prizes, trophies and other great stuff. Claim your seat at the SOJCast table and join us if you win. Why not enter?

Read the details of the March Writing Contest here.

Deadline March 21. EXTENDED to March 25

Speaking of fish and lent, did you know the Filet-O-Fish was invented here in Cincinnati? We did.

Interview with Emily Joy from Biggest Loser (13:50)

Emily started the interview out by making us something very “un-food porny.” It was so awful-looking we relegated its picture to the bottom of our post. Go check. Seriously. Despite its strange appearance, she maintained that it was delicious and offered a virtual “high five” to vegans everywhere.

Learn about the secrets of reality TV. Did you know in Hollywood a week might mean 16 days? Whoa.

Don't believe everything you see on reality TV. No! Say it isn't so.

We did not ask Emily if she was single... okay we did but not like that…

Are you one of those people who eats to live?

Emily hates you. (Ok, not really - but we all think you're hooked on the goofballs)

Emily turns us on to Slutty Brownies - they are not young girls with emotional problems, but they are sinful! Not in the way our sponsor would approve of, but pretty darn close...

Also hear tales of the Danish Puff and a Peanut Butter and Fluff sandwich

Food Porn (featuring Emily Joy) (38:45)

Mark’s selection: Embers

The Cowboy Bone-In Ribeye

Short Rib Ravioli

Oreo Stuffed Donut

Stacey’s selection: Whole Foods Pizza

It was so good, Stacey forgot to take a picture. Also he needs to check who’s running the counter before he orders, otherwise he might end up with another goat cheese on cardboard. Hmmm

Emily chooses: Panera's Spinach Power Salad

Special Shout-Out from Emily to:

Total Nutrition Technology

And very special thanks to Angela and Megan from TNT!

Why not follow Megan on Twitter? @Megan_TNTgetfit

       

Hey Emily - This is not food porn!

Mmmm chlorophyll

__________________________________________________________________________________

This week's SOJCast is sponsored by:

The Sinner's Series

by Charity Parkerson

Episode 20

Sponsored by:

Strange Voices

SOJCast 20 delivers what is sure to be the strangest opening in the history of SOJCasts. What’s up with the strange voices? Tune in and find out.

Kodos, one of the dogs of the SOJCast, has been known to sneeze like someone put a firecracker inside her floppy, floppy face. Stacey tries to describe this natural oddity as the family runs to get more pepper.

Mark talks about his team building event at a cooking school in Seattle. That guy has some problems with authority and situations that lack proper context. There's no "mark" in "team". Find out if Mark’s hijinks get him kicked out of cooking school or just sent to scrub dirty pans.

This week's Xombee Guy is an exercise in the lost art of hospitality. Word of caution: be careful who you offer aid and comfort to.

 In this week's Trailer Trash blog, the top-notch engineering at Winnebago causes the motor home to get electrified. Good news - the cat and the dog escaped. The people--not so much. Try not to wet yourself. 

Trailer Trash #18

Interview with Amber Jerome-Norrgard and Scott Morgan (25:30)Join us as we interview Amber and Scott. Learn the secrets to good writing and whether or not Amber was raised by pirates.  They also take some time and talk poetry and the Four Paws Project.

The Quillective Project's mission is to turn the power of the written word into an instrument of compassion, hope, and generosity by putting that power directly in the hands of organizations that share our principles. The 2013 Quillective Project is Four Paws, a poetry anthology featuring bestselling authors Scott Morgan, Ben Ditmars, Amber Jerome-Norrgard and Robert Zimmermann, with a "fourword" by Russell Blake.

100% of all proceeds from the sale of Four Paws will benefit The Dallas Humane Society's no-kill shelter, Dog & Kitty City.

Four Paws on Facebook

Quillective on Facebook

You love dogs and cats, right? Then what the hell are you waiting for? Buy it now!

Amber and Scott even favor us with some vegan food porn. Say what?!? Yes, that’s right, a SOJcast first. Vegan food porn. Will their descriptions of the plant world’s bounty be enough to sway you to join their cause?

Amber’s website: http://amberjeromenorrgard.com/

Like and subscribe to her FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmberJeromeNorrgard?fref=ts

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmberNorrgard

Scott’s website: http://www.write-hook.com/

Like and subscribe to his FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/scott.morgan.18007218

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/write_hook

Food Porn  (58:00)

This week we have a food porn showdown! Which restaurant had a finer crispy chicken, named for the ruthless General Tso, who apparently batter-fried his victims and doused them in a spicy sauce?

Szechuan Garden - Park Hills, KY

Spicy Talk - Redmond, WA

Why not buy yourself some plane tickets and try them yourself? Better yet, have a colossal road trip, you're bound to find some more gems along the way...

See you next time, if the world isn't destroyed,

Episode 19

Sponsored by:

The Unexpected

The SOJCast finally returns in 2013. Hopefully this wasn't unexpected.

After a brief segue that involves 40 apple pies and a van full of cheerleaders (quite unexpectedly) we get back on the podcasting wagon.

We spend some time talking about what we did during our hiatus.

While Mark was in Florida he managed to get his girlfriend hooked on Cafe Cubano. It wasn't that hard actually.  

Cafe Cubano

Many people wonder what happens when your ex-wife meets your girlfriend. Not sure what to expect? Us neither. Some safety tips:

Was Mark nearly arrested in Disney World? Yep. Find out why.

We also spend a little time talking about our Christmas gift exchange (which actually happened at Stacey's birthday party). Teapots and a leg-eating machine. What could be better?

Did you miss Trailer Trash and Xombee Guy? Good news!

Learn more about the 400 lbs of marijuana hanging in the living room on a new Trailer Trash post



A common winter lament

Food Porn and Interview with Mike Harwood (owner of Whack Burger) (29:30)

Learn the secrets (or maybe not) of the mysterious and delicious Whack Burger.

A WhackBurger being built. Mesmerizing isn't it?

Mike explains the importance of fresh ingredients. We were shocked to learn the meat comes from our neighbor Heringer Meats just across the street. Did you know that Whack Burger has 14 burgers on the menu? Have a look. We get to ask why Whack Burger has a wall of comic (not that we were complaining). Listen and learn.

We even talk about our idea for a burger contest here in Covington. Is Mike on board with the idea?

The wall of comics. How many Spiderman(s) can you find?

Episode 18

Sponsored by:

Careful Planning Gone Wrong

This week's Xombee Guy is ...

 

In this week's Trailer Trash blog

Trailer Trash #18

Interview with Charity Parkerson ()

Charity's website:

Like and subscribe to her FB fan page:

Follow her on Twitter:

Food Porn featuring Charity Parkerson (:00)

Charity also reopens old wounds with the Pineapple of Discord.

See you next time, if the world isn't destroyed,

Episode 17

Sponsored by:

Traditions

SOJcast 17 is all about traditions: the widespread conventional ones and homegrown family ones.

Current Events  (15:30)

Did you know that Stacey's mother was coming for Thanksgiving? Of course you did, we told you so in SOJcast 16. Well she came. Listen as we discuss her curious habit of speaking her mind. A mom without a filter! We also discuss the less traditional Thanksgiving Mark attended. Whose turkey was most moist? Listen. Learn. Brine.

 



Are you like Xombee Guy? Had a little too much family for Thanksgiving?

We start our discussion with the idea that millennials bristle at many traditions, while others have quietly crept into their subconsciousness. Do you agree? Is this the generation that will do away with all but our most hallowed traditions or are we just stirring the pot (of hot oil)?

Here's some of the traditions we discuss - how many are self-explanatory?

 

What are some of your traditions that you've invented? We have a big calendar next year and Arbor Day needs help.

Food Porn  (31:00)

Two guys and two Fry Daddies. Such is the stuff of legend.

Meatballs, meet hot oil. Oil, to your task.

While everyone had a hand in the deep frying, in actual fact Laura was the Iron Chef in residence. Her culinary skills would cause Alton Brown to weep salty tears.

Laura's (aka Lauren's) corn dogs were wonders to behold - and wonders to eat! 

Here's a selection from the menu on Deep Fried  Friday:

The Prime Rib didn't fit in the Fry Daddy, so it went in the oven. Kinda sad right? Nah...

Episode 16

Sponsored by: Thanksgiving

  We depart from our normal format to discuss Thanksgiving in SOJcast 16. You might say it's one big food porn episode but you'd be wrong if you did.  We discuss some Thanksgivings that were less that fantastic: 

• Learn about why Florida Thanksgivings were awful things in the 1980s.

We also discuss some that were, in fact, fantastic:

We discuss our recent family dinner which was nearly a Thanksgiving, for all intents and purposes. It was at an Italian restaurant that will remain without a link (it wasn't so good). Stacey had some apothic wine which leads Erin to accuse the Sons of Joy of picking her up from day care drunk as skunks We must defend our honor and refute the charges!

Turns out we were just tossing umbrellas around like they were Springfield rifles. People often mistake this behavior for drunkenness or mental illness.

It looked exactly like this - but with umbrellas.

Also learn who got sick at dinner, threw up in a roadside bathroom but made a full recovery and was eating a Whack burger at midnight.

We reveal the fact that Stacey's mother is coming for Thanksgiving. But how many people will really show up? How many Thanksgiving orphans can we accommodate? Have you ever been a Thanksgiving orphan? Leave some comments!

Have you ever deep fried a turkey? How about a prime rib? a hot dog? a Reuben? We share some of our deep frying lessons. Safety first!

Deep Fried Reubens Feeds one, unless you are kind and want to share 

• 1 lb of corned beef (from your favorite local Deli - ours is Izzy's)

Take a biscuit and flatten it. Add a pinch of corned beef, a pinch of sauerkraut and a splash of Thousand Island dressing. Stretch the dough over the contents  and pinch the biscuit shut. Make up as many reubens as you plan to cook before you start cooking them.

Fill vessel with enough peanut oil to cover reubens. Heat oil to 350 degrees (you can use a stovetop pot and a 3-4 cups oil if you aren't deep frying a turkey).

(Carefully!) Slide the biscuits into the hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve Hot!

Happy Thanksgiving World!In conclusion we take a moment to give thanks for the people who mean the most to us.

We certainly hope you do the same.

Episode 15

Sponsored by:

Second Chances

 

 

What do Richard Nixon, Abraham Lincoln and Grover Cleveland have in common?

Join in for some electoral logo fun!

Why is there a Log Cabin and a Chicken on the ballot?

Why is the Kentucky ballot mired in pre-civil war iconography?

Listen and learn.

 

Current Events  (11:15)

Learn why someone typed "There's a bee in my ass" and ended up on the Xombee Guy website.

Also Stacey talks about how he was Left for Dead in the latest installment of Trailer Trash with a Girl's Name.

 Interview with Mary O Paddock  (20:00)

We talk writing and spinach with Mary Paddock and discuss the creation of her new book The Fassen Files. Mary talks us through the world of indie publishing and explains where she got her book covers.

Food Porn  (51:10)

We follow the proclamation of Charles Joy @ThanosRules and return to Cancun - together. In fact we went on Halloween.

Did it win Stacey over? If Montoya's closes would Stacey go to Cancun instead? Listen and learn.

 

It turns out that Cake is "the Needless Distraction"

 

We also discuss the restaurant next door to Cancun. Guru Indian Restaurant.

Stay tuned as we discover the strange and mysterious Tandoori Buffalo Wings 

 

Also learn the about the affections of the bus boy...

  

Paddock's Spinach Lasagna

Feeds six sturdy men of the Ozarks

Mere mortals may want to adjust the amounts.    

6  cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2  15 oz container ricotta  or 2% fat cottage cheese (drained) 

1/2  cup fresh parsley, chopped 

1/2  cup grated Parmesan cheese

4  teaspoons minced garlic 

 6 cups pasta sauce 

18 or so lasagna noodles 

4 cans (15 ounce cans) spinach  (well drained)  

1 teaspoon black pepper, cracked if you've got it

pinch of red pepper flakes

 

Set aside a cup of the sauce as well as a cup or so of mozzarella cheese in advance for the topping.

After making sure the spinach is drained (cannot emphasize this enough) mix  with the  ricotta/cottage cheese as well as  the remaining sauce, the parmesan cheese, and the seasonings. Mix well. After that layer your noodles, filling, and cheese like you would any other lasagna, ending with noodles and sauce.  Do not apply the cheese yet as it will stick to the aluminum and you’ll lose everyone’s favorite part. J

Cook covered with aluminum foil for about an hour, uncovering in the last fifteen minutes to add the last of the mozzarella.  

 Some notes—