Steve and Johnnie

They’re back! Steve King and Johnnie Putman return with a show short on time, free of gluten but packed with all of the same flavors! Jen Cafferty, CEO at Find Me Gluten Free, jumps in to talk about the evolution of gluten-free baking and cuisine over the years and the upcoming Gluten Free Expo this October in Grayslake. Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology, Keck School of Medicine of USC returns for your regularly scheduled tech talk and they cover the recent cyberattack on MGM Resorts in Las Vegas, the tumultuous state of social media apps and how keeping your computer updated and other devices safe has evolved with modern technology. As always, there is plenty of talk on music, TV and more of Johnnie’s delightful photography!

Steve King and Johnnie Putman kick things off on this shortened, yet nonetheless exciting show by chatting with John Davis, host of TV’s “MotorWeek” about the show’s 43rd season! Listen to hear about how Davis got his start, his take on self-driving cars, and some of his favorite vehicles. Then, award-winning writer, editor, and author Jennifer Billock, a.k.a. ‘The Kitchen Witch’ joins Steve and Johnnie in studio to introduce everybody to Tyromancy…the art of divining the future with cheese! Billock also discusses her book Historic Chicago Bakeries. Last but not least, Chicago based freelance photographer Will Byington joins the crew to talk about the art of ‘phoneography.’ Additionally, he shares some of his favorite ‘fly on the wall’ experiences as a photographer for numerous Chicago sports teams and events. Finally, he offers insight on photo editing and gives some tips on how to take photos at night!

On a warm Labor Day weekend, Steve King and Johnnie Putman welcome sports & family medicine specialist Dr. Kristen Geary into the studio to discuss Johnnie’s bum shoulder, and how PRP (platelet rich plasma) therapy worked for her. In the world of entertainment, New York Times best-selling author of “THE BIG BANG THEORY: The Definitive, Inside Story” and Senior West Coast Editor for GLAMOUR magazine, Jessica Radloff, joins the program with an update on her books & to discuss how the SAG/AFTRA strike will impact our favorite shows. On a somber note, Crook Stewart joins the show to celebrate the life & legacy of Jimmy Buffett and reminisce about touring with Buffett in the 90’s. Finally, technology guru & Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, Patrick Crispen answers tech questions and breaks down new social media platforms.

Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring you a packed show full of travel talk, musical musings and celebrities that make us swoon. Our first guest, Chris Smith, Chief Meteorologist for WJHG in Panama City Beach, Florida talks about the possible tropical storm due to hit Florida, in hopes that our hosts’ southern home will still be standing. We are then joined by CBS Travel Reporter and host of WGN Radio’s Eye On Travel Peter Greenberg, to discuss passport problems, an economic look at what may be ahead for a wounded Hawaii, and key information to keep you protected with airlines. He is followed by Joel Paterson, an extremely talented Chicago musician to grace the airwaves with his masterful guitar playing and news of his brand new album, “Wheelhouse Rag.” Lastly, the show’s resident automotive expert and Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive, Tom Appel gives us our regular auto updates, a sneak peek at the next Car Stuff Podcast and he sends us down a musical rabbit hole with ‘Tom’s Tunes’!

Johnnie Putman and Steve King bring you a shortened show, but it is much more special than the rest as it takes place during the Chicago Air and Water show weekend, 41 years after their first Air and Water show together. The show’s first guest is Daniel Champagne, singer, songwriter and guitarist from Australia and he joins to talk about his upcoming album, “The Pursuit” and his August 30th show in Evanston. Then, we look at some breaking news in the world of tech with Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, regarding the lack of recourse for faulty external storage drives and what may be the beginning of the end for Twitter/X. Listen in for all of the tomfoolery from the earliest days before they were Him & Her and… a tease at a delicious new segment?

Steve King and Johnnie Putman take you back to the past with a time capsule show featuring classic collectibles and some entertainment legends in Chicago’s history. We start the show with everyone’s favorite clown! It’s Bozo himself, Joey D’Auria, talking with our hosts about some classic tales in the halls of WGN-TV and about his appearance at Wheaton All-Night Flea Market on August 19th. Then, we have Aaron Bearden, owner of Instant Replay Sports Cards, talking about his trip to Chicago and the FanExpo in Rosemont and who you can expect to bump into there. He is followed by Jim Peterik of The Ides of March ahead of his show at the Chicago City Winery on August 17th. We close out the show with our favorite car guy, Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive for some more vehicle talk around road tests and his latest drives.

Johnnie Putman and Steve King are ready for August! Have a snack ready because we have plenty of food talk drizzled in between our special guests! Starting off the show is Will Byington, freelance photographer based in Chicago and he’s talking about his new classes on how to master the art of photography with just a phone! Then, we are joined by Wally Podrazik, author, television historian, analyst, media planner and most importantly, Beatles expert (Beatle-ologist?). They talk about The Fest for Beatles Fans taking place from August 11-13 in Rosemont. He is followed by our favorite tech guru Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology, Keck School of Medicine of USC for more Twitter/X talk and a breakdown of the recent cyber attacks on a number of hospitals across the country. Tune in if you’re hungry for more of the wacky antics from our illustrious hosts!

Friday, August 4th, is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, so we called on WGN’s resident baker, Johnnie Putman, to share her recipe. In the audio clip below, Johnnie tells Steve Alexander about how she started baking Toll House cookies when she was eight years old, and some 20 years ago when her husband and on-air partner Steve King was diagnosed with celiac disease, she modified the recipe to be gluten-free. The choices of GF flour, and even recipes, were slim pickings back then, but she landed on one flour she prefers: King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour, available at local stores like Jewel, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods. The complete recipe is below.

This recipe makes 2 doz large, thin GF cookies or 2 1/2 dozen smaller.

Pre-heat oven to 350

1 cup & 2 TB of King Arthur Measure for Measure GF flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (if salted butter is used, skip this)

1 stick of softened unsalted butter

6 TB sugar 

6 TB brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 large or extra large egg

1 cup of mini chocolate chips

**Many GF cookie recipes call for xanthan gum. I don’t use it.

Mix butter and sugars well. Add salt, soda and flour. Gradually mix into butter/sugar. Add vanilla. Add egg. And finally mini chips.

Scoop heaping rounded TB full onto cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. For the crispiest cookie (the snappiest!) flatten each mound with the bottom of a dampened glass dipped in sugar or gently pa the mounds to flatten for a crisp but thicker cookie.

Bake 13-15 minutes & let cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Carefully lift the large cookies off to a cooling rack. 

Enjoy the snap!

Steve King and Johnnie Putman bring you the last show for the month of July and it’s full of moments that will make you laugh or make you cry, maybe both! Our first guest Suzy Bogguss, Illinois native and country singer and songwriter, joins the show to catch up with our hosts and promote an upcoming show at Chicago City Winery on August 4th. Then, Tony Panek, host and producer at WJOB in Hammond, Indiana, is on the show to talk about the plentiful Polish offerings at Pierogi Fest in Whiting, Indiana going on this weekend until 5pm on Sunday and his new reign as “Mr. Pierogi”. He is followed by show staple Tom Appel, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive and host of the Car Stuff Podcast, who talks about the latest automotive news including a big Ford recall. Tune in for some additional music talk and a tornado of technical troubles to keep you entertained!

Johnnie Putman and Steve King have a fully packed show full of laughter, sadness and a whole lot of Barbie! We start off the loaded roster with Sherry Baloun, Co-Owner of Gigi’s Dolls & Sherry’s Teddy Bears to discuss the everlasting cultural phenomenon of the Barbie doll. Gino Salomone, Entertainment Reporter for Fox 6 in Milwaukee and The Dish Network talks about how he enjoyed the twin blockbusters Oppenheimer and Barbie and they pay respect to the late Tony Bennett. Then, Jill Ciminillo, Managing Editor at Pickup Truck + SUV Talk and Co-Host of the Car Stuff Podcast zooms on to address the disparity in vehicle road tests with female test dummies. Patrick Crispen, Director of Educational Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC returns to give an update on the social media wars and answers tons of listener tech questions. We close out the show with Gina Mendello, Owner of CPR Entertainment to add her own anecdotes of the time she spent with Tony Bennett and the magic he gave to those in his presence.