The Oklahoma Today Podcast

The Oklahoma State Meal—which became an official state symbol in the 1980s—is a legendary spread: chicken-fried steak, biscuits with sausage gravy, barbecue pork, cornbread, grits, okra, squash, corn, black-eyed peas, strawberries, and pecan pie. Isla's Southern Kitchen in Tulsa is currently the only restaurant in Oklahoma where diners can order the entire state meal. Though it comfortably feeds 2-4 people, Isla's does give brave (or foolish) souls the option to compete in the Oklahoma State Meal Challenge, in which a single diner racers to consume all the dishes in under forty-six minutes (Oklahoma is the 46th state). Today our host Ben Luschen, dubiously qualified for such an endeavor, takes the challenge head-on, with coaching provided by former Oklahoma Today Podcast host Greg Elwell. 

This week's featured guest is RC Davis-Undiano, executive director of the World Literature Today magazine and organization based in Norman. World Literature Today is an internationally recognized literature and culture magazine heralded by the Nobel Prize committee as “one of the best edited and most informative literary publications” in the world. Davis-Undiano is a Mexican-American writer who additionally serves as Neustadt Professor in Literature and the director of the Latino Studies Program at the University of Oklahoma. This audio-only conversation was conducted by Poteau-born writer Rilla Askew, author of The Mercy Seat and Prize for the Fire.

Also on this week's show, the editors share what books they're currently reading, and podvents let's you know where to find a one karat diamond. You won't want to miss it!

Yes, that Fear and Loathing. This week our guest is British artist and illustrator Ralph Steadman, most famous for his collaborations with famed gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, including the iconic novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He has a new career retrospective exhibit titled Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing on display now through May 10 at the OSU Museum of Art in Stillwater. Our photo editor Megan Rossman got to talk with the artist and his daughter Sadie Williams about the exhibit, his career, and what new projects Steadman's working on. 

Also on this week's show, the editors discuss their favorite places in the state to view art, and podvents introduces us to a historic Union general. You won't want to miss it!

Chocolate isn't for everyone (we're looking at you, dogs), but it sure is for us! Oklahoma's chocolate lovers will find the most creative and culinary cacao creations at this year's Chocolate Decadence event Thursday, February 6, at Leadership Square in Oklahoma City. The annual event benefiting the Automobile Alley district and Lights on Broadway will feature unique chocolate dishes from beloved local restaurants like Paseo Grill, Tellers, and even Highball Sushi. The night will also honor Oklahoma's favorite chocolate brand, Bedré Fine Chocolate, which is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary with the Chickasaw Nation. Downtown OKC's Kristen Vails stops by the studio to tell us more.

A summer trip to the Oklahoma Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain State Park in southwestern Oklahoma is a time of creative enchantment for many high-school-aged artists around the state. Applications are now open for teenage creatives who'd like to make the trek this year. Wren Pfal, communications and outreach officer for OSAI, joins the show this week to talk about the amazing opportunity for students to develop as creatives and professionals, and the magic that can only be found at Quartz Mountain.

Also on this week's show, the editors discuss their favorite types of soup, and podvents reveals a killer in our midst. You won't want to miss it!

Whether you first heard about them on America's Got Talent, on the popular FX television series Reservation Dogs, or pushing their CDs and merch around the Oklahoma City metro area, no one can deny the brotherly hip-hop and entertainment duo Lil Mike & Funny Bone (known collectively as MikeBone) were destined for stardom. The local legends and authors of the popular song "Rain Dance" joined us in the studio to reflect on their career journey, including their self-sabotaged AGT experience, how they scored a role on Reservation Dogs, and the duo's undeniable aura which has been said to ward away nefarious spirit energy. As a staff full of MikeBone fans, we're super excited about this one!

Bread. Meat. Cheese. Bread again. There are variations to the formula but this is generally the food structure known as the sandwich. In Oklahoma Today's new January-February issue (out on newsstands now!) our Sandwich Quest feature profiles ten fantastic handheld meals from across the state impressive enough to have convinced the Earl of Sandwich to put down his silly card game. The Sandwich Quest was completed for the magazine by The Martin Duprass: an Oklahoma City-based, husband-wife comedy duo consisting of Jeremy Martin and Lauren Thomas-Martin. They stopped by the show to recount their epic sandwich adventure and propose a new food concept that could change the culinary world forever. Unless we stop them. 

New year, new look, same us! This is the launch of our exciting new sixth season of the Oklahoma Today Podcast, and we’re kicking it all off with a very special in-depth interview with James Beard semifinalist chef Tabb Singleton. Tabb is known as the resident pitt genius at Idabel’s Phat Tabb’s BBQ, where the lines are long and the barbecue is the stuff of legends. He will be the chef in residence at The Feast at Stuart Ranch, a now sold-out March 1 dinner event co-hosted by Oklahoma Today in Waurika. Editor-in-chief Nathan Gunter sat down with Tabb to talk about his amazing career that has included run-ins with Emeril Lagase and the Food Network, as well as his plans for the Stuart Ranch beef in March.

Also on this week’s show, the editors discuss the Oklahoma travel destinations they plan on visiting in 2025, and podvents is . . . on a boat! You won’t want to miss it. 

There is a long, long heritage of great songwriters hailing from the Tulsa area and from Oklahoma in general. To close 2024, we're adding Sierra Spirit to that impressive list. Spirit—the Otoe-Missouria and Keetoowah Cherokee recording artist had a fantastic launch to her career the past year, releasing well-crafted singles and a stellar debut EP titled coin toss. For the final show of our fifth season, we caught up with Spirit to talk about her vault into the recording industry, taking inspiration from her family and Indigenous cultural heritage in her music, and why the craft of songwriting is experiencing a resurgence in popular appreciation. 

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! We have a very merry episode of the Oklahoma Today Podcast in store for this week. We're bringing Torie Thompson from Oklahoma State Parks into the studio to talk about the popular First Day Hike program that will get us all moving in the New Year. That plus plenty more holiday merriment is in store. The editors share their baking plans for the holidays (or lack thereof in Ben's case), and podvents presents music fans with a lot of options. You won't want to miss it!