Alex and Julie look back at our first seasons of the Table Rock Podcast and what we learned about the State of Food.

Food Editor, mom maven and all-around badass baker brings in funfetti biscuits. The special ingredient in the biscuits is cream. Meghan and A/J dish about Boise’s food culture or lack of one. Meghan gives tips for grocery shopping during COVID-19 and keeping leftovers fresh to live another night. Meghan a critique of instapots and their alternatives for Julie. Meghan worked for more than 10 years with Alton Brown. She shares how she got her start as an intern and kept her position by becoming an expert at all things food. Her podcast, “Didn’t I just feed you?” also provides food for thought. Listen in as The Table Rock Duo learns about all things culinary from one of Boise’s best food media experts.http://boifoodmedia.com/2021/05/04/meghan-splawns-funetti-cream-biscuits-recipe/

The Table Rock Duo, Alex and Julie (A/J), munch on peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies whilechatting with McKenzie, @sproutingvitality. Cookies bring out the best in people and the talk begins with dogs and ends with journaling.

http://boifoodmedia.com/2021/05/04/sprouting-vitalitys-peanut-butter-chocolate-chunk-cookie-recipe/

Alex and Julie, are joined by Zoe, manager of Gaston’s Bakery.  The duo gushes over rustic bread, fresh from Gaston’s oven. Zoe describes the Kouiyn-Amann buttery sweetness and savory bread sticks she has also brought. Gaston’s biggest seller during the pandemic was the flour they grind in the bakery. The duo and Zoe have a lively discussion about the Today Show feature on Gaston’s frozen croissants. Want to hear how to get on the Today Show, the latest in food trucks and new restaurants opening this spring listen in.

The Table Rock duo, Alex and Julie, visit with Logan, the owner of Capitol Cellars (CC). CC is celebrating it’s 6th year in business at the historic Belgravia Building, downtown Boise.  The threesome reviews the Cellar’s award-winning wine selection including the Senator, a Shiraz made with Idaho grapes and a CC exclusive.  CC serves up prime rib six days a week and changes the menu seasonally.  As a 6th generation Idahoan who grew up in agriculture, Logan emphasizes farm to table in her successful restaurant.

The Table Rock duo, Alex and Julie, graze on a smorgasbord of pastrami, olives, artisan cheeses, house-made meats and much more while chatting up Tara Morgan. Tara and her husband Chef Alex Cardoza are the owners of Wild Plum. Tara and Chef Alex started the catering business in 2015, one year after they were married. With the arrival of Covid in 2020, they had to make a substantial pivot to survive. Their new vision is restaurant-based with a variety of dining styles including patios and intimate greenhouses. Meals include dinners, elegant weekend brunches and their extremely popular lunchettes. Want to know why they chose to call their dining experience “Wild Plum” or how to acquire the best local products? Listen in as one of Boise pre-eminent food writers describe her food journey.

The Table Rock Duo, Alex and Julie, share pandan ice cream with toasted coconut topping while visiting with Chef Christian Murray of Season and Spice. A major focus of the conversation is food insecurity in Idaho. The discussion revolves around what it means to be food insecure. What tools are available to help those who are hungry. Chef Christina is an activist and working in the Idaho schools teaching how to cook low cost, healthy meals to families. Chef Christina has a unique degree in food politics Her focus is a multi-dimensional approach to the complex issue of budgeting, accessing high-quality food available during appropriate seasons.

The Table Rock duo, Alex and Julie, share a rollicking dinner with Molly Tevis, the registered dietician for Albertsons. The Albertson’s Corporation is headquartered in Boise and has long community roots reaching back to 1939. Molly brought a juicy Chilean lemon plum, firecracker slaw and brisket poutine.  The bakery made huckleberry scones decorated in pink lettering with #boifood.  While the duo gorged, the discussion centered around trying new foods, showing children options for eating and making healthy choices.  Want to know Alex’s and Julie’s spirit food or the way to a man’s heart through food? Listen in.  Molly’s spirit food is green mango.

In this episode, Katie Baker of FARE Idaho (Food, Agriculture, Restaurants, and Beverage Establishments) chats with Alex and Julie (A&J), while sharing treats from Diabolo & Sons Saloon. FARE was created in March 2020 to help independent food producers including family farmers, ranchers, food and bar owners collaborate on advocacy and promotion in an organized manner. Since March, the organization has grown to 160 independent owner members with a goal of gaining 500 members in 2021. Katie tells A&J that the top priority right now is proposed federal legislation to provide a revitalization fund for hard-hit restaurants. The three also discussed FARE’s sister organization Project Fare, a tax-deductible nonprofit organization focused on educating the public about where food comes from. Join us and FARE Maiden Katie as we learn how doing food right is also the right thing to do.

In this episode the Table Rock duo, Alex and Julie, share sweet, savory, and burning hot nuts with Dan Balluff, owner of the iconic City Peanut Shop, located in downtown Boise on Bannock road. Dan also talks about his recently opened second store on Vista. The Vista location is where the magic happens with Dan roasting up the distinctive nutty flavors and pulling out giant gooey brittle. Dan talks about his original vision 11 years ago and how the shop has grown with more than 20 employees at different times of the year and evolving to an increased web presence especially during the pandemic. The three crunch on some of the shop’s favorites including cashew brittle, maple syrup pecans, and two of the most popular flavors: BBQ Nuts and Wild Lands. Alex accepts Dan’s challenge to try the hottest nut. Listen in to find out the flavor and Alex’s response as we all get a little nutty. Help Support the show and save big with our partners at Ebay! http://ebay.us/bHQup5