The Delicious Story

In this week’s episode of The Delicious Story, we talked to coach, speaker and diversity expert Claudia Schabel of Schabel Solutions. Based in Des Moines, Iowa, for over two decades Schabel has consulted companies and organizations in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural competency.Claudia’s country of origin is Brazil, so naturally, I asked her to indulge us with her experiences of traditional Brazilian BBQ. Just listening to her fond memories of a typical family gathering with meats sizzling on the grill in the background was mouth watering. If you’re a fan of beans and rice, you’ll find Claudia’s description of the plates she remembers eating as a child inviting, too. Although we didn’t get Claudia’s recipe for this staple served twice daily in most Brazillian homes, here is a recipe from Skinny Taste that will work to give you a sample of the experience. In between considering salty, tender grilled meats, rice and beans and her favorite cheese bread recipe, Claudia shared wise insights about the topic of diversity. These days, perhaps more than ever, we are looking within our organizations wondering if the people within are accepting of differences and working well to bring everyone into the fold.

She mentioned Mayberry R.F.D. at some point in our conversation, and in full disclosure, when I think of Arkansas I use to assume it was a state much like that show of the 1950s (actually, the show was supposed to have been set in North Carolina), made up of small and quiet communities residing in times of the past. In this TDS podcast, Kat Robinson—prolific author, speaker, and proud Arkansonian—dispels the myth that Arkansas is in any way languishing. In fact, in a flurry if rich information, Kat describes the Arkansas of today as a thriving state, full of large and small communities teaming with eateries, unique tourist attractions and a diversity of natural wonders to explore.PICKLED TOMATOES AND FRIED PICKLES Buckle up for a journey, because Kat takes us on a whirlwind tour of places, people and foods found in Arkansas that will intrigue and invite you to make a trip. (I live in Iowa, so from Des Moines to Little Rock it is only 9 hours!) Kat describes seemingly little things such as Tomolives, produced by a company called Old South. These pickled mini green tomatoes have become a popular garnish for mixed drinks worldwide, and it turns out that Old South pickles just about every other vegetable, too. Keeping to the pickled theme it turns out that fried pickles came from Arkansas, too, where they were invented by Bob Austin of Atkins. I’m sure I’ve had imposters at the Iowa State Fair, but to enjoy the original batter-dipped fried pickle you need to make the trip to Atkins in the spring for their annual Picklefest. Bob retired from his fried-pickle-making days and gave the recipe to the festival, but even today nobody else has it.Kat goes on to explain some of the influences that have created these and other signature dishes associated with Arkansas. It turns out that Arkansas is damn serious about their cheese dip, so don’t mess with them about the origins—and whatever you do, don’t mention Texas. Bottom line, they make great cheese dip in Arkansas. I even received assurances from Kat that there is such a thing as tasty Okra. I might have to travel to Arkansas to believe it.PEANUT PATTIES AND FERRIESNot included in the podcast but of particular interest to me was a discussion of the peanut patty which has its origins in Texarkana, Arkansas. Here again, there is some dispute between Texas and Arkansas about the quality of peanut patties. So, to be clear, we are talking about the light pink confection made by The Elves Candy Company, which has been producing these peanut and sugar patties in Arkansas since about 1946. The secret recipe has been handed down to ONLY the owners of the company in all these years, and we only know that the light pink color is derived from the peanuts RATHER than some red dye added to the patty (like they do in Texas). I also had Kat clear up a childhood mystery for me. I remember eating some sugary, nut-infused type of cookie as a kid in the South, but couldn’t remember the nut involved. As a kid I briefly lived in Arkansas during the mid-1960s. For me, Arkansas was our two-story house made of rock rather than brick on the acreage where we lived in a small town. (I can’t remember the name of the town, though.)My brief time in Arkansas meant being surrounded by green, rich vegetation with a wooded backyard right outside our door. Nature was always up and close. My dad got stung by hornets once trying to break into the house when we got ourselves locked out. He fought with the only door he could wedge open, which happened to be blocked by a nest of angry hornets. I remember having a huge turtle for a time, too, that walked out of the woods one day only for me to decide it should be my pet. Eventually, its scratching at the back door yielded pity from parents who let it return to the woods.But back to that other thing I could almost remember about Arkansas: eating a...

Welcome to the first episode of The Delicious Story for 2019!!! I’m on a mission to bring you interesting people and memorable meal stories all year. Look for new guests and tasty stories filled with food facts and recipes each Thursday. In the spirit of new beginnings as I commit to the adventure of podcasting, The Delicious Story launches with Jenny Zink, who is the founder of Women On Adventures. Jenny shares the story of how she started WOA out of her desire to infuse adventures into life—and ended up finding a tribe of others who hunger for it, too. JENNY’S BEST AND WORST CHEESE PICKSSince we like to dig into food stories, we discussed the adventures of eating new foods during WOA outings, and Jenny shared some wonderful experiences. We then went on to discuss Jenny’s favorite food topic of cheese. Jenny’s cheese of the moment is called Burrata. It’s a mozzarella-style cheese formed into a ball and filled with stracciatella (Italian cheese produced from buffalo milk) and cream. Jenny also describes a salad that sounds delightful. For a woman who enjoys all cheese, Jenny admitted her nemesis is BeerKaese. The German name for it is Weisslacker which is not made with beer but is favored by some as a cheese that goes well with beer. Made from cows milk, the cheese ripened for seven months and related to Limburger. It is noted for a mild taste but pungent odor.THE FOOD THAT IS A NOI also asked if there was one food Jenny can’t bring her adventurous self to try, and she acknowledged that Rocky Mountain Oysters (fried bull testicles) are a pass for her. FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER TIPJenny’s love for food photography started as a young girl when she spent hours perusing 1970s cookbooks filled with photographs, all imbued with an orange hue. Her fascination for food images landed her years of creative work in the field. I can’t find a statistic for this, but I’d bet money the most popular pics on social media are of food. We love to take pictures of what we are about to eat. Jenny’s tip to show your dish in its best light is to use natural light. Take that platter and get it as close to a natural light source as you can, and then snap! RECIPEJenny’s recipe share is an ode to her love of cheese. This salty, tangy, spicy dish would make for a great appetizer.The Best Damn Pimento Cheese Ever16 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, finely grated1 c Mayo (real mayo don’t even think about that other shit which will not be named here)1 4 oz Jar chopped pimento1/2 tsp Onion microplaned1 Clove garlic microplaned1/2 tsp Cayenne1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes1/4 tsp Celery salt1.2 tsp Salt and pepperMix up all ingredients and refrigerate.CONTACT INFO FOR WOMEN ON ADVENTURESTo learn more about Woman on Adventures, see ideas for bringing more adventure into your life and become a member yourself, check out Women On Adventures here: www.womenonadventures.comABOUT SHERRY AND STORIED GIFTSSherry is the founder of Storied Gifts, a publisher of personal histories. She and her team help families and companies capture and curate their stories to share with others in a meaningful way. Sherry is a sucker for personal stories and believes in their power to teach and connect. When not creating histories she is the proud grandmother of two.

In this episode, we begin where the interview ended. My guest, Sarah Topar, is a food blogger and friend who sat down with me over lunch at a local Ecuadorian restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa, called Mi Patria. We talked about her favorite foods, recipes, and the essence of what sharing food means. And just as we finished up our conversation, Sara mentioned her little pleasure of enjoying microwaved marshmallows. Thirty seconds later, the result is an instant, gooey dessert.  PIZZA AND NEW HAVEN“I find it weird that pizza is such a significant thing in Connecticut. I guess I see the pilgrims of New England in my head and can’t fit the reality that immigrants came there from everywhere, including Italy.”Sara confirms that pizza is taken very seriously in her home state. Folks either favor Pepe’s Pizzeria or Sally’s. Care for your pizza to be a bit more avant garde? New Haven’s Bar Restaurant and Dance Club has made crafting pizzas with unusual toppings, most notably mashed potatoes, a staple. But where people may disagree on the #1 pizzeria in the area, completing the meal with an Italian ice from Libby’s works for everyone.

Mary Bailey sums up its power in her line from “It’s A Wonderful Life.” The Martini family is leaving the Potter slum for the dream-come-true home of their own. She gives them the loaf of bread and begins the blessing, “Bread so that you may never know hunger…”And there it is, just that substantial—the food that finishes out a meal so that we feel the full sense of bounty eating. In this episode of The Delicious Story, we visit with Kristie Burns who wears many professional hats, including teacher, naturopathic, photographer and bread connoisseur. We’ll wrap ourselves within the crisp, warm comfort of the lattermost subject, and take a mini-tour of some other cultures and their takes on bread. And if you’ve taken gluten off your plate, Kristie will also talk about her bread life after gluten.Sit back and break bread with us for this episode of The Delicious Story! KRISTIE’S PUMPKIN BREAD RECIPE3 1/3 C. Flour (sifted)1 ½ tsp. SALT1 tsp. PUMPKIN PIE SPICE or NUTMEG4 EGGS2 C. PUMPKIN (SMALL CAN)2 tsp. BAKING SODA1 tsp. CINNAMON1 ½ C. SUGAR1 C. OIL2/3 C. WATERSIFT TOGETHER ALL THE DRY INGREDIENTS. MAKE WELL IN DRY INGREDIENTS AND ADD OIL, EGGS, WATER AND PUMPKIN. MIX UNTIL SMOOTH. BAKE AT 350 DEGREES 1 HOUR. YIELD 3 LOAVES.

Peace at the Holiday Table—and Cookies, Too!Kristen is an unconventional attorney in that she mediates amicable resolutions. That’s right. The goal is to walk away not only with a decision, but also with a sense of peace about the outcome. For Kristen and her clients, it’s not about winning.Because of Kristen’s unique expertise in achieving harmony, I thought it would be interesting to hear from her about how to stay feeling good while together at the table.Kristen shares a wonderful holiday story of her own, plus a cookie recipe well worth the listen. Peace and cookies? Nirvana. So take a breath, find your calm center, and receive the gift of Kristen’s insights during this short episode of The Delicious Story. Happy New Year, and may there be wonderous (and delicious) stories in your 2018!Butter Cookies ala Kristen:Mix thoroughly 1 cup of soft butter, ½ cup sugar, 1 egg, and 2 tsp vanilla. Sift together 3 cups of flour, ½ tsp baking powder. Mix with butter mixture and chill dough for 2 hours. Roll dough thing and cut into desired shapes. Bake in 400 oven until delicately brown, around 5-7 minutes.Decorative Icing:1 cup of confectioner’s sugar, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp vanilla, and slowly add cream until desired consistency. Add food coloring if desired.Hall Mediation & Lawhttp://www.hallmediationandlaw.com/ 

What does a Mom do to get face-time with her busy, grown son? Interview him for a podcast, of course. Please join me at The Delicious Story as Oliver Borzo and I take a tour of some of the eateries he has encountered as he travels for work across the United States. First we’ll head to Savannah, Georgia for some homestyle cooking (which he certainly never got from me). Then, we’ll sample a Pennsylvania-style “meat-esk” dish called Scrapple, and finish up on the East Coast talking pizzas unique to communities there. Did I mention Oliver is funny? Yep. Plus, Oliver does wax poetic when it comes to food, talks about eating and traveling with a dose of laughs. Is he nice to his Momma? You decide.Here is a helpful list of links on subjects covered.Mrs. Wilkes House, Savanah, Georgiahttp://mrswilkes.com/Scrapplehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ScrappleDosahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DosaDetroit style pizzahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit-style_pizzaBuddys pizzahttp://www.buddyspizza.com/New Haven Style Pizzahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Haven-style_pizzaFrank Pepe Pizzariahttp://www.pepespizzeria.com/Grandma Piehttp://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/grandma-pie-pizza-trend-nyc

What choices in life have you made that stretched you beyond your comfort zone? It’s hard to break from routine but when we do doors open to new opportunity. This FIRST episode of The Delicious Story is both an enchanting look at one woman’s adventure, and her reflections on how memorable meals have added flavor to her life.  I met Sara Middleton Downing after I sent out an invitation on social media asking for guests. Her story will take you to the far corners of South America AND provide rich details of great dining experiences. I’d tell you more, but listen and enjoy her stories firsthand.At The Delicious Story we focus on the heart and hearth of memorable meals, because we know that though we eat to feed our body, we share food together to enrich our soul. Those details remembered are the seasoning to our story, and remain with us because they matter.Do you have memories related to food and a story to tell? Please contact me about being a guest on The Delicious Story at  sherry@storiedgifts.com.    Thanks for listening. Please return for our shows in December. In the meantime, enjoy meals to remember.