Every Day is a Food Day
43 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 months ago - ★★★★★ - 47 ratingsEvery food you love has a story. Nerd out on the stories, scandals, history and holidays behind all your favorite foods with foodie Odd Couple and friends Lia Ballentine (The Chef-Creator) and Anna Van Valin (The Foodlosopher). Hear the fascinating stories like the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, the surprising history of Chinese Takeout, an ex-clown who started a movement to get back to the church called "Pretzels for God," food you didn't know was poisonous, how Prohibition brought Margaritas to the US, whether or not "aphrodisiac foods" really are, and the epic McDrama of the McDonald's french fry. Recently featured on The Spruce Eats' list of "11 Food Podcasts You Should Be Listening To" and the number 1 Indie Food Podcast on Goodpods! Follow us at @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook or check out our webpage at yumday.co/podcast.
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Episodes
It's Wine Crime time: Introducing "Vinfamous"!
April 26, 2023 08:00 - 2 minutes - 1.54 MBHi Listeners! We know you love all our food crime and scandal stories - so how about some wine crimes? We're excited to introduce you to the new podcast Vinfamous, from Wine Enthusiast magazine! As we say, every food you love has a story. That goes for every drink you love, too - especially wine. These stories reveal hidden histories and techniques, flavors and passions. Sometimes they unravel our darkest desires in stories that can only be described as Vinfamous. Brought to you by Wine E...
Gingerbread: Oh Snap!
November 16, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 41.5 MBIt's our Season Finale, Listeners! And it's also the holidays! So we're celebrating the end of 2022 with one of our favorite festive foods: GINGERBREAD! Our Chef-Creator Lia Ballentine kicks things off with a brief history of gingerbread, the medieval monk that helped make it popular in Europe, and how food hero Amelia Simmons introduced the first American gingerbread recipes in her pioneering cookbook, “American Cookery.” Plus, Lia tells us about the best days to celebrate the sweet and spi...
Filipino Food: "Ang Sarap!" ("It's Delicious!")
October 27, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 44.8 MBMabuhay, Listeners! October is Filipino American History Month, and we're excited to celebrate with a special Filipino food episode! Our Chef-Creator Lia Ballentine shares her Filipino culture with us and dives into her culinary heritage with stories about her favorite family dishes, traditional ingredients, and how Filipino food is becoming mainstream in America (even though Filipinos have been in this country since the 1580s!). Plus we find out which celebrities are secretly Filipino (Brun...
Peppers: Comin' in Hot!
August 31, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 47.7 MBHi Listeners! Anna and Lia are ready to get jalapeño your business, because this episode is all about Peppers! In the Deep Dish, our Foodlosopher Anna Van Valin takes us through the science of what makes Chile peppers spicy, the chemical chain reaction that's triggered in your body when you eat a spicy pepper, and why in the world we keep eating a food that hurts to eat! Anna also tells us about pop culture pepper craze and how the latest YouTube challenges involving eating hotter and hotter...
Who Let the (Hot) Dogs Out?
July 20, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 44.5 MBHi Listeners! Anna and Lia are about to get frank with you, because this episode is all about Hot Dogs! Prepare to play detective as Anna Van Valin, our Foodlosopher, helps us solve the mysteries of the mystery meat in the Deep Dish: Is the mismatch between the number of buns and wieners in a pack a conspiracy? Is the Hot Dog a sandwich? And the question we’re all afraid to ask: Why do we call it a hot “dog”??? But first, Lia Ballentine, our Chef-Creator, gives us the history of the frankfur...
Cookies: Double Stuffed - Part 2!
June 29, 2022 08:00 - 59 minutes - 41.2 MBWe’re back with Part 2 of “Cookies: Double Stuffed” Get ready for an extra deep Deep Dish with our Foodlosopher, Anna Van Valin, as she dives into one of the most epic food business rivalries in history: the century-long battle between Oreo and Hydrox. When a ruthless lawyer and two bitter baker brothers collided at the beginning of the 20th century, it led to the creation of the very first food conglomerate, a world-changing invention, and the most popular cookie on earth. She tells us whic...
Cookies: Double Stuffed - Part 1!
June 21, 2022 08:00 - 59 minutes - 41 MBThere’s DOUGH much we want to tell you about cookies, we had to do it in two episodes! In Part 1 of this epic two-parter, Anna and Lia share their fondest cookie memories and tell us how letting their creativity go wild with cookie decorating was important part of their holiday traditions growing up. They also debate Oreo cookie eating methods — the twist and the dunk — and prove there’s no such thing as moderation when it comes to these sweet treats. Then Lia Ballentine, our Chef-Creator, d...
"A MEAD-ing of the Minds" with Drinking Horn Meadcast
May 18, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBThis is a crossover episode you MEAD to hear! Our Foodlosopher Anna Van Valin and Chef-Creator Lia Ballentine have joined forces with Evan Anderson and Nick Irvine of the Drinking Horn Meadcast to discuss (and DRINK) mead! Evan and Nick tell us all about the world of making and drinking this ancient fermented honey drink at their Meadery in Flagstaff, AZ, the care and feeding of bees, mead’s better-for-you buzz and why it’s good for the planet. Then Anna tells us how every culture has a vers...
Pretzels: Get it Twisted
April 12, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBAnna and Lia are tied up in knots — delicious, doughy knots — because this episode is all about pretzels! Lia Ballentine, our Chef-Creator, starts us off with the pretzel baking basics and tells us how changing the dough’s pH by boiling it in baking soda or dropping it in a lye bath (that’s right, a lye bath) is essential to achieving the perfect pretzel taste and texture. She takes us through the multiple pretzel-related food holidays on the calendar, including National Pretzel Day, which i...
Oysters: a Mysterious and Tragic Dramatic Reading
March 23, 2022 08:00 - 9 minutes - 6.52 MBOverture, curtains, lights! Prepare to be mesmerized by Anna Van Valin’s and Lia Ballentine’s portrayals of the moving characters in this highly-lauded short play written by the world’s most creative storytellers — at the FDA. That’s right, in this bonus episode, we’re performing our much anticipated (and requested) dramatic reading of “Carlos’ Tragic and Mysterious Illness: How Carlos Almost Died from Eating Contaminated Raw Oysters.” In our episode, “Aphrodisiacs: Foods That Put us in The ...
Raw Oysters: a Mysterious and Tragic Dramatic Reading
March 23, 2022 08:00 - 9 minutes - 6.52 MBOverture, curtains, lights! Prepare to be mesmerized by Anna Van Valin’s and Lia Ballentine’s portrayals of the moving characters in this highly-lauded short play written by the world’s most creative storytellers — at the FDA. That’s right, in this bonus episode, we’re performing our much anticipated (and requested) dramatic reading of “Carlos’ Tragic and Mysterious Illness: How Carlos Almost Died from Eating Contaminated Raw Oysters.” In our episode, “Aphrodisiacs: Foods That Put us in The ...
Honey: 2 Queens, 1 Hive
March 15, 2022 08:00 - 59 minutes - 41.1 MBAnna and Lia have gotten themselves into a sticky situation - because this episode is all about honey! First, Lia Ballentine, our Chef-Creator, tells us about the food holidays honoring our favorite all-natural sweetener like National Honey Month, as well as the hard-working bees that produce it. She also shares a bit of Norse mythology surrounding the origin of mead (the original mythical ingredients included blood and knowledge), and she reveals a swarm of famous women you may not know w...
Aphrodisiacs: Foods That Put us in The Mood!!
February 14, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 43.1 MBWelcome back, Listeners and (food) Lovers! Cue the love songs, because romance (or something like it) is in the air as we kick off Season 3 talking about Aphrodisiac Foods! In this episode, Lia Ballentine, our Chef-Creator, digs into the most popular Valentine’s Day foods, including a sexy pasta dish that looks suspiciously like a “noodle ring,” why steak is considered more romantic than pork or poultry, and how boxes of chocolate became such an in-demand Valentine’s Day gift. Plus, she reve...
"Another Round of Firewater!": Our Top 5 Foods from Portugal
November 10, 2021 09:00 - 47 minutes - 32.5 MBThe wine! The pastries! Co-host Anna Van Valin is back from a monthlong adventure in Portugal, and she’s giving us her Top 5 food (and drink!) experiences in this special episode. We get the lowdown on local flavors, hear about dreamy Portuguese “petiscos” from hidden cafés tucked away in ancient walled cities, and find out why some of the cobblestone streets in Lisbon are so darn sticky. Anna also reveals why the best pastries come from convents, some fascinating facts about port wine (did ...
Anna is Eating Her Way Through Portugal!
October 06, 2021 19:00 - 1 minute - 1.29 MBWe’re finally going on a field trip! Co-host Anna Van Valin is in Portugal for a month and she’s sharing all the delicious things she’s eating (pastries!), drinking (wine!) and discovering (ancient stuff!) with us. Follow her culinary adventures on Instagram at @FoodDayPod, and join us for our first Instagram Live this Friday Oct 8 at 12n PT to find out whether she’s tried Portugal’s world famous seafood (...probably not). To see more from Anna's Iberian vacay (including some stellar Castle ...
As 'Murican as Apple Pie
July 27, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBIt’s our Season Finale, so we’re slicing into the most iconic American food - Apple Pie! In the Deep Dish, Anna Van Valin gets to the core of how Apple Pie became a symbol of the US of A and what it means to be “as American as Apple pie.” She shares the history behind pie’s rise in popularity in America, including the spread of apples across the colonies thanks to Johnny Appleseed (a real person!), the shift from savory to sweet pies in the 1800s, and how Apple Pies became a comfort food for...
Salad: Let Me See That Tong
July 13, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 46.5 MBWe’re all dressed up and turning over a new LEAF - because this episode is all about Salad. No really, trust us! First Lia Ballentine tells us all about National Salad Month, National Egg Salad Week (yep, a whole week!), and the real person (ahem, the woman) behind Hellman’s Mayonnaise. Then she’ll take us back to Tijuana to hear the history of Caesar Salad, and learn about the dressing so mysterious they made a documentary about it. But that’s just the tip of the ICEBERG! In the Deep Dish, ...
Takeout: Let's Get Carried Away!
June 29, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 46.2 MBWe've just delivered you a great episode - join us as we unpack the surprising stories behind Takeout! In this episode, you'll hear about Anna & Lia's Covid-fueled takeout habit, and their adventures with drive-thru alcohol joints (of dubious legality). Then Lia Ballentine tells us how the discovery of a snack bar in the ruins of Pompeii means that Takeout has been around since the old (like really old) days, how the COVID-19 pandemic changed our dining experience so much that Takeout finall...
Margaritas: Sippin' on Satan's Playground
June 15, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 45.3 MBGood news: we finally found that lost shaker of salt! Grab your tequila and slice up some limes because in this episode, Anna and Lia are talking (and drinking) margaritas! First, host Lia Ballentine introduces us to a scholarly puppet who teaches us about National Margarita Day, then she spills the controversial origin stories of this classic cocktail. She’ll also tell us about the genius behind one of America’s most prized inventions: the Frozen Margarita Machine. In the Deep Dish, host An...
Margaritas: Sippin' in Satan's Playground
June 15, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 45.3 MBGood news: we finally found that lost shaker of salt! Grab your tequila and slice up some limes because in this episode, Anna and Lia are talking (and drinking) margaritas! First, host Lia Ballentine introduces us to a scholarly puppet who teaches us about National Margarita Day, then she spills the controversial origin stories of this classic cocktail. She’ll also tell us about the genius behind one of America’s most prized inventions: the Frozen Margarita Machine. In the Deep Dish, host An...
Barbecue: Hot Grill Summer
May 25, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 44.3 MBThis week, Anna and Lia get fired up as they put the bae in bar-BAE-cue! Hop in your covered wagon as Anna Van Valin takes us on a trip through the American Barbecue Belt, from the Carolinas to Texas. We explore the influences and histories that make each region’s BBQ style so unique, like the indigenous Tainos’ method of slow cooking spiced meat, George Washington’s obsession with barbecue parties, and the African-American man who put Kansas City on the BBQ map. On the way, she gives hand...
Feelin' Spiky About Pineapple
May 18, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 47.3 MBAloha! Today we’re feeling spiky about one of our favorite fruits: pineapple! First, we'll hear about hosts Anna Van Valin and Lia Ballentine’s adventures with pineapple, including Lia's ride on the Pineapple Express and Anna's memorable DoleWhip experience at a conference called MurderCon held at Disneyland (you read that right). Then Lia tells us how International Pineapple Day got started as a joke, why pineapples were one of history's most coveted and expensive fruits, and how the pinea...
Arsenic & Eggnog: POISONS featuring Danny Murphy!
May 11, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBFollow us into the danger zone! Today we're talking about something a little bit different and a lot more deadly: POISONS! In this supersized episode, we're bringing together our love of food stories with our addiction to true crime, and we’ve enlisted Danny Murphy, host of NOT ANOTHER TRUE CRIME PODCAST, as our accomplice - er, special guest. First, host Lia Ballentine tells us about a few holidays celebrating some everyday foods with poisonous potential, including a Japanese seafood delic...
Arsenic & Eggnog: Poisonous Foods with Danny Murphy
May 11, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBFollow us into the danger zone! Today we're talking about something a little bit different and a lot more deadly: POISONS! In this supersized episode, we're bringing together our love of food stories with our addiction to true crime, and we’ve enlisted Danny Murphy, host of NOT ANOTHER TRUE CRIME PODCAST, as our accomplice - er, special guest. First, host Lia Ballentine tells us about a few holidays celebrating some everyday foods with poisonous potential, including a Japanese seafood delic...
French Fries: Our Favorite Side Piece
May 04, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 47.4 MBWe’re back! Today we’re getting salty as we kick off Season 2 talking about the true hero of any fast food meal, the French Fries! But first….are they even French? Lia Ballentine tells us about the national food holidays celebrating French Fries and honoring the sacred potato (our favorite tuber), including some very passionate mashed potato wrestlers. Plus fries’ international origin story, an 18th century Frenchman’s marketing campaign to build love for the spud (#spudlove), the enslaved ...
Eating Our Fair Share: County Fair Foods with Counter Programming
April 28, 2021 07:00 - 51 minutes - 35.4 MBIt’s a crossover! That’s right: Anna and Lia have joined forces with Arielle and Shira of the podcast Counter Programming to discuss a topic near and dear to our hearts (and taste buds) — county fairs! In this special episode of Every Day is a Counter Day (or is it Counter Food Programming Day?), Arielle and Shira talk about the history of county fairs, then Anna and Lia go deep on the main reason people go to them: the food! Learn more about how these “jollifications” got started, the craz...
A Taste of Season 2
April 20, 2021 14:00 - 2 minutes - 1.85 MBWe hope you're hungry, because we'll be serving you Season 2 on May 4th! We've got more foods, more stories, more banter and more puns - so many puns. Listen to the trailer for a taste of next season, and follow/subscribe so you don't miss a bite. Connect with us! For more great content about the stories & foods we talk about on the show (plus a peek BTS) follow us at @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook or check out our webpage. It's a GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a special gift box ...
Julia Child Was a B.A.M.F.
March 16, 2021 08:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBThink Julia Child was just a chef? Have we got a half hour for you! Julia Child lived an incredible life filled with international espionage, steamy romance and revolutionary ideas - in addition to creating a new TV genre, inventing foodie culture and teaching us how to make boeuf bourguignon. In this bonus episode, we’re going to tell you about her truly unique life, why she was a trailblazer in the kitchen and why we're still talking about her today. And of course, her penchant for blow ...
Yaaas (Chili) Queen!
February 23, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBWe're back! Well, sort of. It's Black History Month, so we're bringing you this special bonus episode celebrating one of the MANY African American food legends, Zephyr Wright. Zephyr was chef to Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson for over 25 years, including in the White House. She was known for her exquisite Southern cuisine, most famously her Texas Red Chili, or Pedernales River Chili. But in addition to her contributions to food, her unique access to the Johnsons gave her the opportunity to cha...
Get it Poppin'...with Popcorn
January 26, 2021 09:00 - 1 hour - 43.6 MBIt’s the Season Finale! Did you know Anna & Lia met working at a movie studio? It's true, so there was only one food to wrap the 1st season with: Popcorn. They reminisce about their days as “Hollywood Elites,” compare popcorn eating strategies & discuss their deep love for movie theater loyalty programs. Lia tells us about National Popcorn Poppin’ Month, the Kellogg family member you don’t know but should, the 7,000 year old popcorn found in Aztec tombs, and the hidden meaning behind Cracke...
Bacon Makes it Better
January 19, 2021 10:00 - 59 minutes - 41.2 MBThis sizzlin' episode is all about Bacon. Lia tells us the story National Bacon Day, created by “two nice Jewish girls” inspired by a classic episode of The Simpsons. We hear about the awesomely-named Iowa Porkettes, wives of hog farmers who joined forces in the 1960s to save the pork industry. Finally she asks, as so many have, what’s the deal with “Canadian Bacon”? In our Deep Dish, Anna revisits one of our favorite topics, food trends! We look at how in the last 20 years Bacon became the ...
Peanut Butter: Spread it on Thicc
January 12, 2021 09:00 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MBThis fresh, roasted episode is all about Peanut Butter. In our Deep Dish segment, Anna tells us the story of the 12-year long Peanut Butter Wars and the AMAZING woman at the center of the fray: Ruth Desmond, aka the Peanut Butter Grandma, a 1950s homemaker and consumer champion whose tireless advocacy still benefits us today. With her signature mink coat and sassy truth bombs, Ruth took on the peanut industry to demand transparency about what was really in the jars they were labeling “peanu...
Peanut Butter: Spread it on Thicc
January 12, 2021 09:00 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MBThis fresh, roasted episode is all about Peanut Butter. In our Deep Dish segment, Anna tells us the story of the 12-year long Peanut Butter Wars and the AMAZING woman at the center of the fray: Ruth Desmond, aka the Peanut Butter Grandma, a 1950s homemaker and consumer champion whose tireless advocacy still benefits us today. With her signature mink coat and sassy truth bombs, Ruth took on the peanut industry to demand transparency about what was really in the jars they were labeling “peanu...
Bonus: A Tale of Two Noodle Rings
January 05, 2021 09:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBEver heard of a Noodle Ring? Anna & Lia take on making one of the weirdest entries on the Food Holiday Calendar in this bonus episode: a baked ring of noodle casserole with a…distinct look. Although Anna gives cooking her best shot, a mishap with boiling water reinforces her as more of a thinker (aka Foodlosopher) with Lia maintaining her status as the resident Chef-Creator. Check out pictures of these masterpieces at @FoodDayPod on Instagram & Twitter, join our Facebook Group, and check o...
A Tale of Two Noodle Rings
January 05, 2021 09:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBEver heard of a Noodle Ring? Anna & Lia take on making one of the weirdest entries on the Food Holiday Calendar in this bonus episode: a baked ring of noodle casserole with a…distinct look. Although Anna gives cooking her best shot, a mishap with boiling water reinforces her as more of a thinker (aka Foodlosopher) with Lia maintaining her status as the resident Chef-Creator. Check out pictures of these masterpieces at @FoodDayPod on Instagram & Twitter, join our Facebook Group, and check o...
Bonus: My, What Big Pecans You Have
December 24, 2020 09:00 - 13 minutes - 9.41 MBAre they PEA-cans or puh-CONS? In a special holiday bonus episode we continue our quest to restore fruitcake’s dignity as Lia tries a DeLuxe Fruitcake from world-famous Collin St. Bakery (booze bath not included). Anna & Lia show off their holiday sweaters, unravel the green mystery “fruit,” and marvel at some Texas-sized pecans. Connect with us at @FoodDayPod on Instagram & Twitter, join our Facebook Group, and check out our webpage. Support the show (https://buymeacoffee.com/fooddaypod ...
My, What Big Pecans You Have
December 24, 2020 09:00 - 13 minutes - 9.41 MBAre they PEA-cans or puh-CONS? In a special holiday bonus episode we continue our quest to restore fruitcake’s dignity as Lia tries a DeLuxe Fruitcake from world-famous Collin St. Bakery (booze bath not included). Anna & Lia show off their holiday sweaters, unravel the green mystery “fruit,” and marvel at some Texas-sized pecans. Connect with us at @FoodDayPod on Instagram & Twitter, join our Facebook Group, and check out our webpage.
In Defense of Fruitcake
December 15, 2020 09:00 - 46 minutes - 31.8 MBHear us out! In this holiday episode, Anna & Lia slice into that much maligned Christmas staple, fruitcake - and hopefully change your mind about it. Lia takes us to the small-town Texas bakery that pumps out 30,000 fruitcakes a day (!) and a medieval fruitcake toss competition in Colorado. We also hear how literary legend Truman Capote made fruitcake a sacred food in his Alabama hometown, and how his aunt became “The Fruitcake Lady” with her own bizarre segment on The Tonight Show. In the D...
Gotta Tap That: a Maple Syrup Story
December 08, 2020 09:00 - 56 minutes - 39 MBToday we’re talking about the sticky stuff: Maple Syrup. Anna dishes on one of her favorite food scandals, the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, where over 450K gallons were stolen from Quebec’s strategic syrup reserve (which is a thing!) to be sold on the maple syrup black market (also a thing!). Plus, Vermont’s 10 pages of maple syrup laws and the time it took on the Golden Arches. Lia tells us about the amber oil’s national holidays and festivals, and how maple sugar gained popularity in ...
Wine Bottles and Cans (and Just Clap Your Hands)
December 01, 2020 08:00 - 56 minutes - 39 MBDid you know there are over 30 wine holidays? Are wine bottles really just for “snob factor”? In this episode, Anna and Lia discuss the magical drink that’s gotten us through 2020 and do some, um, sampling. Lia tells us the story of three rival Rosé Days(!), how Malbec became an Argentinian wine, and the heroes behind holidays like “Open That Bottle Night.” In a totally legit scientific study, Anna tests her Franzia-loving Grandpa’s theory that you can get just as good wine in boxes as you c...
Oh my Gourd, Becky: it's Pumpkin Szn
November 24, 2020 08:00 - 46 minutes - 31.9 MBIt’s fall, so we’re legally obligated to talk about PUMPKINS. In this week’s episode Lia tells us about the many Pumpkin Holidays, how pumpkin pie became a rallying symbol for abolitionists, and where you can find one big enough to lie down in. Then Anna asks the existential question, “How did Pumpkin Spice win fall?” and explores how food trends are really about feelings in our Deep Dish segment. Connect with us at @FoodDayPod on Instagram & Twitter, join our Facebook Group, and check out ...
Donut Lassies & Survival Crackers
November 17, 2020 08:00 - 45 minutes - 31.2 MBIn our premiere episode, co-hosts Anna Van Valin and Lia Ballentine tell us why “Food stories are people stories.” Lia explores the food holiday that sparked her obsession: National Doughnut Day, created to celebrate the phenomenal Donut Lassies of World War I. In our first Deep Dish segment, Anna takes us down a quarantine-inspired rabbit hole into the world of survival food - and something called the US Civil Defense All-Purpose Survival Cracker. Welcome to Every Day is a Food Day! Connec...
Introducing "Every Day is a Food Day"
November 08, 2020 21:00 - 2 minutes - 1.52 MBComing November 17th, join co-hosts Anna Van Valin and Lia Ballentine as they celebrate food stories from our calendars to our kitchens on Every Day is a Food Day. Connect with us at @FoodDayPod on Instagram & Twitter Join our Facebook Group A production of YumDay and Van Valin Productions