Podchaser Logo Rate on Podchaser

Episode 84

full
Published on:

16th Jun 2025

WELCOME TO OUR KITCHEN: We're talking about food recalls!

Food recalls! They happen all the time. It seems there's always another one announced. What are some of the latest? And what are steps we can take to make sure we're safe at the table?

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, authors of thirty-seven cookbooks including the latest, COLD CANNING! To find that book, please click on this link.

We've also got a one-minute cooking tip (that's not really a trick but a call-out to you guys). And what's making us happy this week.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[01:04] Our one-minute cooking tip? No, actually, what has made you guys happy in the last few weeks!

[03:27] Foods safety recalls. What are some of the latest? But most importantly, what can we do to keep ourselves safe?

[20:57] What’s making us happy in food this week? Vegan chili and sheet cakes!

Transcript
Bruce:

Hey, I am Bruce Weinstein and this is the Podcast Cooking with

2

:

mark: Bruce and Martin.

3

:

And I'm Mark Scarborough.

4

:

And together with Bruce, we have

written three dozen plus wine

5

:

cookbooks we're about to publish.

6

:

If you're listening to this in

real time, we're about to publish

7

:

our 37th cookbook called Canning.

8

:

It's out in just a month or so.

9

:

If again, in real time, I know

podcasts don't exist in real time, but.

10

:

They exist in a quantum reality

where you can hear it at any

11

:

moment, but okay, in real time, cold

canning comes out in about a month.

12

:

Small batch, no steam or pressure canner.

13

:

Two or three jars of your favorite

things, chili, crisp salsa, matcha

14

:

jams, conserves preserves, ketchups,

mustards, barbecue, sauces, the whole.

15

:

Oh, where do you see the book?

16

:

It is really beautiful, isn't it?

17

:

It's

18

:

Bruce: beautiful.

19

:

mark: Okay, so anyway, to get to

what we're doing this week, we've

20

:

got as usual, a one minute cooking

tip, which isn't really a tip.

21

:

We'll explain that.

22

:

We're gonna talk about food safety

recalls, and we'll tell you what's

23

:

making us happy in food this week.

24

:

So let's get started.

25

:

Bruce: Our one minute cooking tip, or.

26

:

Rather than a tip.

27

:

This week, we wanna share some of

what you all have shared recently

28

:

on what's making you happy in food.

29

:

This week.

30

:

We ask you to do that at our

Facebook group quickly with Bruce

31

:

and Mark, and you have, mm-hmm.

32

:

So this past week, somebody said they

had nice fat asparagus and lamb chops.

33

:

Mm-hmm.

34

:

We love that combination.

35

:

Mm-hmm.

36

:

We eat lamb chops at

asparagus all the time.

37

:

We just had that combination,

38

:

mark: didn't we?

39

:

Not, not so long ago.

40

:

We had asparagus, we found.

41

:

Uh, asparagus.

42

:

Where'd we find

43

:

Bruce: it?

44

:

Our friend Jay, let us pick it.

45

:

I went to his garden to pick rhubarb,

and while I was there he said,

46

:

help yourself to the asparagus.

47

:

You know, I didn't know that.

48

:

Asparagus travels in a garden.

49

:

So you plant it one place

and it starts popping up.

50

:

There's nothing like

fresh asparagus, right?

51

:

It has a taste that's like,

doesn't taste like supermarket.

52

:

And it's not woody.

53

:

It's not stringy.

54

:

mark: No.

55

:

No.

56

:

And you found, we found lamb

chops at Costco recently.

57

:

Love their lamb.

58

:

So we had lamb chops on the grill with.

59

:

Asparagus value.

60

:

Somebody else wrote in and talked

about strawberry rhubarb skier.

61

:

If you don't know, skier

is an Icelandic yogurt.

62

:

It's usually low fat,

sometimes it's even fat free.

63

:

I think Iceland though, they pour

cream over the top of it, which

64

:

returns it to its natural steak.

65

:

But anyway, somebody found

strawberry rhubarb skier.

66

:

Doesn't that sound delicious?

67

:

Amazing.

68

:

Bruce: I want to try that.

69

:

And then the third person that we

wanted to call out said they had

70

:

something called garlic breath pizza.

71

:

Oh my gosh.

72

:

And they loved it.

73

:

I can imagine that would be delicious.

74

:

Garlic

75

:

mark: breath.

76

:

Bruce: Yeah, that would be delicious.

77

:

Not bread, no breath.

78

:

That would be delicious to eat.

79

:

But I don't wanna be around

you when you're done.

80

:

mark: I don't either.

81

:

There's a pizza joint near

us in rural New England.

82

:

It's a beautiful place with a beautiful

pizza oven and they make various white

83

:

pizzas, which are heavily garlic.

84

:

And I have to say that they're too garlic

there for me, so I don't know what.

85

:

Garlic breath pizza would be like, but

holy crow, that'd be a lot of garlic.

86

:

Okay, before we get into the food safety

recall that we were gonna talk about,

87

:

or the many food safety recalls we're

gonna talk about, let's say that it would

88

:

be great if you could subscribe to this

podcast and it would be great if you

89

:

could rate it, give it a five star rating.

90

:

Can I ask for that?

91

:

And better yet, if you could write

a small review, even like just

92

:

great podcast or Nice to hear

you, something as simple as that.

93

:

It keeps the podcast fresh in

the algorithms because we are.

94

:

Otherwise unsupported.

95

:

So thanks for doing that.

96

:

Alright, let's talk about

food safety recalls.

97

:

Bruce: If you paid attention to the

news recently, you know that Costco

98

:

of all places just did a recall of.

99

:

Topo Chico Mineral water.

100

:

Oh, one of your favorite

things, Topo Chico.

101

:

I do.

102

:

And these is the mineral

water in glass bottles.

103

:

And they recalled them because it's

due to a possible contamination with

104

:

pseudomonas, which is a bacteria found

naturally in water sources and it can

105

:

cause an infection, especially if you

have a compromised immune system or

106

:

you know, you're not well in general.

107

:

Mm-hmm.

108

:

Also a number of ready-made

sandwiches at Costco.

109

:

mark: Whoops.

110

:

Oh wow.

111

:

There have been a lot of recalls recently

and uh, I don't wanna get political

112

:

about this, but as you know, it's

become tougher to find those recalls

113

:

because some of the information has been

deleted from US government websites.

114

:

We're talking about US food

recalls, by the way, here.

115

:

Not just Canadian or

European, but these are us.

116

:

And as you know, that information

has become tougher to source.

117

:

You can find it.

118

:

Easily, and there are ways to do this from

manufacturers, if you will do a keyword

119

:

search for food recall or just recall.

120

:

If you do that in Instagram or in

TikTok, you can find manufacturers

121

:

who are announcing their recalls

122

:

Bruce: and recalls aren't.

123

:

Only because of contamination

from bad things.

124

:

You know, there are nine major food

allergens that are identified by the

125

:

FDA in the US and these are, you know,

things we all eat and drink every day.

126

:

Eggs, milk, wheat, fish, soybeans.

127

:

The sesame seeds, tree

nuts, peanuts, shellfish.

128

:

And if any of these allergens are in a

food, it must be labeled on the package.

129

:

And sometimes if that labeling

isn't done, a recall is done.

130

:

mark: Yeah.

131

:

And it's not always labeled.

132

:

And let me say that we've

learned this over the years from

133

:

writing cookbooks, for example.

134

:

Um.

135

:

Oats are not always labeled that

they may contain wheat protein.

136

:

Now you might say, what does wheat

protein have to do with oats?

137

:

The problem is that most oats are

processed in facilities that also process

138

:

wheat, and there is some residual wheat.

139

:

Dust, no matter how hard

they clean the facility.

140

:

So they're not required to say

this on a packaging of oats

141

:

that there may be wheat residue.

142

:

And if you have an issue with wheat, and

particularly if you have celiac, then

143

:

you want to make sure you get certified

free oats and these are made then.

144

:

In a facility, they're processed

in a facility that assures you

145

:

that they do not process wheat

in any way along with those oats.

146

:

Just look for those labels

if that's important to you.

147

:

Bruce: So here's what happens.

148

:

Food recalls come out and people food out.

149

:

So we wanna give you, you

know, four steps to take.

150

:

If you see there's been a food recall.

151

:

Okay?

152

:

And the first one is.

153

:

Don't panic.

154

:

No, don't panic, right?

155

:

I mean, there's no need to panic.

156

:

Most food recalls are really not

associated with foodborne illnesses,

157

:

right to begin with, right?

158

:

As we said, it could be as simple as

a food allergen and many recalls are

159

:

issued just because there's a potential.

160

:

For the food to be contaminated

161

:

mark: and also don't panic because

if you are an otherwise healthy

162

:

person, you will most likely survive

a foodborne illness outbreak.

163

:

Now, there are some foodborne illnesses

that in fact require hospitalization,

164

:

but by and large, even a campylobacter

or a salmonella contamination.

165

:

You will most likely not

guaranteed, but most likely survive.

166

:

You will be very sick.

167

:

Bruce: I was, I had such an infection.

168

:

You did from foodborne illness you

did a couple of months ago and yes,

169

:

I was sick for about 12 days, but I

recovered and I'm feeling fabulous

170

:

and nothing terrible happened to me.

171

:

We never found out what it.

172

:

Was that I ate, we made an

173

:

mark: assumption.

174

:

Bruce: Yeah,

175

:

mark: there's, we made an assumption.

176

:

It was Ca Bruce said, camp Loob backer.

177

:

If you listen to our podcast,

you probably know that.

178

:

And we think it was from, uh, chicken.

179

:

And we think he was skinning chicken

thighs and did not properly wash his

180

:

hands before he did other things.

181

:

Bruce: Like put my fingers in my mouth.

182

:

Yeah.

183

:

mark: But somehow taste something

with his finger or something.

184

:

And he ended up with kelo

backer, uh, infection.

185

:

Now we don't know that.

186

:

We can't trace the pathogen.

187

:

No.

188

:

And he was very sick.

189

:

But he did recover.

190

:

And mostly you will recover.

191

:

But let's say if you're immunocompromised,

if you have a specific sensitivity,

192

:

if you're older or younger, in fact

some foodborne illnesses will require

193

:

a hospitalization, particularly

salmonella and Camp Lo back.

194

:

Bruce: Yeah.

195

:

'cause they need to IV you

and get fluids into you.

196

:

Mostly it's 'cause of dehydration and

that's, that's the most dangerous part

197

:

mark: of those space.

198

:

And you know why you're

dehydrated, moving up.

199

:

I wanna talk about enough

food prod podcast, but you

200

:

know why you're dehydrated.

201

:

Okay?

202

:

So, uh, the, uh, a second step for this

is don't panic and don't eat the food.

203

:

If you know that something has

been recalled, just don't, I

204

:

don't know why people do this.

205

:

I don't know why they go ahead and

eat what's there, but you, we have

206

:

a rule in our house, and I think you

should institute this rule in your

207

:

house, and that is, if it seems.

208

:

Like, you shouldn't eat it.

209

:

Don't eat it.

210

:

So, you know, I mean, if the eggs had been

in the refrigerator a month and the date

211

:

says they're still good, but you would

even question, oh gosh, should I, I mean,

212

:

these have been in my refrige a long time.

213

:

Don't.

214

:

Or if you open a jar of.

215

:

I don't know.

216

:

If you open a jar of jams and you

see something weird white or wiggle.

217

:

Bruce: Or wiggling,

218

:

mark: oh gosh, no, don't eat that.

219

:

But you see something even white

on it and you think, well, maybe

220

:

that was, I'm not making this up.

221

:

Maybe that was marshmallow cream.

222

:

I don't know.

223

:

You were, one night you were desperate

for food and you were dipping a spoon

224

:

from marshmallow cream into jam.

225

:

I don't know.

226

:

But let's just say, and then

227

:

Bruce: into insulin, let's just say

228

:

mark: you were doing that.

229

:

Even if you see that and you're not quite

sure what that is, please throw it out.

230

:

Yeah, please don't wait.

231

:

We just do not.

232

:

Eat anything that we're unsure of.

233

:

And I, I will say that we are

a little crazy about this.

234

:

We throw out leftovers probably before

we should throw them out, but we don't

235

:

let them sit more than five days.

236

:

Well,

237

:

Bruce: the six days the USDA says.

238

:

Four days and we push it.

239

:

And I know some people go a

week, some even go two weeks with

240

:

leftovers and they don't get sick.

241

:

And that's okay.

242

:

But we are not gonna do that.

243

:

And some people feel they

just don't wanna waste it.

244

:

And because we did say in step one

that, you know, you're probably not

245

:

gonna get terribly sick, or maybe it was

just the potential for contamination.

246

:

You know what, why take the risk.

247

:

That's what we say.

248

:

I don't feed it to your pets either.

249

:

No, no, no.

250

:

They may even have a more

sensitive system than you do.

251

:

Pets can get food poisoning too.

252

:

That's so don't think that just

because it's not fit for you to eat

253

:

means it's fit for your dog to eat.

254

:

mark: Yeah.

255

:

No, don't, yeah.

256

:

No.

257

:

My favorite construction.

258

:

Yeah.

259

:

In English language.

260

:

Yeah.

261

:

No.

262

:

Yeah.

263

:

No, don't, uh, may I need that so much.

264

:

I can't believe I even said it.

265

:

Yeah, no, don't just

feed them to your pets.

266

:

And again, just always.

267

:

Err on the side of safety.

268

:

For example, I'll tell

you something about me.

269

:

This is a little bit in, in, uh, food

safety and food recalls, but it's not

270

:

exactly something that's recalled.

271

:

But let's say I come to your house for a

picnic and let's say it's a, you know, a

272

:

an all afternoon into the evening affair.

273

:

I don't know, it's just come as

you are, come whenever you want

274

:

to, and I arrive at five o'clock.

275

:

Let's pretend, and I know

that that salami has.

276

:

Been sitting out on a picnic table in the

summer since noon when the party started.

277

:

I can almost guarantee you I won't eat it.

278

:

Mm-hmm.

279

:

I can almost guarantee you a pass

on it because I just am skied

280

:

out a little bit and it stops me.

281

:

And I'm not saying you are

being unsafe and I'm not.

282

:

You might be, but I'm not

saying you're being unsafe.

283

:

And I'm not saying that

you're doing anything wrong.

284

:

I'm just saying that it's my comfort.

285

:

Yeah.

286

:

And my comfort is no, thank you.

287

:

I, I don't, I don't want to eat that.

288

:

Bruce: I feel the same way about.

289

:

Oysters that are presh.

290

:

Oh.

291

:

Oh no.

292

:

If I show up at a restaurant or a raw bar

or your house or a wedding and there's a

293

:

table of shucked, oysters and clams, no.

294

:

It has to be shuck to You went

to a wedding to order for me.

295

:

Yeah.

296

:

mark: We went to a wedding long,

long ago, and it was in the open

297

:

sunlight that they were standing

around shocking oysters, and it was.

298

:

Beating sun in the summer, beating down in

the afternoon on a table full of oysters.

299

:

And were those oysters sitting on ice?

300

:

Yes, they were, but the sun

was beating down on them.

301

:

Did I eat those oysters?

302

:

Mm-hmm.

303

:

No.

304

:

It was all about my own safety.

305

:

So don't panic.

306

:

Mm-hmm.

307

:

Don't eat the food and don't open

308

:

Bruce: the food.

309

:

Yes.

310

:

Resist the temptation to even.

311

:

Open it and check it.

312

:

You know, some, most of the time you

can't see, smell or taste the bacteria or

313

:

viruses that might be causing the illness.

314

:

Yeah.

315

:

Let's stop there.

316

:

So what

317

:

mark: do, wait, wait, wait, wait.

318

:

Sorry.

319

:

Let's just start there for one second.

320

:

Mm-hmm.

321

:

Let's say that Campylobacter, salmonella,

and other bad food borne pathogens.

322

:

If they smell, if you smell something

with them in it, it is way beyond

323

:

the moment when it can make you sick,

the moment when it can make you sick.

324

:

These things are odorless and tasteless.

325

:

Mm-hmm.

326

:

So remember you can't

see, smell or taste them.

327

:

And if you can, it is way beyond the

moment when you should eat this stuff.

328

:

Bruce: Yeah.

329

:

And if you do open it because you just.

330

:

Had to see, and then you were

smart enough to decide, well,

331

:

oh no, I'm not going to eat it.

332

:

Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly.

333

:

You gotta wash 'em with

soap and warm water.

334

:

20 seconds.

335

:

You want to get everything

off of it and throw it away.

336

:

Do not look.

337

:

What are you looking at it for?

338

:

mark: Yeah.

339

:

I don't know.

340

:

And let me tell a story

about this for a second.

341

:

Okay.

342

:

So almost every summer, Bruce

makes kimchi from scratch.

343

:

And in fact, his kimchi recipe is.

344

:

In our new book, cold Canning for a

small batch of it, and it's refrigerator

345

:

kimchi, so it isn't, uh, fermented

at room temperature, which means

346

:

it's a really safe way to ferment it.

347

:

It takes longer to get the

kimchi to get a bit of funkiness

348

:

and spiciness going with it.

349

:

The cabbage.

350

:

It does, but you can do it in the fridge.

351

:

Um, you know, Korean mothers are

gonna say, no, you bury it, bury

352

:

it in the backyard, or put it out

on your patio all winter long.

353

:

Korean mothers are gonna

say no, but you can do it.

354

:

Okay, so.

355

:

Bruce made a container, a big

container, a big batch of kimchi.

356

:

I love it so much.

357

:

And you know, by August we opened

this container outta the back

358

:

refrigerator, and it smelled horrific.

359

:

It did not just smell funky.

360

:

It smelled rotty.

361

:

Oh, it was bad.

362

:

It was like the

363

:

Bruce: septic system backed up, smell.

364

:

It was really gross.

365

:

He

366

:

mark: threw it out.

367

:

And I told this story to a Korean friend

later and he chastised us for throwing it.

368

:

He said, oh, that's just it.

369

:

It's gotten really,

really good by this one.

370

:

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

371

:

It, I'm sorry.

372

:

It, it steps over my boundaries.

373

:

Mm-hmm.

374

:

And I cannot do it.

375

:

So again, don't panic.

376

:

Don't eat the food, don't open

it if you know how to recall.

377

:

And.

378

:

Bruce: Check the recall notice to find

out what you should do with the food.

379

:

We said throw it away,

which is what we like to do.

380

:

But when a manufacturer recalls a food

product, they often give instructions

381

:

on what you should do with it.

382

:

Usually they'll indicate

one or two things.

383

:

They'll say, return to the store

where you bought it for a refund.

384

:

Right.

385

:

Or they will tell you to throw it

away and throw it away properly

386

:

so animals cannot eat it.

387

:

mark: Yeah.

388

:

Especially as we have encroached on

habitats in suburban developments

389

:

and exurb developments.

390

:

We all know that there

are coyotes around there.

391

:

Are foxes around and my brother

lives in an expert outside of St.

392

:

Louis.

393

:

There are foxes in his neighborhood.

394

:

There are coyotes that run

around his neighborhood because

395

:

of course it's way out from St.

396

:

Louis.

397

:

And he, if you live in a place like

that, or if you live in a place as

398

:

we do way out in the New England

woods, you really cannot just.

399

:

Toss food scraps out into the woods.

400

:

Mm-hmm.

401

:

'cause animals will eat

it and they'll get sick.

402

:

And you don't wanna kill off

your foxes because they're

403

:

taking care of your rodents.

404

:

Mm-hmm.

405

:

And your room, all those kind of problems.

406

:

Mm-hmm.

407

:

So you wanna keep those animals

healthy as you can, and you don't

408

:

want them to be accustomed to the fact

that there's food around your house.

409

:

Bruce: Oh no.

410

:

Then they'll be back all the time.

411

:

Don't throw

412

:

mark: them out.

413

:

And I think that we should add

here, so we've got our four steps.

414

:

Don't panic, don't.

415

:

Eat the food, don't open the

food and check the recall notice

416

:

to find out what to do with it.

417

:

But I should also add here that we are big

advocates of returning food to a store,

418

:

not even if it's necessarily recalled.

419

:

Bruce: Mm-hmm.

420

:

We

421

:

mark: have returned much food to stores.

422

:

We have con back with the receipt

and ask for the money back, and

423

:

I think this is really important.

424

:

So you open a jar of

something and you think, wow.

425

:

Gosh, that seems funky or that

seems discolored or open a jar

426

:

of pickles and it's suddenly got

this brown liquid on top of it.

427

:

And you think I'm, uh,

uh, should I eat that?

428

:

The answer is no.

429

:

And furthermore, take your receipt

and take it back to the store.

430

:

That's right.

431

:

And take it.

432

:

Stores aint no, this is not good.

433

:

Bruce: And you know, a lot of stores

even have policies where they will double

434

:

your money back if you are unsatisfied.

435

:

I know our local supermarket,

they're always having announcements

436

:

as I'm shopping, is like we are

committed to your happiness.

437

:

And if you're not satisfied with

any food that you get home, we.

438

:

We'll double your money back.

439

:

And I have brought back meat that I have

opened packages and it has smelled bad.

440

:

I have brought back bottles of oil that

I've opened and they've been rancid right?

441

:

Stores are very happy to

give you your money back and

442

:

keep you as a happy customer.

443

:

mark: There's a, a high end grocery

store about 30 minutes away from us.

444

:

It's a small gourmet grocery store.

445

:

And years ago, Bruce bought.

446

:

Lamb shanks from the store and he

got them home and he opened the

447

:

package and it smelled rotted.

448

:

It smelled horrible.

449

:

And yes, lamb does have a strong smell,

but this wasn't just the lamb smell.

450

:

This seemed more so he packaged it

back up and brought, you know, I

451

:

mean, they're expensive lamb shanks.

452

:

And he brought it back to

the store and the guy's like.

453

:

I'm happy to butcher, said, I'm happy

to give you your money back, but I

454

:

don't want those, like, take those away.

455

:

You didn't need to bring

those in and prove it to me.

456

:

He's like, I'll just

give you your money back.

457

:

Uh, I don't need to see those.

458

:

Now, I will admit that Bruce is

an, um, what a repeat customer.

459

:

Mm-hmm.

460

:

At this store, a known

quantity at this store.

461

:

So he's not just some rando coming

in and returning the packaged meat,

462

:

but still, nonetheless, the guy's

like, don't bring that into my store.

463

:

What am I supposed to?

464

:

Do with it.

465

:

Just throw it out and I'll

give you your money back.

466

:

Bruce: If you run into this problem,

my suggestion is call the store first.

467

:

Ask to speak to the butcher counter

or the, the fish counter and tell them

468

:

you were just in, you just bought this.

469

:

It is not good.

470

:

What would they like you to do?

471

:

You want your money back, but

should you bring it back or not?

472

:

mark: And this seems like a real,

sorry, I was stepping on you, but this

473

:

seems like a really big problem in

high-end grocery stores with cheese

474

:

anymore because, uh, a lot of them.

475

:

Cut cheese into wedges or into pieces,

and then put it under cellophane.

476

:

Right.

477

:

And sell just the wedge because

nobody wants to buy the whole wheel.

478

:

Yep.

479

:

Or the whole piece.

480

:

And um, unfortunately, what happens is

that cheese goes rancid over a while,

481

:

and if you open that package and you

detect the slightest amount of ammonia.

482

:

In the odor, seal it back up and

ask for your money back because

483

:

that cheese is not to be eaten.

484

:

Mm-hmm.

485

:

And remember the softer the cheese, the

faster the mold goes through the cheese.

486

:

Yes.

487

:

You can cut.

488

:

Mold off of hard, hard cheeses

like really aged parmigiano

489

:

riano, or really aged o asiago.

490

:

You can cut down, oh, I don't know, about

half an inch or a centimeter below the

491

:

mold and take it off and throw it out.

492

:

But anything softer than that,

remember those little, uh, what do

493

:

they call the mycelium networks?

494

:

The spores, the mycelium

networks are, yeah, are going

495

:

down through the cheese fast.

496

:

So if it's breed, if

it's a soft cheese, no.

497

:

If it has the slightest ammonia, odor, no.

498

:

Bruce: Throw it out.

499

:

Get your money back.

500

:

That is the key.

501

:

We are going to emphasize

that again and again.

502

:

Follow those steps.

503

:

Don't panic, don't eat the food.

504

:

Don't even open the food.

505

:

Check how the manufacturer

wants you to dispose of it.

506

:

Get your money back if the food is bad.

507

:

mark: Just to remind you, we have a new

book coming up this summer called Canning.

508

:

It is a small batch canning

book in which you can make two

509

:

or three jars of this or that.

510

:

Everything from mustards to barbecue

sauces to jams, to preserves to,

511

:

I don't know, chutney, conserves,

sauerkrauts, SALs salsa, matcha

512

:

chili crisp saut dessert toppings.

513

:

Dessert top.

514

:

Yeah, dessert top.

515

:

And even get this because we expanded

the thing to mean anything that

516

:

can be set back and preserved so

you can make your own Triple Sec.

517

:

Mm-hmm.

518

:

And your own sham board,

your own raspberry liqueur.

519

:

We've got 425 recipes in this giant.

520

:

Super colorful, well photographed book.

521

:

Check out cold canning for this

summer to put away the things that

522

:

will make you happy in your future

freezer for a few months and not make

523

:

enough to survive the apocalypse.

524

:

Okay, our final segment of the

podcast, as is usual, what's

525

:

making us happy in food this week

526

:

Bruce: For me, it's vegan chili.

527

:

For those of you who don't know, mark

runs a number of book groups and teaches

528

:

lit classes and libraries all over the

Berkshires and Western Connecticut.

529

:

I do, and he's been running the Norfolk

Library Book group for 15 years.

530

:

mark: Fifth.

531

:

15 years as of this week, how many books?

532

:

192 books read in 15 years.

533

:

Bruce: We had a celebration at the

library and our house for Mark this

534

:

past weekend to celebrate 15 years.

535

:

192 books.

536

:

Mm.

537

:

And we had 30 people here, and

I made three kinds of chili

538

:

and one of them was the vegan.

539

:

Chili, the ultimate vegan chili from our

Instant Pot Bible, and it is so delicious.

540

:

It is.

541

:

So

542

:

mark: it is what I ate.

543

:

Bruce had a beef chili and

a Turkey chili and a vegan

544

:

chili, and I ate a vegan chili.

545

:

And I can't tell you how many

people participate in this group.

546

:

This group now meets solely online.

547

:

It went online with the pandemic

and then it picked up an

548

:

international clientele for me.

549

:

Mm-hmm.

550

:

The UK and Ireland and

Europe and even Macau.

551

:

And it.

552

:

Picked up this big international

clientele of met readers.

553

:

And so there were some people there

from far away even who came mm-hmm.

554

:

To this celebration.

555

:

And, um, I, so many people stopped

me and said, are you a vegan?

556

:

I was like, no, no, I'm not.

557

:

But I really liked the vegan chili

558

:

Bruce: and as good as the vegan chili

was though, there was leftover of that.

559

:

What there wasn't leftover

was my Beef Mole chili.

560

:

The beef mole was inhaled and decimate

561

:

mark: another recipe from

one of our books, right?

562

:

Bruce: Yeah.

563

:

That was from our Great American

slow cooker book, and I diced up

564

:

five pounds of chuck and it was three

kinds of dried chilies and cinnamon

565

:

and sesame seeds and raisins and

cocoa, and I didn't have any of that.

566

:

I had vegan.

567

:

I went

568

:

mark: leaving it and I didn't go vegan

for the dessert because what's made

569

:

me happening through this week is

one of the two cakes that Bruce made.

570

:

It's a sheet cake from our

book sheet cakes and slab pies.

571

:

Yes, we do make our own recipes,

and this was a snicker doodle cake.

572

:

So imagine a cake in a sheet pan

that tastes like a snicker doodle.

573

:

Cookie.

574

:

Mm.

575

:

Then this is not in the book.

576

:

This is Bruce's now what Renovation?

577

:

Mm-hmm.

578

:

Of the snickerdoodle cake.

579

:

Mm-hmm.

580

:

So there's a snickerdoodle cake, and

then he covered it with lemon curd and

581

:

then made a marshmallowy Italian meringue

to spread on top of that and browned

582

:

Bruce: it with a blood George.

583

:

mark: Yeah, so it's like a

meringue with lemon curd on this

584

:

snicker doodle tasting cake.

585

:

It was amazing.

586

:

It was amazing.

587

:

People took home plates of it, made

it, it was sheep cake after all.

588

:

It made a billion pieces.

589

:

People took home plates of it.

590

:

They kept saying, oh,

this is my breakfast.

591

:

So it also made me very happy.

592

:

Okay, that's the podcast this week.

593

:

Thank you for being with us.

594

:

We appreciate your support

in this very crowded podcast

595

:

landscape, and we appreciate your

taking the time to be with us

596

:

Bruce: and every week.

597

:

We tell you what's

making us happy in food.

598

:

So please go to our Facebook

group Cooking with Bruce and Mark.

599

:

Tell us there what's making

you happy in food this week.

600

:

'cause we want to know and when really

interesting and sound really fabulous.

601

:

We are talking about it here

on cooking with Bruce and Mark.

All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Cooking with Bruce and Mark

About the Podcast

Cooking with Bruce and Mark
Fantastic recipes, culinary science, a little judgment, hysterical banter, love and laughs--you know, life.
Join us, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, for weekly episodes all about food, cooking, recipes, and maybe a little marital strife on air. After writing thirty-six cookbooks, we've got countless opinions and ideas on ingredients, recipes, the nature of the cookbook-writing business, and much more. If you've got a passion for food, we also hope to up your game once and a while and to make you laugh most of the time. Come along for the ride! There's plenty of room!

About your host

Profile picture for Mark Scarbrough

Mark Scarbrough

Former lit professor, current cookbook writer, creator of two podcasts, writer of thirty-five (and counting) cookbooks, author of one memoir (coming soon!), married to a chef (my cookbook co-writer, Bruce Weinstein), and with him, the owner of two collies, all in a very rural spot in New England. My life's full and I'm up for more challenges!