Hi 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 Enthusiast and hosted by Ashley Smith, each episode dissects the underbelly of the wine world and what it means when the product of love and care becomes the source of greed, arson, and even murder. Follow the podcast and listen every other week as the show delves into the twists and turns behind the all-time most shocking wine crimes. Listen to the trailer, then check out the show!

While you're in a boozy mood,  listen to the Every Day is a Food Day episode "Wine Bottles and Cans (and just clap your hands.)" 

For more content from Wine Enthusiast, visit winemag.com.

It'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 spicy treat, and the unbelievable gingerbread houses you can see at the National Gingerbread House Competition in Asheville, North Carolina. In the Deep Dish, our Foodlosopher Anna Van Valin asks the question: why are we so obsessed with gingerbread houses? She explores how the Brothers Grimm baked gingerbread house imagery into popular culture with the story of Hansel and Gretel. She also tells us about how gingerbread houses inspired an actual architectural movement, the many fantasy gingerbread-house-insipred attractions that range from whimsical to creepy, and the connection between gingerbread houses and...Mar-a-Lago?? Ready to snap into this episode? Then join us as we indulge in all things gingerbread!

Explore more from the show:

• Watch the special “Craft in America” episode about the National Gingerbread House Competition.
• Sing along to “I Love a Fat Man” with Chita Rivera as the Gingerbread Witch.  
• Explore this abandoned gingerbread castle amusement park in NJ with some ghost hunters. 

Connect with us:

• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
• 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.
• Join our mailing list for extra content and to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

Mabuhay, 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 (Bruno Mars! Darren Criss! A quarter of the Black Eyed Peas!) Then in the Deep Dish, our Foodlospher Anna Van Valin unveils another hidden figure in the food and science world: Maria Ylagan Orosa! Maria was a food scientist and war hero who revolutionized the way Filipinos eat, created some of the most beloved Filipino foods and ingredients, and also saved thousands of people from starvation during World War II. Are you ready to take a bite into this delicious episode? "Kain na!" "Let's eat!"

Read the transcript of this episode.

Explore more from the show:

•  Listen to White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford talk about her days as a "Salad Bar Girl." 
•  Watch Chefs Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan talk about the rise of Filipino food in America.  
•  Get your groove on with this Black Eyed Peas hit in Tagalog, "Bebot."

Connect with us!
*Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
* 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.
* Join our mailing list for extra content and to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.
*Get yourself a delicious Yumday snack box

Hi 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 peppers have contributed to the gendering of this spicy fruit! But first, our Chef-Creator Lia Ballentine gives us an epic list of pepper food holidays, talks about a festival dedicated to one of the most popular Chile peppers in the country, and tells us about the Black women entrepreneurs who made pepper pot stew the signature dish of Philadelphia—way before the Philly cheesesteak! So, are you ready to spice things up??? Listen today to get some pep in your step!

Read the transcript of this episode.

Explore more from the show:
* Check out the official website of the Hatch Chile Festival.
* Watch Mr. and Mrs. Bumblefoot get burned in the Paqui One Chip Challenge.
* Learn more about the history of Pepper Pot Stew.

Connect with us!
*Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
* 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.
* Join our mailing list for extra content and to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.
*Get yourself a delicious Yumday snack box

Hi 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 frankfurter and how it became a classic American food, the national food council behind the biggest hot dog celebration of the year and it’s fearless leader “The Queen of Wien.” Plus, you’ll relish the story of the bitter rivalry behind two legends of the competitive eating world: Takeru Kobayahi and Joey Chestnut. Franks for listening!

Vote for “Every Day is a Food Day” in the People’s Choice Podcast Awards! We’re up for two awards and we need your support! Go to PodcastAwards.com, follow the instructions to vote, and nominate us in the “Arts” and “Best Female Hosted” categories. Voting closes July 31!

Explore more from the show:
* Check out the official website of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council here.
* Learn the proper way to eat a hot dog in this etiquette guide.
* Watch the trailer for “The Good, The Bad, The Hungry."

Connect with us!
*Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
* 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.
* Join our mailing list for extra content and to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.
*Get yourself a delicious Yumday snack box

View transcript. 

We’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 which cookie really came first (it’s not the one you think!!) and how some of the best and worst marketing played a big role in who came out on top. It’s a story STUFFED with corporate backstabbing, petty revenge and so much shade. Milk isn’t the only thing Oreo’s been DUNKing on!

*If you need reproductive care, want to learn more about your reproductive rights, or find out how to help, visit choice.crd.co

More info from the show:
* Watch the deliciously dramatic “Cookie Wars: The Food That Built America” from the History Channel
* Oreo's delightful 1980 commercial
*Hydrox's questionable commercial from 1966
*Hydrox's VERY questionable 1988 commercial

Connect with us!
*Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
* 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.
* Join our mailing list for extra content and to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.
*Get yourself a delicious Yumday snack box

There’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, digs into cookie history, presents the “cookie vs. biscuit” debate, and goes through an epic list of cookie holidays. Can you believe there are more than 15 cookie days to celebrate each year? She highlights some of the most interesting cookie days on the calendar (National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day?) then tells us about three important women who have made (and continue to make) a tremendous impact in cookies and culture: Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girls Scouts; Ruth Graves Wakefield, creator of the chocolate chip cookies; and Jasmine Cho, a cookie activist. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming next week, when Anna Van Valin, our Foodlosopher, discusses the century-long battle for the cookie aisle between Oreo and Hydrox!

More info from the show:
* Watch Jasmine Cho’s TEDx Talk: “Cookies as a Form of Activism”
* Listen to Phoebe tell another lie in this clip from “Friends” -

Connect with us!
*Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
* 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.
* Join our mailing list for extra content and to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.
*Get yourself a delicious Yumday snack box

This 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 version of “honey wine” - from the Celts, to Ethiopia to the Ancient Mayan empire! - which meant that bees, honey and mead made some exceptional cameos in their myths. Then Lia tells us about festivals and holidays, like National Mead Day. Listen to find out why we're all abuzz about mead in this special crossover episode! Be sure to subscribe to Every Day is a Food Day and the Drinking Horn Meadcast, and don't forget to follow us on social media @fooddaypod and @drinkinghornmeadery.

Explore from the show:
- Listen to Every Day is a Food Day's episode "Honey: 2 Queens, 1 Hive" to hear how it all began - plus bee and honey crimes, surprising celebrity beekeepers, and why you should never wear Ugg boots to check on your hives.
- Check out Guy Fieri's visit to the Drinking Horn Meadery on Guy's Family Road Trip.
- Want to try the 3 meads we drink in this episode? Order your mead from the Drinking Horn Meadery website.

Connect with us!
- Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
- 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.
- Join our mailing list for extra content and to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

Anna 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 is day loved by all - especially our hero Stanley from The Office. Plus, she tells us why a region in Pennsylvania is known as the “Snack Belt,” how German immigrants started the pretzel boom in America, and highlights two important women in pretzel history: Helen Hoff and “Auntie Anne” Beiler. Yes, Auntie Anne is a real person! Then get ready for one of the wildest Deep Dish segments ever as Anna Van Valin, our Foodlosopher, tells us the fascinating story behind the bizarre religious history of the pretzel — starting from Middle Ages when monks baked pretzels as a holy treat for students, all the way to the 1970s when an ex-clown founded a movement to bring people back to the Catholic Church during a time when secularism was on the rise and made pretzels the center of it. Anna shares the fascinating story of Marlene McCauley, the founder of “Pretzels for God,” and how she believed the pretzel, with the spiritual guidance of a Native American saint Kateri Tekakwitha, could save our souls. Get ready to enjoy some crazy twists in this episode because these pretzel stories are ones you knead to hear!

More info from the show:

• Take a tour of the Julius Sturgis Bakery in Lititz, PA.
• Watch this interview with Anne Beiler, the real Auntie Anne.
• Relive the excitement of National Pretzel Day with Stanley and the Dunder Mifflin gang. 
• Learn all about the "Pretzels for God" movement.

Connect with us!

• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
• 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.
• Join our mailing list for extra content and to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

Overture, 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 Mood,” our Foodlosopher Anna told us all about the FDA’s campaign to warn people about the dangers of eating raw oysters , which included this incredible one-act play/brochure/short story. And if you recall from our episode, “Arsenic & Eggnog: Poisonous Foods with Danny Murphy,” our Chef-Creator Lia filled us in on an annual celebration that happens every third full week of March: National Poison Prevention Week. So, in honor of National Poison Prevention Week and as a final attempt to warn you about/ruin raw oysters, we’re thrilled to bring you our dramatic reading of this remarkable play. Take your seats, everyone. And enjoy the show!

Join us on Instagram the last Wednesday of each month for an IG Live! Tune in to ask us all your burning questions, hear about deleted content, how we come up with the episodes, and behind the scenes tea ☕️ .

Explore more info from the show:

• Check out the actual short story/brochure/one-act-play from the FDA here!
• Learn more about National Poison Prevention Week here.

Connect with us!

• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
• 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.
• Join our mailing list for extra content and to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

Anna 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 were beekeepers, like Michelle Obama and…Maria Von Trapp? Plus, hear about the summer Lia spent painting the backs of actual live bees (for science!).

In the Deep Dish, our Foodlosopher Anna Van Valin revisits one of our favorite topics: food crimes! She gives us the buzz on how a dramatic decline in bee populations has led to some to take desperate (and scandalous) measures - like the international honey tampering fraud scheme nicknamed “Honeygate,” and shocking hive heists, where beehive bandits actually steal hives for profit! But first, and most importantly, we ask: is Winnie the Pooh…okay??? Enjoy this SWEET episode! And let’s save the bees!

More info from the show:
- Watch the full video of Angelina Jolie’s “Women for Bees” initiative in partnership with UNESCO here.
- See a bee detective catch a thief on Vice News here.
- Learn all about mead and how hive theft affects beekeeping on this episode of The Drinking Horn Meadcast.

Connect with us!

• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
• 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.
• Join our mailing list for extra content and to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

Welcome 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 reveals the terrible truth: “Friends” has been lying to us about lobsters for years. In the Deep Dish, our Foodlosopher Anna Van Valin asks the all-important question: is there really such a thing as an aphrodisiac food? She gives us an epic list of foods around the world considered aphrodisiacs and explores the reasons why we think these foods get us in the mood. She also warns us about dangerous supplements you might spot next to bodega cash registers, and tells us why the FDA does NOT want us to eat oysters. (If you love oysters, we’re sorry in advance.) Welcome to Season 3! And Happy Valentine’s Day!

Join Anna's podcasting tips list and snag her freebie: "Top 5 Mistakes Podcasters Make Before They Launch: How to avoid making them (and how to fix it if you already have."

More info from the show:

• Watch the infamous clip of Phoebe Buffay lying to us about lobsters. 
• Read what marine biologist Curt Brown has to say about why lobsters are f-boys here.
• Enjoy this short story/brochure/one-act-play from the FDA about a man named Carlos who learns about the dangers of eating raw oysters. It’s dramatic!

Connect with us!

• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
• 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.
• Join our mailing list for extra content and to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

The 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 you know there’s four kinds??) and introduces us to the infamous “aguardiente” — also known as “firewater”! But first, co-host Lia Ballentine shares the latest snack news from Yumday, and Anna and Lia announce their first in-person Food Day meetup in Austin, Texas — and you’re invited! Meet Anna and Lia in ATX on November 17th and help celebrate Food Day’s 1st birthday!

Explore from the show:

• RSVP to Food Day Pod’s 1st Birthday meetup here
• See photos and videos from Portugal on @fooddaypod
• Shop curated snack boxes at Yumday
• Need help with your podcast? Work with Anna.

Connect with us:

•  Follow @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook and join our mailing list for more great content about the stories & foods we talk about on the show (plus a peek BTS)!
• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!

(c) 2021 Van Valin LLC, Yumday Co

We’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 Porn), follow her @annavanvalin. Obrigada!

Connect with us:

•  Follow @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook, check out our website and join our mailing list for more great content about the stories & foods we talk about on the show (plus a peek BTS)!
• Love the show? Want to support this women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!

(c) Van Valin LLC, Yumday Co

It’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 the pioneers moving West. Anna also gives us surprising examples of how this symbol of American identity has been used for commentary in popular culture, like in Don McLean’s epic ballad “American Pie” and in the raunchy 1999 teenage comedy with the same name. But first,  Lia Ballentine talks to us about Apple Pie’s two national holidays and a festival in Liberty, Kentucky where you can find (and eat) the world’s largest Apple Pie. We have the recipe, so you can make your own 3,000-pound Apple Pie! Lia also tells us about the actual Granny Smith, who cultivated one of the most popular cooking apples in history, and gives us insight into a new breed of apple called the Cosmic Crisp that’s been in development for over 20 years in the state of Washington. So hop in our Chevy and let’s drive it to the levee and learn all about Apple Pie!

Explore from the show:

• See the World's Biggest Apple Pie for yourself on "Kentucky Life."
• Read Megan McArdle's article in the Washington Post, America Forgot How to Make a Proper Pie.  Can we Remember Before it's Too Late? 
• Find out why the Cosmic Crisp Apple is out of this world.
• Because we know we got American Pie stuck in your head. 

Send us your questions!! We'll be doing a mailbag episode in the fall and want to answer your questions about us, the show, or how we come up with our incredible puns. Email us at podcasts@vanvalin.llc, DM us on Instagram, Twitter or through the contact form on our website. 

Cook this podcast! We've partnered with the Manna cooking app to create delicious, episode-inspired recipes you can cook while you listen. Download the app, follow "Every Day is a Food Day," and get cooking our recipe for this episode "In Pie We Crust."

Connect with us:

•  Follow @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook and join our mailing list for more great content about the stories & foods we talk about on the show (plus a peek BTS)!
• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!

(c) Van Valin LLC, Yumday Co

We’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, Anna Van Valin gives us an intro to gender theory lesson as we try to answer the question: if meat is manly, why is salad girly? Plus, she reminisces about that meme that sparked a global conversation about representation, inspired a whole play, and left us laughing alone with our salads. So LETTUCE stick a fork into the fascinating stories behind the history and cultural impact of salad, and what makes us actually crave one. Quesadilla croutons, for example (Chili’s: call us).

Cook this podcast! We've partnered with the Manna cooking app to create delicious, episode-inspired recipes you can cook while you listen. Download the app, follow "Every Day is a Food Day," and check out the recipe "Smash the Patriarchy...and Cucumbers"  inspired by this episode. 

Connect with us:

•  Follow @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook and join our mailing list for more great content about the stories & foods we talk about on the show (plus a peek BTS)!
• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!

Explore from the show:

• See the meme that started it all...
• Watch the trailer for “The Mysterious Origin of Thousand Island Dressing."
• Read "Smash the Wellness Industry" by Jessica Knoll in the New York Times. 
• Watch the teaser for the Center Theater Group's production of "Women Laughing Alone with Salad" by Sheila Callaghan.

(c) Van Valin LLC, Yumday Co

We'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 finally got is own national food holiday (that's how you know it's important), and the history behind the rise of Chinese food in America. And in the Deep Dish, our Foodlosopher Anna Van Valin takes us on a journey through the evolution of iconic food containers! She’ll explore the backstories behind those familiar Takeout boxes and bags (like our beloved pizza box), the remarkable ways people took their food on the go before Tupperware and Ziplock were on the scene, and something called a "pizza nipple." Get carried away with us!

Cook this podcast! We've partnered with the Manna cooking app to create delicious, episode-inspired recipes you can cook while you listen. Download the app, follow "Every Day is a Food Day," and get cooking our first curated recipe "There's Just Dumpling About Takeout"  inspired by this episode. 

Explore from the show:

• Hear Jennifer 8 Lee's TED Talk about the history of Chinese Food in America. 
• Watch the Doggie Bag scene from Curb Your Enthusiasm. 
• Learn how you can participate in The Great American Takeout.

Connect with us:

•  Follow @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook and join our mailing list for more great content about the stories & foods we talk about on the show (plus a peek BTS)!
• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!

(c) Van Valin LLC, Yumday Co

Good 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 Anna Van Valin serves up the story of how Prohibition led to tequila being smuggled from Mexico to the American Southwest, and how the rich and famous would flock down to the border town of Tijuana — a.k.a. “Satan’s Playground” — to sip margs and other forbidden boozy bevs. She also tells us about a hatchet-carrying, saloon-smashing activist named Carry A. Nation (actual name),  a radical member of the temperance movement. Plus, find out how you, too, can waste away with Anna and Lia in Margaritaville! #mashiesandmargs

Explore from the show:

• Listen to the full interview with Professor Paul Vanderwood on the history of "Satan's Playground."
• Don't believe us that you should celebrate National Margarita Day? Let Professor Puppet convince you!
• Have a smashing good time learning more about prohibitionist Carry A. Nation.
• You can do your college internship at Margaritaville. Seriously.

Connect with us:

• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
• 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 and join our mailing list!

(c) Van Valin LLC, Yumday Co

This 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 handy pro-tips to maximize your BBQ experience (rule of thumb: the yellowy sauce goes on the pulled pork, the red sauce goes on the beef!) But first, Lia Ballentine us about the holidays celebrating the wonders of all things char, and highlights three amazing female pitmasters who are blazing trails in the barbecue world. And at the end, Anna and Lia taste test barbecue sauces and rank their most - and least - favorite. So let’s get low and slow, because this episode is smokin’!

Explore from the show:

• How well do you know your primal cuts of beef?
• Check out Sonny's Barbecue, co-creator of National Pulled Pork Day, and find out how you could win free pork for a year. 
• Get to know the legendary, 86-year old woman named the best pitmaster in Texas, Tootsie Tomanetz.

Connect with us:

• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
• 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.
• Its a GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a special gift box from our friends at Pantry Party, filled with exciting ingredients to elevate your meals.
• Join our mailing list to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

(c) Van Valin LLC, Yumday Co

Aloha! 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 pineapple became a symbol of hospitality, friendship and…swingers. In the Deep Dish, Anna explores how pineapple became Hawaiian (because it wasn't!) and shares the incredible story of the brave and talented Queen Lili’uokalanai, the last monarch of the kingdom of Hawaii. If you're a fan of pineapple, pineapple upside down cake, piña coladas, and even Hawaiian pizza (don't let Lia know), then join us on this juicy adventure. Mahalo!

Explore from the show:

• Watch the International Pineapple Day-themed trailer for Psych 2. 
• Try making your own Dole Whip at home.
• Celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander heritage by learning more about Queen Lili'uokalanai.

Connect with us:

• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
• 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.
• Its a GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a special gift box from our friends at Pantry Party, filled with exciting ingredients to elevate your meals.
• Join our mailing list to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

(c) Van Valin LLC, Yumday Co

Follow 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 delicacy (and underutilized emoji) more toxic than anthrax. She also introduces us to "extreme eaters" who dare to eat some of these dangerous dishes, and the festivities during National Poison Prevention Awareness Week (like a children's art contest?). Then in the Deep Dish, Danny tells us about his poison ivy superpowers, and what pufferfish have to do with the art of the perfect brunch. Finally, host Anna Van Valin and guest Danny Murphy tell the toxic tales of a few favorite real-life poisonings, from a professional assassin on a Roman Emperor’s payroll name Locusta, a woman we can hardly blame for poisoning her catfish husband named Marie LeFarge, to the Rajneeshi, a cult that pulled off the biggest bio-terror attack in American history using…salad. Grab your smelling salts and join us!

About Danny:
Danny Murphy is a comedian and digital creator who hosts NOT ANOTHER TRUE CRIME PODCAST on Betches and a weekly gossip segment on SiriusXM's BENNINGTON. He also created his own digital show VENTI VENTS, where caffeinating meets complaining.

Explore from the show:

• Watch a chef prepare fugu, a dish more deadly than cyanide!
• Check out the podcast Criminalia - their whole first season is dedicated to lady poisoners!
• If you're the only person on earth who hasn't seen Wild Wild Country, enjoy. 

Connect with us:

• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
• 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.
• Its a GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a special gift box from our friends at Pantry Party, filled with exciting ingredients to elevate your meals.
• Join our mailing list to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

We’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 chef who brought french fries to America via the White House and the early 2000s "controversy" about its name (remember "freedom fries"?).  And we can’t talk about french fries without talking about those Golden Arches. In the Deep Dish, Anna Van Valin dusts off her Foodlosopher hat and tells us the story of the supersized McDrama of the McDonald’s french fry:  the superhero training montage it goes through before it even gets to the restaurant, its humble burger stand beginnings, controversial founder Ray Kroc, a very public fight over fat, and even international religious outrage. That ketchup packet shortage is only the beginning. Welcome to Season 2!

More info from the show:
-Watch a video of how McDonald's french fries are made (including the potato canon) here.
-Watch some very passionate Mashed Potato Wrestling stars talk about their craft.
-Learn more about the founding of McDonald's in The Founder,  starring Michael Keaton, Laura Dern & Nick Offerman  in  

Connect with us!
-Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee!
-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 from our friends at Pantry Party, filled with exciting ingredients to elevate your meals.
-Join our mailing list to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

It’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 craziest foods you can find, and meet the man behind your favorite fair fare. Plus, join us for some fair trivia and find out how we fared when it came to cooking up our own versions of fried fair foods! Air-fried Oreos and corndogs, anyone? Be sure to subscribe to Counter Programming and follow them on Instagram at @CounterProgrammingPod. And join us for Season 2 starting May 4!

Connect with us:

• Want to support our women and BIPOC-created independent podcast? Buy us a coffee! 
• 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.  
• Join our mailing list to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

National Oreo Day

We 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 from our friends at Pantry Party, filled with exciting ingredients to elevate your meals. 

Join our mailing list to keep up with all the exciting things we have planned for this season.

Access the transcript here.

Think 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 torches. Listen, subscribe and Bon Apetit!

It's a GIVEAWAY! We're giving away a mini snack box from YumDay at the end of March. Visit us here to enter. 

Take our Listener Survey to help us get ready for Season 2! Drop your info here and we'll send you the survey.

For more great content about the stories & foods we talk about on the show (plus a peek BTS) connect with us at @FoodDayPod on Instagram & Twitter,  join our Facebook Group & check out our webpage.  Access the transcript here.