For curious food lovers everywhere, jump onboard for a trip to discover the wonders of our simplest ingredients and to the furthest reaches of culinary imagination.
83: Eating Rations - WW2 food with Winston Churchill
Jan 31, 2022
Show notes
Welcome to WW2, as the guys sit down with Winston Churchill (and the rest of Britain) during the dark days of the 1940s, and delve into what rationing tasted like, with resident historian Marc Meltonville. From fake Crab Sandwiches to Mock Duck, cases of Champagne to incredible increases in flatulence, this is an eye opening trip into how our ancestors ate as the bombs fell. Grab a tin hat for a journey to the centre of rationing.
82: Is Food TV Dead?
Jan 24, 2022
Show notes
Join Jay and James this week as they discuss the past and future of food television. From Fanny, to Jamie, Ramsey to Masterchef, they pull back the curtain to reveal how food TV shows are first put on screen and analyse the legacy of the biggest shows from the past 80 years. Then they look into their crystal balls to try and figure out what the future of food television might look like and if there even is one! So grab your remote and settle back for a journey into food television.
81: The Murky, Magical, Mysterious World of Truffles + The Most Incredible Dining Table Ever
Jan 17, 2022
Show notes
Joining Jay and James this week is Mr Truffle, one of Britain's leading truffle experts and the perfect person to explain the dodgy, delightful and delicious business of truffles. From spending 60k on a single white truffle to trading thousands on them in nighttime car park deals, where to find them in the forest to the right time to hunt them , it's an amazing trip inside this hidden world. Plus two famous ladies join the Dream Dinner Party, one with the most amazing table you'll ever encounter.
80: The Restaurant Crisis, How Can We Survive it? With Chef Cyrus Todiwala
Jan 10, 2022
Show notes
This week the guys step onto the front line of the restaurant world, to discover the scale of the crisis facing the industry today, with Chef Cyrus Todiwala. One of the most respected, successful and experienced chefs in Britain, Cyrus reveals the issues facing the food industry and how, as the owner of the Cafe Spice Namaste group, he is adapting his business to survive. Plus they take a trip back to Cyrus' food origins in India and delve into some of his award winning food work, including the remarkable 'Clink' prison cooking initiative.
79: The Sordid, Sensational, Sinful Story of Gin + the Purest Glass of Water on the Planet
Jan 03, 2022
Show notes
Join the guys to see in the new year with a large glass of gin, as they welcome back food historian Marc Meltonville to delve into the remarkable story of this infamous drink. From coded recipe books to deadly ingredients, the most ridiculous law breaking, drinks service you've ever heard of to how the drink almost brought down the British Empire, it's an amazing delve into the colourful origin of gin. Plus they'll be exploring the best hangover cures and discovering where on earth you can get the purest glass of water. Cheers!
78: Food TV Secrets + Dinner with Elvis
Dec 27, 2021
Show notes
Join Jay and James for a festive peek behind the curtain of food television. With thousands of hours of food TV creation between them they spill the beans on how some of our favourite shows are made and what goes wrong when doing it. Plus more guests apply for the dream dinner party including Elvis and Pavarotti.
77: How to Make Michelin Starred Dim Sum - Plus Marmite flavoured Toothpaste
Dec 20, 2021
Show notes
The guys are joined by two Michelin Starred chef Andrew Wong this week, to discover how he has built his award winning Dim Sum restaurant, the best way to make a Chinese chef swear at you, the story behind his Salted Duck Custard Bun and how he became inspired to push the boundaries of Chinese cooking in Britain. Plus the mystery of Oomite is solved.
76: Eating in Ancient Rome with Julius Caesar
Dec 13, 2021
Show notes
Grab your toga is week as the guys take a trip back for a dinner with Julius Caesar, as they are joined by food historian Marc Meltonville to discover how people ate two thousand years ago. From fast food stalls on the edge of Pompey to the dining table of the Emperor himself, this is a surprising trip into just how good Roman food was and what we'd want to eat today...plus an appearance from a very phallic god! Also they invite some more guests to their dream dinner party.
75: Christmas Dinner with Queen Victoria + more Napoleon and Catherine the Great get a dinner party invite
Dec 06, 2021
Show notes
On this episode the guys are again joined by food historian extraordinaire Marc Meltonville to discover the fascinating origins of our Christmas dinner traditions and pull up a plate alongside Queen Victoria. From why we eat turkey to the plum porridge origins of our Xmas pud, the lost tradition of booze fuelled carol singing to how Scrooge really was very inconsiderate with his gifts, come take a festive trip back in time, to see you Christmas dinner in a brand new way.
74: The Kitchen On The Edge of the World with Valentine Warner + Dinner with Dictators and a Saucy Quiz
Nov 29, 2021
Show notes
The guys are joined by the amazing chef and food explorer Valentine Warner this week, to explore his new Kitchen On The Edge of the World food venture in the arctic circle, delve into his passion for foraging and discover some of his secrets of his nature inspired spirit making. Plus they'll be looking into the dining habits of notorious dictators as they try to select some guests for their dream dinner party and you can pit your wits against James' devilish food quiz, as he makes things saucy.
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