NC F&B Podcast

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Episode 73 - Mofu Shoppe Dec 14, 2017

Show notes

Say yes, that is the motto that Sunny Lin lives by and how Sophia Woo gets her to join in on the Pho-King fun. These girls turned their lives upside down and literally took a wild ride in creating the Dump Pho (pronounced fuh) king food truck. Within a year of beginning the Vietnamese food truck they were approached by The Food Network to compete in The Great Food Truck Race television show. Despite almost crashing the truck and many other potential disasters, the newly named Pho-nomenal truck won the Competition. The winnings from the television show gave the ladies a small nest egg, Sophia had an idea, Sunny said yes and soon enough Mofu Shoppe opened in downtown Raleigh, NC. This episode takes you on a grand journey. You will learn how a biomedical engineer and a PWC accountant upheave their lives and follow their passion into the culinary realm. From food truck wars to battling the restaurant scene in downtown Raleigh, these ladies are warriors!

Episode 72 - Benny's Big Time with Vivian Howard & Ben Knight Dec 07, 2017

Show notes

Out to the coast we traveled, (that's right, Wilmington, North Carolina) to find out what's new with Co- Tar heel of the Year Mrs. Vivian "High Rent/Big Time/The Viver" Howard & her man at arms Mr. Ben aka Benny "Big Time" Knight. Max and Matt vetted Benny's Big Time Pizzeria and made sure the coast was clear for you to visit. https://www.facebook.com/bennysbigtime/ This Pizzeria is appropriately named; everything about it is truly Big Time! We found out this project was a Ben does and Vivian ask questions later scenario. In the end, sometimes the husbands do know best and this place is proof. Find out about their neopolitanesque pizza, the wood fired ovens and how they came to put their trust in Chef James Diecchio aka "we love Dim." One final tidbit, a little birdie told me you might see this episode on season 6 of A Chef's Life. (http://www.pbs.org/food/shows/a-chefs-life/) Director Cynthia Hill and crew had the cameras rolling! Oh and I almost forgot we find out more about Vivian's rock star reading with her son, tune in!

Episode 71 - Hallyburton Pottery Nov 30, 2017

Show notes

Creating with your hands is almost as sexy as that scene from Ghost with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. Who knew that local North Carolina clay, a stove on steroids (aka a kiln) and one brain researcher could be so damn cool? I'll tell you who did, TV's John May and bad ass chef Mike Lee of M Sushi, M Koko and soon to be M Taco. Those two culinary titans recognized that the dinnerware of Matt Hallyburton could showcase their food in a fervently stylish but useful way that no other plates had done. John and Mike are not the only one's to have recognized Matt's talents, his lore has stretched south as he has caught the eye of chef Sean Brock and collaborated with him to create plate ware for the new Husk restaurant in Georgia. Matt explains pottery from the digging of the clay to the firing of the glaze. In this episode you will learn about "throwing a piece," temperature use on clay, North Carolina potting history and why some glazes are better than others. When you listen to this episode you will understand the importance of sexy but useable ceramic dinnerware!

Episode 70 - Lassiter Distilling Company Nov 22, 2017

Show notes

Rich molasses and sweet unrefined sugar is how you make rum, a new lifestyle and a fortune. Well, maybe not the fortune part at least not financially but spiritually, scientifically and flavorfully the Lassiter's are building a fortune! Rebecca and Gentry Lassiter have a fresh and intellectual spin on how to build a business and market a spirit. Artistic latitude, "Distill My Heart," from Redboot Stills, Iowa and the white oak from Blackwater barrel in South Carolina is what differentiates Lassiter Rum from the rest. In this episode you will hear how a corporate couple transitions into the world of distilling and sometimes more importantly the marketing of spirits. This episode has it all, family, tears, laughter, nerd rum speak and legal malarkey. Gobble gobble ladies and gents, listen while you baste your turkey!

Episode 69 - Author/Butcher Meredith Leigh Nov 16, 2017

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Fascinating is not often a word you associate with a butcher, but that's Meredith Leigh. http://www.mereleighfood.com Meredith is not only fascinating, she's a bad ass butcher, a writer and most importantly a thoughtful human being. This is the story of how a vegetarian ends up seeing the other side of meat, or in other words ethical meat. In this episode we learned how you can DIY butchering at home with sub primal meats such as the "Chuck Eye Roll," "The Craft and Poetry of Curing Meat at Home," bit.ly/2A1OtuI why "I'm Right and You're an Idiot," and finally why Max has an adolescent brain. Rarely in life do we meet people who are so considerate of not only the environment and every thing in it but, also aware of adverse perspectives. Whether you are a carnivore or a vegetarian this is a must listen. Thank you Meredith for your awareness and for your literary works.

Episode 68 - Marc Jacksina of Order/Fire TV Nov 09, 2017

Show notes

These spoken words will take you higher as you understand the inner thoughts from the host of https://orderfire.tv. Learn how chefs elevate and create, whether it's on television or in a kitchen, Marc Jacksina is always thinkin'. Marc dishes on slam poetry, Charlotte and work life balance, with this man's work ethic, he could probably do as many push-ups as Jack Palance. The city slick is in him but he sure knows how to pick em', produce, veggies, meat or fish listen up because Marc has all the ingredients to serve the best dish. Peter Taylor films and produces the story so Marc can bring all the culinary talent their due glory. Listen to this man and learn, between drama, family and food, if there's a concern in this episode an answer will be discerned.

Episode 67 - Lionel Vatinet of La Farm Bakery Nov 07, 2017

Show notes

The secret to great bread making is fermentation. Master baker Lionel Vatinet of La Farm bakery in Cary divulged that secret and many others in the latest episode. We get the skinny on why and how Lionel became a master baker. Also, Matt finally gets a legitimate answer as to why French bread is superior to all others. Why does a French Master Baker end up in Cary, North Carolina? Lionel honed his craft from the age of 16 in the bread guild (aka Les Compagnon des Devoir) and one of the key tenets of the guild is travel. Lionel's journey has literally taken him all over the world. Lionel has done everything from coaching Lebanese on how to perfect pita bread to teaching bakers in San Francisco how to improve their sourdough. Ever the suave Frenchmen, Lionel met his wife Missy on a work project in Chicago. After a cross-country love affair Lionel and his wife decided that north Carolina would be the ideal location to begin a sophisticated bakery. Today La Farm is opening up their third location and this time it's inside of a Whole Foods! "This partnership marks an exciting moment in America's bread revolution," explained Missy Vatinet. "(Whole Foods) believes in our product and in our long-term goal of cultivating a healthy grain industry. This is just the kind of support we need to continue our work with local farms, millers and scientists in the wheat and grain industry, to further the research in organic and heirloom grains, and ultimately, to bring outstanding, nutritious breads to our community." In this episode you will not only learn about baking bread but you will also understand how and where to buy quality bread. To say that this episode has a certain je ne sais quoi would be an understatement.

Episode 66 - Quit your job & open up a brewery - Birdsong Brewery Nov 02, 2017

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Episode 66 - Birdsong Brewing with Chris Goulet Quit your job, open up a neighborhood brewery and completely geek out on beer! That's what Tara and Chris Goulet did. If you accept this mission and are as smart and enthusiastic as Chris, you too within 5 years will have a 17,000 square foot facility and 30 barrel brewhouse to make any damn beer you please! Especially beers named after the band Rush. Chris brews up all kinds of knowledge and thought on #craftbeer. Birdsong is based on a simple American Style Pale Ale and this strong base allows them to experiment with many other concoctions. The creativity of Birdsong created a cult following that literally has beer aficionados foaming at the mouth while waiting for the "Thirsty Thursday" release. Our adventure in beer began in episode 44 with Bond brothers when we learned a lot scientifically about beer. With Birdsong we go further into the business side of a craft brewery. Whether it's fresh cut jalapeños in the Jalapeño Pale ale or the considerate low water use of the brewery Birdsong has thought of it all…so far.

Episode 65 - Maximilian Kast of Broadbent Selections Oct 26, 2017

Show notes

Episode 65 - Maximilian Kast of Broadbent Selections Journey from Montana to Pittsboro North Carolina with Advanced Sommelier Maximillian Kast. Max enlightens the NC F&B Pod on what it's like to work at the 5 diamond Forbes award winning property, the Fearrington House. Max also shared why he chose to leave the Fearrington house after 10 years and go to the "dark side," AKA sales and marketing side of wines with Broadbent Selections. http://www.broadbent.com We also get a glimpse of what it's like to sit for the Master Sommelier exam as we blind taste through six wines with Max. In the tasting we find out how a Master Sommelier candidate dissects a glass of wine and uses deductive reasoning to "suss" out its origins. Finally, Max and Matt are also put to the test in this episode in order to find out their blind tasting prowess. Listen and taste with us while we schmooze and sip with Max Kast.

Episode 64 - Grand Tasting TerraVita 2017 Oct 24, 2017

Show notes

Episode 67 - Grand Tasting TerraVita 2017 Were you unable to make it to Terra Vita this year? No worries, Max & Matt have you covered. We did everything, including eat for you. Take a listen to hear highlights from the "premier culinary event in the Southeast." We help "spread the gospel of sustainable food and drink," through the stories of award-winning chefs, authors, educators, producers and farmers. The line up went like this: Jamie Swofford- "I grow, forage, and find ingredients for chefs in the piedmont and foothills of NC" He's also the Maker of @oldnorthshrub Botanical Beverages. www.thechefsfarmer.com Chef Ricky Moore- Proprietor- Seasonal Seafood Freshly Cooked, Good Fish That's The Hook. www.saltboxseafoodjoint.com and find out why #rickysgotshittodo Chef Isaiah Allen- of http://theeddypub.com in Saxapahaw, NC and Rocky Run Farm dishes about farms, pubs and food. Chef Sarah Cuni gets to the root of the problem of food, wine and politics at https://rootcellarchapelhill.com Chef's Jeff Seizer & Jesse Bardyn discuss being royalty at http://www.royaleraleigh.com in the capitol city. Chef Jesse Roque of http://www.theneverblue.com in Hendersonville, NC combines Filipino cuisine with local NC produce. There are also a few dishes with… wait for it… crickets… Chef Colin Bedford of https://www.fearrington.com this 5 Diamond Forbes Chef competes in ironmans, chows down on burgers and enjoys beer! Queen & Creator of Terra Vita, Mrs Colleen Minton wraps up the 4-day event and looks forward to year 9!

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