Oct 16 – Made in California

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Guy

This week I’ll be talking to Chef/Cookbook author extraordinaire George Geary about his latest book “Made in California – The California-Born Burger Joints, Diners, Fast Food & Restaurants That Changed America.”

The history and influence of some of America’s best-known California-born restaurants.
A&W Root Beer. Foster’s Freeze. IHOP. Der Wienerschnitzel. See’s Candy. Jack in the Box. You name the American food icon, and chances are its roots are in California. Food historian and chef George Geary tells the remarkable stories of the early 20th-century food startups that captured America’s hearts and stomachs, from Bob’s Big Boy to McDonald’s, Winchell’s Donuts to In-N-Out, Peet’s Coffee to Taco Bell. With more than 200 historic and contemporary photos. Order a copy NOW!

RAVE REVIEWS:
“George Geary’s Made in California takes you on a delightful journey down memory lane. It’s a must-read guide for anyone who loves history, food, and California’s culture of innovation. Fortunately, you can still visit many of these iconic locations, so plan your road trip now!” ―Linda Dishman, president and CEO, Los Angeles Conservancy

“This delicious book serves up more than a feast of information―it’s food for the soul of anyone who is hungry for the back stories and glories of California’s classic cuisine, iconic kitchens, famous flavors, and tastiest landmarks.” ―Charles Phoenix, author of Addicted to Americana and Holiday Jubilee

George Geary is the author of many hit books, including L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants and The Cheesecake Bible. He is a cooking teacher, pastry chef, culinary travel guide, and in-demand public speaker. A California native, he lives in the Los Angeles area. Learn more at www.georgegeary.com.

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2018 Chappellet Mountain Cuvée, Proprietor’s Blend
Blended from the traditional Bordeaux varietals, including our own coveted grapes, the Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietor’s Blend builds on our five decades of experience crafting great Napa County mountain-grown wines. Each component varietal in the cuvée contributes to nuances that complement each other. The result is a complex array of aromas and flavors that deliver pure pleasure in a glass. Made for more near-term enjoyment, this is the wine to choose when you’re looking for vivid, mouthfilling fruit flavors.  Alluringly dark and spicy, this wine displays beautiful aromas of currant, cassis, sage, and thyme, as well as hints of cinnamon and clove from barrel aging. On the palate, the tannins are impeccably balanced, adding depth to the lush ripe berry flavors, with layers of cola and grenadine emerging as the wine evolves in the glass. ABV14.5%

Blend: 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 8% Petit Verdot, 5% Cab Franc
Available at @jacobliquorexchange

Posted in Other | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Oct 16 – Made in California

Oct 9 – Jenny Dawn Cellars

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Guy

My guest this week in Jennifer McDonald, you may know her as Jenny Dawn the proprietor of Jenny Dawn Cellars, Wichita’s Urban Winery.  Founded in 2016 by Jennifer McDonald, Jenny Dawn Cellars has grown from the dream of an at-home winemaker into Wichita’s first urban winery.  www.jennydawncellars.com

In 2017, Jenny Dawn Cellars established a working partnership with a wine facilitator in Napa, California. In 2019, Jenny Dawn Cellars opened a winery and tasting room in the heart of downtown Wichita located at Union Station. Jennifer now crafts and bottles her wines on-site, with grapes and juice sourced from the finest growers in California and Kansas.

As of 2021, Jenny Dawn Cellars has 14 handcrafted wines.

Union Station Chardonnay, Black Locomotive Crimson Cabernet, Red Caboose Dry Rosé, 2019 Rosé Wine (Watermelon), 2018 Chardonnay, 2017 Pinot Noir, 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2017 Sweet Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah Blend), Wichita Passion (Blackberry Wine), Wichita Moments (Apple Wine), Semi-Sweet Red, Semi-Sweet Rosé, and Semi-Sweet White.

Jenny Dawn Cellars winery and tasting room at Union Station offers charcuterie and small bites, venue rentals, private wine tastings, wine locker memberships, and Winuecation – a monthly educational class.

703 E. Douglas Ave, Ste 180 – Wichita, KS 67202  (316) 633-3022

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2019 Jenny Dawn Black Locomotive Dry Red
The Jenny Dawn Cellars Black Locomotive wine is made from Kansas Crimson Cabernet grapes. Crimson Cabernet is a hybrid. It combines the grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Norton. This wine is ruby red almost purple in color, dry, medium bodied, robust, has lush fruits of black cherry, elderberry with delicate fig, basil, and cedar spices. Our Black Locomotive pairs well with any lean pork, steak, and veggies as well as hamburgers. ABV14%

Available at the winery and Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road

Posted in Other | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Oct 9 – Jenny Dawn Cellars

Oct 2 – Soom Foods Tahini

Posted on September 28, 2021 by Guy

This week Amy Zitelman joins us to talk about “Soom Foods, ” the company she and her sisters have built.  It’s all about fantastic Tahini products and her new book The Tahini Table – Go Beyond Hummus with 100 Recipes for Every meal.

Most people who know about tahini understand the sesame paste as simply one of the building blocks of hummus. But for Amy Zitelman, CEO and cofounder of woman-owned Soom Foods—the leading purveyor of tahini and tahini products in the American market—the culinary potential of tahini goes far beyond hummus. In The Tahini Table: Go Beyond Hummus with 100 Recipes for Every Meal, tahini is introduced to home cooks as a new pantry staple that can be used in recipes from dips to desserts.

Tahini, made from pressed roasted sesame seeds, is a healthy, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and low-sugar superfood rich in Omega fatty acids, protein, and calcium. Although tahini’s historical roots are in the Middle East, Zitelman aims to stretch the culinary borders of tahini outside of traditional Middle-Eastern fare. The Tahini Table contains 100 recipes that showcase tahini’s wide range of uses. This “cult condiment” is mild enough to step in as an inspiring replacement for the eggs, cheese, mayo, and cream called for in recipes that American home cooks are making for their families every day. The Tahini Table provides tahini hacks for reimagined American classics, including vegan “queso,” eggless mayonnaise, and gluten-free brownies.  Get a copy NOW!

From Vegan Mac and “Cheese” and Tahini Chicken Schnitzel, to Chocolate Halvah French Toast and Tahini Flan, Zitelman writes with the home cook in mind, incorporating tahini into everyday cooking in delicious and unexpected ways. With beautiful color photos, contributions from top restaurant chefs, and easy substitutions for a variety of diets, The Tahini Table proves that tahini is the next must-have pantry staple for home cooks everywhere.

You must watch this You Tube video recipe for Tahini Sugar Cookies Demo with Amy Zitelman

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2018 Peirano Estate Old Vine Zinfandel 
The initial whiff of this seductive wine produces aromas of bright black cherries, raspberries, blackberries and marionberries. On the palate, you swirl this rich dark wine around in your mouth and the initial sensation is that of luscious, juicy, freshly-picked ripe boysenberries and black raspberries. The second sip explodes with sweet ripe black cherries, black licorice, cocoa and black plums with moderate tannins and juicy acidity. ABV14.8%

Posted in Other | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Oct 2 – Soom Foods Tahini

Sep 25 – Chili Cookoff

Posted on September 20, 2021 by Guy

This week I’ll be broadcasting live from the Wichita WagonMasters Downtown Chili Cookoff and Competition

Since the return to Douglas Avenue the crowds have responded in great numbers. And, the best part…the weather doesn’t matter! Hot, mild or even cold, it’s chili weather! The Wagonmasters expect the crowd to be over 9,000 strong and all of them eager to taste some of the best chili in the Midwest!

With teams from Kansas and surrounding states, the Wichita Wagonmasters Downtown Chili Cookoff has been a Wichita tradition for over 30 years. Since 2005 when the Wagonmasters took over the event and brought it back Downtown, the event has exploded with a renewed level of enthusiasm by contestants and attendees alike.

Live music with EPIC, Hot Pepper eating contest, Over $5000 in cash prizes.
Tickets available at the event, only $5

This years event is centered around the intersection of Douglas and St. Francis
More info here

During the broadcast in between speaking to the Chili-In-Chief 2021 Potentate – Gordon Ramsay – Wichita Police Chief and others who make this event happen I’ll be talking to Neil Edley Cofounder with his Mom Frann Edley of Sugar Plum. One of their latest spice packages available exclusively from Uncommon Goods is the Global Hot Sauce Kit.

 

In 1995, Frann Edley began a candy business in Kingston, Pennsylvania whose mission was to give the world a little sweetness one bite at a time. Frann along with her son, Neil established the company with an unyielding focus on quality, service, and value which enabled them to quickly expand their mail order business. Products produced has grown to include nuts, spices, rubs and a vast array of gift packages perfect for anytime of year or any holiday.

For over 25 years, the Edley family has offered quality and premium chocolate confections to its clients. Using only the finest ingredients for delectable treats, customers have responded by coming back for seconds, thirds, and more!

Some like it hot, that much is true. But whether heat should come as a spice or sauce is truly a matter of preference. Luckily, with Neil Edleys set of global seasoning blends, you can turn up the temp any way you’d like. That’s because this zesty quartet made up of Moroccan Harissa Lime, Zambian Peri Peri, Jamaican Jerk, and Thai Coconut Curry are like chameleons in the kitchen. Add them to dishes as is, or use the included booklet to make hot sauces, salad dressings, marinades, and aioli’s. You’ll also find plant-based recipes for apps, dips, dinners, and more. Heat-seekers of every persuasion will be pleased. Made in Pennsylvania.  Order a Global Hot Sauce Kit NOW!

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia valley Gewürztraminer 
“Our Gewürztraminer is sourced from world-class vineyards of Columbia Valley. With New
World fruit intensity in an elegant Old World style, this wine is crafted to be aromatic, spicy and
luscious with a hint of clove spice on the finish.”

100% Gewürztraminer.  Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks for three weeks.
Cool temperatures were maintained throughout the winemaking process to preserve the
wine’s fresh, fruity and spicy aromas.

Posted in Other | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sep 25 – Chili Cookoff

Sep 18 – Puckerbutt Pepper Co.

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Guy

My guest this week is Ed Currie proprietor of Puckerbutt Pepper Company in South Carolina.

My son Chris lives in Charlotte North Carolina and runs a Quik Trip.  He says Smoking Ed Currie comes in to the store now and then and sparked his interest in some of Ed’s HOT products.  Pumpkins don’t fall far from the tree as we are fond of saying.  I love hot stuff and so does Chris.  For Christmas last year my son sent me a selection of Currie’s products.  Christmas morning I am dipping tortilla chips in to some of the HOTTEST sauces and mustard I have ever had the pleasure of eating.  The glow was immediate, the sweating profuse, the endorphins at peak level…I was in holiday heaven.

I must caution you that if the label says “I Dare You Stupit!” note to self, it may be HOT.  I love it 🙂

Currie started The Puckerbutt Pepper Company in Fort Mill, South Carolina in 2003. The company has over 500,000 pepper plants and sells peppers considered to be extremely hot. He sells seeds, pepper mash, and hot sauce to more than 95 countries.  PuckerButt has annual revenues close to $1 million, and it is the largest organic pepper farm in the United States.  Currie’s hot sauce “The Last Dab” became well known when it was featured on the YouTube show Hot Ones.  Learn more HERE!  Puckerbutt is on Facebook too.

“Smokin'” Ed Currie is an American chili pepper breeder who is the founder and president of the Puckerbutt Pepper Company. He is best known for breeding, according to Guinness World Records, the hottest chili pepper in the world: Smokin’ Ed’s Carolina Reaper. Follow Ed on Facebook!

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2017 Bodegas Ego Goru GOLD red Blend from Jumilla Spain
80% Monastrell, 15% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 12 months in new French and American oak. Intense cherry-red color with violet shades. Delicate black fruit aroma with high roast and smoky features. Structured, subtle and smart palate, ripe appetizing and a sweet tannins marked by elegance. ABV14.5%

93 points Wine Spectator
Outer quote mark This red is sleek and solid, in the modern style. Bright cherry, berry and currant flavors mingle with licorice, black tea and mineral notes, giving way to a floral and minerally finish. The firm tannins are well-integrated and juicy acidity keeps this lively. Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.Inner quote mark

Grab a bottle at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road or your local wine store.

Posted in Other | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sep 18 – Puckerbutt Pepper Co.