37 episodes

Every food you love has a story. Nerd out on the stories, scandals, history and holidays behind all your favorite foods with foodie Odd Couple and friends Lia Ballentine (The Chef-Creator) and Anna Van Valin (The Foodlosopher). Hear the fascinating stories like the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, the surprising history of Chinese Takeout, an ex-clown who started a movement to get back to the church called "Pretzels for God," food you didn't know was poisonous, how Prohibition brought Margaritas to the US, whether or not "aphrodisiac foods" really are, and the epic McDrama of the McDonald's french fry. Recently featured on The Spruce Eats' list of "11 Food Podcasts You Should Be Listening To" and the number 1 Indie Food Podcast on Goodpods! Follow us at @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook or check out our webpage at yumday.co/podcast.

Every Day is a Food Day Van Valin Productions & YumDay

    • Arts
    • 5.0 • 47 Ratings

Every food you love has a story. Nerd out on the stories, scandals, history and holidays behind all your favorite foods with foodie Odd Couple and friends Lia Ballentine (The Chef-Creator) and Anna Van Valin (The Foodlosopher). Hear the fascinating stories like the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, the surprising history of Chinese Takeout, an ex-clown who started a movement to get back to the church called "Pretzels for God," food you didn't know was poisonous, how Prohibition brought Margaritas to the US, whether or not "aphrodisiac foods" really are, and the epic McDrama of the McDonald's french fry. Recently featured on The Spruce Eats' list of "11 Food Podcasts You Should Be Listening To" and the number 1 Indie Food Podcast on Goodpods! Follow us at @FoodDayPod on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook or check out our webpage at yumday.co/podcast.

    It's Wine Crime time: Introducing "Vinfamous"!

    It's Wine Crime time: Introducing "Vinfamous"!

    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.

    • 2 min
    Gingerbread: Oh Snap!

    Gingerbread: Oh Snap!

    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.

    • 1 hr
    Filipino Food: "Ang Sarap!" ("It's Delicious!")

    Filipino Food: "Ang Sarap!" ("It's Delicious!")

    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

    • 1 hr 5 min
    Peppers: Comin' in Hot!

    Peppers: Comin' in Hot!

    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

    • 1 hr 9 min
    Who Let the (Hot) Dogs Out?

    Who Let the (Hot) Dogs Out?

    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. 

    • 1 hr 4 min
    Cookies: Double Stuffed - Part 2!

    Cookies: Double Stuffed - Part 2!

    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

    • 59 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
47 Ratings

47 Ratings

Beesaretheboss ,

Awesome Podcast!

This podcast is my favorite. Fun, informative, and very well researched. Couldnt ask for a better dynamic with these hosts, fantastic stuff!

Jesimps ,

Always a hit!

The dynamics of co-hosts is a perfect combination of energy and laughter, facts and knowledge…and overall fun! I enjoy every episode and definitely recommend it. Big thanks!!!

Lyndieloo83 ,

Fun and informative!

I love this podcast so much. Lia and Anna have hilarious, warm banter all while delivering super interesting facts about the foods we normally take for granted. I salivate like one of Pavlov’s dogs whenever I see there is a new episode. I often find myself thinking of things I’ve learned from this podcast for many days afterward, and I love being able to share these fun food facts with my “friends” (anyone). Please keep up the good work, Anna and Lia!! Your podcast is lemonade in world full of lemons.

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