Happy New Year from The Feed Podcast! Let's start 2016 off right with some good luck through the consumption of black-eyed peas. Steve and Rick invite DMK Restaurants chef Michael Kornick to the test kitchen take on this tasty tradition. Then, they taste the Brazilian black-eyed pea dish, Acarajer with chef Jorgina Pereir of Sinah.

Cuba has been in the news lately with the U.S. reopening an embassy there.  Steve Dolinsky is just back from Havana and brings us a taste of the food and drink of the island to see how it has been translated in the United States.  Then Rick takes one of the prized ingredients of Cuba, plantains, coming up with a super easy way you can enjoy them at home.

Its all about Mexico.  There’s been a lot of talk recently about the increased popularity of Mexican food in the U.S., so Rick and Steve invited Andrew Knowlton, Restaurants and Drinks editor at Bon Appetit in New York City and Besha Rodell, Restaurant Critic for L.A. Weekly, to see if there is a revolution in high-end Mexican Food, and to discuss the state of Mexican food in the three largest U.S. cities.  Then Rick invites the chef and owner of Salpicon to the test kitchen to see what she can do in a magnifico poblano challenge.  Travel to Oaxaca with Rick, as he sits down with Iván Saldaña, one of the master minds behind Montelobos Mezcal, to talk about the science behind making the alcohol, mezcal.  Rick and the Bayless family experience the sites, sounds and tastes of the Oaxaca Taco Corridor.  And a final Bite in the kitchen of Xoco here in Chicago, where the master shows the student how to fully appreciate and eat a Cochinita Pibil Torta.

The James Beard Awards are coming to Chicago next week, so Rick and Steve ask Steve Koch, Deputy Mayor for the City of Chicago and Kevin Pang, Cheap Eater columnist at the Chicago Tribune "Where to Eat?”.

Revolutionary restaurateur and founder of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Richard Melman, is going to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the James Beard Foundation Awards and talks about his successes, concept and chef-driven restaurants and what is next for him.

Then, Rick takes on chef Kevin Hickey of Bottlefork and The Duck Inn in our Ingredient Challenge with the trendy roughage kale. 

We try to class up the joint and go a little Downton Abbey with some cognac.  James Bube, Director of Education at Heritage Wine Cellars some delicious sips for us.

And some people get very passionate about this place or that place and for our Final Bite, Steve heads up to Argyle Street for this traditional Vietnamese Dish, Pho at Hai Yen.

For our 12th Episode, Rick heads to Bangkok for a taste of Thailand with Jarrett Wrisley of Soul Food Mahanakorn.  Then chef Beverly Kim of Parachute in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood joins Rick to tame the Brussels Sprout while reliving their Top Chef experiences. Jill Gubesch, Wine Director at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo explores Lindsey's drink of choice, red wine.  Food 52 founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs talk with Rick and Steve about creating a food community online that helps people become better, smarter and happier cooks.  And for our Final Bite, Rick shares the taste of Bangkok in the curried noodle dish, Khao Soi.

Steve reports from Lima, Peru, on the burgeoning food scene there, then heads to The Whistler in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, to taste some cocktails made from the Italian herbal liqueur, Cynar.  Rick challenges chef Todd Stein to make something with that ubiquitous winter citrus, blood oranges.  Then, Steve and Rick check in with Chris Nuttall-Smith in Toronto and Jonathan Gold in Los Angeles to hear about some of their favorite restaurants to check out.  Steve stops by Shaw's Crab House in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, to take a Final Bite of New England Clam Chowder.

It’s all about China this week… first, Rick tracks down some of the traditional dishes, discovering hot pots, donkey meat and Sichuan peppercorns, before meeting his doppelgänger, a chef bringing Mexican food back to his homeland.  Then Chicago’s Chinese food ambassador - chef Tony Hu - stops by the test kitchen for a Green Bean Challenge.  Want something other than a Chinese Beer with your stir-fry?  May we suggest a dry riesling?  Rob Hultman, from Heritage Wine Sellers, shares a few varieties to pair with Chinese food.  Steve is off to Vancouver, BC to check out Dim Sum in North America’s fastest growing Chinese community.  And a Final Bite with a treat found in most Chinatowns in America, the pork fat cookie.

On this episode of The Feed Podcast, Steve and Rick talk about Tasting Menus, and debate whether they're truly worth it. Then it's all about exploring Mexican food and drink at the annual Mod Mex Conference, talking with innovators from Chicago, New York and Mexico City. Rick challenges Chef Abe Conlon of Chicago's Fat Rice to a come up with something simple using pears; Steve heads off to Peru for a taste of the unique distilled spirit, Pisco, then the guys get a lesson in pisco sours and chilcanos from the folks at Tanta. Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche stops by to recap a collaboration he did with Rick about music, sound, food and aroma. Our Final Bite of the day takes us to San Diego, where Fish Tacos reign supreme.

With the Jewish high holidays, there is honey on everyone’s table, but the crop has been threatened by Colony Collapse.  Steve takes a look inside the practice.  Rick is joined by chef Chris Pandel to see what delicious meals they can make.  Steve is off to London to visit some of the Michelin-starred Indian Restaurants and Irani cafes evoking Old Bombay.  We check in with food reporters in Washington D.C., Atlanta and New York.  And finally find the taste of Cuba in downtown Chicago.

Entering the dog days of summer, our tribute to the hot dog, one of the nation’s iconic summertime symbols.  Steve uncovers this Chicago Original.  In our Chef Challenge, Rick Chef Mindy Segal steps up to come up with something truly delicious using peaches.
California-based Lagunitas brings its cultish IPAs back home to the Midwest and we tour their new brewery in Chicago.

Steve heads off to NYC to visit a brand new cafe that has its roots in a 100 year old “Appetizing” store from the lower east side, Russ and Daughters. The Original Captain Kirk, William Shatner talks about the smoked meat of his Montreal childhood and takes on the food quiz.  And in our Final Bite, Rick share a Oaxacan treat to help you beat the summer heat.