Deep Dish! The official podcast of Poor Couple's Food Guide! Half history lesson, half food science, it's like Good Eats meets Last Comic Standing! Each episode focuses on one specific food or dish, in which we take a deep-dive look on the origins of it, its history and development, and what it means to us in modern society, all with jokes and humor sprinkled throughout!
Episodes
Saturday Feb 06, 2021
Saturday Feb 06, 2021
In this off-topic episode of Deep Dish, we look at another Google Trends map which shows some interesting search results from different U.S. states related to what kinda Super Bowl foods they're looking to make! After this, we tear apart an op-ed written by possibly the richest, most spoiled douchebag on Planet Earth, who published an entire article complaining that his vacation to Hawaii, in the middle of a pandemic, had to be cancelled. We finish up with a mind-boggling edition of Shitty Old Recipes which makes up for its short ingredient list by being truly confusing.
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
In the first 2021 edition of Deep Dish, we take a look at a beloved Christmas cookie, and find out why they're so associated with Christmas! Are gingerbread cookies medicine? Which came first, gingerbread loaves or gingerbread cookies? What connection do these wholesome cookies have to Roman orgies? Listen now to find out!
Highlights
- A brief discussion of our New Year's Resolutions and the new foods we want to make in 2021.
- Learning about molasses and that time it killed 21 people... in absolutely the last way you'd expect.
- Queen Elizabeth I set the bar really high in the area of impressive treats for guests!
- Story time as we review the fable of the gingerbread man, Shrek, and a random video game series from the Amiga days.
- Defending a Taco Express Plus in Selden, NY from 1-star review trolls in another Review Roast!
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
Wednesday Dec 23, 2020
We go off-topic in this holly-jolly Christmas edition of Deep Dish!
- We go a bit overboard with Advent calendars this year. (Hint, there's two of us, and FIVE calendars)
- We discuss the abomination that is pizza-flavored candy canes.
- Inexplicably, pizza candy canes isn't even the worst variety that we talk about in this episode...
- A very special holiday edition of Shitty Old Recipes, with TWO unthinkable nightmares! (One of which looks like something that you dragged out from underneath your car.)
Thursday Dec 03, 2020
Thursday Dec 03, 2020
In this edition of Deep Dish, we investigate the pinnacle of Tex-Mex cuisine, chili con carne. Learn about how it came out of the complicated history of Mexico and Texas, before spreading to the rest of the U.S.
This week, we also bring on a special guest for the very first time in Deep Dish! A longtime friend of the show, Patrick R., a born and bred Texan, shows up for the latter half of the ep to tell us all about how much Texas loves its chili.
Highlights
- Chili peppers have been farmed for almost ten thousand years, which is crazy to think about! Take that, paleo diet!
- Despite its reputation as a Texas treasure, chili actually has a surprisingly international origin story? South America, Spain, Texas, and even Germany all played a part in its creation!
- Ghost peppers are really, REALLY freaking spicy.
- Modern chili has a bunch of different variations ranging from the pasta-paired Cincinnati Chili to Sonic the Hedgehog's favorite, chili dogs.
- We debut a brand new Dessert section game, "Pokemon or Medicine?" ...it's exactly what it sounds like.
Saturday Nov 14, 2020
Saturday Nov 14, 2020
In this off-topic episode we're getting ready for food's biggest holiday - Thanksgiving! We're ranking traditional Thanksgiving foods to determine the best and the worst of the bunch. No history this episode, just a good old fashioned battle between foods to see who comes out on top. Which food will reach God tier status? Which food will be the bottom of the barrel? Listen now to find out!
Highlights
- A brief discussion of how Halloween went.
- A disagreement over what tier cranberry sauce belongs in.
- A last minute change in the rankings!
- Another edition of the classic dessert segment Shitty Old Recipes! This one manages to have Erik almost completely stumped.
Thursday Oct 29, 2020
Thursday Oct 29, 2020
Join us for a special Halloween edition of Deep Dish in which we discuss cherished Halloween memories, and look into the sweet 'n' salty history of peanut butter cups! We also take a peek at some seasonally-appropriate news stories about licorice killing people, stupid 2020 trick-or-treat ideas, and the age old myth of poison candy that doesn't exist!
Happy Halloween, everyone! Stay spooky! (And hungry!)
Thursday Oct 15, 2020
Thursday Oct 15, 2020
In this episode of Deep Dish, take a look at the cultural phenomenon that is pumpkin spice lattes! Did Starbucks actually invent them? Are pumpkin pie spice products supposed to actually contain pumpkin? What spices actually ARE “pumpkin spice”?! Listen now to find out!
Highlights
- Meg makes a confession about her relationship to this week’s topic.
- An overview of what exactly constitutes a basic bitch.
- An in-depth look at the spices that make up pumpkin spice – and no discussion of lattes because well…we forgot.
- We put in the work and research to finally determine, shockingly, there are over 60 pumpkin spice products released by major brands in the last twenty years!
- Another edition of Review Roast! that roasts reviews for Roast! (It’s not as confusing as it sounds).
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
In this super-stuffed episode of Deep Dish, we do a deep dive on all things burrito-related! How long have people been eating tortillas? What the hell is nixtamalization? Why is Taco Bell getting rid of all its menu?! All these answers and more await, if you can stomach this 2-hour-long behemoth!
Highlights
- Erik makes a confession about their dark past, as a Taco Bell addict.
- Corn and tortillas have been around for a long time. A lonnnnnnng, long time. Like, a REALLY long time.
- Exactly when did burritos get invented? That's a tough question. When did they first enter our lexicon? Well, it started off in a Mexican dictionary!
- Chipotle sucks. Chipotle is really stupid. We don't like Chipotle. Find out why!
- Another edition of Review Roast! for our favorite dim sum place, defending Red Tiger Dumpling House in Stonybrook from review trolls! (Spoilers: A lot of racists eat at Chinese restaurants!)
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
In this episode of Deep Dish, we head over to India...or...Scotland? and cozy up with some curry. Which country can lay claim to the origin of Chicken Tikka Masala? Has the UK finally redeemed itself, culinarily speaking? You'll have to listen to find out!
Highlights
- We revisit some beloved childhood snacks, inspired by our recent purchase of the s'mores lookalike Mallowmars!
- We finally cover the rise of a food that DOESN'T correspond to the Industrial Revolution!
- PCFG Erik puts on his best British accent to discuss some fine*, traditional British dishes. (*Not fine)
- There's like three different curry dishes that are all basically the same thing... It's so confusing.
- The introduction of a new dessert topic - Poor Taste! We take a look at Taco Bell's newest item, and it's not what you would expect.
Friday Sep 11, 2020
Friday Sep 11, 2020
In this off-week edition of Deep Dish, we discuss our Labor Day weekend, which included our very first wedding anniversary! We also play another round of Shitty Old Recipes!
Highlights include...
- We discuss our Labor Day weekend, briefly going over what "The Hamptons" actually means. How many Hamptons are there? Are they actually ritzy?
- Speaking of ritzy, we take some time looking over the list of traditional wedding anniversary gifts, and some of them are a bit, uh, abstract. (How does one give "fire" as a gift?)
- Despite some audio problems, we delve into perhaps the nastiest meal we've done yet, in Shitty Old Recipes! Hint: Combine fruity Jello with things that should NEVER be combined with fruity Jello)