A is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink

Sam Bilton, Neil Buttery & Alessandra Pino
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A is for Apple is an encyclopaedia of food and drink that takes a deep dive into food and drink culture letter by letter. Written and presented by Sam Bilton, Neil Buttery and Alessandra Pino.

  1. 22 JUN

    S2E7 B is for Boiling, Bayleaf & Bloody Mary

    Welcome to Episode 7 of Season B. This is a Listener’s Choice ep, and things get hot, messy and monstrous as Sam, Neil and Alessandra look at Boiling, Bloody Mary and bay leaves. Things mentioned in this episode Sam Bilton wins at the Fortum & Mason Awards Museum of Royal Worcester project wins at the British Library Food Season Awards Sam’s black pudding episode on Comfortably Hungry Neil is appearing at the Chalke Festival on 27 June Follow Serve it Forth History Festival 18 October on Instagram @serveitforthfest Links & Further Reading Boiling Acton, E. (1845). Modern Cookery For Private Families. Quadrille. Beeton, I. (1861). The Book of Household Management. Lightning Source. Davidson, A. (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. Grigson, J. (1992). English Food (Third Edit). Penguin. McGee, H. (1984). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (1st ed.). Allen and Unwin. Smith, D. (1998). Delia’s How to Cook Book 1. BBC Books. Bayleaf: Culpeper’s Herbal (I’ll find a link late) What Is a Bay Leaf, Exactly? – Atlas Obscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-a-bay-leaf Pliny Natural History iv: Books 12-16 https://archive.org/details/L370PlinyNaturalHistoryIV1216/page/n391/mode/2up?q=laurel Ovid Metamorphosis https://www.gutenberg.org/files/21765/21765-h/21765-h.htm Bloody Mary: Why Is There an Entire Fried Chicken on My Bloody Mary?: An exploration of outrageous garnishes and the drink’s over-the-top evolution. The Spruce Eats The Tomato in America by Andrew F. Smith (1994): A rich history of the tomato- from suspicion to Bloody Mary staple. Essential reading for any cocktail historian. James Bond’s Other Drink: Long before Vesper, Bond was sipping Bloody Marys- shaken, not stirred, of course. Bormioli Luigi Bloody Mina Gothtail: A Gothic twist on the classic- dark, dramatic, and dangerously drinkable. Instagram Recipe

    1h 6m

  2. 1 JUN · BONUS

    BONUS EPISODE: Brains and the BSE Crisis

    Welcome to this bonus episode of A is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink. Last episode the theme was Meat, and as usual, the three of us nattered away for a bit too long and some of our conversation was edited out for time. One of these things was the part of Neil’s section on brains and the BSE crisis. We’re busy behind the scenes getting the listener's choice episode ready for you, but hopefully this little snackette will keep you going.  You can follow the A is for Apple Podcast on Instagram and Bluesky Sam Bilton also hosts the Comfortably Hungry Podcast and is the author of First Catch Your Gingerbread, Fool’s Gold: A History of British Saffron and The Philosophy of Chocolate. You can find her on Instagram and Bluesky Dr Neil Buttery also hosts the British Food History Podcast and is the author of A Dark History of Sugar, Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald Britain’s Most Influential Housekeeper as well as Knead to Know: A History of Baking and The Philosophy of Pudding. You can find him on Instagram and Bluesky Dr Allie Pino hosts the Fear Feasts Podcast with Vanessa Baca and is the co-author of A Gothic Cookbook. You can find her on Instagram and Bluesky

    11 min

  3. 14 MAY

    S2E6 B is for Beef Wellington, Brains & Bovril

    Welcome to Episode 6 of Season B. The theme is ‘Meat’ and Sam, Neil and Alessandra get beefy with three choice nuggets of fleshy goodness, looking at Beef Wellington, Brains and Bovril. Don’t get the meat sweats! Don’t forget the next episode is the Listeners’ Choice. Please send your suggestions (with a reason why you’ve chosen it) to aisofrapplepod@gmail.com. Your deadline is 21st May! Links & Further Reading Did Sam win the awards for Best Audio at the Fortnum & Mason Awards?Allie will be taking part in the online conference an ONLINE conference on 23rd and 24th August 2025 marking the 100th anniversary of MR James A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories talking about food and the supernatural: https://romancingthegothic.com/2025/01/06/cfp-for-a-warning-to-the-curious-ghostly-supernatural-and-weird-tales/ Follow Serve it Forth history festival on Instagram @serveitforthfestThe Leeds Symposium of Food History and Traditions facebook page Beef Wellington Manuale de cuoco e del pasticciere III by Vincenzo Agnoletti (1834) (Italian)Paddington Takes The Test by Michael Bond (1999)Julia Child cooks beef wellington on The French ChefBetty Crocker’s Hostess Cookbook (1967)Irish Traditional Food by Theodora Fitzgibbon (1984)Fashionable food: seven decades of food fads by Sylvia Lovegren, (1995)The French Menu Cookbook by Richard Olney (1970)You can read more about the Waterloo banquets on the Apsley House and Wellington Arch blog here and here.Lines of Wellington trailerRead about how beef wellington was used as a murder weapon in Australia. Brains English Food (Third Edition) by Jane Grigson (1992The Complete Nose to Tail: A Kind of British Cooking by Fergus Henderson...

    1h 3m

  4. 7 MAY · BONUS

    BONUS EPISODE: Stichelton Cheese with Joe Schneider

    Welcome to this bonus episode of A is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink. Last episode had the blue theme, and Neil chose to look at blue cheese, in particular Stichelton, which is made on the beautiful Welbeck Estate in rural Nottinghamshire. Neil spoke to Joe Schneider, who makes this delicious, unique farmhouse cheese. Neil cut the interview down to 6 minutes or so, but here it is in full. They talk about how one gets into farmhouse cheesemaking, the importance of consistency and the best places to buy Stichelton as well as many other things. A big thank you to Thomas Ntinas for his sound engineering support. Things mentioned in today’s episode: Stichelton website The Welbeck Estate Welbeck Farm Shop Neal’s Yard Dairy Chorlton Cheesemongers You can follow the A is for Apple Podcast on Instagram and BlueskySam Bilton also hosts the Comfortably Hungry Podcast and is the author of First Catch Your Gingerbread, Fool’s Gold: A History of British Saffron and The Philosophy of Chocolate. You can find her on Instagram and Bluesky Dr Neil Buttery also hosts the British Food History Podcast and is the author of A Dark History of Sugar, Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald Britain’s Most Influential Housekeeper as well as Knead to Know: A History of Baking and The Philosophy of Pudding. You can find him on Instagram and a href="https://bsky.app/profile/neilbuttery.bsky.social"...

    35 min

  5. 23 APR

    S2E5 B is for Blue Cheese, Blue Corn & Borage

    In Episode 5 the intrepid team enter their blue period. Neil finds out how a unique blue cheese was resurrected from obscurity thanks to some mouldy leather. Allie explores the significance of blue corn to the Hopi in Arizona. And Sam explains why a blue flower was believed to lift the spirits (and also looks great in a glass of Pimms). Useful Links and Further Reading:Blue CheeseStichelton DairyNeal’s Yard DairyEau de StiltonHarold McGee, On Food & Cooking (1984)Val Cheke, The Story of Cheese-Making in Britain (1959) Blue CornFlour: A Comprehensive Guide by Christine McFadden, 2018Hopi Culture - https://itcaonline.com/member-tribes/hopi-tribe/The Corn Maiden in Hopi Tradition: https://blog.kachinahouse.com/the-corn-maiden-unveiling-the-harvest-and-fertility-symbolism-among-the-hopi/ Borage‘Borage – A Star Of Nature’ on Stories From The Museum Floor , 25 August 2017Robert Tyas, The sentiment of flowers; or, Language of flora (1841)John Gerard, The Herbal, or a Generall historie of plantes (1636)Pliny, Natural Histories VIIAnon, A Proper New Booke of Cookery (1575) You can follow the A is for Apple Podcast on Instagram and BlueskySam Bilton also hosts the Comfortably Hungry Podcast and is the author of First Catch Your Gingerbread, Fool’s Gold: A History of British Saffron and The Philosophy of Chocolate. You can find her on a...

    1h 12m

  6. 16 APR · BONUS

    BONUS EPISODE: Barbecue like an ancient Greek with Thomas Ntinas

    Check out Thom's podcast The Delicious Legacy here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-delicious-legacy/id1494707127 Watch Thom smoke pork and mutton over a charcoal fire like an ancient Greek: https://youtu.be/u7JN1pl_JVs?si=k-j6dZGYVne_0zUa The Odyssey by Homer: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1727/1727-h/1727-h.htm

    16 min

  7. 2 APR · BONUS

    BONUS EPISODE: Barbacoa with chef Edson Diaz Fuentes

    In this bonus episode, Allie explores the rich tradition of barbacoa from  Chef Edson Diaz-Fuentes' hometown, diving into its regional variations and the traditional pit-cooking techniques that define its deep, smoky flavours. They also discuss his journey through London’s dynamic food scene and how his three restaurants bring the heart of Mexican cuisine to the city.Ciudad de México: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Mexico City by Edson Diaz Fuentes (2021) Useful LinksCiudad de México: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Mexico City by Edson Diaz Fuentes (2021)Edson and Natalie Feary have three restaurants in London- find out more here: https://www.santoremedio.co.uk/

    13 min

  8. 26 MAR

    S2 E4: B is for Bakestone, Béchamel and Barbecue

    Cooking is essentially a series of techniques. In Episode 4 Neil, Sam and Allie explore an ancient form of hearth cookery; find out why being called Béchamel could merit a kick in the posterior and get sizzling on the barbie. (No cakes or dolls were harmed in the making of this podcast 😉). Useful LinksNeil’s recipes: https://britishfoodhistory.com/2012/02/21/pancake-day/https://britishfoodhistory.com/2020/12/03/to-make-crumpets/https://britishfoodhistory.com/2024/10/29/singin-hinnies/https://neilcooksgrigson.com/2015/07/13/411-brains-with-curry-and-grape-sauce/Delicious Legacy Podcast- A Short History of BarbecueMotherland Pig Episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07rsphmThe Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover - Peter Greenaway (1989)Goodfellas BBQ SceneSaint Lawrence Patron Saint of CooksFirst Catch Your Gingerbread - Sam Bilton (2020) Perkins recipeMark Meltonville - https://www.meltonville.uk/The Culinary Triangle Claude Lévi-Strauss (1966)Sumario de la historia general de las indias - Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés (1526)A New Voyage Round the World - William Dampier(1697)Dictionary of the English Language - Samuel Johnson (1755) Suggested ReadingFrench cookery: comprising L'art de la cuisine francaise, Le patissier royal, Le cuisinier parisien - Marie Antoine Carême (1836 edition)Kettner’s Book of Table - E. S. Dallas (1877)English Bread and Yeast Cookery - Elizabeth David (1977)A Book of Bakestone Cookery - Bobby Freeman (1984)The Scots Kitchen: It’s Lore and Recipes - F Marian McNeill (1929)Cooked - Michael Pollan (2013)The Saucier’s Apprentice - Raymond Sokolov...

    1h 9m
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A is for Apple is an encyclopaedia of food and drink that takes a deep dive into food and drink culture letter by letter. Written and presented by Sam Bilton, Neil Buttery and Alessandra Pino.

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