Vittles and Vitals Jacob Reed

This is the episode where Jay and Jacob get bored.  No - not that spelling.  They get board!  Anyone who knows Jacob well, knows that he is a board game nerd.  In fact, it may or may not be true that his lovely wife had to put him on a board game budget.  As it turns out, board games have been around a long time - we’re talking painted on cave walls kind of old - and people (not just Jacob) still love ‘em, as evidenced by the board game aisle in your favorite toy shop, book store, or ginormous discount mart.  And what better snacks on game night could one have than a charcuterie board?  There are some “rules” to good charcuterie boards: how to arrange, how to pair, how to prep.  But the most important rule is that there are no rules.  And charcuterie programs are definitely “in” at some of the best restaurants around, so they’re not hard to find.  Take a break from the Game of Life, put some fancy cheese and sausage on the best cracker you can find, and have a listen.

This is the episode where Jay and Jacob return to the airwaves after a hiatus of sorts, for Season Three (or something like that)!  You could say that they’ve been on a super long lunch break, but the truth is, not many Americans take long lunch breaks anymore.  It seems like the days of the three martini lunch (or the three iced tea meat and three) are gone.  It’s not universal, however, and Jay (the pharmacist who can’t leave the building) and Jacob (the minister/student with flexible hours) are the perfect pair to illustrate the difference.  And it wouldn’t be an episode about lunch without talking about their favorite lunch foods and places to get them.  Even if Jay has to eat it standing up.  This episode is best heard at lunch.

This is the episode where Jay and Jacob have a choice.  Actually, they have lots of choices and that’s part of the problem.  Or is it?  In today’s world we have seemingly endless choices - an aisle full of cereal options at the grocery store, ever growing numbers of streaming services to show an ever growing amount of video content, and in some areas of the country, literally a church on every corner.  One study says multiple options are good for us.  Another says maybe not.  (There are also lots of studies.)  And perhaps you’ve heard of FOMO?  How about FOBO?  It’s a thing.  On the Vittles side, it’s their first ever on-air taste-testing of yet another area exploding with options: candy bar flavors.  Reese’s and Nestle get a mention, but the main event features the most prolific flavor expansion worldwide (or at least Japan): the Kit Kat bar.  Grab all the flavors you can find and join the tasting as you listen.

This is the episode where Jay and Jacob go back home - and eat.  It’s Part Two of the episode on Yemen, when they get down to the nitty-gritty (or the Vitty-Gritty?) of the country they called home for almost a decade.  Though Jacob was just a wee lad at the time, he has stories about a dish or two that he has not forgotten.  Jay forgot some of the names of things, and regrets not trying even more things than he did, but there are still many taste memories his palate easily recalls.  They cover salta, the national dish, the half dozen kinds of fresh-baked bread available, and the phenomenon of eating beans for breakfast.  Hot tea, hot bowls, and hot sauce get their mentions, along with stories of the fish market and a favorite sweet.  If you thought shopping hungry was risky, listening to this episode hungry could be downright dangerous.  So grab an egg and feta sandwich and take a listen.

This is the episode where Jay and Jacob go back home.  And it may not be where you think.  Jay spent ten of his formative young adult years in the country of Yemen, and since Jacob was only one-and-a-half years old at the time, he had to go along.  It’s an important place for the Reed family, and it’s going through a rough time at the moment.  They talk a little about the rich history of the country, how it has changed, and what’s going on now.  They might even share a few favorite and/or odd memories from that decade of life in a kingdom (a sort of democratic one) far, far away.  And the Vittles?  Well, there was so much to say about the Vitals, that they didn’t get to the food this time, but never fear: they will have just as much to say about that in Part Two.  Stay tuned!

This is the episode where Jay and Jacob go green.  No, not that kind of green - that is, they love the environment and all that, but this discussion is all about St Patrick’s Day.  Where did it come from, why is it celebrated, and hey, why is the Chicago River green?  Who is this dude, what’s his real name, and is he even Irish?  And most importantly, what should one eat if one really wants to eat like the Irish?  If my grocery store runs out of corned beef and cabbage, is that a big deal?  If I wear my “Kiss me, I’m Irish” t-shirt, will it work?  Should it work?  Is a 4-leaf clover the mistletoe of St Patty’s Day?  Lots of questions, and lots of answers.  Put on your best green pajamas (it’s a podcast, not a Zoom call), say hello to the leprechauns, and have a piece of rhubarb pie.  You are now entering a pinch-free zone.