SOJcast Mark Gosson and Stacey Roberts

Episode 24 Special Guest: Chef Diane DiMeo from The Taste  This week we reflect on what we did for Easter. Once the kids are too old to hunt for eggs, life is a little more mundane. Ron's Roost Imagine the Easter eggs a 14' chicken would lay. Dishwashers (the machines) are the signs of progress here at the SOJCast. What happens when they go out? A lot of eating over the sink. We wonder if our guest Chef Diane DiMeo ever eats over the sink. Interview with Chef Diane DiMeo (12:30) This was an awesome interview. Listen to what it's like being a woman and a kick-ass chef. Chef Diane offers up hard-won wisdom and insider info on Chopped and The Taste. Catch up with Chef Diane Dimeo: Website: Chef Diane Dimeo's Web Page Facebook: Chef Diane Dimeo on Facebook Twitter: Follow Chef Diane Dimeo on Twitter Diane's Fermented Products: Bootleg Farms Hooves and Teats Food P**n  (43:00)  Mark's Selection: Nada Mexican Restaurant You can put Crispy Pork Belly in a taco?!? Baja Fish Tacos Tacos! fried hake "baja style" + guacamole + lime cabbage + pico de gallo guacamole + pickled peppers & onions + guajillo diablo salsa + cilantro Stacey’s selection: Szechwan Garden In order to ensure delivery, Stacey ordered enough to feed all the people in the Szechwan province. General Tso's chicken and Beef and Broccoli were top notch. Best of all: no plates to clean!  This week the SOJCast is sponsoring  Women Helping Women Women Helping Women serves Southwestern Ohio as a unique provider of crisis intervention and support services for direct and indirect victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking.

Episode 23 We have our second ever co-co-host. Mark’s son Oren. He’s a fisherman and after all the fish stories we got this month, we wanted some professional help. Also he attends the media's latest darling: Florida Gulf Coast College. Go Eagles! FGCU is not only where they were hiding an amazing basketball team, they also have an on-campus sushi bar. Did your college? How about alligators and snakes? They have them too. Did you know they treat their freshmen like royalty? They do, and maybe this is why they win.  We also have a number of fishing questions that Oren answers. He was good enough to take time away from shore fishing on beaches filled with bikini clad co-eds. What dedication!  This is a tarpon. They sure are shiny. Food P**n  (29:00)Oren’s selection: 120 Bites of Peanut Butter Mayhem Paula's crazy creation! After 120 bites of luxurious peanut butter, we needed something salty and savory. The Slaughterhouse Sandwich The Slaughterhouse is a KFC Double-down inside of a Wendy's Baconator. Probably best to enjoy this during your college years while you still have a high metabolism  Mark's Selection: The Amish Buffet on Highway 64 Curiously enough it was not the Amish Buffet that was full of Amish. It turns out they all hang out at the McDonalds next door! Can you see all the beef in that gravy? Oh yeah. It's a buffet. Seconds is sorta mandatory. Spaghetti and mash potatoes? Don't judge. This week the SOJCast is sponsoring The Way Home Rescue Alliance They take animals from kill shelters and give them a place to stay until you adopt them!Like them on FB and give them a few bucks, or better yet - Adopt a new friend.

Episode 22 Special Guest: Robert Irvine from Restaurant Impossible This week the SOJCast doesn't have a sponsor. Instead, we are sponsoring the Freestore Foodbank. We spend a lot of time talking about food here at the SOJCast but it's vital to remember that not everyone has access to food, even here in Cincinnati. That's where the Freestore Foodbank comes in. Don't forget there's still time to get your entry in the March Writing Contest here.We extended the deadline to March 25, so what's your excuse? Your favorite team won't make the Final Four anyway.  Cash prizes, trophies and other great stuff. Lex-Con is host to such greats as Billy Dee Williams, Margot Kidder and Charity Parkerson. The SOJCast got on the road and went to bring Charity some Abby Girl cupcakes and some GiGi's cupcakes so she can decide which was best. We suspect future food p**n in the making... Taco Bell troubles call The Wolf, or Mark, whichever. He'll talk you through it. Don't forget the Verde sauce. You were warned.  We also lament the loss of Taco Viva. That Clint Eastwood spoof of a commercial has been saved on the internet hereIf you remember Taco Viva, drop us a comment. We love to commiserate. Interview with Chef Robert Irvine (14:15)A SOJCast impossibility becomes possible as the Food Network's Chef Robert Irvine does an interview while driving. Always cool under pressure, Chef Robert does not crash his car. He talks Restaurant Impossible, how to get your kids to eat vegetables (without bribery of ANY kind), the charities he supports, and his favorite food. You'll never guess what it is. You'll have to listen. He also tells us what his ultimate restaurant deal breaker is and the one dish he makes better than anyone else. You'll never guess that one, either. Find out what question we were afraid to ask, but did it anyway. Chef Irvine was kind enough to let us leave it in the broadcast. Take that, Anne Burrell! Watch his television show: Restaurant Impossible! Visit his website: http://chefirvine.com Follow Robert Irvine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/robertirvine1 In keeping with the philanthropic tone of this week's episode, please visit the Gary Sinise Foundation, which supports all of our wounded warriors. Food Porn  (39:00) Stacey’s selection: Red State BBQ It was so good, Stacey forgot to take a picture. Like all good BBQ joints, when they are out of something, they won't have any more for hours. We enjoyed the pulled pork and brisket but when's Rib and Chicken Day? Good thing Laura got a picture of hers:  Mark's plate: Pulled Pork, Brisket, Green Beans and Corn Pudding. Mark's Selection: Django's Western TacoIf you’re in Northside, definitely stop by Django’s.  The Jalapeno and Bacon Cornbread as mind boggling. The bean dip was unimaginably delicious. Also try some of their tacos. On display here are Al Pastor (Marinated Pork, Pineapple, mint), Chicken (salsa verde) and Beef (horseradish crema and cilantro) See that empty plate? That was the bean dip.

Episode 21   Special Guest: Emily Joy from Biggest Loser    The SOJCast announces its first writing contest: The SOJys. Cash prizes, trophies and other great stuff. Claim your seat at the SOJCast table and join us if you win. Why not enter? Read the details of the March Writing Contest here. Deadline March 21. EXTENDED to March 25 Speaking of fish and lent, did you know the Filet-O-Fish was invented here in Cincinnati? We did. Interview with Emily Joy from Biggest Loser (13:50) Emily started the interview out by making us something very “un-food porny.” It was so awful-looking we relegated its picture to the bottom of our post. Go check. Seriously. Despite its strange appearance, she maintained that it was delicious and offered a virtual “high five” to vegans everywhere. Learn about the secrets of reality TV. Did you know in Hollywood a week might mean 16 days? Whoa. Don't believe everything you see on reality TV. No! Say it isn't so. We did not ask Emily if she was single... okay we did but not like that… Are you one of those people who eats to live? Emily hates you. (Ok, not really - but we all think you're hooked on the goofballs) Emily turns us on to Slutty Brownies - they are not young girls with emotional problems, but they are sinful! Not in the way our sponsor would approve of, but pretty darn close... Also hear tales of the Danish Puff and a Peanut Butter and Fluff sandwich Food P**n (featuring Emily Joy) (38:45) Mark’s selection: Embers The Cowboy Bone-In Ribeye Short Rib Ravioli Oreo Stuffed Donut Stacey’s selection: Whole Foods Pizza It was so good, Stacey forgot to take a picture. Also he needs to check who’s running the counter before he orders, otherwise he might end up with another goat cheese on cardboard. Hmmm Emily chooses: Panera's Spinach Power Salad Special Shout-Out from Emily to: Total Nutrition Technology And very special thanks to Angela and Megan from TNT! Why not follow Megan on Twitter? @Megan_TNTgetfit         Hey Emily - This is not food p**n! Mmmm chlorophyll __________________________________________________________________________________ This week's SOJCast is sponsored by: The Sinner's Series by Charity Parkerson

Episode 20 Sponsored by: Strange Voices SOJCast 20 delivers what is sure to be the strangest opening in the history of SOJCasts. What’s up with the strange voices? Tune in and find out. Kodos, one of the dogs of the SOJCast, has been known to sneeze like someone put a firecracker inside her floppy, floppy face. Stacey tries to describe this natural oddity as the family runs to get more pepper. Mark talks about his team building event at a cooking school in Seattle. That guy has some problems with authority and situations that lack proper context. There's no "mark" in "team". Find out if Mark’s hijinks get him kicked out of cooking school or just sent to scrub dirty pans. This week's Xombee Guy is an exercise in the lost art of hospitality. Word of caution: be careful who you offer aid and comfort to.  In this week's Trailer Trash blog, the top-notch engineering at Winnebago causes the motor home to get electrified. Good news - the cat and the dog escaped. The people--not so much. Try not to wet yourself.  Trailer Trash #18 Interview with Amber Jerome-Norrgard and Scott Morgan (25:30)Join us as we interview Amber and Scott. Learn the secrets to good writing and whether or not Amber was raised by pirates.  They also take some time and talk poetry and the Four Paws Project. The Quillective Project's mission is to turn the power of the written word into an instrument of compassion, hope, and generosity by putting that power directly in the hands of organizations that share our principles. The 2013 Quillective Project is Four Paws, a poetry anthology featuring bestselling authors Scott Morgan, Ben Ditmars, Amber Jerome-Norrgard and Robert Zimmermann, with a "fourword" by Russell Blake. 100% of all proceeds from the sale of Four Paws will benefit The Dallas Humane Society's no-kill shelter, Dog & Kitty City. Four Paws on Facebook Quillective on Facebook You love dogs and cats, right? Then what the hell are you waiting for? Buy it now! Amber and Scott even favor us with some vegan food porn. Say what?!? Yes, that’s right, a SOJcast first. Vegan food p**n. Will their descriptions of the plant world’s bounty be enough to sway you to join their cause? Amber’s website: http://amberjeromenorrgard.com/ Like and subscribe to her FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmberJeromeNorrgard?fref=ts Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmberNorrgard Scott’s website: http://www.write-hook.com/ Like and subscribe to his FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/scott.morgan.18007218 Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/write_hook Food P**n  (58:00) This week we have a food porn showdown! Which restaurant had a finer crispy chicken, named for the ruthless General Tso, who apparently batter-fried his victims and doused them in a spicy sauce? Szechuan Garden - Park Hills, KY Spicy Talk - Redmond, WA Why not buy yourself some plane tickets and try them yourself? Better yet, have a colossal road trip, you're bound to find some more gems along the way... See you next time, if the world isn't destroyed,

Episode 19 Sponsored by: The Unexpected The SOJCast finally returns in 2013. Hopefully this wasn't unexpected. After a brief segue that involves 40 apple pies and a van full of cheerleaders (quite unexpectedly) we get back on the podcasting wagon. We spend some time talking about what we did during our hiatus. While Mark was in Florida he managed to get his girlfriend hooked on Cafe Cubano. It wasn't that hard actually.   Cafe Cubano Many people wonder what happens when your ex-wife meets your girlfriend. Not sure what to expect? Us neither. Some safety tips: Plan carefully Bring your high school English teacher Hold it at your favorite Mexican restaurant, so if all else fails, you at least get a decent meal. Was Mark nearly arrested in Disney World? Yep. Find out why. We also spend a little time talking about our Christmas gift exchange (which actually happened at Stacey's birthday party). Teapots and a leg-eating machine. What could be better? Did you miss Trailer Trash and Xombee Guy? Good news! Learn more about the 400 lbs of marijuana hanging in the living room on a new Trailer Trash post  A common winter lament Food Porn and Interview with Mike Harwood (owner of Whack Burger) (29:30) Learn the secrets (or maybe not) of the mysterious and delicious Whack Burger. A WhackBurger being built. Mesmerizing isn't it? Mike explains the importance of fresh ingredients. We were shocked to learn the meat comes from our neighbor Heringer Meats just across the street. Did you know that Whack Burger has 14 burgers on the menu? Have a look. We get to ask why Whack Burger has a wall of comic (not that we were complaining). Listen and learn. We even talk about our idea for a burger contest here in Covington. Is Mike on board with the idea? The wall of comics. How many Spiderman(s) can you find?