The Toasty Kettle Podcast

The Toasty Kettle Podcast
  • 4.9 (24)
  • FOOD

Connecting With the Past Through Food

  1. 03/11/2022

    What is the Original Krispy Kreme Donut

    Today we are going to talk all about what is the original Krispy Kreme donut? Krispy Kreme always elicits a sort of nostalgia in my life. Growing up I was active in scouts. I participated in countless service projects that all had one thing in common, if the project took place in the evening, we were served Little Caesars. If we were scouting in the morning, then the reward was Krispy Kreme. They always seemed to overestimate the amount of donuts actually needed at these events, and there were always plenty of donuts to go around. Finally, as I pulled into the drive through, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself as I remembered a particular activity where I was dared to eat a dozen Krispy Kremes on my own. I proudly downed 13. Now, I know that Krispy Kreme can be polarizing. People seem to love it or hate it. The beautiful thing about today’s episode is that you don’t have to love Krispy Kreme to enjoy its history. What is the Original Krispy Kreme Donut: Paducah Kentucky The story starts in 1933 in Paducah, Kentucky. Ishmael Rudolph owned a small general store that served a variety of goods. His nephews Vernon and Lewis Rudolph began working for him selling his ever popular donuts. The origin of the recipe is up for debate. However, the consensus seems to be that the recipe was purchased from a French chef in New Orleans. The recipe was a yeast raised donut recipe. The donuts were a big success.  During the Great Depression, the general store struggled. Ishmael and Vernon moved to Nashville to continue selling their donuts. They thought the larger city would bring more business their way.  Finally, in 1937 Vernon decided to strike out on his own. He moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and began supplying donuts to local grocery stores. People passing by on the street could smell the donuts. However, it didn’t take long for people to start begging Vernon to sell them some donuts. Furthermore, Vernon didn’t want to pass up this opportunity. He literally cut a hole in the side of his building so that he would have a window to sell donuts to people on the sidewalk. 40s and 50s: Expansion and the Need for Consistency People went crazy for these donuts and popularity soared. Furthermore, the 40s and 50s brought enough success to support a small chain of donut shops. However, like any restaurant that starts to expand, they struggled with consistency. Each shop followed the same recipe. However, they were made from scratch using different equipment from each other. They created a mix plant. This allowed them to mix massive batches of dry ingredients together. Furthermore, now each store could use the same dry mix. Just like that, consistency improved, and the magical donut conveyer belt was born. 60s and 70s: Unified Stores Now that they fixed the consistency problems with their recipe, the company focused on a consistent look across their stores. During the 60s and 70s, each store began to sport the same iconic green tile roofs and the heritage road signs. However, 1973 brought another challenge for Krispy Kreme when their founder, Vernon Rudolph, died. The company was then sold to Beatrice Foods Company in 1976. Rapid Expansion Krispy Kreme began another chapter of their history. In the early 2000s, they rapidly expanded. The company went public on April 5, 2000. They quickly ballooned to over 400 stores. For a few years things couldn’t be better. However, by 2005 the stock had plummeted and the company began to close their less profitable locations. Furthermore, analysts felt that the chain had expanded too quickly and had too many stores in various markets. In 2016 the company returned to private ownership.  Where Things Are Today I remember this phase of rapid growth. Several Krispy Kreme locations opened up near me. However, after a few years, only one location remained, and it wasn’t super close. However, I am happy that we finally have a location close by again. There is something magical about walking in and being smacked in the face with that heavenly aroma. It’s hypnotic watching the endless line of donuts march toward the cascading waterfall of delicious glaze. Finally, I get lost for a moment and almost forget why I’m there in the first place.  Interesting Flavors Over the years Krispy Kreme has released many seasonal flavors in different markets. In 2007, the chain tried to get in on the health craze by releasing a whole wheat donut. That’s right, a whole wheat donut. That gave me shivers. An interesting flavor I would have loved to try was released in 2010, and it was inspired by the southern soda, Cheerwine. It was sold in stores in North and South Carolina during July that year. Furthermore, they were so popular that the store in Salisbury, North Carolina continued to sell them after July 31. Salisbury is where Cheerwine is produced. The donut had an encore performance in July of 2011. I personally love Cheerwine and would love to try this donut.  Fun Facts About Krispy Kreme Finally, I’m going to wrap up today’s episode about what is the original Krispy Kreme donut with some fun facts about Krispy Kreme. Vernon moved his operation to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, but do you know why? Apparently the move was inspired by his favorite cigarette brand, Camel. They were based out of Winston-Salem. Vernon thought that if they could be successful there, so could he.Krispy Kreme donuts might contain potato. The secret recipe is locked up at headquarters. However, food historians believe that it is possible that mashed potatoes are the secret ingredient. At one point Krispy Kreme sold pizza. Why not, right? They were pretty successful with it too. Today they stick to donuts and coffee. Their original logo has been referred to as the bowtie. It was trademarked in 1955 and was designed by architect Benny Dinkins.In 1992, the “Hot Doughnuts Now” sign was installed. This let anyone driving by know that they will be rewarded with something warm and delicious if they stopped in. Today you can just look at their app to know when donuts are hot from the fryer. In certain markets, unsold donuts aren’t thrown out. Instead they are turned into pig feed. Fascinating! Today Krispy Kreme has over 1,400 locations.Finally, Each store will make an average of 20 million donuts each year.  Did You Like Learning About Krispy Kreme? This is just one example of the type of show I put together each week. If you liked learning about food history, make sure you subscribe today!  You can use these links to subscribe to the show! iTunesStitcherGoogle Play Don’t see the podcast in your pod catcher? Email me at toastykettle@gmail.com. I will add it. Furthermore, leave a note in the comments or send a message to toastykettle@gmail.com. Follow Me On Social Media Finally, learn more fun facts about food history by following me on social media. FacebookTwitterInstagram Know A Restaurant or Business I Should Interview?? The world is a very big place. However, if you have a restaurant contributing to food history in some way, I want to know about it. Finally, complete the form here and we will make it happen! The post What is the Original Krispy Kreme Donut? appeared first on Toasty Kettle.

    12 min

  2. 11/19/2021

    History of Mustard: The Day Mustard Went to the Supreme Court

    Today’s episode is all about the History of Mustard. I have Barry Levenson on to talk all about the history of this humble condiment. Barry is the curator and owner of the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin. You won’t want to miss this one. Heartbreak and Inspiration Barry shared his story and the inspiration behind the museum. After the Boston Red Sox suffered a depressing loss in the World Series in 1986, Barry found himself wandering up and down the aisles of a local supermarket. As he passed the mustards, he heard a voice: if you collect us, they will come. Barry didn’t delay. In a search for purpose after another letdown, he began to enthusiastically collect mustard. The National Mustard Museum now boasts a collection of 6,050 different types of mustard. Barry also said they aren’t done. They are continuing to scour the globe looking for mustard. Their collection contains mustard from all 50 states and 70 countries. Mustard Goes to the Supreme Court The highlight of my conversation with Barry about the history of mustard, was when he shared his personal account of how mustard ended up in the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Before Barry threw himself into the Mustard Museum business full time, he was an Assistant Attorney General for the great state of Wisconsin. He had an opportunity to argue a case before the Supreme Court. When he left his room that morning to head to the courthouse, he saw a hotel room service tray. Someone had finished there meal, but left their tiny jar of mustard completely untouched. Barry had a dilemma. On one hand, he could leave the mustard on the tray and walk away. On the other hand, he could grab the condiment and high tail it out of there. He chose to grab the mustard and dash. He put the small jar in his pocket and went to argue his case, a case he ended up winning. The whole time the mustard remained in his pocket. It’s the first time to his knowledge that a jar of mustard made it to the Supreme Court while a case was being argued. Passion for Mustard It was difficult to not feel Barry’s passion for mustard. It is something I admired. If you find yourself in the great state of Wisconsin out near Madison, make sure you hop on over and give the National Mustard Museum a shot. You can learn more about the museum here. If Facebook is your jam, or mustard, you can find the museum’s page here. You can also support the museum and help them maintain free admission by checking out some of their merchandise. It the book, “Mustard on a Pickle,” here. Did You Like Learning About The National Mustard Museum? This is just one example of the type of show I put together each week. If you liked learning about food history, make sure you subscribe today!  You can use these links to subscribe to the show! iTunesStitcherGoogle Play Don’t see the podcast in your pod catcher? Email me at toastykettle@gmail.com. I will add it. Furthermore, leave a note in the comments or send a message to toastykettle@gmail.com. Follow Me On Social Media Learn more fun facts about food history by following me on social media. FacebookTwitterInstagram Know A Restaurant or Business I Should Interview?? The world is a very big place. However, if you have a restaurant contributing to food history in some way, I want to know about it. Finally, complete the form here and we will make it happen! The post History of Mustard: The Day Mustard Went to the Supreme Court appeared first on Toasty Kettle.

    39 min

  3. 09/24/2021

    Disgusting Food From Around The World: The Disgusting Food Museum

    Today is a disgusting episode just for you. We take a journey through disgusting food from around the world with Andreas Ahrens. He is the director of the Disgusting Food Museum. We have a great conversation about what constitutes a disgusting food. Some of the most disgusting foods in the museum may surprise you. What Makes Food Disgusting As humans we have a natural fear of the unfamiliar. We often spend a lot of time seeking comfort. One of the main areas where we seek comfort is through food. After all, we call it comfort food. Culture is everything when it comes to what determines if food is disgusting or not. A prime example of this is root beer. American’s love root beer. I think it is one of the most refreshing beverages on a hot summer day or mixed in with ice cream for a tasty float. However, the rest of the world has a very different opinion of root beer. They think it is disgusting. In fact, it is one of the items on the tasting menu when you visit the museum. In Sweden you have salted licorice. Andreas raved about how much he enjoys salted licorice. I ordered some after our conversation. When the package arrived, I eagerly tore into it. I placed a tiny morsel in my mouth and immediately regretted it. I couldn’t stand it. After a valiant effort, I had to spit it out. Culture and Sustainability Andreas brought up a very valid point on sustainability. As we look to the future, we will have to continue to feed an ever expanding global population. This will require us to look at food from the lens of sustainability. An example of this would be crickets. Crickets may sound disgusting. However, they are a fantastic source of protein and they are sustainable. Many cultures around the world have been eating crickets for thousands of years. A lot of disgusting food was born out of tough times and difficult circumstances. When you are starving, you don’t have the luxury of being picky. After embracing these less than desirable menu items, they become interwoven in the fabric of our cultures. It really makes me think differently when I hear about disgusting food from around the world. It is humbling to think of the origins of some of these dishes. Wrap up If you are interested in learning more about the Disgusting Food Museum, and disgusting food from around the world, you can find them on their Facebook here. You can also go directly to their website here. Make sure you check them out. Next time you are presented with something disgusting, give it a try. You never know when you might find your new favorite food. If you want to really get in the disgusting food spirit, you can buy some salted licorice here. Did You Like Learning About The Disgusting Food Museum? This is just one example of the type of show I put together each week. If you liked learning about food history, make sure you subscribe today!  You can use these links to subscribe to the show! iTunesStitcherGoogle Play Don’t see the podcast in your pod catcher? Email me at toastykettle@gmail.com. I will add it. Furthermore, leave a note in the comments or send a message to toastykettle@gmail.com. Follow Me On Social Media Learn more fun facts about food history by following me on social media. FacebookTwitterInstagram Know A Restaurant or Business I Should Interview?? The world is a very big place. However, if you have a restaurant contributing to food history in some way, I want to know about it. Finally, complete the form here and we will make it happen! The post Disgusting Food From Around The World: The Disgusting Food Museum appeared first on Toasty Kettle.

    38 min

  4. 08/27/2021

    Who Came Up With S’Mores: The Perfect Camping Snack

    Have you ever wondered who came up with S’Mores? Today we are going to do a dive into the history of this amazing treat. Last year we did a small remodel. Part of that process was to purchase new furniture for the space. The furniture store rewarded our spending with a S’Mores maker. It’s essentially a small heating element that you can plug in and toast a marshmallow to perfection.  Every Sunday night we have had a tradition of making S’Mores as a family. We laugh and have a good time while we get to work crafting the perfect S’More. This morning I was getting ready for my run and noticed I had a text from my wife. Apparently she couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night and had S’Mores on her mind. She thought this would make a great concept for an episode. I couldn’t agree more! Who Came Up With Marshmallows In order to understand the history of S’Mores as a whole, you have to understand the history of their components. Let’s do a deeper dive into the history behind the marshmallow.  The humble marshmallow has its roots in the ancient world. The mallow plant is found in Europe, West Asia, and Northern Africa. The root could be harvested and would produce a thick sap that could be whipped into a medicinal remedy that was perfect for soothing sore throats and coughs. The ancient Egyptians were the first to document this process. Various parts of the mallow plant were also consumed by the ancient greeks and romans. So the humble marshmallow has been around for ages. In the early 1800s, candy makers in France decided to get creative. They would whip the sap from the mallow plant with sugar and eggs to produce something very similar to the marshmallow we have today. Leave it to the French to perfect this culinary delight.  In the late 1800s the French began to substitute gelatin or corn starch for the mallow sap. This created a cheaper and less labor intensive way to create something that tasted virtually the same.  Marshmallow Roast It didn’t take long for people to begin toasting these treats over fire. In 1892 the Chicago Daily Tribune ran a letter all about marshmallow roasts: Marshmallow roasts’ are the newest thing in summer resort diversions. The simplicity of this form of amusement is particularly charming. One buys two or three pounds of marshmallows, invites half a dozen friends, and that is all the preparation required. However a small amount of kindling-wood must be taken along with which to build a small fire in an unfrequented spot on the beach, away from crowds unfamiliar with so refined a species of entertainment. When the fire is blazing merrily, or better still, when it has died down to red embers, each member of the party takes a sharpened stick and affixes upon the end of it a marshmallow. Simultaneously all those engaged hold their marshmallows over the embers, as close as possible to avoid burning and roast dexterously, so as to brown the marshmallows nicely on all sides. This requires some skill, because marshmallows are highly inflammable and will take fire if not very prudently handled. The…marshmallows…swell up to considerable more their normal size…They are a sort sublimated combination of candy and cake, all in one bite, though the proper fashion is to nibble the roasted marshmallow off the end of the stick. One set consumed, each person pokes the point of his wooden skewer through another marshmallow and the performance is repeated until everybody’s appetite is satisfied Marshmallow roasts are an excellent medium for flirtation…appropriately exhibited by nibbling the marshmallows of each other’s sticks. Accordingly the idea is sure to grow in favor. Who Came Up With Graham Crackers Another critical component of a S’More is the graham cracker. Graham crackers got their start as the brain child of Sylvester Graham. He was part of the temperance movement that swept through America in the 1800s. He believed that minimizing pleasure and stimulation of all kinds, along with a vegetarian diet, was how God wanted people to live. If you followed this law, then you would be healthy.  Graham’s preaching was embraced widely during the 1829-1851 cholera pandemic. His followers called themselves Grahamites. His movement was one of the first vegetarian movements. At the core of this vegetarian diet was bread and crackers made from coarsely ground wheat. These were called graham crackers and Graham bread. It is important to understand that Sylvester Graham did not invent graham crackers or Graham bread. However, he did make them widely popular through his teachings.  Graham crackers have been mass produced in the United States since 1898. The National Biscuit Company, or NABISCO, was the first to produce them. It makes sense that a slightly sweet and widely available cracker would be the perfect foundation on which a person could construct the perfect S’More. Mainly because a majority of households already had them on hand. Hershey’s Chocolate, A Critical Ingredient Of course you can’t have S’Mores without the chocolate. Hershey’s has long been the chocolate of choice for S’Mores, and they know it! If you go to Hershey’s website you will see countless recipes and variations on the classic S’Mores recipe. One that particularly caught my eye was a strawberry S’More. It is your standard S’Mores recipe with strawberries added. Yum! In 1893, Milton S. Hershey bought a chocolate press that was left over from the World’s Colombian Exposition. He moved the press to his factory in Pennsylvania and began pumping out bars of chocolate. This chocolate was cheap and portable. It snapped easily into smaller portions. Furthermore, it was the ideal treat to have camping. It was only natural that Hershey’s would find its way onto a S’More. The First Recorded Recipe of Some-Mores With marshmallow roasts being a common camping pastime, graham crackers being a cheap and prevalent snack, and Hershey’s being insanely portable, the stage was set for the birth of the S’More. The first recorded recipe for S’Mores appeared in a 1925. “The Norwalk Hour,” which was a small newspaper in Connecticut, reported that a group of Girl Scout leaders had an outing to outline plans for the upcoming season. In the article it was reported that they ate kabobs and Some-mores. The recipe for kabobs sounds amazing. Cut a steak into cubes then skewer them with bacon and onion. Alternating each ingredient. You then remove the items from the skewer and eat them sandwiched on a well buttered roll. My mouth is watering folks! The most interesting part of the article is the description of what a Some-more is. The article says, “Some-mores consist of a graham cracker on which is placed a piece of Hershey chocolate, a toasted marshmallow, another piece of chocolate, and a graham cracker.” So who came up with the S’More? This question could be answered as the Girl Scouts. After all, the first recorded recipe for a S’More was submitted by Girl Scout patrol leaders. However, I think it is safe to assume that the Girl Scouts didn’t have a monopoly on the S’More. I don’t believe that they were the first. However, it embodies the tradition behind a S’More. After all, a S’More will always just taste better around a campfire. Did You Like Learning About Who Came Up With S’Mores? This is just one example of the type of show I put together each week. If you liked learning about food history, make sure you subscribe today!  You can use these links to subscribe to the show! iTunesStitcherGoogle Play Don’t see the podcast in your pod catcher? Email me at toastykettle@gmail.com. I will add it. Furthermore, leave a note in the comments or send a message to toastykettle@gmail.com. Follow Me On Social Media Learn more fun facts about food history by following me on social media. FacebookTwitterInstagram Know A Restaurant or Business I Should Interview?? The world is a very big place. However, if you have a restaurant contributing to food history in some way, I want to know about it. Finally, complete the form here and we will make it happen! The post Who Came Up With S’Mores: The Perfect Camping Snack appeared first on Toasty Kettle.

    11 min

  5. 06/25/2021

    How to Cook Like Your Grandmother With Darrell Johnson

    Today is a special episode. I have Chef Darrell Johnson on to talk all about how to cook like your grandmother. Chef Darrell has 25 years of experience in the food industry. He has appeared on Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen as well as The Great Food Truck Race. My time with Darrell oozed with his passion for the culinary world. Chef Darrell credits his great grandmother with his interest in food. Spending Time With Grandma Is Key Chef Darrel makes it clear that if you want to cook like your grandmother, you have to spend time with your grandmother. His grandmother pulled him in the kitchen at a young age. She taught him all of her tricks. The result was a love for cooking that changed his life for the better. Grandmas are like that. They tend to understand what we need before we realize that we need it. Teaching Darrell to cook helped keep him out of trouble growing up. He had friends who were killed on the streets or ended up in prison. He was grateful for her wisdom in helping him have something constructive in his life. It provided Chef Darrell with a creative outlet. What was the earliest recipe that Chef Darrell remembers cooking with his grandma? Without hesitation he responded gumbo. He went into great detail about how amazing and legendary this gumbo recipe is. He mentioned that Tyler Florence said it was some of the best gumbo that he’s ever had. Today Chef Darrell specializes in cajun/creole fusion. Those early days with grandma continue to be a source of motivation and inspiration for him. My favorite part of the interview was listening to Chef Darrell speak about finding his grandma’s recipes after hurricane Katrina. The storm wiped out nearly everything in her house. The water came up 6.5 feet in the house. Her recipes were on a shelf 7 feet high. Miraculously they survived. Coincidence? I think not! How to Find Out More If you want a killer gumbo recipe, you can find Chef Darrel’s cookbook here. You can find NOLA-Creations website here and their Facebook account here. Make sure you order a copy of the cookbook. I can’t wait for mine to arrive! Toasty Kettle is all about connecting with the past through food. As I listened to Chef Darrell talk about his own history I thought of my own grandma. Last year I took on a project of scanning and preserving all of the recipes that she has accumulated through her life. Most of them were handwritten on recipe cards or typed on her typewriter. It’s a wealth of culinary experience passing from one generation to the next. I have loved sifting through them and pulling out recipes that I remember grandma cooking.  That is why I love this show. As I research different topics and interview different businesses, it always takes me back to my own past and my own experiences. Hopefully it does the same for each of you. Did You Like Learning About How to Cook Like Your Grandmother? This is just one example of the type of show I put together each week. If you liked learning about food history, make sure you subscribe today!  You can use these links to subscribe to the show! iTunesStitcherGoogle Play Don’t see the podcast in your pod catcher? Email me at toastykettle@gmail.com. I will add it. Furthermore, leave a note in the comments or send a message to toastykettle@gmail.com. Follow Me On Social Media Learn more fun facts about food history by following me on social media. FacebookTwitterInstagram Know A Restaurant or Business I Should Interview?? The world is a very big place. However, if you have a restaurant contributing to food history in some way, I want to know about it. Finally, complete the form here and we will make it happen! The post How to Cook Like Your Grandmother With Darrell Johnson appeared first on Toasty Kettle.

    35 min

  6. 06/11/2021

    How Much Domino's Pizza Can You Eat?

    How much Domino’s pizza can you eat? Today we are going to do a deep dive into the history of this iconic pizza chain. We are going to cover where they got their start and where they are at today. How Much Domino’s Pizza Can you Eat: Humble Beginnings Domino’s Pizza, Inc. got its start in 1960 when two brothers, Tom and James Monaghan, purchased a local pizza joint called, DomiNick’s. Back in 1960, all they needed was a $500 downpayment and they were in business. They borrowed $900 to complete payment for the store.  Tom threw himself into the business working long hours. James was very content to keep his job as a postal worker and sold his half of the business to Tom for their Volkswagen Beetle they were using to make deliveries.  By 1965 Tom had purchased two more pizza shops. Tom really wanted have all three of his locations have the same name and branding. However, the previous owner of DomiNick’s would not allow Tom to use the DomiNick’s name on these other locations.  One day an employee, Jim Kennedy, came back from a pizza delivery and pitched an idea to Tom. They should call the pizza business Domino’s. Tom loved the idea and in 1965 officially renamed his fledgling pizza empire, Domino’s Pizza, Inc.  DomiNick’s Is Out, Domino’s Is In Originally the company logo had three dots, one dot for each location. Tom wanted to add a dot to the logo for each location they would add. He quickly abandoned that idea because of the rapid growth they began to experience as a company. In 1967, they began franchising their pizza concept. By 1978 Tom had expanded to over 200 locations.  In 1975, the Amstar Corporation took Domino’s to court over a trademark dispute. Amstar was the maker of Domino sugar and they felt that Domino’s was infringing on their trademarked name. A judge disagreed and awarded Domino’s Pizza the victory.  Tom Monaghan decided to retire from the business in 1998 after 38 years of owning the business. He sold 93% of the company to Bain Capital, Inc. for 1 billion dollars. It’s incredible to me that he was able to turn that $500 downpayment into a billion dollars.  In 2012, Domino’s Pizza, Inc. changed their name to just Domino’s. They also changed up their logo by dropping the “Domino’s Pizza” from the name and logo. They wanted to make it clear to the world that Domino’s was more than just pizza.  All About The Food Growing up, Domino’s was my least favorite pizza of the popular chains. I felt it tasted a lot like cardboard that had sauce and cheese on top. I can’t blame Domino’s for sticking with what worked.  In the early years, Domino’s had a very simple menu compared to other pizza places. They had one style of crust that came in two sizes, a 12-inch and a 16-inch, as well as 11 toppings.  In 1989, Domino’s deviated from their simple menu by adding the deep dish pizza. This launch cost the company $25 million. $15 million of that was purchasing the new pans needed to bake the pizza.  The early 2000s Domino’s went on a roll with a variety of new menu items. January 2000 brought the Philly cheesesteak specialty pizza. In 2006, they launched one of my personal favorites, the Brooklyn style crust. It was a thinner crust with larger slices you can fold.  In 2008, Domino’s launched their first non-pizza item, the toasty oven-baked sandwich. Overnight they became one of the world’s largest sandwich delivery restaurants. It was no secret that they launched these sandwiches in an effort to take on Subway.  2009 brought penne pasta that was served in a bread bowl as well as a lava crunch cake to the menu. The bread bowl brought a fresh round of criticism for the chain. After all, who puts pasta in a bread bowl. Domino’s Pizza Was Really Bad There was a survey done in 2009 of consumer taste preferences among national chains. Domino’s ranked last on the survey tied with Chuck E. Cheese’s. Ouch! They then launched a self-deprecating campaign where customers were filmed talking about how lousy Domino’s pizza was. These ads also showed chefs in the kitchen developing a new pizza.  It takes a big person to admit that you are wrong. In December of 2009 Domino’s launched their new pizza recipe. They officially admitted to the world that their existing recipe was indeed lousy. Such a dramatic redo has been almost unheard of.  This change worked. This was when I stopped viewing Domino’s as lousy cardboard topped with sauce and cheese, and instead viewed them as a legit contender int he pizza space.  2012 saw Domino’s add the pan pizza to their menu. Many times if you add a new item to a menu permanently, then that means something else has to go. The sacrificial lamb here was the deep dish pizza that got the axe after 23 years of of being on the menu. Advertising and Marketing Struggles I feel like this is as good a time as any to talk about the Noid. The Noid was Domino’s marketing mascot. He was introduced in 1986. However, this mascot was short lived. In January 1989, Kenneth Lamar Noid felt that Domino’s had stolen his name and likeness in creating the Noid. He entered a Domino’s restaurant in Chamblee, GA armed with a handgun. He held two employees hostage for over 5 hours. Noid told his hostages that Tom Monaghan and Domino’s had stolen his name. He forced them to call Domino’s headquarters to demand $100,000 and a white limo for his getaway transportation.  After 5 hours of standoff, Noid got hungry and forced the employees to make him some pizza. While he was enjoying a fresh hot Domino’s pizza, he set his gun down. The employees took advantage of the distraction and escaped. Noid then surrendered to police. He was charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, extortion, and possession of a firearm during a crime. After the incident, Police Chief Reed Miller told reporters, “He’s para-noid.” Noid was acquitted due to insanity and spent time in a mental institution before committing suicide in February, 1995. Domino’s discontinued Noid after this incident. However, they claimed that the hostage situation was not the reason for discontinuing the mascot. Was Noid’s early retirement a coincidence? I personally don’t think so. 30 Minute Guarantee Another botched marketing campaign happened in 1973. Domino’s unveiled a 30 minute guarantee. The rules were simple, if Domino’s can’t deliver your pizza to you within 30 minutes of you placing an order, the pizza is free. In 1987 they changed the guarantee to $3 off.  In 1992 Domino’s settled a lawsuit that was brought by the family of an Indiana woman who was killed by a speeding Domino’s delivery driver. They paid the family $2.8 million. In 1993 another lawsuit was brought by a woman who was injured when a Domino’s delivery driver ran a red light and collided with her vehicle. A jury awarded her $80 million, but accepted a payout of $15 million. Domino’s dropped the guarantee that same year due to a perception of reckless driving and irresponsibility.  11,000 Free Pizzas I never knew there was so much low hanging fruit for botched Domino’s promotions. The last one I want to hit today was when Domino’s experienced a glitch on their website that resulted in 11,000 free pizzas being awarded to customers.  In 2008 Domino’s had planned a promotion for free pizza when using the promo code “bailout.” However, they scrapped the idea and never promoted it. However, the promo code to redeem the free pizza was never deactivated. In March of 2009 a random customer typed “bailout” in the promo code field and was awarded a free pizza. The news spread like wildfire online and Domino’s was quick at getting the promo code disabled. However, they weren’t able to disable it before they gave away 11,000 free pizzas. How Much Domino’s Pizza Can You Register For? Domino’s has definitely become an interesting pizza chain over the years. From reworking their pizza recipe to becoming a robust online technology solution to pizza, they never stop surprising me. One surprise I found came about as I was researching this episode. Do you want to know something about Domino’s that will blow your mind? Dominos.com has a Domino’s wedding registry. I had no clue something like this existed, much less that there is actually demand for such a thing.  You might be wondering what on earth does a Domino’s wedding registry even look like. Well you can have wedding guests purchase a variety of pizza packages. These include a 2 a.m. bachelor party feast, or a “one more slice” before “I do,” package. You can also get a post honeymoon adjustment to real life package and a married but chill package, among others.  Did You Like Learning About Domino’s Pizza? Subscribe! This is just one example of the type of show I put together each week. If you liked learning about food history, make sure you subscribe today!  You can use these links to subscribe to the show! iTunesStitcherGoogle Play Don’t see the podcast in your pod catcher? Email me at toastykettle@gmail.com. I will add it. Furthermore, leave a note in the comments or send a message to toastykettle@gmail.com. Follow Me On Social Media Learn more fun facts about food history by following me on social media. FacebookTwitterInstagram Know A Restaurant or Business I Should Interview?? The world is a very big place. However, if you have a restaurant contributing to food history in some way, I want to know about it. Finally, complete the form here and we will make it happen! The post How Much Domino’s Pizza Can You Eat? appeared first on Toasty Kettle.

    16 min

  7. 06/04/2021

    Who Makes Sunkist Soda: America's #1 Orange Soda

    Have you ever wondered who makes Sunkist soda? Today we are going to discuss the meteoric rise of America’s #1 orange soda. The pandemic has deprived us of so many things. One item that disappeared quickly from store shelves was diet Sunkist soda. I immediately wanted to hunt down who makes Sunkist soda and ask for an explanation. I felt the world would once again be in a good and stable place when diet Sunkist finally made its return to the shelves.  Every week over the past year I found myself in the grocery store doing my shopping. Each week I would casually stroll over to the soda aisle and silently hope that I would be rewarded with a special surprise. Every week my hopes were dashed.  I joked with my wife that if I saw diet Sunkist back on shelves, I wouldn’t be able to restrain myself in purchasing everything.  Well folks, last week I was cruising through Walmart quickly pounding out my shopping list when I had the small thought that I should go check the soda aisle.  Sunkist Zero is Back Baby I started walking down the aisle approaching the distinct orange boxes of Sunkist orange soda. However, this time was different than all the other times I made this walk during the past year. Next to the orange box was a white box.  My heart rate picked up as a Sunkist logo was proudly stamped on the white packaging. Could it be true? Is diet Sunkist back on shelves? Yes!  I now had a dilemma. I was only going to be grabbing a few items, so I didn’t have a cart. My arms were also full with said items, so I didn’t have any room to load up on soda. My mind quickly raced toward a solution. Should I just drop all of my items on the floor, grab the soda, and make a run for it? No, that wouldn’t be very professional. Alas, I needed a cart. With a sigh and a promise to be back for them, I set a new speed walking record to the front of the store to grab a cart. I then set a new record getting back to the soda aisle.  Miracles Happen When I reached the aisle I was shocked to find other people there. My heart jumped into my throat. What if they already grabbed the last few boxes of Sunkist?  There were some people standing very close to the Sunkist zero. Shoot! If they spot it, they will buy it for sure. I had to play it cool. This meant I couldn’t sprint to the soda or they would cut me off. I pretended like I was going for the Diet Pepsi and then did a last minute course correction to the Sunkist. True to my promise I bought all of the Sunkist zero that they had on hand. It was only two boxes, but I still bought it all. I then floated to the front of the store, made my purchase, and schemed the whole way home on how I could get these ice cold the fastest. If you haven’t pieced things together yet, in honor of Sunkist zero finding its way back to store shelves, I am going to do a deep dive into the history of America’s #1 orange soda. Sunkist Growers: The Rise of the Farm Co-op To this day I have fond memories of Sunkist oranges at Christmas time. My mom would buy a big box of them and keep them in our furnace room in the basement. It was cold enough down there to help them last long enough to finish the box. Many of our Christmas decorations are still stored in old Sunkist orange boxes.  So how did the Sunkist Growers get their start? Well in 1893 a man named Edward L. Dreher formed the Southern California Fruit Exchange. They were headquartered in Claremont, California.  Originally they only supported growers of oranges. However, In 1896 lemon growers began joining as well. By 1905 this small group of growers had swelled to a co-op of over 5,000 members throughout Southern California. They represented 45% of the entire citrus industry in California. This was when they rebranded with a new name, the California Fruit Growers Exchange, or CFGE. In 1952 they rebranded again to Sunkist Growers, Inc.  Today they are a citrus co-op that has 6,000 members from California to Arizona. In 1991 their sales hit $956 million. They are the largest fresh produce shipper in the United States and they have the most diverse citrus portfolio of any citrus growing operation.  The Early Years of Sunkist In the early 1900s, the California citrus industry had, what some would consider, a great problem. They were producing far more fruit than what was being consumed.  In 1907, CFGE began to be pioneers in marketing a perishable commodity on a large scale. They marketed oranges to Iowans by calling them healthy and summery. The result was a 50% increase in orange sales in the state.  1907 was also the year that they launched the Sunkist brand. The Lord & Thomas ad agency originally wanted it to use “Sun-kissed” to describe the oranges but eventually settled on Sunkist. Their rationale was that it would be easier to defend as a trademark if the campaign actually went somewhere.  CFGE took another step to ensure that people could easily identify Sunkist oranges. They began wrapping each orange in paper that was stamped with the Sunkist brand.  Sunkist Protects Their Brand In 1909 CFGE learned that merchants were selling non-Sunkist oranges as Sunkist. So in an effort to stop this bad behavior, the company created a new promotion. Their offer? Mail us 12 Sunkist wrappers from our oranges, and we will mail you a Sunkist branded spoon. People went crazy for this promotion. That year 1 million spoons were claimed. If I’m doing my math right that means that they sold at least 12 million oranges that year.  This was a brilliant campaign. Customers wanted Sunkist oranges and as a result, merchants were forced to meet demand by leaving the oranges in the Sunkist wrappers so that they would be easier to identify. People now associated Sunkist with quality citrus.  A side effect of this promotion was that in 1910, Sunkist became the largest purchaser of cutlery. The marketing success of these early campaigns led Sunkist to advertise even more aggressively. In the following years you would see ads on streetcars, billboards, radio, pamphlets, magazines, and doctors offices. Sunkist wanted consumers to stop viewing the humble orange as a Christmas luxury and instead as something vital for good health.  By 1914 Americans were consuming an average of 40 oranges per person per year. That was an 80% increase over 1885.  Today Sunkist has licensed its name out to various brands. Over the years there have been over 600 different products that have licensed the Sunkist trademark. One of those is central to today’s topic, Sunkist soda. So Who Makes Sunkist Soda? In the early 1900s, Sunkist was very successful in convincing Americans that oranges were healthy. Truth is, they are! An orange is full of nutrients that would make any of our bodies grateful. In their quest to find more uses for oranges, Sunkist decided to put the soda industry in their crosshairs.  In addition to the marketing of the fruit itself, Sunkist began to aggressively market orange juice and lemonade as a healthier alternative to “artificial” beverages like Coca Cola. It was an easy sell. Coca Cola doesn’t have anything natural in it, but look at my orange juice, all it has is an orange in it.  By the 1930s, one in every five Sunkist oranges was being consumed in juice form. It was often found at soda fountains. In fact, Sunkist juice was the second most popular soda fountain drink after Coca Cola. The marketing wizards had done it again.  It is important to note, that what was being consumed in the early 1900s was not like the Sunkist orange soda that we have today. Different soda fountains may have added additional ingredients, but for the most part it was just orange juice made with Sunkist oranges. So how did this highly natural alternative to soda make the leap to the neon orange soft drink we know and love today? General Cinema Corporation Gets Into Orange Soda Sunkist licensed their name to General Cinema Corporation for a new soda. At the time General Cinema was the largest independent Pepsi bottler. They had done extensive research and discovered that orange flavored soda was the third most popular soda flavor worldwide. This was largely due to the Coca Cola Fanta brand.  In 1977 and 1978 the concept was put through an extensive R&D effort. They researched the perfect taste, color, and carbonation levels. When they were happy that they had perfected the recipe, they released to the general public.  The formula was franchised to leading Coca Cola and Pepsi bottlers. By 1980 they had become the top orange soda in the United States. They also ranked tenth on the list of top ten sodas in the United States.  Where We Are Today One aspect of Sunkist orange soda that makes it unique is that it contains caffeine. There are 19 mg of caffeine in each can. In 2010 they had to recall a batch of Sunkist after they accidentally mixed in six times the normal amount of caffeine.  In 1984, Sunkist orange soda made the typical bounce of acquisitions that a soda will take. They were acquired by Del Monte before being bounced to Cadbury Schweppes. Today it is produced by Keurig Dr Pepper.  A couple of fun facts, the Australian version of Sunkist orange soda is caffeine free. In Canada they sell a caffeine free version that is called C’Plus that actually contains a small portion of real Sunkist juice. I’m going to have to hunt for some of that.  Did You Like Learning About Who Makes Sunkist Soda? Subscribe! This is just one example of the type of show I put together each week. If you liked learning about food history, make sure you subscribe today!  You can use these links to subscribe to the show! iTunesStitcherGoogle Play Don’t see the podcast in your pod catcher? Email me at toastykettle@gmail.com. I will add it. Furthermore, leave a note in the comments

    16 min

  8. 05/21/2021

    Where Do Apples Come From: Tate Mathison With Stemilt Growers

    There is nothing more satisfying than a crisp apple with its sweetness apparent on the first bite. So where do apples come from? Today we have Tate Mathison on to talk all about the family fruit business, Stemilt Growers.  Tate has a tremendous passion for the family business. He grew up on the farm taking on a number of roles. His current role is director of sales.  Life On The Homestead Tate and his family know a thing or two about fruit. In 1893 the first generation of Mathison fruit farmers began a homestead on Stemilt hill near Wenatchee, Washington. Thomas Mathison got to work trying to make a living for the family. As long as the family was actively farming the land, they would be able to keep the deed to the property. Any farmer will be happy to tell you that the success and failure of their operation depends largely on available water. Without water, nothing will grow. Thomas got to work digging irrigation ditches that eventually brought water to his land. This paved a way for the family to have consistent water, which is a much needed resource for a fruit orchard. In 1914 Thomas planted the family’s first 10 acres of apples, pears and cherries. In 1926, Chris Mathison took over the family farm from his father Thomas. He quickly got to work expanding the farm and planting new trees.  Stemilt entered its most transformative phase in 1947. Chris had a son Tom who returned from serving in World War II and got back to work on the family farm. Chris died shortly after that in a tragic farming accident. Running the farm fell into Tom’s hands. Tom married Lorraine Goldy in 1950. Tate shared an amazing story during our interview about when Tom, Lorraine, and the family farm, hit a crossroad.  The Ultimatum In 1958 Tom was able to harvest a 100-ton cherry crop. However, he only made $88 on the entire crop. His failure to provide for the family led to an honest ultimatum from Lorraine. “Tommy, you figure out what is wrong and fix it, or go get a job to support this family.” Tom decided that he would do whatever it took to fix the problem. In 1959 Tom decided to be more hands on with the distribution of his crop. He followed his cherries from stop to stop all the way to the east coast. By the end of the journey Tom noticed that his cherries were in sad shape.  Tom knew things needed to change. He learned new practices for packaging and shipping his fruit. A few years later he made the same trip with his cherries across the country. When he hit the east coast he was able to sell a 20 lb. box for $40. Finally Tom had something he could build a business around. Stemilt Growers was born. Tom continued to examine his farming practices and continued to improve. He deeply enjoyed getting out there and talking with consumers. He loved getting their direct feedback on what they liked and disliked about the fruit. That led to continual improvements over the coming years. Where Do Apples Come From  So where do apples come from? Have you ever wondered what goes into those flashy new varieties on the store shelves? Tate was able to speak about the process for developing and growing new varieties of apples. Over the years Stemilt has developed Rave, Piñata, and Tate’s personal favorite, Sweetango apples. This is a labor of love that takes several years to complete. How many years you ask? It takes 15 years, 15! I know that I will never view apples in the store the same again. So much time, attention, and care went into the development of each one. Make sure you listen to the full interview to get a complete breakdown of the full process. If you want to learn more about Stemilt, and where you can find their fruit, check out their website here. They also have a great blog you can find and follow here. Did You Like Learning About Where Do Apples Come From? Subscribe! This is just one example of the type of show I put together each week. If you liked learning about food history, make sure you subscribe today!  You can use these links to subscribe to the show! iTunesStitcherGoogle Play Don’t see the podcast in your pod catcher? Email me at toastykettle@gmail.com. I will add it. Furthermore, leave a note in the comments or send a message to toastykettle@gmail.com. Follow Me On Social Media Learn more fun facts about food history by following me on social media. FacebookTwitterInstagram Know A Restaurant or Business I Should Interview?? The world is a very big place. However, if you have a restaurant contributing to food history in some way, I want to know about it. Finally, complete the form here and we will make it happen! The post Where Do Apples Come From: Interview With Tate Mathison appeared first on Toasty Kettle.

    36 min
See All (87)

4.9
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Connecting With the Past Through Food

Information