50 Tastes Of Gray

Matthew Gray - 50TastesOfGray
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Food

Aloha! I’m Matthew Gray, your host of the `50 Tastes Of Gray’ podcast. Aloha from Hawaii! 🌺 I’m a lifelong chef, radio guy, and your host of 50 Tastes of Gray, a smart long‑form conversation served with warmth, wit, and a dash of mischief. 🎙️🍽️ Each episode is a generous helping of stories, laughter, and unexpected insight as I sit down with fascinating guests from across the worlds of food, art, music, and life itself. We talk flavor, sure—but also what feeds the soul: curiosity, creativity, and connection. It’s funny, revealing, and refreshingly human—the kind of conversation that lingers long after the last bite. Pull up a chair. Life’s too delicious not to dig in. 🍰

  1. 2d ago

    "Grief Dismantles Identity" — Tricia Baxley on Loss, Addiction & Ten Years of Rebuilding

    Ten years ago, Tricia Baxley's husband of twenty-one years died by suicide. What followed wasn't just grief — it was the complete unraveling of who she thought she was. In this conversation, Tricia opens up about the addiction and enabling that shaped her marriage long before that night, the eerie moment she felt her husband tell her he was "disconnected," and the minister who broke down in tears hearing her story because it was the exact explanation he'd never been able to give for his own attempt decades earlier. We talk about telling her sons the truth, the fifty fraternity brothers who left their own families on Parents Weekend to show up for her son at the funeral, the unorthodox therapist who screamed at her that none of it was her fault, and how she rebuilt an entire identity from nothing. This one goes to some heavy places. It's also, ultimately, about resilience. ⚠️ Content note: This episode discusses suicide and addiction in detail. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) is available 24/7 in the US. Find Tricia: pathforhealing4.com · Books on Amazon under Tricia Baxley Follow Matthew Gray: 🎙️ 50 Tastes Of Gray - Broadcasting from Honolulu. One guest. No rules. New episodes weekly. Subscribe for more. 📸 Instagram: @50tastesofgray 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/50TastesOfGrayPodcast 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-hawaii ✍️ Substack: 50TastesOfGray.substack.com ▶️ YouTube: @50TastesOfGray #resilience #griefjourney #suicideprevention #MentalHealthPodcast #50TastesOfGray

    "Grief Dismantles Identity" — Tricia Baxley on Loss, Addiction & Ten Years of Rebuilding

  2. Jul 25

    The Ravioli Whisperer

    George Switzer walked into the studio as “the guy who runs Queen Anne Ravioli Factory,” but that turned out to be the least interesting thing about him. What followed was one of those rare conversations where a man’s entire life — the chaos, the humor, the heartbreak, the Brooklyn corners, the cops, the catechism, the liquor cabinet, the inheritance battles — all show up without him ever trying to perform. You opened the episode with the truth: "George doesn’t perform his stories, he just tells them. Laugh, funny, completely unbothered." And later, he summed up his worldview in one line that stayed with you: "Better days are coming… but there’ll be something else to worry about soon enough. You know that’s just the way life is." This episode is the first half of a two‑hour conversation — the second half was lost to a recording glitch — but what remains stands entirely on its own. It’s Brooklyn, it’s family, it’s food, it’s survival, it’s humor, it’s grief, it’s the strange luck of life, and it’s George. CHAPTERS: 00:00:00 – This is George Switzer 00:01:06 – They Tried To Snatch My Father's House 00:03:24 – Pizza, Always The Corner, Never The Middle 00:04:25 – The Latchkey Kid 00:06:04 – I'll Stick To Steak 00:07:26 – The Island With One Stoplight 00:08:46 – Unlikely Hero 00:12:15 – The Inheritance 00:13:06 – 26 Years Late To Church 00:15:29 – Outtakes & Wisdom 00:42:03 – That's Just The Way Life Is, I Suppose Queen Ann Social Media Info: instagram.com/queenannravioli facebook.com/queenannravioli https://www.tiktok.com/@queenannravioli Queen Ann Ravioli & Macaroni 7205 18th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11204 Follow Matthew Gray: 🎙️ 50 Tastes Of Gray - Broadcasting from Honolulu. One guest. No rules. New episodes weekly. Subscribe for more. 📸 Instagram: @50tastesofgray 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/50TastesOfGrayPodcast 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-hawaii ✍️ Substack: 50TastesOfGray.substack.com ▶️ YouTube: @50TastesOfGray   #BrooklynStories #ItalianFoodCulture #50TastesOfGray #BrooklynStories #ItalianFoodCulture #50TastesOfGray

    The Ravioli Whisperer

  3. Jul 18

    Ghostwriting vs AI: How Real Writers Keep Their Voice | Kristina Gorr

    Kristina Gorr is a ghostwriter who's spent her career helping people sound like themselves instead of everyone else. In this episode, she and Matthew dig into the real anxiety writers have about AI accusations, the em dash controversy that made her go viral, what separates ghostwriting from copywriting, and the emotional work of helping someone remember their own life for a memoir. Along the way: Appalachian roots, condiment purism, chocolate snobbery, and a few things you didn't know you needed to know about corn dogs.   Show Notes / Key Topics: The em dash debate and why AI writing tends to sound "average" Ghostwriting vs copywriting: what's actually different Client relationships, NDAs, and attribution in ghostwriting Coaching someone through their first memoir Growing up in Appalachian Ohio and what stays with you The great condiment debate (ketchup gets a pass, mustard does not) Chocolate snobbery, whipped cream, and Dubai chocolate bars Trading Ohio hills for Hawaii volcanoes Guest Info: Kristina Gorr, ghostwriter and founder of Crafted Voice Website: craftedvoice.com Newsletter: Write to Lead (craftedvoice.com/write-to-lead) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinagorr/ Instagram: instagram.com/craftedvoice Category: Arts > Books, or Society & Culture Episode Tags: ghostwriting, AI writing, em dash, memoir writing, Appalachia, brand voice, creative writing, writing tips, content creation, interview podcast

    Ghostwriting vs AI: How Real Writers Keep Their Voice | Kristina Gorr

  4. Jun 24

    The Laughing Genius: Music, Tech & Chaos with Chad Gerber

    Chad Gerber is a platinum‑selling musician, inventor, and creative force whose life blends music, technology, chaos, and curiosity. In this episode, we talk about his global lifestyle, the origins of Melocene, the challenges of real‑time remote music, and the deep‑tech breakthroughs behind it. We also dive into food disasters, childhood cravings, Minecraft therapy, sleep struggles, AI futures, and the strange balance between being both an artist and an engineer. It’s a fast, funny, human conversation full of invention, honesty, and unexpected stories. This is one of the funniest, most human conversations I’ve had — and yes, the episode ends with Chad glitching out mid‑sentence. We turned it into a bit. 00:00 – “Hi, welcome to chaos.” 00:10 – Chad’s internet footprint + his New York side quest 01:08 – Hydration talk with a man who lives in Arizona 02:04 – Chad’s “I live everywhere and nowhere” lifestyle 03:26 – Melocene: “What if Zoom didn’t suck for musicians?” 04:00 – How Melocene works (aka: witchcraft for audio nerds) 05:28 – Shrinking audio like it’s a pair of jeans in the dryer 06:34 – International demos: the universe says “no” 07:50 – Tech fails, panic sweats, and accidental comedy 09:26 – Kitchen disasters & Robin Williams screaming in your soul 11:13 – Pickles, childhood snacks, and unhinged cravings 13:07 – New York food: the gospel according to Chad 14:38 – Food chaos & stories that should not exist 15:29 – The last thing Chad violently disassembled for fun 16:50 – Government projects & imposter syndrome speedrun 18:31 – Minecraft: therapy for grown‑up children 19:41 – Society’s goldfish brain vs real human connection 22:32 – AI, automation & the future of “are we screwed?” 27:31 – Playing music mid‑conversation like a chaotic bard 29:03 – Sounds that haunt Chad’s dreams (including chalkboard hell) 30:33 – Listening to music like a forensic scientist 32:48 – Building the Woodrow Gerber sonic multiverse 35:03 – Chad’s dream: a choir the size of a small nation 36:23 – The origin of “Woodrow” (not a cowboy, shockingly) 37:29 – Musician + engineer = beautiful, layered chaos 38:54 – Chad tries to find calm (lol) 39:12 – Solving chaos with modular life hacks 40:08 – The AI invention that mutes commercials (bless him) 41:15 – Sleep problems: Chad vs his own brain 43:17 – Podcasts & audiobooks: the adult lullaby 44:04 – The “solution podcast” nobody asked for 44:12 – Chad’s calm alter‑ego appears with a guitar 45:07 – Lightning round: analog, chaos, travel, identity crisis 47:47 – Sounds Chad loves… and sounds he wants to fight 48:41 – Latency: the silent killer of musical joy 49:02 – The tech that changed his life (spoiler: a laptop) 50:25 – Movies, psychology, and celebrity food adventures 54:24 – Chad’s chef era: cooking for famous humans 55:58 – Actors, musicians & the ego Olympics 56:48 – Staying true to art while dodging politics 57:17 – Chad’s inner circle: the people who keep him sane 58:56 – Family, travel & the chaos‑connection tightrope 61:28 – Chad records a promo for his loved ones 62:36 – How art sneaks into everyday chaos 63:17 – Follow Chad online + NYC meetup tease CHAD’S LINKS: ChadGerber.com Instagram: @ChadGerber Follow Matthew Gray: 50 Tastes Of Gray - Broadcasting from Honolulu. One guest. No rules. New episodes weekly. Subscribe for more. Instagram: @50tastesofgray Facebook: facebook.com/50TastesOfGrayPodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-hawaii  Substack: 50TastesOfGray.substack.com YouTube: @50TastesOfGray #MusicTechnology #CreativeProcess #ElectronicMusic

    The Laughing Genius: Music, Tech & Chaos with Chad Gerber

  5. Jun 5

    30 Seconds, 50 Tastes, 20 Personalities

    Twenty guests. Twenty sparks. One very human journey. This tasting‑menu episode brings together the small, surprising, emotional moments that stayed with me — the tension, the laughter, the warmth, the honesty. These twenty people each gave me something real, and this episode is my way of honoring that. This episode features twenty past guests, each bringing their own flavor, energy, and spark. From comedians to cookbook authors, from relationship experts to tech minds, from wine lovers to world travelers, these conversations created moments that lingered long after the recording stopped. Featured Guests: Diane Dye Femi Oke Gina Barreca Brian Kiley Chef Adina Mullen David Page Andrea Lemieux Angie Callen Nicholas Garrett Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell S. Stephon Brown Sanya Bari Sharief Johnson Valerie Polunas Richard Blank Shafer Stedron Heidi Herman Jamie Meyer Elizabeth Hamilton‑Guarino Michael McGlone What You’ll Hear: • A tiny confrontation that sparked the whole episode • Humor, tension, warmth, and surprise • Twenty micro‑moments that hit harder than expected • A tasting menu of human connection

    30 Seconds, 50 Tastes, 20 Personalities

  6. May 29

    He Called My Podcast "Fifty Shades." We've Been Friends Ever Since.

    Adam Barney walked into this conversation carrying more life than most people admit out loud. He’s a leadership coach, a father, a husband, a son, and a man who has spent the last decade navigating the kind of chaos that strips you down to your real self. Losing his mom to ALS, supporting his dad through hydrocephalus, and helping his wife through chemo — these aren’t bullet points. They’re the architecture of who he is now. We talk about caregiving as identity, burnout as a signal, leadership as something you can’t fake, and the strange comfort of routines — like his cold‑brew AeroPress ritual that borders on religion. We wander through Boston, Kauai, oysters, currywurst, Irish curry, Brick Lane, festival wristbands, and the way music becomes a map of who we’ve been. Adam is thoughtful, open, funny, and grounded in a way that makes you feel like you’ve known him for years. This episode is about chaos, connection, and the quiet ways we keep moving forward. Sound Bites “Chaos is totally a truth serum.” “You can’t fake who you are when you’re a caretaker.” “Legacy is about the ripples you can make.” 🔗 CONNECT WITH ADAM W. BARNEY Podcast: Is Anything Real? Book: Make Your Own Glass Half Full Newsletter: Plugged In Leadership Website / LinkedIn (as applicable)   Follow Matthew Gray: 🎙️ 50 Tastes Of Gray - Broadcasting from Honolulu. One guest. No rules. New episodes weekly. Subscribe for more. 📸 Instagram: @50tastesofgray 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/50TastesOfGrayPodcast 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-hawaii ✍️ Substack: 50TastesOfGray.substack.com ▶️ YouTube: @50TastesOfGray #leadership   #caregiving #authenticity#Leadership #Caregiving #Authenticity

    He Called My Podcast "Fifty Shades." We've Been Friends Ever Since.

  7. May 22

    She Wrote a Murder Mystery to Survive Turning 40

    She wrote a murder mystery to survive turning 40 — literally. British author Gemma Denham sits down with Matthew Gray to talk about her debut thriller The Storm, the “40 Before 40” list that pushed her into writing, and the real controlling relationship she turned into fiction. Gemma opens up about parenting differences between the UK and US, the creative shift from illustrator to novelist, and the hilarious moment her family taped her to a chair for book‑research accuracy. A cozy‑crime, midlife, creative‑chaos conversation filled with British traditions, personal growth, and the joy of becoming a first‑time author. 📖 The Storm — available wherever books are sold 📲 Follow Gemma: @GemmaDenham on X and Instagram Follow Matthew Gray: 🎙️ 50 Tastes Of Gray - Broadcasting from Honolulu. One guest. No rules. New episodes weekly. Subscribe for more. 📸 Instagram: @50tastesofgray 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/50TastesOfGrayPodcast 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-gray-hawaii ✍️ Substack: 50TastesOfGray.substack.com ▶️ YouTube: @50TastesOfGray   #50TastesOfGray #author #MurderMystery #DebutNovel

    She Wrote a Murder Mystery to Survive Turning 40

  8. May 15

    The Restless Chef: Jay Reifel on Creativity, Technique, and Survival

    Jay Reifel is a lot of things — simultaneously, always. He's a historical chef who owns a larding needle and uses it. He's a catering director feeding pro baseball teams, law schools, and high-end weddings in the same week. He's a published food writer, a fiction writer with a novel always in progress, a rock climber on unbolted traditional routes, and a chess player who uses the game as a deliberate cognitive reset between creative projects. He's also writing a new cookbook — not a recipe collection, but a guide built around technique and logic. His argument: once you understand why braising works, you can walk into any kitchen, open the fridge, and cook something delicious without a recipe. The recipe is training wheels. The technique is the actual skill. In this episode, Matthew and Jay cover: the logic of cooking vs. the tyranny of recipes · traditional climbing in the Shawangunk Mountains · writing fiction in your head on a six-mile walk · playing chess to clear the creative decks · a therapeutic farm in the country with no cell service and a commercial bakery · what being handed an axe and trusted with it can do for a person at their lowest · and carrying a half pig and a recently deceased rooster onto the New York City subway. The rooster's feet smelled terrible. He felt bad about it. Find Jay at jayreifel.com or @jayreifel on Instagram. He answers cooking questions in the DMs. He means it.

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About

Aloha! I’m Matthew Gray, your host of the `50 Tastes Of Gray’ podcast. Aloha from Hawaii! 🌺 I’m a lifelong chef, radio guy, and your host of 50 Tastes of Gray, a smart long‑form conversation served with warmth, wit, and a dash of mischief. 🎙️🍽️ Each episode is a generous helping of stories, laughter, and unexpected insight as I sit down with fascinating guests from across the worlds of food, art, music, and life itself. We talk flavor, sure—but also what feeds the soul: curiosity, creativity, and connection. It’s funny, revealing, and refreshingly human—the kind of conversation that lingers long after the last bite. Pull up a chair. Life’s too delicious not to dig in. 🍰

Information

  • Creator
    Matthew Gray - 50TastesOfGray
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved - Don’t do bad stuff.
  • Show Website
    50 Tastes Of Gray

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