Bitchin' About Food Kath & Jan

Mariann Sauvion has been cooking and feeding the world since the age of 5 and hasn’t stopped since! Kath and Jan enjoy an extremely convivial conversation with Mariann as she recalls her salad days (see what we did there?) as an 18-year old chef in Manhattan at the late great Paris Bistro, her Culinary Institute adventures, the Coffee House Club, her catering business with her beloved late husband and their extremely successful food styling business. They were a team and people knew them as that, even though they both did their own separate jobs. Mariann has carried on with this business alone and it thrives to this day. Best of all, she dishes on the one time she styled for Martha Stewart and reveals her own secret to a successful Thanksgiving turkey at the very end. We were honored to have Mariann join us via Zoom and if you aren’t hungry by the end of this episode, have we even met? Listen in!

A Bonus Episode as we once again re-visit Jan's mom Frima and her sister Barbara on Kath's patio to honor Frima on her 95th birthday! Amid the pastoral sounds of hummingbirds, wind chimes and our neighbor's incessant leaf-blower, we relay family tributes (more corn memories!), Barbara revisits an old forgotten cookbook, Frima talks about her famous portrait (pictured) and we all look forward to a third (!) birthday cake (this time from Costco).  A tasty little episode for a milestone day! Listen in!

Kath and Jan are joined by the delightful writer and teacher Emily Vollmer, but not before Jan tells a long contentious story about a tomato at a chic restaurant in Santa Monica. Kath initially sides with the restaurant (and the tomato) but suddenly changes her tune when sweet Emily pipes up and supports Jan. Typical Kath behavior. Meanwhile, Emily regales everyone with stories from the front lines of teaching 10th and 11th graders in the Los Angeles public school system, and how the kids are learning about food and nutrition and also how it relates to sports and the Magic Bullet. She talks about cooking for just herself (we're slightly jealous) and what she expects when she dines at a restaurant. A very fun conversation with a lovely soul - listen in!

The phenomenally talented Maiya Sykes is the real deal – an artist who actually makes a living at it. Once you hear her sing, it all makes sense. She joins Kath and Jan in a lively discussion about food, music, living with her Mom, Michael Jackson’s glove origins, underpaying gigs, who cooks in her house, life on the road, what exactly is in her carry-on bag when she travels (A LOT) and her extremely well-fed dog. Find her on YouTube by searching her name and follow her on Instagram @maiyasykes Be sure to check out her podcast as well, Slap the Power. A fantastic conversation with the best of the best – listen in!

Back in the Golden Age of Chicago Theatre ™ Kath and guest Keli Garrett were working in tandem as heads of a Women’s Collective and an African American Collective (respectively) for a theatre company. Given our shared history with words, it’s no wonder we embark on a fascinating conversation with Keli as we discuss her PhD studies in London and what the food scene is there, as well as what it’s like cooking for a child as a single Mom here in Los Angeles. Keli recalls her childhood and how both her parents juggled working and the (somewhat) sharing of cooking duties, and we wax nostalgic on Chicago food and spend a great deal of time (spoiler alert!) complaining about LA food. A wonderful, funny and engaging conversation – listen in!

Heidi Bauer’s creativity is off the charts, whether it’s running her company Rock Scissor Paper with her sister Susie (www.rockscissorpaper.com), entertaining, cooking, baking, designing or just looking at the world in a different way than most people. Kath and Jan both share memories of legendary milestone celebrations, vintage Los Angeles houses, craft cocktails, cookie giveaways, backyard bars and the epic “Cake vs. Pie” party. We touch upon her childhood and marriage and how she strives to reframe her thoughts in a creative way in pretty much any situation, including doing the dishes. A great conversation with one of our favorite people. Listen in!