Tom's Podcast

Tom Neuhaus
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Food
  • Updated Bimonthly

Food, the Art and Science

  1. 5d ago

    63: A Conversation with Carl Sagan

    Send us Fan Mail June 2, 2026.  I was planning on doing the next podcast on developing an assortment of chocolates.  Instead, I ran into a conversation on YouTube between Carl Sagan, a liberal and famous astrophysicist, and Dennis Prager, a conservative talk show host with a beguiling sense of humor This podcast treats six questions that Dennis Prager asks of Carl Sagan, who instead of being forgotten, is more timely and more important than ever. In the podcast, I mention what progress we are making.  This includes developing a new and very exciting web site for Chocolat des Villages, France.  My next podcast will include a link to it. As always, please join PH&F in its efforts to empower the Ivorian cocoa farmer!  Tom Neuhaus Write to me at  tom@projecthopeandfairness.org To learn more, visit  www.projecthopeandfairness.org Listen to Podcast 63—>https://www.buzzsprout.com/1057903/episodes/19272182 Support the show Write to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.com To learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

    20 min

  2. Apr 2

    61. Fourteen Flashbulb Food Memories

    Send us Fan Mail This podcast treats a phenomenon that has always intrigued me:   human memory, which is a gift thatt differentiates us from other life forms.   The most enduring type of memory is called the “flashbulb memory”,  using photography as a metaphor to highlight its enduring nature. Memories of food, perhaps our greatest passion, entrain five sensory aspects:  taste, aroma, texture, vision, and sound.  And it is these five senses combined with emotions that make flashbulb food memories so durable and interesting. In this podcast, number 61, I have described fourteen food memories that have endured in my brain.  I hope you enjoy hearing them.   Please join PH&F in its efforts to empower the Ivorian cocoa farmer!  Tom Neuhaus Support the show Write to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.com To learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

    21 min

  3. Mar 30

    60. DISCOVERING CHOCOLATE—A TALK DELIVERED TO THE LOUBERSIANS

    Send us Fan Mail April 14, 2026 On Sunday, April 12, I gave a talk to 11 Loubersians, people from the village of Loubers.  I covered the following: My backgroundThe cocoa tree, fruit, and seedImportance of fermentation to flavorTasting chocolate for three attributes:  smoothness, roastiness, fruitinessHow to temper, enrobe, dip,  and mold chocolateTasting three truffles with red wineSupport the show Write to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.com To learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

    28 min

  4. Mar 29

    59. Do UFOs and Aliens Exist?

    Send us Fan Mail Carl Sagan didn’t believe in them.  Nor does Elon Musk.  Do UFOs and aliens exist?  If so, will we ever meet them? In this podcast, I begin by grounding my interest in the questions with a bit of family history concerning the spectrophotometer, which , in combination with the development of more powerful telescopes made it possible to appreciate the sheer size of the universe. I then proceed to discussing why we may never actually know the answers to the two questions I just posed.  BTW, have you noticed that the two historical periods when we were most interested in UFOs were periods when we have been unsure of our continued existence on this planet—in the 50s, when the hydrogen bomb was developed and now when wars are breaking out all over. Besides this grim existential issue, I talk about the chocolate Easter assortment that I have developed, which I guarantee actually exists.... Enjoy!  Tom Neuhaus Support the show Write to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.com To learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

    19 min

  5. Mar 21

    58. Voyage to Amsterdam

    Send us Fan Mail Tom (I) went to Amsterdam on February 19th to attend the CHOCOA Conference.  I spent three days there, sold chocolate bars, speculoos, chocolate-coated crystallized cocoa beans, and other items.  I also gave out 200 tasting cards with samples of three chocolates and asked the participants to indicate their preferences.  It was a blind tasting and the results showed that cocoa farmers can produce a quality of chocolate competitive with the Big Boys. In this podcast, I also describe the five factors that cause price volatility.  Only three months ago, cocoa was trading at close to $12,000 per metric ton.  In February, it plunged to $2,300. Please join PH&F in its efforts to empower the West African cocoa farmer! Support the show Write to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.com To learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

    17 min

  6. Feb 23

    54. Three Determinants to Cocoa Quality

    Send us Fan Mail May 3, 2024 Cocoa is trading at $9,000 per MT.  The price outlook remains bullish (positive price pressure).  For farmers to make the best profits, they need to produce the highest quality beans possible.  If cocoa is fermented properly, the beans develop the maximal.  There are three determinants. First Determinant of Quality:  proper harvesting.  If the pod is too ripe, it lacks the sugars to drive a proper fermentation. Second Determinant of Quality:  dry the beans properly.  For best results, dry under the sun.  Artificial heating tends to lock acetic acid inside the beans.  Third Determinant of Quality:  triage.  This means removing material that will add bad flavors.  Small and insect-riddled beans burn easily, for example. Support the show Write to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.com To learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

    25 min

  7. Feb 22

    53. Business as Usual is Not the Only Way to Do Business

    Send us Fan Mail March 25, 2024. The Dividing Line--between country and city, between commodity and product. Principe island--where chocolate started in Africa.  Fitzwilliam Owen, the man who established a cocoa producing colony on Fernando Po (Bioko).  Tetteh. Quarshie.  ICCO. Importance of certifications (NOT).  PH&F solution:  remove the city-country division.  Importance of the FFGCCC to the international chocolate market.  Will the PH&F model remove the existential barrier?  No if chocolate is only sold locally.  Yes if chocolate is sold to the FFGCCC countries. Other barriers:  transportation, customs, certification of facilities. My store in Cordes sur Ciel, a French non-profit.  Breeching the barrier--shipping in refrigerated containers. Local fund-raising efforts:  (a talk at Chateau de Bouscaillous. Support the show Write to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.com To learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

    23 min

  8. Feb 21

    52. Food Sensations

    Send us Fan Mail February 4, 2024 Components of Taste: Flavors:  perinasal and retronasal.  Neural cells in the two olfactory regions.  Identification of aromas.  The role of the amygdala in the Proustian Effect.   Taste buds.  Umami.  The four Aristotelian tastes.  Mixtures of tastes. Texture.  Resistance to bite, size of particles causing grittiness.  How fat makes gelato taste smoother.  Chocolate notes (roasty, fruity, nutty).  Crystallization of cocoa butter:  how it affects the texture of chocolate.  Why does "young chocolate" melt in the mouth but "old chocolate" has a waxy texture? News about PH&F:  sales numbers for  Depa and Pezoan and N'Douci Support the show Write to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.com To learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

    24 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Food, the Art and Science

Information

  • Creator
    Tom Neuhaus
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Tom's Podcast
  • Show Website
    Tom's Podcast