News and Reviews: Pie Successes and Failures, Hello Fresh, Chef’s Table, and Cookbooks I am Reading


Episode 014-  This show has a lot of news and reviews that you can use!

Program Note:   If you have a favorite MRE, call the listener line and tell me about your favorite! (716) 427-GUYS (4897).

If you served in the military, you’ve enjoyed field rations.  Okay, “enjoyed” is most assuredly not the best word but you have at least eaten them.  The anniversary of my enlistment date into the Marine Corps is coming up so I am preparing a show on MREs, C-Rations, etc.  Please include:

  • Your name
  • Where you’re calling from
  • Branch and years of service
  • Your favorite MRE and why

If you don’t want to call, create a voice memo on your smartphone and email it to gabe@guysandfood.com.  I will include your comments in this future episode.

Update how my food sacrifices have been going during Lent.

This presented some challenges while as my family did a test drive of the Hello Fresh meal delivery service.  You’ll recall, I did a review of Blue Apron in Episode 010 of Guys and Food.

I just started watching Chef’s Table on Netflix and I can heartily recommend it.  I will tell you why.

Because my brother-in-law is German, while at a library sale I picked up The New German Cookbook by Jean Anderson and Hedy Wűrtz. I review that book and tell you about about a newly discovered food  that is now a family favorite.

I finally got to bake the Maple Cream Pie (page 152) from Pies and Tarts by Kristina Peterson Migoya that I’ve been discussing.  In the spirit of full disclosure, I had a problem with my first attempt at the the all butter pie crust, so I will tell you what I did to fix that.

One pie is never enough and since March 14th was Pi Day (3.14 get it?!) I also made a Chocolate Silk Pie with a Graham Cracker Crust (page 502) from Pie by Ken Haedrich. 

I tucked into Art of the Pie by Kate McDermott. You’ll hear my review of that.   Incidentally, this book was nominated for a James Beard Award.

Also nominated for a James Beard Award, is The Sporkful. The show’s host, Dan Pashman was on Episode 005 of the Guys and Food podcast.  Kudos to a really nice guy!


All of the links here are for your use and enjoyment.  None are affiliate links.

TV Food Show Host and Catholic Priest, Father Paul Seil


Episode 013- For many Christians around the world, Wednesday, March 1, 2017 was the beginning of the Lenten season.  It’s a time of repentance and spiritual renewal in preparation for Easter.

Because of this, it seems appropriate we’d have a man of the cloth on the show.  Father Paul Seil is the Roman Catholic parish priest at Saint Bernadette Roman Catholic Church in Orchard Park, New York and he likes food but he is no mere food guy.  He is also the host of his own TV food show called Our Daily Bread. You’ll find out what it’s like to host a TV cooking show and you’ll learn the question Father Paul wishes he had asked Pope Benedict and another international person of renown when he met them a few years back.  You can catch the show on YouTube and on Catholic TV among other places.

Speaking of Lent, in conjunction with alms giving and doing good works, we are called to give things up which includes fasting.  I will tell you what foods I gave up among other things that I am doing.

Top Chef’s winner for season 14 was just revealed.   I gave my predictions on who would win way back in Episode 4 of Guys and Food.  You’ll find out how I did. Spoiler Alert: the reveal is at the very end of the podcast, so you can listen to all but the last couple of minutes and it will be okay.

I started watching a another cooking competition show called Master Chef Junior.  I will give you my first impressions on that show and who I think will take it all.

I will also tell you why I am cancelling my subscription to Bon Appétit magazine.  It has nothing to do with giving things up for Lent.

Finally, I’ve been on a pie kick lately.  I just finished reading the classic The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum for the first time  and, for me, this could be considered a religious text. I will tell you why.


All of the links here are for your use and enjoyment.  None are affiliate links.