This episode, I'm joined by Haylee Lee, a Missouri native and avid cook. We talk about Southern cuisine and the dishes that we love to cook. Haylee's travelled all around the South and tells me about her travels and the different foods she's come across. We also talk about Southern culture, the music scene, the types of dangerous animals you get around here, and even the risks of getting hit by tornadoes… "I've lived in cities for the last few years of my adult life and I honestly miss the stars. You can't see the stars as well when you're in the city." "In terms of nature and diversity, I love southern food but I love other foods as well and Springfield provides that." "It's peaceful, it's enjoyable, I like water and you can really get your thoughts together while fishing." Time Stamps: 00:34 – What inspired Haylee to get into cooking and the type of dishes she used to cook. 02:10 – The kind of food they cook in Missouri. 02:50 – Haylee's favourite southern food. 03:24 – Haylee's favourite dessert to make. 06:40 – The regularity of tornadoes in Missouri. 09:28 – Future Farms of America and the amount of young people getting into farming. 10:28 – The travelling Haylee's done and the time she's spent living in cities. 12:29 – The caving Haylee's done in Missouri. 14:06 – What Haylee thought of New Orleans and road-tripping through America. 17:44 – Music festivals and the music scene in Missouri. 19:00 – The politics and culture of people who live in Springfield. 21:10 – Hunting and fishing. 24:00 – The dangerous animals you get in rural areas. 25:09 – How the Southern community has affected Haylee. 26:03 – Fannie Flag's Cookbook and Haylee's love of cooking.

In this episode, I'm joined by the chef and podcast host Patrick Scott Armstrong. Patrick runs his own podcast 'The Lone Star Plate', where he aims to find the best food in all of Texas. He's made almost 150 episodes and had some great guests on the show so it's a privilege to have him here. We talk about the difficulties of hosting a podcast and if there's any such thing as too much free speech. Next, we chat about the Royal family, American politics, gun laws, and much more… "What is the point of having a royal family, it's a monarchy, it's like a dictatorship." "Once the most powerful man in the world has been demoted to a crazy uncle at the wedding reception." "What should we allow people online to say because of what the potential consequences are? What do you think about freedom of speech?" "You start banning something and it becomes enticing, you want to know more about it and find out about it." Time Stamps: 02:23 – The times Patrick's had disputes and disagreements with guests on his podcast. 06:38 – Why I don't watch the news and our feelings on the Royal Family. 11:10 – Patrick's support of the Biden administration and how he viewed Trump as a President. 15:35 – Who 'QAnon' is and how it's affected America. 24:56 – The importance of freedom and why we have freedom of speech laws. 29:00 – How easy it would be for the UK to become a dictatorship compared to the US. 31:13 – The introduction of new gun controls in America and if more regulation is a good thing. 37:23 – How Americans feel about the term 'Redneck'.

Today, I'm joined by the legendary chef Kyle Brown. Kyles worked in countless restaurants and specialises in some mean Southern dishes…  Kyle's spent most of his life as a chef and in that time has learnt a thing or two about what makes a delicious Southern dish.  We talk about how Kyle got into cooking, the unique culinary styles of New Orlean, how other countries have influenced our food, and what it's like growing your own veg… "We would just go over to New Orleans for a night and see live jazz and blues music and eat seafood at some of the most iconic restaurants. I really miss that place." "Most people like to see a menu that rotates or changes pretty regularly. That's one way to run your restaurant into the ground is to refuse to change your menu." Time Stamps: 00:41 – The type of restaurants Kyle has worked in and what inspired him to go Vegan. 02:53 – Kyle's favorite Southern dish to cook and his love of fishing. 05:40 – What Florida's response to COVID has been like. 09:19 – How Kyle got into cooking. 10:25 – The difficulties of taking high-quality photos of food. 12:14 – The unique culinary culture New Orleans has. 14:16 – Our experiences with black magic in New Orleans. 16:12 – The Southern States Kyle's visited and how BBQ style changes from state to state. 18:08 – How visiting Mexico influenced Kyle's cooking style. 20:20 – The Puerto Rican influence in South Florida's cuisine. 21:30 – Kyle's desire to start his own food truck. 24:07 – The differences between working in a big restaurant and a small restaurant. 28:42 – The lack of funding the school system in Florida gets and how much land is there. 32:29 – The traveling Kyle wants to do when things start to open up again. 36:16 – The love Kyle has for growing his own food.

In this episode, I'm joined by Southern Chef and Mississippi foody Jane Henderson. We have a great chat and I just really enjoy getting to know a true Southern Chef and the dishes that have shaped her life. We talk about where southern cuisine originates from, and the different exotic foods we've eaten over the years. We also discuss Jade's experience working as a chef on cruise ships and in the healthcare service. Finally, Jade gives us some tips on what makes a good substitute for butter, and some of the myths associated with margarine… "The original reason margarine was made was to fatten up turkeys." "My Grandma was known for her cooking and we grew up on Gumbo and stuff like that." "They do that in Texas, the python chili and kangaroo burger." - Jade Henderson Time Stamps: 00:25 – Where Jade grew up and her time spent working on a cruise ship. 03:02 – Why Jade loved to live in Hawaii so much. 05:01 – Jade's culinary history and the different restaurants she's worked in. 08:28 – Jade's favorite dishes to cook. 09:42 – How long Jade's contracts on her cruise ships were. 10:17 – Different food storage techniques they use on different ships. 11:36 – Fishing off the boat and the type of fish Jade would catch. 13:22 – The difference between a lifeboat and a life raft. 15:35 – Where Jade now lives and what it's like there with the pandemic. 19:33 – Why Jade transitioned over to working on food in the healthcare service. 21:15 – What makes a good substitute for butter. 23:47 – Jade's thoughts over starting a restaurant or food truck. 28:25 – How Jade got into cooking when she was just 7. 32:32 – The racial tension there is in the South. 34:12 – The African origins Gumbo has.