Join us on September 1 at 5:00 pm for our live broadcast from the KQTH studio with guest host Fred Ronstadt!

In the science of food and beverage pairings, not many companions make for a better chemistry connection than a premium hand-made sausage and a local craft beer, and we rejoiced in the bounty of both on this live broadcast from the new Ten Fifty-Five Brewing & Sausage House!

Chris DeSimone, Ema Peterson, Matt Russell, JP Vyborny & Chef Ivor Cryderman

Our celebrity co-host was fellow foodie and AM drive time radio man Chris DeSimone, who shared some of his latest adventures including a recent visit to sausage and suds town Milwaukee! We then caught up with Tom Firth of the Hacienda del Sol who had some delicious things to report about his upcoming Tucson Heritage Food & Wine Festival. Ten Fifty-Five’s co-owner and head brewer JP Vyborny sat down with us as well to share some reflections on the first two weeks in his new downtown digs. Ten Fifty-Five’s chef Ivor Cryderman joined the party as well and told some stories about his culinary journey, his great, great, great grandmother’s role on his menu, and his passion for sausages.

The Leap Polish sausage, inspired by Chef Ivor Cryderman’s great, great, great grandmother!

We even got to try a tasty trio…Leap Polish sausage, Belgian fries, and some pimiento cheese! Ema Peterson of the Beer Geek Bakery wrapped things up with some beer-forward desserts. The cherry oat stout chocolate brownie with a sage crust was bomb!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:28 — 12.7MB)

Every year for nearly 10 years, we’ve dedicated one entire broadcast to the beauty that is the BBQ rib, in preparation for our annual pork pilgrimage to the Nugget Rib Cook-Off in Sparks, NV. This week’s show was the 2018 edition, which came to you live from Tucson’s Hardwood Headquarters..Ken’s Hardwood Barbecue!

Alan Zeman, Matt Russell & Ken Alexander

Our celebrity co-host was returning lead judge at the Nugget Rib Cook-Off, the Fuego Daddy himself, Alan Zeman, who shared some inside news on this annual pork-a-palooza and walked us through the judging categories and process. We were then honored to hang out with Ken Alexander, of Ken’s Hardwood Barbecue, who took our taste buds on a tour of his concept, a journey that started as a kid growing up in Louisville that evolved into a passion for local brews, a fun and fascinating tribute to Big Red soda (what he calls a must for pairing with southern BBQ), and some pretty righteous racks of ribs.

Ken is a master storyteller, especially when it comes to his perspective on ribs!

We had ours rubbed, smoked, and delicately dipped into his house-made Memphis Mild sauce. A smokin’ hot time awaits you at Ken’s Hardwood Barbecue!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:55 — 12.8MB)

This week’s broadcast was the second in a two-part series of shows designed to prepare your palates for our Culinary and Cocktail Cruise of a Lifetime, and we revealed what awaits us in Greece, live from a Tucson taverna that transports your palates to the Hellenic Republic…Pelio Grill!

Lisa Summer, George Markou, Matt Russell & Chris Cohen

Our celebrity co-host was luxury travel specialist with Bon Voyage Travel Lisa Summer, who shared some of what she and her team have planned for us in the Greek Isles. Our resident olive oil authority Tom Alfonso, of Alfonso Gourmet Olive Oil & Balsamics, also joined the conversation with his thoughts on Greek olives and Greek olive oils. We then shifted from oil to ouzo, Greece’s national spirit, when Chris Cohen of Young’s Market Company presided over Ouzo 101. Pelio Grill’s own George Markou sat down with us as well to discuss the regional expressions of Greek cuisine and how his menu is representative of different styles and traditions.

This is what Greece looks and tastes like! A powerful statement of protein on a platter.

The dolmades were a huge hit, as was the protein platter with Greek sausage, chicken, gyro meat, and a selection of spectacular sauces. νόστιμο!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:50 — 12.8MB)

As our listeners know, we’ll be hosting a culinary and cocktail cruise of a lifetime in October of 2019, and this week’s show was the first of a two-part series to prepare your palates for the trip! On this broadcast we covered the regional Italy and Malta experiences that we’ve planned, and we came to you live from one our favorite destinations for Italian cocktails, wine, and cuisine…Caffe Torino!

Derek Malone, Matt Russell & Ryan Hansen

Our celebrity co-host was the president of Bon Voyage Travel, Ryan Hansen, who talked about a few of the ports and excursions that we’ll enjoy, with an emphasis on food and beverage. We then welcomed Scotty Horn of Celebrity Cruises who revealed the latest on his brand new ship that we’ll all be on together, The Edge! He had us at martini glass-shaped hot tubs! Malta Joe from Malta Joe’s Baked Goods also joined the conversation with an update on his Pastizzi portfolio and some of his favorite things about Malta. We then turned to Italy’s regional expressions of wine and food with Caffe Torino sommelier Derek Malone!

A tasting of Caffe Torino’s Pasta Carbonara – and the secret to the sauce is egg white and parmesan…no heavy cream!

He showcased some of dishes and wines that he thought best represented the adventures that await us next fall. And his Pasta Amatriciana and Carbonara were crowd favorites!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:50 — 12.6MB)