Pulling Corks and Forks

Oct 12 2021

Pulling Corks and Forks Podcast artwork

Welcome to Pulling Corks & Forks, the podcast! I’m your host, Sandy Wasserman. If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I’ve been in & around the Phoenix food scene for over 25 years. My beat is food and wine, and where to get the best of both in The Valley of the Sun. I moved to Scottsdale from New Jersey back in the 90’s, seeking warm weather, a laid back lifestyle, and great food...so I went to work in the restaurant industry! The food-and-wine bug bit me way before it was cool and trendy. That’s why I started the Pulling Corks & Forks blog, with all the news in food. But this podcast will pick up where the blog leaves off. This isn’t just news, reviews, and recommendations, this show goes way beyond the what-and-where of eating-and-drinking . We’ll peel back the layers of our local food scene, break bread with the food artists who make it all happen, and hear how-and-why these incredibly talented people do what they do. We’ll visit with chefs, growers, experts of all kinds - and people like you and me, who just love to eat!, so pull up a chair and join us at the table!

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Ep. 49 - Jennifer Meyers, Founder & Chief Confectionist of Earth Sugar

Oct 12 2021 59 mins

On this episode I speak with the Penn State graduate about how growing up around her families butcher shop effected her diet at a young age, her deep dive into her health and how she changed her diet to become healthier, moving to Phoenix and starting her own business, working in the entertainment industry in LA while still in college, working in R &D at a vegan food company, her

Ep. 48 - Chris Molloy, Phoenix New Times Dining Critic

Oct 05 2021 59 mins

On this episode I speak to Chris about his process in writing about Phoenix area restaurants, the current state of affairs for food critics & media, The Best of Phoenix and how much he's involved in it, what else he writes about other than restaurants, finding good bagels and sandwiches in Phoenix, growing up in an Italian American family in Philadelphia, why he didn't become a l

Ep. 47 - Joe Gauci - Pastizzi maker and owner of at Malta Joe's Pastries

Sep 28 2021 56 mins

On this episode the Tucson based maker of the Maltese pastry talks about his recent trip back to Malta and visiting all the Pastizzi makers for inspiration, working as a sound engineer in NYC, retiring to Tucson, driving his food truck around Arizona spreading the word about his popular pastry and more.

Ep. 46 - Ian Devereux White- Founder & Vintner at Smith Devereux Wines

Sep 21 2021 54 mins

In this episode I'm excited to get back to my roots in the wine industry speaking with the northern California native about tending to the land & vines he gets his grapes from, his wine making philosophy, going from a full time travel & wine writer to a winery owner, living, working and playing in Napa Valley, the effects of recent years wildfire on grapes and wines and lots more

Ep. 45 - Nick LaRosa: Chopped Champion and Executive Chef at EVO

Sep 14 2021 53 mins

On this episode I speak with Connecticut native and Johnson & Wales graduate about growing up in a restaurant family, his pizza making philosophy and favorites pizza places around town, the process and winning the Food Network's "Chopped" in 2018, working at Nook Kitchen & EVO, where you'll see him next and more.

Ep. 44 - Don Royer- Executive Chef & Ice Sculptor

Sep 07 2021 62 mins

On today's episode I speak with the retired Air Force trained chef about his earliest food memories in Iowa, preparing and serving meals to service men and women around the world, getting his teaching certificate to teach Special Education after retiring from the Air Force, making the move to Arizona, what his ice sculptors are doing for his career, and more!

Ep. 43 - Josh Hebert- Chef, cooking teacher, co-owner Frites Street

Aug 31 2021 61 mins

On this episode I speak with the self-taught chef about working with Mark Tarbell in the early days of Tarbell's Restaurant, his decision to hone his cooking skills in the SF restaurant scene, opening a restaurant in & eating his way around Tokyo, returning to Phoenix to open Posh Improvisational Cuisine & Hot Noodles, Cold Sake, the current state of his golf game, and more!

Ep. 42 - Peter McQuaid Jr.- Executive Chef at Money Baby

Aug 24 2021 44 mins

On today's episode I speak to the Chandler native of having success at such an early age, going to culinary school in NYC and working for Chef Daniel Boulud at the same time, rolling the dice and moving to Las Vegas to open Money Baby, what he learned from his mentors Barrio Cafe's Silvana Salcido Esparza & Element's Beau MacMillian, the future of his pop-up and lots more!

Ep. 41 - Phil "The Grill" Johnson- Pitmaster & owner of Trapp Haus BBQ

Aug 17 2021 68 mins

On today's episode I talk to the east coast transplant about growing up in The Bronx and NJ and its influence on his cooking, what brought him out to Arizona, opening food trucks as his first venture into the food industry, what style of BBQ he makes and that wins awards, his exciting appearances on the Food Network and The Today Show and more.

Ep. 40 - Chef Mark Coakley

Aug 12 2021 49 mins

The Executive Chef & partner of BKD's Backyard Joint talks about growing up in Mesa and being homeless for a while, how working in the kitchen has become a family affair, his love affair with the Phoenix sports scene, his take on chef driven bar food, learning to smoke meats and lots more.