The Recipe Box

This week on The Recipe Box, we're digging into the story of America's favorite frozen treat, from George Washington's ice cream to the Iowa scoop shop that's been dishing ice cream since 1931. We trace ice cream's path from a rare dessert only the wealthy could enjoy to the everyday treat it is now. Along the way, we talk about the inventors who made it possible.  Then we sit down with Michelle Murray, co-owner and operator of Birdsall's Ice Cream Co. in Mason City, Iowa. Michelle and her husband, along with two friends, took over Birdsall's in 2021, keeping a nearly 100-year-old tradition alive for a new generation. Michelle shares what it means to carry family recipes forward and how she thinks up new flavors while still honoring the classics.  Connect with Michelle Murray and Birdsall's Ice Cream Birdsall's Ice Cream Co: https://birdsallsicecreamco.com  Amazing Iowa (book): https://reedypress.com/shop/amazing-iowa Follow Michelle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amazingiowa Special Thanks Production: Benjy Jeffords, SIU School of Journalism and Advertising  Marketing: Salukis AdLab  Music: MisunderStudios www.misunderstudios.com   Find Hosts Niki and Stephanie at: rootedinfoods.com The Recipe Box on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RecipeBoxPodcast  The Recipe Box on Instagram: @TheRecipeBoxPodcast 

If you live in the northern Midwest, you likely have been to a Supper Club at least once. The Supper Club is a Midwest tradition, but they seem to exist only in certain parts of the region. On this episode of The Recipe Box, we talk with Megan Bannister, author of Iowa Supper Clubs, about these once well-known eateries that harbor their own unique spirit.  Megan helps us explore the history, culture, and enduring charm of Midwest supper clubs, especially those in Iowa. We discuss origins and the communal atmosphere that defines these classic restaurants. Our favorite part of the conversation is all about the supper club menu - prime rib, pork tenderloin, relish trays, classic cocktails, and ice cream drinks.  Have you ever been to a supper club? Let us know in the comments. We want to hear about the relish trays, the Old Fashioneds, and what you loved most! Connect with Megan Olio in Iowa: https://olioiniowa.com   Iowa Supper Clubs: https://olioiniowa.com/iowa-supper-clubs  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olioiniowablog/  Special Thanks Production: Benjy Jeffords, SIU School of Journalism and Advertising  Marketing: Salukis AdLab  Music: MisunderStudios www.misunderstudios.com   Find Hosts Niki and Stephanie at: rootedinfoods.com The Recipe Box on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RecipeBoxPodcast  The Recipe Box on Instagram: @TheRecipeBoxPodcast 

SPAM. You either love it or you don’t. Either way, this little can of pork has a much bigger story than most people give it credit for. SPAM enthusiast Veronica Barman of Hip Grandma Life joins us on this episode to talk about SPAM’s surprising history, its role in global and Hawaiian cuisine, and her family SPAM recipe. Veronica’s SPAM and macaroni bake actually started as an AWANA recipe assignment when she was a kid, and it became what she calls a family legend. It was the first meal she ever cooked completely on her own, and years later, it became the first meal she cooked for her four-year-old stepson, a meal he still talks about today. She walks us through the recipe and shares memories of her dad's "Christmas eggs," a scramble of SPAM, eggs, and cheese that showed up on the table every Christmas morning. And she took us back to her very first solo road trip, which included a stop at the SPAM Museum in Minnesota, a quirky little detour that ended up planting the seed for what's now her project, Quirky Roadside USA, a Facebook community quickly approaching 200,000 members. Find Veronica At Hip Grandma Life: hipgrandmalife.com or www.facebook.com/HipGrandmaLife  Quirky Roadside Attractions Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/1270482290602713/  Special Thanks Production: Benjy Jeffords, SIU School of Journalism and Advertising  Marketing: Salukis AdLab  Music: MisunderStudios www.misunderstudios.com Find Hosts Niki and Stephanie at: rootedinfoods.com The Recipe Box on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RecipeBoxPodcast  The Recipe Box on Instagram: @TheRecipeBoxPodcast 

There's something truly special about recipes that get passed down with a made-up name attached. This week we talk about Lithuanian meat dumplings. The story starts with a recipe name that doesn't quite match the dish. Our guest, Tiffany Yepsen, grew up eating what her family calls "bon-dukies." It sounds like a real Lithuanian word, and it almost is. Bandukės is a traditional Lithuanian dish. But when we dug into what Tiffany's family actually makes, the dish itself is closer to koldūnai, a dumpling made with a thin sealed dough and a seasoned meat filling. The name stuck from one dish, and the technique came from another. Sometimes this happens when a recipe travels through generations and is adapted to what ingredients are available to the family. Tiffany is the Executive Assistant at VisitSI, one of our local tourism bureaus. She told us about her grandmother's dumplings on a road trip to the Midwest Travel Network annual conference. We had such fun talking about this that we knew she had to be on the podcast.  In this episode, Tiffany walks us through the dough and the meatball-style filling. She tells us how her grandmother taught her to roll, shape, and seal each dumpling, and how the family serves them at the table.  If you've got a dish in your family with a made-up name or a name that doesn't quite match what's on the plate, we want to hear about it! Connect with VisitSI  Website: https://visitsi.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VisitSI  Special Thanks Production: Benjy Jeffords, SIU School of Journalism and Advertising  Marketing: Salukis AdLab  Music: MisunderStudios www.misunderstudios.com   The Recipe Box on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RecipeBoxPodcast  The Recipe Box on Instagram: @TheRecipeBoxPodcast 

On this episode of The Recipe Box, we sit down with homesteader Jennifer Webb of The Bee Charmer to talk about sauerkraut. We get into how cabbage and salt turn into this tangy, crunchy staple through fermentation, and Jennifer shares how her German roots in Southern Illinois shape the way she makes it. If you've ever wanted to try fermenting at home but didn't know where to start, this might be your gateway conversation. We talk through the continual-batch method, ways to cook with sauerkraut, how to can it for later, and easy ways to start experimenting in your own kitchen. Find The Bee Charmer Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theBEEcharmerOG  Website: https://thegreenweasel.wordpress.com/  Special Thanks Production: Benjy Jeffords, SIU School of Journalism and Advertising  Marketing: Salukis AdLab  Music: MisunderStudios www.misunderstudios.com   The Recipe Box on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RecipeBoxPodcast  The Recipe Box on Instagram: @TheRecipeBoxPodcast