Food

216. What Even IS Gluten?!

This week, hosts Tom Zalatnai (@tomzalatnai) and Teffer Adjemian (@tefferbear) talk about gluten! What is gluten, how does it form, how does it work, and why can’t some people digest it? Why is it so hard to make good gluten-free bread? What’s the difference between gluten intolerance and celiac disease? And, of course, what happens when sausage, carrots, and apple sauce find their way into the Random Meal Generator?

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215. Restaurant Coaching ft. Kevin Morrison of Butter Hospitality!

This week, host Tom Zalatnai (@tomzalatnai) talks to special guest Kevin Morrison of Butter Hospitality (@thebutterhospitality) about the lessons he teaches restaurateurs in his coaching program, the challenge of choosing…

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214. Making the Most of an All-Liquid Diet ft. Miles Taffert!

This week, host Tom Zalatnai (@tomzalatnai) chats with special guest Miles Taffert (@wheelie.tattoo) about his all-liquid diet, Boost 2.24, auto-immune disorders, and how to make the most of all of it! We get into soups, teas, and the importance of refusing to accept pain and discomfort as the default. Then, what happens when turkey, celery root, and gluten-free pretzels find their way into the Random Meal Generator?

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213. Eat Like A Sports Journalist ft. Julian McKenzie!

This week, host Tom Zalatnai (@tomzalatnai) and special guest Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) from The Athletic talk about the best and wildest foods Julian’s come across on his travels as a journalist following the Ottawa Senators. Bell Centre hotdogs! The Calgary Airport Chili’s! Popeyes! Buffalo Wild Wings! Chicago Deep Dish Pizza! Burger De Ville! Jersey Mike’s! Then, what happens when the Random Meal Generator is given black beans, banana peppers, and “le fromage qui fait squik squik??”

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211. Wedding Food ft. Greg Schulz!

This week, host Tom Zalatnai (@tomzalatnai) and Greg Schulz talk wedding food! We share our favorite cocktail hour snacks, appetizers, open bar alternatives, and more! Greg’s married now! What did he serve at his wedding?! Also, what happens when rack of lamb, kale, and hummus find their way into the Random Meal Generator?

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210. Cheese Toast!

This week, hosts Tom Zalatnai (@tomzalatnai) and Teffer Adjemian (@tefferbear) talk about Tom’s favorite breakfast staple, Cheese Toast! What distinguishes cheese toast from Welsh Rarebit? How far from a classic cheese toast can someone get before what they’re making becomes a grilled cheese sandwich? Plus, what happens when baby back ribs, romaine lettuce, and ramen powder go into the Random Meal Generator?

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209. Food On A Stick ft. Aslam Choudhury

This week, host Tom Zalatnai (@tomzalatnai) and guest Aslam Choudhury talk about various foods on sticks! Yakitori! Satay! Spiedini! Arrosticini! Cake Pops! Popsicles! Caprese Skewers! Plus, what happens when chicken breast, asparagus, and tomato sauce get thrown into the Random Meal Generator?!

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208. Peaches!

This week, hosts Tom Zalatnai (@tomzalatnai) and Teffer Adjemian (@tefferbear) bury their faces in everyone’s favorite emoji, the Peach! We explore the cultural and historical significance of these fuzzy round flavor-bombs, from their role in ancient Chinese myth to their connection with One Piece, Pokemon, and more! Plus, what happens when peaches, beans, asparagus, and couscous get run through the Random Meal Generator? The results will probably not shock you.

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200 – Finale

All good things must come to an end.

After 8+ years, the time has finally arrived to hang up the podcasting gear on this ranking journey. Over the years, we have laughed, cried, passionately yelled at each other, and came together to rank numerous glorious Top 5 lists.

In this final episode, the A-Team (Tuong La, Angus MacDonald, Samantha Leggatt, & Leslie Cserepy) reminisce on the humble beginnings of the show, go through our favourite moments, hear from an all-star lineup of past guests, talk about what topics we would have done if this show kept going, and of course rank some shit (because obviously).

We want to thank everyone for joining Tuong La and all of our guests on this insane rollercoaster of a podcast where we ranked everything from the obscure, serious, thought provoking, delicious, silly, and most random topics we could think of. It was never about the lists (they literally don’t matter as the podcast title implies). It was all about building community, having interesting conversations, and coming together on a thing while having a whole heck of a lot of fun along the way. So with that said, we are beyond proud of what we achieved with Ranked.

So thank you for listening to Ranked: Top 5 Lists of Stuff That Don’t Matter and for being part of this special thing. See you around the PodCavern.

PS If you didn’t like or agree with any of our past Top 5 lists, in the holy words of the Mayor of the PodCavern Leslie Cserepy….Fuck you <3 Top 5, top 5, top 5. -Tuong

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207. Bacon Mania ft. Eric Silver!

This week, host Tom Zalatnai (@tomzalatnai) and guest Eric Silver (@el_silvero) talk about the Bacon Industrial Complex and the Bacon Mania of 2009. How did a massive PR campaign lead to this off cut of pork becoming an american breakfast staple? How did it save fast food chains from fading into obscurity? Is the Wendy’s Baconator still an exciting amount of bacon? How is Obama-era recession economics responsible for the rise of Epic Meal Time? Plus, what happens when bacon, split peas, eggplant, and ketchup find their way into the Random Meal Generator?

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