All right, Remy the Rat vers Spongebob.
00:00
Who you got? Now, Spongebob, he has that
00:01
speed and efficiency on the grill, but
00:03
Remy the Rat, he's got that creativity.
00:04
He's going to come in with that
00:06
signature rat flare. Ultimately, it's
00:07
going to come down to execution.
00:08
But how is Spongebob grilling
00:10
That's a good point. This is a hot dog
00:13
Ketchup is a smoothie.
00:17
Yeah, I put ice in my cereal. So what?
00:18
That makes no sense.
00:20
A hot dog is a sandwich.
00:21
A hot dog is a sandwich.
00:22
Welcome to our podcast, A Hot Dog is a
00:26
Sandwich, the show we break down the
00:28
world's biggest food debates. I'm your
00:30
host, Shash Sher, and joining me today
00:31
is model, actress, Miss Universe 2012,
00:33
and host of NextGen Chef on Netflix,
00:36
Olivia Culpa. Welcome to the pod.
00:38
Thanks. Thanks for having me. I'm very
00:40
excited to talk all things food.
00:42
I am very excited that you're here
00:44
because I just finished NextGen Chef on
00:46
Netflix. All the episodes are out. We're
00:48
not going to give away any spoilers on
00:50
who wins today, but the finale really,
00:51
really was absolutely incredible. Um,
00:53
and this is your first time hosting a
00:55
cooking competition, but you are a
00:58
longtime food show junkie, I believe.
00:59
Oh my gosh, I love food shows.
01:01
Everything that I remember about my
01:03
childhood was revolved around food
01:04
shows. Like, do you remember the two It
01:07
literally was called The Two Fat
01:08
Yeah. Two Two Fat Was it Two Fat
01:10
Sisters? Two fat ladies.
01:12
Two fat ladies. Two fat ladies. Little
01:13
motorcycle. Like that was my childhood.
01:15
I've been watching cooking shows since
01:17
the beginning of time. So for me it's
01:19
like it's home and to be a part of one
01:20
that I think is so great is an honor.
01:23
Absolutely. I feel like our generation,
01:25
we're a dying breed. Not to say to say
01:27
we're old, but I'm saying like people
01:30
who grew up watching those kinds of food
01:31
shows, it's really like transformed over
01:34
the years, which is why it was so cool
01:36
seeing, you know, on Netflix, right?
01:38
Like uh Chef Table was such an
01:39
incredible series. And then to see
01:41
Netflix now throw their hat in the ring
01:43
with the like full seasonl long kind of
01:45
procedural. Everyone, you know, gets
01:48
eliminated one week after another to
01:50
crown a champion. It was really cool to
01:51
see that on Netflix because I feel like
01:53
that was one of the first times they've
01:56
Oh yeah. I mean, I feel like I I hope
01:58
that that breed doesn't die. We've got
02:01
to keep this alive.
02:02
We're trying our best out here.
02:04
Well, it's the type of First of all,
02:05
it's comforting. It's feel-good. You can
02:06
kind of go to the bathroom and pick up
02:08
right where you left off. Like you don't
02:09
have to be watching every single second,
02:11
you know? We're all so consumed with our
02:13
daily lives. I just feel like food shows
02:14
thing to watch while also being
02:18
Oh, 100%. I to me I I love just having
02:20
him on in the background, but like
02:22
growing up it was uh it was Food
02:24
Network. It was almost like they were my
02:26
surrogate parents in a way. You was a
02:28
total latchy kid. You come home and
02:30
there's Rachel Ray making a comforting
02:31
30 minute meal and I'm like I can put
02:33
bagged fries and make ground turkey
02:35
chili, you know, and have a comforting
02:37
meal. So those like mean so much to me.
02:39
How much of a trip was it for you to
02:41
like actually be like hosting that?
02:43
It was such a pitch me moment. Not only
02:46
because it's the the type of show that I
02:48
personally like to watch, but you're
02:50
really around these people who are about
02:52
to have an opportunity that will change
02:54
the trajectory of their entire life.
02:55
It's the most talented chefs under 30 in
02:57
the world. So we're dealing with a
02:59
different age demographic than I think
03:00
we've seen in these shows. And it really
03:02
is a moment. It's such a pivotal time in
03:05
their career where the cash prize of
03:06
half a million dollars, which is the
03:09
highest culinary show prize his in
03:10
inflation's getting crazy out there.
03:14
Half a million dollars. That's wild.
03:16
I know. I know. I know. So, they you
03:17
know, you these are the chefs will
03:21
define a next gen the next generation
03:23
like the next Anthony Bourdain, the next
03:25
Thomas Keller. So, we're a part of their
03:27
journey. We all are watching it.
03:29
Yeah. It was so cool too that for the
03:31
first time I feel like it really had a
03:33
sense of place like at the culinary
03:35
institute of America which I growing up
03:36
when I was thinking about going to
03:40
culinary school I'd never ended up doing
03:41
it but I was like culinary institute in
03:42
of America in Hyde Park it's like the
03:44
Hogwarts of food and then I think one of
03:46
the contestants even says that in like
03:48
episode one they're like damn this is
03:50
like the Hogwarts of food but it was so
03:51
cool to have everything like contained
03:53
in that area but there's still so many
03:55
different like uh sets and sceneries and
03:57
and different restaurants within there
04:00
that you were able to film in. It was
04:01
just really really awesome and it was
04:03
cool that you like captured that vibe of
04:04
really like rooting for young people
04:06
that you can see a version of yourself
04:08
Yeah. And you're that you see them
04:10
learning at the Culinary Institute of
04:12
America. Even the contestants
04:15
themselves, you see this
04:16
uh evolution of them from the beginning
04:18
to the end and then of course the
04:20
winner. Um it's really really it's
04:22
really cool. And also the CIA is where
04:24
some of the most prolific chefs in
04:28
history went to study. So there's so
04:30
much weight in that. And I think that
04:32
also makes that's another element of the
04:34
show that's so special.
04:36
Yeah. Yeah. When are you going to
04:37
culinary school? Are you going to
04:38
Wait, you've been to
04:41
Well, I was an honorary student for a
04:42
moment in time at the Culinary Institute
04:45
of America. It was four days.
04:47
Okay. No, four days. Yeah, that that
04:49
counts. That counts enough. But
04:51
yes. No, I mean I pride myself as a home
04:52
cook and I love being a home cook. I
04:56
think being a home cook is very
04:58
important. I think my job is important
04:59
as a home cook. So, I'm okay with that.
05:01
I would I love to go to school because I
05:04
love learning. Um makes my home cooking
05:06
easier and better, but um I'm kind of
05:09
happy with wearing that hat for now.
05:12
Yeah, you and me both. I think a thing
05:14
that a lot of people don't realize about
05:15
the food world in general is that a vast
05:17
majority of the food in the world is
05:20
cooked in homes and is not cooked in
05:22
restaurants. And even some of the most
05:23
delicious food in the entire world is
05:25
cooked in homes. And I I don't know. I
05:27
kind of wish more people would actually
05:28
actually recognize that. But I think it
05:30
is tougher to like make a full, you
05:32
know, TV show out of just uh straight up
05:33
home cooking. But I think people have
05:36
tried. Yeah. You're so I was just
05:37
thinking about that the other day
05:39
because I bought salmon and um I w I I
05:40
made it at home blah blah blah you know
05:44
and I was this is the most fresh salmon
05:45
most fresh fish ever. And when you think
05:48
about it when you're eating out in a
05:49
restaurant unless they're catching it
05:51
that day which sometimes they are.
05:52
Odds are it's been there for a couple
05:55
days was in the freezer they took it
05:57
out. You know unless you're getting a
05:58
really nice fine dining experience. I'm
06:00
not saying that. But you know it's it is
06:01
fresher at home a lot of the time. It
06:03
No 100%. and you don't have to worry
06:05
about margins. And I remember talking to
06:07
uh my best friend in the world. He's a
06:10
Gujarati from India. And so his mom
06:12
makes like, you know, these very
06:14
regional Indian dishes. And I grew up
06:15
eating at his house two, three nights a
06:17
week because I was also interested in
06:18
food. And I remember asking his mom, I
06:20
was like, "This is the most delicious
06:22
food I've ever had in my life." All of
06:23
your family members say the same. Would
06:25
you ever open a restaurant? And she uh
06:26
you know, they generally serve like the
06:28
sweet tamarind chutney and the green
06:30
chutney and the Indian restaurants. So
06:31
delicious. and she points to the bowl of
06:33
tamarind chutney and she goes there's
06:35
like $15 worth of fresh tamarind dates
06:36
uh and like actual like molasses
06:39
imported from India in that she goes if
06:41
I had a restaurant I would have to give
06:43
that away for free which is why all the
06:45
Indian restaurants she's like they're
06:47
generally mixing like apple butter and
06:48
and she's like so much of this is just a
06:51
labor of love that you know you can't
06:52
put into a restaurant experience and I
06:54
think that's kind of cool
06:56
it's so true you can't scale it you also
06:57
can't scale the love that you put into
07:00
it when you are making it at home.
07:01
That's true. I just feel like my mom
07:04
always says that cuz she's a huge She
07:06
loves food, loves cooking, everything.
07:09
It's like she's always said to me,
07:10
having a house that smells like a
07:12
freshly home-cooked meal is important.
07:14
Like it's important for your family.
07:16
And I really do believe that. So anyway,
07:19
that's why cooking shows are a little
07:21
They're a little part of that hug.
07:24
Because food food connects people. What
07:27
was the like single most meaningful
07:29
story you heard while filming NextGen
07:31
Chef from one of the competitors?
07:33
Well, I think that Andrew's dish in the
07:35
finale was the fajita. The fajita,
07:38
was it a tenderloin?
07:43
Fajita strip loin. And his dad loved
07:45
fajitas. His dad died when he was a
07:48
teenager. You can only imagine how hard
07:51
that is. And to make this meal in honor
07:52
of him is beautiful. And it's just one
07:55
of those other things. It's just one of
07:57
those reminders of what food means.
07:59
Like, it really is something that
08:02
tackles all of the five senses. And for
08:04
him to be able to create a plate that
08:06
reminds him of somebody that was so
08:08
important in his life, you can't do that
08:10
with everything in life. You can't
08:12
really honor someone's memory and the
08:14
way you can, you know, you
08:17
can't taste a song. You can't, you know.
08:18
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
08:20
Yeah. So, I thought that was so
08:23
Yeah. That was the single moment in the
08:26
show where I was just like, "This is
08:27
what it's all about, baby." That was
08:29
such like a triumphant moment because
08:31
not only was it like, you know, honoring
08:33
a memory, but he like took that and kind
08:34
of ran it through this fine dining lens,
08:37
which I we were talking earlier like I
08:40
have a little bit of an anti-fine dining
08:42
bias just I think people get a little
08:43
too into, you know, these little cheffy
08:45
tricks and, you know, uh, honoring
08:48
French technique when there's a whole
08:50
world outside of France that makes very
08:52
delicious food with incredible
08:53
technique. But you could also tell with
08:54
certain chefs like that hardcore
08:56
training that they've had also means a
08:59
lot to them because for me I so much of
09:01
my early self-esteem was built through
09:04
learning how to cook. it was just sports
09:05
and cooking. And that's when I learned
09:07
that like, oh, you can kind of uh be
09:09
self-sufficient in this way and you can
09:11
kind of take control of your own life by
09:13
taking control of cooking a meal. And so
09:16
having that sort of like regimen seemed
09:17
to like mean a lot to him as well and
09:19
having those mentors in his life and I
09:21
just thought that was such a beautiful
09:23
Absolutely. The fact that he is in fine
09:25
dining and did not go to culinary
09:28
So impressive. Yeah,
09:31
that's that is a lot of heart and soul
09:32
to get to that level without having the
09:34
training. I can't imagine. Can you?
09:37
I don't know. So, I did work for a chef
09:40
who um he came from a Michelin uh
09:42
background. There's a restaurant group
09:45
called Patina in Los Angeles that had
09:47
like all the Michelin stars and they do
09:48
like the Walt Disney Concert Hall food
09:50
and stuff. So, he came from that
09:51
background and he never went to culinary
09:53
school, but he did play like Jo football
09:54
and so he ran his kitchen. and he
09:58
eventually opened a restaurant that was
10:00
really successful in LA and he like
10:02
brought me on as a guard m when I was 22
10:03
years old, fresh out of uh out of
10:05
college, fresh off the UCLA track and
10:08
field team. And so his entire kitchen
10:09
was only filled with athletes and he
10:12
refused to hire kids from culinary
10:14
His theory was that uh culinary school
10:17
uh could make you soft. And again, he
10:20
every chef comes into every kitchen with
10:22
their own crazy biases. And that's also
10:24
part of learning how to work in an
10:27
environment. And so, uh, the first
10:28
kitchen that I worked in was just all a
10:30
bunch of athletes. No one had any formal
10:33
training other than working in
10:36
and eating a lot of food
10:38
and eating so much food. You, that's the
10:39
thing. When you have to eat double the
10:41
calories as a gen pop person,
10:42
you get double the opportunity to learn
10:45
lot more time in the kitchen. I cannot
10:46
wait to tell my husband that because
10:48
even filming this show, it really does
10:50
give you an a lot of insight as into the
10:52
pursuit of excellence of each of these
10:54
chefs. You watch things like Chef's
10:56
Table, like you mentioned before, these
10:58
cooking shows with these really elite,
11:00
top-of-the- top visionaries, these
11:03
unbelievable chefs, and you know that
11:06
they are constantly chasing the pursuit
11:09
of perfection. And it reminds me a lot
11:11
of what my husband does because it's
11:13
always better, faster, stronger. Can I
11:15
do better? Of course I can. Did I hit
11:18
this? Can I get the next accolade or
11:20
break the next record? Chefs are just as
11:23
Yeah. Yeah, I call them sickos. Like
11:26
they're sickos ultimately. It's like
11:27
there's this sort of like uh intrinsic
11:29
drive that um sometimes you almost can't
11:31
turn it off in a certain way. Which is
11:34
why I'm really glad that I got into
11:36
media and I get to sit in a nice air
11:37
conditioned room um and not be running
11:38
with wind sprints uh constantly or front
11:41
squatting 500 lb and not being in a
11:43
sweaty kitchen constantly. So very
11:46
grateful that I have this cushy job, but
11:48
I do kind of miss that intensity.
11:50
Totally. It's so intense. They work so
11:51
What about your training? because from
11:54
the media side of it like that is also a
11:55
very difficult thing to do to host to
11:58
try and live within this story arc
12:01
that's going along and I think you do a
12:03
fantastic job also your your judges
12:04
Kelsey Bernard Clark was a fan of from
12:07
Top Chef but like where did you uh like
12:09
draw that inspiration from to like
12:11
actually perform as a host?
12:14
I was really honestly so honored to be
12:16
there. I was so honored to be with among
12:18
such greatness the J Kelsey Carlton, all
12:22
of the contestants, the CIA. I mean, it
12:25
really is the Hogwarts of culinary
12:27
school. It's such a cool place. Um,
12:29
and I I just I just Yeah. I don't know.
12:31
I don't even know how to answer that
12:36
because I felt like it came so
12:37
naturally, but it was because I was just
12:40
among such inspiring people.
12:42
Yeah. No, that's really cool. And also,
12:44
you grew up watching all of this. I'm
12:45
sure you had, you know, these hosts that
12:47
you remember from actually watching it
12:49
to sort of like drop off.
12:51
Totally. Absolutely. Yes.
12:52
Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's an incredible
12:54
show. Everybody check it out. But today,
12:56
we got to get down to the topic at hand.
12:58
And that is now that you've concluded
13:00
your first season of a full culinary
13:02
competition show in Crowned a Winner. I
13:04
want to run through a bunch of fictional
13:05
chefs and see how you think they would
13:07
fare in a NextGen Chef style
13:09
competition. We're not putting an age
13:12
limit on this because frankly, I don't
13:13
know how rats age. I think rat ears are
13:15
similar to dog ears in a sense.
13:18
Uh that's a little too long for me. I
13:20
wish we're a little shorter. Maybe like
13:22
the lifespan of a bee. That's like two
13:24
Fair. Fair. But who do you think the
13:27
best fictional chefs of all time are
13:29
that could actually compete in a
13:31
competition and win?
13:33
Okay. So, I thought about this.
13:34
Obviously, we have Remy the Rat from
13:36
Yeah. Yeah. I think Remy would have to
13:38
come with a sort of human avatar that
13:40
he's controlling. Yes.
13:42
Which what's his what's his name in the
13:44
movie? It's like linguini.
13:46
Linguini. Yeah, but linguini is not the
13:49
chef. It's Remy. Linguini is the vessel.
13:51
You would have Remy under your hat
13:53
controlling what you do.
13:54
He would be telling me what to do. Like
13:55
Um I al Oh, Little Mermaid, Chef Louie.
13:59
Wait, I'm not familiar with Chef. I've
14:05
never seen The Little Mermaid.
14:07
He's trying He's trying to kill
14:08
Sebastian. It's a very brief period of
14:11
the movie. I was going to say this is a
14:14
plot in The Little Mermaid where there's
14:15
a chef that is trying to kill Sebastian
14:17
He's the crab, but I think Wait, is he a
14:21
What do they call him? Cuz he has
14:26
He's a crab that looks like a like a
14:27
small lobster. Maybe like a crate
14:29
I did once read a marine biologist. I've
14:31
never seen the movie, but I read a
14:34
marine biologist breaking down exactly
14:35
what type of creature Sebastian was. And
14:37
I think they use the term Jamaican squat
14:40
lobster, which is not technically
14:42
that this is why you have a podcast. Who
14:44
the hell would know that?
14:47
But also, I've never seen the movie, so
14:49
I've missed the entire cultural context
14:50
Well, how did you just know that?
14:52
The things that stick in my brain. Thank
14:57
Did you watch The Parent Trap?
14:58
I did watch the Parent Trap. Huge fan of
15:00
the Parent Trap. Oh, it's a crab. Okay.
15:02
Yeah. I don't know why I knew that, but
15:04
it he does not really look like a crab.
15:07
we can all agree with that. Okay.
15:09
But I love that there's a chef trying to
15:11
chase him down. Just be like, "What do
15:12
The whole uh I think it was a a
15:17
Oh, like a Yeah. Cleaver kind of thing
15:23
Cleaver. Yep. That's it. Um my next
15:26
fictitious kitchen. And wait, what is a
15:30
Fictitious chef is from the parent trap.
15:33
Given given life advice, too. She's like
15:38
the voice of reason in the room, you
15:40
know, the down to earth.
15:42
She's she just feels like she could whip
15:44
anything up and I like someone like that
15:46
I respect that. How do you think she
15:49
would actually fair though if cuz
15:51
there's always like the competitor who
15:52
can obviously make really good tasty
15:54
food but then they sort of get into the
15:56
later rounds and some of their flaws
15:58
start to be exposed where it's like
16:00
hey you made a really tasty bite of food
16:02
is this actually next level enough to
16:06
compete with these other people have
16:08
fine dining experience? Do you think
16:10
Chesse would eventually get found out?
16:11
Cuz I could see her as like a mid round
16:12
skating through the first couple rounds.
16:15
People are burning pastries, but then
16:17
once she gets to the finals, it's like,
16:19
does she have the firepower?
16:20
I know. I I I hate to say this, but I
16:21
think you're right. She's calm, cool,
16:24
and collected. That's what gets her as
16:25
far as she does. And then, you know, it
16:27
just push comes to shove. She just
16:28
doesn't have the fine dining experience.
16:30
Needs to be wellrounded.
16:32
I know that's tough. That's tough. But I
16:33
do respect the chess pick.
16:35
Yeah. Uh, who else is it is my favorite?
16:36
Who else? What do you Who do you think?
16:40
I I got I got a couple here. Um, I think
16:41
I have a lot of hard and fast opinions
16:44
about um, food media if you couldn't
16:46
tell. I think the greatest cooking movie
16:48
ever made is Chef. Have you seen Chef by
16:50
Yes, I think I have. Who Who else is in
16:54
Uh, Sophia Vgara plays his ex-wife. Um,
16:56
John Leguisamo is his sue chef. Bobby
17:00
Canaval is like his line cook. Um,
17:03
there's a weird cameo by Rob Low. I
17:06
I'm confusing this with a another Chef
17:09
movie, but I can't remember where.
17:12
Are you talking about burnt with Bradley
17:13
Yes. Yes, duh. Of course,
17:15
I think very firmly that um Chef is the
17:17
greatest food movie of all time and
17:20
Burnt is the worst food movie of all
17:22
and it's incredible. If you watch them
17:24
back toback, it's like um the people
17:26
that made Chef, which was John Fabro, uh
17:28
written, directed, and starred. And then
17:30
he had chef Roy Choy, who's one of my
17:32
favorite chefs of all time, do all of
17:34
the like food styling production on it.
17:35
Oh. But it's this beautiful love letter
17:37
to food and even just the way they
17:39
filmed it is incredible. And it's about
17:41
this like fine dining chef who gets
17:43
stuck in a rut a little bit having to
17:45
cook the like, you know, caviar and
17:47
fileman type of food and then he leaves
17:49
everything to start like a Cubano food
17:51
truck and drives around and bonds with
17:53
his son and it's such beautiful
17:55
Okay, I have to watch that. I'm going to
17:58
watch them back to back. I need a
17:59
refresher. I'm burnt now that you've
18:01
told me that it's the worst movie of all
18:03
time. during the by-week, do a double
18:05
feature on a Sunday. Like, it's going to
18:06
be incredible. Uh, but then Burnt on the
18:08
other hand, it's like they clearly hate
18:11
Like, they they at no point do they ever
18:14
tell you the name of a single dish that
18:17
Bradley Cooper as a chef is making.
18:19
And they just The only indication that
18:22
he's actually a good chef is that um Uma
18:23
Thurman, as a food critic, will take a
18:26
bite of food and go,
18:27
that's that is linger on her face.
18:29
Yeah, that's disappointing. Do you know
18:32
how to hold a knife? Let's start there.
18:33
So, he actually did, which is the
18:35
That's what I always look for first.
18:37
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. If you see someone
18:39
like spllaying their fingers as they're
18:40
Yeah. Dead giveaway.
18:43
I know. I know. But like I love when you
18:44
can see the hands very obviously switch
18:46
Yeah. Or just wrong placement on the
18:50
that's what you can that's how I usually
18:57
know I can spot the losers in the show
18:58
Yeah. Oh, so nice skills are
19:03
pretty. Yes. If you can't if you don't
19:06
have nice skills, which by the way, as a
19:07
home cook, I don't as well, but you can
19:09
No, you you and me both. Those are like
19:11
the things that um I'm very confident in
19:13
me being able to cook good food. But if
19:16
I were actually on a competition show
19:18
like NextGen Chef, and they were like,
19:20
"Filt this whole benino perfectly," I'd
19:22
be like, "Hold up, let me watch a
19:25
YouTube tutorial." And that probably
19:26
wouldn't get me very far. So, there are
19:28
these kind of things that some home
19:30
cooks are missing. I would also just
19:31
rust the branzino in a hole and use that
19:33
Yeah. Like, yes, it's fine dining.
19:35
It's rustic. It's rustic.
19:37
Exactly. But I think Carl Casper from
19:40
Chef, I think the reason he's the
19:43
ultimate competition show fictional chef
19:45
is because he has that fine dining
19:47
experience. He's obviously been there,
19:49
done that. He can do all the technique,
19:50
but you get all of that personal
19:52
intrinsic storytelling of driving a food
19:53
truck across the country to bond with
19:57
his son. Can imagine him presenting to
19:58
the judges. Oh yeah.
20:00
I think to me he wins
20:02
America's sweetheart if you will.
20:05
he will capture America's heart.
20:07
Conversely, Bradley Cooper from Burnt. I
20:09
haven't even remembered the name of his
20:11
actual character, but Bradley Cooper
20:13
from Burnt. The funny thing about that
20:15
movie is the script I think was written
20:16
10 years before the movie got made. And
20:18
so it was kind of written in this like
20:21
2005 like bad boy rockstar chef era
20:23
where it was like considered cool to be
20:26
the Gordon Ramsay type that's screaming
20:28
and throwing plates.
20:30
And so the movie really glorifies that.
20:31
That's not cool anymore.
20:34
No, certainly not. I you know it wasn't
20:35
cool back then, but we treated it like
20:37
it was for some sort of weird reason.
20:38
And so uh Bradley Cooper from Chef I
20:41
think would get kicked out of the house
20:42
uh episode three because somebody messes
20:45
with his Mison Plus and he throws a
20:48
plate at the wall. Yeah, it would be it
20:49
would be an attitude thing for sure. He
20:51
like would bring down the whole brigade,
20:53
something like that.
20:54
And everybody would turn on him and be
20:56
like, "Get this guy out of here."
20:57
Was there any like crazy drama that
20:59
happened during Next NextGen Chef?
21:00
Like were there any like personal
21:02
infighting between contestants that you
21:04
I'm sure everybody was very PC that and
21:07
they were very shy in a way, you know.
21:11
They they really I didn't I don't think
21:13
that anybody wanted to tell on each
21:15
other, but there's always things that
21:18
happen behind the scenes that um
21:19
no one wants to put bring to light.
21:22
Oh, sure, sure, sure. We can keep those
21:24
Sometimes though, speaking of the the
21:28
previous era where people thought things
21:29
were good ideas, um, maybe my favorite
21:31
competition show of all time, it was
21:35
called, well, favorite very lowercase F
21:36
because it's maybe the worst show ever,
21:39
but it was called House of Food on MTV.
21:40
Do you remember that?
21:44
I was just thinking like we need like a
21:45
road rules like cooking show.
21:46
Oh my god. MTV tried maybe 12 years ago
21:49
or something, maybe a little less, maybe
21:51
10 years ago. I actually tried to write
21:53
an oral history um about this uh because
21:55
I was a journalist, but then everybody
21:57
of course signed NDAs and oral history
21:59
never happened. But I think episode
22:01
four, a male contestant threw a toaster
22:03
at a female contestant and they just
22:05
aired it like it was a cool dramatic
22:06
And people like we can't do this
22:09
anymore. So occasionally you get wild
22:10
cards like Bradley Cooper from Burnt and
22:12
they're don't think it would do well.
22:14
I mean you can be intense but you can't
22:16
throw posters at people.
22:18
We don't advocate that. Um, do you have
22:20
any other any other fictional chefs you
22:21
Suki from Gilmore Girls. Don't you just
22:24
think that she would be like a warm hug?
22:26
seen Gilmore. I've seen a couple
22:28
episodes. No. Well, no, no, no. I am a
22:30
big fan of Amy Sherman Paladino's
22:32
dialogue and I've watched probably six
22:34
episodes of Gilmore Girls.
22:37
You didn't get off the bus from school
22:38
and immediately get yourself a snack and
22:40
sit down and watch Gilmore Girls every
22:42
single day of high school and middle
22:43
I think I was watching Smart Guy, which
22:45
is also a really fun show, but I wasn't.
22:46
I wish I probably would have been a
22:48
better person had I been doing that
22:49
Yeah. And yes, you know,
22:51
you would. I agree.
22:52
What was Suki's specialty in Gilmore
22:53
I just There's a coffee shop, right?
22:55
Yes. And she just brought levity, you
22:58
know. So, I think she would be
23:00
lighthearted. I think that she would
23:02
bring a little bit of that lightness
23:04
that you need in a kitchen. It's
23:05
important. But again, similar to Chessy,
23:07
I think when push comes to shove, she
23:09
would probably miss a little bit of the
23:11
finetuning, the refinement that's needed
23:13
Yeah. Yeah. but very important person in
23:16
you need the comic relief in any sort of
23:22
NextGen Chef had the perfect comic
23:26
relief and Sydney Rubenstein.
23:27
Rooting for Big Sid the whole time.
23:29
Oh gosh. You know, when he cried, I just
23:31
Oh, man. Oh, so such a big hug. I know.
23:35
That's the thing with all these people
23:39
on the show. I'm just like, they're
23:40
young. They have their whole lives ahead
23:41
It's true. You know what I mean?
23:43
It's true. I know. And even when they
23:44
get picked at the end, like you know, to
23:46
help other their other chefs, you know,
23:47
like it's kind of hard to explain this
23:50
on a podcast, but basically the chefs
23:51
that are in the finals get an
23:53
opportunity to pick their sue chefs who
23:55
are the people who had already been
23:57
eliminated. Yeah. Um and they have
23:58
really good attitudes about it and you
24:00
can tell like they're really fighting
24:01
for their for their leader even though
24:02
they got booted off the show.
24:04
I hope the winning chef kicked him a
24:06
couple grand after that cuz like you got
24:07
to kick him. I have I have one more
24:08
pitch for a fictional chef. Hear me out.
24:10
Have you seen the movie The Menu?
24:12
Julian Sloic from the menu.
24:15
No, that whole movie I I I hope it
24:17
doesn't offend anybody. But that really
24:21
that really scarred me. I was not a fan.
24:23
Wait, you like it scarred you, but you
24:26
also weren't cuz it scarred me, but I
24:27
Was not a fan. It just goes against
24:30
everything that I know to be true about
24:32
Like you just bait people in to murder
24:35
them. That's bizarre.
24:38
I know. I notic you want the wild card
24:40
energy on the show. I think he's going
24:43
to make it to the finale and then you
24:45
have the ultimate villain to root for
24:47
before he ultimately sets the kitchen on
24:49
fire. That's my final pick. Julian
24:51
Sloic. He's winning season two of Next
24:53
That was a wild show. You brought me
24:55
back to the pandemic with that one.
24:57
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24:59
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26:16
All right, Olivia, we've heard what you
26:20
and I have to say. Now it's time to find
26:21
out what other wacky ideas are rattling
26:23
out there in the universe. It's time for
26:24
a segment we call opinions are like
26:26
It's a play on opinions or like gas.
26:35
Yeah, you get it. You get it.
26:37
What is your opinion?
26:40
Oh, let's see what the opinions are.
26:41
Meg, you want to play them up?
26:42
Well, that message was a was a bit of a
26:45
trip. Anyway, my hot take is
26:47
Strawberries and brown Dijon mustard.
26:50
Now, it sounds disgusting, but I tell
26:54
you what, it is absolutely delicious.
26:57
Love the podcast you guys. Thanks for
27:00
What's the level of sp I mean he lost
27:04
me. I gotta be honest, but there's so
27:07
many different mustards. Is it spicy? Is
27:08
I'm thinking there's a brand called
27:11
Golden's. Do you know Golden's brown
27:13
mustard? That's like the brown mustard I
27:15
I feel like he's talking something like
27:18
Oh god. No. That's a no.
27:20
Do you dip? Cuz like I I love eating
27:22
fresh fruit. lovely healthy snack filled
27:24
with fiber, but I feel like so many
27:26
people will try and find something to
27:27
dip it in to avoid just eating the
27:29
delicious fresh fruit.
27:31
Do you have anything like that?
27:33
Well, if it's not fresh, then I get it.
27:34
By the way, like balsamic with
27:36
strawberries is a thing. So, I get I get
27:37
what he's pulling from, but you should
27:39
just try balsamic with strawberries.
27:41
100%. There was a trend, God, it was
27:43
maybe four years ago on TikTok during
27:45
the pandemic. People were dipping
27:47
watermelon and like yellow mustard.
27:48
Yeah. Oh, no. I tried that and I was
27:50
like, "Eat the watermelon, put some
27:52
salt, put some taheen on it."
27:54
It's true. And I'm gonna say this as an
27:55
Italian and I and I hate to say this
27:57
because I try to like this every time,
27:59
but if you have an amazing cantaloupe
28:01
and you wrap it with pushcuto, it's
28:03
better just the cantaloupe.
28:05
Cuz it's too juicy and then the pushcido
28:07
is too chewy. So they don't
28:09
They leave your mouth at different
28:12
Yeah, exactly. It needs to be an unripe
28:14
bad cantaloupe. Then you have to wrap it
28:16
in the pushcuto. I'm so glad you feel
28:18
that way because I've felt crazy every
28:20
time that I say that it's a really bad
28:22
Um but yeah, it doesn't make sense.
28:24
Too juicy. Like a great cantaloupe.
28:26
We're talking a great one.
28:28
I I agree with watermelon and feta as
28:29
well. I think it's a bad combo.
28:31
I think with a little bit of mint I can
28:34
get behind it just because it's not all
28:36
one bite. Like you're not it it it can
28:38
be consumed together.
28:40
But uh like let's say let's say you had
28:43
a watermelon gaspacho and you had the
28:46
feta cheese on top with a little bit of
28:48
mint. Like that's good.
28:49
So in your mouth it's kind of the same
28:51
thing. So I'm okay with that.
28:53
You have to make the gasp you're making
28:55
the gaspacho in your mouth by chewing
28:56
Yeah. Exactly. Little balsamic.
28:58
It sounds wonderful. There's something
28:59
about though the way that cuz feta has
29:01
so much salt in it and then you put salt
29:02
on watermelon, it draws the moisture
29:04
out. So if you like toss a feta and
29:05
watermelon salad, the end of it is just
29:07
like a feta scented watermelon murky
29:09
I don't want to drink. I don't want that
29:13
No, I'll I'll drink it. I'll I'll take
29:15
I resp I respect your If you're enjoying
29:18
the mustard and strawberries, keep doing
29:20
it, dude. It's a good healthy snack.
29:21
That's just too sexy for a hot dog as a
29:28
You have to call the hotline to see what
29:31
they're talking about. I want to know
29:33
how do you make garlic balls? Not the
29:35
kind with dough on them.
29:38
The kind that are like at parties and
29:42
you stick a toothpick in it.
29:46
And then your breath smells bad the
29:48
whole night and then people stay away
29:50
from you. So I really need to know how
29:52
to make them to make people stay away
29:54
I think she's talking about a roast
29:56
angel ba roasted bulb of garlic.
29:59
Is that what you say? Garlic balls. Not
30:03
the kind with dough on them. What does
30:04
I think it's like a It's like a bulb. A
30:08
garlic bulb roasted. Okay.
30:10
You know, like at a safe house, you cut
30:12
it in half and it's and then you can
30:14
like dip the bread in it. I think she
30:15
might be talking about that
30:17
Well, cuz what else is a garlic ball?
30:19
So, I searched garlic balls party. Um,
30:21
and this is what's come up. But this she
30:24
said specifically it's not a dough. So,
30:26
there's no it's not like a garlic knot
30:30
or something. Here's some sort of garlic
30:31
with a toothpick though. I can only
30:34
imagine that that's with the cloves
30:36
I don't want to go to her parties.
30:39
I have a really hot take. That's all I
30:41
I have a really hot take about the
30:42
garlic and onion breath of it all. I
30:43
like the smell of garlic. I like the
30:46
smell of onions. I When people brush
30:47
their teeth, they're generally using a
30:50
peppermint flavored toothpaste.
30:51
Peppermint is just a viable culinary
30:53
flavor along with garlic, along with
30:56
onion. I think you should rock garlic
30:58
breath proudly at a party. But you can
30:59
say minty fresh about that.
31:01
Garicky fresh. Olivia as an Italian
31:04
woman. Garlicky fresh.
31:06
Maybe I'm a vampire.
31:08
Is there like a a like smell to you?
31:12
Like a perfect food smell?
31:15
Yes. Bread. You just I know that there's
31:20
Can you top that? Like it's the best. I
31:25
mean, although there, you know, like
31:27
when you walk into an ice cream shop and
31:28
it's the cones that smell so good and
31:29
then they never taste as good as they
31:31
smell. But as far as like what I would
31:32
want my house to smell like when
31:34
somebody comes in, like a warm hug, I
31:36
really do think it's fresh bread for me.
31:37
I to me butter saut or onion sautéing
31:40
and butter. I think it's really hard to
31:42
that. Yeah, that's that is like when you
31:45
when that scent drops, you're like
31:47
dinner is about to it's coming.
31:49
I know. It's so funny cuz like my I cook
31:51
dinner every night for my wife and
31:54
she'll like walk in the door and just go
31:55
like, "Oh my god, smells so good.
31:56
Dinner's going to be so delicious." I'm
31:59
like, "It's just onions. It's just
32:00
onions." And it's true.
32:01
Thank Thank you. I love you for having
32:03
faith, but it is just onions that you're
32:04
That's a good smell, too.
32:06
That's more of like an evening smell. I
32:09
feel like the fresh bread is more of a
32:11
morning smell. Like I want to wake up.
32:13
But then there's also bacon
32:16
in the morning. You gota, you know, you
32:18
have like two and a half hour clusters.
32:20
You know, you got to have like the bacon
32:22
smell followed by a kind of like maybe
32:24
10:30, 11:00 a.m. bread that transitions
32:26
into onions. Then by the night time, you
32:28
got fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.
32:30
You know what? Bakers hours 500 a.m.
32:32
bread. 8 a.m. bacon.
32:35
Noon. H God, I don't know. And then
32:39
dinner, it's going to be a onion garlic
32:42
thing. I I realize I need to change the
32:46
morning sense in my life because today I
32:48
unwrapped the same protein bar that I've
32:50
been eating every single morning at like
32:52
5:45 a.m. forever and I smelled it and
32:54
it triggered a gag reflex.
32:57
so I need to change something.
33:00
That's my cue. That's my sign. Uh Meg,
33:02
you have time for one more.
33:04
Let's rip one more. It just it smelled
33:05
like hamster cage and
33:08
Hi Josh and Nicole. Um me and my friends
33:10
had this debate uh about peas.
33:13
Frozen versus canned.
33:17
that the uh frozen is better than
33:27
Oh my gosh, how cute.
33:33
I love the debates that they're having.
33:35
He said, "Love you."
33:37
And I love frozen peas.
33:38
A okay. I personally think that frozen
33:40
peas are better than
33:43
just because of the preservatives that
33:45
they put in the cans. But I will say I
33:46
had a really one of my best friends in
33:49
in high school every day would eat
33:51
string beans out of the can and I always
33:54
thought that was so weird. And it tastes
33:56
nothing like a fresh string green bean.
33:58
nothing like it. So I get it's totally
34:01
different. So it's just a matter of
34:04
taste preference really. But hands down
34:07
is what's more fresh is going to be
34:09
Also like frozen vegetables huge
34:11
advocate of cuz a lot of the times
34:13
they're actually they're picked at peak
34:14
ripess where like peas are such a spring
34:16
vegetable. I remember there was an
34:18
episode of Iron Chef America. I think it
34:20
was Iron Chef America in the early 2000s
34:23
where it was just battle frozen peas.
34:25
Wow. because they're like peas actually
34:27
get better when you pick them at peak
34:28
harvest and freeze them because they
34:31
have a short shelf life anyways because
34:32
it's such a green verdant vegetable that
34:34
freezing them is actually the optimal
34:35
way to preserve a pee.
34:37
Okay. Well, you just made that guy's
34:39
Yeah, take that to your friends.
34:41
He's going to like his heels will be
34:43
clicking on his way to report that
34:45
Nutrient preservation, too. Frozen
34:47
food's incredible for it. Canned, it
34:49
kind of washes out in the liquid.
34:51
All right. Okay. And also, they do say
34:53
that canned food has aluminum because of
34:55
the can. Uh, which I didn't know.
34:57
I just assume I'm eating so many
35:01
macrolastics and micro metals and
35:03
everything is just shredding my
35:06
digestive system. The protein bars smell
35:07
like hamster cage and I don't know what
35:09
to do about it, Olivia. I need help.
35:10
We need to start meal prepping so that
35:13
you can avoid that those bars.
35:15
Oh god, I know. I know. But oh man, if I
35:17
eat any eggs in the morning or something
35:20
and I go to the gym, it's a bad sign for
35:21
me. I can't taste eggs on the treadmill.
35:24
But I guess the protein bars are making
35:26
We'll figure that out. I have a lot to
35:28
You can make protein balls. You can make
35:29
Oh, that'd be a good idea.
35:32
Overnight oats. You can add your protein
35:33
Stop trying to change me.
35:36
Uh, this has been truly incredible.
35:39
Thank you so much for stopping by the
35:42
pod. Um, you want to tell them what else
35:43
you got going on? Just NextGen Chef on
35:45
Netflix. Stay tuned to see who the
35:48
It's gonna shock you tonight at 8:00
35:52
p.m. No, go watch on Netflix. It's It's
35:54
really an incredible show and like
35:55
congrats on everything. Um truly it's a
35:56
spectacular show and all the success is
35:59
Thanks. I'm glad you like it. I'm glad I
36:01
have the stamp of approval.
36:03
Season 2 is coming or what?
36:04
It better be. I mean, I I I hope.
36:06
I I accept your offer to guest judge
36:08
And on that note, thank you all for
36:13
listening to a hot dog as a sandwich. We
36:14
got new audio only episodes every
36:16
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36:17
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36:19
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36:20
give us a ring and leave a quick message
36:22
at 833 DogPod 1. You have to call 833
36:23
Dog Pod 1 to see what people were
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talking about. We're very proud of it.
36:28
We'll see youall next time.
36:30
Good Mythical Evening is blasting off on
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October 23rd at 1000 p.m. Eastern, 700
36:36
p.m. Pacific. So get your tickets now at
36:38
good mythicaling.com.
36:41