Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Celebrate Pizza Month, Italian American Heritage Month, and Family History Month with pizza, wine, and Sicilian family stories in this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wine Time with Peggy" Podcast!
Peggy Fiandaca, co-owner of Arizona's LDV Winery, starts with a fall update from the vineyard and the tasting room in Old Town Scottsdale, including a Burgundy wine talk, Petite Sirah in November, trivia night, and two new wine releases. Then she and Lisa D. Smith dive into Peggy's Italian American heritage: growing up Sicilian in Chicago, why so many Italian immigrants came to America and the discrimination they faced, and the close-knit extended family and Sunday suppers that shaped the way she cooks.
Peggy shares the Sicilian pizza traditions of her childhood, a thick, rectangular, focaccia-style pizza baked in an olive-oil-slicked pan and made at home every Friday night. She also explains her Wine Term of the Month, Nero d'Avola, Sicily's flagship red, and what makes a ragù different from a Sunday sauce. Then it's time for pizza and wine pairings: what to pour with a cheesy slice, ham and pineapple, Margherita, and white pizza, plus why pizza for brunch with bubbles sounds like a great idea.
LINKS & RESOURCES- Get Peggy's pizza and wine pairing tips, plus more of her Italian-style recipes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/how-to-pair-wine-with-pizza - Learn more about LDV Winery: https://ldvwinery.com - Check out the "Wine & Bites" Recipe & Podcast Digital Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/fmlb - Follow "Wine Time with Peggy" Podcast: https://wine-time-peggy.podbean.com/ 

It's October, and that means The Peanut Patch is open! Donna George, owner of The Peanut Patch in Yuma, Arizona, joins producer Lisa D. Smith on this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "The Peanut Patch" Podcast, to celebrate the start of the season, with fresh peanut brittle and fudge back on the counter for Yuma locals, winter visitors, and road trippers passing through.
Donna shares what it takes to get the store restocked, from making peanut brittle every day to a fudge table that can hold about forty-five flavors at once. They talk pepitas and pumpkin seeds, about twenty Peanut Patch salsas for Taco Day, apple butter and preserves, sugar-free candy, and the pickled vegetables and local products on the shelves.
You'll also get a look behind the storefront. Peanuts are roasted on site and ground into fresh peanut butter, and the kitchen makes brittle, clusters, and fudge, alongside Medjool dates grown in Yuma. Donna's grandson Matthew is busy freeze drying goodies too.
Along the way, Lisa makes the case for real candy at Halloween, Donna and Lisa swap ideas for candy corn and peanuts, and Donna shares her twenty-nine years of owning The Peanut Patch. Her store anniversary party is Saturday, November 21, and Medjool date shakes will likely start that day.
🛒 Shop year-round: https://thepeanutpatch.com/ 🎙️ The Peanut Patch Podcast (new episodes every 1st Friday): https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/the-peanut-patch-podcast 🍽️ Recipes from The Peanut Patch Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/recipes-from-the-peanut-patch 

Enjoy this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wanderers Compass" Podcast! Three years after Joelle's first truffle hunt in the pouring rain with a cooking group of sixteen women, she and Ryan return to Buzet, Croatia, to sit down with Višnja Prodan Jekić of Prodan Tartufi — a family truffle business now heading into its fourth generation.
It started in the 1960s, when Višnja's grandparents didn't even know what truffles were — they thought they were smelly, inedible potatoes and fed them to the pigs, until Italian traders showed them otherwise. Today, the Prodan family hunts and trains their own truffle dogs (five of them, each with their own name and personality), collects from 50-60 local hunting families every week, and ships fresh truffles worldwide — to Michelin-star restaurants like Alchemist, Noma, and Geranium in Copenhagen, and markets as far as Japan, Singapore, and Dubai.
In this episode, Višnja walks through what makes Istria's climate uniquely suited to truffles, how a dog is trained from puppyhood to become a serious hunter, the real differences between black and white truffles (and why white truffles can sell for €2,000-€5,000 a kilo), how to actually cook with truffles at home without overcomplicating it, how to spot a real truffle product versus a chemical imitation, and the story behind the largest truffle her family has ever found. She also shares her own favorite way to eat them — simple scrambled eggs — and what it means to be building a new generation of this family tradition while opening the business to travelers from around the world.
🔗 Read the article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/prodan-tartufi-istria-truffles  🔗 Learn more about Prodan Tartufi: https://prodantartufi.hr/hr/  🔗 Wanderers Compass: https://www.wandererscompass.com/  🔗 More Wanderers Compass episodes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/wanderers-compass-podcast  🔗 Wanderers Compass Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/wanderers-compass-magazine 
New episodes of the Wanderers Compass Podcast air every second Monday on Big Blend Radio.

Just 30 minutes from Portland, Tualatin Valley is Oregon's underrated wine country — home to 40+ wineries, one of the state's most ethnically diverse food scenes, tax-free shopping, and a 21-mile paved trail past a giant wooden troll. 
On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel Show," presented in partnership with the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), Sylke Neal-Finnegan, VP of Communications and PR at Explore Tualatin Valley, gives us a conversational tour of the Willamette Valley's northwest corner.
Beyond the vineyards, Tualatin Valley is shaped by a 50-year-old urban growth boundary that protects farmland and keeps its wine country sustainable including some dry-farming. Sylke also digs into the region's thriving arts scene — from the Broadway Rose Theatre Company to the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts — plus year-round outdoor adventure along the Tualatin River, Hagg Lake, and the fully accessible Banks-Vernonia State Trail. It's proof that this corner of the Willamette Valley offers a lot to experience.
Featured image: David Hill Vineyards & Winery, courtesy of Explore Tualatin Valley.
RESOURCES LINKS:- Plan your visit: https://tualatinvalley.org/ - Learn more about IFWTWA: https://www.ifwtwa.org/ - Follow the Food, Wine & Travel Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/food-wine-travel-podcast-ifwtwa - Check out Big Blend Radio's "Travel Food & Wine: Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/travel-food-wine-magazine 

Donna George of The Peanut Patch joins producer Lisa D. Smith to spice up the fall season — from the spicy side of Donna's product lineup to seasonal gift and shipping ideas as The Peanut Patch gears up for its October 1st store reopening.
Then it's on to the kitchen for five recipes from The Peanut Patch's collection: Soft Ginger Peanut Butter Cookies, Ginger Date Wontons, Spicy Date Nut Loaf, Double Date Shrimp Curry, and Southwestern Grilled Salmon — plus ideas for swapping in chicken, steak, or fajitas along the way.
🛍️ Shop The Peanut Patch: https://thepeanutpatch.com 📖 Get the recipes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/recipes-from-the-peanut-patch 🎙️ Listen to more episodes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/the-peanut-patch-podcast 

Wine culture starts long before the glass is poured — it's rooted in family, food, and the stories we carry with us. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wine Time with Peggy" Podcast, Peggy Fiandaca is joined by Julia Coney — writer, educator, speaker, consultant, and luxury travel advisor, and founder of Black Wine Professionals and co-founder of A Privé Journeys, a bespoke travel company specializing in curated wine and culinary experiences around the world.
Julia and Peggy dig into what "wine culture" really means, why tasting rooms can feel intimidating, why local American wine deserves more space on restaurant lists, and how pairing wine with your favorite snack (Reese's peanut butter cups included) can change everything. 
Julia shares the story of bringing a 30-person travel group to LDV Winery, and the episode closes with each guest's ultimate wine, meal, and movie pick — plus a very unconventional New Year's morning tradition involving bubbly and licorice.
🌐 Learn more about Julia Coney: https://juliaconey.com  🍷 Learn more about LDV Winery: https://ldvwinery.com  🍝 Get Peggy's Family Sunday Sauce recipe from this episode: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/peggy-fiandaca-family-sunday-sauce 🎧 Follow Wine Time with Peggy: https://wine-time-peggy.podbean.com/  📖 Explore Big Blend's "Wine & Bites" Digital Podcast & Recipe Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/fmlb/  

Discover Shelby County, Kentucky, just east of Louisville, with Janette Marson, President and CEO of ShelbyKY Tourism, on this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" Show with the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).
Known as the Saddlebred Horse Capital of the World, Shelby County offers an authentic Central Kentucky experience where horses, bourbon, food, farms, history, shopping and outdoor adventures come together.
Janette takes us inside the region's remarkable horse culture, including more than 100 Saddlebred farms, Thoroughbred farms and the largest Icelandic horse farm in North America. We also explore the area's bourbon heritage, including Bulleit and the special mother-daughter team behind Jeptha Creed Distillery.
Food is another big part of the story, from Kentucky barbecue and bourbon mash-fed livestock to Talon Winery, local restaurants, farm-to-table dining and family farms such as Mulberry Orchard and Gallrein Farm.
We also talk about historic downtown Shelbyville and Simpsonville, antique shopping, family attractions, horseback riding, lakes, fishing, camping, golf, festivals and the region's growing appeal for road trippers and pet-friendly travelers.
And because Shelby County is a four-season destination, Janette shares ideas for visiting throughout the year—from bourbon tours and horse farms to fall pumpkins, winter shopping and spring and summer horseback riding.
- Explore Shelby County, Kentucky: https://www.visitshelbyky.com/ 
- Learn More About IFWTWA: https://www.ifwtwa.org/ 
- Follow the Podcast: https://food-wine-travel.podbean.com/ 
- Check out the "Travel, Food & Wine" Digital Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/ekxy/#p=1 

On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel Show "with the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), Amy Nesler of the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau invites us to Eat Local First and discover the food, farms, producers, and sustainable traditions that make Washington's San Juan Islands so special.
Beyond the spectacular scenery and outdoor adventures, the San Juan Islands offer a rich agricultural and culinary experience. Amy shares stories of family farms, heritage fruits, local wineries and cideries, sustainable seafood, farm-to-table dining, and the connections between island farmers, chefs, artisans, and visitors.
We also explore the region's deep food heritage, including Coast Salish traditions, heritage agriculture, shellfish, reef-net fishing, and efforts to preserve and celebrate local foodways. The conversation highlights how choosing locally grown and produced foods can help visitors connect more meaningfully with a destination while supporting the communities they visit.
Amy also shares details about Savor the San Juans, an annual celebration of local food and agriculture featuring farm tours, farm dinners, wine experiences, restaurant events, artisan producers, and opportunities to meet the people behind the food.
If you're passionate about sustainable travel, farm-to-table experiences, local food, culinary adventures, and authentic community connections, this episode offers plenty of inspiration for your next San Juan Islands getaway.
👉 Visit the San Juan Islands:https://www.visitsanjuans.com/ 
🌐 Learn more about IFWTWA:https://www.ifwtwa.org/ 
🌐 Follow the Food, Wine & Travel Podcast:https://food-wine-travel.podbean.com/ 
📰 Check out the Big Blend Radio Travel Food & Wine Digital Podcast Magazine:https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/ekxy/#p=1