Episodes

🌽 Did you know that Native American Foods Sill Influence What You Eat Today? How many of the foods you eat every day have roots in Native American foods and traditions? A lot more than you might realize, so start counting and testing your family and kids now! In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely share a list of indigenous foods, along with their history, traditions, and, yes, even spiritual connections, that influence your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and holi...

Learn why your body—and heart—craves stew, pasta, and pancakes in the fall. Ever wonder why mac and cheese, beef stew, lasagna, or even a slice of fruitcake creates cravings in the fall? In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May & Sylvia Lovely dive into the cozy world of comfort foods—and trust us, there’s a lot more to it than just wanting that warm brownie or an extra spoonful of mashed potatoes on your plate! Nancy and Sylvia aren’t just talking about our favorite go-to comf...

Let’s talk Mushrooms: from Shitake stories, and magic mushrooms, to the People’s “shrooms” and more. This week, we’re talking about foods you probably wouldn’t expect to get too excited about: mushrooms. However, those funky spongy fungi have stories, secrets, and flavors that will give you something different to talk about at your next dinner table conversation. In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely become the Fungi Gals (ha, ha, seriously!) and share fall...

Fermented Nuts, Pickled Eggs & Appalachian Moonshine: How We Preserve More Than Just Food, and Why it's Important. Fall is more than a season—it's a reminder to preserve what matters, from seasonal foods to family recipes passed down through generations. In this richly layered episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, hosts Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely share forgotten preservation techniques, Appalachian food lore, and hands-on kitchen wisdom from past generations. You'll also hear about Sylvia's ...

Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001? How did America come together in the days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks? And why did food—from cornbread to clam chowder—become a powerful symbol of comfort, resilience, and remembrance? In this special Family Tree Food & Stories episode, we reflect on the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and the extraordinary ways people found healing through food. From community kitchens in New York serving first responders, to small-town stories of...

🍴 Mystery, Murder & Meals: When Food Turns Deadly Could the food on your plate become a deadly weapon? In this week’s episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy and Sylvia stir up the darker, and questionably juicy side of food culture, history, and culinary revenge—where poisoned banquets, chef scandals, and real-life true-crime stories collide. If you’ve ever wondered about the powerful, sinister-looking side just placed on your plate, this episode is a feast you won’t want to miss. From p...

✍️ Ink, Ingredients & the Power of Food Writers Who do you think shapes the way we eat, cook, and talk about food today? Well, you'll find some of the answers in this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories, as co-hosts Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely reveal the history of food writers and critics—from the Mesopotamian food writers who carved their stories on clay tablets to the story behind how Michelin stars come about and are funded and can make or break a restaurant. Nancy and Sylvia also put th...

From our family's original alehouses (think medieval times) to modern gastropubs, hear how your favorite watering hole and social hangout has shaped society, from birth to passing. and why. In this episode about “Bars and Pubs,” your Family Tree Food & Stories Podcast hosts, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely, raise a frosty pint and share some of the most timeless traditions, history, colorful characters, and personal stories that make bars, pubs, and taverns the cornerstones of many small towns and ...

New ideas for creating a family food tradition that’s right in your back, or front yard. The Growing Craze for Edible Insects: From Crickets to Tarantulas and the health, wellness, and eco-friendly benefits that could help you, your family, neighbors, and the planet. Family Tree Food & Stories, Ep. #46 Tune in as this episode of the Family Tree Food & Stories podcast crawls straight into the fascinating (and sometimes squirm-worthy) world of edible insects. In “Foods That Bug Us,” your co-host...

From presidential obsessions to dog treats, how ide cream has made the dog days cool. What do Thomas Jefferson's 18-step ice cream recipe, Fidel Castro's 18-scoop binges, and a failed assassination attempt have in common? They're all part of ice cream's surprisingly scandalous past that Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely share in this week’s episode of Family Tree Food & Stories. This week we share how ice cream has evolved from when the Egyptian pharaohs made it, to what snow cream is, to how it beca...

The Art, Science, History, and Stories of Sourdough: From the Start to Now In this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories, we’re rising to a new level with sourdough. What began as an accidental blend of flour and water over 4,500 years ago, sourdough has evolved into a global obsession—and in this episode, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely delve into the rich story of how it all started and its subsequent expansion. From ancient Egyptian brewing methods to quirky pandemic starter names like “Twinkl...

How to Manage an Onslaught of Zucchini and Still Enjoy It! In this episode, we take you into the garden of the mighty Zucchini. From its origins – it’s more interesting than you might think, why they were vital during WWII, to creating a mock apple pie with, yes, zucchini! There’s so much of it in the garden during the summer growing months that knowing what to do with Zucchini might include abandoning it on a neighbor’s porch – there’s a specific day for that, too. Oh, and don’t forget to lis...

How one insult created an entire snack industry, and weird recipes, history, and stories about the $32.2 billion American-born potato chip market. It's delicious! In this episode (#42) of Family Tree, Food & Stories, we’re biting into the crunchy taste of summer picnics and potato chips! Join us, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely as we dip into some of the more interesting history, stories, and a few good recipes about one of our favorite snack foods – the actual American potato chip. Did you kn...

When Food Makes the Trip Worth It: Eat Well and Wander, or Travel Often Have you ever been on a family road trip, staring out the car window, just waiting to see that giant Big Boy sign? You knew it meant one thing—burgers were coming, and they were going to be good. That’s what we, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely, are talking about in this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories. We’re going back to the days when food made vacations even more fun, from roadside diners and belly clams to those spec...

What Do Hot Dogs, Rum, molasses, and a 250-year-old piece of meat have to do with Independence Day? This isn’t your grade school history lesson. This is the Family Tree Food & Stories Independence Day (or July 4th) holiday episode. In this show, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely take a big bite into the real reasons we celebrate with pie-eating contests, backyard grilling, hot dogs, and enough fireworks that, yes, have their own food origins. In this show, you’ll also learn how food has sparked more t...

What Kids Really Eat at Camp (And Why They, and We Adults, Love It Too!). A Dive into REAL Summer Camp Cuisine. Have you ever eaten eggs on a stick? Or discovered that the Tootsie Rolls from your camp care package mysteriously disappeared (spoiler: it probably wasn’t a raccoon)? In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely dive headfirst into the weird, and often funny, stories of summer camp and food, both for kids and adults. They’re talking about buffalo balls ...

Man's Best Friend: Crazy Dog Stories You've Got to Love~ Hold onto your leashes— because this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories is going to the dogs in the best (and most hilarious) way possible. Join Nancy May, Sylvia Lovely, and The Mighty Quinn as they all dig into the meaty, messy, and downright outrageous history of what our four-legged friends, our dogs, eat, need to eat to stay healthy, and have eaten—from prehistoric wolf scraps to gourmet meal kits and, yes... even cotton balls soa...

This one's for you (and yep, your dad too) — it's the Family Tree Food & Stories Father’s Day 2025 special. Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely are back, talking all things dad while the grill’s heating up and a cold one is cracking open. They're dishing out a full plate of stories, oddball traditions, and yes — lots of meat talk. Because let’s be real: dads + grills = primal joy. This episode serves up everything from barbecue stats and big green eggs to a 4,000-year-old Father’s Day message carved in...

Planning a wedding doesn’t have to feel like you’re scaling Mount Pinterest? At its heart, weddings are really all about celebrating a love story—yours, or another person you care about. In this F amily Tree, Food & Stories episode, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely pop the champagne and dive into the wild world of weddings with the ever-wise Sara Barton— AKA their Wedding Whisperer and planning guru. Here you’ll go beyond the bouquet toss and dive into the quirky, forgotten, and freshly minted ...

The Farmer’s Market Hustle: What They Don’t Want You to Know, and Why. What do Boston’s Little Italy, bourbon-pickled beans, heirloom tomatoes, and escaped snails have in common with today's farmers' markets? Well, you're about to hear the answer and more in this next episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories ! Nancy May and Sylvia roll up their sleeves and dig deep into the quirky, gritty, and delicious history and evolution of farmers’ markets. From 1600s bartering stalls to today’s “authentic...

What does watermelon have to do with Memorial Day? And how many pounds of hot dogs do we consume over Memorial Day weekend? In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories , Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely take you from old Civil War battlefields to your backyard barbecue. You’ll discover the surprising origins of the Memorial Day holiday when it was first known as Decoration Day, explore the wartime roots of today’s most iconic summer foods—like hot dogs, cornbread, and SPAM—and even a shared...

Aged to Perfection: The Bourbon Episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories! Ever wondered how bourbon became such a staple in old-fashioned American family gatherings and even recipes? In this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories , co-hosts Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely take you on a journey through the rich history and personal family stories of bourbon. Here they'll take you on a journey of some very interesting "spirited" origins of iconic distilleries like Buffalo Trace, delve into the ...

Mother's Day Celebrations, Meals, Traditions, History, and Stories to Last a Lifetime ! Are you looking for some inspiration to make this Mother's Day 2025 a bit more special? In this next episode of Family Tree Food & Stories , Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely delve into the lost stories behind how Mother's Day food and family traditions, some sweet and others wild and wacky. You’ll learn some lesser-known facts about Mother’s Day, like how the celebration as we know it today originated in a We...

The 151st Kentucky Derby: Foods, Traditions, and Stories You Might Not Know About! Hold onto your hats—or your fascinators—because in this Family Tree Food & Stories episode, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely are taking you to the 151st Kentucky Derby, The Run for the Roses, or Mint Juleps if you prefer! Picture this: You’ve got your mint julep or bourbon in hand, and you’re surrounded by ladies in big hats, and 150,000 of your closest friends, who are all cheering for their favorite horse to win th...