This is the episode where things get wheel-y deep. Deep in the fryer, that is. And it’s also the first listener-suggested topic Jay and Jacob have discussed. Listener/Cousin Mike is a big fan of donuts, as are our hosts, but what vital cultural topic do they relate to? Well, they look like wheels, right? And wheels are important, right? Of course they are. But are they as important as donuts? Hmmm. We depend on wheels, but we love deep-fried sweetened dough, whether you call them doughnuts, donu...
Jan 27, 2020•37 min•Season 2Ep. 2
This is the episode where Jay and Jacob get artsy-fartsy. We ask the vital questions: What is art, actually? What is good art and what is bad art? What should art cost and who should pay for it? And they answer none of them. But they do have things to say about them all. Then they talk about food as art: cooking techniques, plating, cake decorating, actual paintings of food, and actual paintings made with food. And most importantly, they discuss the state of nachos. Pretty nachos do not always e...
Jan 13, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 1
This is the episode where Jay and Jacob get accountable. Sort of. It’s almost time for 2019 to end, and that brings forth hope for new things in 2020, or at least an improvement on their resolutions from the previous year. And bread. There will be more bread. Jay’s done some digging and learned about new year’s celebrations in cultures aside from the West, while Jacob gives fun facts and tips on how to increase chances for resolutionary success. Yes, resolutionary - it’s going to be a word some ...
Dec 30, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 7
The tales told in this episode will make you want to slap your mama. But unless you are a certified saint and your mama is a heretic, the Vittles and Vitals legal experts don't recommend it. Jay explores the origin stories of the three wise guys, and discovers the truth behind figgy pudding. (Spoiler: no figs were harmed in the making of this pudding.) Jacob polls his vast Instagram following and makes a surprising discovery about traditional Christmas meals among fellow Mississippians. Sit and ...
Dec 18, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 6
This is the episode where Jay and Jacob talk about collections. We begin with a virtual tour of the Vittles and Vitals Studio, which doubles as a museum housing many of Jay’s collections. And they are legion. (But he is not a hoarder.) Jacob is trying to catch up, but he has limits. (Definitely not a hoarder.) Their collecting tendencies do come naturally, though - it’s a family thing. (There may be some hoarding here…) And why do we collect anyway? Stamps, butterflies, antique cars, ceramic fro...
Dec 02, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 5
This is the episode where Jay and Jacob get thankful. Mostly we’re just thankful that Thanksgiving is still recognized as a holiday, despite the attempts by Halloween and Christmas to squeeze it out. We have a theory about that, and it involves candy. We’ll touch a little on history, how the “first” (but was it?) Thanksgiving connects to today’s Friendsgiving celebrations, what a good parade costs these days, and how gratitude can upgrade your attitude. It was a challenge to link Thanksgiving to...
Nov 18, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 4
This is the episode where Jay and Jacob talk about Harry Potter. And it’s not just because our family is a collection of Potter-centric Muggles, it’s also because November 4th is the 18th anniversary of the London premiere of the first movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. So to celebrate this annivers-Harry, we talk about our evolving family history, the influence of J.K. Rowling, the books, the movies, and the International Quidditch Association. It’s a thing. Snitch and all. In the vi...
Nov 04, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 3
This is the episode where Jay and Jacob talk about college football. You’ll hear about how to squeeze a city(and more) into a stadium, how much money is spent by your favorite teams, and then we get to the good stuff. Stadium food. Depending on where you spend your Saturday, you might get barbecue nachos, or you might get sushi. Take a guess at what our choice would be. And we’d really like to understand why some fans are eating their mascot.
Oct 21, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 2
This is the episode where Jay and Jacob introduce themselves and the big idea behind this father-son podcast. They’ll be swapping stories about important issues in culture (the vitals) and find the food connections to those issues (the vittles).
Oct 07, 2019•15 min
This is the episode where Jay and Jacob explain why Halloween is a big deal. You may just be surprised at some of the reasons – there are billions of them. Mickey Mouse, Leonardo the Ninja Turtle, and the 6 Million Dollar Man all make an appearance. They give an answer to the question of which Halloween candy is king, and how is that determined? Taste or pounds? And does good taste lead to more pounds? They recommend listening with a bag of Reese’s pumpkins at hand.
Oct 07, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1
