Episode 63 - Cook

Norah joins Ben this week to talk about ancient art of food assembly.  We do it for fun.  We do it to impress.  We do it when we are hungry… sometimes.  The hosts share their fond memories of family cooking for Christmas gatherings, the cooking shows they watch, the memorable dishes they have prepared, and an assortment of cooking techniques.   For the games portion of the show, Norah talks about her experiences with her very first idle game, Hidea and Neowiz’s “Cats & Soup.”  Ben talks about a handful of cooking games he has been playing recently: Battle Chef Brigade, “Cook, Serve, Delicious” (2 and 3), Overcooked 2, and Cooking Mama: Cuisine!

00:03:55 - From sitcoms with the most spinoffs to spun foods… Ben’s ill-advised segue
00:06:20 - The unsung hero of the kitchen, and Gordon Ramsey’s demeanor with children 
00:08:53 - Ben’s remembers Norah’s Christmas Eve dinners, and working in restaurants
00:10:52 - Norah cooks hasenpfeffer, and remembering “Spinach Stuff” and “Cheap Meat”
00:16:15 - Describing dinner, a single person’s best friend, and number of steps
00:21:03 - Ben learns the cooking terms chiffonade and macerate 
00:25:00 - The meal kit trend, and learning about cooking techniques 
00:27:37 - Norah talks about playing Cats & Soup, and Ben explains what an idle game is
00:30:20 - “Less than zen,” in game advertisements, cold soups, and Ben’s favorite soup
00:33:26 - The “Food Wars!” manga and anime, and Ben explains Shonen Jump anime
00:36:12 - “Foodgasms,” being naked-ish, not a food prude, and the show premise 
00:41:10 - Iron Chef, cook on cook sabotaging, drama, and Ready… Set… Cook!
00:45:22 - Ben talks about his time with the game Battle Chef Brigade 
00:50:39 - Ben said manure, but meant to say fertilizer
00:51:17 - Are cooks, served… delicious too?  Are time management games fun?
00:56:30 - Overcooked and Overcooked 2… testing the stability of friendships since 2016
01:01:25 - The Cooking Mama franchise and the failed Gardening Mama games
01:07:00 - Closing words of wisdom on the word cook.