The Recipe Box

Some of the best food stories come from the person who stood at the stove and decided how to make - or remake - a recipe. 

On this episode of the Recipe Box, we sit down with Cindy Ladage, the voice behind the blog Traveling Adventures of a Farm Girl. Cindy co-wrote Unique Eats and Eateries of Illinois: The People and Stories Behind the Food with her cousin Carrie Steinweg. We talk about why she wanted people behind the eateries to be the center of the book. 

Cindy shares her family’s chicken noodle soup, and...

We have big news! In this episode of The Recipe Box, we talk about our new project with PBS/WSIU TV. Our Local Table premiered on October 15th, and we share why we made it and our favorite recipe so far. 

Because this is The Recipe Box, we can’t just celebrate. A little food fight is necessary. We dig into Ratatouille and explore how variations of this classic Provençal vegetable dish differ in preparation and flavor. Herbes de Provence is a common herb blend used in Provençal dishes, but the blend is different in the U...

On this episode of The Recipe Box, we're heading to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to talk about the pasty, the handheld meat pie that Cornish miners brought to the US in the 1840s. The pasty has been one of the region's defining foods ever since. We're joined by Sarah Conery, an Ishpeming, Michigan native, to talk about what it's like to grow up in pasty country.

We trace pasty origins and traditional preparation, including the crimped “handle”. We talk with Sarah about regional variations, family traditions, and the ultimate pasty debate: ketchup or gravy? 

Sar...

This week on The Recipe Box, we're digging into the story of America's favorite frozen treat, from George Washington's ice cream to the Iowa scoop shop that's been dishing ice cream since 1931.

We trace ice cream's path from a rare dessert only the wealthy could enjoy to the everyday treat it is now. Along the way, we talk about the inventors who made it possible. 

Then we sit down with Michelle Murray, co-owner and operator of Birdsall's Ice Cream Co. in Mason City, Iowa. Michelle and her husband, along with two friends, took over Birdsall's i...

If you live in the northern Midwest, you likely have been to a Supper Club at least once. The Supper Club is a Midwest tradition, but they seem to exist only in certain parts of the region. On this episode of The Recipe Box, we talk with Megan Bannister, author of Iowa Supper Clubs, about these once well-known eateries that harbor their own unique spirit. 

Megan helps us explore the history, culture, and enduring charm of Midwest supper clubs, especially those in Iowa. We discuss origins and the communal atmosphere that defines these classic restaurants. Our favorite p...

SPAM. You either love it or you don’t. Either way, this little can of pork has a much bigger story than most people give it credit for.

SPAM enthusiast Veronica Barman of Hip Grandma Life joins us on this episode to talk about SPAM’s surprising history, its role in global and Hawaiian cuisine, and her family SPAM recipe.

Veronica’s SPAM and macaroni bake actually started as an AWANA recipe assignment when she was a kid, and it became what she calls a family legend. It was the first meal she ever cooked comple...

There's something truly special about recipes that get passed down with a made-up name attached. This week we talk about Lithuanian meat dumplings. The story starts with a recipe name that doesn't quite match the dish.

Our guest, Tiffany Yepsen, grew up eating what her family calls "bon-dukies." It sounds like a real Lithuanian word, and it almost is. Bandukės is a traditional Lithuanian dish. But when we dug into what Tiffany's family actually makes, the dish itself is closer to koldūnai, a dumpling made with a thin sealed dough and a seasoned meat filling.

On this episode of The Recipe Box, we sit down with homesteader Jennifer Webb of The Bee Charmer to talk about sauerkraut. We get into how cabbage and salt turn into this tangy, crunchy staple through fermentation, and Jennifer shares how her German roots in Southern Illinois shape the way she makes it.

If you've ever wanted to try fermenting at home but didn't know where to start, this might be your gateway conversation. We talk through the continual-batch method, ways to cook with sauerkraut, how to can it for later, and easy ways to start experimenting...

On this episode of The Recipe Box, we talk about home canning with local expert Cheryl Hughey. The conversation starts in a familiar place for a lot of us: someone in the family who canned because that was simply how food was put up for the winter. We walk through how canning shifted over the past century, from practical necessity to something people now choose to do.

Cheryl explains the difference between water bath canning and pressure canning in a way that makes both feel manageable. She talks about the recipes she returns to every year, especially...

On this episode of The Recipe Box, we talk about one of our favorite comforting dishes. Bread pudding started as a practical way to use stale bread in medieval kitchens and eventually turned into the rich, regional comfort food you’ll find all over America today.

We’re joined by Sara Broers, from Travel with Sara and the Midwest Travel Network. Sara has a habit of hunting down bread pudding whenever she travels. She talks about what she looks for in a good bread pudding, and some of the memorable places she’s found it. It’s a fun wa...

On this episode of The Recipe Box, we dive into the story behind gnocchi. We’ll talk about where it comes from, how it’s made, and how it’s served. We welcome our guest, Maggie Stacy, who shares her family’s gnocchi recipe that uses potato flakes, which is such a smart twist on the traditional method.

More than anything, we end up talking about how recipes connect us to the people who taught us to cook. These dishes carry stories, memories, and little techniques that get passed down without anyone recording them. It’s a reminder t...

On today’s episode of The Recipe Box, we’re talking with Brian Croft, Director of the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Southern Illinois, about a long‑running Southern Illinois University food tradition.

The Buffalo Tro was started more than 60 years ago by outdoor‑education pioneer and SIU professor L.B. Sharp. Guests at the event enjoy steaks cooked over hot coals, storytelling, and a sense of community as they gather to celebrate Sharp’s legacy.

We talk with Brian about the Buffalo Tro’s name and history, outdoor cooking techniques, and the ways food an...

On today’s episode of The Recipe Box, we’re spooning up the history of cornbread and how it became a staple in American cooking. We talk about early Native American meal breads, the simple versions baked in colonial kitchens, and even those mid‑century mixes so many of us keep in the pantry for a quick shortcut. We talk about different regional styles like savory Southern skillet cornbread, sweeter Northern versions, and fun Tex‑Mex twists that have popped up over time.

Then we welcome our guest, Zachary Sims, who shares memories of his grandmother’s Mexican co...

We love celebrating strawberry shortcake as one of the truest signs that summer has finally arrived in Southern Illinois. In this episode, we trace the dish from its early European biscuit‑cake roots to the versions we grew up with. 

Then we sit down with Austin Flamm of Flamm Orchards to talk about why nothing compares to strawberries that ripen right here at home.

You’ll hear stories about the shortcake styles we’ve all encountered, from biscuits, sponge cake, pound cake, pie crust, and even the cracker versions some families swear by. 

Austin w...

On this episode of The Recipe Box, we’re chatting with Will and Keesha Lo about the journey of noodles, from a 4,000‑year‑old Chinese noodle to the Americanized dish we call Asian spaghetti.

We talk about the popular Chinese noodle dish Zha Jiang Mian and how fusion foods evolve as cultures and kitchens meet. Along the way, we all learn a lot about each other, find out some tidbits from our pasts that make us giggle, and get very hungry! 

Most importantly, we reconnect with our local history of welcoming international students and their familie...

On this episode of The Recipe Box, we’re talking with local Spice Lady and owner of The JAY Effect, Yemisi Anderson, about mac and cheese.

We dig into recipes from boxed and stovetop versions to indulgent baked dishes while exploring cheeses, techniques, seasoning blends, and creative add-ins that elevate this Midwest favorite.

Alongside practical tips like shredding your own cheese and using cream cheese for extra creaminess, our conversation highlights how mac and cheese evokes family memories and brings people together at the table.

Recipe: Th...

This week on The Recipe Box, April Summers calls in from Chicago to tell us about one of the most memorable food moments when she made spanakopita to impress a crush, told a little white lie about the ricotta, and, well... things did not go as planned. Giggles ensued, and what follows is a heartfelt conversation about how cooking can be its own kind of love language.   From the Recipe Box of April Summers Spanakopita 

Ingredients

This episode of The Recipe Box is all about the many iterations of goulash. Hosts Niki Davis and Stephanie Rhodes explore  Hungarian goulash and the Midwestern version many of us grew up eating. Their long-time foodie friends, Jill Johnson and Jenn Sorrell jump in to share their family recipes and the stories behind each. Along the way, you’ll hear how the dish made its way across the ocean, why it transformed in American kitchens, and what keeps goulash on the dinner table.  

Recipe: From the Recipe box of Niki's Grandma Raines

Special Thanks:

Production: Benj...

Show Notes

With decades of baking experience under her belt and a lifetime of lessons learned from a legendary home cook (her granny), Kim Emery knows the true secret to a perfect recipe is tradition. While she’s mastered the art of baking, her most cherished title is 'Gram' to her grandson, Nate.

In this episode of The Recipe Box, hosts Niki Davis and Stephanie Rhodes sit down with Kim to explore the many variations of banana pudding, from homemade custard and vanilla wafers to instant pudding, graham crackers, and even Twinkies. They share family memories, cooking te...

Welcome to The Recipe Box with hosts Niki Davis and Stephanie Rhodes, a podcast that explores beloved family dishes, the variations that spark debate, and the stories behind them.

In this trailer episode they share childhood food memories, discuss how recipes travel and change over time, and invite listeners to join as they compare, confess, and celebrate the recipes that connect us.

Production: Benjy Jeffords - SIU School of Journalism and Advertising 

Marketing: Emma Thompson - Salukis AdLab 

Music: MisunderStudios

The Recipe Box on Facebook: https...