Katie Lee Biegel’s Appalachian Roots

Katie Lee Biegel grew up in Milton, West Virginia, descended from a long line of women who really knew how to cook. Her grandparents had a big vegetable garden and canned their own green beans and tomatoes. Her great grandmother won blue ribbons for her angel food cake, her great aunt was a fabulous cook, and all of them instilled in her a love for comfort food and hospitality that she’s carried all her life. After getting a lot of attention in the media for her marriage to Billy Joel at age 23, she started writing cookbooks, landed a gig hosting Top Chef, wrote a novel about surfing, and eventually became a co-host of The Kitchen on the Food Network, which she’s now been doing for 11 seasons. These days, Katie is busier than ever, with a new movie coming out on the Hallmark Channel called Catch of the Day, which she produced and co-wrote, and a 5 year-old daughter who does not love vegetables. Sid talks to Katie about her Appalachian roots, her favorite restaurant ever, her recipe for sweet tea oven fried chicken, and her family’s Christmas tradition in West Virginia. Bryce Leatherwood is only 25 years old, but three years ago he won Season 22 of The Voice, and he just released a self-titled debut album that’s already gaining a lot of attention. Despite his age, Bryce’s new record sounds like it could have come out a long time ago, and that’s exactly what he was after. Many of the songs were inspired by the simple life of his hometown in Woodstock, Georgia, where he grew up, and Macon, where he spent a lot of time riding horses and dirt bikes on his grandfather’s farm. When we spoke, Bryce had just lost his grandfather to cancer a couple of weeks earlier, and he talked about what an inspiration he was, both in terms of music and as a role model in life. He also shared the story behind a new song called “Job Well Done” that he recently wrote in honor of his grandfather’s memory. Sid talked to Bryce about the best friend he gained from his time on the Voice, what he learned from being a high school wrestler, and why his debut on the Grand Ole Opry was the best night of his life. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Biscuits & Jam is produced by: Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices