PODCAST · arts
Let's Get Real
by Heritage Radio Network
On Let’s Get Real Chef Erica Wides walks you down the aisles of the surreal world of food, serving up a heaping dose of reality by separating the food from the foodiness so you can forage, hunt, gather, trap and fish for real food anywhere, even in a foodiness-filled mega market. Incisive, pragmatic, sarcastic, and an unrepentant know-it-all when it comes to anything food, on Let’s Get Real Chef Erica Wides does the job for you of sifting out everything that’s fake in the world of food – from “foodiness” marketing and cooking show shams to “health-halo green-washing” and annoying whole-food righteousness – so you never unknowingly chow down on carpeting again.
Episodes
-
Episode 164: Color Me Freaked Out...
There’s nothing left to say. I’ve read every editorial, every FaceBook post, every HuffPo screaming front page rant. I’m done. I’m done with the election, and I’m done even discussing it, or him. He who shall not be named. I had been calling him the apricot barbarian, but you know what? I love...
-
Episode 163: Scary Clowns, Apricot-Faced Barbarians, and Gluten; Who Ya Gonna Call?
We're all really, really scared these days. Scared for the future, scared for the planet (well, some of us), scared of scary scaring clowns scaring kids, scared of scary clowns pretending to be legit candidates...OMG, so much scariness! And it's not even Halloween yet! But even worse than all…
more -
Episode 162: Let's Get Real...And Sharp. And Blunt!
It's special guest day here in the Foodiness Fallout Shelter! My new, once-in-a-while co-host, Emily Peterson, has taken time out from her busy life of cheffing, motherhood, chicken raising and occasional taxidermy to join us down here. You may know Emily from her HRN show, Sharp and Hot, but…
more -
Episode 161: This Foodiness Was Made For Walking!
@KarlMeltzer just broke the world record for the being fastest ever finisher of the entire Appalachian Trail, you know the Appalachian train, right? It’s a 2,190 mile hiking trail that runs along the East coast of the US, from Georgia to Maine. Now, I hike, and I’ve done little bitty bits of it,...
-
Episode 160: Welcome back to the Fallout Shelter, now climate controlled by Foodiness!
Today, on the season premiere of Let's Get Real!!! Ok, so a couple of changes are afoot here in the Foodiness Fallout Shelter. Well, no, actually the shelter is the same, I barely touched the place over the summer. It looks really great, and the biomass fuel HVAC system I built last winter is...
-
Episode 159: Cod Worms and Devil Dogs – extended edition
Today, on Let's Get Real... It's the extended live version of "Cod Worms and Devil Dogs"! Can't remember what that is? It's the live theater piece I did back in March. This is the extended version, that I performed on Saturday. I worked so hard on this as a live show, that I'm not ready to put it...
-
Episode 158: Pollen-Whacked? Maybe You Need a Shot of Lawn-Grass Juice!
I’m hiding out down here in the fallout shelter this week. I’m safe here, since we’re so deep underground and we filter our air. I can’t go outside anymore, since I seem to have developed terrible seasonal allergies, all of a sudden. Twice this spring I’ve been hit with weeks of a sore throat,...
-
Episode 157: Today's Drink Special, is the Saddam Slam!
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, in a very dark, grim place in my past... I waited tables at TGI Friday's. Yes, really. Hard to believe, I know, but I needed a job, I couldn't get hired anywhere else, and a friend got me the job. It was the early 90's, we were in a recession, I was...
-
Episode 156: We Hold These Foodiness Truths to be Self-Evident...
Here, in corporate Big Food America, we apparently hold certain Foodiness truths to be self-evident, which is that all industrially produced foods are created Equal, that they are endowed by their corporate Creators with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are potentially destroying…
more -
Episode 155: Babies & Cake
So I’ve got babies on the brain. Everywhere I go, everyone I know and see is breeding, birthing, being fruitful and multiplying as if babies were going out of style or were about to be banned or rationed by the government. Brooklyn is baby-breeding central. I miss the old NYC where once you had...
-
Episode 154: I’m Not Licking MY Fingers…
Today, an ALL-NEW episode of Let's Get Real! Yes, it's a new show, after a long break to develop the new weekly Heritage Radio Network News show, of which I'm the co-anchor! But I'm back, this week with tales of finger-lickin' weirdness. On today's show I revisit my invitation to the BIG Kentucky...
-
Episode 153: Cod Worms
I like to write, and I like to talk into a microphone. And I also like to talk in front of a live audience, I’ve discovered. Teaching all those years gave me the confidence to stand up in front of a group and tell a story, even if that story was about kitchen sanitation or pork butchering. I have…
more -
Episode 152: To Everything There Is a Season, and a Dry, Crumbly Cookie to Match
On this week's episode of Let's Get Real, Erica celebrates the eve of the joyous holiday of Purim, aka "The Jewish Halloween." Among many other reasons, this holiday is exciting because it heralds the coming of spring! Also this week was National Slurpee Day, when 7-Eleven invited customers to...
-
Episode 151: Go West, Young Man, But Don't Forget to Bring Your Insulin
On this week's episode of Let's Get Real, Erica waxes nostalgic about the classic film Annie Hall, and its derisive depiction of California health food restaurants in the 1970s. Before arugula and Whole Foods were invented, California pioneered the health and organic food craze, which has become...
-
Episode 150: We’re 150, But We Don’t Look a Day Over 100!
On this 15oth episode of Let’s Get Real, host Erica Wides opens with a revelation she had about cooking while swimming, before diving into the problem of fish ingesting plastic refuse such as microbeads while feeding, and the merits of sunblock versus face wash. Finally, she lays out the three...
-
Episode 149: One of These Things Does Not Belong
On this week’s Let’s Get Real, the theme is “one of these things does not belong.” Chef Erica Wides reminisces about the darker, grittier days of Sesame Street, expresses bewilderment at the new McDonald’s chicken-and-pancake sandwich, and reveals her current favorite food item: the Okinowan…
more -
Episode 148: In Space, No One Can Hear You Pickling
Can you make make pickles in space? Can you rely on your dreams to write your shows? Do you get gloomy in February? All this and more this week on Lets Get Real. Chef Erica Wides discusses growing vegetables in The Martian, literally dreaming of future shows, and the possibility of pickling on...
-
Episode 147: A Holiday Card Against Humanity
Today is February 9, 2016. We are now 39 days into the year. At the end of this week, on the 14th of February, the “holiday” season, will be officially over. The end, Done. Until…of course, Easter rolls around. Then we begin the next round of sugar-gorging, present shopping, holiday madness....
-
Episode 146: What’s On Your Plate?
Erica Wides is back for a brand new episode of _ Let’s Get Real _ with her good friend Kristin Wartman; Let’s Get Real’s resident nutrition guru and food policy wonk! She has her own little office down here in the #Foodiness Fallout Shelter, where she sits and works on her forthcoming book...
-
Episode 145: You Can’t Make Soup Dumplings with Blue Raspberry Flavored Jello…
From Erica Wides: So I had to go to Whole Foods a few days ago, to buy unflavored gelatin. You know, like Knox gelatin in the little packets? I needed it for a private cooking class I was teaching, the clients wanted to make soup dumplings, those Chinese dumplings that are filled with ground pork...
-
Episode 144: These Foolish Things…Remind Me of U..tah.
From Erica Wides herself: Speaking of soda, and Mormons, (we are, in today’s show) in yesterday’s edition of the paper of record there was an article about a lawsuit that is raging between two Utah drink companies, Swig v. Sodalicious. Have you heard of either of these chains? No, you wouldn’t...
-
Episode 143: There’s no Crying over Spilled Green Juice
This week’s episode of _ Let’s Get Real _, as explained by host Erica Wides herself: So just imagine my joy and happiness upon learning that Organic Avenue, the juice and raw-vegan “food” chain has landed on the giant compost heap of nutritional trends. The entire chain has gone under. Way under....
-
Episode 142: La Dolce Vita Snickerdoodle
Today, on a new Let’s Get Real! Erica Wides: “In Italy, in 1984 I drank my first cappuccino, I’d never really had anything in the espresso family, and this foamy, dark, rich creature was something else. I was hooked on the capp. But, as I was quickly admonished after ordering one late in the day,...
-
Episode 141: The 2nd (or 3rd) Annual Golden Uncrustables!
Live from the Foodiness Fallout Shelter…It’s the 2nd or 3rd annual (I can’t remember) Golden Uncrustables awards show! Starring….your host, Erica! With Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet, and Jack Inslee on the Twitter feed! Before we get started, let’s just re-introduce all of our 87 million global...
-
Episode 140: Does Foodiness cause wrinkles?
Does Foodiness cause wrinkles? Erica Wides is back with a heartfelt episode on apples, aging, Laura Ingalls, Ira Apfel and .. yes, wrinkles. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
-
Episode 139: I Can’t Hear You, There’s Too Much Foodiness In My Ears!
How does Erica Wides come up with the topics featured on _ Let’s Get Real _? Usually during a hike or at the gym great ideas pop up, but, she has one big problem: the loud music! Is it possible to just turn down sometimes? After the break, Erica pulls this all together with food and foodiness by...
-
Episode 138: Got Breast Cancer Awareness Donuts?
Erica Wides is not happy. Pumpkin spice is everywhere, Burger King is making black buns, foodiness has taken over and everybody is trying to sell you a pink ribbon (or a donut). She wonders if these ribbons and donuts really do anything to make us healthier and proposes something entirely new –...
-
Episode 137: “Why did the bear sh*t in the woods? To cover up all the Foodiness trash”
How does foodiness trash find its way to the woods? Erica Wides shakes her head at diapers on the hike trail this week on Let’s Get Real. Why do so many food brands package their “food” in layers upon layers of unnecessary plastics? Why do those plastics end up everywhere? Tune in and lament with...
-
Episode 136: Fear No Food!
Why are Americans so afraid of food? We are so afraid of the safeness of the food that we are eating, that it’s preventing us from allowing ourselves to see it as it truly is. Our perceptions of what food is safe and what isn’t have been completely warped by strict health codes and air-tight...
-
Episode 135: The Raw and the Burnt
What does the word “done” mean to you? Is it a raw slab of red meat served as is on a plate, or do you like it cooked into a greyish-black oblivion? This week on Let’s Get Real, Erica Wides discusses the concept of “doneness”. Can doneness function on a spectrum similar to autism or sexuality?...
-
Episode 134: Tales of Foodiness Fishiness
Anyone that says that they don’t like to eat fish have probably only ever eaten tilapia, which is the worst fish ever according to Erica Wides on this week’s episode of Let’s Get Real. Despite tilapia being incredibly bland and tasteless, it is one of the most popular kinds of fish and is…
more -
Episode 133: Body
Did you know that more than half of America’s kids are chronically dehydrated? Yup. Know why? Foodiness drinks; like Sporty-Ade and Crappi-Sun pouches, and Juicee-Boxes…and regular and diet sodas, all contribute to fat, sick, and dehydrated kids. Kids who may very well grow up to vote for TED…
more -
Episode 132: Can it GET any more sarcastic around here today?
Erica Wides is not alone in the #foodiness shelter this week! On today’s episode of Let’s Get Real Erica is joined by The Sarcastic Nutritionists! Josh and Gretchen, the masterminds behind that snark-tastic name, and the bloggers and “Etsy with a sense of humor” creators of their namesake…
more -
Episode 131: We are (Foodiness) Stardust
This week on Let’s Get Real Erica starts the show by giving us an update on her hunt for the perfect snack, and then moves on to a discussion about chicken protein powder. Why are we so obsessed with having as much protein as possible, and why do food companies feel they have to add protein to...
-
Episode 130: It’s happy hour in the fallout shelter! Well, as happy as a trio of curmudgeons can get…
This week on Let’s Get Real host Erica Wides interviews Sayre Piotrkowski and Collin McDonnell for a conversation all about how foodiness and beer have intertwined. Erica, Sayre, and Collin discuss how, just like the wine industry has evolved since the 70s, beer seems to be on the same track. How...
-
Episode 129: And So I Shall Go Forth, and Seek Out My Perfect Snack
Erica Wides has snacking on her mind on a brand new episode of Let’s Get Real. Why do we love snacks so much? What is a “Quesorito”? Fight the foodiness, tune in and embrace real food! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery “Americans consume 500-700 calories a day JUST from...
-
Episode 128: Nobody Down Here But Me and My Nuts
There are special guests this week on Let’s Get Real! Erica Wides is joined by some friends in the foodiness fallout shelter, Cara Tannenbaum & Andrea Tutunjian – co-authors of In a Nutshell: Cooking and Baking with Nuts and Seeds The only cookbook of its kind, In a Nutshell is a complete guide…
more -
Episode 127: Over
Erica Wides doesn’t like sports. Big surprise. But recently she learned what an “over-under” is… or if you’re speaking in a NYC sports talk radio accent .. the “ovah-unduh”. The “ovuh-unduh” is an American phenomenon. After the industrial revolution and the mechanization and centralization of...
-
Episode 126: Little House of Foodiness Hyperspin on the Prairie
This week on Lets Get Real Erica starts off the show by talking about her favorite imaginary/real best friend, Laura Ingalls Wilder author and subject of the Little House on the Prairie book series. She draws from what she thinks Laura’s perspective of food in our modern day and age would be.…
more -
Episode 125: Breast Milk
Erica Wides celebrates 125 episode of Let’s Get Real by going back to the basics — milk! What makes breastmilk so special? Why does anybody use formula? Well – there’s a lot to unpack here. Erica calls baby formula the original “foodiness” product – is she right? Tune in and hear her share her...
-
Episode 124: Why Aren’t Baby Carrots Actually Shaped Like Babies?
Don’t throw those ugly carrots out! Or that old can of soup! Or those lentils! Erica Wides helps you feel better about your old weird foods on a mindful episode of Let’s Get Real. Food waste is a serious problem and Erica explores how the foodiness machine plays into the equation. This program…
more -
Episode 123: Watch Out For Salty Man Holes
This week on Lets Get Real Erica begins the show by discussing when she first moved to Brooklyn 20 years ago, she transitions from this to looking at how Brooklyn has changed her lifestyle and her cooking. She talks about one cooking job that she does that involved cooking for a wealthy family…
more -
Episode 122: What Color is Your Foodiness Parachute
This week on Lets Get Real Erica begins the show by addressing the briefly famous dress picture that it seems none of us could agree on. She uses this topic of color to transition to a recent announcement by Nestle. Nestle stated that by the end of 2015 they will be removing all artificial colors...
-
Episode 121: Eat Some Dirt, America!
This week on Lets Get Real Erica starts the show by reminiscing about Seinfeld’s “Bizzaro World”. She transitions to talking about her own personal bizzaro world, and how some of the current policies regarding nutrition makes it seem as if the US government is going crazy. She goes into other...
-
Episode 120: Forget the Quinoa, I’m Eating a Bowl of Pebbles for Breakfast Now
This is a story about rocks, pebbles and stones. From the doctor’s office to Iceland, Erica takes listeners on a journey that ends with stone soup. Stone soup? Kidney Stones? It all makes sense in the end. Tune in and find out why pebbles might be the next big diet craze. This program was brought...
-
Episode 119: Just Because I’m a Chef, How Would I Know What’s in a Cotton
Cotton Candy Latte? Oh come on!! Yes, it’s a real thing and yes — Erica Wides is talking about it on today’s episode of Let’s Get Real. Tubs of margarine and suburban dinners are Erica’s nightmare and she gives listeners a window into the hellish world of guns and snowboards in New Jersey. This...
-
Episode 118: That Not
What better way to introduce the new year than a long winded story about Coscto and The Peanuts? Tune into the season debut of Let’s Get Real as Erica Wides teaches listeners about the virtues of frozen food and whole animals. Hear what she thinks you should all be doing in 2015 and why family...
-
Episode 117: The Year in Foodiness
It’s time to recap the year in foodiness as Erica Wides closes out 2014 on the season finale of Let’s Get Real. From bleached cereal grains to kale salads at The Cheesecake Factory, Erica takes a look at what’s saved us and plagued us in 2014. Is the future bright? Have we made progress? Will a...
-
Episode 116: I have a bone to pick with you
So Thanksgiving is over and many of you have thrown out the carcass and moved on from the whole ordeal. Erica Wides has a bone to pick with you this week on Let’s Get Real. Erica breaks animals down to the bone and explains what makes skeletal pieces the foundation of Western cooking. Is bone…
more -
Episode 115: Sometimes..All I Need is the Air That I Breathe…and a Plain Yogurt
Who’s the bigger liar — the banking industry or the peanut butter industry? The jury is out. Tune in to a brand new episode of Let’s Get Real as Erica Wides tries to make sense out of whipped peanut butter and yogurt, amongst other things. Find out why air isn’t free anymore and why Erica can’t...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
On Let’s Get Real Chef Erica Wides walks you down the aisles of the surreal world of food, serving up a heaping dose of reality by separating the food from the foodiness so you can forage, hunt, gather, trap and fish for real food anywhere, even in a foodiness-filled mega market. Incisive, pragmatic, sarcastic, and an unrepentant know-it-all when it comes to anything food, on Let’s Get Real Chef Erica Wides does the job for you of sifting out everything that’s fake in the world of food – from “foodiness” marketing and cooking show shams to “health-halo green-washing” and annoying whole-food righteousness – so you never unknowingly chow down on carpeting again.
HOSTED BY
Heritage Radio Network
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Let's Get Real have?
Let's Get Real currently has 124 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Let's Get Real about?
On Let’s Get Real Chef Erica Wides walks you down the aisles of the surreal world of food, serving up a heaping dose of reality by separating the food from the foodiness so you can forage, hunt, gather, trap and fish for real food anywhere, even in a foodiness-filled mega market. Incisive,...
How often does Let's Get Real release new episodes?
Let's Get Real publishes regularly with 124 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Let's Get Real?
You can listen to Let's Get Real on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Let's Get Real?
Let's Get Real is created and hosted by Heritage Radio Network.
URL copied to clipboard!