20. Hungry for High Scores: Video Games, Part 1
Girls' Lunch
Let's go to the arcade! In part one of our two-part series, Nicole and Julia take you through the cooking games leaderboard and introduce you to some of the genre's "top players" in the 1970s and 1980s. We'll see the formation of a lot of popular mechanics and gameplay that persist in cooking and food-related video games today. We'll also talk about girl(y) games, representation, and the time Julia was personally victimized at a GameStop circa 2008. Don't forget your quarters! Our theme song is “Red Onions” by Louie Zong, off of his album Vegetable Soul:...
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19. Boobs, Bottles, and Baby Food
Girls' Lunch
We’re taking it back to where it all began with this one, and we mean that quite literally, because today we’re talking about baby food! In this special episode, Nicole and Julia prepare for Baby Andreas and learn about the history of how we humans have fed our babies throughout time. We also taste test some baby food and try not to gag. Whether you were a bottle baby or breast was best, this episode has something for everyone! Our theme song is “Red Onions” by Louie Zong, off of his album Vegetable Soul: https://louiezong.bandcamp.com/album/vegetable-soul We’re on Instagram...
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18. Botany: The Study of Plants and How to Steal Them
Girls' Lunch
Ever wondered why we have Hass avocados and Medjool dates at the grocery store? Or why there are Japanese cherry trees all around the Tidal Basin in D.C.? Well, we can thank the same man for both our grocery store produce and the nation’s pinkest attraction - American botanist David Fairchild. Join Nicole and Julia as they trace grocery store produce from their local Kroger back to the Gilded Age and the heyday of food exploration. But wait, there’s more! Tune in to hear about Jeanne Barat, a French botanist in the 1700’s with a bit of a secret… Our theme song is “Red Onions” by...
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17. Unless You Got Buns, Hun: Hot Dogs
Girls' Lunch
Companion website: Hot dog, it’s a summer episode in the middle of winter! In this wien-derful successor to our hamburger episode, Nicole and Julia learn (literally) how the sausage is made and take a frank look at competitive eating. Hop aboard the Wienermobile and strap in for a journey down the Hot Dog Highway (destination: Joey Chestnut’s stomach). Our theme song is “Red Onions” by Louie Zong, off of his album Vegetable Soul: https://louiezong.bandcamp.com/album/vegetable-soul We’re on Instagram @girlslunchpod. Nicole's website is nicolehylton.com. Have an episode...
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16. RIP Brownie Wise, You Would Have Loved MLMs
Girls' Lunch
Does anyone else pronounce Tupperware as “Tubberware?” No? Just me? Well, in this episode Julia and Nicole travel back to the post-war 50s to learn about the one woman who’s responsible for your plastic leftover containers piled high in your kitchen cabinet. Along the way we’ll learn how to throw a Tupperware party, experience some real Sales Department shenanigans, and watch the rise and fall of the first MLM Queen — Brownie Wise. Our theme song is “Red Onions” by Louie Zong, off of his album Vegetable Soul: https://louiezong.bandcamp.com/album/vegetable-soul We’re...
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15. Midway Mania: The Carnival and Carnival Food
Girls' Lunch
Step right up, step right up! Feast your ears on a true spectacle of food and amusement history! In this episode, stroll through the fairgrounds with Nicole and Julia to learn about the history of the carnival, snack on some traditional carnival foods, and discuss 20th century American dating norms. Strap on your ill-fitting, definitely-not-up-to-code safety belt and get ready for a bumpy, possibly bruise-inducing ride! Our theme song is “Red Onions” by Louie Zong, off of his album Vegetable Soul: We’re on Twitter at and on Instagram . Nicole is on...
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14. Big Ag and Brown Bags: School Lunches, Part 2
Girls' Lunch
Julia and Nicole (and David) return for the thrilling conclusion of the history of school lunches! We’ll wade through the Cold War, and then in the 60s, things really pop off for the school lunch program, feminists, and the Black civil rights movement. Like, seriously. Shit gets wild. So grab your Uncrustables and carton of milk and get ready to learn. Class is in session! Our theme song is “Red Onions” by Louie Zong, off of his album Vegetable Soul: We’re on Twitter at and on Instagram . Nicole is on Twitter and her website is . Julia is smarter...
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13. Big Ag and Brown Bags: School Lunches, Part 1
Girls' Lunch
Do you recall the halcyon days of your youth? The days spent in school, anxiously awaiting the bell, going to find your friends in the lunchroom, the same table every time? Surely you also remember the tasty lunches served to you in that room. Scrumptious salads with fresh vegetables, lovingly crafted sandwiches, bowls of gooey mac and cheese. No? Not sounding familiar? Your school lunch sucked?! Wow, pizza was a vegetable?! Gritty chicken nuggets! No, that can’t be right. All school lunches are delicious and nutritious! Unless… On this episode, we discuss the lengthy and opinionated...
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12. How the Burger Hamburglared Its Way Into America’s Heart
Girls' Lunch
Alternate theme song: “Ai Like Hamburger” by The Idolm@ster Ah, the hamburger. Whether you call it a Steamed Ham, a Royale with Cheese, or a Quarter Pounder, this beefy spheroid is one of America’s proudest exports. But did you know that a little more than a hundred years ago, the hamburger was regarded with intense suspicion, suggested to “fortify even Satan himself”? Join Nicole and Julia as they take a peek inside the bun to figure out just what it is that makes the hamburger so quintessentially American, and how meat-eating reinforces our notions of masculine identity. We also...
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11. Queens of the Supermarket
Girls' Lunch
Alternate theme song: “Queen of the Supermarket” by Bruce Springsteen A dream awaits for you in aisle two of this product-packed episode! Join Nicole and Julia as they grocery shop through the ages, from bartering at markets in the early 1800s to grocery delivery services in the age of Covid. Marvel at mind-blowing innovations, such as the grocery cart, chain stores, and - gasp - the Piggly Wiggly man! So grab your reusable Trader Joe’s tote and come with us down to the local supermarket for a fun, food-filled adventure. Our theme song is “Red Onions” by Louie Zong, off of his album...
info_outlineEver wondered why we have Hass avocados and Medjool dates at the grocery store? Or why there are Japanese cherry trees all around the Tidal Basin in D.C.? Well, we can thank the same man for both our grocery store produce and the nation’s pinkest attraction - American botanist David Fairchild. Join Nicole and Julia as they trace grocery store produce from their local Kroger back to the Gilded Age and the heyday of food exploration. But wait, there’s more! Tune in to hear about Jeanne Barat, a French botanist in the 1700’s with a bit of a secret…
Our theme song is “Red Onions” by Louie Zong, off of his album Vegetable Soul: https://louiezong.bandcamp.com/album/vegetable-soul
We’re on Instagram @girlslunchpod. Nicole's website is nicolehylton.com. Have an episode suggestion or question? You can email us at [email protected] and we will add it to our chaotic list of future episode subjects.
Links to sources:
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“How Thai Food Took Over America,” by Francis Lam and Mark Padoongpatt
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“You Think You Understand Thai Culture Because You Eat at Thai Restaurants? Think Again,” by Alexandra Domrongchai
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“Thai Food for the World? -- Government of Thailand Plans To Open 3,000 Restaurants To Promote Nation Abroad,” by Robert Frank
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Stone, Daniel. The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats. 2019.
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Ridley, Glynis. The Discovery of Jeanne Baret: A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe. New York, Broadway Paperbacks, 2011.