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PODCAST

Family Tree Food Stories

Nancy May & Sylvia France

Family Tree, Food & Stories podcast will take you on a mouthwatering journey through generations of flavor! We"re digging up and sharing the juiciest family secrets, hilarious dinner table disasters, and the heartwarming moments that make your favorite foods, meals, and relationships unforgettable. From Great-Grandma"s legendary cheese crust apple pie to that questionable casserole your Uncle Bob swears by. With Family Tree, Food, and Stories, we"re serving a feast of laughter, tears, and

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

35:41

The Blue Willow China Love Story That Sold 50 Million...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/05/14

The True History of Blue Willow, Noritake, and Spode China: What Your Family's Heirloom Dishes Are Really Worth in 2026The most recognized china pattern in Western history is built on a fabricated love story, and neuroscientists say your brain is wired to fall for it every time. In Episode 86 of Family Tree Food and Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely trace the invented legend behind Blue Willow china, the pioneer women who abandoned their Noritake and Spode in the Wyoming dust at a place called

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31:32

Kitchen Gadgets: Family Stories, and the Tools That...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/05/07

Wooden bowls, hand-cranked egg beaters, and the spoon rack that came back as a Christmas gift.Some of the most loved objects in our kitchens aren't fancy. They're the wooden spoons with burnt edges, the silver ladles passed down by old friends, and the hand-cranked mixer/beater that looks like a bicycle gear shift.In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely get into the everyday kitchen gadgets that outlast their owners. A Vermont honeymoon bowl carved with two

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32:15

The Rice Empire Slaves Built, and a President Almost...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/04/30

The 9,000-year story of rice, the enslaved Africans whose genius built a fortune, and the US President who smuggled it into the country. But wait, there's more!Believe it or not, half of everyone in the world eats rice every single day, and most of us have a bag sitting of it sitting somewhere in our kitchen pantry. If this is you, we're guessing that you don't know that it also holds over 9,000 years of history and has nearly 120,000 varieties! We didn't!This week on Family Tree Food & Stories,

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37:39

The Secret History of Tea: Personal Rituals & Family...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/04/23

5,000 Years of Comfort #FoodHistory, British Afternoon @Tea, #SouthernSweetTea & the Rituals That Still Bring Family & Friends Together.Have you ever sat down with your mom or a good friend with absolutely no agenda other than just... being together? Nancy's mom had a word for it: "sharing a cuppa." She and Nancy would drive down to Alice's, their local general store-luncheonette, not because they needed anything, but because that was their girl-time ritual. Their way of making the whole

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26:23

Why is Mustard So Special? A Pope, a Secret Recipe,...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/04/16

The food history nobody taught you: pharaohs buried it, a Pope staffed it, Napoleon obsessed over it, and your squeeze bottle is still lying about it.A Pope loved mustard so much that he created a Vatican job, “The Great Mustard Maker,” just to make sure he never ran out. Napoleon loved it so much that he built Dijon's identity around it. And that bright yellow color you've trusted your entire life? That's the color that comes from an entirely different plant! Surprise?In this episode of Family Tree

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35:12

The Secret History of Mayonnaise: From Military...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/04/09

What nobody told you about mayonnaise: the wartime origin, the brand rivalry, and the Hellmann's love story you've held in your hands, and never knew about.You've probably never thought twice about that jar of mayonnaise in your fridge. You open it, you use it, you put it back. But that jar has a story that you likely don’t know, one that starts with a military victory, and with a love story.In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely take you inside the

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38:37

Why NASA Banned Bread (The Secret Life of Flour)

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/04/02

Flour History, Food Science, Kitchen Myths, Food Culture & The Hidden Story Behind Bread, Pasta, and Everyday IngredientsIn this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely start with a simple question, “what did you eat today?” Then dive into how little we know about even the simplest and most fundamental things in our pantry, which can turn into a fascinating science experiment as well as a lunch essential. We’re talking about flour!Did you know that flour isn’t just

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40:35

The Family Table That Built Strong Bones Using Real...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/03/26

Bone Deep: Your Grandmother and Mom Really Did Know How to Use Their Kitchen Like a Pharmacy.What does a simple pot of beans simmering on the stove have in common with cutting-edge nutritional science? More than you'd ever expect. In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely share how our moms and grandmas instinctively know how to keep our bodies strong enough to handle a heavy workload.In this episode, Sylvia opens up about her own very personal bone health

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35:36

Why the Best Meals Happen Off the Beaten Path:...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/03/19

What if the best meal you’ve ever had… was hiding on the side of the road?And why do the places with no signs, no marketing, and no polish often serve the most unforgettable food?In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely explore some of the best meals they've found in diners, drive-ins, and roadside food and snack treasures, where food, family traditions, and personal stories intersect in the most unique places. From small-town stands to grungy stops, these

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28:10

Why Corned Beef & Cabbage Isn't Actually Irish; The...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/03/12

Why do we eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day, when it isn't even Irish? And what do Irish soda bread, cozy village pubs, and the potato famine have to do with the foods we celebrate today?In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely dig into the history of St. Patrick’s Day food traditions from authentic Irish village cooking to the Irish-American dishes created through immigration and rich cultural exchange.Why do we associate certain foods and

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30:53

Cookbooks That Built America And Why We Still Love...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/03/05

From Monasteries to The Joy of Cooking and Martha Stewart: Why We’re Obsessed with Collecting and Keeping ThemHow many cookbooks do you own?And here’s the real question… do you actually cook from them?In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely trace and share the fascinating history, evolution, and survival of cookbooks in America. You’ll learn why these books have survived wars, depressions, church basements, and even now, the internet.Cookbooks didn’t begin as

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27:27

Is Your Nona's Italian American Sauce "REAL" Italian?...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/02/26

Italian Food in America: The Truth About Authenticity, Nonas, and Sunday Sauce.When you're planning which restaurant to go to, you typically don't ask, “Do you want American food?” No, you ask... "How about Italian?”But here’s the twist… much of what we call authentic Italian food isn’t actually from Italy. It's kind of a made-up Italian, American style!In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely unpack the real story behind Italian-American cuisine, how it's more

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34:22

Aprons: The Most Powerful Object in the Kitchen...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/02/19

How a Simple Apron Quietly Shaped Food, Family Power, and Why They Matter More Than Your Grandma's Cookbook.Most people think an apron is just something you tie on before cooking.They’re wrong.In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely dig into the why of the apron, which may be the most powerful and misunderstood object in the kitchen—and why its disappearance signals the loss of something far more important than chintz fabric.Long before it became a Halloween

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37:53

Valentine's Dinners That Change Everything: Romance...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/02/12

Romance, aphrodisiac foods, and love stories from the kitchenWhat if the most romantic Valentine’s Day you’ve ever had didn’t happen in a restaurant—but at your own table?In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely dive, fork first, into the sensual, unforgettable Valentine’s foods that create connection, intimacy, and lasting memories—without stress, fancy techniques, or expensive ingredients.It’s about using food as a language of intention, attraction, and

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25:15

Chinese New Year 2026: Year of the Horse Food...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/02/05

Chinese New Year 2026 offers something rare: a second chance to begin again!In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely explore the Year of the Horse and the powerful role food plays in balance, momentum, and renewal in our lives during this Chinese Lunar New Year.Instead of focusing on recipes alone, this episode uncovers the meaning behind Chinese New Year food traditions—why noodles are left unbroken, why dumplings require time and teamwork, why leftovers

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32:51

What Ketchup Teaches Us About Patience, Power, and Taste

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/01/29

The Hidden History, Psychology, Power Struggle, and Cultural Story Behind America’s Most Ubiquitous Condiment.What if the most powerful lesson about patience, power, trust, and human behavior was sitting on your table your entire life?Would you want to know more? Well, you’ve probably stared at it in mild frustration. But no one ever told you why you felt that way!In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely crack the cap on the real story behind ketchup—not as a

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31:39

Iconic Food Brands: How Betty Crocker, Sara Lee, and...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/01/22

What makes a food brand iconic—and why do we trust it like family?In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely pull back the curtain on the legendary food brands and characters that quietly shaped American kitchens, childhoods, and consumer trust for generations.From Betty Crocker, a fictional woman who became one of the most trusted voices in American homes, to Little Debbie, whose real face turned five-cent cakes into a Depression-era survival story, and more,

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32:43

Food as Medicine: Old Wives’ Tales, Family Remedies,...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/01/15

Natural Remedies, Healing Foods, and the Traditions Families Trust.As cold and flu season always seems to creep up on us soon after the New Year. In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, the question we ask is: Can food be medicine?Join Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely as they merge family remedies with old and new science and unpack how everyday foods make us feel better. Learn how chicken soup, honey, ginger, garlic, cabbage, peanut butter, and whiskey have been standby home remedies used by

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27:11

Untold Pizza History Stories: How Your Favorite...

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/01/08

Pizza wasn’t always welcome at the table—And it certainly wasn’t always American. So how did a seemingly simple immigrant street food become the most shared, argued-over, and emotionally loaded meal in the country? In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely uncover some surprising facts about the history of pizza in America, tracing its journey from Italian and ancient Mediterranean roots to our neighborhood pizza parlors, family tables, and regional loyalties

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28:13

How to Turn Leftovers into Fancy New Year’s Meals 2026

Family Tree Food Stories ·

2026/01/01

New Year’s Leftovers: What to Toss, What to Transform, and Why It MattersWhat stays, what goes, and what gets reinvented with style and taste? In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, your award-winning hosts Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely take on the post-holiday refrigerator—one container at a time, with how-to ideas and a recipe that will turn your holiday leftovers into a fancy homespun “gotta have.”This episode isn’t just about food—it’s a look at what leftovers say about the way we

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105 results

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