In this podcast series, the discussions with well-known actors, directors, authors, politicians, business figures, and comedians will center on memories of the meals or favorite foods we all grew up with, from the exotic to the mundane, dishes that still tickle or tantalize us as adults and, most importantly, we’ll discuss the stories and people that accompany those memories. We’ll also post our guests' favorite recipes on our website.

 

In one episode of “Cooking by Heart,” a Federal Judge/gourmet cook tells of his parent’s illiterate cook who grabs flour, lard, yeast, and water literally by the handfuls to create an amazing, luxurious bread, a recipe that now he recreates for friends. In another episode, a well-known actor, author, and gourmet cook remembers the mouth-watering brisket sandwiches he would surreptitiously devour when, as a delivery boy for his jeweler uncle, he would deliver not only precious gems but also pick up lunch sandwiches for his uncle’s staff at a local pool hall. A TV and film writer/director/producer recalls roasting bread on his grandmother's wooden stove, then watching her slather it with butter and sugar. 

 

Actor Chris Sarandon is best known for his roles as Prince Humperdinck in “The Princess Bride,” as the lead speaking voice of Jack Skellington in Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” the cunning vampire in “Fright Night,” and his Academy Award-nominated role in “Dog Day Afternoon.” He grew up working in his Greek immigrant father’s restaurant in West Virginia. Both of his Greek grandfathers owned diners and coffee shops, and his son is a trained chef, the family business. (BTW, his daughters are also accomplished cooks!) Sarandon was initially taught to cook by his mother and various cooks in his father’s restaurant. He combines his love of food with an actor’s keen ear for human stories.