Cookbook Obscura
The podcast that turns obscure recipes into awesome conversations.
Join good friends and comedians Shannon Devido (Lucky Hank, Terrible People, Best Summer Ever), Aubrie Williams (ManiPedi, Goat Rodeo), and Ralph Andracchio (King Friday, Sad Trombone) as they challenge their guests (and each other) to make obscure recipes from obscure cookbooks and then eat them together. It's like saying "Ew this is weird...try this" but in podcast form.
Do you like odd recipes? Or cookbooks with weird merchandising tie-ins? How about baloney as a vital ingredient? If so, then this show is for you!
Please eat responsibly.
Cookbook Obscura
S01E07 - Tanya Morgan and the Mystery of the 99 Steps French Toast
Welcome to the show that turns obscure recipes into awesome conversations, Cookbook Obscura! This week, the gang welcomes Tanya Morgan to help solve the Mystery of the 99 Steps French Toast. We talk about a ton of things like stranger danger, Oprah, puppies, TV dinners, and adding a touch of vanilla to your French toast.
Tanya Morgan is a South Jersey-based actor, writer, director, teaching artist, improv performer, and acting/improv coach. In March 2023, Tanya opened her own community theatre in South Philly called Sawubona Creativity Project where she offers SEL-infused theatre art classes (improv, acting, playwriting, and storytelling), monthly improv jams, and free family-friendly workshops, shows, and events.
Want more weird recipes in your life? Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button and share this show with your friends. Wanna see what we’re eating? Then check out our YouTube channel for the complete video of this episode and our Insta for the recipe and behind-the-scenes clips.
And now... Let's eat!
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The Cookbook Obscura Podcast
Season 01
Episode 07
Tanya Morgan and the Mystery of the 99 Steps French Toast
[MUSIC INTRO PLAYS]
Shannon Devido
Welcome to the show that turns obscure recipes into awesome conversations. It's Cookbook Obscura! Do you like Lucky Charms, think there should be dogs at every establishment, and hate dentists? Woohoo, then you are in luck. Haha, see what I did there? I'm sorry. This week the kitchen staff welcomes Tanya Morgan. Tanya is a teacher, coach, actor, theater owner and an expert at fireman carrying. Hey, you want more weird recipes in your life? Don't forget to hit that subscribe button and share this show with your friends. Want to see what we're eating? Oh, then check out our YouTube channel for the complete video of this episode, as well as our Instagram for the recipe and behind the scenes clips. And now, let's eat!
Ralph Andracchio
Oh my my my word. What a day. I had such a stressful day at work and then I go to cook everything and guess what was hiding in my pantry waiting to say hi?
Aubrie Williams
Oh no Ralph.
Ralph Andracchio
Ants all up in my business. So yeah, I was cooking and cleaning. Luckily they weren't everywhere. But they were in they were on like one shelf but I still took everything out. So
Aubrie Williams
Is it weird that my brain jumped to like mice because like South Philly is
Ralph Andracchio
Oh yeah. South Philly is a crapshoot. You never know what you're gonna get. I think I lucked out with just ants. We have a small family of them that pop up every like nowhere where there's food. Usually it's like somewhere random and we're like there's nothing here. Why are you here? Everything's in containers and tied off and put up on a shelf and like you get...there's nothing but they still, they're very persistent.
Aubrie Williams
They're hanging out. They're having family time. Maybe that's sort of like a rec room or something.
Ralph Andracchio
Maybe they like the music. I don't know. How was how was your week?
Aubrie Williams
Good. pretty chill. Yeah, I joined the Y. I joined the gym.
Ralph Andracchio
Why?
Aubrie Williams
Why? Because I want to!
Shannon Devido
Because we're making her eat all this food.
Ralph Andracchio
That's true.
Aubrie Williams
Precisely. I've been eating everything and I like eat pre-dinner and then I eat this at 8pm which is fine. I love it. But as I age I'm like I should probably get a little more conscious of health and stuff. You know, or not, it'll...I'll probably I'll probably quit it in like two weeks. So
Ralph Andracchio
No, stick with it. If it makes you feel good that's I think that's what's important.
Aubrie Williams
This is true. They have a pool there and I'm a big swimmer. Like I love to swim. I don't know why. So that's why I did it. So it's like very low stress. Which is my speed.
Ralph Andracchio
Shannon, any ants or Y? Or ants at the Y?
Aubrie Williams
Ants at the Y.
Shannon Devido
Yes, I do have a few aunts who go to the Y. Um, but yeah, it was a pretty fine week. I mean the strike is still going on so the entertainment industry is a weird place to be right now. And the SAG/AFTRA strike could start on Saturday of this week. I don't know when I don't know when the audience is listening to this right now, but either we're on strike or a deal has been reached. So this might be a very weird thing to listen to at some point in time.
Ralph Andracchio
They're all time capsules for when they were made. So
Aubrie Williams
It's kind of nice. Hopefully hopefully they've reached a deal by then.
Shannon Devido
We shall see.
Aubrie Williams
We'll see. Yeah.
Ralph Andracchio
I mean, if there were if there were podcasts back in the early 1900s they would have been talking about the Wright Brothers right? Flight, am I right?
Aubrie Williams
Right.
Ralph Andracchio
I don't know when you're gonna be listening to this folks, but
Aubrie Williams
That would have been amazing.
Ralph Andracchio
Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
I wonder if they would have done foley because they had radio shows so I guess technically the first podcasts were like kind of. I don't know.
Ralph Andracchio
Like War of the Worlds?
Aubrie Williams
Yeah, like radio plays. And they have like foley artists, so maybe we should do some foley work on here.
Ralph Andracchio
Man.
Shannon Devido
Make people really afraid and run out of their rooms.
Aubrie Williams
Oh, no. A horse is coming. Clip clop clip clop.
Ralph Andracchio
You'd be surprised how many times I've said that my life.
Aubrie Williams
I'm actually not shocked.
Ralph Andracchio
No, don't be shocked.
Aubrie Williams
No.
Ralph Andracchio
You know what is shocking though? We have I don't know how we scored this guest but who we have on the show tonight. Amazing. Let me tell you a little bit about who they are. See if you can guess. She's a South Jersey based actor, writer, director, teaching artist, improv performer, acting slash improv coach. She wears a lot of hats. Her neck is very tired. She recently received her certification as a social emotional learner interventionist from Rutgers Camden. So she is officially an SEL and in March of this year 2023 she opened her own community theater in South Philly called Sawubona Creativity Project where she offers SEL-infused theater arts classes, improv, acting playwriting all the above. Who do you think that is?
Shannon Devido
I'm gonna say Pacino.
Aubrie Williams
They're too they're too overqualified. They have me beat in every uh
Ralph Andracchio
It's. Yeah, it is. You're You're almost there. It's Philly's own Al Pacino. Please help me welcome to the show Tanya. Morgan.
Shannon Devido
So much better. So much better.
Aubrie Williams
So much better.
Tanya Morgan
Hey.
Aubrie Williams
Hello. Welcome!
Tanya Morgan
Thank you for having me. I was listening to Ralph read my bio. I was like I was like that's too too many things.
Aubrie Williams
So impressive.
Ralph Andracchio
Very much so.
Tanya Morgan
Thank you.
Ralph Andracchio
Can you say a little more could you say a little more what SEL is because that's interesting to me.
Tanya Morgan
Sure. SEL is Social Emotional Learning Skills. And it's defined by the CASEL Organization came up with it and it's basically those quote unquote, soft skills that we all need, you know. Communication, and building empathy, building healthy identity, different things like that. I teach those types of skills through improv, playwriting, story telling and performance, really.
Ralph Andracchio
That's amazing. And improv is such a great vehicle for that too, to teach. Yeah.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah. It's that's really what it is about in the first place. I'm sure you know, the improvisers have heard of middle Viola Spolin.
Ralph Andracchio
Yeah.
Tanya Morgan
And she was a social worker. She was a social worker and a performer and she created these games, so that immigrant children could learn to communicate without language because they all spoke different languages. So she came up with these games in, for them to have different ways to communicate. So that's. The games that I teach are already rooted in mental well being as they are, so I was like, I'm not doing anything.
Ralph Andracchio
That's amazing. And congratulations on the new space that just opened.
Tanya Morgan
Yes, thank you. I'm wearing my shirt. I don't know if you can see it very clearly. But I...it says Sawubona Creativity Project and it was designed by my cousin Denise Bond. I want to shout her out cause she's been making all of my shirts. Anytime I have workshops for kids I give them shirts, and they you know get gifts, fidget toys, drawstring bags, all kinds of stuff like that. And she makes these custom for me which is really cool.
Aubrie Williams
That's amazing. Family business. I like it.
Tanya Morgan
I know right? That's what I said! If you hear like a whirring sound, it's because I'm cooking and now the exhaust fan is like "you're burning everything."
Aubrie Williams
You know, I think this one will be safe. I don't think anything crazy will happen. We had some on here and that really escalated fast, I will say.
Ralph Andracchio
Good way to put it. Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah, we cooked with corn oil which should be in no kids cookbook. Because that feels like if kids were doing this in the seventies, like that feels dangerous.
Tanya Morgan
Oh, they did a lot of things in the seventies that they shouldn't have been doing.
Ralph Andracchio
I'm shocked I survived the seventies.
Tanya Morgan
Right?
Aubrie Williams
I mean, that's, that's like the biggest like badge of honor, though. You know. If you survived the seventies, like, you did it.
Tanya Morgan
And the 80s. I came at the end of the 70s. 78. And then in the 80s there was a lot of white vans and kidnappings. That was like the biggest fear when I was growing up. That and catching on fire. Those were the two things that was like, watch out.
Aubrie Williams
You would not have fared well with this Nancy Drew cookbook as a kid. You could have caught on fire in many of these recipes.
Tanya Morgan
Maybe that's why it was such a big concern back then. Because of this, this cookbook.
Aubrie Williams
I remember watching, like speaking of kidnapping, I remember the the fear being so real with that. Like my mom made us watch an Oprah special. I think there was an Oprah kidnapping special where they were like they had like a van and they were...I'm pretty sure it was, or Oprah was doing like a segment on something. But they were like showing like how easy it was to get a kid in a white van and I remember being so traumatized that like I lived my life so sheltered for a nice chunk of time. Because I was like
Tanya Morgan
Oh yeah. The windowless white van. Even now if you drive by in a windowless white van, I'm taking your license plate down just in case. I like and I'm 47 years old. I'm like oh no, who is that? Like that is
Shannon Devido
It's just me.
Tanya Morgan
All right now I know. Now I know.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah, we'll get your her license plate number just so you know. Don't call. Don't call the authorities.
Tanya Morgan
Alright. Sorry.
Ralph Andracchio
I will say I would get in the van with Oprah Winfrey though so I think that show with a little biased because if Oprah pulled up and was like "Hey, I got a, I got a surprise for you" I would be like "ooh, it's a car" and I would have gotten in.
Tanya Morgan
Right!
Aubrie Williams
So here's what I remember, although I haven't like we didn't have DVR back then. It was like it was like an on-site segment so it was not Oprah in the van. It was like her camera crew and like someone else, like, yeah. I'll have to fact-check that.
Tanya Morgan
I remember I remember that. I don't remember if it was Oprah specifically, but I do remember that like a 2020 like how the specials are now, it's like back then. And I remember they were in a white van. They were going around and just like approaching kids, because back then kids could just be outside. I used to be outside by myself all the time. No one was around. Yeah. And they just like rolled up on kids like "Hey, kid, my dog is lost!" That was like the big thing. "I have candy" and "my dog is lost" and kids were just like, "Oh, okay." And go in.
Aubrie Williams
And pop right in.
Tanya Morgan
Pop right in. Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
I guarantee that like every single like Dateline, 60 Minutes, Oprah. They all did that same, like, I feel like
Tanya Morgan
I'm gonna agree with you. I'm definitely going to agree with you.
Aubrie Williams
We saw many variations of that.
Tanya Morgan
Mmhmm.
Ralph Andracchio
But I would have been like, you know, if you don't want me to get in a stranger's car then you better give me candy and a puppy, Mom and Dad. You know.
Tanya Morgan
Right?
Ralph Andracchio
Leverage that shit. And
Tanya Morgan
I didn't even think of that.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah, that's a, that's a real lost...if I could turn back time.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah. Yeah. Like, you don't want me getting kidnapped then I need that dog.
Shannon Devido
Right. Exactly.
Aubrie Williams
That's a solid argument. Like the parents can't truly say no to that. Right?
Shannon Devido
Well. Uh. Sometimes you just, I just need a break.
Aubrie Williams
Yes, there are many reasons why parents can and should say no to that. But also like if your kid's threatening to get kidnapped if you don't buy them a dog or give them candy, like it's a pretty strong argument, right?
Tanya Morgan
It is. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Ralph Andracchio
Smart kid.
Tanya Morgan
I'd be nervous.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah, hopefully no one's kids pull that...I think we're too far beyond that.
Ralph Andracchio
We gotten too far.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah. Yeah. We went...I forget what the question originally was. Whatever we were talking about.
Ralph Andracchio
"How ya doing?" I think was the question.
Tanya Morgan
Yes. I'm doing well. How is everyone?
Shannon Devido
It was about what the emotional learning was, which I think this ties nicely to.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah, it does. Because that part of that is teaching kids how to express themselves and tell whomever what their boundaries are and to feel comfortable doing it. So yeah, you need to feel comfortable telling the stranger "No, I'm not getting in that car with you." Or "no, I don't want your puppy and candy." So yes. We didn't have that back then it was like you do what adults tell you to do
Aubrie Williams
Yeah.
Tanya Morgan
back then. And you respect them no matter what. So that was an issue. Ralph, I don't know how we made it. I don't know.
Ralph Andracchio
That's something that I think a lot of adults need to learn too, is boundaries, and not not in a bad way. But just like for yourself, kind of like self-advocacy and learn like learning to be comfortable telling people "hey, I don't want to do that, I don't feel like it, I'm protecting myself" because I know like in a work environment, that a lot of times people don't either know how to do it or they've been taught you can't do that because this is work. You need to do what the boss says. And I'm like I'm a big advocate for self advocacy. Like if you go to work you got to tell your boss if you don't have a puppy and candy for me, I ain't doing it.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah.
Shannon Devido
That's the only thing I look for on a job description. If that's not in like the work requirements, I'm out. I will not apply. Candy and a dog must be on there.
Aubrie Williams
That's your LinkedIn. That's your LinkedIn.
Shannon Devido
That is actually my resume. So yeah, so if you have a dog and candy, I will show up for money. That is why I got kidnapped three times.
Ralph Andracchio
Best rider ever when Shannon shows up for work. I need puppies in my trailer. Candy.
Aubrie Williams
That's yeah. I mean, I feel like you can you can do it. I feel like they should give it to you. For sure. You're Shannon DeVito. They owe you puppies and candy every time.
Shannon Devido
I agree.
Aubrie Williams
Every green room.
Shannon Devido
Dreams.
Ralph Andracchio
Even my dentists like I used to go to a dentist who had a dog that would come in Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, something like that. His name was Winston. He was one of those little white fluffy dogs and if you got really scared of the dentist they would, Winston would sit in your lap while they did work in your mouth.
Aubrie Williams
Oh my gosh.
Tanya Morgan
Oh wow.
Aubrie Williams
Emotional support animal!
Emotional support Winston.
Tanya Morgan
That is awesome.
Shannon Devido
Where is this dentist?
Aubrie Williams
Yeah.
Ralph Andracchio
I don't, I'm sure I can say it. It's Rittenhouse Smiles that they had it. I never had to use Winston because I'm a big boy, but I would I would have faked it.
Aubrie Williams
Wait so is he currently still there?
Ralph Andracchio
I think they still have him as emotional support. I don't know I haven't been I have a new dentist now, full disclosure.
Aubrie Williams
I'm switching my dentist immediately.
Shannon Devido
Immediately. If that's there, I gotta go.
Ralph Andracchio
Check before you switch because that's, uh, yeah.
Tanya Morgan
Oh my gosh.
Aubrie Williams
"Excuse me. Um, I'm a potential new patient. Do you still...is Winston still around?"
Tanya Morgan
"Do you know where Winston is currently working?"
Ralph Andracchio
Shop Rite.
Aubrie Williams
The fear is real. Like most people are scared of the dentist so I don't
Tanya Morgan
I don't know anybody that looks forward to it.
Aubrie Williams
So I went through a real like, I had like a traumatic experience when I was like 15 and then I was so terrified of the dentist. And then I like realized that like, maybe my fear is like in my head and I swung the other way completely. And I don't know why I did that. Like I this is gonna make me sound like a maniac. But for a while, oh, I don't know if I should admit this on camera. I didn't get Novocaine for a while because like it's not like...this is true. This is a fact. It took too long to set in and like the pain is not, like unless you're getting a root canal, the pain is not, it's just mostly annoying. Like so I went 360. I went 1080.
Ralph Andracchio
You're just throwing out weird skater terms.
Tanya Morgan
1080. I was like wait.
Shannon Devido
I do just I just am thinking about Aubrie, like, getting tortured. Like I feel like Aubrie would survive like a torture experience more than all of us. Like I honestly like feel like if you need to go into battle, she's the one to bring.
Tanya Morgan
I think I think dentistry is a torture device. Like every movie I've watched when someone is tied to a chair, they have dental tools and they're like "you better talk or I'm going in."
Aubrie Williams
Any horror movie. Yeah.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah. It's like pulling out a tooth or something.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah, yeah. I don't know what made my brain do that. But like my mom was like, what are you talking about? Why would you do that? And I was like, it's just quicker. It was like, not painful to if it were painful, too, I would have...and then I went back to Novocaine so like I'm really not a hero.
Ralph Andracchio
Well.
Tanya Morgan
You are my hero. I was like wow, I can't even let them file my teeth. Like after I got my braces off, I had to get like the glue and stuff filed off. I was like, I'm dying. I need no like I needed novocaine just for that. And they were just filing the glue. I was like no, I'm dying. I can't.
Aubrie Williams
I feel like that's more painful though. I feel like that's more like braces and that stuff. It's more like there's more involved that's actually painful. I feel like a tiny cavity
Ralph Andracchio
The cleanings. If they could give me Novocaine for the cleanings. I'm a baby when it comes to pain.
Tanya Morgan
I was gonna say
Ralph Andracchio
I'm an infant. Like if you if you like pinch me the wrong way, I cry and run home. Like, I can't do it. So anytime that is...I'm not afraid of the dentist. It's just uncomfortable like pain that I'm like, can we not do that?
Tanya Morgan
Yes.
Aubrie Williams
Well, if you can not have pain, I think everyone should and would take that option. Like I think you're a masochist, right? By definition. Which is what I admitted to with the dentist thing.
Ralph Andracchio
Oh no, Dan, Dan my partner. Dan's the same way like Novocaine doesn't work on him like he needs the gas. Or they need to load him up with so much Novocaine they're like we can't give you any more. It's not it's not safe. For us to give you anymore so they like, he always has a rough time at the dentist because it just doesn't work for him for some reason. Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
That's the worst superpower to have.
Ralph Andracchio
Worst super, worst X-Man ever. Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
If novocaine does not work.
Ralph Andracchio
Novocaine doesn't work for him.
Aubrie Williams
That is not...I don't like that one bit.
Can he take anything? Tylenol? Like does that work?
Ralph Andracchio
I actually...no, he needs the strong stuff. He like he needs this stuff with like codeine in it. Yeah.
Tanya Morgan
Motrin 800's or
Ralph Andracchio
I'm the opposite because I never take anything like even if I have a headache I won't take aspirin so that way when I really need something if I only take a little bit it's gonna work, so
Tanya Morgan
Right. Yeah.
Ralph Andracchio
Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
Did Dan take like, was he exposed to a lot of stuff as a children?As a as a children? As a child?
Ralph Andracchio
Well, Oprah tried to kidnap him once, so he was definitely
Aubrie Williams
He was on he was on low dose ibuprofen for
Ralph Andracchio
Ever since then.
Shannon Devido
He was in a van with me. I do remember him.
Tanya Morgan
Along with all the puppies.
Ralph Andracchio
Tanya how's the cooking going? You're the first guest who's ever cooked on the show. So this is very exciting. Oh, you're all done!
Tanya Morgan
It was done a while ago.
Aubrie Williams
That's how long of a tangent we went on.
Tanya Morgan
I know and I didn't want to interrupt. It was like when the fan came on, it was done then so.
Aubrie Williams
It looked beautiful. It looks really nice.
Ralph Andracchio
It looks really nice.
Tanya Morgan
I cut them up. I will say I did cheat a little bit on the recipe because I like cinnamon in my french toast. So I did add cinnamon in it. Yeah. I was like I gotta have some cinnamon.
Ralph Andracchio
That's what I do.
Tanya Morgan
I usually also add like a little bit of vanilla too. But I was out of vanilla. So. But that's that's OK.
Ralph Andracchio
That's a good idea.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah, just a little yeah just a tiny bit of vanilla. I love it. Yes. And powdered sugar, my daughter usually puts on hers. But I like butter and jelly.
Ralph Andracchio
I used a little of the orange marmalade from a few episodes ago with Neil. I still have some. So I put some orange marmalade on top. Just a smear. Just a little smidge.
Tanya Morgan
Oh.
Ralph Andracchio
Aubrie, did you want to? Oh, I'm sorry. I was going to ask if you wanted to go through the recipe.
Aubrie Williams
Yes, yes. I was going I was going to get right into that. So today we've made 99 Steps French toast. Spoiler alert: three steps. Very simple. We got your bread, we got your egg we got your milk, we got a teaspoon of butter, right yeah, teaspoon of butter. Yeah. There were options for cinnamon and sugar, apple butter or orange marmalade, which is like such an interesting choice because like they use they reuse a lot of stuff in this which is great because we've been cooking it and now Ralph and I own a whole jar of orange marmalade. But it seems interesting. Orange marmalade on French toast is not the first thing I'd go for honestly, but
Ralph Andracchio
It's not terrible actually.
Aubrie Williams
Oh, that's awesome. Maybe I'll try it on my on my next batch.
Ralph Andracchio
Just a little bit. Too much orange marmalade tastes like for cleaner to me, but a little
Aubrie Williams
A little dab'll do ya. Yeah.
Ralph Andracchio
A little dab'll do ya.
Tanya Morgan
I've never had that before. Is it gritty? Like does it have specks of I don't know what that is, seeds or
Ralph Andracchio
It has the zest. The, like, the rind.
Aubrie Williams
Like stringy parts sometimes, like a little bit of
Tanya Morgan
Oh.
Aubrie Williams
Which sounds gross saying it.
Tanya Morgan
I was thinking about the texture because I've seen it before but I you know I go by the regular deli and I'm like, I want to try that one day but I've never tried it.
Ralph Andracchio
I mean I would never buy it again. But now that I have and I'm like I'll see what I can do with this.
Aubrie Williams
Ralph and I can pass it along too, if you want to try some at all.
Tanya Morgan
I'll check it out.
Ralph Andracchio
And also I will say about this recipe, I was looking at it like one egg and a little bit of milk? I'm like this isn't going to go for four slices of bread, and it worked out perfectly. Perfectly.
Tanya Morgan
Mmhmm.
Aubrie Williams
That's
Tanya Morgan
Mmhmm.
Aubrie Williams
Alright, Carolyn Keene. You're getting some things right. Not
Ralph Andracchio
One point for Gryffindor.
Tanya Morgan
I was thinking the same thing. I would like and then I think back to the meals that I have made. I used too much because I will either have a whole bunch of the batter left or I've used an entire loaf of bread. It's like one or the other. And I've never like readjusted the recipe to be like one egg and, like, until today and I'm like what, well what do you know?
Aubrie Williams
Yeah. It's so good. It is, yeah, it is French toast though too. So like, you can never have too much truly. Right? Like this is one of those recipes where like, you can you can...I could eat a whole loaf of bread guaranteed.
Tanya Morgan
I love bread, especially like the bread...I had brioche bread, the Sara Lee, the thicker sweet-bread for this, but everyone ate it all, so...before today.
Aubrie Williams
Oh no!
Tanya Morgan
So I ended up having to use the regular Sara Lee artisan bread. It's still a little bit thicker and denser than, like, regular white bread.
Aubrie Williams
OK.
Tanya Morgan
So it worked out nice. It hold holds the batter a lot nicer.
Aubrie Williams
it's funny because they said thin slices of bread and you really want a thicker slice of bread for this like it does feel like
Tanya Morgan
Yeah
Ralph Andracchio
Abosultely
Tanya Morgan
I want it, it needs to soak up...well that's part of my brain being like yeah it's gonna soak it all up. That's why you need a gallon of milk and you need
Aubrie Williams
Look at how flat mine is. It's covered in syrup but it's like flat. Completely flat.
Tanya Morgan
Mine's like...it's not too flat, right? It's like a thicker
Ralph Andracchio
No.
Aubrie Williams
It's like restaurant grade. Yeah. That's like restaurant grade.
Ralph Andracchio
I will say like the fancy bread, like challah bread is good for French toast, too.
Tanya Morgan
Mmm.
Ralph Andracchio
It's, yeah, any bread that's like amazing on its own when you make it into French toast,it's like, yeah. It levels up.
Shannon Devido
Have you ever used Cinnamon Swirl bread for French toast?
Aubrie Williams
No.
Ralph Andracchio
No.
Tanya Morgan
No.
Shannon Devido
I recommend.
Tanya Morgan
Oh, OK. This is the bread the bread without the raisins in it?
Shannon Devido
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean unless you really liked raisins. Then like, go for, do, live your best life. But like, I mean, I enjoy that bread on its own. But I can't imagine it like in a French toast situation. But like no just they have like just a cinnamon swirl. So it's like there's it's the same exact thing without the raisins.
Tanya Morgan
Without the raisins. Oh, OK. I've never seen it like that.
Shannon Devido
Yeah. Pepperidge Farm, baby!
Aubrie Williams
Oh I love Pepperidge Farm.
Shannon Devido
OK. Oh, alright. I'll have to, I'll have to look for it because I I guess I'm used to buying the one with the raisins and that's the one that I've always bought. I've never even looked for one without. So I'll try it.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah, I like it. So Shan, what are you eating tonight, my friend?
Shannon Devido
Oh yeah. Thank you so much for asking. So this segment is called Shannon is the Worst Cook of All Time. Cue the music. So I for two reasons I did not make this recipe. One: because it's called 99 steps and quite honestly that feels like a personal assault. And I tried to make French toast once and I did it I think sorta and I like put in the thing. And then I can't I can't I'm not I should not use a pan on a stove. And so I put it in a toaster and the egg dripped into said toaster. We no longer owned that toaster after that day and I almost burnt my house down so I'm not allowed to make French toast anymore.
Aubrie Williams
Well, uh, all's well that ends well. You know?
Ralph Andracchio
They do now make toasters, stay with me. They make toasters that are toasters but then you flip them down, they flip on their side and they become toaster ovens you can stick stuff in, so
Shannon Devido
That was because of me.
Aubrie Williams
It was because of you. It's right there in the description. Yeah.
Shannon Devido
Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
Reason for the season. Oh my God, that's like, the future is now. That's crazy.
Ralph Andracchio
Mmhmm.
Tanya Morgan
Mmhmm.
Aubrie Williams
I have not seen these things.
Ralph Andracchio
I'm excited for all of the new kitchen technology that's coming out. I don't like the one, have you seen the one on TV that you like scan the barcode or whatever? And it's like, oh, you're cooking fish. Okay, we'll set all the knobs for you.
Tanya Morgan
For real?
Ralph Andracchio
Yeah, it's like.
Tanya Morgan
What, what barcode are you scanning?
Ralph Andracchio
It comes with, it's like Blue Apron or like those things that where they like send you all of the ingredients and you make it yourself. It's one of those but everything comes in like a little tin already. So and it comes with like a QR code. So you scan the QR code and it says, Oh, you're making meatloaf tonight put it in and then he put the little tin in and you close the door and it cooks it for you perfectly. And I'm like, I'm not that lazy. Like, I can I can turn the dial to set it to the right temperature and time and everything. Like, that just seems a step too far, right?
Aubrie Williams
Yeah, that also seems, like, dangerous. Like, you know that movie, like Smart House or like when houses or things try and kill you. Like, it feels like it could end badly.
Tanya Morgan
Mmhmm.
Aubrie Williams
I don't like...that's too much power for a QR code. Setting fires? Nah, hard pass.
Ralph Andracchio
Yeah. Like we're already watching movies and Siri will just pipe up whenever she feels like it like, "I don't know the answer to that question" and we're like we weren't talking to you. Shut up.
Like, what?
Aubrie Williams
Stay out of it, Siri. So nosy.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah, Siri has told me that "that's not nice." Siri's like "that's not nice" when I curse at her. Oh, that's not nice. I'm like, what do you have feelings? I don't understand. I stopped using her.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah, I've turned mine off because it gets, like, it's too much. It's too much, honestly.
Tanya Morgan
Mmhmm.
Aubrie Williams
She shouldn't have hurt feelings. She's a sentient being? Like she's not..
Tanya Morgan
That's what I said.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah.
Shannon Devido
So do we like this? Are we are we happy?
Aubrie Williams
Oh yeah, I finished the entire plate but I halfed the recipe. So yeah.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
Two thumbs way up.
Shannon Devido
Wow! We have our first real winner. Most of the time you guys just go, "I don't hate it."
Aubrie Williams
We keep eating it, too, because we're gluttons, but this one was enjoyable every every 99 step of the way. Uh. Sorry, Shan. Sorry.
Tanya Morgan
There's really no way you can screw up french toast.
Aubrie Williams
Look at this, look at this cover too. Look at...I did not count to see if there are not actually 99 steps on the cover, but so many steps on this cover it continues to
Tanya Morgan
Oh wow.
Shannon Devido
Is that tree like reaching out to grab the children?
Aubrie Williams
So I think it's I think it's a wooden doorframe and I think it's half broken but it doesn't make sense logistically. Yeah, it does look like a creepy, like the forest in The Wizard of Oz, like
Shannon Devido
Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
Like a weird trunk hand.
Tanya Morgan
It looks like it looks like a hand reaching out.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah.
Tanya Morgan
Is it in a white, is in a white van? Does it have a white van?
Aubrie Williams
Yeah, this was a cautionary tale. They, they released this book along with Oprah's special. Cause this door looks like a door you would get kidnapped in, like don't go in that door. That's your first..I don't. No one deserves it, but also like if you're going in that door like you have to expect something bad might happen.
Tanya Morgan
I can't tell if they're going in or are they escaping?
Aubrie Williams
There's a looming figure at the top and I can't tell if it's someone in danger and they're running from...it might be a ghost.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah. I haven't read this one yet. It's 43. So I've been rereading them, but I'm only up to 16. So in 25 years, I will tell you how this ends.
Tanya Morgan
All right.
Shannon Devido
Looking forward to it.
Aubrie Williams
I can, I'll just Google a synopsis and I'll send it to all of you after this episode. Alright, should we...do you think it's time to get into our questions?
Ralph Andracchio
I think so.
Shannon Devido
Oh, yeah, it's the world famous questionnaire time.
Ralph Andracchio
This is my favorite question that I like to ask, so I want to I want to jump in first and ask. Tanya, what is your favorite kitchen utensil and why?
Tanya Morgan
Yeah, you know what? That's an easy one, and it is this one right here next to me for many reasons. Number one, it's the metal tongs, and the reason because, first: it does this and makes that lovely clanging sound that my ears absolutely love. And this one is equipped to like be open. I don't know if they're all they might all be like this. This one just seems special to me. But it opens like this and then when you close it you can lock it by pulling the little ring down and it stays closed so it doesn't like get jammed in my cabinet. When I tried to open the drawer, it doesn't get stuck. Like, if it's open like this, I have to lay it flat. But I, so the things that you don't think about until someone invents it is like oh my gosh, how have I survived without this thing. And I love it because it can get hot, it can go into heat. I had a plastic one and it got all burned up. I was like, this one. Yes. I love it. This is my favorite right here. And it has the like rubber on it so it doesn't slip. I was like they thought they really thought of everything with this. It has grooves for my fingers to sit in. Yeah, yes. I was like never have I like gone to the store to buy kitchen utensils and tried the utensil out. Usually it's like alright, I just get the thing but cause it was hanging, I was like "oh!" Okay, like, pretend to be picking stuff up. I'm like, then I was like picking stuff up. I was like this is it right here, Ralph.
Ralph Andracchio
I think if there's a like universal stuff like they sometimes people say laughter is like a universal language and love is a universal language. I think people picking up tongs and immediately doing the clicky thing to make sure they work is also a universal thing. I'm sure every country every continent, when you pick up tongs you click them to make sure they work.
Tanya Morgan
You have to. Yes. I'd do that with scissors too if they weren't packaged the way they are. You gotta make sure like the comfort is there. There's always like half of them are packaged and one half is sticking out and I'm like how am I gonna? I'm gonna take them home and then return them, so. That is my favorite.
Shannon Devido
Love it. Alright, if you could cook with a famous person dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Tanya Morgan
If I could cook with a famous person? So the first person who comes in my mind honestly is Martha Stewart. And it's it's not even that I'm like interested in her cooking I just want to know all the dirt. Like all the I feel like that's really where that's where she spills like everything. In the kitchen just chillin hanging out and your just like so Martha, how was your day? Well, let me tell you what I did. Me and Snoop we oh boy. You know what I mean? I feel like that's what like that's her end of the day and that's where everything would just come out. That was that was mine. As we're just cooking together like what, tell me more! That would be amazing. I know she has some stories.
Ralph Andracchio
I have to say that the like out of the last decade or so that's one of the most like fun innocent like makes the most sense pairings of any celebrities I've seen. Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg. Just when you see them together you're like, yep, absolutely. That makes total sense.
Tanya Morgan
Yes! It's so cute. And they, I don't know. They have a wine thing together that I didn't know until this weekend. I went to a Wine Fest in Atlantic City and there's a Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg like wine. Yeah. I was like what is and it was they were pretty good. I got to like taste them. We couldn't buy anything for some reason. I don't know. But um, yeah, I was I was shocked. I didn't. I don't remember hearing anything about it. I know a lot of celebrities have you know beverages now but that seeing them there together, it's just like they are such good friends.
Ralph Andracchio
I love that.
Aubrie Williams
They have like a business venture together and that's so I love that. It's so nice.
Ralph Andracchio
Random follow up question. When you when you become rich and famous as I know you will, what will be your beverage that you create for everybody to enjoy?
Tanya Morgan
Man, what would I create? It would, my favorite thing is a red red wine. Yeah, like, yeah, any red wine. So I'd probably create my own.
Ralph Andracchio
Sweet? Dry?
Tanya Morgan
Like a dry. Yep, I like a dry but not a woodsy dry wine. Not that oaky one, the one like if it sits. I've starting learning a little bit about wine. Like if it's aged for too long, that's where that oaky like left flavor in the back of your throat. So it's like a perfect amount of time where you have to catch it before it gets to that. Like, a lot of people like that. I like, right, it's like six months. Eighteen months is like perfect to age a red wine to me. Yeah.
Ralph Andracchio
Okay, interesting.
Tanya Morgan
Yes.
Aubrie Williams
Have you ever thought about it or dabbled? Another follow up question like have you ever like can you like make your own wine? Like how, are there places around here where you can like go or?
Tanya Morgan
Oh, I never even thought about it. Honestly, I'm sure there's make your own wine. There's especially around in New Jersey there's all these vineyards and everything. I might have to ask about that. I know. A friend of mine is a sommelier so I can ask like hey, is there ever? Yeah, let me, I'll ask. You might you might be getting a wine for me sooner and then you think.
Aubrie Williams
You totally should! It feels like yeah, it's not as easy as like home brewing. I know that's a big trend but like, it feels like you can do it. It feels like you can, you know some people.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
We can get your red wine started.
Tanya Morgan
Oh yeah. Cause right now I'm spending a fortune on other people's.
Aubrie Williams
That's the beauty. Free wine for life, like
Yeah.
Yeah. Do it do it.
Tanya Morgan
Alright, I'm doing it. I'm doing it.
Aubrie Williams
Cookbook Obscura will, if we ever have money, sponsor your wine.
Ralph Andracchio
Absolutely.
Shannon Devido
And then you have to go on a wine tour with Martha and Snoop.
Aubrie Williams
Oh my God.
Tanya Morgan
How fun.
Aubrie Williams
Oh, we're gonna come too. We're gonna come, honestly, we're gonna, we're gonna jump on the bandwagon. Alright, Tanya, what's your favorite family recipe or dish your family always made?
Tanya Morgan
No, this question really brought back some memories. The meal that my Mom used to make all the time was Encore salisbury steak with mashed potatoes and corn and it was like the greatest thing ever. And I bought it not too long ago. And my kids were having none of it. None of it. I was like, they were like, "um, it's in a box. What is...?" I was like yeah, you know, you put it in an oven, you heat it up, blah blah blah. And they just were not having it at all. So, our childhoods are very different.
Ralph Andracchio
Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
I feel like that's one of those things too, like you had to be there in that time capsule in order to appreciate that.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah, for sure. It's like, especially back then, like that was so easy. If my mom was doing whatever she's doing, I could just pop it in the oven. You know, didn't really matter how old I was it was like turn the oven on, pop it in. So that was such a quick and easy thing if my mom wasn't coming home or she'd be home really late. Oh, there's Salisbury steak in there, I can make that. You know, it's so easy. And then that the mashed potatoes were those ones where you would boil and then pour the powder in and they turned into potatoes.
Aubrie Williams
We used to do that. Instant instant mashed potatoes. It was such a fad.
Tanya Morgan
The instant mashed potatoes. I think that was the whole like women are working now, so kids need to cook.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah. Microwavable dinners like
Tanya Morgan
Microwaveable dinners.
Aubrie Williams
Yeah, like family dinners you can like throw in the oven or the microwave. Like
Tanya Morgan
Yeah, it's all quick, quick stuff.
Aubrie Williams
Quick stuff. Yeah. We didn't have time back in the seventies or eighties.
Tanya Morgan
No time. No time. Yeah, you think you don't have time now? Forget it. People are cooking up meals. Look at us. Look at us cooking and talking. We didn't have time to do that back then!
Aubrie Williams
I know this stuff we didn't put this in a microwave. You know? C'mon.
Ralph Andracchio
Nope. I had such good memories of Swanson dinners with my dad like cooking them and then watching TV before I went to bed. Like that's that's like a nice little warm, I agree 1,000% with you. That's one of my favorites too.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah.
Aubrie Williams
Isn't it funny how like it's not the home cooked meals because that's what like we would always have the Salisbury steak with the big mac and cheese like the Stouffer's you put in.
Tanya Morgan
Yep.
Aubrie Williams
That would be one of our staples like, probably like every other week we would have that and like
Tanya Morgan
Same.
Aubrie Williams
some of my fondest food memories and I still love that food like I know it's not you know, from the earth but
Tanya Morgan
It was great. That was the time when you had like one TV so everybody had to eat together. We watched TV while we ate it was like, that's what we did. But now everyone like my house, everybody, they're whereever they are.
Ralph Andracchio
Speaking of food that's easy to make. If you were a cereal what cereal would you be?
Tanya Morgan
That is so super easy for me. I would be Lucky Charms.
Oh, magically delicious. Yes.
Magically delicious. For so many resons. But I love Lucky Charms but not the oat pieces, just the candy pieces.
Aubrie Williams
The marshmallows. Yeah. Have you ever bought a bag of dehydrated marshmallows? You can buy them at the store.
Tanya Morgan
I have them in my cabinet now and they are not the same.
Aubrie Williams
They're not the same.
Tanya Morgan
They are not the same. Nope. I tried it. I tried to dehydrate my own. Like I bought a big bag on Amazon of the lucky charms. They were marshmallows though. Like, you know Amazon, it looks like something else. I thought it was the regular charms. When they showed up. It was basically just a bag of marshmallows and I was like well, am I supposed to make my own Lucky Charms with these? I was so upset and a friend of mine like, you have to just dehydrate them. I was like what magic? Like how?
Aubrie Williams
That's too much work.
Shannon Devido
Do you have a leprechaun that can do that for you?
Tanya Morgan
I don't! That's what I was saying! I'm like I don't know what to do!
Aubrie Williams
You gotta, you gotta go on Craigslist, find a leprechaun.
Tanya Morgan
That's what I needed.
Aubrie Williams
Be careful, though.
Shannon Devido
He has a van.
Aubrie Williams
Vet, yeah, vet the leprechaun.
You know what I'm so mad about is that there was never an Oops All Charms, Lucky Charms. Because like Captain Crunch had Oops All Berries. Lucky Charms, General Mills, whoever makes that cereal. We pitch, like every episode we pitch a new idea. So if you're listening please get Tanya an Oops All Charms.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah, all charms.
Aubrie Williams
Wouldn't that...that's the only thing people care about in that cereal.
Tanya Morgan
Mmhmm. Yeah.
Shannon Devido
Okay. In the 1980s, the 1980s, reading is hard. The 1980's was a great decade for music but also a decade of worry about satanic rock music. Parents worried that if their kids played the records backwards, they'd hear satanic speaking. So, if Guy Fieri made a rock album and you played it backwards, what would he be telling our children?
Tanya Morgan
Mmm. Guy Fieri?
Ralph Andracchio
Mmhmm.
Shannon Devido
Yeah.
Tanya Morgan
Guy Fieri would be telling our children that this is my natural hair color. And blonde haired adult men exist.
Aubrie Williams
Yep.
Shannon Devido
Yeah.
Tanya Morgan
Which isn't true, but he'd be trying to convince everyone else.
Aubrie Williams
Oh my god.
Ralph Andracchio
Natural tips are frosted, frosted tips are natural.
Tanya Morgan
All natural.
Ralph Andracchio
Oops, all frosted tips.
Shannon Devido
Could you imagine if that was a thing? Like if frosted tips were like a natural hair color that you could like have?
Aubrie Williams
Like if a kid was born with frosted tips. Could you imagine as a parent, like, uh, it was just born with frosted tips.
Shannon Devido
It's like as your hair grows like it's dark and then as it gets longer, the end is just blonde. Like I just I think that'd be really funny.
Aubrie Williams
There is a huge part of me that is very glad we don't live in a world that that could just be a normal, like, it's one of the options because then there would be more people with frosted tips is what I'm assuming although I could be wrong.
Ralph Andracchio
I've always wanted one of those those caps that they use to do the frosted tips like they put the cap on like the swimming cap the holes in it and they poke the hair out and do that. I've always wanted one of them.
Aubrie Williams
That would be so cool.
Tanya Morgan
To just wear?
Ralph Andracchio
Yeah.
Tanya Morgan
Like, why?
Ralph Andracchio
Why not? I can't use it for real there's nothing up there so why not just get it and like
Tanya Morgan
I just wanna have
Ralph Andracchio
Because you could I could like put stuff in the holes. So like I could put spikes I could put like whatever.
Tanya Morgan
That's true, yeah. Or you can put it on and then like put color and have like a design.
Ralph Andracchio
Polka dot head.
Aubrie Williams
Like a, like a head tattoo. Oh my god.
Tanya Morgan
Yes.
Ralph Andracchio
I like it.
Tanya Morgan
Look at that.
Aubrie Williams
I also like the idea of remember Doug Pederson had those, they sold those Eagles hats with Doug Pederson's hair. You could get one of them and put the cap on and see what happens!
Ralph Andracchio
Oh, that would freak people out because everybody is so used to seeing me bald they'd be like
Tanya Morgan
I know!
Ralph Andracchio
You've gone through changes, we haven't seen you.
Tanya Morgan
Right!
Aubrie Williams
Why is Ralph constantly wearing an Eagle's visor? We don't
Ralph Andracchio
This has been so much fun by the way. We are almost at the end of our time together. I wanted to give you an opportunity to plug whatever you want. Do you have any upcoming projects? Where can people find you online? Where can they see you perform? How can they come visit you at your new place in South Philly? Tell us everything.
Tanya Morgan
Oh, there's so much going on at the theater. I'm so excited. We have a free monthly improv jam every first Sunday. So folks are welcome to pop in and we do a workshop because there's a lot of people who haven't been exposed to improv in that neighborhood. And they've been popping in so they're like I don't know what this is. So we like teach them some of the games and then they jump on stage and we play. So it's really like welcoming I would say, at least to me, I hope they all feel that way. And then every first Saturday of the month we do a free family show that's hosted by the N Crowd. So it's almost the same thing that kids come out and the parents can join in too. We do a workshop teaching them some games, some short form games, and then the N Crowd performs short form games like the kids get involved from the audience and they shout out suggestions. It's really cute. So that's every first Saturday, yeah. And then in August, I'm teaching, me and another teaching artist are teaching every Friday from, we're doing like the Improv Olympics kind of thing for kids to pop in. It's free. The first hour is for K through, K through 10 years old and then the next hour is 11 through 16. They're getting an hour 15 minutes and they get to perform a little show, like a five minute show they're gonna run themselves at the end. So that'd be every Friday in August, and it's free and it's drop in and parents can come and hang out. There's coffee, tea and snacks at the building so that they can come and mingle and get to know each other and all of that. So it's really trying to be like a community space where folks can hang out. We got a back patio. I'm about to put the tent back there so people can sit outside and and hang out and, yeah.
Ralph Andracchio
That's like everything I wanted all the other theaters that I've been a part of to be. I'm gonna cry, it sounds so amazing!
Tanya Morgan
I know. I'm like, come on out! Let's just hang. We have a game night coming up too on July 12, from five to seven. And what's great is the South Philly Food Co Op that's around the corner from me, they came over and they really loved what I was doing and they like, blasted me on their social media like businesses to check out. This is one of them. And they were really interested in doing a game and I was like, yes, that's what I want to do. So that is already like, getting full with sign ups. So on July 12, we'll be doing that. Probably like taboo, Family Feud, Cards Against Humanity, whatever you want to play. So we're like doing that. Gonna be a lot of fun.
Aubrie Williams
That's so great.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah, be on the lookout. I wanna, I'm like looking for karaoke. I want to do that. Like, so I had a, there were women comedians who came out but that was the first show I did. And it sold out like in the weekend it sold out was really wonderful. And one of the comedians said, you know, because it's not a huge place. And I know she was making a joke and she said, you know, give it up for Tanya is like, she just opened the door and let let us in living room. Right? And I was like, I know you're joking but that is the feel that I want. That you have been welcomed into my living room and we are all just breaking bread. That's what I want you to feel like so that was such a beautiful thing that she said and I just love it. I quote it all time like, she said it's like my living room.
Aubrie Williams
That's amazing.
Tanya Morgan
Yeah, pop in and say hi. I'm usually there every day just about and then soon I probably will be there every night over the summer, but mostly we're there every day. Yeah. We're gonna be having classes in there on Tuesdays as well for teens.
Ralph Andracchio
That's amazing. Oh my God. Doing such good work. We're gonna put all of the links for all your socials and the theater in our show notes so everybody can come check you out. This has been amazing. Tanya Morgan, thank you so much.
Tanya Morgan
Thank you. Thank you. I had such a great time.
Ralph Andracchio
This has been wonderful! Thank you everybody for listening as well. And remember to like and subscribe if you like this, we have much more shows coming. And remember to please eat responsibly. Have a good night.
