Podcast Summary: The Joy of Cooking Podcast

Episode: Sarah Marshall: A Casual Culinary Chat About Frozen Treats

Date: October 8, 2025
Hosts: Shannon Larson, Megan Scott, John Becker
Special Guest/Producer: Sarah Marshall

Main Theme & Purpose

In this lively, informal episode, the hosts gather with producer and local food entrepreneur Sarah Marshall for a roundtable discussion that blends warmth, wit, and practical kitchen wisdom. The conversation flows naturally from seasonal canning traditions and home-cooked meals to the inventive world of frozen treats—both classic and quirky. They swap stories about Canning Club swaps, creative uses for garden produce, nostalgic and modern approaches to making and enjoying frozen snacks, and flex their deep knowledge of home preservation and food history. Along the way, the group fields a listener question about unconventional frozen snacks and highlights both modern and vintage recipes (some, delightfully, best left to the past).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introductions & Housekeeping (00:38–02:33)

• Playful mood-setting: Co-hosts riff on their culinary personalities (e.g., John as sumac, Sarah as “living her best pepper life”—see 01:19–01:30).
• First-time gathering: All four (Shannon, Megan, John, Sarah) share the table together, sparking an extra-casual, familial vibe (02:29–02:35).

2. Canning Club & Community (03:09–13:00)

• Canning Club (aka Portland Preservation Society): Four friends and a wider circle swap five jars each of home-canned goods, rotating hosts and building pantry diversity. Lauded as a “good way to make friends” (08:49).
• Club mechanics: Everyone brings something to eat and drink, with the main event a “round robin” where all exchange jars (06:45–07:28).
• Longevity & evolution: The club, active for 12–13 years, shifted from monthly to quarterly meetings post-pandemic (“Every month is a lot to be canning…” — Megan, 07:38).
• Personal connections: Many Portland friendships (and this podcast partnership) grew out of Canning Club (“I picked you up because you were waiting for the bus, and I was like, I know her”—Shannon, 08:15).

Notable Quotes:

• “You come with five jars of the same thing and you come home with five different jars of things.” — Shannon (06:45)
• “It’s warm in here… Sometimes you just need reassurance that it’s normal and people are nice.” — Megan & John (09:10–09:12)

3. Recent Cooking Projects & Canning Inspiration (13:21–19:10)

• Canning Recipes and Joy of Cooking: The group details their “lazy” tomato canning method (14:05–15:05), referencing both Joy of Cooking and Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan as approachable, newbie-friendly resources (15:05–15:54).
• Special guest teasers: Marisa McClellan will join future canning club and the podcast (16:26–16:38).
• Creative swaps: Homemade elderberry tincture with local honey, pickled okra (low-temp for extra crunch), honey chamomile apricot jam, and cocktail cherries stand out among the group’s quarterly canning offerings (17:29–19:10).

4. What’re You Cooking This Week? (19:28–32:53)

• Green chile adventures—Sarah discusses her green chile chicken burgers (20:43–23:00), seeking host advice on prep techniques (21:23–22:58).
• Tomato & egg stir-fry (Megan): “So easy… so good… takes like 10 minutes.” (24:40–25:28)
• Steak & bruschetta meal (Shannon): A reminder to let bruschetta shine as a main, not just an appetizer (25:28–26:40).
• Eggplant season: Multiple hosts rave about “fish fragrant eggplant” from Fuchsia Dunlop’s cookbook (29:51–30:31).

Notable Quotes:

• “We should all be eating more [bruschetta]…Don’t think of it as an appetizer; it can be a meal.” — Shannon (28:53)
• “Fish fragrant eggplant… you cut the eggplant, fry it, make a flavorful sauce, toss it back in. Fantastic dish.” — Megan (30:08)

5. Local Food & Ice Cream Inspiration (31:23–34:33)

• Shoutout: Chamomile toffee nut crunch ice cream at Portland’s Lovely’s 50/50; Megan praises the “cantaloupe ice cream” for its pure flavor (31:54–32:24).
• Insider tip: Chef at Lovely’s dehydrates cantaloupe for her ice cream—guessed by Sarah (32:24–32:39).

6. Community & Cookbook Events (32:58–36:26)

• Vivian’s cookbook event: Reflections on hosting and moderating—how food events bring people together and spark honest, nurturing conversations (33:54–36:11).

Listener Q&A: Unconventional Frozen Treats

Segment begins: (37:48)

Question:

"Are there any snack foods you can eat frozen besides grapes and fruit?" (38:01)

Answers & Brainstorming:

Classic and Modern Frozen Snacks

• Frozen fruit as the baseline: Shannon: “The bags of frozen mango from Trader Joe’s …I just snack on those.” (38:17)
• Fruit Riot “sour” frozen grapes from Costco: “They’re like warheads but for adults…they’re grapes!” — Megan (39:12)
• Frozen peanut butter cups, York peppermint patties, Junior Mints: All better frozen, a movie theater tradition (39:29).
• Yogurt Bark: Spread sweetened yogurt on parchment, top with fruit/choc chips/sprinkles, freeze, break into shards (40:52–41:06).
• Pickle Pops: “A popsicle that’s made of pickle brine…” Inspired by Dairyland drive-in, Thermopolis, WY (41:10–42:45).

Savory & Offbeat Historical Picks

• Pickle brine ice cubes for cocktails: “Great for Bloody Marys and stuff.” — Megan (44:02)
• “Frozen aspic” and “frozen lobster, salmon, crab meat, or chicken salad” (with gelatin): Not recommended, but a glimpse into home-cooking history (“Savory gelatin, beef or mayonnaise with pineapple—no, thank you!” — group reaction, 47:55–50:55).

Commercial & Social Media Trends

• Vegan frozen snacks: Local business “Pistachio butters” making daily vegan snacks and tagging Billie Eilish (53:00).
• Freeze-dried snacks: A modern TikTok take on classic, albeit questionable, frozen salads (51:21–52:41).

DIY & Hybrid Ideas

• Ritz cracker ice cream sandwiches: Peanut butter + ice cream between Ritz crackers, dipped in chocolate. “Salty, buttery, and they hold up in the freezer for up to three weeks!” — Megan (53:43–54:08).
• Freezing single-serve yogurt cups with a spoon/stick for “quick popsicles” (46:21).
• Sliced bananas dunked in chocolate, then frozen—classic and easy (53:35–53:43).

Fun Takeaway

• “Pickle pops was the thing we were meant to bring…as the solution.” — Sarah (52:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On canning club’s importance:
  “That’s how I know most of my friends.” — Sarah (08:44)
• On experimenting with canning:
  “We’re going to add the new lazy, no tomato peeling method next time.” — Megan (15:05)
• On food history:
  “Frozen pineapple cheese salad… mayonnaise and sweet ingredients, that sounds like it’s supposed to be sweet…and that’s when you lose me.” — Megan (50:55)
• On frozen snacking:
  “I feel like we should all just be eating, like, pickle pops.” — Shannon (52:45)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:38 — Episode opening, introductions
• 03:09 — Canning Club, community & canning mechanics
• 13:21 — What the group has been canning/cooking recently
• 19:28 — Green chile cooking & practical kitchen technique talk
• 24:40 — Standout home-cooked quick meals
• 31:23 — Favorite local ice cream & Portland shoutouts
• 32:58 — Reflections on local cookbook events/community
• 37:48 — Listener Q&A: Frozen snacks beyond fruit
• 41:10 — Pickle pops!
• 47:21 — Strange historical frozen recipes (aspics, salads)
• 53:43 — Ritz cracker ice cream sandwiches & more new ideas
• 54:35 — Next week’s question: jazzing up instant ramen

Resource Mentions & Cookbook Shoutouts

• Joy of Cooking (2019 Edition), especially canning section and brownie recipes
• Food in Jars (Marisa McClellan)
• Preserving by the Pint (Marisa McClellan)
• Saving the Season (Kevin West)
• The Food of Szechuan (Fuchsia Dunlop)
• Pistachio Butters, Dairyland (Thermopolis, WY), Lovely’s 50/50 (Portland, OR)

Tone & Language

Warm, playful, and welcoming; the episode is packed with personal anecdotes, gentle teasing, and encouragement to try new things, whether starting a canning club or experimenting with frozen snacks. The podcasters use mostly everyday kitchen language and make complex preservation topics accessible, modeling the approachable spirit of the Joy of Cooking.

Next Week Sneak Peek

• Instant ramen hacks with guest Peter Kim (author, Instant Ramen Kitchen)
• Joy Scouts recipe: Fudgy Brownies (2019 edition, p. 765)

This summary is designed to be useful for those who haven’t listened—capturing recommendations, lively debates, and the community-centric, food-loving heart of this episode.