Cooked and Booked

On the Season 1 finale of Cooked and Booked, Sunny and Laci Mosley dish about two stories of well-known restaurants mired in family feuds. First, there’s a teppanyaki tussle when a famous owner changes his will. Then, we two-step over to Texas for a brotherly barbecue brawl. In both cases, mixing food and family really turns up the flames. Produced by Paradiso Media for Food Network.   Sources:  “Back wages recovered.” U.S. Department of Labor “Barbeque family feud.” Texas Monthly.  “Battle over Benihana.” Fortune.  “Family battle heats up.” Wealth Management.  “Founder’s wife loses bid.” Times Union “Heirs want stepmom booted.” NY Post.  “In re Aoki.” Case Text.  “Lockhart barbecue timeline.” Texas Monthly “Rocky Aoki’s empire.” Ringer. 

Nina Parker joins Sunny for another episode, and while today’s case revolves around candy, the mysterious crime ring at the center of the story is anything but sweet. Produced by Paradiso Media for Food Network.Content disclaimer: This episode includes a brief discussion of suicide from minute mark 24:00 to 26:25. If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available at 988lifeline.org. Sources: “Tycoon kidnapped.” UPI.“Candy caper.” New York Times.“Crime ring never caught.” Atlas Obscura.“Monster with 21 Faces.” Historic Mysteries.“Police in Japan.” New York Times.“Policeman dies.” UPI“Police probe to end.” Japan Policy & Politics.  “Yamamoto died.” Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes

Sunny welcomes Dan Pelosi back to the show for two stories about allegedly stolen family recipes, starting with an Italian matriarch’s memoirs that go missing in LA, followed by some double dumpling trouble outside of Boston. Produced by Paradiso Media for Food Network.Sources:  “Dumpling Daughter files suit.” Eater.  “Our Story.” Pasta Sisters.  “Recipe as IP?” PTS Law. “Recipe Espionage.” All Business. “Restaurant burglary.” LA Times.  “Restaurant sues rival.” Boston Globe.  “Who owns a recipe?” New York Times.  

Content disclaimer: This episode includes a brief discussion of clinical depression and suicide from minute mark 25:15 to 28:50. If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available at 988lifeline.org. Sunny and returning guest Nina Parker pull back the curtain on the Michelin Guide as they discuss the case of Pascal Rémy, a former Michelin inspector who went rogue. Produced by Paradiso Media for Food Network. Sources:  “About Us.” Michelin Guide. “Bean-spiller loses.” Guardian.  “Lunch with M.” New Yorker.  “Michelin critic loses.” New York Times. “Michelin Guide Allegations.” LA Times.  “Michelin History.” Provence Beyond.  “Michelin man spills beans.” Guardian.  “Tire Company Publishes.” Priceonomics.

Sunny is joined by Dan Pelosi to journey into the dark, twisted and aromatic world of the high-end truffle industry. Produced by Paradiso Media for Food Network.  Sources:   “Beaker of Truffles.” New York Times.  “Dark side of truffles.” Atlantic. “Dying for luxury.” Independent.  “French farmer jailed.” Guardian.   “Insane demand.” Heritage Truffles.  “Rambaud’s night patrol.” Le Monde.  “Summer truffle.” Global Change Biology.  “Truffle farmer shoots.” Guardian.  “Truffle Fraud.” Eater.  “Truffle industry scam.” Taste Atlas.  “Truffle Kerfuffle.” JD Supra.  “Truffle oil lawsuit.” Reuters Legal.  “‘Truffle Oil’ Without Truffles.” New York Times.  “Truffle shortage.” Wired.  “White truffle auctions.” NBC News.  “White truffle crisis.” Bloomberg.  “White truffle mystery.” Geographical. 

Sunny welcomes Laci Mosley to dive into a double serving of supermarket swindles, featuring stories of the soggy bread scammer of Tokyo and Washington State’s rafter robber. Produced by Paradiso Media for Food Network. Sources:  “Burglar hid in rafters.” My Northwest.   “Case number: 23-1-03474-7 KNT.” King County Superior Court Clerk’s Office  “Conditions of release.” Auburn Examiner.   “Grocery store squatter-burglar busted.” The Takeout.   “Haggen Thief Arrested.” Auburn Examiner.   “Man arrested for scamming millions.” Japan Today.   “Man Grifted Tokyo's Supermarkets.” Vice.   “Suspect worked in roofing.” King 5.   “Washington vs. Wiley.” Auburn Examiner   “Washington vs. Wiley.” Superior Court of Washington for Pierce County 

Guest Nina Parker joins Sunny to discuss the mysterious “Madame Gil,” who ran a “cheesy” pyramid scheme that scammed thousands of people out of millions of dollars. Produced by Paradiso Media for Food Network. Sources:  “'Magic cheese scam' on trial.” BBC “Dark Age: The Political Odyssey of Emperor Bokassa.” McGill-Queens University Press.  “France looks into "magic cheese."” Reuters.  “French woman ​on trial.” Guardian.  “Frenchwoman jailed.” Guardian. “Madame Yogurt.” Le Monde.   

Sunny Anderson welcomes back Charles Holmes to discuss a sweet and sticky crime: a multi-million dollar robbery of maple syrup. Produced by Paradiso Media for Food Network.  Sources:  “Quebec arrests.” CBC. “Canada's Supreme Court.” BBC.  “Case in Brief.” Supreme Court of Canada. “Maple Syrup Heist.” Canadian Encyclopedia.  “Maple-Syrup Heist.” Vanity Fair.   “Dirty Money having fun.” Toronto Star.  “Key player gets parole.” Montreal Gazette.  “Maple Syrup Industry.” NPR.  “Maple Syrup 'Cartel.'” NPR.  “Maple Syrup Heist.” Bloomberg.  “Maple syrup black market.” Marketplace.  “Quebec Cartel.” Bloomberg.  “QMSP Story.” PPAQ.  “Maple Syrup Cartel.” Vermont Public. “Quebec maple syrup.” CBC.  “Ringleader To Pay.” Forbes.  “Victim Was Cartel.” New York Times.  

Sunny Anderson and guest Daryn Carp uncork a multi-million dollar wine fraud that fooled even the most elite tasters of the wine world. Produced by Paradiso Media for Food Network.Sources:“$75,000 a case?” Los Angeles Times. “Accused Wine Counterfeiter” Wine Spectator. “Wine Con.” New Yorker. “Government Bail Letter.” New York Times Archive.“Great Wine Fraud.” Guardian. “Kurniawan’s Counterfeits.” Wine Enthusiast. “Wine World Fooled.” Wine Enthusiast.“Kurniawan Gets 10 Years.” CBS News.“Koch Settlement” Decanter. “Prison Release.” Drinks Business. “10 Year Sentence” U.S. Attorney’s Office SDNY “Duped Millionaires” NPR.  “Proprietor Halts Sale” Wine Spectator. “Rudy Return” Wine Diarist. “Counterfeiter Deport” Wine Spectator. “Vintage Crime.” Vanity Fair. “Wine Dealer Sentenced” New York Times. “Vintage Fraud” FBI.“Koch vs. Kurniawan.” Dr. Vino. “Koch.” Forbes.