Chef Tristen Epps, who just won Season 22 of Bravo’s Top Chef, grew up the son of a single mom who was a JAG, a lawyer with the military. That meant he moved about 16 times before the end of high school—from Guam to the Philippines—and was exposed to a wide range of cuisines from a young age. His travel background, along with family roots in Trinidad, led to a deep appreciation for food and cooking, and also a desire to both celebrate and elevate Afro-Caribbean cuisine. Now, on the tail of his high profile Top Chef win, he’s on a path to opening a fine dining restaurant in Houston called Buboy – a tribute to his grandfather’s nickname. And his goals for Buboy are ambitious, as he looks to bring Afro-Caribbean cooking in the United States to the Michelin-star level. We’ll talk about all that, plus the years he spent working at the Greenbriar in West Virginia, how his step-father’s unfortunate passing mid-season affected his time on Top Chef, and how he’s embracing his identity as a Southerner and a Houstonian. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Biscuits & Jam is produced by: Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Katie Lee Biegel grew up in Milton, West Virginia, descended from a long line of women who really knew how to cook. Her grandparents had a big vegetable garden and canned their own green beans and tomatoes. Her great grandmother won blue ribbons for her angel food cake, her great aunt was a fabulous cook, and all of them instilled in her a love for comfort food and hospitality that she’s carried all her life. After getting a lot of attention in the media for her marriage to Billy Joel at age 23, she started writing cookbooks, landed a gig hosting Top Chef, wrote a novel about surfing, and eventually became a co-host of The Kitchen on the Food Network, which she’s now been doing for 11 seasons. These days, Katie is busier than ever, with a new movie coming out on the Hallmark Channel called Catch of the Day, which she produced and co-wrote, and a 5 year-old daughter who does not love vegetables. Sid talks to Katie about her Appalachian roots, her favorite restaurant ever, her recipe for sweet tea oven fried chicken, and her family’s Christmas tradition in West Virginia. Bryce Leatherwood is only 25 years old, but three years ago he won Season 22 of The Voice, and he just released a self-titled debut album that’s already gaining a lot of attention. Despite his age, Bryce’s new record sounds like it could have come out a long time ago, and that’s exactly what he was after. Many of the songs were inspired by the simple life of his hometown in Woodstock, Georgia, where he grew up, and Macon, where he spent a lot of time riding horses and dirt bikes on his grandfather’s farm. When we spoke, Bryce had just lost his grandfather to cancer a couple of weeks earlier, and he talked about what an inspiration he was, both in terms of music and as a role model in life. He also shared the story behind a new song called “Job Well Done” that he recently wrote in honor of his grandfather’s memory. Sid talked to Bryce about the best friend he gained from his time on the Voice, what he learned from being a high school wrestler, and why his debut on the Grand Ole Opry was the best night of his life. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Biscuits & Jam is produced by: Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bryce Leatherwood is only 25 years old, but three years ago he won Season 22 of The Voice, and he just released a self-titled debut album that’s already gaining a lot of attention. Despite his age, Bryce’s new record sounds like it could have come out a long time ago, and that’s exactly what he was after. Many of the songs were inspired by the simple life of his hometown in Woodstock, Georgia, where he grew up, and Macon, where he spent a lot of time riding horses and dirt bikes on his grandfather’s farm. When we spoke, Bryce had just lost his grandfather to cancer a couple of weeks earlier, and he talked about what an inspiration he was, both in terms of music and as a role model in life. He also shared the story behind a new song called “Job Well Done” that he recently wrote in honor of his grandfather’s memory. Sid talked to Bryce about the best friend he gained from his time on the Voice, what he learned from being a high school wrestler, and why his debut on the Grand Ole Opry was the best night of his life. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Biscuits & Jam is produced by: Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Sid talks to Ashleigh Shanti, who recently won a James Beard Award for her beautiful and thought-provoking cookbook called Our South: Black Food Through My Lens. Ashleigh is the chef and owner of Good Hot Fish, a counter-service spot in Asheville, North Carolina inspired by the spirit of old-school Southern fish camps. Despite her current hometown in the mountains, she’s been connected to the coast from the very beginning. She was born in St. Marys, Georgia, just north of the Florida border, while her parents were at a family wedding—and she grew up on a lake in Virginia, where she developed a reverence for the water and a love for fish fries. But her cooking isn’t just about seafood. Her passion for all the cuisines of the South—and there are many, as she’ll tell you—and her deep interest in Appalachian foodways have shaped the way she cooks, writes, and sees the region.Sid talks to Ashleigh about how a fast-food joint helped her prepare to open a high-volume restaurant, the many women who’ve inspired her journey, and the secret ingredients behind what sounds like an amazing fried fish sandwich. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Biscuits & Jam is produced by: Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chef Shuai Wang was the runner-up on the 22nd season of Bravo’s Top Chef and is the force behind two standout restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina—Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ—where he brings together the flavors of his childhood in Beijing and the spirit of the South in some pretty unforgettable ways. He grew up just a short walk from Tiananmen Square, in a tiny home with no electricity or running water, where his grandmother often cooked over charcoal. Later, in Queens, New York, his mom taught herself to cook—her first dishes were a little salty, but they were always made with love. And somewhere along the way, Shuai learned that cooking wasn’t just about food—it was about taking care of people. After years working in New York kitchens, he made his way to Charleston and started building something that feels entirely his own. Today, we’re talking about how all those experiences come together on the plate, the family stories behind his cooking, and what it’s been like to share that journey on national TV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dylan Scott grew up in Bastrop, Louisiana, a small town in the northeast corner of the state, not far from the home of another Louisiana sensation - Lainey Wilson. His father, Scotty Robinson, also had a career in country music for a while, so clearly the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Scotty taught the young Dylan to play guitar and piano, and he also taught him the value of hard work, whether it was construction, cleaning carburetors, or operating a jackhammer. Now Dylan Scott is working harder than ever, performing for bigger and bigger crowds, and coming out with a highly anticipated new album called Easy Does It. Sid talks to Dylan about the song he wrote about his hometown, his friendship with Morgan Wallen, his grandmother’s squirrel dumplings, and how his wife knows when a song is a keeper – all on this week’s Biscuits & Jam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brian Baumgartner may be best known to many people, across at least a couple of generations, as Kevin from The Office, but there’s much more to the actor than his famous onscreen persona. Born and raised in Atlanta, Brian has a deep love for the South, a wicked sense of humor, an obsession with sports, and a successful podcast called Off the Beat. He also has a lifelong passion for barbecue – both the style of cooking and the communal gathering that defines it—and now he’s come out with the Seriously Good Barbecue Cookbook: Over 100 of the Best Recipes in the World. Brian has a lot of opinions on the subject, as well as whether Texas is a part of the South, and the absolute best way to cook grilled chicken. He talks with Sid about the new book, the connection he sees between acting and cooking, why he drove hundreds of miles for a meal at Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog Barbecue in Charleston, and the real story behind that infamous “chili scene” from The Office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emily Ann Roberts grew up in Karns, Tennessee, just outside of Knoxville, with hardworking parents who had deep roots in both faith and music. She went to the church her great-grandfather founded more than a century ago— the same place where she sang in public for the very first time. Her dad introduced her to the rougher side of music, too, playing a lot of Johnny Cash and David Allan Coe as they drove around backroads in a pickup truck. After performing for years in a Mexican restaurant and then being discovered on YouTube, she went on to become a finalist on The Voice, but she soon discovered there was plenty more work to do. These days, she’s making her mark as a fresh new voice in country music, releasing gritty new songs like “Scratching Out a Living,” and touring with Megan Moroney. Sid talks to Emily about her love of Southern cooking, her alter ego Yeehaw Memaw, and the advice from Blake Shelton that’s guided her every step of the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maggie Rose was born and raised in Potomac, Maryland, where she grew up eating blue crabs, attending Catholic school, and singing solos in front of her church’s congregation. A self-described black sheep of the family, she headed to Clemson University in South Carolina before leaving school early to move to Nashville for a career in music. But it was her family’s support that gave her the courage to make it in a very tough business, and it eventually paid off in a career that’s earned her a Grammy nomination, a loyal fan base, and more than 100 appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. Her podcast, Salute the Songbird, started during the pandemic, and it’s become a powerful vehicle for candid conversations with other female musicians about their experiences and challenges in the music business. Sid talks to Maggie about what it’s like being a new mom, her Grammy-nominated  album, No One Gets Out Alive, what it meant to perform recently in Asheville, North Carolina, and her longtime love for Old Bay Seasoning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duane Nutter spent his first seven years or so in Morgan City, Louisiana, but his mother later moved the family to Seattle in search of schools that could help with his dyslexia. Their new home exposed Duane to a world of international flavors, but his mother never lost her love for Southern food, even going so far as to ship in certain spices and ingredients like andouille sausage at a time when that wasn’t easy to do. As a result, Duane developed a taste for cooking that straddled different worlds. After some stints in a few Seattle restaurants, he eventually moved to Atlanta to work with the legendary Chef Darryl Evans at the Four Seasons Hotel, and he then accepted a position as Executive Chef at One Flew South, an oasis of quality dining for travelers passing through the Atlanta Airport. His latest restaurant, Southern National, was recognized by Yelp! in 2024 as one of the best new restaurants in the South, and now he’s got a new cookbook called Cutting Up in the Kitchen. Sid talks to Duane about his double life as a comedian, what it was like serving Maya Angelou, and why it took so long to get his citrus pound cake just exactly right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices