The 'Sader Digest

Send us Fan Mail Sweet. Crispy. Sticky. Completely misunderstood. This week on The 'Sader Digest , Brad tells the incredible story of General Tso's chicken, a dish that's become synonymous with Chinese takeout despite having a history that's anything but straightforward. Discover how one chef's journey from China to Taiwan and eventually New York transformed a banquet dish...

Send us Fan Mail Fortune cookies feel ancient, traditional, and unmistakably Chinese—but their story is far more complicated.  In this episode of The 'Sader Digest, Brad Shannon cracks open the surprising history of the fortune cookie: from Japanese tea gardens in California to immigration, World War II, internment camps, and the evolution of Chinese-American dining culture. Along the way, we...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Sader Digest , host Bradley Shannon dives into one of the biggest misconceptions in food history: the Caesar salad is not Italian. Created in 1924 in Tijuana, Mexico by Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini, the iconic salad was born out of improvisation during a busy Fourth of July weekend in the middle of Prohibition-era tourism. Brad explores how a simple combinatio...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The 'Sader Digest , Brad tackles one of life’s most important—and somehow least questioned—foods: the chicken tender. Crispy, dippable, and universally loved, chicken tenders feel like they’ve been around forever… but plot twist—they were actually invented in the 1970s at the Puritan Backroom. Yes, New Hampshire quietly gave the world one of its greatest culinary...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The 'Sader Digest , Brad flies solo—but brings in a guest who definitely doesn’t hold back: Patrick, the creator of Honest Kimball Review . What started as anonymous food posts on the college app Fizz (powered by yellow lemonade and vibes) has turned into one of the most entertaining and brutally honest Instagram accounts on campus. After a chaotic face reveal an...

Send us Fan Mail What started as a clever way to sell tires has become one of the most powerful forces in global cuisine. In this episode of the Sader Digest, Brad dives into the history, influence, and controversy of the Michelin Guide—and what its recent arrival in Boston really means. From its origins in 1900 France to its evolution into the gold standard of fine dining, the Michelin Guide has...

Send us Fan Mail What does a jar of bubbling flour and water say about us? In this episode of the 'Sader Digest, Brad and Alex take a deep (and surprisingly philosophical) dive into the sourdough boom of 2020—when the world shut down, grocery shelves emptied, and suddenly everyone became a bread baker. But this isn’t just about bread. From ancient fermentation and Gold Rush “sourdough” surviv...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The 'Sader Digest , Alex  brings along Public Health Nurse Kristin Gauthier to share insight into the evolving role of Health Services at Holy Cross. Kristin discusses how her work extends beyond traditional clinical care, focusing on outreach, education, and improving access for students. She highlights key initiatives like the Express STI Clinic, which of...

Send us Fan Mail Travel days hit different—and so do our food choices. In this episode of the Sader Digest, Brad and Alex are back in the studio swapping stories from a whirlwind Florida trip that turned into an unexpected airport food deep dive. After spending eight hours navigating Fort Lauderdale’s terminal, Alex shares what she found: more variety, more “healthy-ish” options, and a whole lot o...

Send us Fan Mail Everyone loves calling themselves a chef these days. Got an apron? Chef. Posted a pasta video on Instagram? Chef. Bought a really expensive knife? Obviously… chef. But in this episode of The 'Sader Digest, Brad  pulls back the kitchen curtain to answer a surprisingly complicated question: what’s the actual difference between a cook and a chef? Spoiler alert: it’s not just abo...

Send us Fan Mail Lobster used to be prison food.  Pizza was street food for dock workers.  Brisket and oxtails were scraps no one wanted. Today? They’re on $40 menus. In this episode of The'Sader Digest, Brad Shannon dives into one of the strangest transformations in food history: how the food of the poor becomes the luxury of the rich. From Neapolitan tomato sauce to New England lobster, fro...

Send us Fan Mail Is your favorite dish actually authentic … or just something your grandma made really well? In this episode of The 'Sader Digest,  Brad  dives into one of the most overused—and surprisingly controversial—words in food: authentic . From “authentic Italian” to “authentic Chinese,” we love to throw the term around like it’s a universal truth. But according to who? And from where...

Send us Fan Mail After a brief hiatus (blame the studio construction, not the tomatoes), The 'Sader Digest is back in action!  While Alex enjoys life somewhere tropical, Brad is holding down the fort in Massachusetts and kicking off a new series of episodes with a surprisingly juicy question: what if one of the most iconic traditions in Italian cuisine… isn’t actually that old? This week, we...

Send us Fan Mail This week, we’re tackling the ultimate college conundrum: how to eat healthy without selling a kidney or surviving on peanut butter toast. From grocery store hacks and freezer-friendly produce to mastering the mysterious art of the microwave, we cover it all. Learn how to turn your mini-fridge into a nutrition powerhouse, conquer the dining hall without hitting just pizza and frie...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to The Sader Digest , the health and wellness podcast where we try to sound smart… and often fail spectacularly. In this “Outtakes Edition,” we’re serving up a buffet of our finest bloopers, caffeine-fueled tangents, and questionable life choices—because why let all our worst moments go to waste? You’ll hear Brad spiral into a historical deep dive on the Boston Tea Pa...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how to live to 100 without moving to a sun-soaked island in Greece? In this laugh-filled finale of our Blue Zone series, Alex and Brad try to bring the secrets of long life to—wait for it— Worcester . From flipping the food pyramid under an olive tree to replacing your PSL with a nap and a handful of beans, this episode proves longevity might be possible… even in a W...

Send us Fan Mail Brad and Alex jet around the globe exploring the famous Blue Zones — those rare places where people live long, happy, and suspiciously goat-filled lives. From California’s plant-powered Adventists to Costa Rica’s “plan de vida,” from Sardinia’s red wine to Okinawa’s purple sweet potatoes, the guys uncover the secrets to a century-long life. Plus, they ask the ultimate question: co...

Send us Fan Mail Brad is back. But more importantly Alex is back. And yes — the long-awaited Sader Digest Season 2 is here (still in our makeshift “studio,” but hey, we roll with it). In this episode, Brad and Alex dive headfirst into the mysterious world of the gut microbiome, aka the trillions of tiny tenants living rent-free inside you. Think of yourself as a walking Airbnb, except instead of t...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know your immune system can throw a full-blown temper tantrum over a peanut? Or that a crumb of gluten can trigger an autoimmune attack in someone with celiac disease? In this episode, Bradley Shannon—Director of Culinary Development and Nutrition at Holy Cross—dishes out the real scoop on food allergies, the science behind IgE and histamine, what makes celiac disease diff...

Send us Fan Mail Forget bland broccoli and tasteless tomatoes—this episode is all about sparking a vegetable revolution from the ground up. Brad (FINALLY) shares the stories and insights fresh from the UMass Chefs Conference, where chef Dan Barber issued a delicious challenge: What if we bred crops for flavor, not just profits? From the tiny honeynut squash that flipped the script on supermarket e...

Send us Fan Mail Long before chefs were hoping to breed vegetables for flavor (Dan Barber we are looking at you!), one eccentric plant lover in California was reshaping the future of food—seed by seed. In Part 1 of this two-part series,  Brad digs into the life and legacy of Luther Burbank , the 19th-century horticultural legend who brought us the Russet potato, Shasta daisy, spineless cactus, and...

Send us Fan Mail Are seed oils trying to kill you… or just help you crisp your Brussels sprouts? In this solo episode, Brad dives deep into the bottle to unpack why seed oils have gone from heart-healthy hero to internet villain. Is it the omega-6s? The industrial hexane bath? The TikTok fearmongering? Probably all three. We’ll break down the science, the myths, and the real-life kitchen takeaways...

Send us Fan Mail In this energizing episode of The 'Sader Digest ,  Brad  sits down with his better half—Jamie Shannon, Director of Campus Recreation at Holy Cross—to talk treadmills, team spirit, and why you don’t want to spill Gatorade on the gym floor.  Jamie shares behind-the-scenes updates on an exciting equipment refresh at “The Jo,” including new Peloton bikes, more treadmills (bye ell...

Send us Fan Mail This April might have served up some snowflakes instead of sunshine, but we’re bringing the heat with some fresh plant-forward vibes! Join Alex and Brad as they survive the last gasp of winter, nerd out over the perfect pencil (yes, really), and dive into Brad’s new plant-based nutrition class.  Oh did we mention this episdoe was previously recorded?  Brad can't remember when...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Brad asks Alex about her new certification as a certified “acupunct” (not to be confused with full-blown acupuncturists—those folks train for years), to explore the magical, stress-melting world of auricular acupuncture . That’s right: it’s acupuncture, but just for your ears. Alex breaks down how this ear-only version of acupuncture taps into the vagus nerve , br...