“God and country…”

Although for me, it seems to be “Baseball and Food.”

Next to baseball, I like to spend my copious spare time noodling around the kitchen. The Food Network comes in a close second to the MLB Network, et al, when it comes to appointment TV. And after the national pastime, my favorite reading material — books, magazines, ingredients on cereal packages — focuses on food.

I chanced upon Dan Pashman on a Leonard Lopate Show and was immediately taken by this fun and educational way to think about eating. In fact, the motto for Pashman’s podcast, The Sporkful, is “It’s not for foodies, it’s for eaters.”

He just released his first book, Eat More Better: How to Make Every Bite More Delicious and it’s just as entertaining as the show. In fact, just last night I employed his method for reheating pizza, a surprising simple process that takes much less time than an oven and much more even than a microwave.

To further enhance my opinion of Pashman — who grew up as a Yankee fan but became a Cubs masochist after living in Chicago for a few years — he dedicated a show back in June to ballpark food: “Eat Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jack.” Guests included

Nile Brisson, a third generation peanut man and president of Peanut Processors, Inc. in North Carolina to talk about all things goober.
Mike Pesca, a regular on Slate’s Hang Up and Listen podcast, who looks at the history of the song “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” in an On The Media piece, and tries to put a dollar value on the free advertising that the song has given to Cracker Jack over the decades.
Ted Berg, USA Today sports writer and a former food vendor at Shea Stadium, on why pre-wrapping hot dogs instead of putting them in the buns in the seats improves sales. He also shares the story of some hot dog-related friction with a Yankee fan. (Guess he had a “beef” with him. Eh? Eh? Unless they’re pork hot dogs, in which case never mind).

If you love food as much as baseball, and happen to be in the neighborhood, Pashman will be making several appearances in the New York area over the next couple of weeks including

Thursday, Oct. 16 WORD Bookstore, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18 Time NY Wine and Food Festival (WNYC’s booth at the Grand Tasting at Pier 94)
Sunday, Oct. 19, Watchung Booksellers, Montclair, NJ, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 22 BookCourt, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, 7 p.m. (with a Mac and cheese tasting courtesy of Jack the Horse Tavern and special presentation on wings from Sporkful Junior Eaters Society President Nathaniel Goodyear)