Enjoy this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wanderers Compass" Podcast! Three years after Joelle's first truffle hunt in the pouring rain with a cooking group of sixteen women, she and Ryan return to Buzet, Croatia, to sit down with Višnja Prodan Jekić of Prodan Tartufi — a family truffle business now heading into its fourth generation.

It started in the 1960s, when Višnja's grandparents didn't even know what truffles were — they thought they were smelly, inedible potatoes and fed them to the pigs, until Italian traders showed them otherwise. Today, the Prodan family hunts and trains their own truffle dogs (five of them, each with their own name and personality), collects from 50-60 local hunting families every week, and ships fresh truffles worldwide — to Michelin-star restaurants like Alchemist, Noma, and Geranium in Copenhagen, and markets as far as Japan, Singapore, and Dubai.

In this episode, Višnja walks through what makes Istria's climate uniquely suited to truffles, how a dog is trained from puppyhood to become a serious hunter, the real differences between black and white truffles (and why white truffles can sell for €2,000-€5,000 a kilo), how to actually cook with truffles at home without overcomplicating it, how to spot a real truffle product versus a chemical imitation, and the story behind the largest truffle her family has ever found. She also shares her own favorite way to eat them — simple scrambled eggs — and what it means to be building a new generation of this family tradition while opening the business to travelers from around the world.

🔗 Read the article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/prodan-tartufi-istria-truffles 🔗 Learn more about Prodan Tartufi: https://prodantartufi.hr/hr/ 🔗 Wanderers Compass: https://www.wandererscompass.com/ 🔗 More Wanderers Compass episodes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/wanderers-compass-podcast 🔗 Wanderers Compass Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/wanderers-compass-magazine

New episodes of the Wanderers Compass Podcast air every second Monday on Big Blend Radio.

Discover Shelby County, Kentucky, just east of Louisville, with Janette Marson, President and CEO of ShelbyKY Tourism, on this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" Show with the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

Known as the Saddlebred Horse Capital of the World, Shelby County offers an authentic Central Kentucky experience where horses, bourbon, food, farms, history, shopping and outdoor adventures come together.

Janette takes us inside the region's remarkable horse culture, including more than 100 Saddlebred farms, Thoroughbred farms and the largest Icelandic horse farm in North America. We also explore the area's bourbon heritage, including Bulleit and the special mother-daughter team behind Jeptha Creed Distillery.

Food is another big part of the story, from Kentucky barbecue and bourbon mash-fed livestock to Talon Winery, local restaurants, farm-to-table dining and family farms such as Mulberry Orchard and Gallrein Farm.

We also talk about historic downtown Shelbyville and Simpsonville, antique shopping, family attractions, horseback riding, lakes, fishing, camping, golf, festivals and the region's growing appeal for road trippers and pet-friendly travelers.

And because Shelby County is a four-season destination, Janette shares ideas for visiting throughout the year—from bourbon tours and horse farms to fall pumpkins, winter shopping and spring and summer horseback riding.

- Explore Shelby County, Kentucky: https://www.visitshelbyky.com/

- Learn More About IFWTWA: https://www.ifwtwa.org/

- Follow the Podcast: https://food-wine-travel.podbean.com/

- Check out the "Travel, Food & Wine" Digital Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/ekxy/#p=1

Wine culture starts long before the glass is poured — it's rooted in family, food, and the stories we carry with us. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wine Time with Peggy" Podcast, Peggy Fiandaca is joined by Julia Coney — writer, educator, speaker, consultant, and luxury travel advisor, and founder of Black Wine Professionals and co-founder of A Privé Journeys, a bespoke travel company specializing in curated wine and culinary experiences around the world.

Julia and Peggy dig into what "wine culture" really means, why tasting rooms can feel intimidating, why local American wine deserves more space on restaurant lists, and how pairing wine with your favorite snack (Reese's peanut butter cups included) can change everything.

Julia shares the story of bringing a 30-person travel group to LDV Winery, and the episode closes with each guest's ultimate wine, meal, and movie pick — plus a very unconventional New Year's morning tradition involving bubbly and licorice.

🌐 Learn more about Julia Coney: https://juliaconey.com 🍷 Learn more about LDV Winery: https://ldvwinery.com 🍝 Get Peggy's Family Sunday Sauce recipe from this episode: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/peggy-fiandaca-family-sunday-sauce 🎧 Follow Wine Time with Peggy: https://wine-time-peggy.podbean.com/ 📖 Explore Big Blend's "Wine & Bites" Digital Podcast & Recipe Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/fmlb/