Today, Americans own twice the amount of stuff we did 50 years ago and bill more out-of-office hours than any other advanced economy. We online date, binge-watch, thumb through social media, and often wander around exhausted and unsure. Food journalist and Love Bites Radio host Jacqueline Raposo took note of this cultural struggle and intimately embraced a life stripped down in her recently-released book THE ME, WITHOUT: A YEAR EXPLORING HABIT, HEALING, AND HAPPINESS. Throughout the course of a year, she progressively shed her most constant habits, alternately removing social media, sugar and alcohol consumption, waste, unnecessary spending, and more in the effort to measure this abstinence against her physical health, social interactions, and sense of self-worth. The results are moving and surprising. To celebrate the book's release, Jacqueline was joined by celebrated chef Missy Robbins, Food & Wine senior editor and Chefs with Issues founder Kat Kinsman, and food writer and The Lonely Hour host Julia Bainbridge at Strand Books on February 4th for a panel discussion on what has become a constant buzz word in recent years: self-care. Led by Kat, they discussed how they define self-care in each of their lives outside the typical wellness industry, how they work to lead in their industries by example, how their work in food and media affect their physical and mental health, and what steps they're currently taking to maintaining their self-care and wellness. Thanks to Heritage Radio Network and the Strand Bookstore for recording this live event, and to Listen Bar and pastry chef Daniel Skurnick for providing book-themed food and beverage. Details and photos on the event can be found here. Love Bites is powered by Simplecast.

Will impending holiday eats help or hinder our health and happiness? How does what we eat affect our brain’s relaying of joys and frustrations? How does food best support our brain health, so that in turn we can best love ourselves and others? In this Love Bites Special (’cause we’re still taking a season break, hi!), Jacqueline interviews Dr. Leslie Korn, an integrative medicine doctor whose latest book, The Good Mood Kitchen, explores the simple recipes and nutrition tips that best clear our neuropathways and help us eat happier! Can food help us correct trauma holding us back? Can a pair of blue-light glasses connect us to the natural circadian rhythms of nature? Join us for gentle guidance on how to bring health and happiness into modern life. Love Bites is powered by Simplecast

For our first Love Bites Radio special this season, tarot reader Sasha Graham returns to guide us through how we can establish our own daily practice, which cards in the deck we should keep an eye out for when seeking peak romance, and how to pull a talisman that will see us through a particular time in our lives. This episode was recorded at Kettlespace Tribeca! Kettlespace are restaurants converted into daytime workspaces for freelancers, entrepreneurs and other untethered workers. Members get unlimited coffee, tea, snacks, high-speed wifi and more, and there's a discount code for your first month of membership at the end of this episode! Woohoo! More about Kettlespace, Sasha and Jacqueline's tarot decks, and Sasha's advice in this episode at www.LoveBitesRadio.com! Love Bites is powered by Simplecast

The short story is that we're taking a break this season from live shows to focus on some personal necessities and to regroup artistically. On today's episode, Jacqueline shares the story behind why we're hitting the pause button. Then we throw back for a listen to the very first show that launched us on this journey, and one recent segment that shows have far we've come. Love Bites is powered by Simplecast

Today's show marks the end of our Summer Season and two years of Love Bites Radio! In celebration, we're reflecting upon some of the poignant moments that most stuck with us. Which guests' revealed wisdom is still lodged in our brains? What moments of our lives shared on the show felt simple and insignificant then but, looking back, were actually huge turning points in our self-growth? We talk love, food, and conversation in our 83 episode of summer magic. Love Bites is powered by Simplecast

"Two food perspectives, both alike in dignity, in fair New York City where we lay our scene..."* On today's show, Saveur Senior Digital Editor Max Falkowitz and freelance food writer and Love Bites co-host Jacqueline Raposo dig into their varying experiences. How does Max's analytical curiosity contrast Jaqueline's emotional? How does his experience as an editor on a masthead contrast her constant freelancing bylines? And how do they combine those experiences together to best execute one piece after another? The final episode of our Me & You series before we wrap our summer season with a show on takeaways, this is the most foodie-focused Love Bites Radio to date. Have a listen. *Play on the prologue to Romeo & Juliet. You should know that. Love Bites is powered by Simplecast.

"I don't date other actors." That's the hard-and-fast rule of many thespians, who find their careers, artistic, and personal lives so difficult to manage that the idea of merging with someone else with the same struggles sounds like a terrible nightmare. Today, co-host Ben Rosenblatt invites his girlfriend, actress Deanna McGovern, onto the show to share their joys and challenges in defying this conventional wisdom in the fourth of our Me & You series.

Very few couples will ever get to say they've made it to sixty-nine years of marriage. As we explore how to find and maintain loving relationships of all sorts here on Love Bites, it seems only fitting that when we have one of those couples at hand, we ask them how they did it. Pasquale and Hansine D'Ambrosio have been married since 1948. On today's show, they sit down with one of their nine grandchildren -- your humble co-host Jacqueline -- to share a little of the wisdom they've gleaned in their nine decades on this planet. As this is the third in our Me & You series, they speak one at a time, answering just a few simple questions about what they know to be true about love. And as this series is designed so that our hosts answer some questions in return, Jacqueline shares back what her grandparents have taught her about love, too."

How has Trump's America changed the way two single lady writers think, eat, love, and express themselves? On today's show, author Jen Doll returns for our second Me & You episode. She'll interview Jax and be interviewed on how the current political landscape has shifted the thoughts that become words, and the words that become work in their various niches of the writing world. How does Jen, as a savvy social media presence, navigate the landmine of Twitter with humor and confidence? Does she feel defeated or inspired by the women in the coming generation? How has Jax's study of habit removal in her Year of Abstinence helped or harmed her during this tumultuous time? Today, we ask each other these questions in a boost of lady love.

Love Bites Radio explores "why and how we love." So why do we love the way we love right now? In what ways does that love physically manifest? How are those manifestations different than what they've been in the past, and what do we hope to get from love in the future? In the first of our Me & You series, we take an entire show to interview each other on how the love in our lives has changed since we started Love Bites almost two years ago. With one of us now just having celebrated an anniversary and the other back playing the field, what do we cherish the most about our current relationship status? What do we most want for in each other's? In the coming weeks, we'll invite guests and co-hosts to do the same, as we continue to explore this crazy little thing called love.

We asked every guest in our New Beginnings series what starting over has taught them about love. In this special episode, we share their answers as well as a little insight into why each story had personal resonance, and what we learned about love in turn.

A career change can be a difficult thing, especially when leaving behind the financial security of life as an attorney for the uncertainty and instability of life as an artist. But what if you were also leaving behind your marriage, family, and the community you were indoctrinated into all at the same time, shedding an entire belief system and way of life for a new one? How might this hinder your career change? How might it fuel you as an artist? Former ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jew-turned actor Eli Rosen reveals his story of how repression, longing, and guilt brought him to ultimate freedom...at a cost.

Cynthia Cherish Malaran was making mad money as a freelance graphic designer. She was married. She was "successful." But she was miserable. Then she got in an accident that left her body shattered and her mind with amnesia. Over a year into her recovery, music started to trigger her memories and she began to rebuild, leaving her miserable self behind. Then she got a diagnosis of a violent, advanced form of breast cancer. "If I hadn't gotten into that accident, I would have still been miserable in this other job. Making money, but dying very slowly. And miserable." Join us as Cynthia talks through the two tragic events that brought her life a New Beginning so rich that she's now been regularly called the "Drama-Free DJ" who's worked for clients from Oprah to hospice patients to women in prison. She has quite the story to tell.

Packing up and moving to a whole new life. Tempting, huh? Mobility glimmers on the horizon and everything you know -- home, friendships, work -- await reinvention. But what realities play out when embracing relocation? In our third episode exploring New Beginnings, Julia Bainbridge shares what happened when she moved from New York to Atlanta. What rituals did she invoke to help find closure, what did she enthusiastically leave behind, and how has she explored her new home? Is being a single thirty-something woman all that different now? How has her New Beginning affected her feeling lonely -- the subject she tackles in her Lonely Hour podcast? We collectively discuss how to say goodbye to home, and then dig in. *Photos by Amelia Tubb, courtesy Bourbon and Gloss

What happens after you realize you were born into a system that you don't believe in? How do you discover what you really think? How do you escape from all you've ever known? How do you find the confidence to express the new person you want to become? Where do you find a creative outlet, and how do you find new people to fill your life when old relationships are forcefully shed? On the second episode of our New Beginnings series, writer Aimee DeLong shares how moving to New York helped her break from the Fundamentalist Christian "cult" she grew up in so that she could become the genuine intellectual artist she is now.

"How does the relationship between mother and child change when the child moves out of the house? What does mom get to reclaim for herself, or what new things may she welcome? In celebration of Mother's Day (!), we've lured our moms onto the show to talk us through this unique kind of New Beginning -- the first in our series exploring what happens after the Ending has dimmed. Plus, we get some dirt on Ben as a baby (!), and surprise our moms by sharing what they've taught us the most about love."

According to Brian Kateman, if every American reduced their intake of meat and fish by 10%, huge gains would be made in personal and global health. So how do we moderate our consumption, and why should we? On today's show -- the second in our series studying Moderation -- we discuss why it's so hard to not go whole-hog with certain foods overall. Then we dig into Kateman's work with Reducetarianism and his new book, The Reducetarian Solution [Tarcher Pedigree]. How do the essay contributors see this reduction as playing out in religion, politics, and science? How do the most productive conversations come about in regards to this kind of moderation? And can just tightening by 10% really help ourselves and the planet?

Sometimes living as the best version of yourself means knowing when to say "no", avoiding drastic fad lifestyles, and allowing both joyful leisure time and periods of overwork to play together. Which is why we've asked Sarah Robb O'Hagan, the author of Extreme You: Step Up. Stand Out. Kick Ass. Repeat, to join us as the first show in our series studying MODERATION. Sarah inspires colleagues, readers, and those who have heard her speak to make brave choices in their lives. But she's also a big-picture dreamer, wrapped up in an energetic, vulnerable, humble, and friendly package. So come along with us as we dig into the question: How can we be our most extreme selves without going too far and burning out?

"So much time and attention are given to a restaurant's opening: Who's the chef? How will the menu be different than everything that's come before it? Who's designing the space? Will there be craft beer or craft cocktails? We fill reservations books. We rush in to review. We Instagram furiously. But when a restaurant closes? The process is colder, quieter, and far less bombastic. On today's show -- the last in our six-week series on Endings -- chef Chris Jaeckle joins to share the process of closing his Italian-Japanese restaurant, All'onda. Opened to much critical acclaim in New York's East Village in 2013, he and his partners closed it two-and-a-half years later. How did that process break down, and how did it make Jaeckle feel?"

“It wasn’t just losing him with the breakup, but a lot of the dreams and hopes I had for the future. It was coming to terms with the idea that this illness might be chronic. That there was no fix.” - Katrina On Part II of our episode on breakups because of chronic illness, we first hear from Katrina, who contracted Malaria while in Uganda and then developed Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (also called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease) after the initial infection. She shares the process of understanding her new reality while in a relationship, its eventual demise, and where she's at regarding the potential for new love now. Then after the break, we're joined by Kirsten Schultz of Chronic Sex, who addresses questions that arose from last week's show regarding the absence of sex in relationships because of illness, and what resources out there might help. And before we close out, Jacqueline addresses a question from a recent reader: Do you ever feel your shortchanging someone in a relationship with you because of your physical limitations?"" Links to resources referenced throughout this episode can be found at www.LoveBitesRadio.com. And if you have anything you'd like to share on anything you've heard here, email us at LoveBites@HeritageRadioNetwork.org.

On today's show -- the first of a two-part episode during our series on Endings -- Jacqueline speaks with two women who recently underwent breakups they attribute to their chronic illnesses: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and Interstitial Cystitis. They both reached out to J after reading her Cosmopolitan Essay, How I Learned to Date with a Chronic Illness. On top of sharing with J similar struggles of food restrictions, pain, and living with an exhausting invisible illness while maintaining a job and the semblance of a romantic life, the two contemplate the unique pressures their physical limitations put upon the early stages of romance. How does having a chronic illness change the way people can be seen romantically? Is breaking up with someone because they have health issues fair? And what can we learn about dating in the future from rough breakups of the past? Today, two singular stories shed some insight.

"When at the age of 31-yrs old my boyfriend of five years broke up with me I was deeply heartbroken but also stunned that I was no longer on the path of getting engaged, getting married, and having children by the age of 35. That was the course that I had seen so clearly unfold in my head, and when I vocalized this desire to him it was then that our relationship began to systematically implode." - Sari Kamin On today's show, we discuss a specific kind of ending: the breakup that hurts in a way you didn't think possible. The kind that changes the way you look at love. That sets you on a path you never wanted to walk. Writer and Heritage Radio host Sari Kamin joins to share her story, and we difuse some of our collective tension midshow with a round of breakup MadLibs."

Making it look easy is the point, right? Writers, actors, and artists of all sorts tell stories about real life experiences, defending their choices, owning their truth, and leaving a trail of wisdom in their creatively-tuned path. We see them at the climax, the triumph, the TED talk --- the ENDING. But what about all the steps before they hit SEND on that manuscript? On today's show, we're joined by writer Jen Glantz, who combines public and private in her work as a Bridesmaid for Hire, blogger, and two-time author with her most recent book, Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire), now out by Simon and Schuster. We discuss finding your voice as a human-turned-writer, how that voice gets whittled through a process, and how that voice needs defending when the work is finished and subject to the public eye. Plus, we play a little foodie TRUE OR FALSE game, pitting her against Ben with some food news of the week.

"What's a life experience you're holding onto that you wish you could emotionally shut the door on? What's holding you back? Who has helped guide you through growth the most? What positive new tactics or tools did you pick up to battle the tough stuff along the way? And do you wish the situation had never happened to begin with? On today's show, we launch the first in our series on Endings with Suzanne Riss and Jill Sockwell, authors of The Optimist's Guide to Divorce (Workman, 2017) and founders of the Maplewood Divorce Club. Their friendship formed during a rough period of their lives, morphing into a community set to inspire others going through a kind of ending most hope never to experience."

On this Presidents' Day, we invite you all to #GiveLove and take care of yourself and others. For the first half of the show, we hear Floyd and Barkha Cardoz of Paowalla restaurant in New York talk about how their work in Indian and American cuisines have changed since they immigrated in the eighties. Then, we turn to our broadcast right after the election in November. What were we feeling, and how we did tackle personal interactions when riding waves of emotion and angst? We'll be back together (finally!) live in the studio next week!

We just wrapped our series on Power Couples -- five couples in hospitality who work alongside each other by day and someone manage to still love each other enough to share a bed together at night. The series came about for deliciously selfish reasons: we both need a little inspiration in the healthy marriage department and figured relationship goals were out there for the stealing. On today's show, Jacqueline -- abandoned in New York while Ben continues to wow the theatre world out west -- breaks down some single gal insight while sharing five major takeaways from the series. Sharing the 2010 origin story of this series and moving into what nuggets of wisdom from our guests she's pocketing, today's show is a primer for singletons out there holding out for serious love. Happy Valentine's Day.

"Barkha and Floyd Cardoz met at hospitality school in India and became close friends. Eight years later, after emigrating separately to New Jersey and New York, they met once again and started to explore romance. Twenty-five years later, they're the owners of the New York restaurant Paowalla, where their Indian heritage is cooked up through Chef Floyd's modern American lens. Journey with us as they share how friendship evolved into love, and the sacrifice of every young cook into the success of one of New York's most beloved chefs. This marks the fifth and final episode of our Power Couples series. Tune in Monday, February 13th for our Valentine show, when we share insight on marital longevity and favorite takeaways from these time-tested couples."

In 1976, the restaurant Windows on the World opened on the 106th and 107th floors of the World Trade Center's north tower. As president of Baum + Whiteman Worldwide, Michael Whiteman was one of the restaurateurs behind the space; Rozanne Gold their Chef-Director. Together, the two opened several other iconic projects over the course of several years... which made the early stages of courtship rather risky ones. Now, decades later, they share remembrances of those early days together -- what made them both take the risk, and what falling in love felt like so many years ago -- and how time has both challenged and strengthened their marriage through to this day. The fourth in five shows about couples who cross work with love, Michael and Rozanne give us some serious lessons in long-game investment. Find more about them both at www.lovebitesradio.com.

Stacy Adimando and Steve Graf are a testament to risking big for love whenever and wherever you find it. She was living in Brooklyn, he in Northern California. But when they met working at a food festival in Portland, Oregon, they both felt something strong enough to give a long-distance relationship a chance. On today's show, we track their story as Stacy crosses the country, they court and wed, and eventually move again, this time to New York together. Their biggest fears throughout the process might surprise you. Have a listen to the third of our Power Couples series, quickly becoming our favorite thing so far about 2017.

He covers savory, she covers sweet, and everything else comes together between them. That's how chefs Andrew and Kristin Wood have been working together since they first met, and how they do now as parents and co-owners of Russet in Philadelphia. Many years, several moves cross-country, and two children later, they've got many pearls of wisdom to share on how they make it all work. So sit back and enjoy the second of our Power Couples series.

On the day they first met at a New York restaurant, Jill's first day working the front of house was chef Joe's last day in the back. He was fresh out of a rough relationship; she a ballet dancer twirling her way around New York City. Twelve years later, they're the wife-and-husband team of Joe and MissesDoe, an intimate restaurant on 1st Street and catering company in New York City where Jill rules the bar and Joe the kitchen. They're the kind of fiery couple you wanna be, their relationship forged from long days joined at the hip. What have they learned in their twelve years building a business on their own? How do they separate work time from home time? Where do their differences clash, and how have they strengthened their union? Take out your notebooks, because serious #relationshipgoals await in the first of our Power Couples series.

In 2009, the percentage of single women in the United States rose above 50% for the first time in history. The median age of first marriages dramatically rose from twenty and twenty-two years old--which it had been steadily for centuries to the 1980s--to twenty-eight. Beyonce's singing about it, countless books celebrate it, and women are living proudly independent more and for longer than ever. Being a single woman in today's world can be empowering! Or, it's just life! Or... it can be really hard. On today's show, Jacqueline is joined in the studio by fellow media ladies Jen Doll, Erin Fairbanks, and Lindsey Rupp, to discuss the intricacies of moving through the world solo. Then, returning guests Jamie Feldmar and Jane Alison and Lonely Hour Podcast host Julia Bainbridge join via some audio tracks, which the in-studio ladies listen to and share: How does being single affect our social interactions during weddings and holidays? Our fiercely ambitious creative work lives? And what would out lives look like if we choose to forgo love... indefinitely? Have a listen as one seriously dynamic group of ladies hashes it all out.

When we discuss family love, we refer to biological families by default. But what about foster family relationships? What does it take for them to succeed, and who suffers the most when they fail? On today's show, we welcome Regina Calcaterra, the co-author of Girl Unbroken and the memoir Etched in Sand. Regina shares how the bond between her four siblings--born of separate fathers and the same mentally ill mother--lasted through years of abuse, displacement, and movement into and out of the foster care system, to where they share healthy lives and relationships as adults. And before we get to that, we discuss Ben's impending move to Portland, Oregon, for a stint in Portland Center Stage's world premiere of Astoria. How do he and his gf plan to weather the storm? How does Jax plan to run the show in his absence? What can listeners expect as we transition out of being a dating show and into becoming a relationship show? And what do we really want out of our lives between now and Ben's return?

How do the relationships we form with our siblings shape us as adults? What happens when we don't identify with the roles our parents assign us within our sibling group? And how do our relationships with our siblings change as our parents age? On today's show, Jacqueline's sisters Jessica and Maggie Raposo join to share stories about how growing up as a team of four siblings affected their growth into adulthood, and the relationships they've developed to this day. How do varying ages, professions, and roles within the family unit shape memories and personality traits? Why is the sibling bond one of such lifelong strength and struggle? Tune into find out, in the fourth of our series exploring family love.

When a job, a relationship, or a tradition ends... how do you know how to properly mourn it? When do you lean into the grief, and when do you pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and start all over again? Today, we welcome performer Lindsay Benner to the show to discuss how the recent loss of her father has affected her life and work. And we share our own little forms of loss and grief recently, too, and how the patterns of our lives shift as we struggle through them. Where do we find sustenance, comfort, and love? How do we perform lives that require us to be under a spotlight when it's hard to smile? How can we #givelove when our hearts are hurting?

On today's show, we take a look at the idea of feeling safe. First, in light of last week's election results and the flood of emotions many of us are feeling because of it, we spend a little time checking in on how we're doing, where we are, and what we need right now. Then, on how we can show a little extra love to those who need it, and what signs of love we've seen in the past week, despite all the anger and pain in circulation. After the break, we're joined by Jane Alison, the novelist and author of the memoir The Sisters Antipodes, for the second of our shows studying relationships with family members. Her stunning memoir tracks an unorthodox childhood following her parents' befriending another couple with two similarly-aged daughters, and then switching partners. How did growing up on opposite corners of the globe from her father and stepsisters affect her understanding of romantic relationships, family, and self-identity? How did writing the memoir -- which often paints Jane and the family that surrounds her in alternatingly sympathetic and brutally honest shadows -- affect their adult relationships? Does she regret bringing her story to light on the page?

Our relationships with our parents are fraught with complication. There is just too much – for better or for worse – we can inherit from them. Even if they're ceaselessly loving. Even if they're largely absent from our lives. Even if we resist. On today's show – the first of our five-week exploration of familial love– we welcome author James Rebanks of The Shepherd's Life and The Shepherd's View. Recently in town from the UK, Jacqueline met up with him in a Lower East Side park to ask him five questions about the tough realities of living as a shepherd in the northwest corner of England. What they've taught him about love for his land, love for his work, and for the father and grandfather who had been working that same job on that same land before him. What he expresses eloquently gets at the heart of what we're pondering as we study how we love our grandfathers and fathers in this episode. Have a listen, and then call someone you love.

"Timing isn't everything, but it sure as hell is a lot." We've debated variations of that sentence often over the last year, questioning its weight as a dating cliche and the effect it's had on our relationships woes. Today, we discuss how it's woven its way into Jax's current dating mire: basically, how when you're dating three men, life is all about timing, for the good and the bad of it. She's got some explaining to do, and some decisions to make. Then we're joined by burlesque dancer Velvetina Taylor, who talks to us about the spicy world of seduction. How did she fall into the romance of the field, how does she keep herself safe within it, and what can she teach us about how to tease and seduce in our own intimate little worlds?

We are all about using every tool out there to build our strongest selves and most loving relationships. So can we use the ancient practice of tarot to gain insight into our ever-changing inner selves? How can the cards offer guidance, wisdom, comfort, and challenge? What about the practice does pop culture misrepresent, and what does tarot have to offer even the greatest of unbelievers? On today's show, tarot reader and author Sasha Graham shares how her experience with tarot has helped her to nurture and guide clients from all walks of life. How the lessons on the cards can inspire everyday moments, including the meals we make (like matching the Nine of Pentacles with a molten lava cake recipe for one!) and the relationships we build? Then, as Ben and Jax are working at very different places in their quest for lasting love, she turns cards for them, applying their lessons to two very specific conundrums.

What are our best travel memories with romantic partners? Sexiest? Most frustrating? What part does travel play in our hopeful romantic futures? And what do our desires – highbrow, lowbrow, and everything in between – say about who we are and how we love? On today's show, Ella Morton – co-author of ATLAS OBSCURA: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders – joins to discuss some of her book's most mysterious and romantic offerings. What weird and fascinating food and love destinations are out there for us? And what has traversing the globe seeking out weird wonders done for her love life? And before we even get to that, how do we start on the road to romance if no otherworldly sparks are igniting? As J gets back into the dating world, marching boldly forward even if her health hasn't fully returned, can she date a guy (or, this week, um, three), when her body doesn't have the physical energy to make magic happen? For the healthiest among us, how to we finagle romance from slowly-burning embers? Tune in, as we light 'em up.

Enough of dating apps that show you images of potential heartthrobs. What if there were a program that could help you calculate where, when, and how you're most likely to find love? There is. Almost. Sort of. It's getting close, that is. On today's show, Ben and Jacqueline grapple with their current dating woes, which right now are at opposite ends of the dating spectrum: B's in the throws of serious-relationship-ville which comes with mutual respect and trust and all that jazz so he can't really talk about it on the radio as much as he did when we started this show, whereas J is single and frisky and dreaming of a deep emotional connection with the man she hasn't met yet, but can do shit about it because she hasn't been feeling well enough to date in a really stupid long time. How can we host a radio show about dating and love when our dating lives are a bit less exciting now? Harumph! Then we're joined by Rashied Amini, the founder and engineer behind Nanaya, a program where you plug in a bunch of info about yourself and your life, and then the same kind of algorithm that predict lunar habitation module success spits out where in the world you'll most likely find your mate, in which social or work circles you'll have a better chance of finding him/her, and how old you'll most likely be when you settle down. Does the algorithm work? Does Amini apply it to his own life? Does he think we should be applying more head and less heart to our search for love? And will this help J and B with their current dating conundrums?

Technology really burns our bacon sometimes... Ben: "I hate how technology dehumanizes people. Whether it be by swiping, taking a long time to respond to a text, ghosting, or saying brash things we wouldn’t ordinarily say, we don’t treat people with the same courtesy through technology as we would in person. We also don't present our full human selves through technology, but rather a crafted version of our image that is not entirely authentic." Jacqueline: "I feel like technology has shortened our attention spans. We read things--books, articles, messages--on tiny screens while multitasking, and so everything has gotten shorter. We fast forward through commercials. So there's less feeling comfortable in the "space between things," or knowing how to just sit in awkward silence, or enjoying slowing down, or luxuriating in just being. I both like those things, and physically need them. And I find it hard to find that in romantic partner, especially in New York. It makes me feel like the odd person out a lot. On today's show, we continue our exploration of how technology affects relationships with Matt Lundquist, the founder and director of Tribeca Therapy in New York City. He guides us through both how we can take our online interaction to heart less, and how we can better set ourselves up to get more satisfaction out of our personal interactions IRL. How can we more authentically present ourselves to the world through online social platforms? How can we slow down when a potential romantic partner is seated across from us a table? How can we meld what and who we aspire to be with all of the technological tools out there to help us become that person?"

When it comes to romantic communication, texting and online messaging can be gentle introductions into IRL conversation, or mediums in which you can royally screw another person. Some of us daters of a certain age - ahem - started this whole dating thing before cell phones were glued into our hands. Others grew up with instant communication as the norm. But how can all of us muddle through the dating world with clashing views of normalcy, etiquette, and preference when it comes to getting to know each other, digitally and in person? On today's show, we're joined by Melissa Stanger, Senior Lifestyle Editor at Revelist, and Shana Lebowitz, Strategy Reporter at Business Insider, to discuss technology and modern romance. What do we all love and hate about texting and instant messaging? Can we get a clear picture of who someone is via how they text? What are we working towards in making sure we feel proud of our own actions? And where can we eat in NYC without the light of a dozen iPhone messing up the ambiance of our pasta and prosciutto?

Where's the romance in a Snapchat? The thrill in an email? When the conversation moves from online dating to texting, how much do flirty digital conversations represent how we're gonna interact in the flesh? And when we're on a dinner date and our lover's fingers are talking to someone else, how hot and bothered can we really get? On today's show, Ben is joined in the studio by Allison Goldberg and Jen Jamula, the founders of the theater troupe Blogologues and the No Text Weekend, which hits the real world September 23rd - 25th. We discuss what annoys us the most about how relationships are carried out via text, if the way we text represents the respect we have for the person on the other end of the line, and if it was a personal or professional drive that inspired the ladies to organize a massive event of events and texting abstinence. Can we put down our phone for 30 minutes and converse IRL? Listen and find out.

Holy testosterone! Jacqueline's out of the country and Ben has invited some fellas into the studio to get REAL about... um... dude stuff. Ladies: Ever wonder how men talk about you when you're not around? Guys: Ever wonder if/when it's cool to let your sensitive side show around your bros? On today's show, hear the out-and-out, unadulterated TRUTH from four humans with Y chromosomes. Joined by regular guest Andrew McLeod (sales manager for Union Beer Distributors), Nick Guitart (General Manager of Big Daddy's restaurant and Ben's sometime boss) and, in a hilarious twist of fate, Jacqueline's real-life bro Dan Raposo, we'll explore men's deepest insecurities, frustrations and confusion concerning the opposite sex, and the under-discussed dating difficulties facing men in today's society.

No matter the stage of your relationship (or lack thereof), well-meaning jerks often throw old, tired cliches at you in the guise of friendship: "Go with your gut!" "There are plenty of fish in the sea!" "Never go to sleep angry!" "Tis better to have loved and lost..." "You have to love yourself before you can really love someone else." Gag. So today, we're tearing them down, again! We've got returning guests Andrew McLeod of Union Beer and Antony Raymond of the Elsinore County Theatre Company back to break down a few new dating cliches, weigh in on dating profiles phrases that make us yawn and swipe left, and go through a few round of sexy never-have-I-ever. It's our last show of the summer season – and our first whole year of Love Bites! – so we're celebrating with good friends and a fun chat. Have a listen.

Ah, alcohol. It can be a first-date necessity, when nerves and questions and vulnerabilities are at their peak. Or it can be our greatest downfall, when "just one more" turns into "one-plus-four too many." On today's show, we discuss how alcohol can help or hinder early love, sharing our worst first-date sloppiness, and how it's affected our lives (and struggles) overall. Then we're joined by sommelier and author Diane McMartin of This Calls for a Drink: The Best Wines and Beers to Pair with Every Situation (Workman, 2016). How does she go about pairing wine with heartbreak? Beer with Netflix? What are the big don'ts she sees first date couples making when they place their beverage order? And what has drinking for a living taught her about love?

It happens. One day, our bodies are crying “I NEED SEX!” with such force that we can barely think of anything else. The next, we couldn’t get in on if our top-of-the-list celebrity was standing in front of us in nothing but their knickers and a smile. What is up with that? On today’s show, we spill on some personal wins, with Ben being in a relationship and Jacqueline deciding to extend her social media / dating app cleanse for another 50 days. Then we’re joined by Dr. Sheryl Kingsberg, who spells out why some of us (cough, Jacqueline) get really frisky in the hotter summer months, why lack of libido can affect any of us at any time, and how we can start a conversation with our doctors about what we’re thinking and feeling regarding a drastic change in sex drive.

Does "love at first sight" exist? If we break it down to bits and pieces, "love at first sight" is a combination of sexual attraction (hormones), curiosity and the elusive "intuition", right? It can be our best friend... or our fiercest enemy. It can guide us to real, lasting, life-changing love... or to seeking out bottles of whisky and pints of ice cream in our heartbroken despair. On today's show, we discuss how intuition has served us romantically in the past. Then we're joined by Iris Higgins, a hypnotherapist and life coach who founded the online retreat center, The Goldilocks Movement, to help guide women into discovering the most creative and intuitive selves.

On today's show, we're joined by Laura Gosheff and Julia Peterson of the Living Lotus Project. Their show, Phoenix Rising (playing off-Broadway at the Lion Theatre through July 16th), tracks the stories of five young girls working through violence done upon them by the family and friends in their lives, and the counselor helping them "find their fire." Gosheff is the writer and director of the piece; Peterson one of the six actors, and a core member of Living Lotus. We discuss the origin stories presented in their piece, the personal histories of the team involved, how they include or separate those stories from their work, and in what ways they most believe we can move forward in ending violence against girls and women.

Weddings are magical, and many people dream of that singular day from a young age. Pastry chef Ron Ben-Israel and his team at Ron Ben-Israel Cakes play a fundamental role in that celebration for their clients, creating massive cakes with cascading sugar flowers, models of New York's most iconic buildings, and pretty much anything else their hearts desire, layered with artistry, geometry, architecture, traditional, precision, and love. On today's show, Ron shares what he's learned from this intimate relationship with his clients. Have the successes and failures he's witnessed taught him anything about lasting love that he's then pulled into his own romantic life? How have gay weddings, specifically, flourished since the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York five years ago on June 24th, 2011? As a gay man, what is Ron observing in his community after the recent horrific events in Orlando? What has being a food celebrity taught him about communication in romantic relationships? And does he think true romance is dead?

We're on a food-obsessed radio station, with shows solely focused on cheese, farming, Japanese food, hospitality, food tech, school food programs... you name it. We take a slightly broader approach on Love Bites, focusing on a breadth of relationships in the food field: between our minds and how we feed our bodies, between diners and restaurant staff, and between what we're cooking and where it came from etc.. On today's show, we welcome author Ina Yalof, whose recently-released Food & The City collects first-hand stories from chefs, purveyors, and street vendors, whittling them down into first-person narrative. How did the journalist -- who has no inside relation to the hospitality field -- get inside the heads of her subjects? What was her learning curve like? What was her greatest takeaway? And does she wish her foodie husband, who passed away six years ago, could most experience through it now? But before we even get to that, Jacqueline shares why she's embarking on a 40-day social media cleanse, starting tomorrow! That's right - no Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or dating sites like OKCupid, Bumble or Tinder. She's out. Why? Listen to the show to find out, or read her Huffington Post piece for Heritage.

Yeehaw for Texas! Today is our first Love Bites on the Road show! Jacqueline recently traveled to San Antonio for the Culinaria festival, asking folks in food and drink at restaurants, bars, wineries, boutique hotels, and the barbecue and Grand Tasting events at Culinaria how they love and eat well in Texas. She picked brains about first dates, what people are looking for in their love lives, how they seduce through food, and what their favorite date restaurants are in the city they adore so. She discovered that love bites a little differently in Texas than it does in good ol' NYC. So after having spent the day downing pork and brisket at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party in Madison Square Park this past Saturday, Jacqueline and Ben sat together to discuss what she learned, and how her findings apply to their own dating scenarios. Have a listen to our first podcasty-cut show. And thanks to the team at Culinaria, the folks at La Cantera Resort and Spa, and the 13 pit masters and their teams who brought the best barbecue the country has to offer to the city we still love to call home.

"Last season, private chef and nutritionist Ariane Resnick came on our Ladies Who Lyme show to talk about how Lyme disease and chemical poisoning affected more than just her health. On that episode, she started to get into intuitive eating -- how she guides clients to listening to what their bodies want them to eat rather than prescribing a "diet" that's "good for their condition". Today, Ariane returns to delve into this idea more fully. How do we calm our minds enough to listen to our bodies? What correlation between what we eat and how we think or feel might we be missing? How can we instinctively reach for something better when all we want is the sweet or salty or alcoholic quick fix? And before we even get to that – how does what we eat affect how we date? Jacqueline has a plethora of food restrictions, despite her field – how would Ben want them to be presented on a first date? What foods do we avoid before sexy time, and what does how one eats speak to compatibility? Have a listen to find out. Our Spring/Summer Theme Song is Josh Dion‘s GIVE LOVE! We both fell hard for Josh‘s insane drumming skills and deliciously expressive vocals (smooth like honey, ladies, and then wild and raucous as hell) way back when we first moved to NYC, dancing our hearts out to the Josh Dion Band all over town. Now he performs all over NYC (and in residency at Rockwood Music Hall) as Paris Monster. Find, chat, listen, and buy on Twitter and iTunes."

There's something to be said about being single in your thirties. There's the rush of not knowing who you're gonna kiss next, and the freedom to do whatever the hell you want whenever the hell you want. But looking for your counterpoint on the Earth can be exhausting and annoying, too. On today's show, we explore this dichotomy. What romantic wins from the last six weeks – the last time the two of us were together live in the studio before Ben took off to perform in Maine – can we celebrate? What challenges have arisen from breaking out of the patterns we usually function within? Then we're joined by Kristin Newman, the author of the memoir What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding. While many of her friends got hitched and started popping out babies, Kristin traveled the world, pushing herself into experiences that she would never dare embrace at home. What did overcoming fears, meeting people from around the world, and "doing the thing you're supposed to do in the place you're supposed to do it" teach her about love? Have a listen to find out. Our Spring/Summer Theme Song is Josh Dion‘s GIVE LOVE! We both fell hard for Josh‘s insane drumming skills and deliciously expressive vocals (smooth like honey, ladies, and then wild and raucous as hell) way back when we first moved to NYC, dancing our hearts out to the Josh Dion Band all over town. Now he performs all over NYC (and in residency at Rockwood Music Hall) as Paris Monster. Find, chat, listen, and buy on Twitter and iTunes."

Today's show marks the second in our series, OUR BODIES, OURSELVES, where we explore the connection between what we want from life, and how to get it in the bodies we live in. What kinds of impressions do we want to make on a date, and what's most important about how a date presents themselves to us off the bat? How do we think we're presenting our best selves, and what might the reality look like from the other side of the table? We discuss what these questions mean to us personally and then are joined by Kim Dower, the owner of the literary publicity company Kim-From-LA. Kim shares what she's learned from coaching clients into presenting themselves to the public, and what we might not understand about how others see us. She gives her top tips for getting our best selves out there, and where she wishes we would cut ourselves some slack. Have a listen, and remember to email your questions about dating to us or any upcoming guests at lovebitesradio@gmail.com! Or Tweet them to as at @lovebitesradio! Our Spring/Summer Theme Song is Josh Dion‘s GIVE LOVE! We both fell hard for Josh‘s insane drumming skills and deliciously expressive vocals (smooth like honey, ladies, and then wild and raucous as hell) way back when we first moved to NYC, dancing our hearts out to the Josh Dion Band all over town. Now he performs all over NYC (and in residency at Rockwood Music Hall) as Paris Monster. Find, chat, listen, and buy on Twitter and iTunes.

Some jobs are just more physical than others. Actors, dancers, chefs and bartenders beat the shit outta our bodies doing what we love. But we don’t have to. Today's show is the first in our OUR BODIES, OURSELVES series, where we explore how our bodies can help or harm our work and how they affect our romantic relationships. Joined by returning guest co-host chef Daniel Holzman, we discuss the physicality of kitchen work, and how your body changes with many years spent over a hot stove. Then we're joined by occupational Pilates instructor Marcia Polas and one of her students, bartender Russell Dillon of Ba'Sik in Williamsburg, who's just gone through Marcia's THE BARTENDER'S PILOT PROGRAM with Rutte Distilleurs. What wisdom can we steal from how she trains chefs and beverage folks to work more healthfully? And has the 10-week program really helped Russell at work? Have a listen! Our Spring/Summer Theme Song is Josh Dion‘s GIVE LOVE! We both fell hard for Josh‘s insane drumming skills and deliciously expressive vocals (smooth like honey, ladies, and then wild and raucous as hell) way back when we first moved to NYC, dancing our hearts out to the Josh Dion Band all over town. Now he performs all over NYC (and in residency at Rockwood Music Hall) as Paris Monster. Find, chat, listen, and buy on Twitter and iTunes.

Going to an Ex's Wedding: Sweet and supportive -- or scary and just plain weird?! On today's show, we share our craziest weddingscapades, then dig into the deep stuff: When you're going to an ex's wedding, what do you want to happen, and what should be prepared for in case it happens without your instigation? Hopefully, Ben's insight from being on the male side of a bridal party where an ex was the bride will fortify Jacqueline for when she watches her first boyfriend get married, showered by all of their still-mutual friends. Then we're joined by Daniel Neiden, a Jewish Cantor and wedding officiate, who's going to offer up some general wedding know-how gleaned from his many years of being the guy who literally stands between couples on their big day. What kinds of questions does he suggest couples ponder before they say "I do"? What does he personally think about the institute of marriage? And what does he suggest we keep in mind when the pressure of the wedding occasion starts to build? Finally, we come full circle as Daniel shares his own craziest wedding experience...as a guest. Tune in.

Can you really be friends with an ex? What challenges arise when romance shifts to platonic affection? And if you’re fighting hard to keep the friendship going, are you truly over the loss of the mate? On this week’s show, Jacqueline discusses the intricacies of being friends with an ex with her guest co-host, Jonathan Wiener, who’s currently struggling with how to be friends with the man who hurt his heart. What steps does he need to complete to get himself to a better place? And since Jacqueline’s headed next week to the wedding of the ex she dated for almost a decade, what advice can she share? Then the team is joined by Steve Viksjo and Lukas Volger, two of the threesome behind Jarry Magazine, a biannual mag that celebrates the art of gay domesticity. What holes in the food media world did they see needed filling? How sustainable are professional relationships in a world where food and drink easily make things feel personal? Have a listen to find out. Today’s wine sponsor is Simi Winery’s 2014 Dry Rose! This beautiful rose is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon finished with Merlot, Malbec and Syrah. Shell-pink with notes of citrus, strawberry, and tart cherry, it’s the perfect pairing for summer fried chicken or raw mussels. More at SimiWinery.com. Our Spring/Summer Theme Song is Josh Dion‘s GIVE LOVE! We both fell hard for Josh‘s insane drumming skills and deliciously expressive vocals (smooth like honey, ladies, and then wild and raucous as hell) way back when we first moved to NYC, dancing our hearts out to the Josh Dion Band all over town. Now he performs all over NYC (and in residency at Rockwood Music Hall) as The Paris Monster. Find, chat, listen, and buy on Twitter and iTunes.

We've spent a lot of time on this show talking about how hard dating is in your thirties and, according to Shari Bayer, it doesn't get a whole lot easier once you've slipped into your fourth decade. But as we celebrate the final show of our second season, we're lightening it up a bit and discussing why it's awesome to be a single professional in New York City, and why coupled up kids should be jealous of all the things we can do that they can't. So for today's show sit back, singletons, and get ready to celebrate. Grab two drinks and get ready to glug them down - because you can! Paint the town red, sleep 'til noon, get into trouble, and pick up a nasty habit - because you can! DVR your favorite guilty pleasure and dig into that disgusting food you don't want anyone else to know about - because you can! And then Tweet us, email us, Facebook us, flirt with us, make out with us, do whatever the hell you like with us - BECAUSE WE CAN! Have a listen, and come back April 25th when we kick off Season Three with even more love bites and stories about how love BITES!

Food is sexy. Books are sexy. So a fair about food and books? Super sexy. On this week's show, Jacqueline and Ben go old-school Love Bites, reconnecting on their past month of insanity with Jacqueline's dating conundrums (break-offs and flirting and abstinence, oh my!) and Ben's having gone off to Paris to perform in a surrealist play in Yiddish...which he doesn't really speak. Then they're joined by Amanda Dell and Kimberly Chou, the directors of the Food Book Fair coming up May 1st and 2nd in New York City. They dish on the challenges and triumphs of pulling off such a gigantic feat, how it affects their single-and-dating lives, and maybe a few rounds of never-have-I-ever will be introduced to the show. Plus! The team gets giddy on the 2013 "Alemannia" Trosseau Gris from Lush Wine and Spirits owner and winemaker Mitch Einhornn. Never heard of a Trosseau Gris before? Neither had we. But it's from a small California vineyard and promises a sleek mouthfeel with notes of melon and dried straw flavors. So, yum.

Dating is hard enough, and we all bring baggage into new relationships. For some, baggage comes in the form of an illness that leaves you with little power over how your body moves in the world. On today's show, Jacqueline and Ben are joined by Allie Cashel and Erica Lupinacci, the co-founders of Suffering the Silence, an online community supporting the struggles of millions of Americans who live with chronic illnesses like Lyme disease, Lupus, Crohn's disease and others. They discuss the basics of their experiences, how their struggles and triumphs have affected their relationships of all sorts, and what they wish healthy people knew about how to communicate with those who have long-term illnesses. Then, the team is joined via phone by Chef Ariane Resnick. Chef Ariane healed her late-stage Lyme disease and chemical poisoning primarily through holistic methods, and now uses her healthful, healing recipes to help her clients live their fullest, most robust lives possible. How did her experience with Lyme affect her physically-demanding career? What insight does she have now that has made her better at her job? And what has she learned about healing foods that all of us can use to our benefit?

Pondering why you’re single? Well, you could peruse the Self Help section of Barnes and Noble (if you can find one still standing), spending your hard-earned dough on stacks of weepy books about how you’ve gotta Get Out There, Girl! or why life is really better without a mate. Or….. you could laugh it off. Which is what Angela Spera and Laura Lane want you to do by seeing their sketch show, reading their book, or listening to their podcast. So this week, we’ve got the THIS IS WHY YOU’RE SINGLE team on to chat about how neither of them is single, what they’ve learned from their quickly-growing empire, and how they use humor to get where others dare not tread. But before we even get into that, Jacqueline mourns Ben’s absence with a single guest co-host, Daniel Holzman, the chef/owner of the Meatball Shops in NYC. What have they learned about why they’re single from reading Laura and Angela’s book? Is it because they date within the food industry–or don’t?! Is it because they have sex too soon, are too picky, or are just too awesome for the current mid-thirty-something dating pool? Have a listen and find out. “I would like to say, first of all, I love a good, smooth bald head.” [13:10] – Laura Lane  

On today’s show, Jacqueline grills Ben and their guests, Jonathan Wiener and Joel Ruben Ganz, about the challenges of being a professional actor in your thirties, and the strain it puts on all sorts of relationships. How do you commit when you’ll cross the country for months for a good gig? How do the fluctuations of artistic fulfillment (and their often pathetic paychecks) affect confidence in dating? What sacrifices to personal relationships are made for the sake of art? And how does all this affect their jobs as waiters and bartenders over the years? Then, after the break, she picks their brains about all things manly, like how their body parts work and how they define true sexual intimacy. “You don’t want to get stuck doing what you don’t want to do just to pay the bills.” [5:20] – Jonathan Wiener “The nature of our work is one of constant self-examination and evaluation.” [10:30] – Joel Ruben Ganz  

What is relationship baggage, and how responsible are we for losing it before we start something new? On today’s show, hosts Jacqueline and Ben explore the experiences that stay with us from one dating relationship to another, and how we can move on from it. Should we wait until we’re fully ready to immerse ourselves in someone new? How open should we be with a potential mate about negative experiences we may still be holding onto? And what does it take to really, truly get over someone? Then, the team is joined by pastry chef Thiago Silva – the creator of the Cinnamon Roll Donut – who, fortunately for him, hasn’t had to worry much about past relationship baggage; he met his wife when they were teenagers. How has his relationship grown alongside his pastry career? What road bumps did they hit, and what sacrifices have they made? And what does he see for his professional future, when he’s in between restaurants and has baby #2 on the way? Tune in to find out, and stay on board through the end of the show, where they each share their best bite or drink of the week, and where you can snag it. © 2013 Brent Herrig Photography “I don’t think that emotional baggage is something that you get rid of, it’s something that shpaes you, and it informs who you are and the choices you make and the way you react to things moving forward in, I think, a permanent way, which is sometimes negative, but also can sometimes be positive.”  [8:00] – Ben Rosenblatt “I would rather try to have a real deep, big love and get hurt again than to play it safe.” [14:00] – Jacqueline Raposo “The question I always ask myself is, what would I be without her and my son in my life, and honestly I can’t picture it happening, so I would never put myself in the position to allow that to happen.” [24:00] – Thiago Silva

Nowadays, working in the food world does not equal a private life. Chefs are no longer chained to their stoves, critics have lost their anonymity, and writers can’t hide behind their computer screens. Instead, we all charge our Instagram posts and Twitter feeds with salacious words and images, paired with hashtags that will get us even more exposure. But how does this affect dating and finding love? On today’s show, Jacqueline and Ben discuss how exploring relationships on Love Bites is affecting their emotional hunt for something real, and how Jacqueline describes what she does to prospective dates without giving too much away, since she’s unavoidably oh-so-Google-able. Then the team is joined by Leiti Hsu, the host of Heritage’s Word of Mouth and a culinary connector who’s gone beyond food writing to connect big brands and startups with people in the hospitality field. How does she navigate dating when she travels so much, and spends a vast majority of her time with food royalty? Finally, the team shares something they read / ate / drank / saw and listened to this week in the dating and food fields,all the while sipping an American-made Brut f rom Gruet – a French family of winemakers in New Mexico – sent over by David and Michael Robinov of Farm to Table, an online specialty market bringing the best of local, small-batch and artisan products right to your door. Have a listen.  

What happens when you send out almost 40 online dating messages in one week? Oftentimes, nothing. On today’s show, Jacqueline and Ben share their insights, lessons learned, and greatest takeaways from critically looking at online dating correspondence. Then they’re joined be Andre Mack, owner of Mouton Noir Wines and former sommelier at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry and Per Se. As the #1 African American winemaker in the country, they discuss minority representation in the hospitality world, finding love where you work, and how artistic collaboration never stops fueling us. “You can really be into wine and not wear a suit.” [22:00] – Andre Mack

It’s our VERY FIRST VALENTINE’S DAY SHOW! And in celebration, we’re getting cozy in the studio… just the two of us. First, we tackled some super serious questions that experts (pulled together by the New York Times) suggest every couple face before a potential walk down the aisle. What do they tell us about our compatability as friends, and how might they help those taking a very serious step. Then we hit up the stinky side of sex: the kinds that get into your sheets, saturate your mattress, and don’t wanna leave. How can we free our burdoires of those kinda memories, and what can we buy to make sure playtime in the bedroom is a bit neater from here on out?

We’ve all experienced some sort of unrequited love; pining over someone who doesn’t quite realize the romantic possibilities we can so clearly see. But what happens when affection turns into obsession? When our desires have so much control over us that we can’t see the world clearly? On today’s show, we talk about our own experiences with unrequited love, and how periods of longing teach us how to love ourselves and others more securely. Then we’re joined by Lisa Phillips, whose book Unrequited: Women and Romantic Obsession was just re-released by Harper Collins in paperback. Lisa shares how her own experience with unrequited love turned into romantic obsession, what she’s learned by studying its history, how we can best identify if our passion has crossed a dangerous line, and how to assess our chances of it happening again in the future. Finally, we share a Valentine’s Day offering from our sponsor, Virgola Wine Bar, a few tasty thoughts on Mark West Wines‘ new Black Pinot Noir, our experience chowing on chocolate at the recent Top Ten Chocolatiers of 2015 awards by Dessert Professional Magazine, and why we love sipping Scotch at North End Grill.

After subsequent shows on embracing our imperfections, facing our relationship patterns and moving boldly into the future with that knowledge at hand, it’s time for the team to apply what we’ve learned to our dating lives. So in our first segment, we catch up on our recent dating scenes, and discuss a shared hatred: boring first-date conversations (which, fittingly, was the subject of last week’s Modern Love column). How can we be bolder in sparking engaging conversations? How can we apply what we’ve learned from our live therapy sessions to maybe change our path a smidge? Then we’re joined by the boldest, brassiest pastry chef we know, Paulette Goto. She was the supportive force behind our Why We Didn’t Work series, and is the kind of friend everyone should have when they need a bit of (not too subtle) prompting for living without shame or apology. Paulette shares how she became so self assured, what vulnerabilities she deals with still, and how this all plays into pastry.

When you were in your last relationship, were you always honest with your feelings? Did you relay them openly to your partner? What about while breaking up? Has the story about why you broke up changed with some and hindsight, and could you be more honest with that ex now than maybe you were during the time you were together? On last week’s show, therapist Vienna Pharaon guided Ben through some patterns that came to light in his correspondence with two of his ex-girlfriends. Today, Diana Gasperoni of BeHER walks Jacqueline through if the communication she shared between her exes was as strong and open as she thinks it was, with the five questions each ex answered as fodder for their explorations.

“Breaking up is hard to do,” goes the old Neil Sedaka song. But when you’ve got a radio show about establishing new and long-lasting relationships, sometimes you’ve got to push past any lingering “what ifs?” and get to the root of the issue. So on today’s show, Ben presents a list of questions he’s asked a few of the past women in his life: Why did they breakup? What did and didn’t work about them as a couple? What do they think of when they think of him now? And do they have any regrets? Guided by therapist Vienna Pharaon of Mindful Marriage and Family Therapy, Ben talks through the answers his exes sent him alongside the answers he wrote about the relationships, exploring if any of the “good” or “bad” about them might be affecting his chances of finding new love now. Plus, Jacqueline updates on what happened after she reported an abusive guy on OK Cupid, and what the site could have done to make the transaction a bit clearer. And the team sets up what Jacqueline will explore when her own therapist comes on to guide her through her “We We Didn’t Work” answers on next week’s show! Have a listen. “We don’t just do things to do them. We do them for a reason – we’re protecting ourselves, protecting others.” –Vienna Pharaon on Love Bites  

For our first show of the new year and to kick off our second season (!), we’re recapping what we learned about dating in 2015 and setting dating goals for the upcoming year. Then we’re joined by It’s Not You author Sara Eckel, whose book dispels 27 myths single women have thrust at them constantly. Are you too negative, too liberated, too picky, too intimidating or too desperate? Do you “not really want a relationship” or should you “have married that guy”?! Find out what Sara’s learned from her studies of relationships and relationship self help books, and then stay tuned for the return of the “Online Dating Ass of the Week” awards, where we pull up some particularly sad exchanges we’ve had of late. “I think the thing that most struck me was that the older the women were the more relaxed they were. They didn’t take every date personally, they could enjoy the date for its own sake regardless of what happened.” [29:00] –Sara Eckel on Love Bites  

We welcome back Antony Raymond of Elsinore County and Andrew McLeod of Union Beer – the guests on our two unaired pilots – for our last show of 2015! In a festive and celebratory mode, we talk what we’re drinking and eating this week, and then break down some dating cliches to get at the root of their truth. Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all? Do you only find love when you stop looking? Or do you have to be out in the light in order to have love find you? Hear four opinions – for better or for worse – and get a sneak peak at what’s to come in 2016! “It tough for someone to love you if you walk around like a miserable f*** all the time.” [15:15] –Andrew McLeod on Love Bites  

We’re all for crazy love. The kind that kisses and consumes you. The kind the flames quickly and dies, and the kind that burns on embers indefinitely. There is no right kind of way to love (well, stalking and dangerous stuff aside, of course). Loving is loving, and we wanna hear stories of it in all forms. Which is why we’ve asked Heritage Radio’s own Erin Fairbanks to join us on the show. Erin once shared a story with us of discovering a boyfriend’s insanely dark, hidden secret… and staying with him anyway. Longer than her loved ones wanted her to. We don’t want to give away too much. So let’s just say the story will be juicy, and we’ll all learn a bit from her trials and tribulations. “It’s nice to know that you have such a range of emotions. There’s some power there. I learned a ton from that relationship.” [27:25] “It’s simple. From sun up to sun down out in your life, on the subway, in the grocery store, at work, walking down the street, five times a day make eye contact with someone you think is interesting.” [30:00] –Erin Fairbanks on Love Bites  

Sometimes you have sex, sometimes you don’t. Sex can be one thing in your twenties, another in your thirties, and a new thing entirely depending on the person you’re having sex with. So what does sex mean to our hosts right now, today? Jacqueline and Ben share what having (or not having) sex does for them at the present moment, and what they hope for the future. Then they’re joined by Samuel Abrahams and Tom Greaves, the filmmaker and lead of the short film, Offline Dating. How did Samuel feel watching Tom walk up to strangers and ask them out? What was Tom feeling while he got rejected over and over again? And what they have learned from the process that we can take into our dating lives. Listen to find out.

This week, Jacqueline swaps her general positivity for crank (as she wrote recently for BlogHer). So Ben grills her about dates canceling the day of, how ghosting is socially acceptable now, and how singletons keep their cool with friend after friend pairs off and disappears. What can we be doing to date better, or at least own our being single? Then they’re joined by Jesse Hirsch, the editor of Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn. He recently ended a 6-year relationship… because of his job (somewhat, he says). What happens when your schedule is dominated by work events? When your significant others doesn’t want to join? Or when they really don’t give a shit about why you think kohlrabi is the new cauliflower (which was the new kale). Have a listen for the crankiest show of this season. “I feel like in the next relationship it would be just knowing how to keep things distinct and not letting work bleed into every single aspect.” [21:30] –Jesse Hirsch on Love Bites  

On today’s show, Jacqueline and Ben talk confidence. How do you own it on a first date? In a relationship? Where is the line between confidence and ego? And is “owning yourself” enough? Then they’re joined by Lauren Resler, the pastry chef of Empellon restaurant and the mothers to 9-month old Jaxon Alexander Stupak, the #TacoPrince! She dishes about the challenges of motherhood in the industry, and how it’s a little different for women than men. Listen up, ladies. “I’m happy to say that I’m blessed with a very easy going child so the stress of a restaurant is much harder but with mommy work you never shut your brain off!” [25:30] –Lauren Resler on Love Bites

On last week’s show, Ben prepared for a date with a woman he’d been hooked up with via a listener! Was he more or less nervous? Where was he gonna take her? This week, we get the scoop on how it went, and how a first date moves on (or doesn’t) to a second. Then the team is joined by Lisa Mendelson, the Senior PR Manager for design and restaurant group, AvroKo. Lisa (single) shares why she’s okay NOT dating right now, and how handling publicity for a super-creative group affects whether or not she’ll start again any time soon. Have a listen. “I’m a little notorious for meeting bartenders and dating them.. because I find it easy to be at a bar and have a conversation.” [20:00]

On today’s show, Jacqueline and Ben explore how putting a call out to listeners for dates has manifested in ACTUAL DATES, and the benefits of getting setup by friends. How does it work? DOES it work? What can we gain from going offline and letting friends of friends set us up?! Then, they’re joined by Jamie Feldmar and Sarah Zorn, two local food writers. Jamie’s single, Sarah’s married, but neither of them are immune to the pressures a very social work life puts on the absence or existence of a significant other. How does eating for a living trump a dating life, or what do you do when your spouse doesn’t wanna join you for yet another walk-around tasting? The ladies spill. Then the team shares the best thing they ate / read / watched or listened to regarding dating and dining this past week.   “To me, date night is staying home with my husband…”  [10:30] -Sarah Zorn “Because I love what I do, when I’m looking for a partner, I always look for someone who also loves what they do…” [16:45] -Jamie Feldmar

Last week, Jacqueline published an article on Cosmopolitan about why she doesn’t want kids, and how that doesn’t make her any less of a woman or partner. So on today’s eposide, the team delves into how kids play into the dating scene: when do you bring up that you do or don’t want them? Would you date someone with kids? How does this change as we grow older? They pull in some thoughts from readers and listeners, too. Then they’re joined by Will and Julie Horowitz, the chef/manager – brother/sister team behind New York’s Ducks Eatery and Harry & Ida’s Meat and Supply Co., which has recently taken the city by storm with their pastrami and insane smoked and fermented meat-fish-veg menu. How do they survive working together when they’re closer than a chef and manager might ever be otherwise? How does dating a coworker work when your sibling is already around? Find out on this week’s episode. “As a woman, almost 30, I definitely feel like there is an obligation to pro-create…” [30:00] –Julie Horowitz on Love Bites  

Author Jessica Tom’s debut novel, Food Whore, takes readers on a ride through the sexy, messy underbelly of the NYC food scene. Hosts Jacqueline and Ben pick her brain about how much of the scraping and clawing she shares come from real life experiences, as well as what she learned from two years of working at the dating app, How About We… “Nothing about love really shocks me anymore.” [19:30] “I think my book is a lot about the scene of New York and being cool and knowing the hottest places and my fiance is like, the opposite of that!” [22:15] –Jessica Tom on Love Bites  

Kat Kinsman is the Editor of Tasting Table and the author of the upcoming book – Hi, Anxiety – that’s coming out in April. She shares her own history with overcoming anxiety as a New York food writer, and hosts Jacqueline and Ben chime in with how anxiety has affected their dating and dining lives on this episode of Love Bites. This program was brought to you by Fire Cider.

We talk with Ben’s former employer, Abigail Hitchcock about running her restaurant with her spouse and the romantic encounters she’s witnessed in her cozy French Bistro, Camaje. Abby also shares the meaning behind the name, Camaje, and the stories of the three men who inspired it. “My feeling is if you want to maintain any kind of relationship then go for it, and if you don’t, then don’t!” [21:00] –Abigail Hitchcock on Love Bites  

Tune in as we get an update on Ben’s most recent date as Jacqueline plays devil’s advocate while discussing the dating euphoria versus the dating reality.  Later, Colicchio and Sons pastry chef Stephen Collucci joins in! He made his own wedding cake, and last year guided host Jacqueline with making one, too. On this episode, he shares tricks of the trade for making your special day simply sweet. “For me and my dating life, [food] is a big thing!” [30:00] –Stephen Collucci on Love Bites  

In this episode of Love Bites, hosts Jacqueline Raposo and Ben Rosenblatt debate why the process of finding love online can be so exhausting, and why women should feel more empowered to talk about sex without shame. Then chef Shane Lyons of New York’s Distilled joins to spill about how hard cooking professionally is on heart, and whether those women hanging around the chef’s counter are there for the food… or to take home to the man under the toque. “I don’t have a plan about how I’m going to meet that perfect person!” –Shane Lyons on Love Bites  

Virgola owner, Joseph Marazzo, is taking over the city with his super sexy, intimate wine and oyster bars. On this episode of Love Bites, hosts Jacqueline Raposo and Ben Rosenblatt are talking with him about scandalous romances in his bar, plus why he doesn’t kiss too close to home.  This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA.   “I’ve spent the night with a fraction of the ones that I could have!” [23:23] –Joseph Marazzo on Love Bites