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If you like wine, wild game and hearing what goes on behind the scenes of a national outdoor TV show, Off the Record with Scott and Michelle is for you.
Why a podcast?
Perhaps I needed a place to share my nearly 30 years experience as a Chef, caterer, restaurant manager, menu-developer, cocktail-creator, hunter, shooter...or perhaps I just needed an excuse to drink a glass of wine - virtually - with my good friend, Michelle Scheuermann, of BulletProof Communications.
This podcast was actually her idea and it took her about a year to convince me to do it.
She finally flew out to California in mid-March of 2020 to record a few sessions, and wouldn't you believe it that right there, at my kitchen counter, we both found out the world was forever changing.
Luckily she flew back to her home state of Minnesota just fine, but it took us another few months to edit those episodes and get this ball rolling.
Today, we have good flow going
We've started inviting guests on the show - which isn't too hard to do as Michelle has also been in the outdoor industry going on 15 years.
~Scott Leysath
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Season 1
Welcome to the very first episode of Off the Record Podcast with The Sporting Chef and Michelle! Celebrate the art of cooking and wine pairings with The Sporting Chef Scott Leysath and Outdoor Insider Michelle Scheuermann. Michelle visits Scott at his home in Northern California just before COVID-19 hits us hard. So its good we…
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We are being Politically Correct – and drinking a wine of the same name in Eps 4 of Off the Record Podcast. It is “Fear Factor” for Michelle as she tries two elk burgers Scott just prepared – one burger is not as done as she likes. Plus, we test the “red wine with meat” theory… Jump…
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Don’t overcook it. Eps 3 of Off the Record Podcast shows more in-depth talk of cooking medium and medium-rare foods – this time with salmon – and good wines. It’s salmon challenge week: will Michelle like the “not so done” piece? Scott seasons it with Hi Mountain Salmon Rub. Plus, he shares a lox-style salmon tips…
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We move away from wine to vodka in Off the Record Podcast Eps 4 – Vodcast. Scott and Michelle test vodkas while attempting to record an episode. Scott pierces the veil on brand-name vodkas – and the shenanigans that he does during parties. Plus, he dives into his favorite vodka drink – and how people…
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Welcome back to Off the Record Podcast – Eps 5 – Kitchen Hacks. Just once, you’d love to be a fly on the wall when a world-class chef is kicking back and spilling the beans about things he does every day to make food taste so good, right? Well, buzz your way over to this…
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Off the Record with The Sporting Chef and Michelle – Eps 6 – Behind the Scenes with Scott. If you host television shows and travel all over cooking for a living, stuff happens. So Michelle asked Scott for some juicy BTS tales. One starts with friends squishing dog poop between their toes at the foot…
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On this episode of “Off the Record with The Sporting Chef and Michelle”, we learn Michelle’s nickname. Only her parents use it. (hint: it’s Mickey). Is Mickey picky? Scott gives her a picky eater’s test and we find out. Shocker of the week: turns out that cooking is subjective! Scott reveals that he doesn’t love…
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Scott & Michelle welcome Mark Strand as the Off The Record’s first guest. And it just so happens Mark is the show’s editor, so it was fitting to have him as our guest. We talk wine (of course), Central Coast of California, if Scott ever gets sick of cooking, Michelle’s role as The Adequate Cook…
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Join Michelle & Scott on Off The Record Podcast with special guest Nick Pinizzotto, CEO of National Deer Alliance AND QDMA, as they talk future of conservation groups in America and quality of this week’s wine selections! Wines we were drinking: Going Viral – Merlot by Michael David Winery; Red Dog Road – sweet red…
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Scott & Michelle talk the state of commercial fishing with Tommy “The Fishmonger” Gomes on eps 10 of Off the Record podcast. He’s funny & full of passion and knowledge of the fishing industry. You will come away knowledgeable about how to buy fish from your local market – and perhaps adventurous to try new…
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Chef John McGannon of WildEats.Com is the special guest on this episode of Off the Record with The Sporting Chef and Michelle. He and Scott refer to themselves as “Grumpy Old Chefs” and Michelle isn’t hating it. In fact, John’s tombstone will read “the dry age guy,” and Scott’s will read “the brine guy.” They…
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On episode 19 of Off the Record with the Sporting Chef and Michelle – Scott and Michelle sit down with Elizabeth Schneider of Wine for Normal People. Elizabeth talks about how she got her start into the wine business – which was kind of a rocky start. Of course, the three of them get into…
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Brad Fenson can’t leave Canada and we can’t get to him – so let’s podcast! Brad is part outdoor communicator, part fish & game manager, and 100 percent conservationist, and he loves to go ice fishing. What else do you do in Canada in the winter? We podcast! Listen to Eps 20: How to Stay…
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Have you ever woken up and forgot where you are? And what you are hunting that day? It happens if you travel as the host and producer of an award-winning TV series for more than 300 days out of the year, just like Melissa Bachman of Winchester Deadly Passion. Listen to eps 21 of Off…
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How did Michael David Winery, out of Lodi, Cali., get named the American Winery of the Year in 2020? Through a lot of time, hard work and family dedication. Listen in as Kevin Phillips, VP of Something at Michael David Winery, shares how his family started the vineyard in the ‘80’s, created a monster brand…
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Fabulous & well-spoken game chef John McGannon joins Scott & Michelle for a brand new Off the Record with The Sporting Chef and Michelle, which is loaded with cooking tips and secrets. Plus, Scott lets it slip that he owns 2 e-bikes. Mayhem ensues. Don’t miss Part 1 of Chef John’s interview here. Plus, Chef…
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On Episode 25 of Off the Record with The Sporting Chef & Michelle, Chef Scott & Michelle remind us that hunting season’s comin’ so it’s time to empty your freezer of last year’s game and fish. Grind things up to make burgers, fish cakes and more tasty meals. Here’s the recipe for Scott’s fish cakes…
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On Episode 26 of “Off the Record with The Sporting Chef and Michelle” Chef Scott and Michelle chat with an anti-hunter-turned-hunter. What?! Yes! What are the odds that someone opposed to hunting becomes an adult-onset hunter? Slim, indeed… but meet our guest, Keng Yang, who found a love of hunting and traditions thanks to getting…
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Corey Meyer and Charlie Pehrson could not find the gun safe they wanted, so they built it, and they made a modular gun safe. Steelhead Outdoors was born in 2020 – their first show was Pheasant Fest in the Minneapolis in 2020 and they haven’t looked back. All the modular gun safe components are made…
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An episode loaded with fascinating & funny stories from hunting & fishing trips near & far as Camp Chef’s Brooks Hanson spills the beans on Scott Leysath. Camp Chef is one of Scott’s longest tenured sponsors of “The Sporting Chef” TV series. Camp Chef is THE source for cast iron cooking and for grills and…
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