1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Normally at this stage of the show, the very beginning, 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: I usually do the first two segments called Technique of 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: the Week, and we focused on a technique, and I'll 4 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: do that in the next segment here. But we lost 5 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: an amazing broadcaster and human being a few days ago, 6 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: and her name was Melinda Lee. And I had the 7 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: pleasure of knowing Melinda Lee. I've been at KFI since 8 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: ninety four. Came as an intern, and she was at 9 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: KFI for a while. She started on KNX doing a 10 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: food show in the late eighties, I believe, and then 11 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: she came to KFI and did a food show. And 12 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: when David G. Hall left to program KNX for a while, 13 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:51,880 Speaker 1: he took her with him. They had a great relationship 14 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: and that was like going home for Melinda Lee. But 15 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: at that time here at KFI, I had the pleasure 16 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: of knowing her and what a neat human being she was, 17 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: and I believe is just not here on this plane anymore. 18 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: So I wanted to spend some time talking about her, 19 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: because you know, we don't stay in touch. She actually 20 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: didn't re sign with KNX many years ago because she 21 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: wanted to spend more time doing other things. She's a 22 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 1: fabulous writer, a wonderful speaker. She was an exceptional host, 23 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 1: and in the food category, there has never been anyone 24 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: like her or better than her before and since. I 25 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,919 Speaker 1: would never ever put this show in the same category 26 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: except for spirit. That the spirit of this show comes 27 00:01:55,480 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: from what I learned from Melinda Lee, and that is 28 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: to be gracious and to have fun, have a sense 29 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: of humor, don't take yourself seriously, but take people's needs seriously. 30 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: When it comes to food, we're all intimidated by it, 31 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:17,640 Speaker 1: and I hope I bring a little bit of that 32 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: to you, because what I learned from Melinda Lee, and 33 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: what I always saw in her was this over the 34 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: airwaves hug of saying, honey, it's gonna be fine. It's 35 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,959 Speaker 1: just cooking. You might even make a mistake, probably will, 36 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: we all do, but it's gonna be fine, and it's 37 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: most likely going to be edible. And the fact that 38 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: you try is a success in itself. And I can't 39 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: sit here and tell you every single thing I learned, 40 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: whether it was about being a good human being or food, 41 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 1: because they're too many to recount. But talking with my 42 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: wife Tracy this morning about her when I gave her 43 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 1: the news today because I just learned I think it 44 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: was yesterday, and I think it was a couple days 45 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: ago of her passing. I don't even know how old 46 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: she was. Nobody ever said, she never ever said, I 47 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: think in any interview I saw I was reading some 48 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: old interviews that she said she was fifty something or whatever. 49 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: So I have no idea, but she always seemed like 50 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: somebody who lived life to the fullest. She loved a 51 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: good meal, she loved a good glass of wine, and 52 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: strangely enough, for being this sweet, she was never old, 53 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: but her spirit was like it had a gentle wisdom 54 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: about it that made her probably seem older than her years, 55 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: because she just didn't give a crap about the things 56 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: you shouldn't give a crap about, right that everybody weighs 57 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: their shoulders down with. And she loved a good, let's say, 58 00:03:54,320 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: ribald joke. She would give a hearty laugh when she 59 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: heard something slightly blue or and I remember being because 60 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: you know, I've never tried to hide the fact that 61 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: I have a crass sense of humor. I come across 62 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: as mean sometimes to people I work with, and I'm 63 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: always floored. And then I listen back and go Okay, 64 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: I hear that, but I don't. I adore the people 65 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,720 Speaker 1: I work with, or I don't work with them. You know, 66 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: I just don't want to. Life's too short. Melinda Lee 67 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: has told my wife one time, and she couldn't remember 68 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: the whole situation, but she thought maybe she was talking 69 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:39,239 Speaker 1: with Bill Handle. You know, it's time for some news. 70 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: I'll talk more about her. She deserves any time that 71 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: I give her and more. Melinda Lee, the beloved Melinda 72 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: Lee that took all of our hearts when it came 73 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: to food and told us we could do it and 74 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: that we should try it. She passed away this past 75 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 1: week and I couldn't find one story written about her. Now, 76 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 1: it may just hit in the news cycle where, you know, 77 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: and there's not a lot of you know, radio writers 78 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: out there anymore, and it used to be more covered. 79 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,359 Speaker 1: So this is not a slam on them. It's just 80 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: a news cycle thing. But I couldn't find anything, and 81 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: I just I just want her name to be in 82 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 1: the memory of all of this, those of us that 83 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: loved her and enjoyed what she did and put her 84 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: on that pedestal as the queen of food, talk and writing. 85 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: I want us to remember her name. I'll talk more 86 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: about her when after we get some news. 87 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 2: You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Sevedra on 88 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 2: demand from KFI AM six forty. 89 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: Hey there, Happy Saturday to you. Look at this. We're 90 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: in December. Holidays are here, and for all our Jewish 91 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: brothers and sisters out there, Hanukah is on the fourteenth. 92 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: Because if you ask, I don't care if religious non 93 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: religious jew you ask them when Hank is and they 94 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: will go, I don't know, leave me alone. We just 95 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: know when it's here, because it's not the same. Like 96 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: even though Christ was not born on the twenty fifth 97 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: of December, everybody knows that's when it lands, so don't 98 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: give them a hard time. It changes all the time, 99 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 1: and it's eight days, so if you forget a couple 100 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: of the first days, you're fine. You'll be good. Anyways, 101 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: we're in the holidays. Even the weather's getting a little cooler. 102 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: The moon was gorgeous on Friday. Holy smokes in the 103 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: morning when I got up to the Handle show, just amazing. Anyways, 104 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: we got a lot to get to today, including a 105 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 1: restaurant they've been on the show before, but a really 106 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 1: great one to visit here in LA for the holidays 107 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:53,599 Speaker 1: is just festive and colorful and great food and stuff 108 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 1: like that, and so stick around right now. I'm just 109 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: I changed things up a little bit to just tip 110 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: my hat and focus and do a tribute to Melinda Lee. 111 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 1: She did food news with Melinda Lee. Most recently she 112 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: did it on CANX. Prior to that, she was on 113 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: KFI for some time, and prior to that she was 114 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: on KNX. I think that's where she started, but as 115 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: a food writer. And if you didn't know Melinda Lee 116 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: or don't remember on the air, and I don't know 117 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: how you could be a fan of talk radio and 118 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: not know Melinda Lee, She's just the She was the 119 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: best at what she did. She put her arm around you, 120 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: said that you can do it. And the story that 121 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: I was telling right before the break was one that 122 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: my wife was retelling to me this morning, because my 123 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: wife worked in radio for years as a producer and 124 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: she remembers Melinda Lee talking she thinks to handle, and 125 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: she said she laughed and cocked her head back and 126 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: just told handle. I think she goes, you know what, 127 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: you can train a monkey to do what we do. 128 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: It's about connection and personality, you know, connect with the listener. 129 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: She never thought of herself as anything special. She was 130 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: a caterer, I believe, and caterers, I've said this before 131 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: on the Fork Report to me, are the front line 132 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:29,119 Speaker 1: of the culinary arts. They are at war when they work. 133 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:34,319 Speaker 1: The kitchen is different, the setup is a different location 134 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: to set like. You just have to improvise, adapt and 135 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: overcome on every single job. So when she gave advice, 136 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: was that old uh was it schwabs or whatever, I 137 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: can't remember, but that old commercial like when so and 138 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: so speaks and then it would get quiet, everybody listens, uh, 139 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: some financial ad But that's how it was with Melinda. 140 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: And she threw these gems, these pearls of wisdom out 141 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: like they were no big deal. I can remember many 142 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: of them. If you've ever made egg rolls at home 143 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 1: or attempted to, and I love making egg rolls, and 144 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: you fry them and all those things. She gave the 145 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: best tip. One of the things is people don't strain 146 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: or dry out the filling enough. So you put that 147 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: filling into the wrapper and you deep fry it and 148 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: all that liquid comes out and makes some soggy that's 149 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: a great tip, a simple one for her, and that 150 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: was I probably that was decades ago, probably when I 151 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: heard that, it stayed with me, not only the tip 152 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 1: for being smart and practical, practical and appliable, but it's 153 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: just something you know by doing it all the time, 154 00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: by being in those you know, oh craps situations where 155 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: you have to do a wedding or a party or 156 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: something and you don't get to be bad, you don't 157 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: get to have an off day, because by definition, caterers 158 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: are warriors. They are They don't get invited for something dull. 159 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: They get invited to come out to prepare food for 160 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: life events. And that's who Melinda Lee was. She was 161 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: a warrior. She was graceful and generous and kind. And 162 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: I love the fact that she could tip a glass. 163 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: I love the fact that she loved a ryebald joke. 164 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: I've met a lot of people in this industry, starting 165 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: out when I was I don't know, eighteen nineteen something 166 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: like that, whatever it was, and now at fifty six, 167 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: there's you know, you find there's people. You know, everybody's 168 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: got their own problems. But it's a weird industry. A 169 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 1: lot of insecurity, a lot of weird people. And I'm 170 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: not lumping on praise on Melinda Lee because she passed 171 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: away this week. I'm lumping on praise because she was praiseworthy, 172 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: just a neat person, funny and sweet and kind and 173 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: incredibly knowledgeable. And again, I would never put myself in 174 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 1: the category as much as I love food to capture 175 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: the magic that ow't to me. Only she did. And 176 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: there's beautiful, talented people that do things you know similarly, 177 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 1: that have their own voice that I you know, that 178 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:46,439 Speaker 1: I would put in the same category of strength and wonderfulness. 179 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: Chef Jamie Gwinn's a lovely human being and does a 180 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: great job. I'm not putting down anybody at all. I'm 181 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 1: just lifting her up for all the work that she 182 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: did in this medium of radio. And Melinda Lee was 183 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 1: one of a kind. God bless her. All I can 184 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: think about is the rubbing of hands in heaven as 185 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 1: they go, oh my gosh, you know who's coming. Finally 186 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: we eat something good up here. It's like, God bless her. 187 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: And I hadn't talked to her for years, but I 188 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: always was a fan and always was thrilled to have 189 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: any time that I had to talk with her or 190 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: chat with her, ask her questions. And if this show 191 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: can be one thousandth of the light that she was 192 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: to the LA audience that she brought with food news 193 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: and all of her insights, recipes and devotion to the 194 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,840 Speaker 1: craft of cooking and baking, man, I would be thrilled. 195 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 1: So God bless you, God speed. Melinda Lee. Radio has 196 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: missed you for years, and I hope that you got 197 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: the rest and the introspection and time with family that 198 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 1: you sought out. And to all those that live beyond 199 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: her in her family, thank you for sharing her for 200 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 1: so long with us. I knew it took her away 201 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,199 Speaker 1: from you, but we all got to call her a 202 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: little bit of our own family. 203 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 2: You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on 204 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:25,679 Speaker 2: demand from KFI AM six forty