What do ex-inmates cooking with ramen, celebrity drummers on food tours, and alligator wrestling have in common?

📺 They’re all part of the wild, inventive world of Mesmeric Media, the production company flipping food TV on its head. In this episode of Eat Your Content, I sit down with Michael Holstein, CEO and founder of Mesmeric Media — and the mind behind shows like Jail Bake, Taste of the Town, Street Beef, and the internet-breaking Florida Man Games.

🎙️ We get into:

• How Mesmeric Media is redefining food storytelling in ways you've never seen
• The real business model behind getting a TV show greenlit
• Why networks are desperate for food content — and what makes Mesmeric’s different
• How shows like Jail Bake are giving real second chances to people with criminal records
• What it takes to launch a bracket-style street food competition hosted by a Heisman Trophy winner
• And yes… The Florida Man Games are real — and they’re coming to a screen near you

Whether you're a foodie, a content creator, or just love watching chaotic TV that somehow still has heart, this episode is for you.

🔔 Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating, and share it with your fellow food-and-pop-culture-obsessed friends.
📡 And if you’ve got a wild TV pitch of your own? Michael wants to hear it. No agent required.

____________

Mesmeric Media on the web: https://mesmeric.media/

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Thanks for listening to Eat Your Content. If you like what you hear, please consider supporting the podcast through our merch store on Tee Public. Get great quality items like T-shirts, hats, mugs, and more all sporting the vibrant Eat Your Content logo. Go to teepublic.com/user/eatyourcontent for more great items. Thank you for your support!

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What do you do when you're on Top Chef, the clock is ticking, your dish is seconds from being plated… and you accidentally serve plastic to Daniel Boulud?

On this episode of Eat Your Content, Chef Corwin Hemming joins me to talk about that infamous chawanmushi moment—what really happened behind the scenes, how it unraveled in real time, and how close he actually came to getting eliminated. Spoiler: even he thought he was done for.

But this conversation goes way beyond one mistake. We talk about:

• The emotional toll of competition cooking
• That perfect scallop Quickfire dish that earned him redemption
• His deep connection to Caribbean cuisine and why he’s doubling down on it
• Getting eliminated (twice) and what Top Chef taught him about identity, purpose, and what's next

Chef Corwin is honest, hilarious, and completely real in this interview—and if you’ve ever felt like one moment could define your whole career, you need to hear what he says next.

👨‍🍳 Press play for behind-the-scenes stories, deep chef talk, and a whole lot of heart.

If you love food, chefs, and reality TV breakdowns with substance, hit that follow button and share this episode with a friend.

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Thanks for listening to Eat Your Content. If you like what you hear, please consider supporting the podcast through our merch store on Tee Public. Get great quality items like T-shirts, hats, mugs, and more all sporting the vibrant Eat Your Content logo. Go to teepublic.com/user/eatyourcontent for more great items. Thank you for your support!

Support the show

Want to be a guest on Eat Your Content? Send Rich Herrera a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/eatyourcontent

Follow EYC on Socials
TikTok: @eatyourcontent (https://www.tiktok.com/@eatyourcontent)
YouTube: @EatYourContent (https://youtube.com/@EatYourContent?si=wYA-OAgpX4D51otX)
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What does legacy taste like? For Top Chef Season 22 winner Tristen Epps, it’s bold, layered, unapologetic—and deeply personal.

In this episode of Eat Your Content, I sit down with the chef who not only dominated the competition with the most wins in the season’s history but used every plate as a platform. Chef Tristen breaks down his philosophy of "uncolonizing cuisine," and how he’s flipping the script on what fine dining should look like.

We dive deep into:

• The cultural power behind his signature oxtail Milanese dish and why it brought Afro-Caribbean, Southern, and European flavors full circle
• The emotional toll of Restaurant Wars and how his teammates helped carry him through tragedy
• The late-night lightbulb moment that turned a dreaded foraging challenge into a winning dish
• Why he believes it’s time to redefine "mother sauces" and push culinary history past the French narrative
• His plans to open Buboy, a Houston-based tasting menu restaurant rooted in his family’s story, and the legacy he hopes to build for future chefs
• This is more than a Top Chef recap—this is a conversation about reclaiming culture, telling the truth through food, and building something that lasts far beyond one season.

🔗 Whether you’re a foodie, chef, or just someone who believes food is more than what’s on the plate, this one’s for you.

____________
Follow Chef Tristen Epps: @cheftristenepps
https://www.eppsandflows.com/

Send us a text

Thanks for listening to Eat Your Content. If you like what you hear, please consider supporting the podcast through our merch store on Tee Public. Get great quality items like T-shirts, hats, mugs, and more all sporting the vibrant Eat Your Content logo. Go to teepublic.com/user/eatyourcontent for more great items. Thank you for your support!

Support the show

Want to be a guest on Eat Your Content? Send Rich Herrera a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/eatyourcontent

Follow EYC on Socials
TikTok: @eatyourcontent (https://www.tiktok.com/@eatyourcontent)
YouTube: @EatYourContent (https://youtube.com/@EatYourContent?si=wYA-OAgpX4D51otX)
Instagram: @richherrera (https://www.instagram.com/richherrera/) & @eatyourcontent (https://www.instagram.com/eatyourcontent)
X (formally known as Twitter): @richherrera (https://twitter.com/richherrera)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richherrera1250
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Web: ⁠https://my.linkpod.site/eatyourcontent