Defending Indiana

Is this "flyover" state worth a second look? Colleen and Janice hope Hoosier photographer and entrepreneur, Joey Lax-Salinas, can convince them it is. Lax-Salinas has changed the way Indiana appears on search engines by photographing and cataloging nearly every city and town across the entire State of Indiana (approximately 400 to date!). With his extensive travel and knowledge of not only Indiana, but cities across the U.S., he seemed to be the most qualified for this task.
Joey Lax-Salinas is a traveling photographer and entrepreneur whose photos and videos have been featured on Good Morning America, World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer, The Weather Channel, CNN, Forbes.com, and USAToday.com. He is a collegiate licensed photographer of Indiana University campus photos and the author of "Good Night, Indiana University", available on bookshelves in 2023.
17:07 Lax-Salinas interview begins
Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez
Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez
Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger
Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger

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Defending Indiana cuisine felt like a herculean task for Colleen and Janice. Thankfully, acclaimed Hoosier chefs, Ambarish Lulay and Chris Pappas, stepped in to provide much needed insight. Listen and learn all about food and the food scene in Indiana including: the "Indiana Banana" (the pawpaw), duck farms, mushrooms, burrata, lemon rice soup and the pork tenderloin.
Interview starts: 16:17
Ambarish Lulay is a Culinary Olympic Silver Medalist Chef who began his career in India with the 5-star Leela Beach, formerly the Four Seasons, in Goa and the 5-star Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay. Since that time, Chef Lulay's has worked around the world including more recently as Chef de Cusine at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park and Executive Chef at Petco Park in San Diego (home of the San Diego Padres MLB team)
He then went on to blend his global exposure to food with traditional French- Mediterranean methods and techniques to reflect current trends in food as the Chef Instructor at the Chicago Tribune 3-star Dining Room at his alma mater Kendall College in Chicago.

Lulay went on to serve as the Department Chef at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University where he oversaw foodservice, operationally and academically at the Purdue campus while also serving as the chef for the president of the university. . As faculty, he also taught international Cuisine and Culture classes that study abroad each year.

In 2018, Chef Lulay switched gears to join Scott Trzaskus as the executive chef at East End Grill in Lafayette, Indiana where he oversaw day-to-day culinary operations and worked with Scott to develop a new concept for Lafayette. Currently, Lulay is the Executive Chef for all dining operations at Cornell University and lives in Ithaca, NY with his wife Kim and child.
Chris Pappas attended Purdue University, one of the top restaurant management schools in the country, and partook in some unforgettable internships during his time there. It was during this time that he fell in love with the kitchen and decided to continue his education in culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park New York).

While in New York, Chris spent time at two Michelin-rated restaurants, including Per Se in New York City with Chef Thomas Keller, and was there presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at the world-renowned Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California with food activist Alice Waters. Chris’ entire outlook on life and food was transformed while working alongside some of the most brilliant minds and passionate individuals in the industry at Chez Panisse. Before leaving California Chris spent time in Napa Valley studying, tasting, and working with wine allowing him to achieve his first certification of The Court of Master Sommeliers.

After completing his degree in New York, Chris returned home to Crown Point, IN, to the place where it all began, to relieve his father of his duties at their family-owned restaurant. Shortly after, he decided to open Provecho, a fine dining experience with a unique mixture of exquisite Latin American and Spanish culinary specialties, paired with expertly handcrafted drinks.

Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez
Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez
Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger
Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger

Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana
[email protected]
Defending Indiana Website
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Defending Indiana on Twitter

In this episode, Colleen and Janice want you to imagine watching a stunning sunset over the vast, blue seascape while feeling gentle breezes and sand between your toes. Would you believe THIS is Indiana?!?!?! It is and it can be enjoyed regularly at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Joined by Superintendent for the National Park Service, Paul Labovitz, and founder of Dig the Dunes, Eve Wierzbicki, Colleen and Janice confirm there is a slice of paradise in Northwest Indiana.
Paul Labovitz started his National Park Service career in the Rivers & Trails Program and would go on to serve in Philadelphia, for the Midwest Regional Office at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, Voyageurs National Park and Mississippi National River & Recreation Area in Minnesota. Paul has worked on park and protected area projects in over 25 states and in several European countries. Now 26 years later, Paul serves as Superintendent at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
Prior to working for the NPS, Paul was a Forester, Wildlife Biologist and Manager at a 10,000 private property in Southwestern Pennsylvania after earning a BS in Forest Science from The Pennsylvania State University. He would later receive his MBA from Frostburg State University.
Paul serves as a strategist on the Urban National Park work group. Their goal is to reach a new generation of National Park stewards. He also serves as the Midwest Region's Superintendent Representative to the NPS Tourism Council.
Eve Wierzbicki started Dig the Dunes because of her love for the area. She began taking photos and posting them on Facebook and found that people really enjoyed seeing where she was every day. After watching her page grow, Eve started writing blog posts, created a website and added much more information for people to discover. Now she enjoys planning events and workshops and getting people out and about all year long. She’s excited to watch Dig the Dunes grow and looks forward to seeing what will happen next!
15:04 Paul Labovitz interview begins
42:10 Eve Wierzbicki interview begins
Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez
Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez
Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger
Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger

Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana
[email protected]
Defending Indiana Website
Defending Indiana on Facebook
Defending Indiana on Instagram
Defending Indiana on Twitter

Colleen and Janice discuss true crime in Indiana with the founder of Cold Case Chronicles, a popular, Indiana-based cold case podcast. Indiana has had its share of infamous crimes - many that have gone unsolved. Join us as we learn more about how podcasts and citizen detectives are changing the landscape of crime solving.
Cold Case Chronicles is made up of four women from totally different backgrounds brought together for their desire to give exposure to lesser known cold cases. Started in July 2019, the hosts recorded over 80 episodes dedicated to finding answers for families.
Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez
Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez
Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger
Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger

Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana
[email protected]
Defending Indiana Website
Defending Indiana on Facebook
Defending Indiana on Instagram
Defending Indiana on Twitter

Colleen and Janice share many laughs discussing sexy beverages, après ski and growing up in families who did and did not drink alcohol (can you guess which host grew up without?) Joining them for an interview and a lesson in Indiana bourbon is the man behind the wildly popular @indianabourbon Instagram page, Dirk Fentz.
Dirk Fentz is a bourbon enthusiast focused on bringing attention to Indiana spirits, Indiana farms, and Indiana families. Find him on Instagram @indianabourbon and discover the wide variety of high-quality bourbons made in Indiana.
Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez
Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez
Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger
Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger

Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana
[email protected]
Defending Indiana Website
Defending Indiana on Facebook
Defending Indiana on Instagram
Defending Indiana on Twitter