Why is protein suddenly in everything, from breakfast foods to bread?

Chef Ray Sierengowski explores protein marketing, food manufacturing, GLP-1 appetites, and the growing interest in strength, aging, and everyday nutrition. Ray shares his own experience as a GLP-1 user and the thinking behind Still Love Food: The GLP-1 Cookbook.

Still Love Food includes 48 protein-first recipes for smaller appetites and family meals, with 28 days of meal ideas.

Find the cookbook on Amazon

Watch Kitchen Chemistry with Chef Ray on YouTube

More from The Green Light Lab

This episode shares educational information and personal experience, not individualized medical advice.

Your pizza was crisp when it left the oven. What changed before the first bite?

Food scientist, chef and Underground Pizza Truck owner Ray Sierengowski explores moisture, pizza packaging and the customer’s experience. Ray shares why he uses Perfect Crust Pizza Liners and how to compare packaging with your own pizza.

What are you putting underneath your pizza, and how long does it stay in the box? Share your experience in the comments.

Read the companion article and see Ray’s photos

Books and consulting
Perfect Crust product information

Ray’s product choice reflects his own experience. The 20-cent packaging example is hypothetical, not a Perfect Crust price quote.

00:00 The Green Light Lab
00:06 What do you blame for soggy pizza?
00:50 Both sides of the counter
01:13 One pizza, three dinners
02:41 Before we put the dough on trial
04:03 What happens inside the box?
05:22 Why I choose Perfect Crust
07:41 The customer isn’t ordering a liner
09:34 Compare packaging in the kitchen
11:55 Be your own takeout customer
12:37 What’s underneath your pizza?
13:12 Books and closing thoughts

© 2026 Ray Sierengowski / Fire In The Kitchen, LLC.

Why does a 12-inch pizza cost $15 when national chains advertise cheaper deals? Chef and food scientist Ray Sierengowski explores premium ingredients, 72-hour dough fermentation, hidden operating costs, and the value independent pizzerias deliver.

Episode 2 of The Green Light Lab Podcast covers National Pizza Month 2026, Detroit-style pizza, and Ray’s upcoming visit to Pizza Expo Columbus.

What makes a pizza worth $15 to you? Join the conversation in the comments.

Watch the full visual episode

Read the companion article

CHAPTERS
00:00 Show intro
00:06 National Pizza Month
00:49 Welcome to The Green Light Lab
01:47 The 1984 connection
02:43 Detroit-style pizza
03:31 Marketing October
04:43 The $15 pizza problem
06:27 Price versus value
07:26 Hidden costs
08:26 Why independents matter
10:10 The danger of discounting
11:25 Pizza Expo Columbus
13:05 What Ray is looking for
14:10 The people behind the pizza
14:48 Make it worth $15
15:11 Closing and companion article