Speaking Broadly

Latest Episodes:

These Times Have A History: Megan Elias May 26, 2020

Show notes

In these so-called "unprecedented times," historian Megan Elias explains that there is in fact no such thing. Everything has a precedent. In this wide-ranging interview Elias, the Director of the Gastronomy Program at Boston University, looks at parallels between today's food voices, meat shortages, community cookbooks and past disruptions. Will the experience of COVID-19 change us? History—and Megan Elias—will tell us. Listen in for a glimpse at the future through the past.

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Photographer's Eye, and Helping Hand: Melanie Dunea May 13, 2020

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Photographer-philanthropist Melanie Dunea has produced some of the most iconic images of chefs in America and is always pushing herself into new territory both in images and in work. During the COVID pandemic, she launched Treats Help to bring a moment of joy in the form of sweets to exhausted hospital workers. Her enterprising spirit and relentless drive have helped her cold-call for a range of potential jobs, photo subjects and assignments. On episode 130, Dunea explains what it takes to be a photographer in today's world and shares how having a multi-track mind enriches her personally and professionally.

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Death isn't 1, 2, 3: Rozanne Gold Apr 29, 2020

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Rozanne Gold is likely best known for cooking for her series of books that taught us how to cook with 3 ingredients—ideal in the time of COVID19. But what might be even more powerful now, is her current work: acting as an end of life doula and writing poetry. As we deal with an unprecedented disruption from a global pandemic, eternal questions about the meaning of life and death come into focus. Listen to epi 129 to hear from a person whose humility and humanity serve as inspiration in troubled times.

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The Empathetic Rebel: Claudette Zepeda Apr 16, 2020

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Claudette Zepeda is a Mexican and American star chef who's lived at the border of two countries, two food traditions, two ways of life. Instead of creating a bridge between all of her experiences, Zepeda created a parachute. Jumping into new situations, packing up what she learned, and bringing them along on her adventures. She was a mother at 18, which helped her become a great leader and listener in the kitchen. She worked in Italian and French restaurants, and uses those techniques in her cooking today. Check out episode 128 to hear about her childhood challenges with authority, feast or famine finances, and love of the women who are the heart of Mexican food.

Photo Courtesy of Alejandro Ibarra

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Food is Beautiful: Susan Spungen Apr 02, 2020

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One of the best-respected food stylists in the country, Susan Spungen doles out advice for gorgeous meals to make from your freezer, pantry, farmers' market and more on episode 127 of Speaking Broadly. Author of the recently published Open Kitchen, Spungen also describes her approach to her career: "When you're driving, you can see the road ahead of you for a little bit, and then you can't really see it anymore. Well, I never really tried having a five year plan, but I just tried to see that bit of road in front of me." It's a strategy that has been effective for her: in the 90s she landed a position at Martha Stewart Living where she stayed for 12 years, as well as a job of food stylist for Hollywood movies including Nora Ephron's Julie & Julia. Spungen makes a great case for only planning life bit by bit.

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The Flower Alchemist: Loria Stern Mar 04, 2020

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Pretty pressed flowers in shortbread cookies launched the career of Loria Stern. On this week's episode, host Dana Cowin discovers why Stern's early life as a tennis champion translates into her success as a baking entrepreneur. Plus, learn about the perks of cooking with everything from weeds to daisies, and the many medicinal benefits nature has to offer.

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flowers, loria stern, tennis, bakery, cookies, shortbread, entrepreneur, cooking, weeds, foraging, daisies, baking,

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The Fashion and Politics of Food: Rhonda Garelick Feb 13, 2020

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The intersecting ideas in feminism, food and fashion are underscored in this fascinating conversation between Dean of The School of Art and Design History and Theory at Parsons, The New School, Rhonda Garelick, and Speaking Broadly host, Dana Cowin. Up for discussion: why women are dressed in bows like candy ready to be unwrapped, why eating salad with a comb can be a powerful feminist statement, and why luxury equals leisure. Plus: Rhonda shares what she learned about gastronomic societal prejudices from having Celiac disease.

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Death and Salad: Christine Haughney Feb 03, 2020

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How safe is our food? On this episode of Speaking Broadly, host Dana Cowin talks to one of the foremost investigative reporters of food crimes in America, Christine Haughney. For six months as a Boston Globe Spotlight Fellow, she researched a deadly e coli outbreak in leafy greens, embedded with an affected family, and published her alarming findings. Christine shares what she learned about the food system through her reporting, including her pieces for Rotten, the show she created, now on Netflix. Find out what foods you should avoid at all cost, and Haughney's recommendations for how to create a safer and more reliable food supply.

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Activism Has No Age: Haile Thomas Jan 24, 2020

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She launched H.A.P.P.Y., a non-profit teaching kids about food and nutrition when she was just 12 years old, and now, 7 years later, Haile Thomas is a voice for her generation and beyond, exhorting her fans to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. Magnetic, generous, kind, funny, Haile is an old soul who speaks in memes and motivations, travels the world sharing her message, and is on a mission. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, Thomas talks about the responsibilities we all share to heal the planet, her upcoming book, "Living Lively," and what it's like to work with her mom.

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African-American Food Past, Present, and Future: Dr. Jessica B. Harris Dec 28, 2019

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Teacher, scholar, cook, author, historian, traveler, curator, lecturer, Dr. Jessica B. Harris is an expert on everything from the foods of the African diaspora to the history of enslavement. On this episode, Harris explains the importance of the "table" for “commensality” and shares stories from a life of extraordinary meals, encounters, voyages, and friendships. Listen in as she schools host Dana Cowin on the dishes that serve as the thrumming heartbeat of American cuisine, and on the people who made them possible.

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