185 Global Harvest Festivals: The Rare and Elusive Jubilee Phenomenon with Chase Matthews
Nov 19, 2024
Welcome to the second episode in our mini-series on Harvest Festivals Around the World, which I hope to add to in coming years!
Today, we speak with Chase Matthews, from the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, Alabama. Along with Tokyo Bay in Japan, these are the only two places in the world where a natural wonder known as the Jubilee occurs. When conditions are just right, fish, crabs, shrimp, and other bottom-dwelling sea creatures rise to the water’s surface in massive numbers, offering an opportunity for easy harvest and an impromptu feast..
But what makes the Jubilee truly special isn’t just the rare days when it actually happens—there in Mobile Bay, just the anticipation of a Jubilee brings an entire community together. Chase shares stories of multiple generations gathering on piers with their fishing poles, friends rushing to the bay after a 2 a.m. phone call, and an entire community bonded by the magic of these awe-inspiring moments that we cannot control, we can only enjoy.
Chase also tells us abou the famous Jubilee Festival in Daphne Alabama, named after this event, where local artists and musicians gather and where he and his wife sell their own locally inspired spice blends.
184 Global Harvest Festivals: The Ancient 8 Day Festival of Sukkot with Susan Barocas
Nov 19, 2024
Welcome to the first in a pair mini-episodes on Harvest Festivals Around the World! Today, Susan Barocas teaches me about the ancient Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot, from its origins many thousands of years ago right up to this very autumn in Susan’s own backyard in Washington DC.
Sukkot commemorates both the Jewish journey through the wilderness and the harvest season. Each year during this eight-day festival, Susan along with Jewish families all around the world, build and decorate sukkahs—temporary outdoor shelters inspired by those used during the Jews in ancient harvest seasons. Families gather in these sukkahs to share meals, welcome guests (both real and symbolic), and reflect on God’s provision of food, shelter, and divine peace.
Susan also shares about culinary traditions tied to Sukkot, particularly her family’s recipes that came from the Iberian peninsula. Just as she did in her first episode with me, Susan reflects on how food sustained, differentiated, and at times, even betrayed the Jewish people.
183 Palacinke & Cheesemaking: Nick’s Quest to Honor Baba Saveta’s Legacy
Nov 08, 2024
Our story begins with Nick’s memories of Saturday mornings with his cousins, consuming endless stacks of Palacinke, Balkan-style pancakes eaten with cheese or sugar (or both - and don’t knock it until you try it, because I did, and then I had to eat my words. Literally!).
As we trace the makers of Palacinke back through Nick’s lineage, Nick introduces us to his great-grandmother, Baba Saveta, who lived her entire life in the craggy mountains of Montenegro.
Though they never met and only overlapped on this earth by two years, Baba Saveta’s story, character, and expertise have left an indelible mark on Nick. Baba Saveta raised five children in a home hand-built by her husband, who she married in a love match disapproved of by her wealthy family of birth, living through war, hardship, and a century of radical change.
The difference between starvation and survival was the cheese Baba Saveta made twice daily during the summer months in her little mountaintop dairy, scrubbed clean with ashes each spring. Baba Saveta’s skill with cheese has become a particular point of connection for Nick, who now works as a cheesemaker in California. In today’s episode, he shares a great deal about the fascinating process of cheesemaking, particularly from the perspective of Baba Saveta, who did so much with so little.
In moments of daily work—tending his garden, curating cheeses, folding laundry—Nick reflects on this great-grandmother he never met and what she passed on to him. Today, I join Nick in honoring Baba Saveta’s values of self-sufficiency as well as her enduring spirit, wisdom, and love - and I ask, with him, how we can carry her legacy forward.
One note about this episode! Nick’s first shared his story with Alison Kay of Ancestral Kitchen, who was just recently a podcast guest in Episode 179, What Happens After Happily Ever After? Nick submitted this through Alison’s new portal on the Ancestral Kitchen website, where she is collecting memories, documents, recipes, and stories of those who cooked ancestrally. If you have anything to add to this repository, I’m putting the link in the show notes. Thanks so much to Alison for sharing Nick’s story with me - thank you to Nick for his time and this beautiful story - and thank YOU for beig here!
Nick's Original Tribute to Baba Saveta, Submitted to The Ancestral Kitchen Repository
My great-grandmother Saveta (Sah-vet-a) was born in 1909. She had my maternal grandmother in 1943, in a house with no electricity and water that came from a well a long walk down the road. She came from a well off family, compared to most people in her region of northern Montenegro, and was the first person in our family village to have a cast iron stove and not cook over an open hearth in the middle of the room. It was purchased by her father when she ran off with my great-grandfather Bašo (Basho) to be wed. He had been a worker on her father’s farm, and they had fallen in love.
Baba Saveta was the main character in most of my mother’s stories about her childhood visiting the village. She was a wonder woman. She could spin wool, weave cloth, care for and milk animals, make cheese and other dairy products, cook anything from seemingly nothing, help with butchering and put up the meat, help with the hay and grain harvests, all things my young suburban brain could barely understand a single person knowing. She is surely the reason I found interest in rural living and real food.
We still make some recipes that she did. In spring, we make a spread from soured cream, mashed young cheese curds and finely sliced green onions to eat with hot bread or baked potatoes. Many of my cousins’ favorite way to eat eggs are “Baba’s eggs,” where a pan of salted cream is brought to just scalding, whole eggs are added and the whole lot is gently mixed together over the stove until an unctuous, bright yellow mass forms and is eaten piping hot with chunks of bread, preferably together taken from the pan it was cooked in. As cold weather approaches, we put smoked pork ribs to simmer, and add diced potatoes to the broth along with a roux made flour added to onions fried in lard, enlivened with bright red paprika, and plenty of soured cream to finish. Her potato soup is one of our family’s true comfort foods. My great-grandmother was apparently well known for making savory filo dough pies called pita, filled with either brined cheese and egg or cream and egg. She passed this knowledge down to my grandmother, and while my mother never really learned the art of how to make the paper-thin stretched dough by hand, I was able to convince my grandmother to show me and keep the tradition going, in spite of her wanting to show my girl cousins (all called sisters in Serbian) before showing me, though none showed interest. I like having that connection with Baba Saveta.
Baba Saveta had a little dairy that served as a smokehouse in the winter, and would be scrubbed sparkling clean with ashes in spring when the cows and sheep would come back into milk and dairying would begin for the year. All of the animals would be milked in the morning and evening. The still-warm morning milk was made into full fat cheese immediately. The curd was ladled into cheeseclothes, tied up, and put between boards on sloped tables with pristinely cleaned rocks kept for years for this purposed, probably soaked through with whey and full of friendly bacteria. The resulting thin, pressed curd was sliced into pieces, heavily salted, and put into wooden buckets and barrels made by her husband and would make their own brine to age until needed. The evening milk would be scalded in a large copper kettle, and portioned out into long wooden bowls, similar to American dough troughs or biscuit bowls, hewed by my great-grandfather from logs, to sit overnight to form a thick clotted cream called kajmak (kai-mak) in most of the Balkans, but skorup (sko-roop) in our regional dialect. That could be eaten fresh, or could be salted and packed into containers like the cheese. My mother always cherished memories of Ivandan (Eevahn-dahn), St. John’s Day, on June 24th, when Baba Saveta would make daisy wreaths and put them over all the doors of the different buildings, and would serve the fresh skorup with fresh bread as a treat. This surely had pagan roots from the early Slavs settling the area, and lasted well past the conversion of the Serbs to Eastern Orthodoxy. The skim milk from the production of skorup was made into a cheese called prljo (per-ly-oh). It was a sharp tasting, lean cheese that was stored in hide bags made from carefully skinned lambs. It was a food to keep the wolf at the door at bay, something that could keep starvation away if everything else lovely was long gone from the cellar. Baba Saveta made yogurt, apparently the most sour, mouth puckering and apparently bubbly yogurt ever. Perhaps she let yeasts get into her culture. She would occasionally churn butter in a tall, narrow wooden churn, and would always clarify it. We call clarified butter maslo (mah-slo). Apparently, it was not loved by many of my living relatives as food, as it often was very aged by the time it was on the table in a meal, but Baba Saveta mostly used it in a cure heated and mixed with honey for respiratory issues, and to comb into her hair before washing it. It works wonders to clear lungs and cure coughs, and my family in Montenegro used it for Covid relief in 2020 with rapid results. Interestingly, when I've researched the combination, Indian tradition says that the pairing of ghee and honey is toxic for the body. I find it fascinating how certain cultures will coevolve and agree on some things, and find others things to be complete opposites.
Baba Saveta knew where to gather wild strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, hazelnuts and various herbs for tea. Despite being an ideal spot for foraging mushrooms like chanterelles and porcini, those apparently were never brought into the house. I have heard from other people from our area of Montenegro that they were eaten so much during the war that many people shunned them after. For Slavs, people in Montenegro are often very mycophobic, gathering the mushrooms just to sell to co-ops that sell them to countries like Poland and Russia. She also knew where to get wild apples, pears and juniper. She would make “waters” from these, putting them each into different containers and covering them with water for weeks. She would add some sugar before serving, but they would most likely ferment with the wild yeasts present on the skins. I was very pleased to find a version of the juniper water called “smekra” in Sandor Katz’s book, almost the same as what I was told about our “kleka” (kleh-kah), just a different dialect’s name. The only other non-dairy ferment that I know Baba Saveta made was whole-head sour cabbage for winter.
My great-grandparents bought their flour to make bread from a local mill, but they grew wheat and rye as well, plowing with oxen and harvesting with scythes. I don’t know all the uses they had for them, but I do know that they ate a lot of soaked and boiled grain cooked with smoked lamb or pork. They did not always have pigs, I think it was hard with the terrible winters there to keep breeding stock, and I imagine there were often not scraps to feed to another being. They usually had veal at some point in the year, and occasionally would eat one of Baba Saveta’s barnyard hens as a special meal. My mother claims that her grandmother could make one of those chickens feed something like 20 people after being made into soup. How a tough old bird like that could be split that many ways is beyond me, but I trust that this woman could accomplish anything, let alone this.
I’m not sure how my grandmother’s family made it through WWII. The war ravaged our area of Montenegro, because many of the partisans were based nearby in the mountains and the occupying Italian troops were terrible to the locals. My great-grandfather was temporarily in a camp in Germany for being a Slav and an early communist while Yugoslavia was still a kingdom. While he was gone, Baba Saveta had to manage a young family and a farm by herself, and deal constantly with the occupiers. Animals were hidden in the high mountains to keep them from being on the Italians’ plates, and crops were burned. She would peel bark off of birches to scrap the inner layer to feed her children when there was nothing else to eat. When there was something to bake into bread, more often then not, the Italian soldiers would see the smoke, come to her house, and take the bread, even half-baked, out from the oven and eat it in front of her as a sick show of dominance. I’m sure that even the hard life with no modern conveniences and the substinence pantry that they worked tirelessly for seemed like an embarrassment of riches compared to the starving war years.
Baba Saveta lived about twenty years longer than her husband, until 1997. She was able to stay in the village until 1996, because there were plenty of relatives within walking distance to help her with her garden and livestock as she grew older. I’m told she never turned gray haired, and while she is stooped in the few pictures I’ve seen of her, her face is radiant and surprisingly unwrinkled for a woman in her 70s and 80s. She attributed much of her health to eating a clove of garlic every day, and chasing it with a shot of plum brandy called rakija (rahk-iya). Her son finally decided that she need to be moved to an apartment in a town an hour away from the village where he lived, and she was given her own apartment. She passed away at 88 six months after. I really think that being removed from her community, her way of eating and daily routine, her home of six decades was what made it so that her body figured it was time to retire. One of my greatest wishes in life was that I could have met her, and I don’t know what I would give for just an hour to talk to her and ask her everything that’s popped into my head over the years. But even a full day wouldn’t be enough time. It’s enough to be from her stock and to carry on whatever traditions she passed down, and it’s good to be content with that.
Attached is a picture from the early '70s (I think) of my great-grandparents for reference, the frame was carved by Bašo. It's still in the house he built in 1930, owned by my mother's cousin now. The story is absolutely free for use, I would prefer that the photo is not be included without me knowing the context if it was ever to be used.
182 A 3 Minute Update: Big Announcement and Call for Feedback!
Nov 01, 2024
I miss you! I haven't shared an episode in 3+ weeks, BUT!! I've been working hard on something.....
I'm expanding the mission of The Storied Recipe to not only share the recipes and stories of my guests, but to empower YOU to chronicle your own family storied recipes.
And I've made enough progress that now I'm seeking feedback!
Have you ever compiled a family cookbook?
Would you consider compiling a family cookbook?
If you answered YES to either question, would you be willing to jump on a 20 minute Zoom call with me?
181 The Disappearing Farmer: Brian Reisinger’s Noble Fight to Secure America's Food Supply
Oct 02, 2024
I’m joined today by Brian Reisinger, an journalist whose deep roots in farming have shaped his life’s mission. Brian is the first male in four generations not to take over his family’s farm, a role taken up by his willing sister. Instead, Brian has devoted his work to shedding light on the immense challenges modern-day farmers face. In his book, Land Rich Cash Poor: My Family's Hope and the Untold Story of the Disappearing American Farmer, Brian shares personal stories of the pressures farm families endure, the generational struggles they face, and the devastating losses that occur when farms are forced to close.
In a country where 85% of dairy farms have disappeared in the last 50 years, food prices are rising, and supply chain issues are increasingly strained to the point of breaking, we can no longer look away, thinking of farms only as a nostalgic bit of Americana. As Brian says, as farms disappear, we’re not just losing food sources—we’re losing a part of ourselves. So what is to be done about this?
After reading Brian’s beautifully written book, which his family agreed should include the breadth of the farming experiences - including the harsh and painful parts - I can say with certainty that Brian, his family, and the larger community of farmers are the best people - the ONLY people - who should answer this question.
From where I sit, Brian’s family is the definition of a functional family. Through their unflinching honesty with each other, courage in making decisions that are the best rather than the most popular, and unwavering support of one another, they exemplify the strength that comes from unity and honesty. It’s these qualities that make Brian and his family uniquely trustworthy guides in navigating the complex problems facing American farmers today. If we can learn to work together with the same transparency, respect, and commitment that they have shown, we can begin to solve these issues not just as individual communities but as a nation.
Quotes:
There are so many times throughout our history that we’ve made bad decisions for farmers that we didn’t have to make because we felt we were on different sides of a fence.
Almost every American has an image of what a farm is supposed to be… and some live up to that and some don’t.
We face hard truths about farms in America, but we try to take from that, where can we come together.
It’s not a real finicky meat; it’s not too easy to mess up.
When you come from a place where sons do as their fathers did, and you’re the 4th generation, there’s a pressure on you, even if your dad is supportive of you doing something else.
No matter how much distance built between, we always shared hunting and a love of being close to the land.
The stoic farm family IS a thing, but its far more complex than that.
We were very lucky, in my dad, to have a man who could work all day in the wind and the rain, and then still hold a child with a tenderness you couldn’t believe.
I asked my family for permission to share the good and the bad, the happy and the sad… because if we want people to believe in what we do, they have to see the depths of the struggle.
I have tried to make my work be worthy of what my family does. I think farming is the most noble profession.
Anyone who thinks they have a (political) view that solves every problem will meet their match when it comes to farm policy.
Farms have so much support on both sides of the aisle, but there is often such a lack of understanding about the problems facing us.
What are you doing to give farmers new opportunities?
During Covid, you had farmers trying to sell their product and consumers trying to buy it, but the supply chain was locked up. But what we need to do about that is…
If you lose your farm, you lose your home, your community, and your heritage. When you see your herd, it’s like a death in the family. And each generation of the farm family asks, “How can we make it?” There is a generational pressure that builds with each turning of the page.
As we lose farms, our food prices do rise quicker than other prices. We are getting to the point that our food supply is in danger.
When farms are struggling so much, innovation slows because they’re just trying to survive.
We’re losing the farms that feed us but we’re also losing a part of ourselves.
Highlights
What is venison? All the tips for cooking it!
Brian’s masterful job of presenting the farming dilemma without any political leanings
Brian’s family’s struggle to remain close, honest, and transparent, in the face of terrible hardship and difficult decisions
Adoption, identity, and finding his place on the farm.
Platform communications and helping organizations message.
What is a commodity and why should farmers move away from it?
180 The World’s Only: Dr. Menna’s Singular Mission to Unearth Egypt’s Food Legacy
Sep 18, 2024
I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Mennat-Allah Al Dorry to The Storied Recipe Podcast today. Menna, as she insisted I call her, is an archaeobotanist with a speciality in food and Egyptologist with a speciality in Coptology and the only person in the world to have this combination of qualifications.
If you’re like me, who had never heard of an archaeobotanist before coming across Menna’s @eatlikeanegyptian account on Instagram, I’ve got good news. Menna is also a professor, so she answers all of my basic questions with clarity and good humor.
Dr. Al Dorry begins by sharing a cherished family recipe – a layered dish of potatoes, tomatoes, and meat, slow-cooked to perfection in a clay pot, just as her father used to prepare it with Menna’s help on weekend mornings at their farm in the north of Egypt.
From there, we delve into her fascinating work with “ecofacts”, exploring how - and which - ancient foods have been preserved for thousands of years. Dr. Al Dorry discusses the role of food in daily life for ancient Egyptians and the complex identity of Egyptian cuisine today, why their food traditions are disappearing, and Dr. Al Dorry’s deep commitment to both unearthing Egypt’s ancient food heritage and preserving today’s.
Highlights
“Dee-Nee-Vo” - Her father's one pot meat, potato, and tomato dish renowned among their social circle.
What is an archaeobotanist?
How are ecofacts preserved?
Decorative bread preserved for over 3500 years
Why do people say there is no such thing as Egyptian cuisine?
Halloumi cheese dating back to the 4th century AD
Plants that were grown in Ancient Egypt that are still grown today
The intersection of Egyptology and Coptology.
Quotes
The idea of putting meat and vegetables into a clay pot is the basis of our cuisine.
I don’t work with artifacts; I work with ecofacts.
In Ancient Egypt, we have a lot of food stuffs preserved in tombs.
[In the tombs] we have full heads of garlic perfectly preserved smelling exactly as garlic should.
Food was preserved in the dung which was burned for fuel and then became stable, like charcoal.
Unfortunately, a lot of Egyptians have lost sight of their food heritage.
The variety we got once from the countryside, people have forgotten it. In the big city, you will find always the same 10-15 dishes, many of which have a very recent history.
Most things from my father’s generation will be lost… and this is why it's important to document. I can’t freeze time but I have to document as much as I can.
The word Coptic itself can mean different things and has meant different things at different times in Egyptian history.
I don’t want to talk about kings or Egyptian politics, I just want to talk about everyday people.
Listen to Dr. El-Dorry Now
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Menna's Storied Recipe: One Pot Potato Tomato Dish with Meat
179 What Happens After Happily Ever After? Alison Kay Returns
Sep 04, 2024
Welcome BACK today to Alison Kay, one of the co-hosts of the Ancestral Kitchen Podcast, who’s here so we can announce a collaboration that I’ll get to in just one minute. 🙂
I learned today that before Alison was the leader of a community intentionally choosing to procure and prepare food in ancestral ways, she was a life coach…
And nothing has ever made more sense than that discovery.
Indeed, in our last episode together, we heard how Alison has gently but resolutely smashed one goal after another in her life, beginning with completely altering her health and body through her relationship with food. We wrapped up our last episode with Alison as she lived her happily ever after as an ex-pat in Italy, cooking spelt sourdough pizza for her husband and child while looking through an enormous picture window at the rolling sunlit hills as far as the eye can see.
But we pick up this episode with Alison, back in the UK, living at her mother-in-law’s house. And here is where Alison proves her fitness for her former career as a life coach. She describes for us today how she lovingly, gently, and still ever so resolutely opened her hands to let go of her own dreams, welcome the dreams of others, and found she had all new dreams of her own, even bigger and better than before.
We talk today about so many of the big things of life - change, love, dreams, and lovingly and supporting our partners through deep conflicting life philosophies.
Finally, Alison will invite you to share your own ancestral food stories through a new portal on her website. As you’ll hear, Alison feels an urgency to gather, curate, and protect the agricultural and culinary wisdom of our foremothers and forefathers.
I feel a similar urgency, as I know that, beyond the practical wisdom for our kitchens, every story she collects will contain lessons of love and resilience. So, while Alison curates this repository of practical knowledge, she will also pass along the information of willing participants (and only willing participants, there are strict privacy laws in the UK) to me, so I might explore and share these legacies with you as well.
With that in mind, I invite you to visit the link to the Ancestral Kitchen website, listed in the show notes - or just go to Ancestral Eatingpodcast.com and you’ll find your way around - see what she’s looking for, and perhaps submit a little (or a long) snippet for her community.
Highlights
Leaving Italy - when, why?
Signing up for communal living with a complete stranger (who is having a baby!)! - What, How, Why!!
The very unique town of Stroud of Gloucestershire.
Anatomy of making a huge decision together as a family
Small business ownership in Italy - why it’s almost impossible and how history has shaped this difficulty
How to make a marriage work between two creatives with wildly different approaches to work and creativity: “done is better than perfect” vs. “I can’t put out sub-par work.”
How to let go of the identity of being different - of being an outsider.
A REFRESH: Ancestral eating - what it means
A collaboration between Alison and I, to record and explore the different aspects of our listener’s food stories
Key Quotes
There was a lot of loss leaving Italy and leaving that dream behind, but a lot of other dreams have come to the fore.
Having this available as an option… and then meeting the lady and seeing the house… and seeing all of my concerns fall away. Everything I was worried about just kind of dissolved while I was there.
You know there will be challenges, but they feel like challenges I would like to grow into, challenges that will make me a better person.
He only started saying he wasn’t happy last than a year ago.
We were paying 50% in tax from the first penny we earned and we weren’t allowed to claim any write-offs.
I remember looking at them and just thinking, “I am so in love with these two”, and just feeling SO vulnerable.
As it became clear that Rob wasn’t happy to be in Italy, I began to feel - if he wasn’t happy, then I wasn’t happy.
We don’t want a dream to escape from reality - we want to reshape our reality
The most I actualize the things I want to do, the more I let go of things.
It’s almost like I’ve always worn a badge saying, “I do things differently.”
I miss in person friendship and I sabotage it sometimes by always insisting I’m different.
I have no culinary history and I feel a loss and it's part of the reason I’m doing the work I do. Throughout history, this has been passed on from mother to daughter and I can feel this is missing in my life…. And where it still exists, it is a beautiful thing and should be cherished.
Listen to Alison Now
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Alison's Storied Recipe: Spelt Sourdough Pizza Dough
178 Jamaican Cuisine Goes Global: The Scotch Boyz Journey with Neil Hudson
Aug 22, 2024
In this episode, I’m joined by Neil Hudson, Co-founder of Scotch Boyz, a brand that’s brought authentic Jamaican flavors to the mainstream American market - and far beyond, as well.
I initially liked this story of 4 childhood friends coming together to build an international business, all while pouring back into the communities that raised them and Jamaican farms that produce their ingredients. I mean, what’s not to love about that story!?
But just a little ways into our conversation, I grew to like and respect Neil for his own thoughtful insights into business and working with friends, his obvious interest in others, and his understated sense of humor.
We begin by discussing, Curry Goat, a dish not only ubiquitous across Jamaica but also the signature dish made at The Hummingbird, a restaurant owned and operated by Neil’s father. I’m very grateful to Neil and his father for sharing this famous recipe with us, as well as to Neil for the many tips and history lessons he provided about other famous Jamaican dishes, like Jerk and White Rum.
As the interview goes on, Neil opens up about their branding strategy, the innovative and thoughtful business strategies they’ve used to create strong partnerships with Jamaican farms and buy-in from employees, and finally he shares the fun and exciting story of the HUGE win that allowed their small business to “escape gravity” and skyrocket into the global brand they are now.
Neil Hudson, My guest on The Storied Recipe PodcastAll 4 Founders of Scotch Boyz
Highlights
“Nine night” a send-off party after a funeral, where you must have White Rum, Goat Soup, Curry Goat, and White Rice
The story of jerk - runaway slaves who made a treaty with the British…
Pimento = Allspice; a discussion
Best sources for goat in the U.S.
Tips for making the best jerk around (hint: includes an air fryer!)
The story of the 4 founders of Scotch Boyz - and what each brings to the company
How the Scotch Bonnet Pepper got its name!
The branding, strategy, and positioning to get Jamaican products into the mainstream aisle next to household condiment brands
How the Jamaican community benefits from the growth of Scotch Boyz
Neil’s profit-sharing approach to Scotch Boyz and how he arrived at that approach.
The farms and farmers who source the Scotch Boyz ingredients
Winning the Next Black Millionaire Award and how Scotch Boyz “escaped gravity” with the 100,000 award
177 From Liberia with Love: Frances & Jah's Culinary Mission and Famous Potato Salad
Jul 31, 2024
Today’s guests came to my very favorite way - they were recommended by a listener!
Megan responded to one of my weekly newsletters, writing,
There is a couple at my church, Jah and Frances, from Liberia, who are an inspiration. They are so hospitable and care well for their family...their house always is full of people.. Additionally, their house is a revolving door...they care for elderly relatives, young relatives and basically anyone who needs help. Once a year they sell food to raise money for a school in Liberia. When they cook for the fundraiser, Jah mans his smoker through the night. Frances has a "famous" potato salad.
In today’s episode, Frances and Jah shared their love story with us, a great deal about the history of Liberia, including a civil war 30 years ago, that decimated the country, and they hope they find in supporting the Betty Memorial Institute, a boarding school in one of the poorest regions of the country. Here’s what they have to say about the school:
Currently BMI has more than 200 students and is served by 17 staff members who work tirelessly to provide an education, food and housing in one of the poorest counties in Liberia.
The Betty Memorial Institute (BMI) is the only grade school in Western Liberia that provides both Academic and Vocational Education between the ninth and 12th grades.
You’ll hear the inspiring story of how this school was started and what it’s accomplished, as well as details about the 3 day cook-a-thon Frances and Jah commit to every December to raise money for the school. And, of course, you’ll hear details about Frances’s famous potato salad. And while many claim to the best, and I’ve tried a LOT of potato salad recipes, this one was unanimously voted by all 6 members of my family to be the best they’ve ever had.
Welcome again to Frances and Jah. Thank you to Megan for recommending them! If YOU’D like to recommend anyone for the podcast, I’d love to hear from you at becky @ thestoriedrecipe.com. And finally, thank you for being here to hear Frances and Jah’s wholesome, uplifting story!!!!
Highlights
Their 46 year love story
Childhood in Rabblesport, Liberia
Liberia: A history lesson
The Military Coup in 1981 and civil war 10 years later: Why it happend and what it did
Jah’s school experience and why it made him passionate about supporting
The incredible story of the family who started a boarding school in Liberia
The Scholarship in Frances’s mother’s name
A car accident that changed Frances’ life
The 3 day cook-a-thon to raise money for this boarding school
50 chickens, 50 racks of ribs, 200 servings of potato salad, and so much more. How they do it, what they’ve learned to outsource
Frances’s Famous potato salad! The jobs and the keys to flavor!!
Success stories from the school
Listen to Frances and Jah Now
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Jah and Frances's Storied Recipe: Liberian Potato Salad
176 Riding Waves and Whipping Up Kaiserschmarrn with Anna and Marco at Mellowmove Surf Camp
Jul 10, 2024
"The waves will keep coming, but you learn to play with them."
Today's guests, Anna and Marco, learned adaptability through their mutual passion: surfing.
This adaptability has allowed them to transition from a carefree surfing lifestyle, marked by ease and minimalism, to a bustling life of parenting two small children and running a thriving surf camp.
Mellowmove Surf Camp is a haven where people can learn to surf and relax. Thanks to Anna and Marco’s hard work and meticulous attention to detail, their guests get to experience a lifestyle of freedom and the rhythm of the tides.
Guests also come, of course, to EAT. Anna's delicious, home-cooked, seasonal, locally-sourced, plant-forward dishes are a highlight. Today, Anna shares a recipe for Kaiserschmarrn with us, an ultra-rich and fluffy torn pancake covered with powdered sugar and served with the homemade applesauce and stewed plums she remembers from her grandmother's pantry.
Anna has inherited her grandmother’s culinary talent, organizational skills, and values of never wasting food, creating delicious dishes for her guests. As if running a kitchen for 40 isn’t enough, Anna also shares her best dishes, beautifully photographed, on her cooking blog, The Mellow Kitchen. After today’s episode, you’ll want to learn more, so find links to The Mellow Kitchen and Mellowmove Surf Camp in the show notes.
Highlights
How and when Marco and Anna each learned to surf
Why surfing is more difficult than other sports - and why snowboarding didn’t necessarily prepa
The surfing lifestyle is about being content with what you have.
As a real surfer, you are not really living with the clock, you are living with the tides of the ocean.
I remember saying to my friends and colleagues, “I just fell in love.”
I chose this recipe because it shows where my cooking comes from. I have a lot ore Anna for surfing
The feeling Anna and Marco chased on the board - total focus and freedom from other thoughts and the connection to nature
Marco’s experience seeing the ocean for the first time
How Marco and Anna recreate the “surfing lifestyle” for their guests.
Kaiserschmarrn!! The flavor, look, and texture of this classic Austrian dessert (or main dish!)
Anna’s grandmother, Kaiserschmarrn, seasonal cooking, and how to make
How Anna managed to cook a seasonal menu for 40 people a day at the surf camp while carrying on her grandmother’s value of zero waste.
Local ingredients in Portugal and favorite dishes of the surf camp guests
The beaches and surfing experience at Mellowmove Surf Camp - a remote uncrowded beach on a World Surfing Reserve
175 Food, Feminism, Fury (and Family!): Geraldine DeRuiter's Tale of the Nesselrode Pie
Jun 19, 2024
James Beard Award-winning author Geraldine DeRuiter talks about her new book, vulnerable life stories, and making an extinct recipe.
174 Onsite Interview: Exploring 500 Years of History at Auerbachs Keller in Leipzig, Germany
Jun 05, 2024
Join me on a private tour and interview at Auerbachs Keller, a 500 year old restaurant that sparked one of world's greatest works of literature and hosted one of the most significant religious figures in 200 years!
173 A Holocaust Survivor Shares Her Story
May 15, 2024
This is the story of a Holocaust survivor, told by herself. It is a complicated story, with layers of historical and political realities I had no idea of before this interview, reminding us story is different than a simple narrative - and that we can never assume someone’s story without actually listening to them.
172 The Heady Scent of Coffee Blossoms with Accamma Nanjappa
May 02, 2024
Did you know coffee blossoms smell sweet and heady, like a citrus or Jasmine blossom? I certainly did not know that - or dozens of facts shared by today’s guest, Accamma Nanjappa, owner of Bean Song Coffee, which ships internationally from India.
171 Warriors and Children of Nature with Accamma Nanjappa
Apr 17, 2024
I think the best way to introduce to you today’s guest, Accamma Nanjappa, is to read an excerpt of her recipe submission.
She says, “It must be noted that the Kodavas or the people of Coorg are not just warriors, but are also children of nature. Hence all our major festivals are celebrations of nature. And what is a celebration without food?”
Today Accamma takes us far, far away into the high hills and deep forests of Kodagu, where the Kodava people still observe ancient traditions around the cycle of sowing, planting, and harvesting. In addition to educating me on the language and history of the Kodavas, Accamma shares very personal memories of celebratory nights spent on her family’s plantation marking the harvest of first rice, then coffee, mandarins, and black pepper.
As for Accamma’s Storied Recipe, this is the first time a guest ever gave me a recipe that began with the instructions, “Make the flour”! However, as Accamma walked me through the process of making Thambuttu, which, in her words is like gluten-free, unbaked thick banana (covered with ghee, nutty unhulled sesame seeds, and fresh coconut shavings), I grew much more confident - and, of course, learned a lot too. I mean, did you know you could turn rice into a flour in just 20 minutes? I didn’t!
Two more quick notes:
Accamma and I began communicating about a year ago, when I released an episode with Kaveri Ponnapa titled, “Vanishing Things: Monsoons, Mushrooms, and Culture.” You’ll definitely want to listen to this one as well - find the link in the show notes!
Accamma owns BeanSong Coffee, a coffee company that ships WORLDWIDE. Some of her coffee beans are grown on the very plantation she was raised on; others come from the birthplace of coffee in India. I had so much to learn about the Coorg people AND the coffee business, I’ve actually split our conversation into two episodes. So you can look forward to hearing more from Accamma in the next one -
But more on that later - for now, Welcome Accamma and thank you all for being here!
Highlights
Why I was intimidated by Thambutti (“Make your own flour)
Details about the 3 festivals of the Kodava people - worship of tools & weapons, worship of the spring, worship of the harvest
What the thunder and lighting signified….
Why July and August were deemed inausipicious
The very ancient history of the Coorg people, going back to the Greeks and Alexander
Women warriors? And who were the warring against?
Beginning boarding school at 4.5 years old
Other foods at the Puthari festival
Coorg larders - and how to protect their food from cats!
The large family homes that last for generations with rooms for each clan
Listen to Accamma Now
Images from the Puthari Celebrations in Coorg
Images from BeanSong Coffee
Accamma's Storied Recipe: Thambuttu
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/thambuttu-no-bake-banana-dessert-from-india
Find Accamma and Bean Song Coffee
Visit the BeanSong Website
Print of the Month Sale!
Shop now
More Episodes with Food Professionals
More South Asian Recipes
170 A Cookbook Worth the Wait with Murielle Banackissa
Apr 03, 2024
Murielle has been working on her debut cookbook for 4 years and last month, it was finally released to immediate acclaim. For the last 4 years, I’ve known, for sure that whatever Murielle produced would be well worth the wait. And indeed, her cookbook is visually stunning and full of vegan recipes that are inspired by her own global heritage - and that appeal to omnivores like me and my family. I’ve already given a copy of this book to a friend of mine, who excitedly texted me to say she had as many recipes dogeared as I have in my copy.
169 Fermentation as Art, Science, and Life Philosophy with Larry Nguyen
Mar 20, 2024
Chef Larry Nguyen share's his family origin story, lessons learned in the hard world of restaurant work, and the art and science of fermentation.
168: A Wedding Feast to Last a Lifetime With Ruth Newman
Mar 06, 2024
Today I’m welcoming Ruth Newman to the podcast, a “cookier” who specializes in creating intricately decorated sugar cookies for showers, charities, and friends. However, she has never felt the urge to turn her beloved hobby into a career.
And that, in fact, is exactly the reason she is my guest today. In 2024, I wanted at least some of the episodes I release to be just easy, meandering conversations with everyday people that I’ve never met before. Without publicists or books, series, or movements to sell, sometimes it's everyday people who restore our faith in the power of food and remind us to nurture and celebrate connections to our closest people, the people who, quite frankly, may cheer for us, but don’t really care what we do or how successful we are.
Ruth begins by sharing her recipe for German Rouladen, a complicated beef dish she made for the 200 guests at her only child’s wedding. After discussing the recipe and a day so special it still stand out in Ruth’s memory 25 years later, we wind our way through topics and stories, ending with the people who are supporting Ruth and her husband through his Parkinson’s disease, which has now reached a 4th stage.
While I’ve got some powerhouse episodes lined to share with you in the next few weeks - and I’m thrilled, honored, and excited to share those episodes - I know I will not enjoy them any more than this simple discussion with Ruth about the memories and values that truly make a life worth living. Thank you, Ruth!
Highlights
A day so special Ruth clearly remembers it 25 years later
The best daughter-in-law in the world ;-)
All the tips on making this complicated Rouladen (beef rolled around pickles and cooked in gravy!) recipe
Is lean bacon a thing?
A day of preparation! :-) Wringing out hundreds of potatoes in towels!
What makes German potato salad different
Ruth’s special relationship with her only child and how food and cooking solidified the recipe
Memories of Yan Can Cook on PBS
The German -> Russia -> North America migration pattern
Newman <- Neumann
Memories of her father and uncle speaking German, playing German music, and teaching them German polkas - and hearty German dishes with delicious desserts
Ruth’s real interest: baking, decorated cookies, and scones (Lemon Cream Scones!!)
Cookie and scone tips!
Parkinson’s - The diagnosis, the advance, how it has changed her husband, and how we can support friends with the disease.
All the people who support Ruth in their Parkinson’s trial
Listen to Ruth Now
Ruth's Storied Recipe: German Beef Rouladen
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/how-to-make-beef-rouladen-the-traditional-german-way/
Connect with Ruth Newman
Email: ruthnewman@mac.com
More Episodes with Multi-Generational North Americans
More Western European Recipes
167: Trauma, Mental Health, and Spritual Healing with Alda Sigmundsdóttir
Feb 21, 2024
A conversation with Alda Sigmondsdottir about her favorite Icelandic recipe and her powerful new memoir written at the intersection of childhood trauma, mental health, and spiritual healing.
166 Whale, Puffin, Horse and Icelandic Fish Stew with Chef Stefan of Þrír Frakkar
Feb 07, 2024
Icelandic Chef Stefan discusses how Prir Frakkar “dared to be different” by creating an elevated menu from traditional Icelandic dishes, using almost exclusively Icelandic ingredients. We go into his family’s story, of course, and he educates me on the whaling industry, the Icelandic financial crisis in 2008, the resulting boom in tourism, and much more.
165 Recipes for Nurturing Joy with Deborah Johnson
Jan 17, 2024
A conversation with Mexican-American cookbook author Deborah Johnson on creating rituals to cultivate joy.
164 Updates from My 4 Favorite Guests in 2024
Jan 03, 2024
Happy New Year!! Kicking of 2024 with my 4 favorite guests - my sons, Jack, Marcus, Joshua and Nicholas!
163 RE-RELEASE The Christmas Story
Dec 23, 2023
The Christmas Story, according to the gospel of Luke.
162 RE-RELEASE The 4th Annual Christmas Pudding Episode
Dec 22, 2023
Every Christmas, this immigrant family made a British classic with laughter, joy, booze - and everyone got at least one turn with the spoon.
161 Christmas in Indonesia with M. Aimee Tan
Dec 13, 2023
M Aimee shares all about her Christmas memories in Indonesia, from security risks to piano battles with family. Also shares an Indonesian Christmas cookie made with gouda, coconut, and pandan.
160 Christmas in Bruderhof with Diana Rutherford
Dec 06, 2023
Welcome Diana!
This one is a little outside the mold for the Christmas Around the World series.
You see, Diana’s childhood, the culture she was raised in, and the Christmases she enjoyed weren’t really defined by the places she lived, geographically. In fact, her family moved 22 times in 17 years.
Rather, her experiences were mainly defined by the agricultural communities she and her family traveled between. Diana was raised in the Bruderhof, a global collection of self-sustaining farms where all members surrender their personal goods (yep, including Christmas presents) and accept roles for the greater good of the community.
Although Diana ultimately chose to leave the Bruderhof community when she was 19, moving to NYC to work as a chef, she retains warm memories of some aspects of her rather unique childhood. Some of the best of these memories include Christmastime, which were full of German Christmas traditions like decorating simply with apples and candles, singing spiritual songs, and making classic bakes like these traditional British Mincemeat Pies she's shared with us.
From the time Diana was in high school she spent increasingly more hours in the kitchen (which she truly loved, although it was very heard labor) preparing daily suppers for her communities of 400 people. Thrilled to welcome Diana to the Christmas Around the World series today - and thank YOU so much for being here.
Highlights
Vision of the Bruderhof: People who wanted to live together, share everything, wear flowers, and run through the fields.
Why no members keep their jobs, titles, or possessions
Why Diana lived in 5 countries but associates Christmas with Germany
Bruderhof Christmas traditions: singing, simple gifts, communal nights, childlike, not gluttonous, simplicity
Happy memories: Fairytale snowy Christmases outdoors in nature in Upstate New York
Rations of 1 cup of sugar per person per month
Making sugar snow candy!!!
Christmas presents in a community that doesn’t believe in personal possessions
School from 7am to 5pm, including working on the farm and in the kitchen
Diana’s exposure to food from seed to table.
How much Diana loved cooking for 400 people as a teenager
Diana’s journey out of Bruderhof and how.
Why there was no Christmas cooking/baking at home
Which Christmas traditions Diana kept from the Bruderhof, and how her journey out of Bruderhof is reflected in her changing Christmas traditions
German Lebkukken: Gingerbread cookies as ornaments > food.
A special night 100 candles on the tree - Each person lights a candle and says someone you’re praying for.
Angel chimes and the time Diana’s pigtail caught on fire.
Mincemeat pies!!! Diana’s memories and lots of ways to make them.
Rutherford Family Christmas Pictures :-)
Listen to Diana Now
Diana's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/mincemeat-tarts-christmas-pies
More Christmas Around the World Recipes
More Christmas Desserts Around the World
159 Christmas in Ecuador with Sofia Alarcon
Nov 29, 2023
Sophie shares
158 Memories in the Dough: 70 Years of Montana Ranch Life
Nov 15, 2023
Heartwarming episode with Marlene, who has lived 70 years on her ranch in Montana, first as a child, then a wife, mother, business owner and farmer. Her memories exist in the Walnut Povitica recipe that came from her Austrian mother.
157 Brazilian Carrot Cake, German Chocolate, and Italian Art with B Santos
Nov 01, 2023
B Santos grew up in a tropical paradise with a lively, intellectual family. Her love of art took her to New York, then to Germany, where she wrote a thesis on the changing depictions of food in art during the Renaissance.
156 Lessons from Cameroon with Agatha Achindu, Author of Bountiful Cooking
Oct 11, 2023
Author Agatha Achindu discusses how her upbringing by a Nigerian mother and Cameroonian mother gave her the foundation for health and wellness she now teaches others.
155 Slavic Folk Tales & Childhood Memories in The Bone Roots with Gabriela Houston
Sep 27, 2023
An interview with Gabriela Houston about childhood memories of time with her grandparents in the Polish Lake District that hsaped her book, The Bone Roots.
154 Savor! An Interactive Celebration of Sephardic Culture Through Food & Music
Sep 13, 2023
Honored to welcome two special guests to the podcast today: musician Sarah Aroeste and chef Susan Barocas. They share unique connections as Sephardic Jews with roots tracing back to a large, influential, and ancient Macedonian town. Sadly, during the Holocaust, nearly the entire population of that town was lost - a shocking 98%, in fact.
Both Sarah and Susan are passionate about preserving Sephardic culture. As enthusiastic researchers, they delve deep into historical records, oral traditions, and stories. Together, they're on a mission to curate and share this rich heritage with all of us.
But what makes their "Savor! project unique and truly remarkable is how they express this shared passion differently.
The "Savor" experience is, in part, a music album filled of Sephardic songs about food, sung in the Ladino language. It's also a collection of recipes that go hand in hand with each song. Plus, Susan and Sarah have created videos featuring female chefs demonstrating these recipes, all while discussing their personal connection to food and Sephardic culture.
As we approach the Jewish High Holy Days, I’m thrilled to have Sarah and Susan here to discuss Sephardic history and heritage. As you’ll hear, they teach me so much, not only about Sephardic culture, but also about the profound role of food and music in preserving heritage, tradition, history, values, and stories.
Highlights
A concept album: How the Savor project of pairing Sephardic recipes & songs began
Sarah and Susan’s shared heritage in Bitola (formerly Monastir) in Northern Macedonia, where 98% of the town was exterminated in the Holocaust
The distinctions among Jews (Sephardic vs. Ashkenazi) are a modern construction
When & how did the lineages and stories of Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews
How the geography, language (Ladino), and music of the Sephardics developed
The core elements of liturgy and customs that unite all Jews
The effects of the multi-century Spanish Inquisition on the entire Jewish populations, especially Sephardic Jews
The Holocaust was deadly for Sephardic Jews as well
Sarah’s story: “Music was my life.” How Sarah pivoted from classical opera to performing as a Ladino singer.
How did Sarah and her mentor uncovered and created Ladino music
No such thing as “authentic” or “traditional” Sephardic music or recipes
Sopa de Ajo: Allium Soap - Why Sarah chose it
Alliums and the Inquisition
Susan’s story: Her father as teacher
How Sephardic cooking spread to and melded with the rest of the world’s cuisine
How to prepare garlic until it’s “mellow, sweet, and flavorful”
Susan’s tips for preparing leeks
Listen to Sarah and Susan Now
Learn More About the SAVOR Experience!
Website: www.savorexperience.com
Intro to The Savor Experience on YouTube
Susan's Storied Recipe: Sopa de Ajo
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/sopa-de-ajo-healing-garlic-green-soup-for-a-cold
More Episodes with Guests of Jewish Heritage
Related Recipes
153 "We Were Raised on Love" with Auntie Mary
Aug 30, 2023
In the second episode with Auntie Mary, we hear about her 10 siblings - their individual personalities, challenges, and life together in Palestine and the United States. As immigrants to this country, they shared the burden of making a new life together - and a success for one was a success for all.
152 Paradise in Palestine with Auntie Mary
Jul 19, 2023
Introduction
Good morning! Today I'm introducing you to a new summer series with John's Aunt Mary, one of the people I most enjoy, appreciate, and admire in this world. John's Auntie Mary is like a living embodiment of the famous serenity prayer: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference". It seems to be that God has given Auntie Mary all of those things. On Monday evenings, John and I love to sit at a table with Mary, share in a simple delicious vegetarian meal with her, and soak up the wisdom that Mary has gained over 86 years of life.
Mary was born in 1936 in Ramallah, Palestine as the 3rd of 9 children (that lived to adulthood; her mother bore 11). She was 12 in 1948 and saw the Nakba - the Catastrophe - with her own eyes. Fellow Palestinians, including her future husband Shafiq, were forced from their homes, sent barefoot, unarmed, and homeless into the streets, and in some cases - massacred. At 19 Mary immigrated to the United States. Every day of her life, Mary worked hard to start businesses, keep a home, raise her 4 children, and to show kindness and compassion to everyone she met. In addition to her own children, Mary was like a mother to my husband John, who is joining with me in this series, and to many others. Her heart and home were always open and her table overflowing with the delicious food of her homeland.
I'm hoping to release at least 5 episodes in this series. This first one I've called Paradise in Palestine, as Mary remembers her simple wholesome childhood in Palestine full of the freshest, lushest fruits and vegetables and meals cooked before electricity.
Listen to Mary Now
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
151 The Heirloom Project: Professional Family Cookbooks with Sri Bodanapu
May 18, 2023
Looking to preserve your family's culinary legacy? Learn how to create a timeless treasure with Sri's amazing new software! From cherished recipes passed down through generations to heartwarming anecdotes, this episode is your recipe for success. Unleash your creativity, connect with loved ones, and savor the flavors that bind your family together. Bon appétit!
150 How To Find Meaning After Pain with Natasha Levai
Apr 20, 2023
I'm very grateful to welcome Natasha Levai to the podcast today. I'm not going to say much by way of introduction for Natasha for the simple reason that she expresses herself so poignantly and more eloquently than I could. Natasha, who is half Ukrainian and half Russian, speaks to us today from her new home in Hungary, where she and her husband are raising their baby girl and investing their free time and energy into caring for orphans. Natasha's childhood was lonely and difficult, but her story is about finding, receiving, and then giving away love.
Natasha's recipe is a first for The Storied Recipe. Russian Pelmini is a laborious hand-rolled dumpling, very similar to the pierogi. But Natasha was clear on the fact that no one had time to make these, least of all her family. So Natasha's recipe comes frozen, from a bag, just like - if we're honest - many of the foods we've eaten when there wasn't enough time, energy, or money to go around. But frozen Pelmeni was still a food that brought comfort and nourishment in dark times, and I'm glad Natasha was willing to say this. Finally, she'll share about a chapter in her story where someone did take the time, energy, and love to make her handmade Pelmini and fresh Borscht.
Like her recipe, Natasha's story is realistic, raw, and authentic. She reminds us that there is hope - so much hope, in this world and the next - but that hope doesn't come to us in the form of an after school special. Hope and love come to us in the form of sacrifice and persistence. It's a powerful story and one I feel, again, so very very grateful to Natasha for sharing. Welcome, Natasha - and welcome to all of you - to The Storied Recipe Podcast.
Highlights
Trust and testing when working with orphans
Conditions of orphanages in Hungary
Why Natasha sticks with it
How not to get burnt out
Why her father served in the Russian military
The moment she lost all trust in her father
How she began going to church - "I don't know if it was God or the experience of being loved."
Why she left home at 18
How Natasha healed
How Natasha experiences the love of God
Hungarian food culture vs. Russian food culture (food and otherwise)
Sweet pasta in Hungary
"You realize you've become a 'green' person - a 3rd culture person."
Listen to Natasha Now
How to Contact Natasha
Natasha's Food Blog (with a gluten-free emphasis): www.NatashasHome.com
Follow Natasha on Instagram
Follow Natasha on Facebook
Follow Natasha on Pinterest
Follow Natasha on YouTube
More Episodes with Eastern European Guests
More Eastern European Recipes
149 Mythology, History, and Irish Stew with Shauna Lawless, Author of The Children of Gods and Fighting Men
Mar 15, 2023
When Shauna turned 30, a relative challenged her to start writing again. After setting aside the initial (quite reasonable) excuses - that she had two young children and was working full time! - she and her husband carved out just one hour every other day for her to write.
Six years later, walking out of the library, my eye fell on a book in the New Releases section: The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, by Shauna Lawless.
When I finished reading the novel (quickly and quite late at night!) I was hungry, not only for Shauna’s second book, but also to learn more about the three great conflicts she effortlessly weaves together through compelling characters and a strong, fast-paced story line set in 1000AD. The first conflict is between the mythological Tuatha Dé Danann and Formorians, the second between the real-life, historical Nordic warriors and Kings and Queens of Ireland, battling for kingdoms, and the third between the pagan and Christian belief systems that battled for both hearts and power in Ireland. It is simply astounding to me that Shauna was able to do.
I am so, so thrilled Shauna came on to talk about all of this and more - including the simple potato, beef, carrot, and onion Irish stew her father made for her and now she and her husband make for their 3 boys. This is the stew you want when you come back from hours of walking in the Mourne Mountains of Northern Ireland, where Shuana lives. It’s the stew you crave when you stand on an ancient cliff and look out over the same angry sea from which the Kings and Queens of Ireland saw Nordics ships approach 1000 years ago.
I’m am so excited for all you’re going to learn from Shauna over the next 90 minutes, so I’ll stop talking now, just as soon as I say a huge thank you to Shauna for coming on - and an equally massive thank you to YOU for being here.
Highlights
00:04:38 Wild Ireland, including the Mourne Mountains, where Shauna was born and raised
00:10:02 Warm, cozy 4 ingredients Irish stew
00:13:09 How Shauna’s family personalizes their beef stew recipe
00:20:04 The history of potatoes in Ireland, including the tragic Potato Famine
00:27:00 Finding time to write.
00:34:34 Writing a bestselling novel in just 4 hours a week.
00:40:34 The best way to get better at writing.
00:46:48 How writing what Shauna loved was the key to getting published.
00:54:04 Ancient Irish mythology - the Tuatha Dé Danann vs the Formorians
00:59:12 Irish history: the Celts, the Norse, and the Irish. England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
01:10:46 The clash and merging Pagan Mythology and Christianity
01:15:01 Religion as power vs. religion as life, then and now.
Listen to Shauna Now
Shauna's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/irish-stew-slow-cook
How To Contact Shauna Lawless
Website: https://shaunalawless.com
Twitter: @shaunaLwrites
Instagram: @shauna_lawless_author
Where to Buy The Children of Gods of Fighting Men
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
More Episodes with Authors
More Recipes from the United Kingdom
148 Vanishing Things: Mushrooms, Monsoons, & Cultures with Author Kaveri Ponnapa of The Vanishing Kodavas
Feb 22, 2023
Hello and welcome to the February episode of The Storied Recipe. I’m here today with an episode that was well worth waiting for.
Kaveri Ponnapa wrote The Vanishing Kodavas - a deep cultural study of her people group who were devoted, above all else, to the rolling hills and deep, dense forests of their land, Kodagu.
The origins of this remote & warlike people are unknown and their history is purely oral - they have no written language. Against those odds, Kaveri embarked on the immense past of not only recording, but understanding and interpreting, her people’s culture and customs.
The Kodavas remain in existence and they keep many of these customs intact - not by isolating themselves, but rather by inviting and encouraging neighbors and descendants who live in the modern world to return, celebrate, and learn.
In addition to stories from her people and a discussion of her laborious writing process, today Kaveri is sharing a delicious mushroom curry recipe with us. This dish is emblematic of all that is vanishing (or is in danger of vanishing) - the customs of the Kodavas, monsoon season, and fields covered with mushrooms and moss as far as the eye could see.
Welcome to Kaveri and thank YOU for being here to listen.
Highlights
Why Kaveri wears saris almost exclusively - the art and siginificance of making saris
Who are the Kodavas and why are they vanishing
Warlike traditions that persist in customs
The stunning hills and forests of Kodagu and land as the highest ideal in ancient Kodava
Women's role in this ancient people group, including her aunt and mother
Kodava as home to Kaveri
The importance of land laws to preserving a way of life
The significance of community when maintaining their traditions
How the Kodavas were betrayed by their own
Mushroom Curry - the one secret ingredient
Her grandmother's kitchen with the giant wood fireplace and full of earthenware
Is flavor different cooked in earthenware?
Mushrooms that looked like snowfall, mushrooms that were hallucinogenic
Drastic changes from a monsoon season to barely a monsoon season
The medicinal plant that grew wild in Kodagu during mosoon season
Book writing process: Combining academic/historical and folk knowledge
What is at stake if the Kodavas vanish entirely?
Listen to Kaveri Now
Kaveri's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/easy-mushroom-curry
How To Contact Kaveri Ponnapa
Instagram: @kaverikamb
Twitter: @KaveriPonnapa
Website: TheVanishingKodavas.com
More Links
Try coffee from Kaveri's home of Kodagu! Bean Song Coffee
147 A 2023 Update: Why It's Been So Quiet Around Here
Jan 25, 2023
Three important things for you to know about the podcast in 2023...
PLUS, my interview with Christine Pittman on her Recipe of the Day Podcast. We talk a lot about our mutual passion for podcasting and why I hope to be doing this for a long time!
Important Links
Read all the details about why I'm making these changes (and what I hope to accomplish) here: Changes to The Storied Recipe in 2023.
Subscribe to The Storied Recipe Newsletter here.
Visit Christine's website Cook the Story
Find Christine's daily podcast Recipe of the Day on Apple Podcasts
Listen Now
More Episodes from Me
More Recipes
146 Christmas in Norway with Alexandra Taylor
Dec 08, 2022
Welcome back to the Christmas Around the World Series on The Storied Recipe Podcast!
This series began as a crowd-sourced post titled Christmas Desserts Around the World. As the Storied Recipe community shared their cherished Christmas recipes and the memories surrounding them, I really wanted to hear MORE. So I decided to expand on a few of these with a little mini series about Christmas traditions all around the world. You can find the entire series here.
Welcome Alexandra!
Today’s guest is Alexandra from Norway. She contributed a recipe for her mom’s Chocolate Peppermint balls – sort of a mint chocolate truffle – or an especially beautiful homemade Peppermint Patty. In today’s episode, Alexandra also shares a recipe for the special Rice Porridge left for Saint Nicholas on Christmas Eve. In our conversation today, Alexandra who grew up near the oldest town in Norway, established in 898, shares absolutely delightful memories of ancient Norwegian Christmas traditions that she experienced both as a child and as a mother. You may recognize these as the basis of so many American Christmas traditions and imagery – before the layers of consumerism were slapped on top. The stories Alexandra shares – and especially the beautiful way she shares them – evoke a sense of magic, calm, wonder, and peace. Welcome to Alexandra – and be sure to check out her Mint Chocolate Truffles and Risgrot recipes!!
Highlights
Bunad – the Warrior Norwegian Queen outfit
Santa Claus as Nordic
Walking in the “loud silence” of snow with the smells of coffee and baked goods
“Feeding your children is just the best feeling in the world”
Reminiscing on the “hygge” trend
Alexandra’s grandmother, a professional baker
Skoleboller, Rice Porridge, and other Norwegian Christmas Food
Coconut in Norwegian baking/cuisine
The Norwegian Church and the “church mother”
The Norwegian, concept of time and Christmas Eve vs. Christmas Day
The 12 Days of Christmas and the beauty of 12th Night services
Lutefisk, roast pork, homemade alcohol, and other common dishes of the traditional Norwegian Christmas dinner
Linie Aquavit (Akvavit) - the traditional alcohol that travels around the world
Singing and dancing traditional Norwegian folk tunes around the Christmas tree - and the traditional Norwegian Christmas tree decoration
All about the recipe for Norwegian Peppermint Balls that Alexandra shared with us
Listen to Alexandra Now
Alexandra's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/easy-chocolate-mint-truffles-from-norway
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Partial Transcript - First 10 Minutes
Becky Hadeed
Why, hello!
Alexandra
I'm so excited to be speaking with you. I've been listening to all your podcasts from last year and going back all the way to the beginning. Ohh I love the one with you and your boys. That was that's my favorite one so far.
Becky Hadeed
Ohh you know I hear that actually a lot and I was just thinking the other day, especially because my oldest is getting ready to graduate. I was thinking, I know we might need to do, you know one one last iteration of that?
Alexandra
Right? I think you should. That would be lovely.
Becky Hadeed
Well, thank you. Thank you so much for taking the time to come on and uh, for your kind words it means a lot. So can we just start by talking about this image of... What's the name of this this traditional wear?
Alexandra
It's called a Bunad.
Becky Hadeed
Say it one more time?
Alexandra
Bunad. B UN AD Boo nod.
Becky Hadeed
Bunad. OK. I mean, you looked gorgeous. You're like a Norwegian Warrior Queen
Alexandra
That's what the boys call me.
Becky Hadeed
Do you own? Do you own that?
Alexandra
Yes, that was a gift from my parents when I turned 21 and it comes with of course the the dress and it also has a skirt underneath it has that blouse and then it comes with a cake.
145 Christmas in South Africa with Kate Jack
Dec 05, 2022
Welcome Kate!
Welcome to Kate Jack from South Africa for a delightful conversation about Christmas in the summertime! From the most stunning wreaths of succulents to relaxing around a floating pool bar, this conversation just may have you booking tickets to the Southern Hemisphere for this Christmas!!! Best of all, Kate shares her aunt’s recipe for Peppermint Crisp Pudding and we discuss at length a very new to me method of making caramel for this dessert as well as other traditional South African Christmas dishes. It’s a fun one today, so welcome to Kate and to you as well!!
Highlights
Rainy Christmas days vs. Sunny Christmas days
Spray on snow to bizarrely emulate decorations of the Northern Hemisphere
The trend to Africanize Christmas decorations
Succulent wreaths
How Father Christmas can survive in the heat ;-)
Low key Christmas dinner foods for hot days
How to make caramel from sweetened condensed milk
Listen to Kate Now
Kate's Storied Recipe: Peppermint Crisp
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/peppermint-crisp-tart
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Transcript
Becky Hadeed
Hello hey, how are you?
Kate Jack
I'm doing well. Thank you and.
Becky Hadeed
You, oh I'm great. Thank you so much for getting on with me.
Kate Jack
It's such a pleasure. I'm looking forward to this.
Becky Hadeed
Me too. So first I have to ask you. Is your last name Jack?
Kate Jack
That's correct, yes.
Becky Hadeed
So your name is Kate. Jack, yes, that's. Such a great name.
Kate Jack
I'm married into the name, but I'm grateful for it.
Becky Hadeed
Yeah, it's like you're like the female protagonist to a Tom Clancy novel.
Kate Jack
When someone heard my husband's name, she said, "It's like that's a brand name." [Laughter}
Becky Hadeed
That's so well said that's. True, yeah, and you're feeling better.
Kate Jack
Much better I might cough a little. But lingering a bit, but so much better, thanks.
Becky Hadeed
Oh, I'm so glad I'm so glad. OK, well then let's jump in and talk about Christmas and South Africa. So, so first of all, we know that Christmas in South Africa during the summer season feels a lot different than we experience it in the northern hemisphere, but to back up a little bit, I am curious how Big South Africa is and how many time zones does it cover - and does it cover a lot of different climate zones? Does it depend on what region you're in, what weather you experiencing at Christmas time? Or is it pretty much the same for South Africans across the country?
Kate Jack
OK, so we have one time zone but we kind of almost could be two time zones, but officially we only one. So that gives an idea of the size. We are all in the southern hemisphere and so while our climate varies a little bit - like the West of the country where I live has winter rainfall and the east of the country is summer rainfall and it can get a little bit more tropical. Towards the northern parts, especially the northeastern parts, and some areas are a bit dry and some like you know semi arid. But we all. We all experience the summer, the celebration of Christmas in the middle of summer.
Becky Hadeed
And how hot is it?
Kate Jack
So degrees in Celsius, so that varies around the country, so it could be. Around mid 20s to 30s. Yeah, uh.
Becky Hadeed
Hot enough to be in the pool under the summer sun?
Kate Jack
Yes, yes, so some Christmases we do.
Becky Hadeed
Amazing, amazing and I guess of course yeah, so I'm looking, yes that's very warm weather.... According to Google, 25 is 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and if it goes up to 35 Celsius, that's 95 degrees Fahrenheit. So it's definitely squarely in the summer time weather for sure.
Kate Jack
Thank you having time, yes.
Becky Hadeed
And it's and it's mostly dry. You can pretty much guarantee that it's not going to be a rainy Christmas Day,
144 Christmas in the Valley of the Kings, France
Dec 02, 2022
Welcome Claire Marie!
Today, I’m welcoming former guest Claire Marie back to the podcast. Claire Marie is raising 3 boys with her Irish husband in Ireland.
However, Claire Marie is French and today she’s sharing her very special memories of celebrating Christmases in the French Countryside as a very large, very Catholic, and not very wealthy family of 10.
In addition to their private Christmas traditions, Claire Marie shares about the massive Christmas dinners in her grandmother’s home, where she would visit with over 100 cousins – and where she watched her grandmother make a very special chocolate chestnut cake. This is an utterly delightful and charming episode full of smiles and great memories and some wisdom as well.
Thanks for tuning in and Merry Christmas - Joyeux Noël!
Highlights
Long dark days and the magic of Christmas
WHY? No Santa (Le Père Noël, in French) and very few presents
Christmas in a large Catholic family
Midnight mass
Feasts! Christmas Eve Dinner, the traditional Christmas meal, and different desserts
Shoes under the Christmas tree
Celebrating with over 100 first cousins!
Peeling chestnuts at her grandmother's beautiful wooden dining table for Chocolate Chestnut Cake
Christmas in French households vs. Irish households (where Claire is raising her family)
Provence – the Christmas town scene with Santons characters
Claire’s approach to the Advent calendar
Christmas Day: “It’s the contrary of running everywhere and doing all the things”
Listen to Claire Now
Listen to Claire Marie's Original Episode:
26 Tales in the French Countryside
Claire Marie's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/russeroles-bugnes-lyonnaises
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Partial Transcript
Becky
So if people have listened to your original episode, which I’m going to link to in the show notes, in case they haven’t because it’s delightful, it’s delightful.
Claire Marie
Thanks in a while.
Becky
Uhm, remind everyone what region of France you grew up in?.
Claire Marie
So I moved a lot, but I always say I from the Loire Valley, so it’s not necessarily the place most people know, like the South of France, but it’s definitely a place people should know about. It’s also the Valley of the Kings and every time I go back there’s more to see that I haven’t had time to see. It so very very French. Like in really, the sense of France is there. And so that’s just the Loire Valley. It’s kind of in the middle... France is is big but not as big as the US, but big enough for a European country. And so yeah, people don’t necessarily know where.
Becky
It is, and it’s one of the most picturesque, picturesque parts of France?
Claire Marie
Oh yes. Yeah, and it has the perfect climate or weather. And yeah, like it’s cold in the winter, but it’s warm in the summer and you always have like a nice fresh air. It’s really really nice and I do love going back every summer.
Becky
So, paint us a picture. You said the weather was cold - it would be maybe snow? Paint us a picture of what it was like in December or at Christmas time in the Loire Valley or the Valley of the Kings?
Claire Marie
Huh, uhm, so it can go down like it’s very cold. It is, I guess, all a matter of in relation to other countries, but like you definitely definitely have your gloves on and hats on and you would be hoping for the snow because we’re quite far, we are very far from the mountains, so snow is never given and it would be like a rare treat if it snows right around Christmas. Like you, you know, you’d have probably couple of days of snow, but it could be anytime during the winter so I don’t actually remember a white Christmas.
Becky
Never a white Christmas.
Claire Marie
I don’t think we ever actually had a timely snow for Christmas, but it’s definitely very, very cold. I especially remember going to school freezing in...
143 Christmas in Alicante with Mar Lozano
Nov 30, 2022
Welcome Mar!
Today, I’m welcoming Mar from the Alicante region of Spain to the podcast. Mar comes from a super traditional small town in Spain, just a 15 minute drive from the coast, where you could even visit the beach on a typical balmy Christmas Day.
One of the most fascinating parts of this interview is the contrast between the traditions of this very small Catholic town and the way that Mar’s family, who are not at all religious, celebrated Christmas. And this same theme - traditional vs. very progressive - plays out in all the foods Mar’s family eats on and around Christmas as well. On the one hand, she has one of the most famous and most-searched recipes from Spain, a soft almond nougat, and on the other hand, she’s cooked an entirely Vegan Christmas feast for her family one year.
This episode is the perfect example of what I love most about this podcast - while we can always learn about culture from one person, we are constantly reminded that every single family and individual in each culture has their OWN stories to tell.
Listen to Mar Now
Mar's Storied Recipe: Turrón de Jijona
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/turron-de-jijona
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How To Contact Mar
Email: marlozanocasanova@gmail.com
Instagram: @mar_lozano_
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142 Christmas in Palestine with Mai Kakish
Nov 22, 2022
Listen to Mai Kakish share all about her favorite Christmas traditions in Palestine, including the little town of Bethlehem where Jesus was born.
141 The Gratitude Episode
Nov 15, 2022
I reached out to my community of listeners asking them to share why they're grateful this year - the resulting episode put me into the Spirit of Thanksgiving faster than I imagined!
140 Why This Revolution in Iran Can Succeed with Swarnika & Saeid
Nov 02, 2022
Most of us have heard that the current revolution in Iran began with the death of Mahsa Amini, who was beaten to death for not wearing the hijab in accordance with the regime’s morality laws.
But did you know her name was Jina?
When Jina was born, her parents were required to seek permission to name her Jina. The name was not allowed. So, they chose Mahsa as her official name and called her Jina at home.
This little nugget of truth, shared by Saeid, one of today’s guests, tells us that it’s simplistic to say this revolution is to overthrow laws about hijab. The discontent, the anger, the struggle is far greater, deeper, wider.
Today’s guests are Swarnika and Saeid, a married couple.
Swarnika, who happens to be one of the most talented food photographers I know, shooting for major brands in the margins of her job with a leading technology company, was born and raised in India. She describes her university as a “mini-Iran” where women were obligated to keep curfews as early as 4pm during exams while men studied together as late as they pleased. Once she was once sent back to her dorm to change because her socks showed. Swarnika did choose to speak up on these issues and her experiences doing so gave her great empathy for the courageous people of Iran. Later, Swarnika married an Iranian man who she met in graduate school here in the US. Saied is our other guest today.
Like Jina, Saeid has only known life in Iran under the current regime. Only by listening to people like Saeid, who speaks with truth and passion, can we really understand the struggle and the incredible, awesome courage of Iranians who are truly risking death by protesting against a regime that has weaponized religion to justify their power, bankrupt the country, rule by terror, and rob each citizen of their joy.
Although Saeid is realistic and sober-minded about the exceptional threats against protestors, he also speaks eloquently about why he believes this time, Iran may emerge free.
Thank you so much for being here, Swarnika and Saeid, and thank you, listener, for listening in. It’s a long interview, but it only gets better.
And p.s. We also talk about that famous Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew I’ve been hoping someone would share with me for a long time.
Highlights
How Swarnika and Saeid met & married
Compare/contrast of Indian and Iranian culture
A history lesson on the common dynasties & events that shaped both countries
Why Swarnika is so passionate about the revolution: “I lived in a Mini Iran”
Swarnika’s University experience; how women were limited by extremely limited curfews and morality laws
How Swarnkia fought back and the lengths to which the University went to expel her
Saeid’s experiences growing up in Iran - Did he notice these double standards?
What is different about this revolution than earlier protests
What is the core issue at the heart of this regime
We are not against Islam, there is a hatred of a version of this religion that has been taught to justify a regime
Why it is not enough to make rules - why do these regimes want to eliminate all happiness
The cycle nature of abusive power
The current situation in Iran
The predictable lies from the regime and the extreme & violent coercion of citizens
“I am not surprised there was an uprising. I am surprised there’s a call for the end to the regime”
Has this revolution been coming - or was it a surprise?
“When it cannot get worse, that gives you that courage”
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in Iran
Why Saeid does not think the people of Iran are protesting out of despair but hopes - “Even if I die, something better is coming”
Can the Iranian people be successful?
Listen to Swarnika & Saeid Now
Najmieh Batmanglij's Recipe Shared By Swarnika & Saeid: Persian Khoresh Fesenjān (Walnut Pomegranate Chicken Stew)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/khoresh-fesenjan/
139 Habibi, What’s Cooking? Sfouf! With Amale Chamseddine
Oct 26, 2022
Hi listeners! So glad to have you join me today to learn all about Sfouf, the recipe contributed by today’s guest, Amale Chamseddine of Habibi What’s Cooking!
Now, sfouf is a gorgeous golden Lebanese cake that’s very easy and quick to make. In Lebanon, Amale and her family would just buy Sfouf from the famous Lebanese bakeries, where it is made daily.
When Amale was still a child, however, the prime minister of Lebanon was assassinated. Her family immediately understood the fortunes of Lebanon had reversed in that one act and Lebanon would not be the same for a very long time.
Within weeks, Amale and her family, who were also US citizens, were evacuated away from their beautiful home on the coast of Lebanon to the Northeastern US. So to Amale, Sfouf now represents the extra effort they’ve had to go to preserve their culture and live as ambassadors of it to their American friends.
In today’s episode, Amale talks about her years in Lebanon, the current situation there, and how art and baking were her dreams as a child and have now helped her through some of the toughest times of her life. She also shares tips on making that famously delicious Lebanese chicken (Check out the show notes for her chicken recipe, by the way) and shares freely about wearing the hijab and so many other topics. I’m thrilled to welcome her to the podcast and also so thrilled that you’re here today. Thanks for tuning in!
Highlights
The ancient city of Saida
A huge lemon tree
Going to school with Arabic as a second language
Sfouf! Amale's memories and what it represents
Why add turmeric to baked goods?
Lebanese 7 spice - the best brand
The best semolina flour
The assassination of Rafic Hariri
Why Amale doesn't believe she'll ever be able to come back
How baking helped Amale through Covid and her uncle's death
Why Amale wears the hijab
Listen to Amale Now
Amale's Storied Recipe: Lebanese Golden Sfouf (Turmeric Cake)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/sfouf-recipe/
How To Contact Amale Chamseddine
Instagram: @habibi_whatscooking
Website: habibiwhatscooking.com
Read the details of how to make Amale's Shish Tawook recipe listed on her site and mentioned in the podcast episode
More Episodes with Guests of Middle Eastern Heritage
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138 One in 6 Million Refugees: A Venezuelan Story from Anonymous
Oct 19, 2022
Over 6 million Venezuelan refugees are currently seeking asylum around the world. In September, between 1400 and 1600 fled PER DAY. Today we’ll hear the story of an anonymous guest, who gained asylum in the US 4 years ago. She is speaking anonymously because the government there is so repressive - so controlling (you’ll hear how she was threatened to lose all access to food if she didn’t vote for the incumbent) - that her family could be punished as retaliation for her words.
But why is she choosing to speak at all? First, because we have a very fundamental need to share our stories. And second, because our guest today wants to give a voice to these millions of refugees - to remind all of us where they came from, why they left, and what they’ve risked (everything) to leave. There are lessons for us in all of my guest’s story: political lessons in the way the current government came to power, then consolidated that power; lessons of compassion and empathy for individuals within a massive migration; lessons of courage, bravery, and sacrifice when we consider what so many risk for their families to have a better life, lessons of gratitude when we are reminded to savor the little moments (like sorting beans for her Storied Recipe) that we would miss if suddenly forced to leave our homes, and finally - lessons of friendship and kindness that we can learn from 3 immigrants that came together - one Venezuelan, one Nepalese, and one Iranian Jew - in a NYC apartment to help one another launch new lives.
This is one of the most important episodes I’ve ever released and today I’m asking you - specifically, you, anyone listening - to share this story. I think all of us believe that we should be a voice for the voiceless and today, as this guest literally cannot risk her family’s stability by sharing her story with a name attached, we can share it for her. Would you please think of someone right now and send this along to them? Thank you so much!!!
Highlights
The three types of crises happening concurrently in Venezuela
How this nightmare began with hope
What happened in Venezuela when the private sector was dismantled
How a simple decision spiraled to a point where she was forced to vote for the incumbent in order to eat
The amazing story of how a Venezuelan, Iranian Jew, and Nepalese came to live and care for one together in a NYC apartment
Repairing the country will take years
Listen to Guest Now
This Episode's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/pabellon-criollo-authentic-venezuelan-rice-beans/
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137 The 5 Days of Diwali with Lopamudra Mishra
Oct 12, 2022
I’ve never celebrated Diwali in my life but when I think of Diwali, I smile. Why? - because for years now, I’ve seen friends in the food world celebrate Diwali and their celebrations just exude excitement. When I planned out episodes way back in the beginning of 2022, I was adamant that in October, I would learn more about the origins and traditions of Diwali.
Today, thanks to Lopa, I finally get to learn so much more, beginning the fact - Diwali is not one holiday, it’s a 5 day festival. Each day has different meanings and celebrations and the significance of each day varies widely across the 28 states and 1.6 billion people in India.
Lopa’s joy and enthusiasm for Diwali radiates throughout this entire interview and it’s such a fun, fun listen whether you have your own precious memories of Diwali or if your previous understanding was as superficial and limited as my own. Welcome Lopa and thank you all for being here!!
Highlights
1.6 million people - Who celebrates Diwali?
The 5 Day Festival of Diwali - what each day represents
The relationship of Diwali to fall & harvest, brothers and sisters, ancient protection from monsoons, shepherding ancestors home, celebrating good over evil
Diwali decorations - rice paste painted on colors to show the feet of Lukshmi
Sugar cane lights
What is a Diya? & how it differs from a candle
Why you must soak clay lanterns in water
Worshipping pujas over the 5 days of Diwali
Diwali FOOD!!!!
Lopa's experiences of Diwali in Canada
The Diwali night she saw the Aurora in Whitehorse, Canada
Chivda mixture - made with flattened rice
Listen to Lopamudra Now
Lopa's Storied Recipe for Diwali
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/easy-poha-chivda-recipe
More Episodes with Guests of South Asian Heritage
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136 What is Ancestral Eating with Alison of Ancestral Kitchen
Sep 28, 2022
Alison of Ancestral Kitchen speaks to us today from a tiny little flat outside Florence, Italy, that overlooks the land that grows and sustains her food. From there, she cooks for her family and develops resources for the rest of us on how to eat ancestrally.
For Alison, food has been the catalyst for just about everything in her life. As a child, she turned to food when she felt, deep in her soul, that she was not home. In her very early years as an adult, she lost half her body weight in a bid to take charge of her own life and prove to herself that she could do hard things. With that proof in hand, she made one massive change in her life after another - changes that defied expectations, aligned with her convictions, and have given her a life that feels meaningful, abundant, and joyful. She made choices like leaving a successful job for a lifestyle that she imagined, moving her family from England to Italy, and curing herself of PCOS, at least to the extent that she could resume cycles and have a child.
In this episode, we dive deep into what ancestral eating means, the benefits of eating this way, and how busy people can eat in an intentional & healthful way. Alison is a calm and intentional person, and this conversation will bring the same to your life - oh, it will also bring you the most delicious Spelt Sourdough Pizza recipe and lots of solid, practical tips on cooking with sourdough. For a comforting, cozy listen in the middle of your busy life, I bring you Alison - thank you so much to her and to all of you for being here!
Highlights
The chores, routines, and rhythms in an ancestral kitchen
To begin eating ancestrally, first, you must be able to feel and express your values
“Go with your joy.”
“I never thought I could be the type of person to be an artist or move countries. Other people do that.”
Alison’s decision to live in Italy
Spelt Sourdough Pizza - Why Alison chose it
Spelt Sourdough Pizza - How it should taste
My try at sourdough pizza & Alison troubleshoots mine
The best way to maintain a sourdough starter
Listen to Alison Now
Alison's Storied Recipe: Sourdough Spelt Pizza
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/sourdough-spelt-pizza-dough/
How To Contact Alison
Instagram: @ancestral_kitchen
Apple Podcasts: Ancestral Kitchen
Website: ancestralkitchen.com
Read the details of how to make Alison's Spelt Sourdough Pizza on her website
More Episodes with Authors
More Vegan Recipes
135 Chosen for This? With Elizabeth Coulter, Special Needs Warrior
Sep 20, 2022
Today's guest, Elizabeth is mother to 4 very young children. Her oldest, Louie, was born with a genetic condition so rare that he was only the 12th person in the world diagnosed with it. Not only that, but the mutation was "De Novo" - Latin for "in the beginning", meaning that this genetic disorder did not come from Elizabeth and her husband’s genes; it was a mutation that sprang up in Louie, out of nothing, it would seem.
When Louie was 5, just as Elizabeth was hitting her stride as a special needs mom, an added difficulty arrived also seemingly "de novo", from nowhere, literally overnight. One evening, they all went to bed and woke up at midnight because Louie was having a seizure. Then he had another, and another, and another, all in the space of just a few hours. Since then, Louie has had dozens - sometimes even 40 or 50 seizures daily. Every day, until, surprisingly doctors suggested the Keto diet, which has given Louie some (although not complete) relief, at least temporarily.
But in the midst of all this talk about De Novo, out of nowhere, and overnight - Elizabeth does not believe that there was anything De Novo about the turns her life has taken. She believes, quite strongly, as you'll hear, that God actually chose her for this and gave her everything she needed - from her Puerto Rican heritage, the words of her wise Abuela, strong family support from both sides - Puerto Rican and German - and the faith to do everything she can to make life for not only Louie, but also many others like him, better. She has started a non-profit called Louie's HUWE with the goal of connecting, serving, and supporting other families like hers and raising money to fund research into ways to improve the quality of life for kids like Louie.
Today, Elizabeth is sharing so many personal & really intimate stories with us, from memories of her Abuela's Pollo Frito to the moment of Louie's birth. I’m so glad to have her on and so glad you’re here to join us.
Highlights
Pollo Frito
Elizabeth's Puerto Rican & German heritage
Being blindsided by Louie's diagnosis
Louie's love of circles: "Find a man who loves you like Louie looks at circles"
Seizures: Going from zero to 50/60 a day, in one night
Seizures: The KETO Diet and how it helps
The Great Facebook purge that every Special Needs Mom goes through
The key to being a good friend to a special needs mom
Special needs siblings
Sleep as a mother when your child is having dozens of seizures a day
The dangers of a high-fat diet in a child
What Elizabeth has learned: "Everybody has something"
Louie's HUWE - the Research Foundation Elizabeth has started
Special needs & faith: "This is God's way of bringing people together"
Special needs, faith & Encanto
How to help Elizabeth, Louie, and other HUWE families
Learning to ask for help
Listen to Elizabeth Now
Elizabeth's Storied Recipe: Puerto Rican Pollo Frito (Fried Chicken)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/pollo-frito-puerto-rican-fried-chicken/
How To Connect with Elizabeth or the Louie's HUWE1 Foundation
Instagram: @louies_huwe
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/LouiesHUWE
Instagram: @unbreakablelouiecoulter
Support Louie's HUWE1 by Ordering Local Flowers
Branches and Batches on Facebook
More Episodes with Guests of Caribbean Heritage
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134 Honoring the Women of Palestine with Mai Kakish
Sep 14, 2022
Today, I'm welcoming Mai of Almond & Fig to the podcast so that, together, we can all honor Mai's grandmother, her beloved Teta.
Mai’s grandmother was born in Palestine long before 1948, when the international community took it upon themselves to declare parts of her Palestine as the new nation of Israel. She was a young woman when she saw the suffering of 1967, and already a grandmother many times over by the first Intifada of 1987, when both of her sons were arrested. One of those sons, Mai's father, was imprisoned for a year, without charges or evidence of those charges in the Negev desert. At night, he and fellow prisoners took shifts watching for dangerous wild animals. Later, Teta Um Hanna's grandsons, Mai's brothers, were arrested in the second Intifada. Although they were juveniles, they were tried and imprisoned as adults. Victimized by the occupation until the very end, Teta Um Hanna's ambulance was stopped and searched by Israeli soldiers as she was rushed, dying, into Jerusalem. This is a difficult thing for any family to accept.
However, we do not join Mai in honoring Teta Um Hanna because she suffered these things. Rather, we honor Teta Um Hanna because of the things she did with her life: She raised her siblings, her children, and her grandchildren with love and patience. She joined countless other Palestinian women in preserving their culture & recipes, becoming breadwinners, nurturing children made fatherless through resistance, and feeding their entire worlds. How did she manage to do these things? She did them all through her garden, her cooking, and the joy she took in both.
Regardless of our politics (which may or may not be influenced by Mai's powerful story), today, Listener, you and I are coming together to honor this small but mighty woman, [name], and the many other women she represents. Here is Mai.
Highlights
“From the moment she wakes up, she thinks, ‘What should they be eating?’”
The 4 men in Mai’s family who were arrested - why, where they went, and the conditions
How Mai’s grandmother, her Teta stepped in with her “fatherless” grandkids - and how she loved with food
Teta’s remedies :-)
What does it mean “This is a day-to-day occupation?”
“We did not commit the Holocaust. We had no part in the Holocaust. But we are paying for the Holocaust.”
Why is 1948 so significant?
Mai’s personal experiences with Israeli soldiers when she was just 10 years old
Palestinians and Hamas - not one and the same; Mai’s perspective on Hamas
How Mai’s grandmother died as a direct result of checkpoints
How Mai thought food would be an escape, but the more she realized that food and recipes are political.
“Palestinian food is political… Palestinian recipes are political… Anything with the word Palestine is political… My entire existence is Political.”
Mai’s shock at the freedom Americans have to raise their own flags - it was an act of victory to carry their flag
The joy her Teta found “even in chopping onions”
Musalwa’a: Palestinian Lentils and Rice - a humble dish that is Mai’s comfort food
Sumac onions - the proper way to make them!!
Teta’s answer to “How will I know there is enough cumin?”
Red lentils vs. Brown lentils
Listen to Mai Now
Mai's Storied Recipe: Palestinian Mujadarah Safra (Lentils and Rice)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/mujadarah-safra/
Resources About the History of Palestine
See Mai’s Teta making Musalwa’a on Instagram
Short video Mai shared illustrates the history of Palestine
Can Palestinians return? Points from @letstalkpalestine on Instagram:
The Partition Plan of 1947 from @letstalkpalestine on Instagram
About Seraj Libraries
Mai is on the board of the non-profit Seraj Libraries, which aims to provide a community library for every child.
Seraj libraries just opened a storytelling center in Palestine. The Center gives Palestinians the opportunity to tell,
133 The Diversity of Kazakhstan with Marina Lukyanchuk
Aug 17, 2022
Have you ever thought about the stories right there in your own neighborhood, on your own street, in the homes up and down the block where you live? Where Marina was raised, there were Koreans, Germans, Russians, Ukrainians, Persians, and the indigenous people as well - not Native Americans, because Marina wasn’t raised in America. Instead, she was raised in Kazakhstan, a huge Asian country where the native Kazakhs lived as nomads (even, in fact, live now as Nomads) until communist nations - like the Soviet Union and Korea - began to send people there in the 1920s and ’30s. Unlike the United States, where many immigrants over the last 400 years came by choice (obviously, with very notable and shameful exceptions), very few arrived in Kazakhstan by choice.
But… what is choice, really? This is a question Marina had me pondering for days after this interview. In America, we value choice - move to where we want, choose the schools we want to go to, pursue the career we want, make as much money as we want, marry the person we want, etc. Choice, in our minds, is essential to that constitutional right - “the pursuit of happiness”. But Marina talks about choice in a different way. Her grandmother, for instance, believed that freedom to choose these forks in the road was overrated, that commitment to community was the higher value, and that the real choice was in choosing to accept what was given, the choice to be happy, content, and hopeful. I’m left wondering - is it really true that “we always have a choice?” - and also, again, what stories were held within the houses on Marina’s street, where nearly every family was moved to Kazakhstan by a government?
And finally, what stories would the Kazakh’s themselves tell of the people who showed up on their land, what happened to their way of life? Marina shares a powerful story about the compassion of native Kazakhs towards prisoners in a gulag… You’ll definitely want to hear this one.
But Marina didn’t know much about these stories as a child and choice wasn’t anything on her mind. What she knew was that her neighbors were her friends, they played happily, and everyone in the neighborhood shared their own cherished recipes, which the parents prepared and ate together, unity among diversity. In fact, Marina’s storied recipe doesn’t come from her own heritage - it’s a Polish cookie called Mazurka, just like the dance. So excited to welcome you into this conversation with Marina, where we dive deep into all of this - and so much more - today. Thanks for joining us.
Highlights
Where is Kazakhstan
The indigenous people, the Kazakhs
The national symbol of Kazakhstan, taken from their iconic yurts
How the Soviet Union moved Marina's maternal and paternal families to Kazakhstan
Why Marina's grandmother felt her life was better under the Soviet Union
World War II, The Soviet Union, and Kazakhstan
A special yellow dress
Incredible story of compassion from Kazakhs toward prisoners in a gulag
All the nations represented on Marina's street and in her family
All the food influences brought by all these nations
Foodways in different regions in Kazakhstan (produce in central; meat in the North)
Muzarka: a special cookie to Marina's family
How they learned how the microwave works!
Listen to Marina Now
Marina's Storied Recipe: Polish Mazurka (Peanut Rasin Cookies)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/peanut-raisin-cookies
More Episodes with Guests of Eastern European Heritage
More Eastern European Recipes
132 Sunset, Moonlight, Cassava & Community with Sophie Musoki of A Kitchen in Uganda
Jul 27, 2022
Welcoming Sophie to the podcast today. She’s speaking with us from Uganda, where she writes the blog A Kitchen in Uganda and hosts a podcast titled Our Food Stories.
Sophie takes us with her to the communal gatherings she enjoyed by sunset and moonlight at the communal pestle, where women took turns pounding cassava and preparing dinner, while large extended families ate together in the moonlight. We'll learn from her all about the Cassava plant, Kabalagala bananas, and the pancakes her mother made and sold to passersby for just a cent or two.
After hearing these stories, it's easy to understand the urgency she feels to preserve her food memories - and to learn about the food traditions of fellow Ugandans - through her blog and podcast. Conversations with her parents have convinced Sophie that Ugandan's food heritage is under threat by the forces of technology, modernization, globalization, religion, and vestiges of colonization.
Furthermore, Uganda is a country of tribes. The borders are arbitrary (well, not quite arbitrary - she discusses how they were formed) and separate tribes from fellow tribe members while tossing together people groups with little culture or language in common. So, Sophie’s second goal in starting her podcast was to learn more about the food cultures of different tribes within her own country.
Sophie’s voice is gentle and melodic and in this interview, she taught me many things in the same way - with gentleness and thoughtfulness. I’m so delighted to introduce her to you today.
Highlights
Seasons in Uganda - historically and currently
All about Kabalagala (Apple bananas)
Cassava flour - how to make it from planting the Cassava through pounding
Cassava flour - NOT native to Uganda
50 tribes in Uganda - learn about Sophie’s
The evening tradition in Sophie’s village
Making the recipe that’s a huge ball
Making Kabalagala pancakes and selling them for 1 or 2 cents - beautiful memories
Buying Kabalagala from a street vendor herself many years later
Why Ugandans identify more with their tribes than their country - a legacy of Colonization
“I may meet another Ugandan and not even be able to communicate with them”
Why she started her podcast to connect with other Ugandans and their cooking
“I can tell you the capital of Tennessee but I can’t tell you about my own region.”
How technology, religion, and globalization threaten the memory/knowledge of her food culture
Listen to Sophie Now
Sophie's Storied Recipe: Ugandan Vegan Banana & Cassava Flour Pancakes
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/vegan-cassava-flour-pancakes/
How To Contact Sophie Musoki
Instagram: @akitcheninuganda
Pinterest: @akitcheninug
Facebook: A Kitchen in Uganda
Website: akitcheninuganda.com
Youtube: A Kitchen in Uganda
How to make Kabalaga pancakes: Video on Sophie's blog, A Kitchen in Uganda
Here is an episode of Sophie’s podcast featuring Cassava preservation: EKilobeko
How to make Ugandan Posho
More Episodes with Food Professionals
More African Recipes
131 All About Appalachia with Lauren of Must Love Herbs
Jul 20, 2022
So happy to welcome the utterly delightful Lauren of Must Love Herbs to the podcast today. Lauren is going to speak to an idea that I don’t broach quite enough in this podcast, which is the fact that the US itself has many distinct subcultures: Appalachia (or - properly said, Appa - LATCH- a) is one of those subcultures with its own geography, heritage, music, accents, and foodways. Lauren is quickly amassing a huge following on Instagram that loves her joyful, bright, and sundrenched photos and videos that share her ancestor’s knowledge of gardening and herbalism. She also shares the most amazing adorable cakes decorated with the most intricate, skillful, adorable mushrooms - breads covered with edible florals. Lauren’s a true ambassador of Appalachia, coming from generations of Appalachians who have lived on the land for over 200 years.
If you, like me, only carry a vague idea of what comprises the Appalachian subculture, Lauren will give us all a much deeper appreciation of these resilient, strong people through her charming stories and thoughtful discussion.
It’s a cliche an apt one when it comes to Lauren - she truly is a ray of sunshine and I’m so happy to introduce her to you right now!
Highlights
Who is an Appalachian?
Difference in Appalachian foodways
Lauren's father - a musician from Appalachia who *doesn't* like bluegrass
What's growing in her garden (Market More cucumbers, 500lb cucumbers))
Medicinal herbs for what ails her ;-)
"Big Daddy" - Lauren's grandfather and garden mentor
Pros and cons of growing up and staying near family
"That's a big part of Appalachia - they don't let you struggle alone"
"It's not my knowledge that I'm sharing, it's my ancestor's knowledge"
Melvana - a woman who bought the family land in 1900
A bear that tried to eat her apple pie!
Why herbalism is a private and personal thing to Lauren
"Here you anxious people, have some herbs!"
What's a holler?
Gender norms for Appalachian women and men
Is there an Appalachian aesthetic?
Can you join Appalachia - or can you only leave?
Listen to Lauren Now
Lauren's Storied Recipe: Kilt Lettuce Appalachian Salad
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/kilt-lettuce/
How To Contact Lauren
Website: Mustloveherbs.com
Instagram: @mustloveherbs
Facebook: Must Love Herbs
More Episodes with Multi-Generational Americans
More Salad Recipes
130 A Bold, Brave Tour of India and Beyond with Dyutima Jha
Jul 13, 2022
Excited to introduce you today (although she needs no introduction in the food photography circles) to Dyutima Jha, the energetic, positive, and professional woman behind the My Food Lens podcast. Dyutima was born and raised by a schoolteacher mother (who also happened to be a radically experimental and wonderful cook) and a neurologist father. Because her father was in the military, Dyutima and her sister moved every 3 years to a different part of India.
Today, with her words and stories, Dyutima takes us on a tour through many of the varied landscapes and historical cities of India. More significantly, she takes us on a journey through the twists and turns of a bold, brave life, including a massively successful career as a medical architect, choosing love for her childhood sweetheart over everything, and the surprising choice to start a new career in food photography.
Highlights
"What would you like to eat?" + "We went for two weeks, we ate for 2 years!"
Dyutima's meaningful recent tour around India, visiting family
A beautiful memory of Dyutima's mother feeding her this dish by hand
Cooking with mustard oil
"Don't give up!" - making the perfect mustard sauce
The incredible diversity of her mother's cooking (+ her scootering skills)!
Dyutima's first taste of coleslaw
Moving every 3 years in India
A brief history of the city of Patna in the state of Bahir
Dyutima's childhood sweetheart
An amazing, healing career in healthcare architecture
"As the flight took off, I had tears rolling down..." - why she did it anyway
"I'm not a person who likes regrets" - pursuing food photography
Listen to Dyutima Now
Dyutima's Storied Recipe: Shorshe Mach (Mustard Fish Curry)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/shorshe-mach/
How To Contact Dyutima Jha
Instagram: @dyutima_myfoodlens
Facebook: My Food Lens
Pinterest: @dyutima_myfoodlens
Apple Podcasts: My Food Lens
Website: www.myfoodlens.com
Places That Dyutima Mentions
Connaught Place
City of Patna
Le Corbusier architecture in India
More Episodes with Food Professionals
More South Asian Recipes
129 A Sacrificial Lamb & A Critique of the West with Saima Ateeq
Jun 29, 2022
This episode covers dozens of topics including the making of this dish, how Saima’s faith became deeply personal to her, and why she is so critical of the West. Listen to the end and you’ll even hear about her grandfather, the water diviner, and how to make roti from sourdough!
128 Mariupol: Memories, Warfare, & the Future of Ukraine with Olia Koutseridi
Jun 22, 2022
Olia spent summers in Mariupol, dashing through the massive food markets, eating dried fish with her grandparents, and picnicking on the beaches alongside tourists from around the world, including Russians.
However, in 2014 those neighbors mounted siege after siege upon Mariupol. The rounds of assault and resistance became so commonplace that Olia’s grandmother, who worked at the now infamous Azovstal Steel Plant, got used to them. Olia's family never suspected the full-scale besiegement that began February 24, 2022.
For 20 days, Olia, who now lives in Austin, Texas, lost touch with her grandmother and aunt while she used her training as a historian to meticulously track the information trickling out of Mariupol. After 30 days in a basement amid shelling, as her mother’s health failed, Olia’s aunt decided she would rather die trying to escape than staying the basement. This is Olia’s account of Mariupol as it was, her story of living through the first 100 days of Russia’s war on Ukraine, why she believes Russia will never fully succeed, and how she is preserving recipes as an act of resistance and hope.
Highlights
Why was Mariupol immediately targeted for besiegement?
Olia’s aunt and grandmother in hiding for 30 days
“Even the act of cooking was unsafe”
“I’d rather die trying to escape than in this basement”
Their dramatic escape
What are these filtration camps we keep hearing about?
How Olia has coped
What Olia is doing now - trying to preserve evidence of Russian crimes
50% of Ukraine is occupied or has fled
Why Olia has hope for Ukraine
“The fight is over, they just won’t accept it”
“Russia just needs a lot of therapy”
The support from Olia’s community in Austin
The markets of Mariupol
Mariupol and food culture in port cities
Olia’s new mission is to preserve recipes that are being erased
Reputable organizations to donate to
Listen to Olia Now
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/ukrainian-fish-in-red-sauce-recipe-from-mariupol/
How To Contact Olia Koutseridi
Instagram: @ogi_the_yogi
Sign up for Olia's Substack Buy a Burnt Basque Cheesecake for Ukraine Support Liberty Ukraine: https://libertyukraine.org/
More Episodes with Food Professionals
More Eastern European Recipes
127 The US has 90,000 Miles of Shoreline. So Why Does It Import the Majority of Its Seafood? with Craig Fear
Jun 08, 2022
Why does the US have 90,000 miles of shoreline yet import the majority of its most of seafood? My guest today is Craig Fear. He’s an author of 3 soup cookbooks, a blogger at Fearless Eating, and a board member of the New England-based seafood non-profit, Eating with the Ecosystem, which promotes a place-based approach to consuming seafood.
Craig fell in love with soups during his travels to East Asia but in his most recent cookbook, New England Soups from the Sea, he returns to his roots. To call this book a cookbook is a bit of a disservice, however, because it is also a commentary on the historical, social, and financial reasons that the US neglects the abundance of seafood on its shores (we have more square acreage available for fishing than for farming!), a primer on the types and uses of our seafood, and only then a huge collection of historic New England soup and chowder recipes.
Highlights
Craig’s story: soup = health
How his travels influenced his palette and the 3 books he’s written
Where is US seafood going
What happened to our taste for seafood
What are we guaranteed if we buy US fish
Success of rebuilding overfished stocks into sustainable levels
The wonders of shellfish aquaculture
Why is 90% of our seafood imported?
Demand-based models vs. Supply-based models
A few of the most undervalued fish in the US
What happened to New England lobsters?
Connecticut Clam Chowder - a cross of Manhattan & New England Clam Chowders
Hard shell vs. Soft shell clams
Listen to Craig Now
Craig's Storied Recipe: Connecticut Clam Chowder
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/gluten-free-calm-chowder/
How To Contact Craig Fear
Buy his book New England Soups from the Sea on Amazon
Instagram: @FearlessEating
Facebook: Fearless Eating
Website: fearlesseating.net
Why Craig renamed Long Island Clam Chowder to Connecticut Clam Chowder.
If you don't live in New England, Craig suggests buying seafood from redsbest.com
More Episodes with Authors
More Seafood Recipes
126 Update From Me, June 2022: A Favorite Story, Some Precious People, & An Invitation To You
Jun 01, 2022
Hello!!! Happy June 1st! Today's episode is very unusual. Although it contains a story, and it is most definitely a story about food, this is a solo episode and is quite personal. I'm going to share a fairy tale with you today that has long been a favorite fairy tale. It also connects me to both of my grandmothers, my great-grandmother, my cousin Terri, my own children, and my niece Hannah. And now, also, I would say that this story really connects my past and present as well because, looking back, isn't it funny - and maybe a bit prophetic - that one of my favorite fairy tales was about food?
As I share this story, I am really hoping that it will jog your memory about a myth, folk tale, fairy tale, or old wives tale from your own childhood, family, or culture! If it does, would you please reach out to me? Just email me at becky@thestoriedrecipe.com or leave a comment here on this post. I'd love to pull together a collection of these. I haven't defined how I might do that yet because it does depend a bit on your responses. But would you please just reach out and share your story - as much or as little as you'd like?
Listen to my update now
This Episode's Storied Recipe
More Episodes With Me and My Family
More Fan-Favorite Recipes
125 Why Taiwan Is Not "Chinese Taipei" with Yone
May 24, 2022
I reached out to Yone because she shares such interesting stories about the flavors and ingredients she finds in the markets of Taipei… and because she’s willing to speak openly about the current pressures and threats on the Taiwanese, which is something I wanted to learn more about. It wasn’t until after I started to research for this interview that I learned she also identifies as a Latin American woman, because she was born, raised, and educated in São Paulo, Brazil, where it turns out there is a vibrant and resilient Taiwanese community. Yone is funny, matter–of-fact, and her story is every bit as fascinating as it sounds. Excited to share and just thrilled that you are all here today, thank you!!
Highlights
How a Taiwanese community arrived in San Paolo, Brazil
And how they made a life there - a glassblower and an entrepreneur/cook
How Yone’s palette developed exposure to both Brazilian and Taiwanese food
The history between Taiwan and China (Is Taiwan part of China?)
The current relationship between Taiwan and China (Why are things tense?)
How the war in Ukraine is affecting Taiwan
What happened in Hong Kong
Why Yone does not feel threatened
The dish that threatens Yone’s commitment to vegetarianism
“Chicken Crack” - super unique mix of seasoning
The wonders of plum powder
Yone's travels, plans for the future, and how being a 3rd culture kid affects both
Listen to Yone Now
Yone's Storied Recipe: Taiwanese Fried Chicken
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/tawainese-fried-chicken-recipe/
How To Contact Yone
Pinterest: Yone | Flavour Journey
Facebook: Flavour Journey
Website: flavourjourney.co
Also, Yone's Taiwanese Fried Chicken Recipe is originally from Hanna Huang
More Episodes with Guests from East Asian Heritage
More East Asian Recipes
124 A Love Letter to Poland with Zuza Zak, Author of Polska
May 04, 2022
Today's episode is a real treat for all of us. I’m welcoming Zuza Zak to the podcast for the second time today. The first time was several months ago when Zuza came on to share details about the Cook for Ukraine initiative.
Zuza is the author of 3 cookbooks, Polska, which she calls “a love letter to her country” of Poland, and what we focus on most in this episode. She has also written Amber and Rye, which focuses on the cuisine, culture, and history of the Baltic States, and finally this year she’s releasing a book all about pierogi or dumplings. As a storytelling cookbook author, Zuza has an incredible gift for writing in a way that helps us connect our food with nature, heritage, place, and especially the seasons. Maybe it’s because of this connection to nature that every time I read or listen to Zuza I feel both calm and mentally stimulated all at the same time. Despite it being our second conversation, this is still one of the longest episodes I’ve released in a little while! I simply love to listen to Zuza talk. I feel every conversation with her is a gift and I’m happy to pass that gift along to you now.
Highlights
Update on Cook For Ukraine and Pierogies for Peace
Zuza's first cookbook, Polska: A Love Letter to Poland
Two amazing grandmothers:
One, a cook, who made intricate cakes for every community event, without charge;
Another strong woman, a lawyer, who beat her own legs with nettles to "improve circulation"
How communists perverted folkloric culture
How communism perverted everything
"If you make a mistake, someone could come in the night and take one of us away."
The value of the freedom of choice
The magic in the Polish Christmas
How Polska made me feel connected to nature
The importance of fasting as a way of life
Listen to Zuza Now
Zuza's Storied Recipe: Polish Biszkoptowy
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/fluffy-omelette-with-stewed-berries-zazu-zaks
How to find Zuza
Her website: zuzazak.comInstagram: @zuzacooksTwitter: @zuzazakZuza's Books: Polska, Amber & Rye, Pierogi
More Episodes with Authors
More Eastern European Recipes
123 The Feasts of Ramadan with Syrian-American Omayah Atassi
Apr 27, 2022
Around the world, Muslims have been observing Ramadan for most of the month of April. From morning prayers before dawn to sundown, they abstain from both food and drink, including water. But today, Syrian-American Omayah Atassi (who now lives in Dubai) is here to teach us about not only the fasting but also the feasting associated with Ramadan.
I’m a close follower of Omayah’s work through Instagram, her blog, and her newsletter, where she sends weekly meal plans. As Omayah says, Syrian cooking is more than a recipe, it’s an approach, maybe even a lifestyle.
This approach is on full display during Ramadan, when women plan ahead and batch-cook huge feasts for their communities to enjoy together. Recently, Omayah needed this approach as she prepared and executed an elaborate Iftar menu for a restaurant there in Dubai!
Cooking was always an important way for Omayah to embrace her Syrian heritage, but now, it means more than ever. Before the war in Syria, Omayah spent summers there with her parent’s families.
Now, it’s through cooking that Omayah can pass her Syrian heritage on to her beautiful daughter. I feel privileged and grateful that she’s here to share some of that with us today!
Highlights
Why does Omayah look forward to Ramadan when you can’t eat or drink?
Ramadan and community
The very different experience of Ramadan in the US vs. Dubai
Breakfast on a fasting day
Iftar – breaking fast – traditional foods
Omayah’s experience creating & serving an Iftar menu at a local restaurant
Eid: traditions & feasts
A primer on the war in Syria
Learning to cook the Syrian way: more than recipes
How cooking bonded Omayah to her mother
Fattet Hummus
The Aleppo Pepper (The Turkish Pepper)
Listen to Omayah Now
Omayah's Storied Recipe: Fattet Hummus
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/hummus-casserole/
How to Find Omayah Atassi
Website: www.omayahcooks.com
Her Photography Website: www.omayahatassi.com
Instagram: @omayah.atassi
Twitter: @omayahatassi
Facebook: @omayahatassiphoto
LinkedIn: Omayah Atassi
More links referenced in my conversation with Omayah:
Soaps made and sold by Syrian refugees
Omayah and her mother making ma’amoul together
Omayah’s ma’amoul recipe
More Episodes with Guests from Middle Eastern Heritage
More Middle Eastern Recipes
122 "A Peanut Never Forgets Its Shell" Life as a Third Culture Kid with M. Aimee
Apr 20, 2022
Aimee's grandfather was perpetually hungry, subsisting sometimes on as little as a sweet potato a day. So when he was given the opportunity at 12 years old to leave China and join his uncle in Indonesia, he took it. He didn’t see his parents or siblings for 30 years. Two generations later, M. Aimee left the comfortable life that her grandfather had built for her and arrived in Canada to study. She’s lived there since. Today, she and I discuss the dish that perfectly encapsulates her Chinese-Indonesian heritage and the experience of being a third-culture kid growing up in a minority, mixed-race home in Indonesia and immigrating to Canada. This year, I've returned to the roots of the podcast - everyday people with extraordinary stories that teach us about the resilience of humanity and the way food binds us to our past and heritage. Aimee is the perfect example of this type of guest and I'm honored to have her today. Thanks so much for tuning in, listeners.
Highlights
The stories behind the mysterious names of M.Aimee and Milk of Thy Kindness
Memories of, meaning behind, and methods to make Mie Goreng
Kecap Manis: The Indonesian soy sauce
The resilience & success of Aimee's grandfather
Why Chinese migrants went to Indonesia during the Dutch colonization
How 3rd culture kids (TCK) create their own cultures; pros & cons
"A peanut never forgets its shell"
Leaving Indonesia for Canada at 17 - and never returning
Her mission to make "ugly delicious" food beautiful with #fareastfridayfeast
Listen to M. Aimee Now
A Note on This Episode
"I've just listened to the episode "A peanut never forgets its shell" and your guest mentioned cooking with chicken fat. I assume this is due to Indonesia being a predominantly Muslim country where chicken fat is used rather than the more usual lard.
I am from the neighboring Malaysia where it's more liberal (our government did not ban the Chinese minority from practicing their culture and language) and we do share the use of kecap manis. (an interesting fact: the English word "ketchup" is borrowed from the Malay word "kecap / kicap") It's used in braising to add colour as well as flavour. We also use it mixed with granulated sugar and chopped chillies as a dip for unripe sour mango for snacking.
I thought you might want to know that you can render chicken fat from skins by spreading it on a baking tray and roasting it in a 200C oven for 10 - 15 mins, depending on how big the pieces of skins are. I do this quite often with skins from chicken thighs. You end up with moreish golden amber shards of crackling and lovely flavourful fat. I save the fat for spreading on toasts to go with soups in winter for my husband's lunches (He's English) It keeps well in a jar in the fridge. I've been lucky with my local butcher - he would sometimes give me chicken skins that they trim off the chicken parts that they sell. In return, I occasionally bake him cookies."
From Aiwon, A Malaysian Chinese listener
M.Aimee's Storied Recipe: Indonesian Mie Goreng (Fried Noodles)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/mie-goreng-authentic-fried-indonesian-noodles/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mie-goreng-authentic-fried-indonesian-noodles
How To Contact M. Aimee of Milk of Thy Kindness
Facebook: Milk Of Thy Kindness BlogInstagram: @milkofthykindnessWebsite: www.motkstudio.com
More Episodes with Food Professionals
More Southeast Asian Recipes
121 What Makes You Feel Rich? A Conversation with Alicia Akins, Author of Invitations to Abundance
Apr 06, 2022
So happy today to have Alicia Akins, author of Invitations to Abundance, on the podcast today. Invitations to Abundance is a book examining the imagery of feasts in the Bible. Alicia says she wrote this book for anyone who has ever been disillusioned. For those people (which, of course, is all of us), Alicia makes the case from the imagery of feasts in the Bible that God is inviting us to experience and rest in God’s presence. Alicia argues from her own life and from this sacred text that God is especially available during times of hardship, grief, or when the path forward seems dim or obscured. Alicia also explains what it might look like to accept God’s invitation and how rich *she* felt when she finally did. Super excited to have Alicia on today, not only as a podcast guest, but also because her book found me and encouraged me right when I needed it - indeed, I believe God invited me into his presence through her book.
Highlights
A book for anyone who has been disillusioned
Invitations to Abundance: Why this title?
What do feasts from the Hebrew Bible tell us about how God wants to be approached?
Should Christians participate in traditional Jewish feasts
Times Alicia accepted God's invitations & times she "sent her regrets"
What makes you feel rich? How Alicia felt rich when she couldn't pay for food
"I have spent a lot of my life choosing to doubt God when things have been difficult."
What does it mean to accept God's invitation to abundance?
Listen to Alicia Now
Alicia's Storied Recipe: Laos Jeow Mak Phet (Dipping Sauce for Sticky Rice)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/laos-dipping-sauce-for-sticky-rice/
How To Contact Alicia Akins
Buy Invitations to Abundance on Amazon: Amazon
Alicia’s Website: FeetMayCry.com
Facebook: Alicia J Akins
Twitter: @feetcrymercy
Instagram: @aj_akins
More Episodes with Authors
More Southeast Asian Recipes
120 Insights from a Russian Political Refugee With Anna Kharzeeva, Author of The Soviet Diet Cookbook
Mar 23, 2022
I wish I was here today to share with you a lovely, thoughtful conversation about Anna’s remarkable cookbook, The Soviet Diet Cookbook, which serves as a fascinating anthropological, historical analysis of the Soviet regime. Unfortunately, we can’t have that conversation. Rather than looking back at the Soviet regime in retrospect, Anna reports that almost overnight, beginning with the invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, Russia has instead plunged directly back into that dark and difficult part of Russian history. Anna shares her story of the rapid, nightmarish descent into this new period of repression, isolation, paranoia, and deprivation, including the specific events that led to her realization that she had to flee Russia - that or face over a decade, perhaps several, in jail.
Today, Anna speaks to us from Istanbul, where she is living in her 6th apartment in just 2 weeks, sick with concern for Ukraine, fear for her dissenting family and friends remaining in Moscow, and only beginning to guess how she can put back together a life that Putin has smashed into a thousand pieces. I welcome her and her very important perspective to the podcast, I do commend her book The Soviet Diet Cookbook to you as a way to understand what is happening right now, and I thank you, listeners, for being here.
Highlights
Were Russians surprised by the invasion?
Anna’s story: 1 interview and 3 laws that forced her decision
Resurrecting Stalin’s reputation
Are average citizens of the former USSR enemies or friends? And the many complicated connections between Ukrainians and Russians
What is Putin telling Russians and do they believe him?
True or false? “Russia regressed 30 years in 2 weeks”
Can/Will Russian citizens rise up and stop the war?
What’s coming next for Russian citizens?
What can/should members of free nations do in response to this?
Listen to Anna Now
Recipe Shared By Dora Hurley
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/5-ingredient-potato-soup-without-milk/
How To Contact Anna Kharzeeva Or Buy Her Book
Website: www.annakharzeeva.com
Instagram: @anna.kharzeeva
Read The Soviet Diet Cookbook
More Episodes with Authors
More Eastern European Recipes
119 All About Baking Science with Author Dikla Frances
Mar 16, 2022
I have been eagerly anticipating this episode for well over a year now!!! I’m here with Dikla Frances, whom many of you already know as Dee of One Sarcastic Baker, and her first book Baking Science: Foolproof Formulas to Create the Best Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Breads and More is coming out very, very soon - April 5th, in fact!!! I’ve already pre-ordered 3 myself!!
Here’s why I’m so excited about this episode - first, Dee has been a true friend to me over the last few years, helping me from the very beginning. (See her first episode, Jewish Flavors, The World's Flavors about her family's Iranian, Moroccan, and Greek heritage, her immigration from Israel to the US, and the beginning of her food science/baking journey). So, on a personal level, I am *thrilled* to celebrate her huge, huge accomplishment today.
But beyond that, I have been waiting for her book Baking Science because..... I want to be a better baker!! I don’t feel I understand baking - and I know *this* book, which covers over 40 baking concepts (!!) is the one to teach me.
Dee is incredibly well-qualified to write this book! She first started taking baking sciences when she immigrated to the US in 2008. In 2013, she took a food science class from Harvard that she admits she had to study over and over and over again before she absorbed all the information. Now, in this accessible, clearly-written book titled Baking Science, Dee acts as a translator from the science world to the baking world. She tells us why it’s even MORE important for home bakers to be scientists than commercial bakers and teaches us how to take the frustration *out* of home baking and replace it with curiosity!!! Welcome, welcome, welcome, Dee - I am SO proud of you - and welcome to you, listeners!!! Thanks for being here!
Highlights
Why Dee wrote the book
Why understanding baking science is more important for the home baker
Baking is learnable/teachable!
When Dee started taking Baking Science classes (2008!)
“I started getting compliments on my baking and I felt like a cheater”
“We start from a place of love, passion, self-expression, and therapy…. We just want to bake.”
How she verified every single scientific principle!
When Dee’s camera broke after she photographed her first 40 recipes!!
The biggest lesson Dee learned in writing the book
Listen to Dikla Now
Dikla's Storied Recipe: Greek Tiropitas (Cheese Pies in Filo)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/tiropitas-greek-cheese-pies/
Other Recipes from Baking Science (Dee's first book)
Almond & Chocolate Swirl Cake
Dee's Bakery Style Challah Bread
How To Contact Dikla Frances
Facebook: One Sarcastic Baker
Twitter: @DiklaFrances
Instagram: @onesarcasticbaker
Pinterest: @onesarcasticbaker
Buy her book on Amazon: Baking Science
Her website: onesarcasticbaker.com
More Episodes with Authors
More Bread Recipes
118 Happy Holi! All About The Festival of Colours with Rai Mukhopadhyay
Mar 09, 2022
Happy Holi 2023, everyone! Do you know what Holi is? I've wanted to know more about this colorful (literally!) celebration for years now. And this year, I finally learned!!
For all of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re approaching spring and what a welcome spring it will be. To kick off the springtime celebrations, we have Rai, a resident of West Bengal in India, to tell us all about the North Indian holiday of Holi (that’s H-O-L-I), otherwise known as the Festival of Colors.
Actually, it’s known as many things, and we’ll be hearing all about that today.
Rai details all the fun she had spraying colors on her friends - and possibly lobbing the occasional water balloon at passerbys (not Rai, of course) - on Holi.
As the National Spelling Bee Champion in all of India in 2019, Rai is a hugely knowledgeable guest, and she teaches me so, SO much about the religious and cultural aspects of Holi, including several stories of Vishnu and Krisha, and the breadth of ways these stories are interpreted and celebrated across Northern India.
Finally, we talk about Malpuas, a pancake-like treat with soft middles and crispy edges and notes of fennel, then covered with a saffron-soaked syrup. All in all, this is a fun, festive, fascinating episode and I’m just so grateful to Rai for sharing with us and to you for being here!
Highlights
A typical Holi from morning to night
The religious, cultural, and seasonal aspects of Holi
4 names: The Festival of Triumph of Good Over Evil, the Festival of Love, the Festival of Spring
Three Hindu stories that underly Holi - Lord Vishnu, Krishna
Rai’s state of West Bengal
The breadth of beliefs across Hinduism about the historicity of Hindu scriptures and the idols and temples in the home
Why some states in India burn bonfires the night before Holi
Fluffy, crispy malpuas - the techniques to create the perfect middle and edges
Creating a sweet sugary syrup
Listen to Rai Now
Rai's Storied Recipe: Bengali Pancakes (Malpua)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/malpua-recipe
How To Contact Rai
Instagram: @browniesandwhims
More Episodes with South Asian Guests
More Recipes from South Asia
117 Emergency Episode - Cook for Ukraine, An Opportunity Presented by Zuza Zak
Mar 03, 2022
Welcome listeners to a special, unanticipated episode of The Storied Recipe podcast. I had an episode planned for release yesterday, but in light of the horrific current events in Ukraine, my guest preferred to postpone the release. I do thank M. Aimee of Milk of Thy Kindness for her sensitivity during this time. In the meantime, several months ago, I scheduled an interview with Zuza Zak for this Friday. Zuza was born and raised in Poland until the age of 8 under the oppressive communist regime of the former USSR.
She has written two cookbooks (Polska and Amber & Rye) that double as memoirs and love letters to her country. As things have gone from bad to worse in Ukraine this month, several prominent members of the cooking community (links below) have organized a massive fundraiser titled Bake for Ukraine. They immediately pulled Zuza on board. So rather than following through with the scheduled interview with Zuza tomorrow, instead today we are going to hear about this opportunity to support Ukraine through the Cook for Ukraine movement. We’ll look forward to a full and rich conversation with Zuza soon, but for now, I’m honored to have her on to tell us a little bit about her perspective on the invasion into Ukraine, the Cook For Ukraine Fundraiser, and how we can help. Welcome Zuza and to you, listeners.
Highlights
Zuza's experiences growing up in Poland and how they affect her experience and impression of these events
Reports from the ground in Poland
How she came on board with #CookForUkraine
An explanation of #CookForUkraine, who it supports, and how to get involved
Who to follow for credible information and more action steps
Listen to Zuza Now
4 Ways To Support Cook For Ukraine
1. Donate directly at Cook For Ukraine. If you'd like the direct link to cut and paste, it's here:https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cookforukraine/
2. Put the link to donate in your IG bio, stories, FB post, website, etc; and share using the hashtag #CookForUkraine
3. To further involve your community, organize events and invite people to attend and donate. Ideas include supper clubs, bake sales, and workshops. While sharing, remember to hashtag #CookForUkraine
4. Over 50 restaurants in the UK have already joined by agreeing to donate any money over the amount billed (after tips) to Cook For Ukraine. Ask your restaurant. Restaurants wishing to get involved can contact CookForUkraine@gmail.com.
More Details & Contact Info for Cook For Ukraine
For complete details, access the Cook For Ukraine Press Release here.
Organizers of Cook For Ukraine ask that you direct all questions to CookForUkraine@gmail.com
People and Organizations to Follow
1. Zuza Zak is my guest for this episode. She was born and raised in Poland and has just finished her third cookbook. She is helping organize and publicize Cook For Ukraine and offering dumpling workshops to raise money. Follow her on IG at @zuzazakbakes for more information about attending her PierogiesForPeace workshops!!
2. Allisa Timoshkina is the founder of Cook For Ukraine and a Russian food creator and mother living in London.
3. Olia Hercules is a Ukrainian cookbook author living in the UK. Her entire family is in Ukraine and her father and brother are currently fighting in the red zone. Olia is sharing frequent updates on the situation, information to combat lies spread by the Putin regime, and many, many organizations through which you can give aid and support.
4. @clerkenwellboyec1 is a co-founder of #CookForSyria, #CookForUkraine, #CookForBeirut
5. Anisa of @thewonkystove was born in Odesa, Ukraine under the communist regime, and was the guest of last week's episode Siberia, Diamonds, and Clowns. She shares historical context to the recent hostilities and many ways to support Ukraine today.
6. Lydia, my guest for the powerful fan-favorite episode of "I Am Piotr's Granddaughter",
116 Siberia, Diamonds, and Clowns! The Story of A Jewish Ukrainian Refugee
Feb 16, 2022
Welcoming Anisa to the podcast today, who works as a food photographer under the delightful moniker @thewonkystove - a title just as quirky, unique, and delightful as Anisa herself. Anisa arrived in the US as a very refugee from the former Soviet Union. Anisa’s Jewish Ukrainian family suffered especially cruelly under their communist rule. Her mother’s great courage in fleeing to the United States, and resilience in the face of tragedy once she arrived here, is an inspiration. Beyond that, Anisa’s experience with food insecurity teaches us how we, as a society, need to respond to and support brave family’s like Anisa’s. If this sounds like a dark episode, you’ll learn that humor is one of the greatest legacies of Anisa’s family - and perhaps a secret weapon in their success. I couldn’t be more honored to share Anisa’s stories. Welcome Anisa - and welcome to YOU, listeners, who honor Anisa’s story by listening.
Highlights
The subversive answer her mother gave to the Communist Party as a child
Anti-Semitism in the USSR
Her uncle's sentence to Siberia and the risky way Anisa's aunt worked to set him free
How Odessa is unique in Ukraine - Romani, Jewish, Greek, & Turkish people
"I live with myself. Sometimes I'm not that great."
The generosity of Ukrainians & the joy of feeding others
Leaving the Soviet Union and arriving in the US as refugees
Anisa's experience with food insecurity and helping the right way
"To go crazy from too much"
New Year's Celebration & Russian Folklore
Eggplant Rolls
The proper way of choosing and preparing eggplant
Listen to Anisa Now
Anisa's Storied Recipe: Ukrainian Eggplant Pepper Rollups
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/ukrainian-roll-ups-baked-eggplant-appetizer/
Contact Anisa
Instagram: @thewonkystove
More Episodes with Guests of Jewish Heritage
More Episodes with Guests of Eastern European Heritage
115 FOLLOW-UP Interview with Liz Zunon, Author & Illustrator of Grandpa Cacao (Retrospective Interview)
Feb 09, 2022
Have you heard the episode with Liz Zunon, Author and Illustrator of the stunningly beautiful autobiographical children's book Grandpa Cacao? If not, you'll want to either pause this right now and go back and listen to it!!!!
Grandpa Cacao's Granddaughter was one of my favorite episodes ever. We discuss Liz's years in the Ivory Coast and her Ivorian family who worked the cacao farms there. Liz gives us a bit of an education on chocolate farming and the definition of fair trade chocolate. We also discuss Liz's artistic process in creating this truly beautiful and uplifting book about the power of cooking to connect generations, even across continents.
So again, if you haven't listened yet - you can listen to the original episode with Liz Zunon here:
And if you *have* listened, I am so excited to welcome Liz back to discuss the reception of her book. We also talk about the 18 books she's now illustrated at this point in her career and all the different techniques she's used - including hand-stitching dresses for her most recent project! Liz also shares some happy news from her personal life just in time for Valentine’s Day this week.
Highlights
How Liz's family received "Grandpa Cacao"
The most rewarding part of the release
The multitude of artistic techniques used in her 18(!!) books
The varying design processes for her work
Listen to Liz Now
Liz's Storied Recipe: Chocolate Celebration Cake
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/chocolate-celebration-cake/
How To Contact Liz Zunon
Grandpa Cacao: A Tale of Chocolate, From Farm to Family on AmazonHer Amazon Store pageHer website: lizzunon.comInstagram: @lizzunonFacebook: Elizabeth Zunon - IllustratorTwitter: @elizabethzunon
More Episodes with Authors
More Cake Recipes
114 How To Give Without Regrets with Quiara Pinchina
Feb 02, 2022
Quiara grew up Lousiana, but now lives in Port au Prince, with her Haitian husband. They question how to live Mennonite values in a city ruled by gangs that terrorize citizens, merchants, and police.
113 NEW PODCAST ARTWORK! A Discussion About The Process With My Graphic Designer, Sara Sullivan
Jan 20, 2022
My graphic designer discusses how she walked me through the creative and emotional process of designing new podcast artwork.
112 Tunisia, Couscous, and The Oula Ceremony with Elyes Taleb
Jan 12, 2022
Elyes Taleb, a native Tunisian living in Paris, shares the Oula Ceremony where northern Tunisians make couscous for the coming winter.
111 How To Do Hard Things in 2022 - Multiple Sclerosis & Food with Theresa Korte
Jan 05, 2022
Theresa Korte talks about how she copes with the diagnosis, treatment, and trials of Multiple Sclerosis - and the role food choices play in all of this.
110 My Private & Personal Christmas Tradition
Dec 19, 2021
A private and deeply personal holiday tradition I've observed for over 20 years now - sharing with you.
109 The 3rd Annual Christmas Pudding Episode
Dec 16, 2021
Every Christmas, this immigrant family made a British classic with laughter, joy, booze - and everyone got at least one turn with the spoon.
108 3 Sisters, 300 Pounds of Chocolate, & The Mom Who Started It All (+ The Best English Toffee)
Dec 09, 2021
A warm nostalgic episode about 4 sisters making 3000 Christmas chocolates for charity, teachers, friends, and family.
107 The Best Thanksgiving Podcast Ever
Nov 20, 2021
An uplifting Thanksgiving podcast episode. Warm Thanksgiving memories shared in 28 funny and nostalgic vignettes from listeners of The Storied Recipe podcast.
106 A Personal Update Nov 17, 2022 and a Quick Request (Fill Out a 2 Min Anonymous Survey)
Nov 17, 2021
Hi listeners! Before the show summary, I'll cut to the chase and ask you to fill out this survey right here:
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/the-storied-recipe-2022-survey/
Now, as for an update on The Storied Recipe, you can listen right here:
Or read a slightly abbreviated version:
Two weeks ago, at my guest's request, I had to pull an episode 24 hours after releasing it. Her circumstances changed very quickly and unexpectedly and her new circumstances made it difficult for her story to be in the world. Then, an episode I worked on for over a month fell through. Neither of these things has ever happened before!!
However, it was all for the best. Honestly, I was feeling frustrated and stuck. My approach to content creation which worked for a while just isn't working for me anymore. I knew that deep down, but I was still stubbornly trying to push through whatever I had written down on my content calendar.
These cancellations have given me time to reassess my commitments, honestly confront the wasted efforts in my workflow, visualize a thriving 2022, and brainstorm all types of solutions that seemed impossible just two weeks ago.
The next step?
Now I need to hear from YOU!!!!
Before I make changes for 2022, I want to know YOUR thoughts. Will you please take 2 minutes to complete this totally anonymous survey?
Your response will help me create content that serves you AND it will help me create a workflow that works for ME. You'll be helping me out so, so much with these 2 minutes of your time!
Thank you!!!!!
P.S. I'll be releasing some episodes through the end of 2021, but I will remain focused on setting the course for a strong 2022. When that episode schedule is determined and I'm back in full force, you'll be the first to know!
More Episodes with Me
More Popular Recipes
105 A Turkey Fit for The Queen with Paul Kelly of Kelly Bronze Turkey
Nov 04, 2021
A huge rags to riches story all about family: The Kelly family took a huge risk buying up all the non-genetically modified turkeys in the UK and raised them the natural way.
104 A Heavenly Cause With Liam Elkind, Co-Founder of Invisible Hands Deliver
Oct 20, 2021
In the first days of Covid, Liam Elkind created a website connecting volunteer with the most vulnerable. He never anticipated the success or how it would change his life.
103 "What If We Weren't All Chicken?" With Haitian-American Kathiana LeJeune
Oct 13, 2021
Kathiana, a Haitian-American who currently works for National Geographic, discusses her recent book about cultural diplomacy through food.
102 Want Something to Change? Start Here. (With Marybeth Wells)
Oct 06, 2021
Marybeth Wells speaks from experience as a model, medic, fighter who reached burnout about what it takes to make a change.
101 I Thought "Authentic" Was a GOOD Thing!? with Shayma Saadat
Sep 29, 2021
Shayma Saadat shares in a deeply personal way how the word "authentic" can be limiting or problematic when labeling foods.
100 A Nomad Puts Down Roots with Garden Coach Carilyn Mae {Summer Scones Recipe}
Sep 22, 2021
I’m so pleased to welcome my new friend Cari to the episode today. Cari is a master gardener, a new homesteader, and a garden coach for new and aspiring gardeners. Cari grew up as a nomad, in her own words, as her father’s job took her all across the U.S. However, she found stability in her childhood through annual visits to her grandparent's farm. Later, Cari paused in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. But when infertility and miscarriage brought pain into their lives Cari’s instinct was to pack up and leave - to run away. Instead, she decided to stay, to put down roots, and to find purpose in the land. I’m grateful Cari came on today and shared her perfect scone and summer jam recipes with us, along with her stories, and I’m so grateful to YOU, listener, for tuning in.
Highlights of "A Nomad Puts Down Roots"
Why do you garden?
A childhood moving every 18 months
Carrying bread in a red wagon from neighbor to neighbor after each transplant
130 dahlias!
What is garden coaching?
Capsule gardening - how to grow a cutting garden to produce a perfect bouquet
"I'm a garden stylist"
What is homesteading?
Can you homestead in an urban setting?
Infertility and 5 miscarriages
"The name 'Kitsap Roots' came out of me needing a home"
The difference between a small batch jam and a canned jam
Scone secrets
Is real buttermilk better than homemade buttermilk?
Listen to Carilyn Now
Carilyn's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/easy-soft-scones-with-buttermilk-plus-a-quick-jam/
More Episodes with Multi-Generation Americans
More Bread Recipes
Connect with Carilyn of My Kitsap Roots
Website: www.kitsaproots.life/
Instagram: @mykitsaproots
YouTube: Kitsap Roots
Facebook: KitsapRoots
099 RE-RELEASE with Daniela Wilson
Sep 15, 2021
Hello Listeners! I’m so thankful to be back with a new (to most of you) episode. As I traveled out of town unexpectedly for a funeral this week, I did have to deviate from my planned release schedule. But! I’m so excited to bring back only the 3rd episode I ever released, which remains one of my favorites to this day. My guest is Daniela Wilson, author of the powerful, emotional memoir “On Both Sides of the Iron Curtain”.
When I began telling people about my idea for this podcast, I met people in two camps. On the one hand, I talked to people who immediately *got* the idea and, on the other hand, skeptics. As excited as I was, the concerns of the skeptics had me a little nervous. But I remember getting off the phone with Daniela and just knowing this idea WAS going to work.
We traced the role of food through the rejection Daniela faced in the former Czechoslovakia, her courageous defection to Canada , and the redemption she ultimately found in a dramatic conversion and new relationships.
I remember playing this episode in the car for my kids to hear and feeling so, so lucky that I could get to know Daniela this way and that my kids got to hear her story, learn about her culture, and be enriched by the views forged by Daniela’s dramatic experiences.
Listeners, thank you so much for being here and I’m thrilled to share this special episode with you.
Highlights
A name that tells the story of a dramatic life of suffering and hope. Plus the naming conventions that make it easier to find a doctor in Czech Republic!
Life defining memories made as a 5 year old resulting in a life long struggle against feelings of fear, trauma, and rejection
The desperate choice Daniela made between life and death as a 19 year old
Whether communism or openness led to more changes in authentic, traditional Czech cooking
A different approach to meals in Czech Republic
That line between cooking as an act of love or an act of control
A very, VERY different approach to Easter Egg Hunts
Christmas dinner that lived in a bathtub!!
How is it that the Czech people ate meat and flour for almost every meal and were never overweight?
The culture shock of a first visit to a Canadian supermarket
Listen Now
Daniela's Storied Recipes
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/czech-chleba-bread-for-charcuterie-boards/
How To Buy Daniela's Book
On Both Sides of the Iron Curtain
More Guests from Eastern Europe
More Eastern European Recipes
098 Bringing Naples To Baltimore: Featuring Tony Scotto, His Family, & THB Bagels
Sep 08, 2021
Have you ever had that experience where an idea seems so far-fetched it starts as a joke…. But then that joke becomes a dream and finally - a reality? Today’s guest, Tony Scotto, a native of Naples Italy, immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager. His first job was in his uncle’s restaurant, where he learned English and began working up his way up the ranks in the restaurant world. Tony was still young when the idea of buying an existing restaurant, Towson Hot Bagels, with his siblings and cousin began as a joke. Not only did that joke turn into a reality, but Tony and his family have now grown to 6 locations. The stores are designed and built to reflect the piazzas of Southern Italy, where people gather with friends and family to enjoy food & share their stories, and their business philosophy honors the values of Tony’s grandfather, who owned an Italian deli in Naples. I really enjoyed this conversation where Tony shared so much insight and wisdom into the uniqueness of both Italian and American cultures, the ways he brings out the best in both, how to work with family, and building a thriving business that employs 150 people and thrived through the pandemic. There’s a lot of great stories, a lot of laughs, and a lot of wisdom in this interview and I’m excited that you get to hear from Tony right now!
Highlights of "Bringing Naples to Baltimore"
The things Tony misses most from Naples -
Tony's grandfather’s deli
The best foods special to Naples
“If you like to eat, you love to cook”
Why the Buffalo Mozzarella in Naples is the best
Naples is volcanic - didn’t know this
Clam and pasta recipe
How to shop for clams - what to look for, tips on making clams & spaghetti
The difference between bread in Northern Italy and the rest
The story of coming to America
Drinking and leisure in Italy vs. America - drinking while having fun vs. drinking FOR fun
Buying a restaurant all out of a joke
Opening 2 locations and managing 100 employees during the Pandemic
How the US could benefit from being more like Italy and how Tony tries to bring that to his restaurants (by making their own experience)
How they make a family business - and their family! - thrive
Tony hires many people working their first job ever - here’s the advice he gives them
The difference between a business owner who treats it like a job vs. a business owner who treats it like a business
Does the US threaten family relationships that thrive in places like Italy?
Listen Now to Tony Scotto
Connect with THB Bagel & Deli
Website: https://www.eatthb.com/
The THB App: https://www.eatthb.com/rewards
Instagram: @thb.bagelry.deli
Facebook: facebook.com/THBBagelryDeli
097 Curing Land & Restoring Tradition with Afia Amoako, The Canadian Vegan
Sep 01, 2021
Why hello, listeners!!! This is the first really typical episode of The Storied Recipe podcast in about 2 months! I’m excited to dive right in today with Afia Amoako, known on TikTok, Instagram, the web, and elsewhere and as The Canadian African!
As her name suggests, Afia has quite an expansive perspective on food and culture. She was raised in Ghana, spent formative years in Tanzania, South Africa, Connecticut, and now lives in Toronto where she is pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology.
Afia shared a Lentil Quinoa Pilau recipe with us to pay homage to her time in Tanzania, where the food reflected the multiple races and histories of this African country shaped by the Silk Road. It also reflects her vegan lifestyle, which is Afia’s way of being grateful for what she has, doing everything she can for the earth, and honoring the way her Ghanaian ancestors ate for generations.
This is a fast-paced conversation full of fascinating lessons in history, languages, culture, food, and most importantly - Afia’s unique story.
Highlights of Afia Amoako (The Canadian African)
Afia’s research in infectious diseases
Afia’s experience with malaria & (un)trustworthy medications
Ghana -> Tanzania -> South Africa -> Connecticut -> Canada (comparing food & experiences in each)
The different geographical regions in Ghana & associated foods
Tanzania - culture, people, and food
Afia's experience in an extremely elite boarding school in New England
Gut check: Challenges to Afia's new way of eating + why/how she persevered
The unique voice Afia brings to the blogging world
Listen to Afia Now
Afia's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/how-to-make-easy-vegan-pilau/
More Guests of African Heritage
More African Recipes
096 Turning the Tables! - An Interview with ME
Aug 25, 2021
Hi!! It’s nice to be back here with you, although I do feel a little dazed after 2 weeks away in Maui with my family (and as I try to prep everyone for school starting next week)! We’ve wrapped up the retrospective series, but before we return to the typical interviews, I do have one more interview to share....
Now this is the most requested interview, by far, that I’ve received. Understandably, people want to know a little bit about why I started the podcast - but it’s something I’ve avoided for a while. You see, today, we’ve turned the tables a little bit and I am actually the guest!
Here’s how this happened - Last year, I was interviewed by Diana Silva for her podcast. I honestly don’t remember too much of what we discussed, and I didn’t go back and listen to this because I thought it would make me super nervous to release and I didn’t want to get cold feet! I do also remember totally embarrassing myself in the very first moment and I didn’t really want to hear that again!
So - anyhow, I don’t remember too much about the conversation, but I remember feeling really comfortable with Diana and connected to her, I felt I was authentic in my answers. I’ve been interviewed quite a bit this summer and a lot of those will be published this fall. But the other thing about THIS particular interview is that I knew Diana has stopped releasing podcast episodes in order to focus on her writing. Because of that fact, I thought maybe she wouldn’t mind sharing this interview for me to release - I wouldn’t have asked if she was still actively growing her podcast.
So that brings me to just two more things before I share this interview that Diana hosted with me as the guest -
First, speaking of Diana’s writing, I hosted Diana this winter and we discussed her first book, Mole Mama, A Memoir of Love, Cooking, and Loss. I have to tell you this was one of the most powerful and impactful interviews that I’ve conducted over the last 2 years. Diana and her mother are both personal heroines of mine, and their lives are so worth honoring and emulating. I would strongly recommend you go back and listen to A Sacred Conversation with Diana Silva (honestly, if you only have time to listen to one episode - listen to hers!) And as soon as her second book is published, I do hope she’ll come on for a retrospective interview!!
Second, I did a lot of website updates this summer and one section I worked hard on was the About Me and About the Podcast sections! You can head over the www.thestoriedrecipe.com to look at those AND view lots of photos of our latest trip to Maui!! Tropical landscapes, arid landscapes, and photos of my family cliff-jumping, hiking, and exploring. While you’re there, you can also check out some of the content for photographers and creatives that I added this summer. But! More about that in the future. Now I’ll let you go right into this interview with… ME!! (Ahh, I’m nervous about this, you guys!)
Interview with Becky Hadeed of The Storied Recipe
Listen to My Interview of Diana Silva
(Who interviews me in this episode.)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/ep-059-diana-silva-mole-mama/
A Sacred Conversation with Mole Mama
Arabic Feasts with My Husband, John Hadeed
More Personal Posts
095 A New Book, Sweets for Breakfast, Perception vs. Reality of an Author (Summer Retrospective Series 5)
Aug 04, 2021
Welcome (once again) to this summer retrospective series. One of my favorite things about this podcast is that it’s truly a community of guests and listeners, where you often connect with each other, apart from me. When guests share so deeply and vulnerably with us, the listeners, I think it’s important to stay in touch and continue to conversation, as much as possible. In this spirit, I reached out to a few guests for follow-up interviews this summer. These interviews are each 30 minutes or less and totally un-edited so you’re getting the raw thoughts of both myself and my guests.
Here we are at the third of our 5 interviews and I am just so excited to welcome Letitia Clark back. Letitia is on the verge of FINALLY having a launch party to celebrate Bitter Honey - except! It’s a DOUBLE book launch party because she has a new book out, a companion book to Bitter Honey, titled La Vita e Dolce: Italian-Inspired Desserts. In this interview, we talk about one surprising challenge that came along with the success of her first book, we have a frank conversation about perceptions vs. the reality in the real life of a successful author. I loved talking to Letitia about her goals for this new book and why she focused so much on sweet breakfast treats. In fact, Letitia’s beliefs about breakfast flies in the face of all conventional wisdom… but I think, for our own good, her experience is truly worth considering! This is simply a light, fun, fresh conversation perfect for a hot summer day. Whether you’re walking, driving, cooking, gardening or sitting on a porch somewhere with a tall glass of iced tea - welcome to you and welcome to Letitia.
Listen Now
Listen to Letitia's Original Episode
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/episode-045-i-wanted-to-encourage-people-letitia-clark-author-of-bitter-honey/
How to Connect with Letitia Clark
Buy Bitter Honey:
Buy La Vita Dolce
Instagram: @letitia_ann_clark
Website: letitiaclark.co.uk
Letitia's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/strawberry-lemon-jam/
094 Another Listener Request! Juan Salazar Grows La Coop Coffee Amid Pandemic, Threat of Illegal Eviction
Jul 28, 2021
Welcome (once again) to this summer retrospective series. One of my favorite things about this podcast is that it’s truly a community of guests and listeners, where you often connect with each other, apart from me. When guests share so deeply and vulnerably with us, the listeners, I think it’s important to stay in touch and continue to conversation, as much as possible. In this spirit, I reached out to a few guests for follow-up interviews this summer. These interviews are each 30 minutes or less and totally un-edited so you’re getting the raw thoughts of both myself and my guests.
Today we’re bringing back another guest at the request of you, the listeners: Juan Luis Salazar. Juan is one of the most amazing, inspiring people I’ve met, ever. Period. Full stop. His full interview, which I released almost exactly a year ago today and titled “I Wanted Something Different” is what I consider a must-listen. It shares the story of a very young, very determined Juan choosing a life of hard work and risk to better not only himself, but his entire community. Juan and the brave farmers who chose to join him did something no one in Guatamela has done before OR since - they started a Guatamelan-owned coffee cooperative where they had control over their own wages.
When we talked last year, Juan, now living in DC, had opened a coffee shop just weeks beforehand, right in the middle of the pandemic. The goal was to source the coffee from his family’s farm first, and later, from the farms in the cooperative. If Juan could take this step, he would be removing the middle man *entirely* from between the farm to the consumer and could guarantee farmers, including his own father, the best and fairest wages they had ever received, changing the lives of their entire families. Today we talk about Juan’s progress toward this goal, the way he was threatened by a landlord attempting to illegally break his lease, and the community that has supported Juan and LaCoop Coffee. Just like the original, it’s another must-listen episode, so welcome to Juan and welcome to YOU!
Listen to Juan Now
Juan's Original Interview For The Storied Recipe Podcast: "I Wanted Something Different"
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/episode-043-la-coop-coffee-owner-juan-salazar/
How to Connect with Juan Luis Salazar and La Coop Coffee
Instagram: @lacoopcoffee
Website: www.lacoopcoffee.com
093 This Former Guest Starred in a Commercial!! - And She's Having a Baby!!
Jul 21, 2021
Welcome (once again) to this summer retrospective series. One of my favorite things about this podcast is that it’s truly a community of guests and listeners, where you often connect with each other, apart from me. When guests share so deeply and vulnerably with us, the listeners, I think it’s important to stay in touch and continue to conversation, as much as possible. In this spirit, I reached out to a few guests for follow-up interviews this summer. These interviews are each 30 minutes or less and totally un-edited so you’re getting the raw thoughts of both myself and my guests.
I’m back this week with the third episode in the retrospective series and today we welcome Britney of Britney Breaks Bread. As soon as my husband heard the first 5 minutes of Britney’s first episode, John looked at me and said , “Wow, she has a great personality!” That personality and Britney’s hard work came together this year for a HUGE year for Britney’s food blogging business! While she continues to work as a research scientist, Britney makes time for recipe development, sponsored work, and… co-starring in a commercial with none other than Phyllis from The Office (also famous for her role as sadness in Inside Out)!!
But this year of massive business growth is not all! Britney also recently shared a HUGE personal announcement - join me in congratulating her and her husband on welcoming a baby boy this fall. As promised this series is raw and in, in fact, in this episode I get a little more personal in my tone and conversation as well. However, in the interest of full disclosure I wanted to share that I did go back and add some minor editing to honor Britney’s professional obligations. Also, this episode contains lengthy discussions about pregnancy, motherhood, and womanhood in general. If those topics are heavy or sensitive for you right now, Britney and I both respect your grief and do not want to add to your pain with our conversation, so do feel free to skip this one.
Listen To Britney Now
Britney's Original Interview For The Storied Recipe Podcast: "You Never Know Until You Try"
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/episode-036-you-never-know-until-you-try-with-britney-breaks-bread/
Britney's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/apricot-cream-tart-with-caramel-cookie-crust-an-apricot-preserve-recipe/
How to Find Britney of Britney Breaks Bread
Instagram: @britneybreaksbreadsWebsite: www.britneybreaksbread.com
092 I Hired THIS Former Guest to Help Me Grow the Podcast! (Summer Retrospective Series)
Jul 14, 2021
Welcome (once again) to this summer retrospective series. One of my favorite things about this podcast is that it’s truly a community of guests and listeners, where you often connect with each other, apart from me. When guests share so deeply and vulnerably with us, the listeners, I think it’s important to stay in touch and continue to conversation, as much as possible. In this spirit, I reached out to a few guests for follow-up interviews this summer. These interviews are each 30 minutes or less and totally un-edited so you’re getting the raw thoughts of both myself and my guests.
For the second episode in this retrospective series, I’m just so excited to introduce you again to Helen Au. Several listeners asked me to bring Helen back because they had such a strong emotional response to her original episode, Ep. 057 Food in the Real Life Coming of Age Story of Helen Au. What no listeners knew until now is that I’ve actually hired Helen as a consultant for my PINTEREST strategy! We discuss her career, which we didn’t discuss at all during her original episode, the importance of Pinterest, and how to start if you’ve never considered it. We also talk about the BIG life change she’s making this summer, which led us into a in depth conversation about Helen’s minimalist lifestyle - when and why she adopted it, and how she sustains it. Finally, we answer the big questions previous listeners are wondering about - if she and her family, especially her mom, have remained in touch.
Highlights
Her big move this summer
Fitting all her belongings into 2.5 suitcases
Why she chose minimalism
Why I hired Helen
Pinterest strategies
An update on her family situation
Listen to Helen Now
Helen's Original Interview For The Storied Recipe Podcast
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/ep-057-helen-au/
Helen's Storied Recipe: Vegan Bolo Bao
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/vegan-bolo-bao-recipe/
How to Find Helen Au
Instagram: @astepfullofyouWebsite: www.astepfullofyoublog.com
091 National Geographic Tagged THIS Former Guest to Write a Book! (Summer Retrospective Series)
Jul 07, 2021
Welcome to this summer retrospective series. One of my favorite things about this podcast is that it’s truly a community of guests and listeners, where you often connect with each other, apart from me. When guests share so deeply and vulnerably with us, the listeners, I think it’s important to stay in touch and continue to conversation, as much as possible. In this spirit, I reached out to a few guests for follow-up interviews this summer. These interviews are each 30 minutes or less and totally un-edited so you’re getting the raw thoughts of both myself and my guests.
First in this series, I’m thrilled to welcome Anela Malik, guest of Ep. 024 Food is Political (But What Does That Mean?). I thought of Anela for this series because she’s gone through an absolutely seismic shift of career since our interview. After Feed The Malik went viral last June, Anela was faced with an avalanche of new decisions, opportunities, and challenges. Listen in as Anela explains how she navigated these changes, why she chose to leave a prestigious career as a US diplomat - the career she worked all the way through graduate school for - and the surprising thing that was most difficult about all the changes.
Also, although Anela continues to advocate for the marginalized, especially the black community, through the avenue of food in a full-time position, she’s changed her view of her work and we get into her updated viewpoints, specifically realities she had to accept when going full-time and choices she made to better support the community through her much larger platform
Finally, Anela shares about the book National Geographic has selected HER to write! We discuss both her goal and her process for this book, which I CANNOT wait to read when it's released.
Highlights of Ep. 077
Going viral - how it affected the view of her work
Going viral - the hardest adjustment
Why she chose to leave a career as a diplomat
The choices and compromises she’s needed to make
Goals for her book
Anela’s writing process
Listen to Anela Now
Anela’s Original Episode on The Storied Recipe Podcast
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/episode-023-anela-malik-food-is-political-but-what-does-that-mean/
Anela's Storied Recipe: Maximalist Mushroom Toast
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/maximalist-mushroom-toast-recipe/
More Episodes Featuring Black Americans
More Easy Recipes
How to Find Anela Malik
Website: FeedTheMalik.comInstagram at https://www.instagram.com/feedthemalik/TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@feedthemalikTwitter https://twitter.com/feed_the_malikPodcast: Fix Your Plate
090 Travel Tips, Kimchi, and A Home Culture For All with Esther JuLee
Jun 23, 2021
Esther JuLee and her husband, Jacob Fu, run Local Adventurer, which was recently named one of the top 5 travel blogs in the world. While some of us have been conditioned to think of “travel” as something inaccessible, exotic, or aspirational, Esther and Jacob take a very different approach that values curiosity, gratitude, and contentment. As their name suggests, they encourage finding “local adventures”. In fact, every year for 7 years, they moved to a new hometown to fully explore the region and uncover all the local gems for readers, all while also traveling internationally for their blog.
With that said, I may just be the only person who found Esther through her food blog, www.momskoreanrecipes.com. If you’re a regular listener, you know that last month I did a mother’s day series. While researching possible guests for the series, I found this food blog that Esther started both as a Covid project and in response to her grandmother’s death. As Esther says, although she was born in Korea, there is not much about her that remains Korean. She turned to her mother and food to reclaim some of that heritage.
As many of us are gearing up for travel this summer, I’m thrilled to have Esther on to share her story, a few travel tips, and also to think about some important topics related to food, identity, travel, and the intersection of all of these points: home. Esther’s story reminds us that everyone deserves their home country, hometown, and home culture to be a welcoming place, and just what we can do to ensure that.
Highlights of Ep. 075 with Esther JuLee of Local Adventurer
How full-time travel bloggers experienced Covid to their job
“I don’t feel there’s much that’s Korean about me” and how she turned to food to address that
The real reason her parents her left Korea
Feelings of shame/conflict about Korean food
How Koreans perceived Esther
The true definition of Kimchi (much wider than I realized)
Pivoting: Chemistry -> Wedding Photography -> Travel Photography
Division of labor for the blog with her husband, Jacob Fu
Traveling as an Asian-American
Experiences of racism at home vs. abroad
The pressure to say certain things at certain times on social media
“If you don’t carry gratitude or an adventurous spirit with you, you won’t be able to experience travel in that way.”
Esther’s amazing advice for harmonious traveling with family or friends
Listen to Esther Now
Esther JuLee's Storied Recipe: Water Radish Kimchi
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/white-radish-water-kimchi/
How to Find Esther JuLee and Jacob Fu of Local Adventurer
Website: www.localadventurer.com
Local Adventurer on Instagram
Esther JuLee on Instagram
Local Adventurer on YouTube
Local Adventurer on Pinterest
089 Two Minute Test Message and 1 Big Question for YOU!
Jun 14, 2021
Hello there, this is just a 2 minute message that I'm using to test a big change AND to ask you one big question. I'll be back Wednesday with a full episode. In the meantime, have a great day!
Listen Now
088 A Complicated Father's Day with Anita of Wild Thistle Kitchen
Jun 09, 2021
Our experience of holidays are as diverse and complicated as families, emotions, and grief. In this Father’s Day episode, Anita of Wild Thistle Kitchen explores all of these topics so beautifully and bravely.
Anita’s father, Scott, wasn’t the typical dad, (if there is such a dad, really, outside of movies). His work brought him all over the world, where he embedded himself in the local cultures for months or even years at a time, away from his family. When Scott was home, he could sometimes be a loner when some moods hit.
And yet, despite this, he was Anita’s caretaker, support system, music teacher, encourager, partner in adventure, and example in living a life of exploration and freedom, both in the kitchen and out of the kitchen.
I’ll admit that, as I listened to Anita talk, I wanted to play armchair psychologist - to dive deep and try to make sense of her experience of her father in a way that I could categorize and explain for myself. But the reality is pretty simple. Anita and her dad were soulmates - they just got each other. They loved each other, they were there for each other, and they were a gift to one another.
Whether Father’s Day is complicated by your personal experiences of family, regret, or grief or whether Father’s day is a joyful celebration of a man who was everything he should have been, Anita’s story will resonate and make you feel that Father’s Day has room for you and your experiences also.
Highlights
The exhausting, complicated process of grief
Anita’s father as the rebel son, care taker, free spirt, traveler, writer, musician
What Anita used to think every time she saw an airplane
Scott's greatest legacy
A Shepherd's Pie Recipe as a window into Scott's personality
"A soulmate doesn't have to be a romantic partner"
Anita's connection to her family's land
Cooking wild thistles
Listen to Anita Now
Anita's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/guinness-shepherds-pie-cottage-pie/
More Storied Recipe Podcast Episodes About Food & Grief
Ep. 065 with Adina Bailey, Founder of TakeThemAMeal
Ep. 059 - A Sacred Conversation with Diana Silva, Mole Mama[spacer height="20px"]
More Storied Recipe Podcast Episodes about Food and Holidays
Ep. 064 - A Passover Episode with Marissa Wojcik
Ep. 051 - The Annual Making of the Christmas Pudding
More Multi-Generational American Guests
More Recipes from British Culinary Heritage
How to Contact Anita of Wild Thistle Kitchen
Website: www.wildthistlekitchen.com
Instagram: @wild.thistle.kitchen
Pinterest: @wildthistlekitchen
Anita has written more about her father, Scott
https://wildthistlekitchen.com/wild-thistles-and-wineberries https://wildthistlekitchen.com/a-cat-named-gravy/ [spacer height="20px"]
087 Djiboutian Food at the Crossroads of Culture and Religion with Rachel Pieh Jones
Jun 02, 2021
I’m so excited to introduce you today to author Rachel Pieh Jones today. Rachel was introduced to me by one of my listeners named Judith. Judith forwarded me an essay Rachel wrote titled Bread Baked in the Heat of Hell and said she’d love to hear more from Rachel here on the podcast.
The piece was beautifully written and truly transported me to a moment when the Djiboutian food, community, and religion intersected for Rachel in Djibouti, Africa, which has been her home for almost 20 years.
In Djibouti, Rachel has raised 3 children in a cross-cultural setting that really couldn’t be more different than how she was raised in a small, insulated Midwestern town. As Rachel sought community in Djibouti, she began to question every premise of her own religion, Christianity, and the prevailing values of American culture, as she engaged with her Muslim friends and neighbors.
Rachel has recently discussed these experiences openly and at length in her latest book Pillars: How My Muslim Friends Led Me Closer to Jesus. I read the book after our interview and filled my phone with screenshots (the modern version of highlighting, haha).
In my opinion, Rachel’s experiences, along with her unflinching introspection and raw honestly, highly qualify her to give me advice on how to lovingly and effectively engage with friends, neighbors, and acquaintances of other cultures and belief systems.
I’m so thankful she’s here today to share more of her experiences and particularly what they can teach us about relating with our neighbors. Specifically, Rachel shares 3 key words to keep in mind as we consider how to improve cross-cultural communication.
Highlights
120 and so dry skin can crack
Where is Djibouti in Africa
Camel trains carrying bricks of salt to barter with Ethiopians
Sounds – the call to prayer, wild green parrots, fresh baguettes
9 military bases in one small country
The Do Good Better Project – the inherent problems in humanitarian and faith-based work, especially cross-culturally.
Cultivating attitudes of humility, curiosity, and delight in cross-cultural experiences – ***
Not being embarrassed to ask what we don’t know
The role of food in finding delight in Djiboutian culture
Food in welcome, grief, faith, and culture in Djibouti
The role of fasting and feasting in Islam vs. Christianity
Lack of food during COVID in Djibouti – and what American’s can learn from Djiboutians
The communal aspect of making food together
Keeping and adjusting American Thanksgiving traditions in Djibouti
Why they bought their son a baguette-scented candle
Why housekeepers have housekeepers in Djibouti
Listen to Rachel Now
Rachel's Storied Recipe: Somalian Rice Dish: Isku Dhex Karis
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/isku-dhex-karis-somali-rice-dish/
More Episodes with Third Culture Adults
More African Recipes
How To Contact Rachel Pieh Jones:
Website: www.rachelpiehjones.com
Instagram: @rachelpiehjones
Do Good Better on Substack: rachelpiehjones.substack.com/
Pillars: How My Muslim Friends Led Me Closer To Jesus on Amazon
Rachel Pieh Jones on Amazon
086 RE-RELEASE Leprosy, Loyalty, Loss, and the Love of 3 Mothers with Suwanee Lennon
May 26, 2021
This is a REPLAY of Ep. 019, "We Were Not Leprosy"
I had momentary misgivings when Suwanee Lennon, an Instagram friend but otherwise a stranger, invited me to a small gathering at her friend’s house. I arrived to tables full of Thai food and welcoming people who convinced me eat spicy chicken feet!
But what was far more memorable about that day were the stories I heard. I soon learned that these friends, or sisters as they called themselves, that had so generously welcomed me into their midst, were all raised together in a leprosy camp.
I sat in awe of the gentleness, compassion, resilience, and most of all - the good humor - of these women.
Today, Suwanee has graciously agreed to share not just her stories, but also these qualities, with all of us.
Where many healthy people would distance themselves from the physical suffering and social shame of lepers, Suwanee grew up proud of her family and devoted to their struggles.
I promise you, Suwanee's story will inspire you to greater love and loyalty - and to think of loyalty in a whole new way.
Highlights
Learning about Suwanee's 3 loving mothers
Her uncle's courage and dignity
What survivor's eat
Why Suwanee was no longer safe in her community
The impact of world cuisine's on Suwanee's cooking
A trip back to Thailand that took Suwanee full circle
Listen to Suwanee Now
Suwanee's Storied Recipe: Thai Spicy Ramen Noodles
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/spicy-ramen-noodles-recipe/
More Episodes with Guests of Southeast Asian and Oceanic Heritage
More Southeast Asian/Oceanic Recipes
How To Contact Suwanee: Best Thai Food Blogger at Simply Suwanee
Website: www.simplysuwanee.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/simplysuwanee/
Instagram: @simply.suwanee
085 Plot Twist! When It's NOT About the Story with Christine Pittman
May 19, 2021
Christine Pittman is a successful businesswoman. She recently started the Time Management Insider podcast helping her audience streamline their home lives. Christine launched this podcast off the strength of two food blogs, one of which, CookTheStory, is among the highest ranked food blogs globally. Christine launched her food blog while finishing her dissertation in linguistics. In this episode, Christine shares the story of learning to love the fresh ingredients from her Baba’s massive garden and learning to cook in her parent’s Ukranian restaurants in Canada. But, plot twist! This is also the story of Christine learning (from her mother, it turns out), that to truly grow as a businesswoman, she had to let go of the story. She had to replace a focus on her own story with something even more important - a focus on the people she serves. I love this episode for Christine’s open, breezy speaking style, for her obvious wisdom, and for her willingness to disrupt any storyline with a better idea. Welcome to Christine and to all of you listeners. So glad you’re here.
Highlights
Why you need to know the why when you cook
Canada to Florida
Baba and Dade and their huge garden
When you let a kid name a restaurant this is what you get!
Is it possible to love the hard work of restaurant ownership?
Christine's parents are #relationshipgoals
Running restaurants and running a blog: What's similar?
Coming *this* close to a PhD in linguistics - and if Christine is happy with her decision
When her hobby became a business and she lost her hobby
What is the difference between a blog and a business?
This ONE mindset shift made Christine's blog explode
How does Christine define a business?
How do you know if you’re ready to grow your blog?
Advice to new bloggers
Listen to Christine Pittman of Cook the Story
Christine's Storied Recipe: Ukrainin Dill Potatoes in Cream Sauce
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/ukrainian-dill-potatoes-in-cream-sauce/
More Episodes with Professionals In the Food Industry
More Eastern European Recipes
How to Connect With Christine Pittman
Cook The Story Website: www.cookthestory.com
The Cookful Website: www.thecookful.com
Instagram: @cookthestory
Pinterest: @cookthestory
Podcast: Time Management Insider
084 Jamaican Chicken Soup with Ashley and Her Mother Precious
May 12, 2021
I came across Ashley’s work at Bright Root’s Kitchen a long time ago and I particularly enjoyed a Live interview she did with her mother, Precious. So when I was looking for mother’s to interview, along with their children, Ashley was the first I thought of.
I wanted to hear more about their memories of Jamaica, Brooklyn, Queens, and there was one thing in particular that I, personally, wondered as a mother raising 4 boys who are already now searching, seeking for their own identities, apart from mine, and making their own paths, away from our family.
I wondered: is that process more painful when a 1st generation immigrant watches their child adapt and adopt a new country?
When I listened to these two discuss their memories of a chicken soup made by at least 5 generations of women, the Jamaican heritage, and the global village that gave them what they needed to thrive, I remembered that the love of a parent and child can stay strong (and even be strengthened by) the teenage years, differences in personalities, and even arriving at new, separate identities.
I’m so grateful to Ashley and Precious for this joyful, thought-provoking, uplifting, and illuminating conversation. I’m honored to welcome them to the podcast today. Enjoy.
Highlights
The story and meaning of the name “Precious”
Sights and sounds of Kingston, Jamaica
Sights and sounds of NYC
Memories of 5 generations in a Brownstone house
Cooking for 11 people at 14 years old
“America is not an easy place”
The grandmother who provided for the huge extended family
Is pumpkin grown in Jamaica?
Navigating a mother-daughter relationship, adolescence, and changing identities as first and second generation Jamaican Americans
Pregnancy loss and motherhood
Listen to Ashley and Precious Now
Precious and Ashley's Storied Recipe: Jamaican Chicken Soup with Dumplings
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/jamaican-chicken-soup/
More Episodes with Caribbean Guests
More Caribbean Recipes
083 "We Learned To Trust Each Other" with Lexi & Beth of Crowded Kitchen
May 05, 2021
When I interviewed Beth and Lexi, the mother-daughter team behind the hugely popular vegan blog Crowded Kitchen, I felt like I was listening to a pair of best friends communicating.
Because of their easy way of relating , this episode is chock full of entertaining, warm & funny stories, AND incredibly instructive, wise advice about making it through the first, difficult stages of a online business, AND it effortlessly raises and discusses serious topics, like the prevalence of eating disorders among high-performing female athletes, and how to address and prevent those disorders.
It’s, the kind of conversation that only happens between two very good friends. It was a joy to listen to these motivated, successful women who love each other very deeply discuss the journey they’ve been on together. I can’t wait for you to hear it too.
Highlights
Memories of making cookies going back generations
The smell of almond extract
Putting on dinner theatre and winter luaus in the living room
Who is the messy one and who is the neat one
Adding MORE family members to the Crowded Kitchen team!
What do you need to assess before working with family?
Learning to trust each other and making it through the tough times
Eating disorders, allergies, and anxiety
How do you make it through the tough “mountain climbing” beginning stage of business?
The experience of Beth coaching Lexi’s high school cross-country team
Running, nutrition education, and the birth of blog
Having foreign exchange “siblings” in high school
Listen to Lexi and Beth Now
Lexi and Beth's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/vegetarian-coq-au-vin/
More Episodes with Professionals in Food Industry
More Vegan Recipes
Crowded Kitchen Contact
Website: www.crowdedkitchen.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/crowdedkitchen/
Instagram: @crowded_kitchen
082 Choosing Freedom with Fatima Mortada
Apr 28, 2021
Hello readers!! Thanks for tuning in today! I’m going to keep this introduction brief because I just can’t wait for you to hear from Fatima, of the popular blog “Hummus Meets Pizza” and one of the most courageously independent and optimistic women I know.
Fatima was born in Lebanon, not in the urban center of Beirut, but in a small rural town containing Roman ruins, produce markets where her father sold the vegetables Fatima helped picked at 4am every morning, and bakeries making Safiha, the delicious open-faced Lamb pies Fatima shares with us.
At 16 years old, Fatima came to live in the U.S. for 5 years. She returned to Lebanon at 21, very much a changed woman, and found she no longer fit into the beloved small town where her family has lived for hundreds of years.
What I admire most about Fatima is this: While her circumstances easily could have led her to conclude she was alone, driftless, and cultureless, she instead chose to to love and embrace the best in both cultures, Lebanese and American.
She has chosen New York City as her home. There, she lives a free life where she celebrates her Lebanese heritage, her family’s love, their frugality, and open-mindedness by creating for herself a “slow life in a big city.” And yes, food plays a big part in every facet of that celebration.
For me, Fatima’s words remind us that we can speak truth boldy while embracing nuance and loving & respecting those with different opinions.
Highlights
The ancient Roman city of Baalbek, beautiful like Tuscany Italy
Mutual respect for religions in a city 80% Muslim, 20% Christian
Her father’s open-minded attitude towards women
The limitations on women in her home culture
How to replicate a bakery in Lebanon when making Safiha – meat pies
Green onions, radishes, and tomatoes, lemon juice
Picking from the garden every morning at 4:30am
What is “the good life”?
Is cooking a symbol of repression for women?
Her moniker – “Hummus Meets Pizza”
Listen to Fatima Now
Fatima's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/safiha-recipe-lebanese-meat-pies/
More Episodes with Middle Eastern Guests
More Middle Eastern Recipes
How To Contact Fatima
Website: www.hummusmeetspizza.com/
Instagram: @hummusmeetspizza
081 Soul Food, The White House, and Icebox Pie with Adrian Miller, the Soul Food Scholar
Apr 21, 2021
Hello, listeners (readers), I’m so thankful and happy you’re here today! and I’m very honored to introduce you to Adrian Miller, otherwise known as the Soul Food Scholar. I recently read the second of Adrian’s 3 books (so far) The President’s Kitchen Cabinet, about the The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas. I loved this book of historical anecdotes which were interesting in their own right and also often served to teach larger truths about the office and the country.
But honestly, I was hooked while reading Adrian’s bio, which was written with a humor and humility that belied his impressive resume.
Among other accomplishments, Adrian Miller served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton with his Initiative for One America – the first free-standing office in the White House to address issues of racial, religious and ethnic reconciliation. He is a James Beard Award winner, attorney, and certified barbecue judge who lives in Denver, Colorado and currently leads the Colorado Council of Churches as they work together for justice.
Adrian was kind enough to come on and answer my fumbling questions about many of these topics – from the scholarly definition of Soul Food, to his personal history, and finally his ongoing and, sadly, often frustrating work on the front of racial reconciliation. I am grateful to Adrian for his scholarship, wisdom, and time, I commend his books to you, and I am thrilled to share this interview today.
Highlights
Historical context for church and meals in minority communities
“A community cannot come together without food”
Why is there a vegetable plate at any soul food restaurant?
What’s the hottest trend in soul food?
Complicated relationship: Southern Cooking, Down Home Cooking, Soul Food
What’s the definition of Soul Food and is it being redefined?
Who can make Soul Food?
His childhood ambition and what went from there
Working for President Clinton’s initiative on race
Is simply listening to each other enough?
Food & racial reconciliation
A dinner guide for difficult conversations
His research process
Listen to Adrian Now
Adrian's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/old-fashioned-lemon-icebox-pie-recipe/
More Episodes with Black North American Guests
More Cooking from American South
How To Contact Adrian
Website: https://adrianemiller.com/
Instagram: @soulfoodscholar
Adrian’s First Book: Soul Food
Adrian’s Second Book: The President’s Kitchen Cabinet
Adrian’s Latest Book: Black Smoke
080 Eva Kosmas Flores on Looking for Lessons
Apr 14, 2021
If you’ve ever taken a photo of your food and posted it on Instagram, you’ve probably heard of Eva Kosmas Flores, a hugely popular food photographer, food photography educator, blogger, and cookbook author. However, before Eva gained 30K followers in one weekend and was catapulted into Instagram fame, she was poised for success.
Eva had already chosen to rest her business - and her life, really - on a genuine kindness to all, and on authenticity, passion, and curiosity. She had cultivated creativity and that special type of adventurous spirit it takes to shoot for lofty goals. And to get everything done, Eva knew how to stay organized and efficient. To be so ambitious and yet so kind, so creative while also systematic is a rare combination of traits, and Eva teaches these in her classes and creative workshops.
But how did she gain these values and talents? Well, through her story, of course, which I was honored to hear and explore and am honored to share with you today. The thing is, that weekend of meteoric growth is *not* what made Eva successful. Rather, it was her openness to learn from every step of her journey. From childhood in her parent’s Greek deli, to an out-of-work 20 something, fired for finally standing up for herself, to an assistant producer for a major network, and at many other points in between, Eva was learning, growing, and gaining the exact skills she needed to excel. As you listen to Eva’s story, you can’t help but shift your perspective from what’s wrong with your situation to what you can learn from it. And of course, she helps us all remember to show kindness at every opportunity. Welcome Eva!
Highlights
Eva's approach to styling a scene
The many ways Eva's mother exemplified kindness
The only thing Eva hated about going to her parent's Greek deli
What she learned from her parent's business
How Eva learned photography and found her style
"Job hopping" in her 20's and learning at every stop
"There is something more important than providing financially"
Meeting her husband, Jeremy
The amazing story of buying their homestead property
Listen to Eva Now
Eva's Storied Recipe: Pear & Pistachio Pie
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/pear-and-pistachio-pie/
Related Episodes
More Baking Recipes from Podcast Guests
Ways to Connect with Eva Kosmas Flores
Seasonal Living: www.adventuresincooking.com
Food Photography & Business Education & Resources: www.firstweeat.com
Cookbook: Adventures In Chicken
Cookbook: First We Eat
Instagram: @evakosmasflores
Pinterest: @evakosmasflores
079 A Conversation with Adina Bailey, Take Them A Meal Founder
Apr 07, 2021
There’s this verse in the Bible that says, “Do not grow weary in doing good, for in the proper time you will reap a harvest.” And while you may hear a lot of theologians debate what those words mean, exactly, I think maybe we just need to hear this episode from Adina, founder of Take Them A Meal to gain insight. The words of that verse played over and over again in my mind as I listened to Adina in today’s episode. 13 years ago, Adina and her friend Scott started a website - TakeThemAMeal.com - simply to help a mother of 4 in crisis.
With no marketing plan, no big dreams, and no desire to do anything but serve other people like their friend, the website has grown to employ a whole team of employees, sustain 1.5 million visits a month, and facilitate hundreds of thousands of meals taken to families in crisis, grief, or transition every week. As Adina shares the details of why they rejected advertising on their site, the years that she and Scott worked on a volunteer basis, choosing to see the site as a service not a business, their highly empathetic hiring process, and their frequent sending of free meals, you’ll remember, as I did, that maybe hustle and profitability aren’t the highest callings out there. And maybe we’ll all learn from Adina, also, to redefine the harvest for which we hope.
Highlights
How Take Them A Meal helped me - many times
Adina's story - how she started it
How it grew in 3 years when she wasn't even paying attention
Choosing to reject advertisers and hire employees before paying herself
Her working relationship with her co-founder, Scott
Responding to a need with Send Them A Meal, which ships each day and provides full-time salaries for a team
Adina's best tips on sending meals and staying sane
Packaging tips
Adina's favorite recipe to send
Memories of her grandfather's mashed potatoes
Listen to Adina's Story Now
Adina's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/balsamic-chicken-thighs-slow-cooker-recipe/
More Episodes with Professionals in the Food Industry
More Recipes to Bring Families in Need
Connect With Take Them A Meal
Take Them A Meal Website
Send Them A Meal Store
Perfect Potluck Website
Instagram: @takethemameal
Pinterest: @takethemameal
078 A Passover Episode With Challah Champ Marissa Wojcik
Mar 31, 2021
Welcome, listeners!
This is a Holy Week for many religions, and I AM so excited that we are sneaking in this Passover episode just two days before the end of Passover. We welcome Marissa Wojcik today, who burst onto the Jewish baking scene at the beginning of Covid by creating and sharing a brand new Challah recipe every week. A few loaves incorporate expected flavors (like Milk, Honey, & Turmeric) but many are wildly adventurous like Porn Star Martini- flavored Challah, which she made to remember special times in London with her cousins.
In today's episode, we discuss the significance of the Sedar meal, Marissa’s two grandmother's - one welcomed at Ellis Island, the other rejected by the U.S. at its borders - plus, another sojourner who was tricked by his brothers, and the way Marissa offended 7 Jewish grandmothers in one fell swoop. We even tackle the question “What does it mean to be Jewish?” (Spoiler alert - It depends!)
This is a great one - my family sat in the car when we pulled into the driveway, just to finish listening!
Highlights
The food items on the Sedar plate and their symbolism
Why Marissa includes the unorthodox orange on her Sedar plate
Marissa's Passover memories
Making brisket for the first time with 6 other friends - and managing to offend all 7 grandmothers!
33 Challah recipes and counting
How her great-great-great uncle ended up in the UK (rather than America)
Reformed, Orthodox, Ashkenazi, Sephardic - What does it mean to be Jewish?
The Holocaust and Reformed Judaism - What do they have to do with one another?
Listen to Marissa's Passover Stories
Marissa's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/jewish-brisket-recipe/
How To Contact Marissa Wojcik of North Shore to South Bay
Website: www.northshoretosouthbay.comInstagram: @northshoretosouthbayPinterest: @northshoretosouthbay
More Episodes with Guests of Jewish Heritage
More Eastern European Recipes
077 Arabic Feasts with My Husband, John Hadeed
Mar 24, 2021
They say you can’t control who you fall in love with - and that is true. I remember my dad asking me, “What is going on with you and John Hadeed?” All I could says was, “Dad, he whistles. All the time. And it makes me so so happy.”
However, you can choose who you marry. And while falling in love with John caught me by surprise, marrying him was one of the most conscious, considered, prayed-over decisions of my life. Ultimately, I married John because I trusted him - I trusted that his natural humility and utter lack of pretension, his work ethic, and his enthusiasm for all the little moments of life would see us through whatever came our way.
Like every couple, it took us some time to integrate our dramatically different communication styles and we’ve been through patches over 18 years where everything seemed to be in short supply - energy, health, sleep, understanding, and even faith. But! I have never regretted the decision to marry John. He has risen to every challenge, personally and professionally. His optimism, grit, and faith have held us together as a family.
As we move away from the infant and toddler years and into our middle aged years (a term which John still won’t accept), we’re a stronger team than ever. Everything we build, from our family to his business to this podcast... we are truly in it together. So I wanted you to meet him - and based on the comments over on Instagram, a lot of you wanted to meet him also. In this interview, we tried to answer most of your questions as we chatted about spinach pies and stuffed grape leaves, John’s Arabic heritage, and also adoption, work and fatherhood. Here’s my husband, John Hadeed.
P.S. Also, I want to say that i know hearing about a happy marriage can be really tough for many reasons. If you are going through something tough, I just want to let you know that I am here and more than happy to listen - just email me at becky@thestoriedrecipe.com and I’d love to support you just, again, by listening.
Listen to John Now
John's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/fatayer-recipe-arabic-pies/
More Episodes with Guests of Middle Eastern Heritage
More Middle Eastern Recipes
Lots of Favorite Images of John, Old and New
Try my husbands workout routine using the same dumbbells he uses.
076 RE-RELEASE "They Knew I Belonged To Them" with Lydia Cottrell
Mar 18, 2021
This is a week of transition for my family, so I'm bringing back one of the most loved, listened to, and commented on episodes ever - "I am Piotr's Granddaughter" with guest Lydia CottrellIn this powerful episode, Lydia embarks on a search to find her long-lost family in a tiny Ukranian village. Impossibly, she finds them and says, "They immediately knew that I belonged to them.As Lydia is joyfully reunited with this long-lost extended family she says, "When I turned around, there on the table were the same foods I had grown up eating.” Lydia shared this beautiful story centered around Varenyky (otherwise known as pierogies) . We learn why she is so very proud to call herself Piotr’s Granddaughter. I also came to understand how proud Piotr would be of his granddaughter Lydia.
Highlights
Verynyky/Pierogis
Why Lydia keeps a piece of coal on her kitchen windowsill
Working in Ukraine after the wall fell
Finding long-lost family
Trading shots of homemade vodka with a dying woman
Lessons for adoptive families
Listen to Lydia's Story
Lydia's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/ukranian-varynyky-recipe-pierogis/
More Episodes from Eastern European Guests
Related Recipes from Eastern Europe
075 Creativity vs. Productivity with Monique Chan (BONUS Episode)
Mar 12, 2021
Welcome to a short but packed bonus episode with Michelin-starred pastry chef, Monique Chan.
Monique turns the tables and begins interviewing ME about my experiences and struggles with creativity and productivity as a mother, the passion I felt for wedding photography, and even my perceptions of myself. Then Monique goes on to share her own definition of what it means to be an artist and discusses her experiences balancing creativity and productivity both as a chef herself and as a manager of other chefs.
Monique graduated first in her class at her Parisian pastry school, then went on to work in renowned bakeries, five star hotels and multiple Michelin starred restaurants including The French Laundry. Her latest achievement was serving as Executive Pastry Chef of Écriture in Hong Kong, which received two Michelin stars in a record-breaking seven months after opening.
When I interviewed Monique, the two of us simply could *not* stop conversing and we grudgingly got off the phone almost an hour past our intended stopping time. As my poor editor Justin struggled to cut down the episode, he called me and said this was a conversation that was fascinating to him as an artist, and deserved to be a standalone bonus episode. So - here we are! I hope you enjoy it!
And please, if any of these topics get you thinking, let me know your thoughts - drop me an email at becky@thestoriedrecipe.com. I’d love to hear from you!!
Monique's Original Interview
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/ep-060-monique-chan-owner-of-chez-momo/
Monique's Storied Recipe: Homemade Croissants!
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/how-to-make-puff-pastry-croissants-at-home/
You may want to refer to these helpful videos from Monique along the way! They really helped me.
How to Shape the Butter Block
The Lamination Process
Portioning the Croissants
Shaping the Croissants
How To Contact Monique Chan, Owner of Chez Momo
YouTube: The Real Chez Momo
Website: www.therealchezmomo.com
Instagram: @therealchezmomo
More Interviews with Food Professionals
074 A Conversation with Michelin Starred Pastry Chef Monique Chan
Mar 10, 2021
Ever wonder what it’s like to work inside the finest restaurants in the world? I have!
Today, Michelin-starred pastry chef Monique Chan is giving us a firsthand look inside two famous restaurants completely across the globe from one another.
At the The French Laundry in California, which was called “The best restaurant in the world, period” by Anthony Bourdain. Monique was tasked with the all-important chocolate station and granted creative freedom to completely redesign their bon-bon menu.
From there, Monique moved to Hong Kong, a homecoming of sorts for this daughter of two immigrants to the US from Hong Kong. Monique was part of the “start-up team” launching Ecriture with the immediate goal of achieving 2 Michelin stars - a goal which they achieved.
As fascinating as this insider look into the restaurant may be, I promise you’ll be most captivated by Monique’s humility and vulnerability. We explore the spiritual journey that accompanied the journey of her career, as well as her most recent efforts to raise money for racial justice through her personal brand, Chez Momo.
And finally - look out for a bonus episode this Friday where we explore to uneasy relationship between creativity and productivity. (Oh, and p.s. Monique shared her croissant recipe with us and wraps up the conversation with some helpful feedback about what I did wrong!)
Thank you, every single listener for being here, and welcome Monique!
Highlights
The spiritual journey that accompanied her career journey
LA -> Paris -> LA -> Hong Kong -> LA – Australia -> Current
“I see you running, running hard. Maybe you need to rest.”
The democratic nature of the kitchen
The physical and psychological toll of working as a chef
What gave Monique the ability to function well under stress
Reconciling a Secular/Liberal/Caucasian Environment and Christian/Conservative/Asian Environment
Moving to Hong Kong, a home culture that wasn’t “home”
The Michelin Review Process – How do you earn stars?
Earning 2 Stars in a record-breaking 7 months
Love expressed as “an unrelenting provision of food”
Why Monique, as an Asian-American woman, chose to start a non-profit baking business to support Black Lives Matter
Listen to Monique Now
Monique's Storied Recipe: How to Make Croissants at Home
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/how-to-make-puff-pastry-croissants-at-home/
Related Episodes
Monique's Bonus Episode
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/ep-061-creativity-vs-productivity-with-michelin-starred-pastry-chef-monique-chan-bonus-episode/
Related Recipes
How To Contact Monique Chan, Owner of Chez Momo
YouTube: The Real Chez Momo
Website: www.therealchezmomo.com
Instagram: @therealchezmomo
073 A Sacred Conversation With Diana Silva (Molé Mama)
Mar 03, 2021
So grateful to welcome Diana Silva to the podcast today with a set of stories that will challenge and inspire us to live with more love. Diana is a YouTuber, podcaster, and author of the book Molé Mama: A Memoir of Love, Cooking, and Loss.
The book begins when Diana’s mother, Rose, was given 3 days to live. It chronicles the 13 months that she outlived that diagnosis - the 2nd time in her life that she survived against the odds.
As Diana walks with her mother deep into “the valley of the shadow of death”, she also cooks for her. In this way, Diana sustains her mother, comforts her, and finally learns the delicious Mexican recipes that Rose made for the 15 (yes, 15!) children and hundreds of migrant workers that she welcomed into her home over 50 years.
We have much - so very, very much - to learn from both Diana and Rose in this episode, as their lives challenge us to love with greater sacrifice, endurance, and joy.
Highlights
The universal Molé Mama and her message to us to leave our best behind
The diversity of Mexican food that we don't get to experience here
The meaning of a molcajete - and what has it seen?
Working in the fields as a child, the "bad men" that chased them through the fields, and what her mother taught her
The intense discrimination Diana's mother faced as a Mexican woman
Tuberculosis: living 7 years, from 17-24 in the ward. Laying flat on their backs , coughing, enduring experimental treatments, and losing all her siblings - and not as long ago as you think.
"My mother had faith. And I'm not talking about religion. She lived her faith."
Caring for 15 children as if they were her own - and how did Diana learn to accept that?
"Just like scientists say we only use 15% of our brain, I think we only use 15% of our capacity to love."
Saying goodbye to her mother with no regrets
Listen to Diana Silva Now
Diana's Storied Recipes: Easy Mole Sauce & Mexican Rice
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/easy-mole-recipe/
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/authentic-mexican-rice-recipe/
More Episodes with Central and South American Guests
More Central and South American Recipes
How To Contact Diana Silva
YouTube: Molé Mama on YouTube
Website: www.molemama.com
Instagram: @mole_mama
Read Diana's book Molé Mama: A Memoir of Love, Cooking, and Loss
Watch Diana's Interview with Me
072 Making Bread the French Way with Danielle Ellis, World Bread Awards Judge
Feb 24, 2021
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Welcome! I’m very honored to introduce you to Danielle Ellis. Danielle is an Ambassador for the Real Bread Campaign and Judge for the World Bread Awards.
Today, Danielle shares how a series of influences - a childhood love of French holidays, a summer stint as an au pair, a “mad Scotsman”, and a tough pastry teacher all came together to convince Danielle to leave a decades-long career in marketing and enroll in a French school for baking. Danielle completed the 670 hour course (!!).
In addition, Danielle completed many months of work experience, including an internship at a bakery that used NO electrically-powered equipment - nope, not even to mix 50lb batches of dough.
Today, as an expert on baking, scaling, marketing, and running a bakery, Danielle teaches classes to both novice and professional bakers. Welcome Danielle!
Highlights
What is the Real Bread Campaign and Why do we need it?
The reason Danielle believes many people are "gluten intolerant"
A lifechanging summer in France
What Danielle teaches - not just baking, but marketing and running a bakery as well
The mad Scotsman who taught Danielle to bake and the pastry chef who taught her she was doing it "all wrong"
2 weeks at a bakery in Normandy with WWOOF where Danielle learned to make bread with NO electrically-powered equipment
670 hours of professional training in France
Starting and running one of the most successful food blogs in Scotland
Real Bread Campaign Ambassador. Photo Helen Green
Listen to Danielle Now
Danielle's Storied Recipe: Pesto Rolls
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/pesto-rolls/
More Interviews with Professionals in Food Industry
More Bread Recipes
How To Contact Danielle Ellis of Severn Bites
Instagram: @breadbakerdaniWebsite: www.severnbites.com
071 Food in the Real Life Coming-of-Age Story of Helen Au
Feb 17, 2021
Helen Au tells how food played a part in her search for identity and the reunification of her Vietnamese-American family.
070 A Conversation with Dorina Gilmore-Young, Author of Cora Cooks Pancit
Feb 03, 2021
A question for you - What did your heritage give you? How does the legacy of your parents - your grandparents keep you afloat through life’s struggles?
For today’s guest, the answer was immediate: Dorina’s parents and grandparents taught her the value of hospitality.
Over a decade ago, Dorina Gilmore-Young wrote Cora Cooks Pancit - a celebration of heritage, Filipino culture, the dinner table and hospitality. The book, illustrated by Kristi Valiant, won Picture Book of the Year from the Asian American Association and a dozen years later, the book is incredibly now in its 8th printing!
Over those 12 years, Dorina ventured into non-profit work and wrote more books, all while practicing hospitality.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Dorina was widowed as a young mother to girls, just 2, 6, and 8 years old.
The value of hospitality and the family table deepened and became richer as mealtimes were the times where Dorina’s community showed up to comfort her and when she grieved with her young daughters.
Dorina has remarried and now works with her husband to raise their young girls, to coach runners, and - yes - she’s written another book with her him. Through these massive life changes, Dorina continues to welcome others to her table where she has learned to embrace not only laughter but also to share tears and difficult stories
Highlights
Discussing "Cora Cooks Pancit", Picture Book of the Year in 2010 from the Asian-American Association Preserving the recipe AND the experience of making Pancit The author-illustrator collaboration process Why a noodle dish? Code-switching as a multi-racial child/adult A legacy of hospitality Food, God, cooking, light, worship, & solitude Food and eating as a runner
Listen to Dorina Now
Dorina's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/filipino-chicken-pancit-recipe/
Related Episodes
Related Southeast Asian & Oceania Recipes
How To Contact Dorina
Website: www.dorinagilmore.com
Instagram: @dorinagilmore
Dorina's Latest Book: Walk Run Soar
Buy Cora Cooks Pancit (Winner of The New Book Award from the Asian-American Association in 2010, written by Dorina Gilmore-Young and Illustrated by Kristi Valiant)
069 A Recipe for Fearlessness with Kimberly Espinel of The Little Plantation and Eat Capture Share
Jan 27, 2021
Can you imagine the freedom of living fearlessly? It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Kimberly Espinel, a London-based food photographer, educator, and very recently author of the book Creative Food Photography. Kimberly hosts the popular and informative food blogging podcast titled Eat Capture Share. She also hosts the seasonal food photography challenge over on Instagram by the same title, Eat Capture Share. Of all the things I’ve admired about Kimberly since I came across her community, the thing I admire most is her utter fearlessness - well, both her fearlessness and her focus.
Today, Kimberly shares how her origin story was fraught with difficulties. Loneliness shaped her into a tenacious, brave, and empathetic woman whose greatest strength is her ability to connect with people of diverse backgrounds - including those who, like her, often found themselves in the place of the “other”. Whatever our own origin story is, if we desire to be more fearless and more focused in our life, Kimberly's story can tell us how.
Highlights
Being the "other" in classroom after classroom
What Kimberly sees when she looks in the mirror
Kimberly's first creative outlet (not what I expected!)
Kimberly's former career and the life-changing event that caused her to rethink everything
The 3 methods Kimberly uses to make business decisions and stays focused
How to pursue your dreams fearlessly
Why she chose "The Little Plantation" for her blog name
Listen to Kimberly Now
Kimberly's Storied Recipe: Vegan Black Bean Stew
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/vegetarian-bean-stew/
More Interviews with Professional in the Food Industry
More Vegan Recipes
How To Contact Kimberly
Website: www.thelittleplantation.com
Instagram: @thelittleplantation
Listen to the Eat Capture Share Podcast
Join the Eat Capture Share Community (and FREE Food Photography Challenge)
How to Order Kimberly's Book
Order Creative Food Photography by Kimberly Espinel
068 Food and Theology with Father Leo, The Priest Who Beat Bobby Flay
Jan 20, 2021
Welcome back, readers, and thank you for coming by again today! I’m bursting with excitement to introduce to you Father Leo, the priest who beat Bobby Flay!
Rather than serving in a parish, Father Leo ministers by cooking – cooking for groups small and large, Catholic and non-Catholic, and even on his own television show. And while this may be unusual, Father Leo contends that when he feeds people, he follows closely in the example of Jesus Christ.
As a teen, Father Leo loved his mother’s rustic, delicious Filipino dishes, but he remained apathetic about his faith. Today, Father Leo shares not only his conversion story but also the path to this unusual calling.
Whatever your spiritual beliefs, you’ll be encouraged by Father Leo’s wise and practical advice on how to become more grateful and find meaning in the daily (sometimes exhausting) act of cooking.
Highlights
A SURPRISE throwdown with Bobby Flay!
His mother’s incredible Filipino cooking and its influence on him
The emotional moment he connected food with God
Why did Jesus talk about food so much?
Is it OK for priests be ambitious and entrepreneurial?
Why are Americans so rich and yet so unhappy?
A ministry he never sought or chose
The liturgy of cooking – how home cooks like you and me are engaging in divine acts
Listen to Father Leo Now
More Food Professionals
More Southeast Asian/Oceania Recipes
How To Contact Father Leo
Website: www.platinggrace.com
Instagram: @fatherleofeeds
Podcast: Shoot the Shiitake
Watch Father Leo Throwdown With Bobby Flay (and win!)
Watch from PlatingGrace.com
Books Mentioned in this Episode
Saving The Family
Epic Food Fight: A Bite Sized History of Salvation
Browse All Books By Father Leo Patalinghug
Recipes Related To This Episode:
Father Leo shows us how to make an Americanized version of Sinigang, a classic Filipino dish.
067 A New Years Cake with Entrepreneur, Cookbook Author, and Blogger Eleni Vonissakou
Jan 13, 2021
Welcome and Happy New Year to you, my dear readers! It’s wonderful to connect with you again - thank you for being here. I’m looking forward to a 2021 full of stories that feed our curiosity and nourish our empathy.
Have you ever tried something new and loved it so much you wanted to tell everyone about it?
When Eleni’s mother introduced her to a slow cooker, Eleni didn’t just tell her friends about it, she immediately started a business importing slow cookers to Greece!
Not only that, with just 5 recipes on a sheet of paper, she purposed to write a cookbook about Greek cooking in a slow cooker which has now been published and sold around the world.
Only from a woman who makes these types of wild ideas come true, would I believe the claim that a delicious, moist, firm cake could be cooked to perfection in a slow cooker. But I’m here to tell you - it can happen, and it did! Eleni shares with us today the recipe and traditions surrounding her version of Vasilopita, an traditional orange cake eaten by Greeks on New Year’s Eve.
We’ll also discuss what it was like to be the daughter of a Greek man and English woman, raised in Athens, educated in the UK, and how food bridged the two cultures.
Highlights
New Year's traditions of hiding a coin in Vasilopita, a delicious spiced orange cake
Making cake in a slow cooker?!?! And seafood?
Religion and celebrations in Greece
Growing up half Greek, half English
The surprising (and hilarious) way Eleni received her first Greek recipe from her mother
"Before I cooked, I collected recipes"
Is starting a business as simple as picking up the phone and making a call?
Writing a cookbook
Why the slow cooker works so well for the Greek (and your!) lifestyle
Listen to Eleni Now
Eleni's Storied Recipe: Greek Orange and Almond Cake
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/vasilopita-recipe/
Interviews with More Food Professionals
More Mediterranean Recipes
How To Connect With Eleni Vonissakou, Author of The Greek Slow Cooker Cookbook
Website: The Foodie Corner
Instagram: @thefoodiecorner
Buy The Greek Slow Cooker: Easy, Delicious Recipes From The Heart of the Mediterranean
066 RE-RELEASE The 2nd Annual Christmas Pudding Episode
Dec 20, 2020
I don’t know about you, but as we come to the end of 2020, it feels a little bit like I’m making a crash landing in the mountains - I’m a little dazed and confused, a little worse for the wear. And I think what we all need is a good laugh.
That’s why, for the first time ever, I’m re-releasing an episode. This way, even if you don’t follow me on instagram or receive my newsletter, but if you’ve subscribed to the podcast any time over the last year, this cheerful, nostalgic, heartwarming episode popped right up in your podcast player. You'll hear me laughing with an old, dear friend, one of the funniest people I've ever met, as he shares hilarious family stories about two sisters (his mother and aunt) making their secret steamed Christmas pudding recipe for the entire extended family.
And even if you did listen last year - well, I think this one deserves to be an annual Christmas tradition.
Listen to The Annual Christmas Pudding Episode
More Holiday Episodes
More Holiday Recipes
How to Contact Robert and Lisa Stewart
Email: stewartjapan@gmail.com
065 From Benin to Bakeoff: Hermine's Journey to GBBO Semifinalist
Dec 16, 2020
Such a warm welcome today to Hermine, GBBO 2020 Semifinalist (Season 11). From the first episode of this season, I wanted to sit down for a chat with Hermine, to bask in the glow of her cheerful personality and matter-of-fact wisdom, and to hear a little more about her story. As soon as I followed Hermine on Instagram, I saw that she really stood for something and wanted to use her platform to inspire others to be fearless, to not take life too seriously, and above all to be kind to others. And in Episode 3, Bread Week, when Hermine earned a Paul Hollywood handshake for a salmon soda bread, I knew I wanted to taste Hermine’s food!
So right away, I reached out to Hermine and last Wednesday, I was lucky enough to sit down for a chat with Hermine as she made baked sourdough and made dinner for her son Steven. I found that Hermine is just as genuine, cheerful, and kind in person as she appeared on the show.
If you’re new to the podcast, the concept here is unique - each guest gives me a recipe associated with a cherished memory, which I make, photograph, and share with the Storied Recipe community. Today, we start the conversation with a favorite recipe of Hermine’s from her home country of Benin, named Gbomo Dessi. From there, we move on to discuss so many other topics including why and how she started baking, the serendipitous series of events that led to her application, of course, this salmon soda bread, and which is tougher - Paul or public opinion.
Highlights
Family gatherings feasting on Gbomo Dessi, a favorite dish of Hermine's
Learning to cook in Benin
The motivation behind all of Hermine's bakes and why she never would have started baking if she didn't move to the UK
The serendipitous series of events that led her to apply
Bread week: The now-famous Salmon Soda Bread and watching Twitter live as the episode aired
Coping with fear/anxiety both in the tent and when episodes aired
Which is worse: Paul or Public Opinion?
Using her platform to endorse kindness
Hermine's advice to us
Listen to Hermine Now
Hermine's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/russeroles-bugnes-lyonnaises/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Follow Hermine, GBBO Semifinalist:
You can follow Hermine on Instagram at @bakealongwithhermine
Recipes Related to This Episode:
Gbomo Dessi
Hermine and I discuss two recipe in this episode. First, we talk about a childhood favorite of Hermine's, Gbomo Dessi. This tomato-based stew can be made with any number of proteins from chicken, beef, lamb, goat to smoked fish, prawns, and crabs. Hermine's mother made it with melon seed dumplings in the stew. She reports that in the UK you can find melon seed powder under the name Egussi. Back in Benin, Hermine ate the stew over a variety of dishes, including a cornmeal porridge, similar to polenta. Two other options are rice or pounded yam. The wonderful thing about this dish is, obviously, the variety of ways in which it can be made and the artistic license you can enjoy when making it. In researching this episode, I found many versions and here are a few I used when making my version.
From Africa Cuisine - this one calls for the Egussi that Hermine discusses
From 196 Flavors - this recipe teaches us how to make dumplings to put in the stew
From Spice Breeze
Smoked Salmon and Chive Soda Bread
The second recipe we discussed in this episode is that delicious "sandwich all in one", as Paul Hollywood called Hermine's soda bread filled with smoked salmon, gruyere, and chives. In this episode of The Storied Recipe Podcast, Hermine discusses how she came up with the idea for this bread, and how she tested it on two friends before deciding to go for it during Bread Week. She also describes the chuckles she enjoyed while reading the live Twitter feed during the airing of GBBO, while viewers were mocking the "fishy bread". All the while,
064 A Caribbean Canadian with Eartha Lowe
Dec 09, 2020
A huge welcome today to Eartha Lowe, the creator and editor of Cooking Green Goodness magazine, the first black-owned Vegan magazine in Canada. Eartha was born and raised in Jamaica and named after her father, one of the originators of the Roots Reggae musical movement in the 1960’s and 70’s. While Eartha’s love of cooking was born in her mother’s kitchen, her journey to Veganism was born from both her father’s Rastafarian religion and one very memorable experience when she was young. Today, Eartha is sharing a delicious corn recipe inspired by a woman nicknamed “Crabby”, whose husband filled the air with “positivity and feel-good Reggae chants” as he walked the summertime streets with ingredients for Crabby’s boiled crab and sweet, buttery, crisp corn on the cob.
Highlights
Amazing story of name Eartha
The Rastafarian religion and the history of veganism in Jamaica
Eartha’s father, Little Roy, and Roots Reggae
Eartha’s Jamaican nicknames
Stories of “Crabby” and her freshly cooked crab and corn
Patwa & Jamaican Poets
First dinner of chicken, rice, and callaloo - sibling still remember
The moment that set her on a path to veganism
Canada’s first black-owned Vegan magazine highlighting Caribbean food
The dressing that makes “grown men with muscles eat salad”
Listen to Guest Now
Eartha's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/milk-corn-on-the-cob/
More Interviews with Caribbean Guests
More Caribbean Recipes
063 A Wanderer Through Life and a Lover of Spice with Nadia Bandukda
Dec 02, 2020
I'm thrilled to introduce you today to Nadia, a Muslim-American who blogs over at Journey to Table. Nadia eloquently describes herself as a "wanderer through life and a lover of spice." As she tells us today, the journey to her table, and the food she sets on it, goes back generations. It travels from pre-partition Pakistan to Nairobi, Kenya, through Great Britain, and finally to New York City. But the food traditions that influence Nadia’s table didn’t stagnate there. Rather, as her father, a forward-thinking immigrant entrepreneur focused on improving society one life at a time, took a young and fearless Nadia his meetings in every corner of New York City, her palate and repertoire expanded to include the many nations represented in that vibrant city. I’m so happy that you’re joining us for this fast-paced conversation covering faith, fasting, history, and above all, her incredible parents. You may want to grab a tissue first, because this episode brought out all the emotions in me.
Highlights
The practice and value of fasting
Faith and work as an attorney, choosing to wear the hijab
The journey to Nadia's table - India to Pakistan to Nairobi to UK to NYC
Pakifrikkis and Wakistanis
Nadia's definition of the American dream - equally ambitious and charitable
Accompanying her father on business trips to every corner of NYC
"Isn't YOUR daughter going to college?"
"He wasn't the life of the party, but he made you feel like you WERE the party"
Listen to Nadia Now
Nadia's Storied Recipe: Pakistani Chicken Korma
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/pakistani-chicken-korma-recipe/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact Nadia of Journey to Table:
Website: www.journeytotable.com
Instagram: @journeytotable
062 ORIGINAL Thanksgiving Episode (28 Vignettes From Listeners)
Nov 18, 2020
Welcome and Happy Thanksgiving!!!
This is a very special episode of The Storied Recipe podcast! Rather than diving deep into one story, we’re diving deep into one holiday - telling the story of Thanksgiving from the perspective of almost 30 families.
I want to personally thank every single contributor for taking their time to make this episode for us.
These vignettes, sometimes funny, often poignant, and so very relatable have cheered my Thanksgiving season and helped me slow down and remember, reflect, and above all choose gratitude this season.
In fact, my original plan was to cram this episode in, almost as a bonus or extra episode, but the more I listened to your stories, the more I realized I wanted to lengthen this Thanksgiving season.
We begin, surprisingly enough, not with an American, but with a Greek-Australian who reminds us that far, far from being a national holiday belonging to one or two countries, Thanksgiving is an ancient tradition. Practicing gratitude is a tenant, teaching, and calling of every religion, it is, in fact, a need of the human heart.
Listen to The Thanksgiving Episode Now!
More Episodes for Your Thanksgiving Season!
The Gratitude Episode
Another crowd-sourced episode from the Storied Recipe Community. Contributors share the things, big and small, for which they are thankful. Another amazing opportunity to pause, reflect, and embrace the Thanksgiving Season!
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/thanksgiving-spirit/
A Turkey Fit for a Queen
A dream guest - Paul Kelly is entertaining, informative, and down-to-earth. Not only will you learn more about turkeys than you ever wondered - and enjoy every moment of the education - but you'll smile again and again at his heartwarming story of a family pulling together, sacrificing, and creating their own Rags to Riches Story by working together and taking a big risk!!! A favorite all year long!
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/ep-076-paul-kelly-turkey-farmer-kelly-bronze-turkeys/
Thanksgiving Recipes
Contributors to This Episode
HelenIG: Glorious Food Stories
ShakilaIG: @adventuresinflour
CosetteIG: @cosetteskitchenWebsite: www.cosetteskitchen.com
LaurenIG: @laurmerrilWebsite: www.lempics.com/
AnelaIG: @feedthemalikWebsite: www.feedthemalik.com
AlyssaIG: @thesevenbearsfamily
MoniqueIG: @peaches2peachesWebsite: www.peachestopeaches.com
KindraIG: @therosewifebakesWebsite: www.therosewife.com
LisaIG: @amenuforyouWebsite: www.amenuforyou.com
Jessica
KrissyIG: @eatingwithkrissyWebsite: www.eatingwithkrissy.com
Kate
HelenIG: @astepfullofyouWebsite: www.astepfullofyou.com
Erika
Kathy KuhlIG: @kathy.kuhlWebsite: www.learndifferently.com
NermineIG: @cheznermineWebsite: www.cheznermine.com
Mo
Megan
IsabelleIG: @the_balancedapronWebsite: www.thebalancedapron.com
BrendaIG: @brendawyatt_Website: Camellia's Cottage
SamiraIG: @sliceofgourmetWebsite: www.sliceofgourmet.com
Becky FisherIG: @suburbanebaker
KarenIG: @karenskindredspirit
KimberlyIG: @hopefully_kimberly
Julie
Hannah and Grace
LaurenIG: @laurenbakedcakeWebsite: www.laurenkcooper.com
DespinaIG: @despidoodle
All Floral Contributed and Designed By Kelly ShoreIG: @petalsbytheshoreWebsite: www.petalsbytheshore.com
061 Jollof Rice and Other Traditions with Nigerian-Canadian Ify Ogbue
Nov 11, 2020
Welcome today to Ify Ogbue, a nutritionist by profession and food blogger by passion, sharing a classic - well, I think we could even say THE classic Nigerian dish - Jollof Rice. (PS - Please allow me to just wave the white flag here and say I’m not in the middle of any national debates over Jollof recipes! I’m just a woman following a recipe from my good friend and podcast guest, Ify.) Anyhow, Ify and I caught up way back in August to discuss Jollof Rice, of course, and also maintaining relationships and roots in Nigeria as an immigrant to Canada. Ify educated me on the history and meaning of Ankara cloth and addressed my concerns about appropriating it in photos. Finally, we talked about Ify's background as a nutritionist and her unique approach to food blogging based on that perspective.
Highlights
Ify's memories associated with Jollof Rice
Staying in touch across continents
Ankara cloth & appropriation
A nutritionist's take on recipe development and food blogging
Listen to Ify Now
Ify's Storied Recipe: Jollof Rice
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/nigerian-jollof-rice-recipe/
More Interviews with Guests of African Heritage
More African Recipes
How to contact Ify Ogbue
Website: www.ifyyani.comInstagram: @ify.yani
060 "I Wanted to Encourage People" Letitia Clark, Author of "Bitter Honey"
Nov 04, 2020
One of my first questions for Letitia Clark, author of the stunning book “Bitter Honey” was this: How should I classify your book? It is, of course, a cookbook. Letitia has filled the book to the brim with recipes.
After working as a professional chef in many London kitchens, Letitia moved to the remote island off the coast of Italy named Sardinia. These are the unpretentious, “unbossy”, simple recipes Letitia ate as she discovered her true calling, not as a professional chef, but as a home cook and author.
Letitia agrees, however, that the book is more than a cookbook. It is equal parts memoir, story, and manifesto about a way of life and eating that are all but foreign to the rest of us.
As we continued in our discussion, my aim was simply to ask Letitia questions that I couldn’t answer from reading “Bitter Honey” (which I loved so much that I read cover to cover in one evening.)
The result is a meandering but stimulating conversation between topics of home, self-doubt, the necessity of transparency when women seek to empower other women, and the definition of authenticity, both in and out of every kitchen.
Highlights
Sardinia: An ancient culture
Is “taking it personally” a good thing or a bad thing?
“A chef cooks for money, a home cook for love.”
Strawberry jam & an apple orchard in Devon
Culture in professional kitchens
The necessary conditions for pursuing a dream
How do we define authenticity – in and out of the kitchen?
Listen to Letitia Now
Letitia's Storied Recipe: Devon Strawberry Jam
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/strawberry-lemon-jam/
More Interviews with Authors
More Recipes from British Heritage
How to Contact Letitia and Find Her Books
Website: https://www.letitiaclark.co.uk/
Instagram: @letitia_ann_clark
Bitter Honey on Amazon
059 The Year 2020 According to My Kids
Oct 28, 2020
When I launched the podcast just over a year ago, I included in the launch lineup a short bonus episode where I interviewed my kids about their food preferences and our time together in the kitchen. Throughout the year, including this month, I received messages from people that recently found the podcast and out of 50 available episodes, loved the one with my kids the most.
It’s well established that 2020 has been an unprecedented, historical year, and through it, our family has adapted - not only because of outside events - but also because 4 children with rapidly changing minds, bodies, and emotions, a mother starting a podcast from scratch, and a exuberant, energetic father together make for a household in a perpetual state of progress.
So here’s an update on what’s the same and what’s different with the Hadeed family these days, from the perspective of my kids.
One note on this episode - all of the questions came from those who follow along with the storied recipe podcast on IG. Thanks to those listeners and if you’re not following, go ahead and search the handle @thestoriedrecipe.podcast. I’d love to be in touch that way as well!
Listen to The Hadeed Brothers Now
Storied Recipes Mentioned in this Episode
The ORIGINAL "Storied Recipes According to My Kids" Episode
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/bonus-episode-001-storied-recipes-according-to-my-kids/
058 "I Wanted Something Different" with Juan Salazar of La Coop Coffee
Oct 21, 2020
Several weeks ago, Juan welcomed me into his chic, beautiful coffee shop, La Coop Coffee in Northwest DC. (I was there to take photos for the episode with Andy Anderson, curator of the hugely popular accounts @humansofcoffee and @manmakecoffee on Instagram.)
Juan invited me back to the roasting room, and as he taught me how to tell a lightly roasted bean from a dark simply by listening to the beans, he also began telling me the extraordinary story of his life. I asked question after question about his journey - always taking the road less traveled, always taking the difficult and risky path.
At 12, when his classmates had completed their education and were beginning to contemplate marriage, Juan begged for the opportunity to leave his father’s coffee farm at 2am every Sunday night to travel over a rushing river and two mountain tops to school. From that first difficult choice, with his parent’s unfailing support, Juan won a coveted spot in a school for agronomists.
After that, he returned to his region to affect change - not only as an agronomist but as an entrepreneur. Juan, and the 30 brave farmers who risked everything to try his plan, founded the ONLY coffee cooperative in Guatemala that is financed and led by Guatemalans.
Leading with transparency and sacrifice, Juan never took a salary from the cooperative, although he found a way to provide insurance, disaster relief, loan assistance, and grew the profits of the farmers over 40%.
Most recently, he came with his American wife to the States, learned English, and followed a new dream: to open a coffee shop selling cups made from the beans grown on his father’s farm. When I got home that evening, I gathered my family, sat them down, and told them they had to hear his story right away - and now, I’m equally excited to share Juan’s story with you.
Highlights
How his father became a coffee farmer
Chores on a coffee farm
A basic agronomy lesson growing coffee
How climate change is affecting coffee farmers
How Juan earned one of only 100 spots out of 15,000 applicants to his high school
Increasing profits for local farmers by over 40%
Why his cooperative has flourished for over a decade, while international cooperatives only work for a short while
Starting over - again - in the US
Listen to Juan Now
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
Find La Coop Coffee
Instagram: @lacoopcoffee
Website: www.lacoopcoffee.com
057 No Beaches in Berlin with Lenka Salinger
Oct 14, 2020
Lenka is not one to shy away from BIG changes.
After spending over a decade earning a PhD (with highest honors) in neuroscience, Lenka decided to pursue a career centered around her love of food. But this wasn't the first time Lenka calmly made a big change.
After high school, Lenka left her home country of Germany for Barcelona, just to try something new and maybe to enjoy living near beaches for once. 17 years later, she still resides in Spain with her partner and 2 children.
As easily as she makes big life decisions, Lenka says she struggles with the little decisions - like the perfect place to eat on a day off. That’s how after a neuroscience conference in Florence, Lenka (a vegetarian at the time) accidentally found herself in a little restaurant that served only intestines. She chose the one dish on the menu that was vegetarian, and today she’s sharing that recipe with us, not only because it is delicious, but also because it’s a sort of intersection point between these three themes in her life: travel, neuroscience, and food.
Highlights
Leaving neuroscience for food after 11 years spent earning a PhD with highest honors
Lenka's grandmother's kitchen on a German farm
Germany to Spain - climate, culture, and values
The delightful discovery of this dish
Improving in food photography and business skills
Deciding to love seafood
Listen to Lenka Now
Lenka's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/sliced-butternut-squash/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact Lenka Salinger
Instagram: @lenkas_lens
Website: www.lenkaslens.com
056 What is Home? with Haniyeh Nikoo
Oct 07, 2020
Between when Haniyeh and I chatted in July and today's release date (October 6th), she has moved with her husband and small daughter to Berlin, Germany. When she left Iran a decade ago, she thought she was going abroad for a year. The plan was to earn a Masters in Photography in Strasburg, France, then to return to her homeland. Instead, she fell in love, married, and moved 6 times over the following 10 years - and when she looks at the facts, she knows it is not her destiny to settle anytime soon. All this moving, adjusting, and learning new languages has given Haniyeh a strength and perspective that few of us can claim. Most significantly for me personally, Haniyeh challenges me to reconsider and redefine the word “home”. For Haniyeh, home is a collection of mindfully chosen things, both immaterial and material. And of course, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that food holds a significant role in this curation, including the smoked eggplant dish she discusses from the place of her happiest memories, the North of Iran.
Highlights
"It CAN be ok"
Iran to France to Boston to Berkely to Manchester to Exeter to Berlin. 10 years. 3 languages (and 2 versions of English!)
"I was living in the past, then I was living in the future"
Golden nights playing in the streets and dancing in traffic jams
"I can talk about my life in a way that would make you envy it, or I could talk about my life in a way that you would never want to live it."
Lighting eggplants on fire to make this dish
Listen to Haniyeh Now
Haniyeh's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/mirza-ghasemi-an-iranian-smoked-eggplant-dish/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact Haniyeh
Instagram: @haniyeh.nikoo
Website: www.haniyehnikoo.com
055 "Who is This Guy?" with Andy Anderson of @manmakecoffee
Sep 30, 2020
All together, the Instagram accounts curated by Andy Anderson boast an audience of well over a quarter-million followers.
As a food photographer, I was introduced to his most popular accounts @manmakecoffee and @humansofcoffee via the account @foodfluffer, whose bio quite simply states: “the most beautiful food in the world”. I happen to agree with Andy’s assessment of his curation and have looked to this account time and again for inspiration.
The more I looked at the accounts Andy curates (but never shows up on himself, either in person or with his own work), the more I wondered - “Who IS this guy?”
Through this remarkably vulnerable interview, Andy Anderson, a South African born resident of Dubai, reveals himself to be highly introspective and so much interesting and inspiring than he gives himself credit for.
Andy is a humble and generous introvert who deeply loves his wife and children. He is driven by a passion for bettering the lives of others through coffee. And just like his remarkable mother, Andy has a gift for spreading happiness through beauty and helping us reassess what’s most important.
Highlights
With his accounts, Andy is creating spaces that are "the exact opposite of what goes on in his head"
How his mother's eyes changed his perspective on Europe
A 19 year old Starbucks barista that sparked a passion and...
A 1 year old Ethiopian child that gave him purpose.
Growing up in South Africa and the ways his parents spoke love
The love of his life (Hint: not his wife)
The unusual but beautiful, pursuit and courtship of his wife
A man speaking vulnerably & candidly about therapy, the hardships of conception, and fatherhood
Listen to Andy Now
Related Episodes
How To Contact Andy Anderson:
On Instagram: Andy Anderson
On Twitter: @manmakecoffee
On Instagram: Kaldi App: An app to find the best coffee shops in the world.
On Instagram: @manmakecoffee
On Instagram: @humansofcoffee
On Instagram: @foodfluffer
054 Personal Episode: 4 Things I Lost, 8 Things I Gained, and How YOU Can Benefit From My Hack
Sep 23, 2020
As many of you know, I lost my Facebook and Instagram accounts two months ago, in July 2020. They have not been recovered. You can hear all about that hack in this episode: The ISIS Flag Hack.
Shortly after that episode, I started to question the words that I was using to describe the hack: "I lost everything. I had to start over." Considering the community that rallied around me, I certainly had not "lost everything"! I wanted to really question what the numbers on Instagram truly give us. So, I committed to journaling my return to Instagram with a fresh, new account. I told everyone that I would journal in an attempt to answer 2 questions: "What did I lose?" and "What did I GAIN from this hack?" Today, I'm answering that question to the very, very best of my ability.
053 "Women Are the Makers" with Karishma
Sep 16, 2020
Today, I’m so pleased to introduce you to Karishma, an Indian-born woman who relocated to Australia when she married, 2 years ago. Today, Karishma is teaching us about halva, a Indian sweet served at celebration times, made from whole wheat flour, ghee, and simple sugar water. Although the ingredients are simple, the process is not, but Karishma’s grandmother, who cooked many years for a household of 20 people, perfected this recipe in a way Karishma believes very few have perfected it. Karishma’s grandmother often brought this dish to the temple as an offering, where others would receive it and bring it home as a symbol that “no one who seeks blessing will leave empty-handed.” Now, to Karishma, Halva is an embodiment of nostalgia and the love of her grandmother, and like her grandmother, Karishma now makes the dish in large quantities not only for celebrations, but whenever she or her family crave it.
Highlights
Christmas in July and sunbathing in December
Imagine cooking 3 meals a day for 20 people... for 10 years
The most terrifying recipe I've ever attempted
Halwa as a symbol: "No one who seeks blessing leaves empty-handed
"Women are the makers"
Adjusting to Australian culture
Listen to Karishma Now
Karishma's Storied Recipe: Wheat Halwa
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/an-indian-dessert-halwa-recipe/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact Karishma
Instagram: @food.rumblings
052 "You Never Know Until You Try" with Britney Breaks Bread
Aug 26, 2020
"You never know until you try.” These are the words Britney’s grandmother used to coax Britney into eating her veggies. And after hearing Britney’s story I wonder - did Nanny know that these words would change her life, that they would become her mantra? I’m not sure. But “Just try” has lead Britney to many of her best experiences - learning piano, then bassoon, finally adding in the cello. Britney’s been to 33 countries, sampled many new cuisines, and most of all learned to live with a curiosity and fearlessness that many of us may envy. Britney’s “why not” attitude led her to begin her blog, titled “Britney Breaks Bread” (also an nod to her grandfather, as we’ll hear) and today, she’s sharing with us a hugely popular dessert from that blog - Apricot Cream Tart with a decadent caramel cookie base.
Highlights
Who was BBB and Do you believe in ghosts?
The daughter of an ice cream distributor
Nanny & vegetables, music, and travel
Britney's most exciting culinary experiences when traveling
Curiosity, fear, and compassion
Starting her blog & this apricot cream tart
Listen to Britney Now
Britney's Storied Recipe: Apricot Jam Tart with Cookie Crust
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/apricot-jam-tart/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact GUEST
Website: www.britneybreaksbread.com
Instagram: @britneybreaksbread
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/britneybreaksbread
051 Venezuelan Arepas via Holland with Yessica Duques
Aug 19, 2020
When Yessica left her home country of Venezuela forever and arrived in Holland (the same country, funny enough, that her mother always dreamed of living), there was one thing she had to do first - find the correct cornflour to make Arepas. As Yessica’s candid speaking style made me laugh out loud over and over, she also taught me about the recent history and struggles in Venezuela and how she has leveraged - one step at a time - a job at her local McDonalds into a graphic design career, a paid education at some of the finest culinary institutions in the world, and finally settled in as a freelance food photographer with her own studio. I’m so honored to introduce you to Yessica Duques!
Highlights
Why they chose Holland
Venezuela now, Venezuela then
The song all Venezuelans learn, as babies, while making arepas
How Yessica's grandmother served arepas
The story of THIS arepas - named after a Beauty Queen
Yessica's path from McDonalds to freelance food photography, owning her own studio
The cookbooks Yessica wants to write (I would buy it!)
Listen to Yessica Now
Yessica's Storied Recipe: Venezuelan Arepas Reina Pepiada
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/venezuelan-arepas-reina-pepiada/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact Yessica
Website: www.yessicaduque.com
IG: instagram/yessica_duque_photography
050 Mia Kouppa and The Greatest Love Story
Aug 12, 2020
There’s a surprise to every interview, and what I didn’t expect from this one was to be so smitten by the beautiful love story of Helen and Billie's (the sisters who blog at Mia Kouppa) parents. Today we meet a courageous, trailblazing woman who made a path in Canada, then returned to Greece to marry a man who knits, gardens, shops, and loved his wife so much, every day for 10 years, he left his job at a factory to join her at her job, so she could finish more quickly and return home with him. And what did they do when they returned home together? Why, they cooked, of course. Their story may be humble, but just like their food, it will nourish and uplift your soul.
Before I knew their parent's story, I was itching to know the Mia Kouppa ladies for a while. There’s a lot to appreciate about sisters Helen and Billie. They are warm, friendly, and funny ( and on that note: I highly recommend the opening paragraph to their post on today’s recipe, for Stewed green peas) and they blog with a mission: They take the delicious, healthy, flavorful simple Greek dishes of their parents generation, which have only ever been measured in relation to “Mia Kouppa” - a coffee cup in a cupboard - and translate them to actual recipes, with measurements the rest of us can use and replicate.
Highlights
Growing up as sisters in a small apartment filled with love and good cooking
Their mother's arrival from Greece to Canada in February, met with a pair of cheap boots and harsh employment
Their father's boundless energy, work ethic, sacrificial love, and many, many abilities
Helen and Billie's parents in the kitchen: "like a dance"
The translation and meaning of "Mia Kouppa"
Why the Greek diet is so frequently Vegetarian/Vegan
Listen to Helen and Billie
Helen & Billie's Storied Recipe: Stewed Peas
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/greek-peas/
How to Contact Helen & Billie
Website/Blog: www.miakouppa.com
Facebook: facebook.com/miakouppa/
Instagram: @miakouppa
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miakouppa
YouTube: Mia Kouppa on YouTube
Pinterest: Pinterest.com/miakouppa/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
049 Shakshouka, Struggle, and Success with Jordan Syatt
Aug 05, 2020
What can a wildly successful strength and fitness coach, who has helped tens of thousands of people lose fat, bring to a podcast all about a love and reverence for food? A lot of common ground, it turns out.
Starting with a story about eating Shakshouka during a hike in the Negev Desert, Jordan Syatt shares about the approach to food, life, and family in the home of his heart, Israel, as well as his home of origin, in Boston.
He tells us how the experiences and challenges in both places led him to so much success in his current calling, and so much focus and clarity in what he wants next in his life.
Finally, we discuss how American culture forces a conflict between loving food on the one hand and being healthy on the other hand, and Jordan helps us understand how to reconcile and resolve that conflict - how we can love food, keep our bodies healthy, and most importantly, forge bonds while doing both.
Highlights
Shakshouka in the Negev Desert
How DID his mom do it all?
The Israeli approach to food and why SBX failed there
How Jordan's first client, 68 year old Fred, changed his life at age 14
Identity, food, and family
Hustle as Investment
Avoiding extremes: loving food AND being healthy
Listen to Jordan Now
Jordan's Storied Recipe: Shakshuka
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/jordan-syatt-shakshuka-recipe/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
Ways to Follow Jordan
Instagram: @syattfitness
YouTube: Jordan Syatt on YouTube
Website: https://jordansyatt.com/
Twitter: Jordan Syatt on Twitter
048 I'm a Victim of the ISIS Flag Hack on Facebook
Jul 24, 2020
One minute I was in my garage, recording a behind-the-scenes video on Instagram stories, and the next minute, IG had kicked me out. I was irritated when I couldn't get back in. But when I went upstairs and saw all my passwords had been changed (bypassing two factor authentication), I was terrified.
In this very short podcast episode, I share my story of being hacked, the stories of 3 other victims (and why one is suing Facebook), how you can protect yourself, and my plan as I prepared to re-launch on Instagram.
Listen Now (Full Text Below)
Update One Year Later:
About 8 weeks after I published this episode, I also published this one:
4 Things I Lost, 8 Things I Gained, and How YOU Can Benefit From My Hack
I was also interviewed about Facebook/Instagram security in this episode of the Eat Capture Share Podcast with Kimberly Espinel:
#53 What's Happening With Instagram
More Personal Posts/Episodes
Full Text (Edited)
[00:00:00] Well, good morning for me, maybe it's good afternoon or good evening to you.
[00:00:16] I am getting closer to either having my Instagram account reinstated or much more likely having to start fresh with a new one. In the meantime, I wanted to let you know a little bit more about this hack that I've experienced, what I've learned so far, and hopefully maybe even a couple things that could help you and me in the future, maybe not be in a situation like this.
[00:00:50] Unfortunately, hackers are good. They're motivated. They know what they're doing. And as you'll hear as I talk about this more, I'm not so sure any of us are ever completely safe. But let's see what we can do.
[00:01:03] So I'm going to start sharing about this experience, actually, from my brother-in-law's perspective. It was what he saw that gave me the clue into what was happening with me and allowed me to do all the helpful research that I've done over the last week or so.
[00:01:19] About 2:45pm last Monday, July 14th, he happened to be on Facebook. He got a notification that my profile picture had changed. So he clicked on it and he saw that my profile picture had been changed to a black flag with white markings on it.
[00:01:40] He didn't recognize this image, so he did a reverse Google look up and saw that it was the ISIS flag. So he switched back to Facebook to let me know. And by that time, my account had already been disabled.
[00:01:57] From my perspective, I knew nothing of this. I didn't even hear that from him until 24 hours later, from my perspective, I was actually in my garage. I was having a great time. I was getting ready to do a shoot. Marcus, my 13 year old who has been doing my behind the scenes videos, was getting set up. I had just published a different Instagram TV video that morning, all about using light in food photography. I was getting a lot of reactions. I was interacting with those. And just as I got ready to take a selfie with Marcus, my 13 year old, I, I couldn't I couldn't take the selfie because I wasn't on Instagram anymore. It actually reverted me to a different account. And I'll tell you in a minute why that account was not disabled.
[00:02:47] When I tried to get back in to my Storied Recipe podcast account, I got a message that said, "Your Facebook and Instagram accounts have been disabled because you violated community standards on Facebook. If you think this was an error, you can appeal the decision."
[00:03:08] Interestingly, I tried to take a screenshot of this message just so that I knew already this was a big deal, just so I could have a trail of what happened moving forward.
[00:03:21] And I actually wasn't even allowed to take a screenshot of that notification from Facebook. They blocked me from doing that. A little message popped up on the bottom of my screen saying, you cannot screenshot this screen due to security concerns, which is amazing to me that I wasn't allowed to take a record of a decision that had been made a...
047 Personal Message from Becky: HACKED!
Jul 15, 2020
Here's a brief message about why I'm not releasing an episode this week and a setback I'm experiencing. Thanks for your support!
Follow-Up Episode
It took a few weeks, but eventually, I found out what had happened - I was a victim of the ISIS Flag Hack. You can read more about that (and Meta's response) here:
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/the-isis-flag-hack-on-fb-what-ive-learned-my-plan/
046 Granny Octavia with Stefani Renee
Jul 08, 2020
Stefani is a Bay Area lawyer focusing on how trauma affects communities - and especially youth - of color. Today, she’s telling us all about her Granny Octavia’s refined and elegant teacakes.
Granny Octavia migrated from Louisiana to Richmond, California in the middle of the 20th century. She settled down with her husband, contributed to the war effort (even while the war effort discriminated against other black folks), became a part of a thriving cultural scene, raised kids, and hosted elegant teas and dinner parties.
Stefani spent all day, every day with her Granny and Gramps during her early years, and doing those hours she learned how to cook, how to set the most beautiful table, how to try new things, and that even grandparents are layered, nuanced people with sometimes surprising backgrounds.
Highlights
Stefani's work as an attorney supporting youth of color
Granny Octavia's beauty, talents, and her many hats
Migrating from the Deep South to Richmond, California
"My grandmother is a woman!" - the layers and surprises Stefani learned about her grandmother later in life
Gramps
Granny Octavia's elaborate dinner parties & Stefani's role as hostess
All about teacakes
Listen to Stefani Now
Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player
Stefani's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/old-fashioned-southern-tea-cakes-recipe/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
Ways to Contact Stefani
Website/Blog: www.savorandsage.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/savorandsage/
Instagram: @savorandsage
045 BONUS EPISODE: Leveraging the Power of Food Stories to Start a New Life with Nermine Mansour
Jul 02, 2020
Earlier this week, we met Nermine, an Egyptian-born women who at the age of 22 received the distinctive honor of being named a diplomat. After she fell in love and married, Nermine left that post, but not the diplomatic corps, as she now travels the world practicing the “art of forging bonds” in every new country she calls home.
TODAY, in this powerful bonus episode, Nermine shares how she leveraged her Arabic, knowledge of Middle Eastern culture, diplomatic skills, and empathy as a woman to embark on an incredible project of empowerment for Syrian refugee women.
Together, Nermine and her new friends figured out how to leverage the power of their food stories - not simply as refugees, but as women, excellent cooks, and ambassadors of Syrian culture - to generate income and start new lives.
This project brought Nermine a profound appreciation for the power of food stories and reconnected her personally to her Egyptian roots. Enjoy this powerful story.
Listen to Nermine Now
Nermine's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/pecan-date-bars/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact Nermine
Website/Blog: www.cheznermine.com
Facebook: facebook.com/cheznermine/
Instagram: @cheznermine
044 The Art of Forging Bonds Through Culinary Diplomacy with Nermine Mansour
Jul 01, 2020
Today’s guests’s name is Nermine, but by the time you finish this episode, you may just think of her as Wonder Woman. At the age of 22, Nermine, born, raised, and educated first in Alexandria, Egypt, then in Cairo, achieved the rare honor of being appointed a female Egyptian diplomat.
10 years into her service, she fell in love with an American diplomat. When she chose to marry him, she gave up her post, but not her position in the diplomatic corp. Rather, Nermine now travels the world with her husband and two daughters perfecting and practicing the art of forging bonds, in large part through “culinary diplomacy”.
She’s sharing with us her recipe for Pecan Date Molasses bars, which she created “to declare a state of harmony and self-reconciliation that [she] reached as an immigrant and citizen of the world.” ALSO! Friday, Nermine will share with us how she leveraged her Arabic, knowledge of Middle Eastern culture, diplomatic skills, and empathy as a woman to embark on an incredible project of empowerment for Syrian refuge women.
This project brought Nermine a profound appreciation for the power of food stories and reconnected her personally to her Egyptian roots. You will absolutely want to hear this, so if you haven’t yet - take a second right now to subscribe. Thank you and here’s my personal heroine, Nermine.
Highlights
Growing up in Alexandria/Cairo, Egypt
Being appointed a female diplomat at 22
"American food tells the history of the nation"
"The art of forging bonds"
One family's American dream
The key to regular, high-stakes, low-stress hosting
The recipe that "declared a state of self-harmony as an immigrant and citizen of the world"
Listen to Nermine Now
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/pecan-date-bars/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact Nermine
Website/Blog: www.cheznermine.com
Facebook: facebook.com/cheznermine/
Instagram: @cheznermine
043 BONUS EPISODE: Moy's Tips for Going Gluten-Free
Jun 26, 2020
Welcome to a bonus episode all about making the switch to gluten-free. We met Moy on Wednesday’s episode as she spoke about the traumatic experience leading up to her diagnosis. She was ill, hospitalized, and ignored until tests finally proved her research and instinct correct: Moy has Celiac’s disease.
Moy also spoke in Wednesday’s episode about the science behind the conjecture that gluten intolerance is “an American thing”. In addition to all this talk about gluten, we also discussed the history and culture of Trinidad & Tobago, food memories from Moy’s childhood, and the classic Trinidadian street food with Indian roots: Doubles.
So, by the time we got to this important conversation about making the switch to gluten, I just couldn’t fit any more into the episode. At the same time, Moy’s information adopting a gluten-free diet was too helpful, too important- to edit down and cram into an already long episode. So here we are today with a short bonus episode about going gluten-free. Thank you, Moy for such riches of amazing conversation!!
Listen to Moy (Again!)
Moy's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/gluten-free-doubles/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact Moy
Website: www.MoysGlutenFreeKitchen.com
Moy's Gluten-Free Kitchen on Facebook
Moy's Gluten-Free Kitchen on Instagram
042 The Street Food that Connects All Trinis with Moy
Jun 24, 2020
We are all in for a treat today, as we hear from Moy Lovell about Doubles, the street food she says “profoundly connects” everyone in her country, the republic of Trinidad and Tobago, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.
Doubles sounds simple enough - just fried bread called “bara” topped with a flavourful Channa (or chickpea) Gravy - but it’s so good that, after making it before this interview, I knew I had to make a QUADRUPLE batch to satisfy my family when the day came to photograph the Doubles.
As you may have guessed, the dish has its roots in India, which was the perfect starting point for Moy to teach me about the unique history and diversity of Trinidad and Tobago.
Also, the version Moy gave me is gluten-free, as Moy cannot eat any gluten at all, and has used her considerable baking skills to develop recipes for many classic dishes. We discuss her diagnosis at length, but because this episode was already so rich and packed with information, I’m also releasing a bonus episode this Friday with Moy’s best tips for baking gluten-free foods.
Highlights
Moy’s jobs as an interior designer, artist, and baker
A History Lesson: Afro-Trinidadians & Indo-Trinidadians
Celiac disease and failure to diagnose
Opening a gluten-free shop and the people Moy serves
Memories of Moy’s dad baking bread: “a taste of heaven”
Family food traditions and a family catering business
The savviness & worldliness of Trinidadian tastes
The Indo-Trinidadian dish that "profoundly connects" all Trinidadians
Listen to Moy Now
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/gluten-free-doubles/
Episodes from More Caribbean Guests
More Caribbean Recipes
How to Contact Moy Lovell of Moy's Gluten-Free Kitchen
Website: www.MoysGlutenFreeKitchen.com
Moy's Gluten-Free Kitchen on Facebook
Moy's Gluten-Free Kitchen on Instagram
041 Time in The Kitchen: What We Will Remember Always with John and Rebekah Leekley
Jun 16, 2020
John and Rebekah are both Emmy-award winning screenwriters. They are parents to 4 children, doting grandparents, and absolutely passionate home cooks. In fact, I think they’re the most passionate home cooks I’ve ever met. John and Rebekah believe feasting together is the path to “creating family”. While Rebekah uses inspiration and solid know-how to use up leftovers in exciting, delicious ways, John takes a meticulously researched approach to his cooking. They combined their gifts, styles, and experiences to self-publish a cookbook titled Our Wild Savory Kitchen. Today, they’re sharing John’s jambalaya recipe, born one magical evening in the Bayou, perfected in long conversations with famed chef Paul Prudhomme, and now enjoyed together by Paul, Rebekah, and their children as a way of celebrating life.
Listen to John and Rebekah Leekley
John and Rebekah's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/dutch-oven-jambalaya-cajun-chef-paul-prudhomme/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Connect with John and Rebekah Leekley
Website: www.OurWildSavoryKitchen.com
Instagram: instagram.com/ourwildsavorykitchen
Cookbook: Our Wild Savory Kitchen Cookbook on Amazon
040 A Primer on Persian Culture with Nazli Bashi
May 27, 2020
I’m so grateful to welcome Nazli, an Iranian-born Australian today. She shared with me a recipe for Lamb and Lentil Kofte (also spelled Kofta or Kafta) , a combination of ground meat, seasonings, herbs, rice, and lentils molded into a ball gently cooked in a lovely tomato, turmeric, and onion sauce.
Some of us may be tempted to refer to this dish as a variation on meatballs… except for the Kafta’s traditionally massive size. In fact, as Nazli shares, in the region of Tabriz, women sometimes even cook entire chickens in their kofta!
Nazli also discusses a wartime childhood, the beauty of the landscape in Iran, and the ancient Persian culture that Iranians share with many other nations.
A final word about this episode, I would like to note that it is heavily edited. Welcome, Nazli.
Highlights
Driving through the mountains to the Caspian Sea
Visiting the ancient cities of the Persian Empire
The history of the Zorastrianism religion
Educating me: Persian / Arab / Iranian
The devastating war that shaped Nazli's childhood
Celebrating Nowruz
One Kofte that can serve 20 people (with a chicken inside!)
Memories of her mother preparing a meal from the floor
Listen to Nazli Now
Nazli's Storied Recipe: Koofteh Tabrizi (Persian Meatballs)
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/persian-meatballs/
More Guests of Persian Heritage
More Persian Recipes
How to Contact GUEST
Website: www.parionazi.com
Instagram: instagram.com/parionazi
Pinterest: pinterest.com/nazpar
039 "I Thought My Mother Was the Strongest Woman in the World" with Cheryl Norris
May 20, 2020
When Cheryl, an engineer by profession and also the blogger behind Bakes by Brown Sugar, and contestant on Great American Bakeoff Season 4, contacted me, it was the words she wrote about her mother that made me set up an interview as quickly as possible.
Several years after moving to Portland, OR in the 1940’s, Cheryl’s mother was a single parent of 7 kids, a self-employed seamstress, raising Cheryl, the baby of the family, all while also helping raise her grandkids. Cheryl writes, “Despite the poverty, mom always cooked amazing food with the simplest tools. I know her love was expressed in the food that she made and shared.”
Thrilled to welcome Cheryl to the podcast and to share her mother’s deceptively simple Kentucky Butter Cake, so good it’s worth burning your fingers to get the first syrup-soaked piece.
Highlights
Growing up only 2 years older than your niece
Cheryl’s mom’s first sick day in 20 years
How Cheryl’s mom primed her to be the first in her family to graduate college
Why engineers and mathematicians make the best bakers
The Great American Bakeoff
A cake in a suitcase
Self-doubt and trusting the process
Why room temperature eggs matter and the best trick for warming them
Listen to Cheryl Now
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/kentucky-cake-recipe/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact Cheryl Norris
Website: www.bakesbybrownsugar.com
Facebook: facebook.com/bakesbybrownsugar
Instagram: instagram.com/bakesbybrownsugar
Pinterest: pinterest.com/bakesbybrownsugar
038 Mornings With Mother, Math, and Chai Masala (with Karthika Gupta)
May 13, 2020
Born and raised in the diverse city of Bombay (Mumbai), India, Karthika later moved to the US. At the time Karthika’s beloved mother fell ill several years ago, Karthika was experiencing a personal renaissance as she transitioned from a career in computer science to photography.
When Karthika traveled back to India to care for her mother, she entered a period of self-reflection and out of this search for identity was born her enlightening podcast and captivating website, both named “Culturally Ours”.
Karthika touches on all of these things in this episode, but especially on memories of her mother, with whom Karthika shared the calm, peaceful morning hours for years and years. During these peaceful hours morning hours, Karthika’s mom cooked, Karthika studied, and they both drank from a bottomless pot of chai masala. Could a memory be any sweeter?
Highlights
Bombay/Mumbai
A childhood in the diverse financial capital of India
Just Karthika and Mom
Disliking cooking
The birth of a podcast (“Culturally Ours”)
Chai Masala – Methods and Memories
Why milk is a sacred offering in Hinduism
Listen to Karthika Now
Karthika's Storied Recipe: How to Make Chai Masala
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/how-to-make-chai-masala/
More Episodes From South Asian Guests
More Authentic Indian Recipes
How to Contact Karthika
The Culturally Ours Website: CulturallyOurs.com
Culturally Ours on Instagram: @culturallyours
Culturally Ours on Apple Podcasts: The Culturally Ours Podcast
Karthika’s Photography Website: KarthikaGupta.com
Karthika’s Photography on Instagram: @karthikagupta
037 "From France, Where the Air is Full of Lilac Scent" with Selina Goeldi
May 06, 2020
Selina has this special gift - the ability to transport others to a different time and place. After a career in economics, Selina took this genius and turned it into a life. She bought a very old place on a river in a remote corner of France (not unlike the place in Switzerland where she grew up.) There, she invites those wearied with the pace of the outside world to culinary retreats. Selina teaches her guests to reconnect to not only the food they eat, but also the pleasure of cooking.
Selina first discovered this as a child, when she told tall tales that enthralled her family. Later, in college, Selina led her friends into elegant worlds by throwing glamorous elaborate dinner parties where fancy dress was required. All of us who follow Selina on Instagram are captivated by her gift, and we’ve wondered after reading her poetic, storytelling captions - is this a fairy tale or is this real life? I’m here to say, Selina is very much a real person - a real, rooted, well-rounded person - with an extraordinary gift.
Highlights
A large house on a wall of an old town by a river in France
Culinary retreats to rediscover the pleasure of cooking
Branding: When art imitates life imitates art
Childhood on a Swiss Farm
Why Grandmother distanced herself from a German heritage
Owning decisions / Letting things happen
The soul of a place and "stirring well"
A no-bake chocolate cake that is... everything
Listen to Selina Now
Follow in Your Favorite Player
Selina's Storied Recipe: German Kalter Hund Cake
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/kalter-hund/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Connect with Selina
Website: Les Poisson Chats
Instagram: @lespoissonchats
Selina's Culinary Workshops: L’Art de Bien Manger
Recipes Associated With The "From France, Where the Air is Full of Lilac Scent" Episode
Kalter Hund - A German No Bake Layered Chocolate Cake
036 "Food Is Political" (But What Does That Mean?) with Anela Malik
May 01, 2020
When Anela Malik posted an honest, fair, nuanced review of a local restaurant that departed a little bit from the narrative repeated in most outlets, I thought: “I want to hear more from this woman.” Anela makes that easy by sharing freely about her sourdough baking, her workout regimen, bright red wedding dress, cats, AND her takes on how to support marginalized populations when we go out to eat. I was fascinated by her tagline, “Food is political”, because frankly, I wasn’t even sure what that meant. So, I reached out to hear from Anela about all about her dad, a resourceful and talented cook, cooking competitions with her siblings, her experiences living as an Expat in the Middle East that were the catalyst to start her blog, her “maximalist” but simple approach to cooking, and of course: this intriguing statement: “Food is political.” Thrilled to welcome Anela to the show today.
Highlights
Food blogging as a vehicle for advocacy
"The best stories I've encountered have had to do with food"
What does it mean: "Food is political"?
A dad who shared his affection through food
Food can be simple, but still flavorful
A food "maximalist"
The symbolism of fried chicken
Staying fit as a food blogger
Listen to Anela Now
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/maximalist-mushroom-toast-recipe/
Follow-Up Episode with Anela
More Black North American Guests
More Super Easy Recipes
How to Contact Anela
Website: Feed the Malik
Instagram: @FeedTheMalik
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FeedtheMalik/
Other Resources Mentioned in the Podcast
Michael Twitty: "The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the U.S."
035 One Bread, Four Generations, Three Continents with Shakila Majid
Apr 22, 2020
Roti Canai was a revelation to me - a simple bread dough is formed into balls, stretched very thinly, scrunched, spiraled, and re-flattened.
After being coated in ghee every step of the way, the flat bread is then fried in more ghee. Finally, the hot, crispy, buttery layers are pulled apart and eaten.
While new to me, this bread represents stability and family and love and home to my guest Shakila. The bread connects her the multi-cultural family that somehow made living together on one compound work in Singapore. The bread follows her to England and eventually the U.S. and finally, it was this bread that brought Shakila’s American son back to his Singaporean roots.
If any of us ever doubted the power of food, this episode will convince us that food is family, love, and memories.
Highlights
A mother to 4 before the age of 16
"They all cooked all the time."
A wedding reception for 700 people - and the surprising cooks
An extended, multi-cultural family living together on a compound in Singapore
The bread that took Shakila full circle
"Everything that came out of her kitchen was made with love. And I could taste it."
How to make Roti Canai (Roti Paratha)
Listen to Shakila Now
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/paratha-roti-recipe/
More Guests with Amazing Stories
More Recipes from Southeast Asia & Oceania
How to Contact Shakila Majid
Instagram: instagram.com/adventuresinflour
034 Carryout in COVID One Decision That Changed Everything with Vegetable & Butcher
Apr 13, 2020
Introduction
Last Wednesday, I hopped on the phone with Turner and Ariane, co-owners of Vegetable and Butcher, a prepared meal delivery service with a focus on plant forward foods for intentional eaters. At every turn of our conversation, I was surprised and delighted by how deeply personal these business owners were willing to be with me - so quick to show their human sides and vulnerabilities about business ownership in this current crisis. They particularly struck a sympathetic chord in me when they shared how difficult it is to make decisions that MUST be made immediately while knowing that the information at hand is insufficient. And when I asked them to share a particularly gut-wrenching decision, their response astounded me and earned my deep respect.
Highlights
How their need led to their mission
Returning loyalty and support to their employees in this crisis
Why a delivery business needs customer support more than ever
Working with customers to ease financial concerns
The contactless delivery process
Why PTO for all employees
Donating meals to GW Hospital and participating in the community
Listen to Turner & Ariane of Vegetable & Butcher
How To Find and Follow Vegetable & Butcher
Website: www.vegetableandbutcher.com
Instagram: @vegetableandbutcher
Email: hello@vegetableandbutcher.com
Facebook: facebook.com/vegetableandbutcher/
Information for Number 1 Sons, mentioned in this episode (as well as in Fresh Farm's Episode)
Website: number1sons.com
About the Carryout in COVID Series
Of all the conflicting information we’re receiving these days, I’m having the most difficulty reconciling the call to support small, local businesses with the command to stay home as much as possible. Can I support small restaurants without contributing to the spread of the virus? I felt the best way to answer this question was to hear the stories of businesses in crisis and ask THEM my questions. A variety of guests including owners, farmers, and journalists, are participating in this series, so make sure you check back to get a new perspective each day.
More "Carryout in Covid" Episodes
Recent Recipes
033 Carryout in COVID: Connecting Communities with Fresh Farms
Apr 10, 2020
Introduction
I reached out to Fresh Farm for this series because, as the host to 30 farmer’s markets in the DC Metro area featuring the work of 240 producers, I knew Fresh Farm would have a unique perspective on the struggles of both vendors and consumers during this crisis. What I did NOT know, but was absolutely THRILLED to learn about, is the number of meaningful programs Fresh Farm has in place to ensure access to fresh, nutritious food for underserved populations in DC. My regular listeners know that, as a mother of 4, I highly value time in the kitchen with my children. Therefore, I was personally MOST excited about their foodprints program in DC public schools bringing both food and food education to kids and parents. Thrilled to share this and so much more with you in Fresh Farm’s information packed interview. Here’s Molly Scalise, director of communications.
Highlights
30 markets/240 producers
Kids/parents in 15 public schools receiving fresh frood and education
Connecting local, fresh food to the underserved
SNAP/WIC matching donations
Biggest challenge in COVID - not what I expected!
Listen to Molly at Farm Fresh Now
How To Find and Follow Farm Fresh Markets
How to Connect with Fresh Farm
Website: freshfarm.org
Facebook: facebook.com/freshfarmdc
Instagram: @freshfarmdc
Information for Number 1 Sons, mentioned in this episode
Website: number1sons.com
About the Carryout in COVID Series
Of all the conflicting information we’re receiving these days, I’m having the most difficulty reconciling the call to support small, local businesses with the command to stay home as much as possible. Can I support small restaurants without contributing to the spread of the virus? I felt the best way to answer this question was to hear the stories of businesses in crisis and ask THEM my questions. A variety of guests including owners, farmers, and journalists, are participating in this series, so make sure you check back to get a new perspective each day.
More "Carryout in Covid" Episodes
Recent Recipes
032 Carryout in COVID : "Order Delivery and Tip Well" with Restraunteur Josh Sapienza
Apr 09, 2020
As I listened back to my interview with Josh, it slowly dawned on me why I enjoyed it so much. He’s kind of like that "movie Dad". Everyone in the neighborhood goes to him for advice because he’ll tell it to you straight, but he also gives a lot of hope, and you walk away knowing just what to do next.
After 20 years running operations for high end restaurants, celebrity-chef driven ventures, and national corporations, Josh has made a career of helping owners and chefs be THEIR best. He now moderates a facebook group giving free advice to over 6000 owners, he runs an online community sharing more advice, and has recently launched an app aimed at helping the hospitality community recover when this crisis is over.
After a heavy week, I’m thrilled to share his sage, comforting words with us today. Thanks again to Josh for helping me personally to gain clarity in my confusion, but also for helping this industry that so many of us depend on, whether we know it or not.
Highlights
Josh's wide-ranging career in the industry
Why this industry was equipped to pivot quickly
"Small business is too big to fail."
The safety of carryout/delivery vs. grocery store during Coronavirus
Great tips on what to ask your local restaurants
Listen to Josh Sapienza Now
About the Carryout in COVID Series
Of all the conflicting information we’re receiving these days, I’m having the most difficulty reconciling the call to support small, local businesses with the command to stay home as much as possible. Can I support small restaurants without contributing to the spread of the virus? I felt the best way to answer this question was to hear the stories of businesses in crisis and ask THEM my questions. A variety of guests including owners, farmers, and journalists, are participating in this series, so make sure you check back to get a new perspective each day.
More "Carryout in Covid" Episodes
Recent Recipes
How to Connect with Josh
Facebook: Josh Sapienza on Facebook
LinkedIn: Josh Sapienza on LinkedIn
Hospitality Helpline Website: www.hospitalityhelpline.com
Facebook Restaurant Owners Group: Restaurant and Bar Owners, Operators, and Managers
How To Find the Course App
COURSE® is the first (and only) restaurant recommendation app fueled by your own private reviews & artificial intelligence for a truly unique experience.
Website: www.trycourseapp.com
031 Carryout in COVID Series: Pivoting, Partnering, Providing with Emma Jagoz of Moon Valley Farms
Apr 08, 2020
Introduction
Between Thursday of one week and Tuesday of the following week, Emma Jagoz, owner and farmer at Moon Valley Farms, completely pivoted her business. One week 100% of her produce was serving the best restaurants in the Baltimore, DC, and Frederick areas. By the next week, she had opened her CSA early to provide fresh, safe food to her local community AND, by partnering with local organizations, she was also supplying shares to out-of-work restaurant workers. If this sounds amazing to you, as it did to me, consider that with 2 kids under the age of 2, Emma started this farm in her parents backyard, growing it over the last 9 years to serve up to 100 local restaurants and 250 CSA members. Emma makes a habit of doing great things… and the best thing, is that she invites us to do them with her.
Highlights
Starting with 2 children 2 and under
From a backyard plot to serving 100 restaurants and 250 CSA members
All injustice boils down to food access
Pivoting over a weekend from 100% restaurant sales to open the CSA early
New procedures to keep employees and customers safe
Partnering with her community and organizations to provide shares to out-of-work restaurant workers
Listen to Emma Now
About the Carryout in COVID Series
Of all the conflicting information we’re receiving these days, I’m having the most difficulty reconciling the call to support small, local businesses with the command to stay home as much as possible. Can I support small restaurants without contributing to the spread of the virus? I felt the best way to answer this question was to hear the stories of businesses in crisis and ask THEM my questions. A variety of guests including owners, farmers, and journalists, are participating in this series, so make sure you check back to get a new perspective each day.
More "Carryout in Covid" Episodes
How to Connect with Emma at Moon Valley Farm
Website: Moon Valley Farm
Instagram: @moonvalleyfarm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/moonvalleybaltimore
How to Find and Support Emma's Partners in Providing Fresh Food to Out-of-Work Restaurant Workers
Friends and Family Meal DC: www.friendsandfamilymeal.com
Friends and Family Meal on Instagram: @friendsandfamilymeal
Woodberry Kitchen Website: www.woodberrykitchen.com
Woodberry Kitchen on Instagram: @woodberrykitchen
How to Find Meghan Bakes Cookies
Thanks to Meghan for connecting me to Moon Valley Farms and for brightening my days with her beautiful designs!!!
Recent Recipes
030 Carryout in COVID: Howie Kahn "Eating is Complicated Right Now"
Apr 07, 2020
Introduction
"Eating is complicated right now." What does it say about our current state of affairs that I felt dangerously close to tears at this simple, validating statement from today's guest, Howie Kahn? For 20 years, the hospitality community gave journalist, author, and podcaster Howie Kahn delicious food, career success (you know, just a podcast that hit #1 on the food charts in iTunes), friendships, and even a wife. When this crisis hit, Howie and his wife knew it was time to support the people and restaurants that had given them so much. So Howie started an emergency podcast titled Takeaway Only. Every day, he is telling the stories of not only an industry in crisis, but a community that has mobilized to do truly noble and heroic work. From his knowledge of the industry that is as wide as it is deep, Howie provided me with exactly the clarity that I sought. He gives all of us clear, actionable advice when evaluating our food choices.
Highlights
The impact the hospitality industry has had on Howie
What's happening with 12-15 million restaurant workers?
The importance of communication between restaurants and guests right now
"Food is complicated right now" - How to evaluate our choices
Howie's latest emergency podcast "Takeaway Only"
Some of the inspiring, noble, heroic work restaurant owners are doing
The importance and the work of being a listener
Listen to Brandon Now
How To Find and Follow Fish Scale Restaurant
Address: 637 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
Website: FishScale Restaurant
Instagram: @wearefishscale
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wearefishscale
Twitter: @eatfishscaledc
About the Carryout in COVID Series
Of all the conflicting information we’re receiving these days, I’m having the most difficulty reconciling the call to support small, local businesses with the command to stay home as much as possible. Can I support small restaurants without contributing to the spread of the virus? I felt the best way to answer this question was to hear the stories of businesses in crisis and ask THEM my questions. A variety of guests including owners, farmers, and journalists, are participating in this series, so make sure you check back to get a new perspective each day.
More "Carryout in Covid" Episodes
Recent Recipes
029 Carryout in COVID: Fish Scale with Brandon Williams
Apr 06, 2020
028 Every 100 Kilometers in India with Pradeep Javedar
Apr 01, 2020
Introduction
Pradeep, my guest for Episode 022 "Every 100 Kilometers in India", is a trained medical doctor who teaches pharmacology in Mangalore, India by day and photographs for restaurants in his spare time. When I listened back to my interview with him, all I could think was how ignorant I sounded regarding the food, geography, and culture in India - and how patient he was with my many questions! But really, curiosity is the heart of this podcast - we can’t know about other cultures or bear witness to the lives of others without simply asking questions. Pradeep taught me something Indians say about their own country: “Every 100km, different food, different people, different culture.” I’m so thrilled today to share a little bit about the people, culture, and food that have shaped Pradeep.
Listen to Pradeep
Pradeep's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/brinjal-curry-recipe/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact Pradeep
Instagram: instagram.com/distilledstills
Facebook: www.facebook.com/distilledstills
027 A Conversation with Tina Zaccardi, Great Amerian Bakeoff Winner
Mar 25, 2020
Introduction
Tina Zaccardi, winner of The Great American Bakeoff Season 4 inspires me in two ways. First, she reminds us that everything takes time. On the other hand, as an amateur baker who never attended culinary or pastry school, she also reminds us that time IS sufficient to master any craft. Second, what I love most about Tina and her Nana’s child-friendly sprinkle cookies, is that Tina’s success (and this recipe) were ultimately motivated by the simple but lofty motive of baking delicious things to make others happy. And it’s nice to know that’s enough.
Highlights
Making Sprinkle Cookies with her grandmother when home sick
The long, rewarding path of self-education and taking risks
The scoop!! Behind the scenes in the tent
The moment she heard she won!
Listen to Tina Zaccardi
Tina's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/anginetti-cookies-italian-sprinkle-cookies/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How to Contact Tina Zaccardi
Website: www.tinazaccardi.com/
Instagram: @theitaliancookie
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tinazaccardibakes/
026 Tales from the French Countryside
Mar 18, 2020
The Storied Recipe Podcast introduces Claire-Marie, a captivating storyteller from The Valley of the Kings in France. She shares the enchanting tale of her grandmother's recipe for bugnes (beignets), which symbolizes both the magic of her region and the power of empathy and forgiveness in overcoming pain and hardship.
025 Going Vegan: Bonus Episode with Murielle Banackissa
Mar 13, 2020
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I know you fell in love with compassionate, confident, and humble Murielle AND the stories she shared in the episode I released Wednesday, “From Sunny Africa to Snowy Canada”.
There was one portion of our conversation that I believed was too interesting and important to edit down into that episode, so I’m releasing it right here, right now as a bonus episode.
Murielle shares the reasons she chose veganism, how this choice has affected her and her family, and candidly discusses the struggles and benefits of that choice. As a carnivore, I found plenty to challenge me, to research further, and even to which I could relate.
Highlights
Why she chose veganism
Her family’s different responses to her choice
Some common ethical questions
Some common nutritional questions
Struggles and benefits
Phases of Veganism
Listen to Murielle
Murielle's Storied Recipe: Vegan Shuba
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/shuba-recipe/
Related Episodes
More Vegan Recipes
How to Contact GUEST
Website: www.muriellebanackissa.com
YouTube: Murielle Banackissa
Facebook: www.facebook.com/murielle.banackissa
Instagram: @muriellebanackissa
Email: muriellebanackissa@gmail.com
These are some resources suggested by Murielle for those considering Veganism:
Documentaries Recommended by Murielle
Documentaries-
Earthlings (the documentary that made me go vegan)
Cowspiracy (on Netflix)
Best Speech you will Ever Hear - Gary Yourofsky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00LMmC4-
Game Changers (on Netflix)-
Land of Hope and Glory: https://www.landofhopeandglory.org/
Books-
How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger (about the health aspect of veganism)-
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (about the ethical & environmental aspect of veganism) YouTubers, Podcasters & Activists-
Earthling Ed: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVRrGAcUc7cblUzOhI1KfFg-
Mic the Vegan: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGJq0eQZoFSwgcqgxIE9MHw-
Colleen Patrick Goudreau’s Podcast, Food for Thought, available on Apple Podcast,
Stitcher & Spotify
My Favorite Vegan Bloggers-
Lauren Toyota (Hot For Food): https://www.hotforfoodblog.com/-
Richa Hingle (Vegan Richa): https://www.veganricha.com/-
Laura Wright (The First Mess): https://thefirstmess.com/-
Alexandra Daum (Occasionally Eggs): https://www.occasionallyeggs.com/ ** I am not sure if she is 100% vegan but most of her recipes are-
Natalie (Feasting on Fruit): https://www.feastingonfruit.com/
024 From Sunny Africa to Snowy Canada with Murielle Banackissa
Mar 11, 2020
Murielle is one of those people that redeem social media for me. When I first found her account, she was so warm in welcoming me to the food photography community, she even generously agreed to take time to get on the phone with me to talk about her experiences as a brand photographer and recipe developer.
That conversation was pivotal in my decision to go in a different direction and start this podcast. As I saw Murielle post about her childhood in Congo, her transition to Canada, being vegan, and the love and admiration she has for her mother, I knew I wanted to have her on as a podcast guest.
Given the limited knowledge that I had of her life experience, I was shocked when she sent over neither a Congolese nor Canadian dish. Instead, I received a recipe for Vegan Shuba - a version of a classic Ukranian dish!
Quick note before we begin - this episode will focus on her story and this dish and Friday I’ll be releasing an episode that is solely our conversation about veganism. I’m equally excited to share BOTH of these episodes!
Highlights
Life and food in Congo
Murielle's transition to Canada
Her journey to self-acceptance as a woman of color
Living in a bilingual city
Murielle's amazing mother
Grocery shopping with her mother
Becoming a food photographer
Listen to Murielle
Murielle's Storied Recipe: Vegan Shuba
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/shuba-recipe/
More Guests with African Heritage
More Vegan Recipes
/
How To Contact Murielle
Email: muriellebanackissa@gmail.com
Website: www.muriellebanackissa.com
YouTube: Murielle Banackissa
Facebook: www.facebook.com/murielle.banackissa
Instagram: @muriellebanackissa
023 Purim Traditions: Honoring a Mother's Legacy of Love with Lauren Kandel
Mar 04, 2020
For Lauren and her sister Jenny, Purim is about two things: hamantaschen and remembering their mother, Maxine. Every year without fail, these two sisters gather to carry on their mother’s tradition of making hundreds of Hamantaschen to share with their expectant, grateful children and community. And I can see why their children and neighbors treasure this tradition - these soft, flaky, triangular cookies are three bites of perfectly balanced crust and sweet (but not too sweet!) filling.
Highlights
Maxine's adventurous, inclusive approach to food
What Lauren did when other kids were coloring
The annual Hamantaschen-making tradition
The one time Lauren made hamantaschen in July
Who eats all these hamantaschen?
Food = stability for kids
Listen to Lauren
Lauren's Mother's Classic Hamantaschen Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/best-hamantaschen-recipe/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
022 "I am Piotr's Granddaughter" with Lydia Cottrell
Feb 26, 2020
An American-born Ukranian named Lydia reached out to me in December. She wrote, “I love the concept of this podcast. Our memories are so tied up with food.
I found my entire family in a Ukranian village. When I turned around, there on the table were the same foods I had grown up eating.” I was immediately intrigued and wanted to hear more of this story.
As Lydia shared this beautiful story centered around Varenyky (otherwise known as pierogies), I learned why she is so very proud to call herself Piotr’s Granddaughter. I also came to understand how proud Piotr would be of his granddaughter Lydia.
Highlights
Verynyky/Pierogis
Why Lydia keeps a piece of coal on her kitchen windowsill
Working in Ukraine after the wall fell
Finding long-lost family
Trading shots of homemade vodka with a dying woman
Lessons for adoptive families
Listen to Lydia
Lydia's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/ukranian-varynyky-recipe-pierogis/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
021 A Fat Tuesday Semla Competition with Norwegian Chef Mikko
Feb 19, 2020
Around this time last year, I first learned of semla. These fragrant, airy spiced buns are stuffed with hidden pockets of almond paste or jam and piled high with whipped cream.
They are made only one season out of the year - to celebrate Fat Tuesday. The Swedish and the Finnish each have their own slightly different versions of semla. Who better to teach us about both than a Finnish chef trained in Stockholm, Sweden?
Chef Mikko Kosonen owns the DC restaurant Mikko Nordic Fine Food, which just happens to have 134 reviews and 5 stars on Google. Among other clients, Chef Mikko caters for the Finnish and Swedish embassies. For the second year running, Chef Mikko is running a competition to see which semla sells the best.
I’m thrilled that Mikko took the time to explain to me the finer points of semla as well as his dogged journey toward becoming a successful, highly sought-after chef.
Highlights
Swedish vs. Finnish Semla
How a childhood in the Finnish countryside led him to a career as a chef
The cuisines in different regions of Finland
The effects of climate change on Finnish cooking
Shrove Tuesday traditions in Finland
Chef's best tips on making semla
Listen to Chef Mikko
Chef Mikko's Famous Semla Bun Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/semla-recipe
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How To Contact Chef Mikko
Website: www.chefmikko.com
Facebook: facebook.com/ChefMikkoCatering/
Instagram: @chefmikko
020 Lessons From an Iconic NYC Bakery with Seth Greenberg
Feb 12, 2020
Together, Seth Greenberg and his father baked for a combined 80 years at their iconic NYC Bakery!
In this Valentine’s episode, Seth and his girlfriend Corinna came on together. They share a nostalgic classic cookie dough used for at least 3 desserts in the classic bakery: jam thumbprints, Valentine’s heart cookies, and well as chocolate-dipped cookies.
They also teach us lessons from Seth’s dad, who set up shop in New York after World War II. For 50 years he provided residents with baked goods for their most cherished events and life lessons to Seth. What an honor to have Seth and Corinna on today!
Highlights
How WWII and the US Army launched the career of Seth’s dad
Wise words from an artisan who handcrafted over 2 MILLION “schnecken”
Seth’s first job in the bakery - at just 5 years old
The values Seth learned from the employees at his dad’s story
The evolution of rent, costs, and running a business in NYC
The importance of quality ingredients in baked goods
Tips from a master baker on making sugar cookies
Listen to Seth
Seth Greenberg's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/valentines-day-sugar-cookies/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How To Contact Seth
Website: www.sethgreenbergsjustdesserts.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Seth-Greenbergs-Just-Desserts/
Instagram: @bakegreenbergny
019 "We Were Not Leprosy" with Suwanee Lennon
Jan 29, 2020
I had momentary misgivings when Suwanee Lennon, an Instagram friend but otherwise a stranger, invited me to a small gathering at her friend’s house. I arrived to tables full of Thai food and welcoming people who convinced me to eat spicy chicken feet!
But what was far more memorable about that day were the stories I heard. I soon learned that these friends, or sisters as they called themselves, who had so generously welcomed me into their midst, were all raised together in a leprosy camp.
I sat in awe of the gentleness, compassion, resilience, and most of all - the good humor - of these women.
Today, Suwanee has graciously agreed to share not just her stories, but also these qualities, with all of us.
Where many healthy people would distance themselves from the physical suffering and social shame of lepers, Suwanee grew up proud of her family and devoted to their struggles.
I promise you, Suwanee's story will inspire you to greater love and loyalty - and to think of loyalty in a whole new way.
Highlights
Learning about Suwanee's 3 loving mothers
Her uncle's courage and dignity
What survivors eat
Why Suwanee was no longer safe in her community
The impact of world cuisine on Suwanee's cooking
A trip back to Thailand that took Suwanee full circle
Listen to Suwanee
Suwanee's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/spicy-ramen-noodles-recipe/
More Episodes from Third Culture Adults
More East Asian Recipes
How To Contact Suwanee
Website: www.simplysuwanee.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/simplysuwanee/
Instagram: @simply.suwanee
018 All About the Lunar New Year with Anonymous
Jan 24, 2020
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Welcome to another bonus episode! In these episodes, I don’t get to try a new recipe. However, I DO get to dig a little deeper into a topic raised in a regular episode.
Earlier this week, I released an interview featuring Emily Ho. In it, we discussed her family’s Sticky Rice Cake. This cake, otherwise known as Nian Gao, is traditionally eaten for Chinese New Year.
017 Lunar New Year Memories with Emily Ho
Jan 22, 2020
I’m so happy to welcome Emily Ho, a recent Saveur Blog Award winner of the Editor’s Choice for Best Food Instagram to The Storied Recipe Podcast!
Emily reached out to me to share her family’s Glutinous Rice Cake recipe along with her memories of the Chinese New Year, which just happens to be this Saturday, January 25th. I learned so much in this interview about this cake and other traditional Chinese flavors and confectionaries, the history of Taiwan, and Emily’s experiences.
This episode focuses on Emily's experience as a second-generation immigrant to the US. For more facts on the traditions, history, and culture surrounding Lunar New Year check out this episode: All About The Lunar New Year with Huilan.
Highlights
The ideal texture of a sticky rice cake
The idiom "Nian Gao"
Her family's migration from China to Taiwan to LA
What does it mean to be born in the Year of the Rat (or the Rabbit)?
What are sweet red beans?
Emily's favorite bakes for Chinese New Year
Listen to Emily
Emily's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/glutinous-rice-cake/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
How To Contact Emily
Website: www.ashortgirlsfeast.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashortgirlsfeast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashortgirlsfeast/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ashortgirlsfeast/
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016 Grandmother's Hungarian Friday Meal with Dora Hurley
Jan 15, 2020
Today I’m so honored to introduce you to a new friend of mine, Dora Hurley, as she tells us about a very cheap, very simple but very delicious Hungarian “Friday Meal” which served both religious and practical purposes.
I also talk to Dora about her migration to Ireland from Hungary and the contrast between living and eating on “the continent”, as Dora calls it, and a tiny island nation, where she and her husband raise their 3 boys.
Highlights
Religious and practical reasons for this “Friday meal”
Food deprivation, food security, and food as currency
A kitchen nook the size of an Ikea desk
THE Schnapps
How Dora’s grandmother worked 2 jobs and still made her feel like the center of her world
Quitting an advertising job to waitress in Ireland
Life and food on “The Continent” vs. Life and food on the island of Ireland
Becoming a goal crusher
Listen to Dora
Dora's Storied Recipes
Hungarian Chunky Potato Soup
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/5-ingredient-potato-soup-without-milk/
Makos Guba: Hungarian Poppy Seed Bread Pudding
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/poppy-seed-bread-pudding/
More Eastern European Guests
More Eastern European Recipes
015 Bonus Episode: All My Questions About British Food Culture
Jan 10, 2020
I do hope you've had a chance to fall in love with Tilda's very British self-deprecating humor, her Nanny, and her patience with my questions about food culture already! If you haven't gotten a chance to hear Episode 011, Nanny's Syrup Sponge Pudding, take a listen. You'll love it! This episode is a continuation of the conversation, but a little less cut and a little more free-wheeling. Essentially, as I read Jane Austen novels and watched The Crown and the Great British Baking Show at home here in America, I've generated some stereotypes and questions about British food culture that I was so curious to explore. In this episode, Tilda patiently answers my questions with detail and good humor. It was a fun chat! I think you'll enjoy the episode's less edited feel, also. I'm often fitting as much as 2 hours of conversation into 45 minutes, but in this case, I mostly just released the discussion as it happened. Thanks again to Tilda and please enjoy the episode!!!
Highlights
Is teatime a real thing, and what do Brits eat for tea?
Identifying as "British" instead of "English"
Great British Baking Show:
The application process
Tilda's interview with John Whaite
Are they really that nice?
Bonfire Night
Rosewater, clotted cream, and other common GBBO ingredients
Listen to Tilda
Tilda's Storied Recipe
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/golden-syrup-pudding/
Related Episodes
Related Recipes
More about Tilda:
After years as a journalist for a British lifestyle magazine, Tilda recently went freelance and now researches, writes about, and photographs food for many publications. You can view more of Tilda's work here: https://www.matildabourne.co.uk/
Tilda references an interview with John Whaite in this bonus episode and here's a link to that article: https://www.matildabourne.co.uk/editorial/john-whaite-interview-for-the-cake-amp-bake-show-october-2018
014 "We'll Fight 'Em On The Beaches" with Tilda Bourne
Jan 08, 2020
Welcome back from our holiday break! I’m absolutely thrilled to return today with professional food journalist and photographer, Tilda Bourne. In this episode, Tilda shares memories of her generous, savage, “very British” grandmother. We also discuss her Nanny’s recipe for a syrup sponge pudding. One fun fact about Tilda. Although we've never met in person, she's the one who convinced me to jump into the podcasting world with both feet!
Highlights
An idyllic childhood
Expectations of city kids vs. rural kids
Becoming a journalist
Nanny. Her life, illness, Britishness, and the island she lived on
Defining (golden) syrup, sponge, and pudding
Tips for making the pudding
Listen to Tilda's Story
Tilda's Storied Recipe: Nana's Golden Syrup Steamed Pudding
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/golden-syrup-pudding/
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013 The Christmas Pudding Episode with Robert & Lisa Stewart
Dec 18, 2019
In this episode, Robert and Lisa share fond memories and hilarious stories of the annual making of the Boiled Christmas Pudding hosted by Robert's mother and his Aunt Carol. If the holidays are a time for catching up with old friends, laughter, and taking a respite from the drudgery of every day life, this is the ultimate holiday episode. Between high school and college, I spent a gap year in Japan. There I met Robert, truly one of the funniest and fun-loving people I know. After that year, we stayed in touch as he met and married Lisa. They raise their family in Japan. Our families only see each other every 4 or 5 years. However, as you will hear, those times are as joyful and familiar as if we saw one another every day.
Highlights
A lot of laughter
What is a Christmas Pudding anyway??
Memories of stirring the pudding for good luck
Interpreting multiple versions of the same recipe
More laughter
4 generations born in 4 different nations
A non-food Christmas tradition from Robert's family that deeply affected me
Listen Now to Robert & Lisa
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012 Festive Ecuadorian Pastries with Melissa Sampero
Dec 11, 2019
Several weeks ago, after I posted a photo of my mother and I cooking together, Melissa messaged me to share how much she misses her mom.
Melissa lives in Seattle and her mother lives in Ecuador. As a result, they can't be together for many holidays. While the holidays are the hardest for homesickness,
Melissa channels her heartache into cooking her favorite Ecuadorian sweets for others. Around Christmas and New Year's, she likes to make a lot of festive Ecuadorian celebration pastries. Naturally, I asked her to share one with you and me.
Happily, Melissa obliged by sending over her recipe for Pristinos, a simple Ecuadorian pastry shaped like a crown and deep fried. After I tried the recipe once, we settled in for our interview which felt just like talking to an old friend. Enjoy!
Highlights
Christmas and New Year's in Ecuador
Moving from the US to Ecuador at 9 years old
Carefree days chewing on sugarcane in Ecuador
Processing sugar - an education for me!
Living with less
Making pristinos in the brick oven studio
Frying tips
Bartending competitions!
The significance of a smile
Listen to Melissa
Melissa's Storied Recipe
Ecuadorian Pristiños for Christmas & New Years
These famous fried dough pastries, dusted with powdered sugar or dipped in a sugar cane syrup, are light, airy, and perfectly sweet. With each bite, you'll experience a heavenly combination of crispness on the outside and a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture on the inside. Don't miss the opportunity to savor the enchanting taste of Pristinos and transport yourself to a world of sweet bliss.
More Guests with Central/South American Heritage
More Central/South American Recipes
How to Follow Melissa Sampedro
www.MelissaSampedro.com
The World Kitchen Adventures Blog
Instagram: @world_kitchen_adventures
011 Grandpa Cacao's Granddaughter with Artist & Author Liz Zunon
Dec 04, 2019
On one of our regular Friday afternoon trips to the library, a particular book caught my eye. I first noticed the rich, colorful, and intricately detailed painting on the cover. The title of the book, Grandpa Cacao, was printed over an image of a strong and loving grandfather smiling down at a little girl holding a chocolate bar.
After we returned home, I was delighted to read Grandpa Cacao to my sons. The book is the story of a little girl baking a chocolate cake with her father. Through this act, the child is connected across generations, seasons, and continents to her grandfather in the Ivory Coast.
I’m incredibly honored to have as my guest Liz Zunon, the author and illustrator of this beautiful book, as my guest today.
Highlights
Liz talks about the little girl in the story and her connection to her Ivorian grandfather
Liz educates us on cacao farming in the Ivory Coast
Why fair trade chocolate?
Chocolate is not candy" - an explanation
Memories of her eating her mother's Gateau de Chocolate and her father's Riz au Gras
Creating a "visual language" to tell a story through illustration
The techniques Liz used to illustrate Grandpa Cacao
Listen to Liz
Liz's Storied Recipes
Chocolate Celebration Cake
This super simple Chocolate Celebration Cake is pure chocolate bliss. Infused with deep cocoa flavors, this is a dense and rich cake for any birthday, anniversary, or simply a desire to treat yourself.
Riz au Gras
This savory West African dish combines fragrant rice, tender meat, and a medley of flavorful spices, resulting in a comforting and satisfying meal that will transport your taste buds to new heights. Don't miss the chance to experience the rich flavors and cultural heritage of this mouthwatering dish – it's a true feast for the senses!
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010 Thanksgiving In Italy with Laura Clark
Nov 20, 2019
Happy Thanksgiving (a week early!) This week’s episode features Laura Clark, who spent two years in Italy. While there for the holidays, Laura made yeasted potato rolls from an old family recipe she enjoyed with her cousins at childhood Thanksgivings. While there was pressure making the rolls for an Italian from Naples, home to the best bread in the world, Laura's rolls received rave reviews! Today, she's sharing the recipe for these rolls with us, as well as a classic cranberry tea she also enjoyed at her childhood Thanksgiving table. I especially appreciate that Laura was willing to be vulnerable in this episode about the fact that her time in Italy was both the best and the worst two years of her life, and about the creative awakening it stirred in her.
Highlights
Laura sounds like a Food Network Star discussing her recipes!
Memories of a childhood Thanksgiving in the country
Reminiscing about communication in the 80's. WOAH, have we come a long way!
Laura's journey to Italy
The food in Bologna (!!!!!)
Christmas Markets in Italy
Making a Thanksgiving dinner in Italy
Tips and tricks for the rolls
Listen to Laura
Laura's Storied Recipes
Perfect Mini Bread Rolls
These delightful mini bread rolls are the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving feast. Soft, fluffy, and packed with mouthwatering flavors, they'll have your taste buds dancing with joy. Don't miss out on these irresistible rolls that will make your Thanksgiving meal unforgettable!
Spiced Cranberry Orange Tea
Add a refreshing twist to your Thanksgiving celebration with this delightful Cranberry Orange Tea recipe. Bursting with tangy cranberry and zesty orange flavors, this warm and comforting beverage will be the perfect companion to your festive feast.
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009 In Praise of Simple Cooking with Lori Gamble
Nov 13, 2019
The thing that most struck me about Lori is her unusual ability to both accept life as it is and yet take control of all that she can. It was this ability, along with her grandparents patient teaching of basic cooking skills, that allowed Lori to take over the cooking for her family at the age of 10 - and she loved it. Like her family’s classic beef barbeque recipe, I found Lori’s words to be bold yet comforting and just *exactly* what I needed. Although cooking is, without a doubt, Lori’s love language, I think this is the episode that will prove most helpful and affirming to listeners that DON’T love cooking. Either way, I believe Lori’s memories and example will help all of us to choose joy.
Listen to Lori Now
Lori's Storied Recipe
Hot, beefy, sweet & tangy beef. Easy prep - Cook all day and serve a crowd at night!
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008 Bonus Episode: Dee's Baking Tips for Beginners
Nov 08, 2019
As a very decidedly home baker, I've been a lucky, thankful recipient of many of Dee's baking tips for beginners. When I was making the brown sugar cinnamon bread to prep for Episode 3 of The Storied Recipe, it just did not come out right at all the first time! I reached out to Dee. She looked at the recipe and immediately had 4 or 5 guesses of what I did wrong. I followed all of her tips and, well - you can see the results for yourself. I was absolutely in awe that someone could diagnose my issues!
In this episode, Dee shares her best baking tips with us!!
Listen to Dee
Dee's Storied Recipe
Flaky, salty, crunchy, cheesy, golden brown - Greek Tiropitas. These simple filo packets have all the deliciousness!!!
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Hear More From Dee
This bonus episode is in association with Episode 005, “Jewish Flavors, The World’s Flavors”. In that episode, I interviewed Dee Frances, otherwise known on social media and the internet as One Sarcastic Baker, about her family’s Iranian, Moroccan, Greek, and Jewish heritage. After editing ruthlessly, that episode was still 47 minutes packed full of stories, education, and inspiration. The one final thing that I felt deserved its own stand-alone episode was Dee’s top tips for all of us home bakers.
Find Dee Online
www.onesarcasticbaker.com
www.instagram.com/onesarcasticbaker
007 Jewish Flavors, The World's Flavors with Dikla Levy Frances
Nov 06, 2019
As today's guest, Dee Frances, and I batted around recipe options for this episode, I was fascinated by the rich heritage she drew from - Iranian, Moroccan, Greek, and Jewish, all in her own family! In this episode, Dee shows us that Jewish cooking is a direct result of the unique history of the Jewish people. It is a blend of the best flavors and techniques that the world offers. As a professional baker and successful blogger, Dee is specially equipped to spread the knowledge and love of Jewish food with us.
Highlights
The amazing story of one person's empathy influencing 5 generations
An equally amazing story of one person turning away from a childhood without empathy and becoming a father full of empathy
Jewish food = The world's food
The unlikely story of an Israeli woman meeting and marrying a man from Utah
How Dee became a professional baker
Tips on making the most crispy, mouth-watering Greek cheese pies (Tiropitas)
Jewish holidays, Jewish baking
Listen to Dee
Dee's Storied Recipe
excerpt about recipe
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2 Bonus Episodes From Dee: Tips for Home Bakers
Follow Dee
I haven't come across a single person that knows her baking science like Dee knows her baking science. As she shared in the Bonus Episode: Dee's Top Tips for Home Bakers, she truly thrives in helping other bakers troubleshoot, improve, and learn. You'll definitely be doing yourself a favor to follow her!!
Dee's Website: One Sarcastic Baker
Dee's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onesarcasticbaker/
006 Halloween 2019 - 3 Perspectives
Oct 30, 2019
Welcome to The Storied Recipe Halloween Episode! Halloween seemed like a holiday that The Storied Recipe podcast simply had to cover. It's a holiday that contributed to so many of our most vivid childhood memories and many were centered on food. After all, the crowning event of the holiday is walking about and begging for food! So, I put out an open call for Halloween Storied Recipes. I received responses from some of the most unexpected guests and the interviews went in three different directions. Here's a little about each guest and what they covered.
Amie's Caramel Popcorn Balls:
We begin with Amie’s “wisp of a memory” of making caramel balls with her parents in their 70’s kitchen. I chose to start with Amie because she really distilled Halloween down to one word: “Welcome”. You’ll agree there’s no better way to begin a show about food than with Welcome! She also introduced me to the phrase "the joy and labor of cooking" which I found to be so profoundly beautiful and accurate. Isn't it true that cooking is both?
Beverly's Gory Decapitated Meatloaf Zombie
Beverly responded to my request for Halloween storied recipes with images of gruesome, edible sculptures that she created for Halloween last year. I was impressed with the detail and artistry in her sculpture and intrigued by her bio, which said: "Plant-based food photographer, Filipino, Architect, Environmentalist". Even though Beverly didn’t have a recipe to share, I was interested to hear more about each part of her bio and I know you will be too. My interview with Beverly is a little over 13 minutes.
Some of Beverly's work is featured here below.
Brenda's Southern Harvest Celebrations
Brenda befriended me on Instagram several months ago and offered to share her recipe for an apple-shaped cheese ball, which would be perfect for a harvest party. Now, a cheese ball wasn’t the most exciting recipe I could fathom, but I find Brenda so fun, knowledgeable, and entertaining, I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to talk with her. Sure enough, she had me laughing in 30 seconds, and I walked away from the interview with two additional recipes I just had to try!
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/southern-pimento-cheese-recipe/
https://thestoriedrecipe.com/spicy-candied-bacon/
Listen to the Halloween Episode Now
More Holiday Episodes
More Episodes with Food Professionals
005 Baking Bread with Grandmother In The Old White Farmhouse with Liz Mulligan
Oct 23, 2019
Every Christmas as a child, I unwrapped the Brown Sugar Grandma ornament, a plump, pink-cheeked, white-haired figure. When today’s guest, Liz, told me about her grandmother’s Brown Sugar Cinnamon Bread recipe, I thought I had found the real-life version of that Christmas ornament. However, as Liz’s interview shows - even a grandmother who smells like cinnamon is a real person. Virginia Dayton was, to Liz, love and strength - a pillar that could be a pill. In other words, she was like you and me.
Below is a picture of Virginia Dayton, Liz's beloved Grandmother, and baker of the famous award-winning Cinnamon Brown Sugar Bread!
Highlights
A walk into an old white farmhouse filled with the smells of baking bread, hair products, cinnamon, and cigar smoke
A Flemish nun in a sports car
Womanhood then and now: "What is this 'Overwhelmed' we all feel?"
A eulogy that included Meyers-Briggs results
The legacy of Virginia Dayton
Listen to Liz
Liz's Storied Recipe from Virginia Dayton
A golden, moist bread filled with the yummy flavors of brown sugar and cinnamon. The smell when it's baking will make your kitchen feel cozy and inviting. This recipe is easy to follow, so whether you're an experienced baker or just starting out, you can make this bread and impress your family and friends.
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004 Bonus Episode: Czech Heirloom Pieces
Oct 18, 2019
This is a special bonus episode to Episode 002 - Charcuterie Board, A Story of Rejection, Defection, and Redemption.
When I interviewed Daniela, our original conversation was almost 2 hours long - and I still had things I wanted to ask about! Of the many things I was forced to cut, it seemed too great a shame not to share the background to the exquisite, Czech heirloom pieces Daniela gave me to photograph her recipes. She begins by telling us about her Czech grandmother, in whose china cabinet many of these antiques stood. She then goes on to describe the history and layers of meaning that make these antique pieces so valuable.
Part of the reason my conversation with Daniela was so long, is that a little way into our communication process, she told me she had written a memoir of her life! Daniela's powerful book provided a great deal of content for us to discuss, the vast majority of which we never even touched in our conversation. If you loved these episodes, as I did, I would encourage you to find and read On Both Sides of the Iron Curtain by Daniela Husnik Wilson.
Highlights
Memories of Grandma's House
A vase from Grandma's house with layer upon layer of meaning
Fields of red poppies
A hand-stitched runner that was years in the making
A hand-written recipe book
China passed down from generation to generation over 150 years
The very risky superstition of "sibling cups"
Listen to Daniela
Daniela's Storied Recipes
excerpt about recipe
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003 Rejection, Defection, and Redemption with Daniela Wilson
Oct 16, 2019
When Daniela responded early to my open call for Storied Recipes with a wish for me to assemble and photograph a charcuterie board, I couldn’t understand the request. It seemed… vague, unspecific to any hertiage, and open to a variety of ingredients and approach.
Little did I know how this board represented a story of rejection, defection, and redemption. When I finally understood how the board tied together the many strands and people in Daniela’s dramatic story of contrasts, I felt overwhelmingly thankful that I had not allowed my assumption to limit me from following through on Daniela’s request.
One note on this episode - our original conversation was almost two hours long and I edited it to around 45 minutes. I am including at least one bonus episode with this story and will welcome requests for further bonus episodes.
Highlights
A name that tells the story of a dramatic life of suffering and hope. Plus the naming conventions that make it easier to find a doctor in Czech Republic!
Life defining memories made as a 5 year old resulting in a life long struggle against feelings of fear, trauma, and rejection
The desperate choice Daniela made between life and death as a 19 year old
Whether communism or openness led to more changes in authentic, traditional Czech cooking
A different approach to meals in Czech Republic
That line between cooking as an act of love or an act of control
A very, VERY different approach to Easter Egg Hunts
Christmas dinner that lived in a bathtub!!
How is it that the Czech people ate meat and flour for almost every meal and were never overweight?
The culture shock of a first visit to a Canadian supermarket
You can find Daniela's book here: Both Side of the Iron Curtain
Listen to Daniela
Daniela's Storied Recipes
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002 Storied Recipes According to My Kids
Oct 11, 2019
I interview four special guests for this bonus episode of The Storied Recipe - to me, they are the 4 most special guests in the world: my sons. I wanted to record and release this episode for 2 reasons: first, as a way of introducing myself to my listeners. Second, I wanted to make it abundantly clear that, while I host a show celebrating romantic, happy food memories, we eat meals just like anyone else’s - a mix of the mundane and the special. In all areas of our life, we embrace the proverb: To everything, there is a season. A time for cake from boxes, a time for homemade donuts.
Highlights
Nicholas, 5 years old (4 minutes, 10 seconds)
what my kindergartener won't eat in lunch and what he really wants.
His job when he makes blueberry muffins LINK
Rapid fire food either/or - find which one he couldn't decide between
what Daddy's don't know how to do ;-)
what he will make for his kids if he's a dad
Joshua, 9 years old
What he would make if he wanted to say "I love you" vs. What I make when I want to say "I love you"
The meal he made that he was most proud of
Our waffle toppings
The hardest thing about making a recipe
We brainstorm a birthday cake, pictured here LINK - plus, the shortcuts we take and don't take on cakes
what he will make for his kids when he's a dad
Marcus
What my aspiring YouTuber thinks about my podcasting equipment and what his friends think about me being on Instagram
The one thing he makes and who cooks the most and who cooks the least...
My Draconian rules for the kitchen and how we handle cleanup AND my biggest pet peeve
The reason it took me a long time to figure out the favorite meal he was asking me to make
His thoughts on cooking for his kids
His "ambitious" food wish list for his birthday
Jack
Two things he tasted (even though I told him not to) that he wished he didn't taste as a little kid
When he first started cooking on his own, without my help or input, and the very first thing he got to do
The way he tried to be like me in the kitchen
The ways we're most different in the kitchen and the different recipes we're drawn to
My happiest memories of Jack's amazing baking being a blessing to ME!
Listen to My Kids
My Kid's Storied Recipes
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001 Food as A Culinary Bridge Between Ghana and the US with Adjwoa Acheampong
Oct 02, 2019
Kelewele and the tight-knit Ghanaian community were the constants in Adjwoa’s childhood, which was split between Ghana, where she was raised by her fiery, entrepreneurial grandmother and the U.S. where her industrious and loving mother taught her the rules of the kitchen and further instilled the value of community.
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