Do you daydream about dropping everything and opening a restaurant? Have you always wondered what it would be like to start your own line of condiments? So many trailblazers in the food world actually started their careers in entirely different fields. How did these folks decide to hit the brakes, start over, and become inspiring the chefs, entrepreneurs, farmers and activists they are today? Hear their stories and learn how you too can fulfill your food dreams. Join cohosts Vallery Lomas and Ethan Frisch on Why Food? If you made a leap of faith to work in the food industry...
Latest episodes
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42 min
Abena Foli: POKS Spices
Join us for a conversation with Abena Foli, who is the founder and co-owner of POKS Spices. Abena was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, where she lived until 2006 when she imm…
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43 min
Reem Assil: Arab Street Food, California Style
Join us for a conversation with renowned chef and activist Reem Assil. Reem is a Palestinian-Syrian chef based in Oakland, CA, and owner of the nationally acclaimed Reem’s Californ…
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37 min
Ariana Tolka: Balkan Bites
Join us for a conversation with Ariana Tolka, CEO and co-founder of Balkan Bites. They specialize in comfort foods such as burek, a flaky, stuffed phyllo pie that is a daily staple…
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42 min
Bobbie Garbutt: 4th Generation Nutmeg Farmer
Join us for a conversation with Bobbie Garbutt, live from Grenada! A 4th generation cocoa and spice farmer in Grenada, Bobbie didn't envision her career in agriculture. Kicking off…
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37 min
Samah Dada: Dada Eats
Join us for a conversation with Samah Dada! Samah is a New York City-based recipe developer, food photographer, and blogger behind Dada Eats. Drawing from her Indian heritage and i…
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51 min
Margaret Nyamumbo: Kahawa 1893 Coffee
Join us for a conversation with Margaret Nyamumbo, founder of Kahawa 1893. Margaret is a third generation coffee farmer and grew up on a farm in Kenya before immigrating to the USA…
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47 min
Preeti Mistry: Activist Chef
Join us for a conversation with Preeti Mistry, acclaimed chef, author and speaker and two time-nominatee by the James Beard Foundation for Best Chef of the West. They were the Co-F…
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43 min
Ederique Goudia: Taste the Diaspora Detroit
Join us for a conversation with Ederique Goudia, the Detroit-based chef and entrepreneur. Ederique Goudia is the co-owner and Executive Chef of Gabriel Hall, a restaurant and music…
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53 min
Hetty McKinnon: To Asia with Love
Join us for a conversation with Hetty McKinnon, author of the new cookbook, To Asia with Love. Hetty is is a Chinese-Australian cook and food writer, based in Brooklyn, New York. S…
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54 min
Larissa Zimberoff: Technically Food
Join us for a conversation with journalist Larissa Zimberoff, author of the brand new book, Technically Food: Inside Silicon Valley's Mission to Change What We Eat, from Abrams Pre…
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46 min
Yao Zhao: 50Hertz Sichuan Pepper
Join us for a conversation with Yao Zhao, founder of 50Hertz Sichuan Pepper. Born and raised in Chongqing, China, he is an economist and clean energy expert, and has worked in Chin…
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43 min
Peter Reinhart: Pizza Quest
Join us for a conversation with Peter Reinhart, Chef on Assignment at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC. In addition to his role as a chef instructor in the Baking & Past…
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50 min
Rob Dunn: Delicious
Join us for a conversation with Rob Dunn, professor of applied ecology and author of the new book Delicious, about the ways that flavor has influenced human evolution. The book is…
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41 min
Ann Armbrecht: The Business of Botanicals
Join us for a conversation with Ann Armbrecht, director of the Sustainable Herbs Program of the American Botanical Council, and author of the new book The Business of Botanicals. S…
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45 min
Alex Godin: Lemontree Foods
Join us for a conversation with Alex Godin, founder of Lemontree, a non-profit that helps hungry people find free food. He started his career when he was still in high school–dropp…
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50 min
Suresh Pillai & Carrie Dashow: Atina Foods
Join us for a conversation with Suresh Pillai and Carrie Dashow, the married co-founders of Atina Foods. They adapt traditional Ayurvedic recipes to incorporate global and locally…
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43 min
Sue Bette: Bluebird Barbecue
Join us for a conversation with Sue Bette, owner of Bluebird Barbecue in Burlington, Vermont. Sue is a James Beard Award-nominee and former educator who uses her restaurants to bui…
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45 min
Andre Springer: Shaquanda Will Feed You
Join us for a conversation with Andre Springer, Founder of Shaquanda Will Feed You. Andre was born in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, and is of Barbadian desce…
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49 min
Nicole Januarie: Januarie 1st Inc
Nicole Januarie is a Director/Producer of Vallery's new series, Vallery Bakes Your Questions, on Food Network. Nicole partners with brands and individuals to assess how to creative…
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56 min
Manal Kahi: Eat Offbeat
Join us for a conversation with Manal Kahi, co-founder and CEO of Eat Offbeat, a refugee-driven food company that delivers authentic eats & treats made by refugees who now call New…