Edacious

Writing Work. Rhubarb Love. And Hustle. Welcome to the first in a series of FOUR podcasts celebrating the Virginia Festival of the Book! In the next four days you will hear from the country's best and brightest when it comes to food writing. Today's episode? Food writer Sheri Castle, whose newest creation, Rhubarb, presents this misunderstood vegetable in a way it's never been discussed before. Sheri will be appearing at two events as part of the festival, including a talk I'm moderating, "Save Room! Cookbooks With a Sweet Tooth!" Event details are listed below.

Sheri wrote her first original recipe at the tender age of four, mailing it off to a television show. But never once did she consider food as a job. Her goal was similar to that of most writers: get a PhD in English, write stories, become a professor. Instead she headed into the corporate world. But her bosses always had her writing. Then suggesting she bring in her delicious food for potlucks. So when she was offered a severance package she headed to culinary school, intending to become a teacher. Writing was something she left behind. It wasn't until a woman approached her during class with a food column offer that she reconsidered. It didn't pay much, but here she was writing again. The rest is chocolate gravy! As she says, "In hindsight everything was inevitable, but naivete got me a lot farther than the ambition. If I had known how hard this was going to be, I never would have attempted it...I'm a writer. And my cooking is in support of that."

It's a story I've heard many times. Food writers who wear several different hats, doing two to five jobs in order to make a living. Food writers who fall into the profession backwards from other careers. Hustling to succeed.

"In hindsight everything was inevitable, but naivete got me a lot farther than the ambition. If I had known how hard this was going to be, I never would have attempted it...I'm a writer. And my cooking is in support of that."

Do you need culinary training to be a good food writer? Not necessarily, according to Sheri. Just as a doctor doesn't need to know every disease, a writer doesn't have to be a chef. By the same token, there is a clear difference between a food writer and a food typist, someone with only an interest and a blog. You've got to have a clear, profound STORY, not just an anecdote. Rhubarb, part of the ever-popular Short Stack series, is definitely that, a compendium of recipes and stories. Lots of stories about her connection, and ours, to this tart and tangy item. Each Short Stack volume is a love letter to an ingredient. Rhubarb is no exception and Sheri was thrilled to be asked to write about this misjudged vegetable which isn't just for pies! It has the same flavor profile as citrus, is very high in vitamin C, and works incredibly well in savory dishes.

"An anecdote or a memoir helps a writer understand what they think about a topic. Good food writing helps the reader understand what they think about a topic."

In Rhubarb she shares all of this, as well as its long history going back to the Victorian era. We discuss how to grow it, tips for storage, the differences between fresh and frozen, its medicinal properties, and her fond memories of dipping fresh-cut stalks into Tang as a snack. Yes, Tang! Did you know you can purchase hothouse rhubarb year-round? That's what Sheri did while doing research for this book. At one point she guesstimates she had 90 pounds of the stuff in her fridge. Lordy be! Nigella Lawson, yes THAT Nigella, counts herself as a fan of this book and talks about it often on her website. It was during Rhubarb's launch party that a Short Stack editor showed Sheri a text. From Nigella. Praising the book. So, there's that. True Rhubarb Love from across the pond!

"Stories happen only to those who can tell them."

Food writing is a rich style of narrative that informs and entertains. Hemingway, Dickens, and Proust all wrote about food although it wasn't sold as such. As Sheri says, "The vehicle of a food memory was the most effective vehicle to convey a thought." We are both such champions for the genre which covers politics, history, culture, memoir, comedy, fiction, philosophy, health, and many many stories. It's never just cookbooks. How do you make recipes into stories? Sheri knows and talks at great length about her process. Folks seem to be catching on, with many recent award-winning cookbooks adding narrative to their recipes. Backstory which gives the reader context, heft, and authority to the food they are making. Way better than just Googling a recipe for brownies.

"Food writing is good writing. The topic just happens to be about food."

Sheri also talks about her lengthy process for recipe testing. Often cookbook recipes never turn out at home. Why is that? Sheri explains, and she should know, having tested ones for Bill Smith's Seasoned in the South as well as Vivian Howard's award-winning cookbook, Deep Run Roots among many many others. Sheri has also appeared on Vivian's show, A Chef's Life, talking about her love of casseroles. As I've said, she wears many hats. Her favorite topper? To get up in front of a group of people and tell food stories. Which is why you should definitely get your butt down to ALL of her events. After you listen to this episode of course. Cheers!

"I'm interested more in how the field peas got on the plate, rather than what the field peas taste like on the plate."

Save Room! Cookbooks with a Sweet Tooth Wed. March 22, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Barnes & Noble, Barracks Road Shopping Center, Charlottesville, Virginia Cookbook authors Sheri Castle (Rhubarb) and Ronni Lundy (Sorghum's Savor) will discuss their work.

Cooking Demos Thu. March 23, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM The Charlottesville Cooking School, Meadowbrook Shopping Center, Charlottesville, Virginia Join Sheri Castle (Rhubarb), Shane Mitchell (Far Afield), and Ronni Lundy (Victuals), as they each give a cooking demonstration of recipes from their cookbooks.

SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast:

• Rally for Ally - help out one of our own, a chef who recently suffered a debilitating accident.
• Help Polina Recover - help out one of our own, a baker, who recently suffered a debilitating accident.
• Help Scotty Recover - my best friend has Stage 3B Colorectal cancer. Bills are piling up. He can't work. Can you help?
• Will Write for Food - Dianne Jacobs wrote the seminal work on how to be a food writer. My bible.
• Nigella Lawson - She's a fan of Sheri's book, Rhubarb! And her website is pretty great too.
• Stir - The best piece of food writing I read last year. It should've won a James Beard award.
• Subscribe to This Podcast. Stay Edacious! - Come on, after this episode? You know you want to ;)
• Subscribe to Edacious News - Never miss a food event in our area! Learn about regional and national food stories so you can stay edacious!

This episode is sponsored by Teej.fm and listeners like you who donated their support at Patreon, who wants every creator in the world to achieve sustainable income. Thank you.

Gluten-Free Work. Welcome to a conversation about bread, community, and how one small business owner is trying to tie those two things together. Susan Weiner of Orange Dot Baking Company, with her gluten-free Major Muffins, wants to not only provide a delicious bread to folks suffering from celiac disease but also hopes to provide job training for folks in our community who so desperately need it.

Betty Hoge of the Central Virginia Small Business Development Center recommended Susan and after speaking with her I'm so glad this recommendation came my way. We recorded in the conference room of the Community Investment Collaborative where Susan is a graduate, and I will be taking part in their next class series on developing a business. Can't think of a better place to talk about food, community, and doing it your own way.

Programs like CIC can walk you through the nuts and bolts of starting a small business from the ground up. Aligning your lofty goals with the realities of running a successful business. Something Susan was driven to do as a way to give back to her community and also to make delicious bread for folks who cannot tolerate gluten. Folks like her son and herself. Despite the gluten-free backlash, there are millions of folks out there who can't eat bread but would like to. Susan fills that gap.

And she truly does. This isn't cardboard folks. Major Muffins have the texture of bread, the flavor of bread. On first bite I was reminded of a really great seeded whole grain. If you hadn't told me it was gluten-free I never would've guessed. The Rustic Rosemary tastes great, and the Chocolate Chip made with French Callebaut chocolate? Extraordinary! Six other varieties including Everything Better, Cinnamon Raisin, and Santa Fe Savory hit every flavor profile. Great on their own or toasted. Serve with wedges of cheese. Make a sandwich. Anything you would use a seeded cracker for is a perfect vehicle.

You can find Major Muffins at many retail outlets including Market Street Market and Rebecca's Natural Foods. Buy a sandwich at Bellair Market, or eat one of her delicious creations (try the Figgy Piggy!) at the Charlottesville City Market. There are ten grams of protein per muffin because it's made with high protein flours like oat flour, oat bran, quinoa, amaranth and other ancient grains. Xanthan gum and guar gum are not to be found because of its tendency to upset stomachs. Instead, she uses ground chia seed and powdered psyllium husk which adds fiber. All good stuff.

Her development process was extensive involving lots of trial and error, tastings and testings, even custom-baked pans developed by a local company working in the air and space industry! Her secret proprietary baking process is the major reason Major Muffins taste so great. Virginia Tech, a land grant institution and active leader in the local food innovation business, helped Susan with nutritional testing. Janet Dob, co-owner of The Bageladies, helped with suggestions for packaging. Pair that with Susan's CIC training and you've got a company made in this region, by this region, for this region and beyond.

Orange Dot is named after the Orange Dot Report written by Ridge Schuyler and Great Stone Bakery of Ben and Jerry's fame, which has an open-hiring policy and who work to alleviate poverty in their own community. Susan envisions a similar company goal, one with a quadruple bottom line: social, environmental, financial, and nutritional. It's a way to wrap all of her passions together into one. Ultimate goal? To have an Orange Dot Bakery in every single major American city so she can impact folks who are gluten-free as well as those who need work, providing a source of job training for those folks on the first rung of the economic ladder.

Future plans? Frozen sandwiches you can pop in the microwave, french toast, and mini-pizzas. Perfect for an instant lunch or for shipping care packages to college kids who don't get the nutrition they need. Subscription services are the way of the future, something Splendora's and Arley Cakes have started recently. Both companies past and future podcast guests respectively. A lactose-free version is in development. Susan would also like to get Major Muffins into restaurants. Are you listening Citizen Burger Bar?

We also talk about Susan's other joint venture with Ian Pascarelli and Allie Hill, The Kitchen Network, a way for food businesses to rent a commercial kitchen Airbnb-style. What a fantastic idea! Forbes magazine has profiled them. The future of food business starting right here in Charlottesville.

Enjoy the ambient sounds of me chewing almost every variety of Major Muffin...then go get some for yourself. Cheers!

SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast:

• Scotty Nichols Cancer Fund - My best friend has cancer. Can you help? No amount is too small. Thank you.
• Virginia Festival of the Book - Food writing is my passion! Come see all the great authors 3/22-3/26/17.
• Marc Maron - He's the reason I podcast. And my hero for his courage to get vulnerable twice a week.
• Community Investment Collaborative - Helping small business owners find their footing.
• Orange Dot Report - A report on poverty in Charlottesville and the origin of Susan's company name.
• Ed Lee's Mentorship Program - Chef Ed Lee is training folks who need jobs so they can work in restaurants.
• The Bageladies - Janet Dob is a wonder and mentor to Orange Dot. Hope to talk with her soon!

This episode is sponsored by Teej.fm and listeners like you who donated their support at Patreon, who wants every creator in the world to achieve sustainable income. Thank you.

Teaching Work. Defining Success. What does success mean in today's culinary world? How do you define it for yourself against industry expectations? Meet Chef Todd Grieger of Culinard, The Culinary Institute of Virginia College in Richmond, someone who knows the Charlottesville food scene quite well. Especially since he's worked in most of our restaurants over the past 20 years including Downtown Grille, Blue Light, Maya, C&O, Mas, Glass Haus, and Red Pump Kitchen. When Jeff Dion of Discover the East told me he knew Todd I immediately asked for his contact info. I'd loved his food at Red Pump and missed him when he fell off my radar.

It was while at Red Pump that Todd came to some realizations. Namely, when you work your whole life to get to this point and it just doesn't work out, what then? Feeling a bit burned out, he took a teaching position at Culinard. In addition, cooks a few nights at Oakhart Social and chips in to help wife Jaclyn at BBQ Exchange Events & Catering. All the while deciding next steps. Taking time out to reflect and reassess what exactly it means to be a successful chef beyond what the television shows tell you it should be.

How is teaching different from working the line? What skills do you have to call on? What special challenges and triumphs are involved and how difficult is it to change hats? How do you teach a student and motivate a line cook who isn't being paid? Many of his students come to class embarking on a second career. How can he tell which students will succeed? The best way is WORK ETHIC. Show up on time. Wash dishes if you see they're dirty. Work clean. Label things. The basics. Talent helps, but you won't succeed without the basics. You have to keep the long view when you start out and be willing to do all the jobs, even the unattractive ones.

"I took the job at the school because I wanted to positively affect people coming forward in their careers....by being taught things I felt I didn't do well early in my career...things I had to drill into myself to become quote, unquote, professional."

How does he teach his students about flavors and stretching an ingredient to its limits, increasing the skills of their palate while at the same time teaching them about keeping to a kitchen's bottom line? It's important for chefs starting out to know it won't be like television. You will work hard, every day, often within someone else's parameters. Like Todd says, "You have to learn to crawl before you can walk." How do you please your boss, your customer, and yourself each day every day? Not always easy, but when it happens it's golden. Not all graduates will end up owning restaurants, but there are many paths to success including cooking in hospitals, schools, or for corporations like Aramark. That's the reality folks.

How has the food scene changed? We go down this rabbit hole, discussing all the factors including customer expectations and how you combine them with your personal vision for your restaurant. Charlottesville chefs are putting out some world class food, but many customers just don't get it. How do you reconcile these disparate facts ensuring your restaurant stays successful? The entire culture of the kitchen has changed as well and culinary schools are a big reason. Why is that?

Todd's current obsession? Pizza! He cooked great ones during his tenure at Red Pump. Could his own place be in the future? Eons ago he started at The Brick Oven in Charlottesville. Maybe he'll come full circle and pour his immense talents into wood-fired dough? Lord, let's hope so. Wherever he ends up I'm grateful for this fascinating conversation with a deep-thinking chef whose attention to detail presents itself in his food. I would put him on our Mount Rushmore of chefs without a second thought. It's why I was so excited to hear he was still around, still working the line in his own way. Which to me is the greatest success there is.

SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast:

• Scotty Nichols Cancer Fund - My best friend has cancer. Can you help? No amount is too small. Thank you.
• James Beard Award 2017 Semifinalists - Ian Boden, Diane Flynt, and Vivian Howard all made the cut. And all three have been on this very podcast! Congratulations guys!
• Soup There It Is - A benefit for WTJU, our radio station celebrating 60 years! I'll be a judge. There will be vinyl.
• For Grace - What does it take to earn three Michelin stars? Blood, sweat, and many many tears. Terrific documentary.
• Chew the Fat - Back in 2011, Todd and I were on Chef Craig Hartman's podcast, Chew the Fat. Back when podcasting was just a glimmer of an idea for me. Talking with Chef Grieger in 2017 felt like life coming full circle.

This episode is sponsored by Teej.fm and listeners like you who donated their support at Patreon, who wants every creator in the world to achieve sustainable income. Thank you.

Edacious - Food Talk for Gluttons is two years old! Talking up a blue streak! This year saw many changes including a new website, merchandising, and a new sponsorship model that will keep this podcast strong in its focus on community and on the stories of folks doing the Work of Food in our area. People edacious about what they do.

Here are my favorites. The episodes where I was firing on all cylinders, where the conversations ran deep. I've included short clips of each as well as my own thoughts on why these talks left me feeling I'd moved monumentally forward on life's short trajectory.

All my guests were terrific, but these five most closely represent this podcast's mission. To showcase our food community and give voice to the folks working hard to make sure we eat well. If there is one recurrent theme here it is community because whether it's a beehive, a street festival, a hospital, or a pie shop every one of the folks I talked to strive every day to make sure we are stronger together.

Sixty episodes, hours and hours of conversation, and close to 30,000 downloads. I've learned so much. I'm filled to the brim with gratitude because without you, without this community, Edacious simply would not exist. Thank you. After two years of triumphs and missteps Edacious is going along full-steam ahead with exciting new ventures and projects in the works. Before tackling all of them, I wanted to take a minute to look back. To reflect on a truly great year. Sure 2016 was no picnic, but here? It was good. All good. If you only listen to one episode, make it this one.

This episode is sponsored by MarieBette Café and Bakery and listeners like you who donated their support at Patreon, who wants every creator in the world to achieve sustainable income. Thank you.

Pie Work. It's challenging. Never-ending. When you make the product you sell the work never stops. Thankfully, for Rachel Pennington baking is a passion. As a result, not only has The Pie Chest on the Downtown Mall become a first-stop for lovers of all things pie, it has become a safe space. A welcoming place where folks from all different backgrounds can meet, talk, commiserate, and create an environment of good feeling and fellowship. The kind that used to exist before people were so bent over their smartphones. Here instead of capturing a moment with a photo friendships develop over the shared love of a dessert in pastry crust.

Rachel came to baking entirely by accident. Bored with her current job, she answered an ad on Craig's List for a baker at The Whiskey Jar. The rest is history. When owner Wilson Richey approached her and suggested, "How about we open a pie shop?" Rachel went for it. With only an idea, a vision, and literally no business plan they spent months in development, getting the proper permits, all the rigamarole you have to go through to get something like this up and running. The result is The Pie Chest which opened on 3/14/15 at 9:26 am (3.1415926).

Lines were out the door that day and they've never looked back. Her partner Tina acts as Business Manager and Wilson helped developed the interior design, but all the pies are Rachel's, who's become a master baker in only a few short years, developing her pies with a focus on flavor more than recipes. Although the Lemon Chess is Wilson's grandmother's, all of Rachel's concepts come through much trial and error. Working tirelessly, she creates pies full of flavors you can actually taste rather than total bombs of sugar. Her coconut cream is the best I've ever had, full of essence and never too sweet. In fact, it made my Best of List for 2016. And the chocolate? It's one of her most popular and one I order whole. One slice is never enough once you've tasted its blend of dark chocolate with a secret ingredient you'll just have to listen to the episode to discover.

The vibe at The Pie Chest is classic Southern, the types of pies you'd eat with your grandmother. This comfortable atmosphere translates to the decor with homey antique signs and illustrations adorning pale yellow walls reminiscent of Grandma's kitchen. They have savory pies, the mushroom, leek, and gruyere being a personal favorite. There are even breakfast hand pies, or fried pies, Southern in origin and only now coming back into fashion. If you've never had one, you're missing out. Rachel's fit the bill with a delightfully flaky crust and unique flavors like goat cheese, sausage, honey and egg. Good for what ails you and a terrific way to start the day.

Rachel uses a commercial kitchen for her baking because when you produce thousands of pies a month, a 700 square food space isn't enough. She needs that kitchen because The Pie Chest still provides all desserts and breads for The Whiskey Jar, Revolutionary Soup, cookies for Milli Coffee Roasters and even does pie weddings!

How does Rachel deal with bad Yelp reviews which can often result in moments of Imposter Syndrome? It affects all of us, not just food folks and our discussion on this topic is wonderful because all human beings face this stumbling block. We both agree sites like Yelp do more harm than they help. If you have a problem, address it while you're there! At The Pie Chest, as in so many other establishments, they will bend over backwards to fix it.

We also talk about the tight Cville community a theme popping up so much on this podcast. One person says, "Hey, I've got an idea," then 10 people step forward to offer their thoughts and suggestions. What are her tips for the perfect pie crust? In a small town bursting with new bakeries and restaurants how does Rachel find qualified employees? You'll just have to listen to find out.

I was thrilled to finally talk with Rachel because her story is so inspiring and she was my earliest podcast supporter, letting me know she listened while baking late at night, offering up her suggestions and encouragement when I was suffering from my own version of Imposter Syndrome. We met in such a unique way. At an event that was a crossroads for the both of us - The Southern Foodways Alliance dinner at The Whiskey Jar in 2013. It was my first visit to a big-name industry conference, attending alone and knowing no one. For Rachel it was her first high-profile dinner where she was responsible for creating a memorable dessert to honor Edna Lewis, the high priestess and pioneer of Southern cuisine. How did she do? Splendidly. Her peach trifle made my "Best of" list that year which gave her the confidence to embark on a career as a baker.

Connections. Community. It's the reason I started this podcast and hearing that story again in this episode brought tears to my eyes. Without exaggeration, the single greatest moment of my writing and podcasting career to this point. It tells me I'm on the right path.

As is Rachel. One of the missions of The Pie Chest beyond great dessert is to provide a safe, welcoming space to the people of our community. Particularly in this uncertain environment, now more than ever Rachel and Tina want to make sure everyone is welcome. It's why they hung a safety pin in the window. We talk a lot about what hard choices businesses will need to make going forward. How they will adapt and react should volatile situations arise. It's a very real concern and something we can no longer ignore. Even in the bubble that is Charlottesville.

This sort of reflection and commitment to creating wonderful moments while eating translates to the environment of the shop where many folks not only stop in for pie but to converse, play board games, and get to know the stranger sitting next to them. Goes without saying more of that kind of shop in this world would be a very good thing. As Rachel says during the interview, "There's always room." And she's not just talking about pie. The Pie Chest is a very special place. Good food, good vibes, good fellowship. The very essence of what a strong community can and should be.

Not only is Rachel an exquisite baker, her writing is amazing. Thoughtful and profound, a result of her spiritual studies and background. One post in particular brought me to tears. Worth your time and attnetion.

SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast:

• Scotty Nichols GoFund Me Campaign: My best friend of 30 years, Scotty Nichols, is struggling with Stage 3B anal cancer. And the bills are piling up. One PET Scan costs $14K. He's had two. Can you please help? No amount is too small. He's an extraordinary individual and the light of my life. Click on the link to learn the story of our friendship. Then please help. Thank you.
• Polina's Recovery Fund: Local baker Polina was in a horrible car accident and has loss the use of one hand. Please donate to help expenses to help with her recovery. Charlottesville needs her.
• VA Festival of the Book: Arrives in Charlottesville March 22-26, 2017. Five major cookbook authors will be attendance. And I will be talking with *ALL* of them in future episodes. Click to learn more! Mark your calendars!
• Waitress: My favorite movie about pie. It's wonderful. Watch. Then watch it again. Andy Griffith's performance is worth a viewing all by itself! Charming and lovely.

This episode is sponsored by MarieBette Café and Bakery and listeners like you who donated their support at Patreon, who wants every creator in the world to achieve sustainable income. Thank you.

Here it is folks. My Golden Fork Awards for 2016! What did I eat that was noteworthy? A lot of stuff evidently. Here are the 10 dishes so tasty I remember them even months later. Which is how I construct the list each year and every year since 2009. It's not a perfect method, just my own. Let me know what you think. Do you agree? Disagree? What did I miss?

Thank you so much for your support, suggestions, and comments. I continue to be astounded and amazed at the amount of food talent in our region. I'm beyond grateful for the opportunities my own version of the "Amsterdam Chess Club" have afforded me.

2016 in Edacious World? Not so bad. I launched a new website, talked with some big names, judged the JBF book awards, won a pie contest. I took my chosen vocation to the next level by just showing up. In launching a podcast I've learned so much about our food community, but even more than that I've gained insight into my own being which was entirely unexpected. The only resolution I'm making is to continue these connections. To do more with these conversations. To go deeper. It's been a wild ride and one I hope you'll continue to take with me in 2017. Happy New Year.

Best of 2016 Golden Fork Award Winners!

1. Caromont Farm
2. Fleurie
3. Arley Cakes
4. ThreePenny Café Farm to Table Restaurant
5. Splendora's Gelato
6. Potter's Craft Cider
7. Keevil & Keevil Grocery and Kitchen
8. Albemarle Baking Company
9. The Pie Chest
10. Lampo

Edacious Golden Fork Hall of Fame

2014 – BBQ Exchange - Smoked Turkey 2016 – BBQ Exchange - Fried Chicken 2016 – Bodo's Bagels - Pastrami and swiss sandwich on an Everything with lettuce, tomato, and mustard

What were the 2016 winning dishes? Three ways to find out:

• Listen to the full episode above or at iTunes.
• Sign up for my email list.
• Become a Patreon sponsor. Any amount, no matter how small, guarantees this podcast continues to strengthen our food community and remains edacious. Thank you!

SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast:

• L'Auberge Des Deux Ponts - I discovered my favorite restaurant in the world in 2016. Chef Claude serves up French country peasant food in a 20-seat space on the Ile St. Louis in Paris. Entirely on his own with no help. Go on a weeknight, late, and have the meal of your life.
• Sage Pet Services - Dr. Cheryl Thorpe offers hospice care to your pets in your own home. The care she gave my darling Dolly a few weeks ago was extraordinary. I'll never forget it. Thank you Dr. Thorpe.

This episode is sponsored by MarieBette Café and Bakery and listeners like you who donated their support at Patreon, who wants every creator in the world to achieve sustainable income. Thank you.

Salt Work. Welcome to an episode that's a "Must Listen!" if you have an artisanal food product or you have any interest in starting a business. Meet Cass Cannon, owner of Peg's Salt, a delicious seasoning salt with a great story attached. Cass didn't set out to become a salt purveyor, but her journey has brought her here. And she's done her homework. Companies like hers are why I started Edacious in the first place.

One of her most important tips is to tell your story right up front both on your website's homepage and as part of every sale. Who is Peg? She's Cass's mother who created her special salt, a secret blend of kosher flake and over 25 herbs and spices, back in the 1960's. Cass grew up outside Dayton, Ohio and her mother Peg was a terrific cook. A cook who found Jane's Crazy Mixed-Up Salt lacking. So she created her own, giving it away to friends and family as gifts. Over time, folks began requesting her special salt blend when they ran out. Luckily, Cass got her mother to write down the recipe. And like Peg, she began making and giving away her special salt. Except this time when folks asked for more Cass decided to take her mom's legacy a bit further. Peg's Salt was born and its special blend has a balance of flavor that's extraordinary. Her own variation, Peg's Pink Salt, is a blend of Himalayan pink salt and the same spice blend. Pink salt brings a softer flavor to dishes, not as sharp and biting as you might get in a white salt. Like that famous hot sauce commercial says I put it on everything! No worries if you're watching your sodium intake because a little goes a long way.

I first met Cass during the Tom Tom Founder's Festival, then again at the Business of Food Conference last summer. Where I discovered she's a marketing genius. Her background is in educational public relations both in New York state and here in Albemarle county. Many of the skills she learned in those jobs translate well into selling salt. How did she develop her logo? How does it fit into the story of her business? What are her tips for getting your product into Whole Foods, the so-called "holy grail" for food purveyors? Sadly, it's becoming more difficult with the changing food market, but not impossible. Pro tip: if you don't see your favorite artisanal product there, say something! Be an advocate for your favorite local purveyors!

Cass has been in business four years and is spreading her wings, hiring an intern to do some of the more tedious work. Because having your own business isn't all glamorous tasting events and fancy food shows. There are jars to pack, labels to print, books to balance. An important part of having a food business is demo-ing the product to folks who haven't tried it. With most products this is a no-brainer. But how do you demo salt? We talk about that as well as creative ways to get your product into the hands of folks who haven't tried it. One way is by handing out "Pinch Packs" small pill-box-sized samples. I carry mine in my purse. This kind of creative out of the box thinking will ensure Peg's Salt is around for many years to come.

Cass is not immune to the lure of our current burgeoning wedding market here in Charlottesville. She's done three weddings so far, passing out Peg's Salt as favors. Salt and weddings are not as odd a pairing as you think. We talk about the Salt Covenant part of some wedding vows and salt's long history in relation to love and commitment. The history of salt as a commodity and the origins of many salt-related phrases. Salt water as a curative. The importance of minerals.

Cass ships her salt all over the world and folks often order more than one jar to give as gifts. I popped one into Vivian Howard's gift bag when I talked to her back in October. It really does make the perfect gift. A culinary stocking stuffer.

You can find Peg's Salt at many area retailers including The Spice Diva, Whole Foods, Greenwood Grocery, Carter's Mountain, Libbie Market, Ellwood Thompson, Reid's Market, Integral Yoga, and many many others. I hope you'll enjoy this episode as much as I did. Happy Holidays everyone!

SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast:

• Salt - Mark Kurlansky delves into the history of all things salt.
• J. Q. Dickinson Salt Works - artisanal salt farmed in West Virginia for seven generations.
• Small Food Business - a website resource for everyone interested in starting their own culinary endeavor.
• Michael Gredio - Offers up tips and tricks for anyone in the business of food.
• Museu Frederic Marès - An 19th century Spanish sculptor who collected literally, everything

This episode is sponsored by MarieBette Café and Bakery.

Chutney Work. How does a gentleman from Yorkshire who works in marketing for Dance Place in Washington, DC end up making and selling chutney? Like so many food journeys, this one is long and meandering but ultimately full of lessons, challenges, and great rewards. Meet David Hopper of Chutney Ferret Industries, my guest for Episode 57.

David grew up in Britain way before English cuisine was coming into its own. Lots of beef. Lots of bland. Lots of brown sauce. Thankfully his gran was a stellar cook, creating gorgeous legs of lamb and pork with crackling skin. A very good thing. Why aren't there more butcher shops selling pork with the skin on here in America? I'm thinking that's something that needs to be remedied! We need suet too. Because you can't make good Christmas puddings without it!

Speaking of Christmas puddings, what exactly are they? Another quintessentially British item, a sweet concoction of fruits, nuts, flour, breadcrumbs, eggs, suet, beer, rum, brandy, and spices steamed together slowly for four hours. Don't be alarmed! This stuff is good, a cross between a compote and a cake. David's puddings receive raves, are completely delicious, and always sell out. I've got one sitting on my counter which I can't wait to try in a few weeks. Great grilled up and served with a nice Wensleydale cheese, which is native to Yorkshire, or just served warm with brandy cream or ice cream.

David's date and tomato ketchup is a riff on HP Sauce in Britain. Magnificent on a sausage sandwich! Ketchup is never just tomatoes but a way of preparing fruit so it becomes a condiment sauce, a major part of the whole spectrum that is Anglo-Indian cooking. Even the word "ketchup" or "catsup" has its origins in India. The Chutney Ferret version is a blend of fruits, tamarind, five different spices, and secret ingredients without any of the corn syrup, thickeners, or preservatives you find in commercial brands. Did you know Worcestershire sauce is actually catsup? David's version is made from mushrooms, not anchovies, so it's perfect for vegetarians and offers a huge umami flavor bomb to things like Bloody Mary's and your favorite Asian dishes.

And of course there's chutney, or "pickle" as it's called in Britain. Gorgeous on sandwiches, terrific as a glaze on fish or meats, and a great flavoring agent for soups and stews. Just remember a little goes a long way. In Britain they use chutney for sandwiches on leftovers at Thanksgiving and Christmas instead of cranberry sauce. But it's also lovely as a side with cold cuts and cheese and your favorite wine. David's spiced plum chutney, arguably the most British kind, is made by blending together plums, apples, raisins, onions, two types of sugar and more than five types of spice. He actually forages all of the plums himself from wild plum trees! It's stunning guys. Great with pimento cheese!

We talk at great length about the history of Anglo-Indian cooking, where they overlap, and how Indian flavors are blended deeply into notions of British cuisine to this day. How British cuisine has been at the forefront of nose to tail cooking, or using every single part of the animal to create delicious dishes. Meat as a flavoring agent instead of the centerpiece.

David also makes harissa paste using homegrown habaneros. It's extraordinary! Our harissa talk launches a discussion on growing these capsaicin bombs. Why is drinking water the worst thing you can do while eating a habanero? And what is harissa paste? What do you use it for? How can you use his ketchups, catsups, and chutneys in cooking? We cover it all.

You can find all of the Chutney Ferret Industries products locally at The Spice Diva. I highly recommend them. They make great gifts but don't delay in purchasing those Christmas puddings because they tend to sell out fast! David just started working at The Spice Diva part-time so stop in and say hello! If you have any questions about these strange, exotic condiments he'll be glad to answer them. And offer up a taste. My favorite episodes are those where I leave knowing more than when I arrived. Sensing I may have just made a new friend. This was one of those times. David is lovely, his garden beautiful, and the chutneys? Amazing. Hope you enjoy this episode. Happy Holidays everyone!

SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast:

• For Grace - a stunning true story about what it takes to overcome a tragic past then go on to open and run a successful high-end restaurant, in this case Curtis Duffy's Grace in Chicago. Grab the tissues!

This episode is sponsored by MarieBette Café and Bakery.

"Recipes for Real Life"-Work. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! In this episode we talk with Elizabeth Stark of Brooklyn Supper, a blog whose mission is creating simple, delicious meals with local, seasonal products. Even on a weeknight! You don't need a fancy copper pot or a million gadgets. These are recipes you will actually make.

Recipes like Brown Butter Madeleines and Roasted Winter Squash Enchiladas. Some are her own while others are the work of fellow food writers promoting their cookbooks. Which is great because publishing houses increasingly rely on their authors to be their own marketing departments. Will she ever do one of her own? She's a bit on the fence. It's something Elizabeth would like to do but it's a strange time for publishing. How do you find a new audience while at the same time make something rewarding and lasting for yourself and your readers? Without gimmicks? It's a tall order when food trends run the show. I applaud her steadfastness in wanting to wait until "The Big Magic" happens.

Although Elizabeth is the face of Brooklyn Supper this is a team effort. Husband Brian Campbell acts as editor and sounding board. Together, they collaborate on the blog's mission, direction, and recipes. What's it like to work in food writing with your spouse? Any special challenges? Elizabeth and Brian started Brooklyn Supper back in 2008 when the farm to table movement was just finding its legs. Their hard work has paid off. Brooklyn Supper won Saveur magazine's "Editors' Choice for Most Delicious Food Blog" in 2015 and Elizabeth's writing has been featured on the sites of some major players including Redbook, Food 52, Real Simple, Gourmet Live, and Tasting Table. How has the vision for Brooklyn Supper changed over the years? How has food writing changed in the past decade? We talk about this at length, the way it's become more visual with less in-depth pieces and more listicles and bullet points. What then?

And what about those of us interested in blogging professionally? What are some pro tips and pitfalls to avoid? How about pitching editors your ideas? We go into great depth here. One key piece of advice is to ask for what you want. If you're not happy with what they're offering, ask for more. Know your worth and value it. All they can say is no. Companies always want to offer you "exposure" for your writing. In the beginning, that's great. After some experience is earned, not so much.

Be willing to be flexible. This is a cyclical business so you have to adapt. Have a clear focus. A mission. Direct all of your posts to that mission. Their ability to adapt the blog was tested in 2012 when Elizabeth and Brian decided to move from New York to Charlottesville. Seasonal and local mean very different things here because our foodshed is completely different. Pro tip: if you move to a new area, sign up for your local CSA. You will learn what is seasonal and when in your own area.

Luckily, Brooklyn Supper adapted well while at the same time never doubting its value. Elizabeth and Brian have been able to channel that value into corporate partnerships with some major heavy hitters including French's Mustard and Whole Foods, making it one of the most successful blogs around. How does she decide what is a good fit? How does she negotiate terms? And what are some of the more interesting press releases she gets from companies?

Elizabeth's photography is also a huge reason for their ongoing success. She has a background in painting and the living room walls are covered with beautiful serene abstracts evoking nature. That artistic eye translates to her food photos which are gorgeously simple and direct. No fancy fake-rustic Mason jars here. It's as if someone just placed the food down and walked back to the kitchen because they forgot something. Like movement just happened one millisecond before. I love them. The tips she offers are invaluable and ones I adopted the minute I left. What is her artistic process? It is fascinating to me how writing, photography, and cooking, have a lot of similar formulas to complete if you want to do them well. Studying the masters. Emulating the ones you identify with until eventually you have the courage to tweak things and make them your own.

We cover a lot and as a food writer I envision myself listening to it more than once when I need some inspiration for my own writing and photography. I hope you'll enjoy this episode. Wishing you a peaceful holiday full of laughter and tasty bites. I'm grateful for your readership and your listenership. Thank you.

SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast:

• Big Appetities - The genius food photography of Christopher Boffoli.
• Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" - a bible in my kitchen and Elizabeth's.
• Helen Rosner - Food writing goddess.
• Marian Bull - Food writing goddess.
• Emily Hilliard - Nothing in the House pie blog is one of my favorites.
• Honest Biscuits - Old friend of mine Art Stone and his husband create Southern biscuits in Seattle's Pike Place Market.

This episode is sponsored by MarieBette Café and Bakery.

Trying something just a bit different. It's a piece of food writing. But it's also a podcast episode. What do you call that? A Blogcast? I don't know. What I do know is I had great fun creating it and I hope you have just as much fun listening. Or reading. Your choice. Happy Thanksgiving. "That pie" recipe is below. Still not sure it deserved an award, but I'm trying to get used to it. Feeling incredibly grateful this November despite the world in which we find ourselves. We actually have a lot to be thankful for. You just have to look a little harder to find it sometimes. But it's there. It's always there. Cheers.

Pie Anxiety and Self Sabotage. Plus a Recipe.

Or how I finally learned to accept compliments and not sabotage myself every time I experience a tiny bit of success.

I used to roll my eyes at Oscar winners. At the way they stumbled to the stage mouthing, "Oh My God," acting like Bob Barker had just told them to come on down. Eyes a hazy daze as if they never expected this and they didn't prepare anything because we all know they did. Except now I can't anymore. Because I know how they feel. Because a few weeks ago I won a pie contest.

I'm not saying this is on the same level believe me. A small town pie fest slash benefit hardly registers. There's no red carpet judgment for one thing unless you count some of the more seasoned bakers clucking and nodding approval and/or criticism toward the pastry leaves and perfectly crimped edges of crust. But that feeling of stumbling toward a stage to accept an award you never once in a hundred full moons thought you'd ever win? Oh yeah, that's the same.

In that moment everything went hazy like maybe the acid just kicked in. I moved, at least I think I did, toward a makeshift stage in Crozet Mudhouse as if my death sentence was about to be carried out. Leaden legs. Whirly swirly dizziness. All the stage fright clichés inserted here for your consideration. Yes, God help me I got to that stage after what seemed like a gabillion years only to discover when I got there head judge Brian Geiger hadn't expected me to. Hadn't expected me to say or do anything at all in fact and now looked at me as if I'd just asked him to dance the Lambada. Fuck. Now I've won an award I don't deserve *AND* made a fool of myself. Great. I stood there flummoxed for a half-second before giving half a beauty pageant wave to the gathered crowd and slinking back to my corner. The corner where I'd been sitting all afternoon watching the festivities and intermittently jumping up to gather empty plates and cups in my capacity as a pie fest volunteer. Symbolically rubbing my skin to remove the accumulation of Winning Winner and Imposter Syndrome accumulating there quicker than a bad rash. Praying I could remove it and just go back to being a simple entrant in a simple contest. Citizen Jenée instead of the title just decreed.

I'd entered the competition despite crippling baking anxiety. I mean CRIPPLING with a capital "C-I-told-you-I-couldn't". The result of having a Momma who was Martha Stewart before she existed, exacting and perfect with Baked Alaskas on Tuesday night and a full set of parfait glasses purchased at Williamsburg Pottery. While other mothers were throwing their kids Ho-Ho's, Momma was perfecting her fondant skills. The vocation of food writer comes with a preconceived expectation of baking proficiency. But I'm not a baker. I'm not a cook. Every trip to my kitchen requires a lot of deep breathing and handfuls of Xanax. It's not a pleasant activity, something more akin to having your wisdom teeth removed with a hammer and chisel which in fact happened but that's another story for another time.

People who know me well are aware of this fear. They tease me about it. My blog, my social media presence, my podcast ramblings, in fact my entire writing career is based around the fact I hate to bake and cook. Winning a pie contest? Sounds like that would be some sort of tipping point, right? A cure-all. The lynch pin draining away my fear once and for all. Sadly this was not the case. Somehow winning just made it worse. It felt like a wormhole had been sucked open in the universe and I was being dragged through it by my toenails never to be seen again. I'm not exaggerating when I say it felt like I was dying. I could feel people's eyes on me. Winning felt like a big label that was somehow attached to another label called Imposter Syndrome where they mingled and formed this giant sticky film that resembled those huge diaphanous parachutes you used to run under in gym at elementary school. It settled on me, clung to my skin, and I couldn't breathe. I stood around the remainder of the festival feeling it sink into every nook and cranny, enclosing my eyelashes, sticking to my chest and legs, gripping the backs of my calves, wrapping itself around my teeth, tongue, and throat until I physically couldn't breathe. Rather than stay behind to help clean up I gathered my things and made a quiet Irish exit. I needed space. I needed air.

The next few days were no better. I kept telling myself this winning spotlight beam was a good thing. It would mean great exposure for the podcast. The television, the paper, all the friends and family expressing congratulations? It's a good thing. Be happy. Be proud. Of yourself! Go on, you can do it! Now you can finally be rid of your baking fear forever! You won a damn contest!

Except when I told my mother-in-law she teased, "Well, the contest was obviously fixed." She meant it to be funny. But I took it as gospel. Because she echoed what my inner voice had been telling me on a loop. And that nagging little voice (I call her Brittany) didn't stop there. She went further saying, "What now? What are you going to do now, Jenée? Because now you have something to live up to. Now that you've won a contest people will expect things. Things you can never live up to because this was a fluke." God, I hate Brittany. Especially when she's right.

Why had I even entered a pie contest at all? And why am I completely incapable of enjoying a tiny small win that folks will have forgotten by next week? Because underneath the baking fear is a much larger issue. A basic and primal fear of success of any kind. Like comedian Marc Maron says in his book Attempting Normal, "I have to complicate everything to protect myself from success and to remain complicated and overwhelmed." I underlined that passage. Twice.

Winning just feels weird. It always has. Not that I've won a lot of things mind you just little stuff here and there. Never expected and always accepted with a mix of genuine shock, disbelief, and a healthy dose of okay where's the camera because I know any minute Alan Funt is going to pop out of the shadows like a Whack-a-Mole. Which reveals my age more than I'd like.

It sounds douchey to say I never thought I'd win but believe me when you walk through life with crippling self doubt, self hatred, self consciousness and self awareness bordering on the level of Tibetan guru navel gazing anything threatening that bargain basement level of confidence you have about yourself can topple your reality as if you just swallowed the blue pill. Or was it the red one? I can never remember.

Anyway, winning has never felt good to me. Never. There was that time in elementary school when I came in second to a 5th grader in the spelling bee final because I left the "e" out of "journey". Not a Steve Perry fan I guess. The finals were held in the cafetorium while classes continued and when Kappy Gross beat me (yes, I still remember his name) I slunk back to class dejected. My teacher asked how I did. When I looked at the floor and whispered, "2nd place," fully expecting a stern reprimand to my shock the whole class cheered. Which felt like electroshock therapy. Zing to the cerebellum. Spinal taps. Root canal with no happy gas. Real, live pain.

Why couldn't I enjoy this? Because in my mind I'd failed. I'd lost. Where others saw victory I saw letdown. From a young age success for me has always meant an all or nothing experience. And even the "alls" don't feel great. Because I just don't know what to do with it.

There was that time in 7th grade when we were given an assignment to draw our "Dream Desk". I sank into it with glee, gathering my colored pencils and my ADHD tendencies to focus like a laser on designing a colorful place to study that had every gadget you could think up. Shaped like an egg you could sit in, not only did it have blue shag carpet walls, disco lights, and a fridge, it could also fucking fly. I spent hours losing myself in the design. Labeling every feature meticulously. Little did I know this was a contest. When the teacher announced I'd won in front of the whole class? And my parents showed up? I wanted to stab myself in the eye with my green colored pencil just to MAKE IT STOP PLEASE.

I've never like competition. Being best. Second best. Placing. Any of it. When I came in first runner up in my high school pageant? Thought to myself are you crazy? What the fuck? I only entered because my drama teacher never gave me any parts and I knew the pageant had a talent requirement that I had the perfect monologue for. Mary Katherine Gallagher ain't got nothing on me. That Best Food Blog of 2010 in C-Ville Weekly? There were no other food blogs in town publishing with any regularity that year. Believe me I checked. Then didn't show up to receive the award because who needs that aggravation.

And here we are again. I won a pie fest. My mind immediately thinks great, now I'll be stuck making sweet potato speculoos for the rest of my life. I'm that woman. In that box. With that label. Yes, I realize all this "me-me-me"–ing about fear of success sounds completely ridiculous and narcissistic, particularly in the wake of the shitstorm of events that is 2016. Get over yourself, Jenée. It ain't no big thing. You're absolutely right. It isn't. What is a big deal is how this hatred of winning goes much further and deeper to a deeply ingrained fear of success. And what I subconsciously do to avoid it at any cost.

I sabotage myself on purpose so as not to be successful. Yes, I actively interfere so I have no chance of achieving anything. With a frequency that's downright scary. What does that look like? Well, for starters I overschedule myself so I have to cancel things. So I can be considered unreliable because when you get down to it I suck, right? I stay up late, eat badly, procrastinate before a big career milestone or an important event so I can show up late or ill prepared or maybe not at all. I spend weeks not writing, days not working, doing all sorts of other mindless, useless things because deep down I don't feel I deserve to be happy. I don't deserve success. Deep down inside I know I suck and through my actions I want others to know I suck too.

But why? When did all of this originate? I've done it for so long I don't even remember. When you do something for decades, your whole life in fact, it ventures beyond the realm of simple habit. It becomes a part of you. It becomes who you are.

It sounds weird but the podcast has become my way out. Because I have a set schedule, one episode every two weeks, it forces me to show up. To be accountable. It's different from a 9-5 gig. It feels different. This is something I created myself. From scratch. It took years. Real effort. This podcast is wholly mine from the clicks of my dry mouth on the microphone to each flutter of my heart when I walk into an interview to the real trepidation I experience right before hitting the "Publish" button. The self hatred is there start to finish but the act of making, of creating, when it's this all-consuming, it becomes the only thing you think about. Ever so gradually, over time, the self loathing becomes background noise. It never leaves, no chance of that happening, but it does lessen. It helps that podcasting is mostly a solitary activity like writing. So the only expectation you have to live up to is your own. Wait, that actually might be worse now that I think about it.

Anyway, what I've noticed is when you start small, when you begin with one small step, showing up every two weeks for an episode for example, good things start to happen. There's a ripple effect. People start complimenting you and you actually hear them. You don't believe it yet, but you hear them at least. You start thinking maybe shooting yourself in the foot every day isn't the best way to live your life. Maybe every other day for now. Three times a week tops. And when you win a pie contest out of the blue, instead of cringing, gritting your teeth, running and hiding until it's all over, you write about it instead. Then start thinking up recipes for next year. Maybe you do that.

Here's that recipe I promised. Folks thought it was good enough for an engraved pie plate and some accolades. And for that I remain grateful. Happy Thanksgiving.

Sweet Potato Speculoos Pie Adapted from these recipes: Emily Hilliard, Nothing in the House Patti LaBelle, Diva Eternal

Makes one 10-inch pie Prep and Cooking Time: About 2-3 hours, plus time to chill

Baker's note: I used organic butter, local sweet potatoes, organic heavy cream, and pasture-raised eggs, and spices from The Spice Diva

For crust: 2 cups gingersnap crumbs 5 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon sugar Pinch of kosher salt

For filling: 3-5 large orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, scrubbed (enough for 3 full cups of purée) Pinch of kosher salt 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, beaten 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon ground Vietnamese cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2-3/4 cup of Speculoos (cookie butter)

For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour gingersnap crumbs in a bowl and add melted butter, sugar, and salt, stirring until well mixed. Pat the buttery crumbs into a 10-inch pie pan, pressing mixture into the bottom and sides to form a pie crust. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake until crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before adding filling.

For the filling: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt, then the sweet potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 to 45 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes, letting them fall into a colander. Run under cold water until cool enough to handle. Discard the skins; transfer the cooked sweet potatoes to a mixing bowl. Use a hand-held electric mixer to blend until creamy and smooth. You'll need 3 cups for filling, if there's any excess scoop it out to reserve for another use. Add the 7 tablespoons of melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, heavy cream, and spices. Beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Pour into your crumb crust, smoothing the surface.

Warm the Speculoos in a spouted measuring cup in the microwave for 20 seconds. No more! It should have the consistency of thick pancake batter. Enough to pour easily, but not runny. If it's too runny, stick the cup in the freezer for 3-5 minutes to firm it.

Now starting from the outside of the pie, pour the cookie butter in a spiral, working inward to the center. Probably two spirals total for a 10-inch pie. Then take a chopstick and drag it through the pie from the outside to the center like you're making a marbleized cheesecake or brownies. Don't be afraid, the surface of this pie should turn out rough like the soft rolling mountains we live in.

Bake in the middle rack until a knife inserted in the center of the filling comes out clean yet the filling still jiggles a bit, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.