Edacious

Bee Work. Welcome to Episode 44 where we meet Bee Charmer and Farmer Amanda Welch of Grubby Girl. Amanda has been a fixture at the Charlottesville City Market for years, selling her all-natural soaps, bath products, and granola, all produced with honey harvested at Meeting House Farm. I've loved her Farmer Person soap for a while. So nice and gentle with a honeysuckle scent that wafts about you without the threat of the plant taking over your entire garden. I could use her Cucumber Mint right now with this heat! So it was a thrill to finally sit down and talk about the triumphs and challenges of running an apiary.

I first met Amanda when I took her bee class at the Jefferson School where I learned there's more to running an apiary than meets the eye. It is not a lovely, pastoral Martha Stewart project. This is real farming. To be successful you've got to have some knowledge of working with livestock, picking up on non-verbal cues to prevent the variety of diseases and issues facing our bee population. It's a lot of work and definitely not a weekend hobby. With our overabundance of pesticides it's a real challenge to keep their immune systems strong and the hive healthy and pest free.

Bees are facing extinction. That's a fact. So in my mind Amanda is doing the most important work possible. Without pollinators we have no trees. No crops. No environment. They are delicate creatures and the overuse of pesticides threatens their very existence. But bees weren't always so fragile. Our dependence on pesticides and herbicides like Roundup have made them sick and their very existence has become precarious. Colony collapse is a real thing. We discuss this as well as the very real divide between conventional and organic agriculture. Why pesticides are a death knell for bees. When they collect pollen and nectar from plants treated with pesticides they get a non-lethal dose which they end up taking back to the hive. It builds up in the hive, the wax, and the population. Which means we are getting that in our own bodies.

Bees have immune systems just like humans. Items like lemon balm tea and spearmint oil boost the health of bees the way probiotics do. They also prevent pests. Can't afford to keep a hive? No worries, go plant some lavender, tansy, echinacea, and mint. Even if you can't have a hive, you can help the health of our bees and make sure they stick around a good long while. What's the best way to make sure the honey you're getting is free of pesticides? We discuss that in this episode.

Bees have seasons just like apples, corn, and tomatoes. They hibernate in winter since they physically cannot move if the temperature falls below 40 degrees. So it's very important the person keeping the hive makes sure they have enough food to last. Then in early Spring, bees collect nectar and the Queen starts to produce more young bees call the Brood. A brand new hive requires the bees to build wax to store the honey which is eight times more effort than just producing honey. This also happens in Springtime. Once established, bees collect in earnest and start producing honey from about mid-late April to mid-July. One year Amanda collected 400 pounds of honey from 18 hives. Wow! Honey is a natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and sealant. Capped honey never expires and doesn't need refrigeration. So enjoy that honey sitting in the back of your cabinet. If it's raw and all-natural, it's probably just fine.

What work is being done to breed a stronger type of bee able to handle our modern pesticide-full environment? What are some common misconceptions? Are there health benefits to royal jelly? Do bees have personalities? Why is the Queen the most important member of the hive? What's the difference between Workers and Drones? What does it mean when a hive swarms? Is it possible to have a honey that tastes of just one flavor? Like lavender? Listen to find out!

Did you know Amanda's family wrote a memoir? Tragically she lost both her parents at a young age which of course affected the entire family. You can find the book, The Kids Are All Right at Amazon. And no, it's not the movie with Annette Bening and Mark Ruffalo.

Like other local small businesses, Amanda got some help from the Community Investment Collaborative (CIC). She has also trademarked the Grubby Girl name. We talk about it. Valuable information for anyone out there in the same boat. Like me.

We also talk extensively about concerns revolving around the current incarnation of the Charlottesville City Market. What's good? What needs fixing? What needs to happen? Is having numerous farmer's markets around the city at different times the answer? This is a terrifically ambient episode recorded in the Spring. You'll hear birds, bees, and her lovely Newfoundlands. Need a lift? Join the conversation and give a listen. You can find Amanda's products on her website, at the Saturday Charlottesville City Market, the UVA Hospital Farmer's Market on Thursdays, and The Virginia Shop. Go grab you some!

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

Donut Work. Or is it doughnut? When they're this great, who cares? Meet Matt Rohdie of Carpe Donut. How does a former social worker end up in the donut business? Is Matt Rohdie a Shokunin of donuts? I believe so.

When starting Carpe Donut, Matt set out to make one food, using the best ingredients, and to make it really well. He wanted to create a comfort food, not necessarily uber-healthy but one every person enjoys. A treat! It came down to fries or donuts. Aren't we thankful he chose the latter because to me, Carpe Donut is head and shoulders above the rest.

In this episode we learn Matt's story of how he got his first machine, how he developed his recipe, how long it took, and what sets his donuts apart from others. An important consideration for an increasingly competitive market. Did you know most donut shops use commercial batters with stabilizers? I didn't. Carpe Donuts are 85% organic, natural, additive-free. A warm, apple cider Carpe Donut covered in cinnamon sugar alongside a hot coffee is a great thing indeed. I'm about to devour one in the picture!

I met Matt at the Tom Tom Food Business Summit and what he had to say about running a small business was so important I knew I must have him on the podcast so he could share his knowledge. One piece of advice: having only a brick and mortar store is passé. In a market where everybody and their mother is considering a food business you've got to get creative. Figure out other revenue streams. Streams like selling wholesale and doing corporate events and weddings.

Carpe Donut's 700-square-foot store is great, but it's his food truck and his wholesale business that keep him solvent, helping him expand. You can find frozen Carpe Donuts at about 100 grocery stores and distributors including Local Food Hub and Whole Foods. Just rewarm and you get 90% of what you experience in his shop.

Another avenue stream that's increasingly important to food businesses are weddings, corporate events, and graduations. Big gatherings where folks eat. An entire industry has exploded in the Charlottesville area because of our wealth of wineries, bucolic vistas, and places to stay. People want to gather and eat. What does it mean for us in the future? What can we expect? In the meantime, Matt's mobile donut truck can bring the goodness to you wherever your event takes place. Its built-in machine creates 300 donuts an hour if you run it at full speed so he can serve 3000 people in a few hours. Or just me when I'm edacious.

Another important aspect is providing the customer with requested items. Matt now offers lemonade, hibiscus ginger iced tea, Vietnamese coffee, churros, and King Cakes all because customers requested them for their special event. Playing around with different ideas, trying things out, and providing the best possible experience for your customer is not only fun, but keeps you successful.

What's the difference between yeast and cake donuts? I thought Carpe was a cake, but it is in fact, a hybrid. Apple cider is mixed into the batter and acts like applesauce in cake batter. The crumb is light and open, very springy, not dense like a typical cake donut.

What food movie influenced him the most? What children's book series continually reminds him of the many rewards of running a family-owned business? You might be surprised. It's one I consider the finest example of food writing. What is his approach to training new employees, and why is it important for him to employ artists and musicians? What food trick does he use to keep his donut batter at the right consistency? Listen to find out.

I learned so much about the ever-changing food landscape in this area, why percolated coffee is supreme to drip, the ambiguities of gluten-free sensitivity, the importance of zero food waste, and the horrors of Roundup on our wheat. Great talk from a great guy. Enjoy! Then go get yourself a donut!

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

• The Charlottesville 29 Restaurant Auctions - Every dollar you bid goes toward four meals for our area's hungry. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO BID for the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience!
• Rice, Noodle, Fish - Deep Travels Through Japan's Food Culture - Matt Goulding travels the country and explores chefs who dedicate their lives to Shokunin or the practice of doing one food and doing it to perfection. My vote for the best food writing of 2015 and a finalist in the 2016 IACP Awards. Incredible piece of work.
• THE DOUGHNUTS (from the Chicago Public Library Collection), 1963, Weston Woods - Remember this classic? I swear I saw this film every summer as a kid. Homer Price is left to run the local doughnut machine. Hilarity ensues.

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

Best Food Business Advice. What if you got almost 100 local food business folks together to learn and share how to be more successful and avoid common pitfalls? You'd have the Business of Food Conference held June 20th at the Omni. I was thrilled to be named a Community Partner and spent the day recording interviews, gathering valuable tips and information to strengthen our food community.

The result is five terrific short interviews, each one offering a different viewpoint from a unique area of our local food scene.

First up is Melissa Meece, owner of Firefly Restaurant and Arcade, a living tribute to its founder Mark Weber, who passed away from cancer in January 2015. His girlfriend Melissa inherited the restaurant and carries on his legacy and wish to create a community space around food, games, and fun. Through craft beers, ping pong, skeeball, pinball, board games and a great menu of family friendly favorites, Firefly does this and so much more. And the tips Melissa had for encouraging other food businesses to share their story and their history with customers are ones you don't want to miss. I'd love to have her on a future podcast - Firefly is a great space, and Mark's spirit lives on in the smiles of its patrons.

Next up is Cass Cannon, owner of Peg's Salt. Not your ordinary table salt, Peg's is a special seasoning salt using kosher flake and 25 different spices. A secret family recipe created by her mother Peg. I use it on pasta but you could literally throw it on any food to make it taste just a bit better. Peg's Salt can be found in over 40 stores throughout the region including Whole Foods, Greenwood Grocery, Great Value in Crozet, and Ellwood Thompson in Richmond. I loved hearing the story of how this public relations expert took an old family recipe and her love for marketing to create a successful artisanal food business. You will too. A terrific lady and someone I hope to talk with again.

Third we have Eric Breckoff, Program Head and Associate Professor of Culinary Arts for PVCC at the Jefferson School. In this role, Eric teaches, supervises other faculty, and performs important administrative duties like managing purchasing and the budget. Important for a program like PVCC, which currently has 15 students who have recently completed their that 2-year program and 14 young chefs enrolled in their first year. PVCC's Culinary Arts program includes five semesters and covers every aspect of food business and the culinary arts. Sure there are classes in knife skills and sautéeing, but also nuts-and-bolts courses in cost control, purchasing, menu planning, nutrition, and food safety and sanitation. I loved hearing about the behind the scenes aspects of running a restaurant. The unglamorous aspects you rarely hear about, but are just as important as running a successful business. Because as Eric so rightly stated, without them the whole ship sinks.

Arley Arrington of Arley Cakes is a former artist who translated her passion for the visual into beautiful edible creations. Have you seen her Instagram? Wow! Gorgeous stuff! She should teach next year's breakout session on food photography! I first tasted Arley's creations at Brookville Restaurant, where Arley has waitressed on and off for the past five years and where Chef Harrison Keevil suggested one day, "Hey, why don't you come in next Tuesday night and bake a pie?" Thus a food business was born. Recently Arley has branched out into wedding cake territory. How did she learn the fine craft of icing roses and tiered cake skyscrapers? Why are visual aesthetics so important to her and her new food business? Listen to find out. Her thoughtful responses are so reflective of the supportive food community in Charlottesville that I continue to discover and be constantly amazed by. We truly live in a special place folks. And I'm eager to have Arley on sometime for a much longer conversation.

Lastly, but by no means leastly, we have Marty Butts of Small Potatoes, who specializes in food business consulting. Marty was a featured speaker at the conference, and my personal favorite. The minute he opened his mouth at his first breakout session, I knew I had to speak with him. In our conversation we talk about the pluses and minuses around Yelp, but more importantly, how he teaches his Foodshed Model to help businesses learn what exactly is "local" and what isn't. Which is unique to each area of our country. And infinitely complex.

Marty discovered his passion when he looked around his community of Syracuse, New York and saw many food producers who had difficulty expanding beyond their immediate region. By stepping in to help, sometimes acting as a sales representative, other times acting as a marketing guru, he helped these producers succeed in an ever-changing market. This led to a career in consulting and education, traveling the country to speak at events about the complex world of local, organic, sustainable.

Marty's mission is to help small food businesses grow. His past experiences working as a buyer and merchandiser in food co-ops and grocery stores has also helped him spread knowledge where it needs to go. The Johnny Appleseed of local, organic, sustainable if you will. Helping get people engaged with local food in emerging small-scale food producing markets like Charlottesville, Virginia.

Is local 100 miles or 300 miles? When you see buzzwords like additive-free, organic, all-natural, what should you expect? What does each term mean exactly? It can get very specific but Marty helped navigate this complex arena. Connection, community, inclusiveness, transparency, strong relationships. All are important core values in small food businesses. How do you grow locally, regionally, nationally? Transparency especially is becoming increasingly important. Just ask any farm to table restaurant in Tampa. Or the folks at Chipotle.

Is a sense of place important? What aspects of a community make its food scene unique? Should you build your brand according to a sense of place? Build it around where you're from because that creates a unique identity? And does this uniqueness help or hurt as you attempt to expand? What does Marty think is a good example of that? And which business does exactly that and is the one he noticed first upon arriving in Charlottesville? Listen to find out!

Food has cultural impact. As he says so well, chefs and farmers are treated like rock stars these days, helping to define the culture of a community while at the same time being one of the building blocks of local economy. Which is very powerful. And very cool.

Marty is such an amazing speaker, knowledgeable and interesting and quick. I did the ugly laugh more than once. I absolutely loved our conversation and I know you will too, as well as all of the other great local folks I talked with during this year's Business of Food Conference. Enjoy!

Important Tips for Food Business Owners That Came Up During Our Conversations:

• It's important to keep open communication, both between an employer and employee and between an owner and their customer.
• Use video on your homepage to tell the story of your business
• Do you have a mission statement? What are your business's core values? Before you do anything else with your business, do this.
• Human resources law which is an important, but often overlooked aspect of a food business. In the hiring process, what questions can you ask and not ask? In the old days restaurant kitchens were the Wild West, but these days a wrong word or action can derail a business. How do you stay ethically and legally compliant?
• What technology, social media, or apps do these folks use to make running their business easier?
• Are folks moving away from Facebook toward visual social media like Instagram and Pinterest? Being able to take a great picture of your product is becoming more and more important every day. And not always possible under dim restaurant lights.
• Packaging is so important and often overlooked. If your bottle of barbecue sauce is too tall to fit within a store set it might be relegated somewhere to the back. Or the buyer may not purchase it at all. Making sure your product displays well, and is the right amount size-wise, is just as important as your branding.
• Even if you've been in business a while, there is always more to learn. Things like taxes, accounting, finances, and regulations change all the time which is why conferences like this are so valuable. Get away from your business sometimes to learn and network!

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

• The Charlottesville 29 Restaurant Auctions - Every dollar you bid goes toward four meals for our area's hungry. Auctions close DAILY starting yesterday so bid early and often for the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience!
• Central Virginia Small Business Development Center - Need help with your small business? SBDC offers one-on-one counseling for free and many events and courses, often free or for just a small fee.
• The Sporkful Podcast - Is the burrito a sandwich or not? This fun podcast asks and answers the important questions.

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

The Work of Teaching. Remember Cooking Live? As a young woman working three jobs while attending school full time Chef Sara Moulton's show was the highlight of my day. Every evening Sara guided me through simple, fresh, and healthy recipes. Unlike shows like The Great Chefs of San Francisco, these were recipes I actually wanted to try. And did. To this day I credit Sara with teaching me how to cook for myself, as do thousands of others.

For almost 40 years Sara Moulton has worked in the culinary arts in just about every job you can imagine including restaurant chef, Executive Chef at Gourmet magazine until its demise in 2009, newspaper columnist, cookbook author, and television personality on The Food Network and Good Morning America. Her shows still appear regularly in reruns and her new show, Sara's Weeknight Meals, appears regularly on PBS and the Create channel, picking up where Food Network's Cooking Live and Sara's Secrets left off. Her new book, Home Cooking 101: How To Make Everything Taste Better is a culmination of numerous tips, tricks, and recipes she's collected over the years. A MUST for anyone who makes dinner.

How did she end up a teacher? As with so many female chefs, Sara left restaurants when she realized she wanted to have kids. Her journey took her from stints as a food stylist for Julia Child, to Gourmet, to work as an instructor at Peter Kump's Cooking School in NYC. Teaching caused her to fall in love again with food. The passion she gained from showing someone how to create a dish, giving someone that knowledge, stayed with her and became her life's work.

During her visit to The Happy Cook as part of a book tour sponsored by Chantal cookware, I was fortunate enough to sit with Sara and talk about it all. Her start at The Food Network and how she went from a deer in the headlights to the natural and nurturing on-air teacher we are all familiar with. What was the lynchpin? We also discuss how Cooking Live was in fact LIVE and the challenges that presents. How on-air mistakes actually help beginning cooks by showing real-life instances of times when you have to become MacGyver in the kitchen. How Julia Child would make mistakes on purpose during her television shows for just this reason. We also discuss how The Food Network has changed into something way more competitive and cutthroat since she was so unceremoniously let go. Changed for the better? I'm not so sure.

How did she learn to become a great teacher? Is there a difference between teaching adults and children? What was the ultimate goal of her show Cooking Live? What did she avoid doing while on the air? Who were some of her famous guests and why did The Food Network use her show as an audition tape for new talent? What is her weakness in cookware stores? What are her thoughts on Blue Apron? What was Julia Child really like? You'll have to listen to find out.

We also discuss her work as co-founder of the New York Women's Culinary Alliance. Why is this group still so necessary in 2016? How can we make its founding mission of networking and education for culinary women even more widespread?

We covered so much in this short talk and I'm honored Chef Sara Moulton took time out of her busy 2-day visit to talk with me. Enjoy! Then go buy her book on Amazon, and check out her show on PBS, and search her website for videos and recipes. Get cooking people!

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

• The Charlottesville 29 Restaurant Auctions - Every dollar you bid goes toward four meals for our area's hungry. Auctions close DAILY starting yesterday so bid early and often for the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience!
• Sara Moulton's Website - Learn about Sara and her history, view videos of her show, and collect recipes from her long and storied career.
• Home Cooking 101: How To Make Everything Taste Better - Sara's latest book is filled with instructional photos, great recipes, and thousands of tips culled from over 40 years of teaching cooking.
• Chantal Cookware - Discover why this cookware is a favorite of Sara's. Then buy some.

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

Food Community. Whether you're helping to feed the hungry or exchanging ideas and culture across oceans the concept of community is prevalent in Charlottesville. And important. Always has been. Not only does connection go in tandem with the concept of community, it acts as the glue holding neighborhoods together. When you make strong bonds, you create community. In this episode I'm thrilled and honored to present two examples of folks working to ensure we have strong connections so our food community remains equally robust.

First up is lawyer and food writer C. Simon Davidson. If there were a list of 29 restaurants in Charlottesville what would be the ideal 29? Simon asked himself this question four years ago. Then set out to create it. The Charlottesville 29 is the result of that idea. We talked together extensively about his project back in Episode 7 of Edacious. A few months ago he finished the list and asked the question, "Now what?" The result is The Charlottesville 29 Restaurant Auctions, an event benefitting the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

For 29 days (which began May 23rd), one area restaurant from The Charlottesville 29 will present a once-in-a-lifetime food experience for bidding. Auctions last 30 days. Then once the auction has ended, everyone who placed a bid will have 24 hours to up the ante. The best part? 100% of every dollar donated will go toward feeding our area's hungry. This means a bid of $1000 will provide 4,000 meals. Do the math. With 29 restaurants that's a lot of food.

Not all participating restaurants are fine dining! My favorite auctions so far have included a Fiesta Mexicana from Al Carbon, complete with live music, and a Street Food Feast from Pad Thai. Bidding numbers out of your budget? Gather some friends as group bidding is encouraged! These signature events would be great for special gatherings like birthdays, graduations, and rehearsal dinners. Way more unique than something you'd plan in a typical rented space or hotel banquet hall.

What aspects of the auction have been most surprising to Simon? Which area chef inspired the other participating restaurants to up their game? Which restaurant is bidding on an auction to use as their Staff Appreciation Day?

This is a win-win for everyone. McGuire Woods has stepped up to cover administrative costs and every restaurant is donating 100% of their efforts which means every dollar you bid goes directly to feed the hungry in our community. It's rare 100% of funds go directly to the purpose of the event. Which makes this auction extra special. Bidding for the first auction ends June 23rd, then an auction ends every day after that. For 29 days. Here is the current list. I urge you to bid early and often. Simon is such a valuable asset to Charlottesville both for his great writing and unwavering passion for our food and community. Did you know he's handling the logistics entirely on his own? Wow! I sure hope he gets to experience at least one of these fine events.

In the second part of the podcast I had the great good fortune to interview a Tuscan chef, Roberta Vivetta Cintelli, matriarch of Il Falcone in Poggio a Caiano, Tuscany, a restaurant that has been in the same family for seven generations. Yes, seven! The Martini family opened Il Falcone way back in 1862.

Chef Cintelli is visiting Tavola this week with her interpreter, Caterina Martini, and working with Chef Caleb Warr as part of the Charlottesville Sister Cities Program, which fosters international partnerships and cultural understanding. By coming together to exchange ideas we create stronger community bonds, both locally and internationally. What better way to do that than over food?

Several months ago owners Chef Michael Keaveny and his wife Tami contacted the Charlottesville Sister City Commission to create this partnership. As a result of their efforts, Chef Cintelli traveled over to visit our historic sites, but more importantly, to cook at Tavola and share her expertise. Chef Warr will reciprocate by showing Chef Cintelli how American restaurants differ both in their menus and in some of their methods.

Tavola will host Chef Cintelli for a week, June 6 to 11, and during her tenure she will be cooking special dishes from Il Falcone, including many secret recipes that have never been revealed outside the restaurant. Then in July Chef Warr will travel to Poggio a Caiano to work at Il Falcone. All of this fine collaborating will culminate in a street fair to be held this Saturday and a formal dinner happening this autumn where each chef will present the results of their partnership.

Tickets for the fair can be purchased online with a limited number at the door. An event not to be missed! Dishes like goat rack pops, porchetta sandwiches, chicken liver pate, and tripe salad will be available among many others, along with special wines and cocktails from Christian Kelly of Cichetti Bar. I profiled Christian on this very podcast in Episode 26!

What's the most important aspect of Tuscan cuisine? How will Chef Cintelli convince reluctant eaters to try offal parts like tripe and kidneys? How are American menus very different from ones in Italy? What are the differences between the way Italian restaurants source their ingredients from the way we do here in America? Why is tradition, whether that be recipes, cooking methods, or keeping it all in the family so important to the Martinis? Why is Florentine steak so special? And what valuable lessons has Chef Warr learned from this master and matriarch?

As I walked out of Tavola and bit into the biscotti Chef Cintelli offered in thanks I teared up. It was gorgeous and perfect. The way good biscotti is supposed to be. In that moment I understood why she had teared up herself when describing her family and the importance of tradition and her love of Tuscan cuisine. And I knew someday I would visit Poggio a Caiano. Just to eat at her restaurant.

The street fair is a chance for folks to experience a bit of Tuscany here in Charlottesville. I've bought mine. Be sure and get yours before they sell out. And don't miss this episode profiling all the wonderful ways folks here and abroad are working together to create community. Cheers.

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

• Business of Food Conference Homepage
• Sara Moulton at The Happy Cook - come learn from this celebrity chef and gourmet master!

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

The Work of Teaching Cooking. Since 2008, Martha Stafford of The Charlottesville Cooking School has been guiding folks in her beautiful kitchen in the Meadowbrook Shopping Centre to become more confident in the foods they prepare.

Why a cooking school? From a young age Martha wanted to teach. And from a very young age she was always cooking. The atmosphere of cooking classes, the energy it creates, with everybody participating and not just sitting around watching, becomes a communal experience. And after everyone sits down and eats together of the food they prepared? It becomes something much more.

Martha wants to help people find a sense of joy in food preparation. How to appreciate the experience in and of itself and not just as a way to get to the next activity in your day. Especially for folks who grew up not having big family dinners. She believes cooking simply, but cooking well, involves way more than, "Set it and forget it," to quote a well-known TV personality. It involves being in the moment, being present. Taking the time to do it well instead of speeding ahead to the next thing. Not only does that keep you from cutting yourself but it can create a bit of peace within your day. Mindfulness in cooking. Cooking as a peace exercise instead of a chore to get through. Plus, if you cook food well, if it tastes really good, you feel satiated. This is true for something as simple as zucchini. By cooking everything well (not well-done, but WELL), you don't have to limit yourself. Dieting becomes obsolete.

Martha realized this early on at Peter Kump's Cooking School in New York, now the Institute of Culinary Education, where she paid for tuition by washing dishes and scrubbing floors. After her training, she spent time in numerous restaurants before traveling to Charlottesville with her husband Phillip, one of the founders of C&O Restaurant.

At the school Martha uses seasonal ingredients and local and organic as much as she can. Her instructors have all been professionally trained. This is important because at The Charlottesville Cooking School you will find the same curriculum you would find in any professional school. This isn't a quick, "home cooking" course but a thorough one based on classic French methods and techniques you could take and use in any kitchen. Leagues away from watching YouTube videos or learning from books because in her kitchen you train using all five senses. Hearing the onions when they're near doneness, feeling the pasta dough, smelling the cake baking. Learning by doing is the best kind of learning.

There are classes for nervous cooks, kids and teens, and any folks interested in acquiring skills with knives, breadmaking, cakes, pies, and just about any cuisine you can think of. Her Asian classes sell out regularly. Did you know Martha offers team building activities for companies? Instead of doing a boring day-long retreat, offices can come and cook together, then share what they've created. Team building by cooking a project cooperatively. What a concept! And I bet you can guess which individual in the office always wants to man the grill…

In addition to the school, Martha has worked with The Virginia Festival of the Book since 2009. She's been instrumental in increasing the number of food-related book events at the festival and this past March both her cooking demonstrations and panel with organic chef Nora Pouillon, who I interviewed for this podcast, were very well attended. How can we makes the crowds more diverse? How can we attract more people from the food community? We talk about that.

Martha has also worked with Charlottesville City Schools to begin revamping school lunches by meeting with dietitians and the head of school services to teach knife skills, develop recipes, and offer support to create a centralized kitchen. Her black bean and brown rice taco was scooped up by students who loved it so much they were licking the plates clean. Let's hope the work she began continues. Because ketchup isn't a vegetable.

Why is her Healing Your Relationship To Food class so popular? How does she encourage nervous cooks? Why did one student call her school "Heaven's Kitchen"? What are her thoughts on food services like Blue Apron? We talk about it all. Her passion and dedication to teaching the essentials in the kitchen come through so clearly in this conversation and I loved talking with her. Enjoy!

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

• Chili Cookoff to benefit Service Dogs of VA – I'll be a judge. Pray for me! ?
• Business of Food Conference Homepage
• The Charlottesville 29 Restaurant Auctions
• Finding Yourself in the Kitchen – Learning to be in the moment while cooking instead of speeding through it onto the next thing.
• Elizabeth Andoh – The leading English-language expert on Japanese cuisine.
• Fraisier Cake!
• The Unwanted Job – Chef Chris Hill outlines why the dishwasher is the unsung hero of any restaurant.

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

Food Business Support. Do you have a great idea for a food business? To succeed, you're going to need more than that. Over half of new restaurants in this country fail within the first year. That's not good news in a place like Charlottesville where you might be competing with over 400 other restaurants for customers.

Luckily, we have such an encouraging community here for small business. I've never presented an idea to someone and been discouraged. But as in so many things, you can't succeed alone. It takes a village. Betty Hoge, Director of the Charlottesville Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is here to help.

Their mission is simple. SBDC works to enhance our local economy by providing assistance to local and midsize businesses. For FREE or very little cost. There is no hidden agenda or bias to convince new owners to use a particular service. SBDC only works to enhance the local economy. Because a world full of nothing but big box stores would be a sad one indeed. Independently-owned small businesses provide a lot to the social atmosphere and culture of a community. It keeps money within the community and makes that community rich in culture and uniqueness.

May 1st through 7th was National Small Business Week! I didn't know that when we spoke, but what better way to celebrate than to speak with her about all the ways SBDC can help new and existing small food business owners in our community.

SBDC helped local restaurant Nude Fude get off the ground. If you listen to our talk in Episode 11, both Ken and Dani Notari speak at length about how SBDC helped them create a business plan, scout a location, and figure out the best way to ensure their restaurant would succeed. Because of confidentiality agreements SBDC cannot brag about the many restaurants they have helped. But believe me, it's a lot.

SBDC offers FREE confidential consulting then customizes services based on the owner's needs. They offer business development training and numerous resources, most at no cost for businesses not yet large enough to hire professionals on their own. Last year they helped 150-200 businesses navigate things like accounting, licensing, and figuring out how to expand. Many times folks come to SBDC with a grand idea but very little capital. SBDC can help them see the truth, change to realistic goals, and help them grow slowly within their means so eventually a bank may give them a loan.

How did this former foodie and restaurant owner of The Dog and Pickle Beanery, Pub, and Banquet Hall become the director of our local SBDC? It's a super interesting story, particularly since she first got experience in small business direction by volunteering at her local chapter! Yes, you can get your dream job by volunteering within the field people!

How does SBDC help folks without 10 investors and huge budgets who can't afford a space on The Downtown Mall? How are food trucks a good stepping stone to a brick and mortar establishment? What free course is offered monthly at SBDC? What do pharmacists, artists, and food business owners have in common? Listen to find out.

To further SBDC's mission, the 2nd Annual Business of Food Conference will be held at the Charlottesville Omni on Monday, June 20, 2016 from 8am-4pm. At the Tom Tom Food Business Summit last month local restaurateurs, chefs, and food producers got serious about the business of food, discussing their issues, triumphs, questions, and concerns. This conference will carry on that important conversation.

The Business of Food Conference is a way for new and existing food business owners to get together, network, talk, and learn from one another. A shared conference with the SBDC in Harrisonburg, this conference celebrates our entire region because, thankfully, we are awash in food businesses. Topics will include local food trends, business trends, and practices that allow a food business to be successful. Attendees will learn accounting, understanding financial statements, marketing tips, insights on social media, and even menu design. What optimal wording gets people to order more? At this conference, you'll find out. There will also be breakout sessions on designing a kitchen. Where should things go? What essential equipment do you need? Maybe that sous vide machine isn't as important as you think.

Lunch is provided and confirmed speakers include Crissanne Raymond of No Bull Burger (Episode 13), Katrina Didot from Harrisonburg's A Bowl of Good, Erin Ludwig of Jack Brown's, and Nathan West of Mad Hatter Hot Sauce. There will also be some craft cocktail activities on The Downtown Mall after the conference at participating restaurants so the conversations can continue.

Ticktets are only $119 until June 14th, then go up to $139 for an entire day of networking, food, and valuable learning. Costs go toward expenses to put on the conference. Money which stays in the community to help the community.

Betty Hoge and the SBDC are such valuable assets to our Charlottesville food community and I'm thrilled to have talked with her. I'll be helping promote the conference, including broadcasting a special extra episode of Edacious closer to conference time. If you have ideas for topics, speakers, or would like to be a corporate sponsor for this event, contact me here or Betty Hoge at 434-979-5610. Enjoy this important episode!

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

• Berkshares - One local community creates its own money so funds spent locally, stay local.
• Charlottesville Small Business Development Center Webpage
• Charlottesville Small Business Development Center on Facebook
• Business of Food Conference Homepage

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

Spice Work. Can a spice store be a community gathering place? It can. Meet Phyllis Hunter of The Spice Diva. This former opera singer turned shop owner has been bringing people together over their shared love of spices since opening her shop in The Main Street Market in 2011.

The Spice Diva is not only a source for fresh and unusual spices for local chefs, bartenders, and food enthusiasts, but a way for community members from other countries to find reminders from home. Her cooking classes bring folks together over the stove and her vast, ever-growing spice knowledge is reminding us all about the value of buying fresh, buying local. Her shop, located in a well-loved but underappreciated part of town, expands our views about the world over a shared love of food and flavor.

How can we make sure West Main Street remains a vital part of the community and its members remain in the conversation with regard to beneficial development and growth? We talk about that. The Midtown Street Fair was my favorite event of the year, not only for the food but for the broad swath of folks who attended. Can we bring it back? How do we include every neighborhood in the conversation when it comes to festivals and development benefitting the entire community, not just students and tourists? How do we help the homeless population in a way benefitting their needs as well as the needs of business owners? We cover that too.

Smell is such a powerful sense. Instantly you're transported to a different place and time. It's just one of the reasons Phyllis discovered her passion in food was spice. After walking into the Oxbow City Market in San Francisco she was transfixed. And knew in an instant we had to have something like that here in Charlottesville. Did fate cause her to go into that spice shop? Whatever it was, we're the lucky ones. In her new, much larger space Phyllis has the resources to offer even more gathering opportunities: cooking classes, tastings, book signings, whatever you can think of related to teaching the endless knowledge around herbs, spices, and teas.

In addition to all this, The Spice Diva carries salts and peppers, oils and vinegars, Belgian chocolate, cocktail bitters and syrups, as well as the famous Habiba Sauce and salad dressing from Aroma's. She'll soon carry gelato from Splendora's and the saffron from Rumi Spice is a collaboration with a nonprofit that benefits Afghan saffron farmers. Her patrons including area chefs and bartenders from Brazos Tacos, Michael's Bistro, Tavola, Revolutionary Soup, Ten, Alley Light, Feast!, and Mountain Culture Kombucha cement the fact this shop is a gathering place for the entire Charlottesville food community. Chef Harrison Keevil from Brookville came in while we were talking!

Like many grocery store foods, spices and salts are processed with preservatives added to keep them fresh. So the good stuff comes out and nutrients like iodine get added back in, Morton's salt being just one example. Everything at The Spice Diva is Kosher and Halal, as well as additive-free with no MSG or anti-caking agents. Spices start to lose their flavor after two weeks with nuances of flavor decreasing over time. The Spice Diva turns over half the shop every week, so you can be sure everything you buy is at peak flavor and freshness, without preservatives.

Why is she an advocate for buying local? How does having fresh and unusual spices change the way you cook? What are the additional revenue streams she uses to keep her business viable and thriving? What is berbere spice and why are local foodies clamoring for it? What is Relay Foods and how does their locally-based "Blue Apron"-type service work? What are the wonderful origins behind her logo? We talk about it all.

I love how Phyllis is using spice to bring people together for teachable moments. Not just about flavors and where they originate, but about expanding the whole notion of what it means to buy local. It's so much more than going to the farmer's market. Everyone uses spice even if it's just the salt they sprinkle on a hardboiled egg. The day I interviewed Phyllis in her store all I saw was smiling faces. You smell cinnamon, or nutmeg, or clove and you feel joy. It reminds you of home and hearth. Of good times. Spices cross cultures. Cumin is used in India, Mexico, Africa. You find curries not just in Asia and India but in Africa and early American cookbooks from the 19th century. Spice as community. I like it. And I think you'll like this episode. Cheers.

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

• Cooking Classes at The Spice Diva! - Area food historians, butchers, and chefs teach you the basics, culinary history, and how to implement spices in your kitchen. Do you have a large dinner group but a small kitchen? Have your dinner at The Spice Diva! Maybe you and your friends want to learn more about spices? Phyllis can design a cooking class catering to your needs!
• SCORE - Want to start a business? This nonprofit can help.
• JQ Dickinson Salt Works - Artisanal salt farmed by hand from an ancient ocean buried underneath the Appalachian mountains. For 7 generations.
• Peg's Salt - You'll want to put it on everything!
• Relay Foods - Local business that does the shopping for you. Buy spices or have their registered dietician plan a week of meals.
• Rumi Spice - Kimberly Jung and Emily Miller are US Veterans working to help Afghan saffron farmers by connecting them to the international market.
• iSpice - an iPhone app that can teach you about spices.

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

Food Views. The way people view "good food" differs depending on whether they're a privileged mother of two selecting asparagus at a farmer's market, or a lower middle class mother who needs to live on the busline and is wondering how she will feed her children until her next paycheck, or a mother in India or Africa whose dearest wish is to live near a grocery store. To have choices.

Meet Dr. Leni Sorensen, culinary historian, food advocate, and home provisioning expert. She's lived quite a life - from growing up on the West Coast in a mixed-race family pre-civil rights, to singing in The Womenfolk, to acting as food historian for Monticello, to earning her Ph.D., to answering a personal ad from a farmer in South Dakota then moving there and learning home provisioning from the ground up, including gutting and skinning an antelope.

She and Kip are still married and provisioning to this day on their family farm. The Sorensen household is self-reliance personified, sometimes processing up to 50 chickens in a day when it's time. Which results in 150 pounds of chicken. Then comes canning the meat and stock. All twenty-eight cans worth. Yes, you CAN put up broth and meat. She explains how. It's just one reason when the zombie apocalypse happens, I'm walking to Leni's!

The question of how folks view "good food" is an important one. How do we expand the demographic here in Charlottesville so our ENTIRE community is able to participate in our many festivals, markets, and other food events? Not just the white and affluent? How do these many events affect the people who work here and need to drive roads closed for races? They have to make a living. Our cultural focus is gradually moving away from our residents to fulfilling the needs of students, tourists, and visitors. Sometimes the level of arrogance and entitlement here staggers the both of us and we discuss it at length.

We love our Charlottesville views. But whose view is it? Who does it belong to? It's a topic which makes a lot of people uncomfortable but one that must be addressed if things are to change.

And what about the Charlottesville City Market? How many meetings do we need to have? It's been 30 years! When and why did we navigate away from including food producers and start letting in crafts and restaurants? Is the answer decentralization? Having many small markets all over town? Are there other options that can be implemented before another 30 years pass?

Food Provisioning. In the second half of this long conversation we discuss self reliance. Leni teaches courses like canning, growing, and butchering out at the farm because she feels it's important to make this educational investment so you're not reliant on big corporations to feed you. But where do you begin if you're inexperienced? One way is to buy a basil plant. Another is to make most of the bread you eat. She can show you how.

While you're baking that bread, Leni points out it's important not to get nostalgic about the old ways. Canning and quilting are methods folks used to eat and stay warm. They are not precious artifacts to put on a shelf and fawn over. A housewife may have created one pretty can of tomatoes for the State Fair, but the rest fed her family. When Leni cooks recipes from The Virginia Housewife by Mary Randolph (e.g., Turtle Soup with real acquired turtle from her land) it is performance and appreciation. Not precious nostalgia.

Leni's views on organic versus "organic" (note the quotation marks) and GMO seeds are thought-provoking. She is unapologetically pro-GMO and pro-technology, which by turns surprised me and expanded my brain. Why do the privileged arbiters of "good food" treat it like a religion but often have little science to back up their zealotry? Do we research GMOs and possibly feed the world? Or make everything organic and let the poor fend for themselves? Is there an overlap? How can we make "good food" (no matter your definition) available to everyone regardless of class? Fascinating stuff. As she says,

Leni is working on her memoir and continues to cook her way through Mary Randolph's historical volume. Visit her site for more information on this project, as well as how you can take your own home provisioning course. Gather a group of 6-8 folks and design a class yourself! Leni will also be conducting two classes at The Spice Diva in April and May. Details below.

We covered a LOT of ground. Didn't solve anything but boy was it fun trying! This conversation has stayed with me and changed the entire focus of Edacious. That's how good it is. Hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your thoughts. Cheers!

DR. LENI SORENSEN AT THE SPICE DIVA COOKING SCHOOL Two classes on the history of food in Virginia. Leni will be looking at the cooking habits of Virginians from slaves to the gentry. Take one class or both. Tickets and information at the link.

Nadjeeb Chouaf of Flora Artisanal Cheese knew he'd found his vocation within two weeks of working behind the cheese counter at Whole Foods. Why? He fell in love with the product, as well as the fact there was so much "exclusive information" (to coin his phrase) around it. Information not many people know and he was eager to share. Welcome to Episode 35.

Yes, Nadjeeb became enamored by watching an expert cheesemonger at Whole Foods work his magic. Making folks feel comfortable in an arena that can be intimidating, not just for the dozens of choices but sometimes from the snooty attitude of the seller. He fell down that rabbit hole, learning all there was to know about fermented milk, and thank goodness doesn't seem to be climbing out of it anytime soon.

He started with a few wares in a small space inside Milli Joe but now has a dedicated cheese counter inside Timbercreek Market on Preston Avenue, one of only 3 cheese counters I can think of in Charlottesville. Only three when there are over 60 wineries? We talk about that as well as why beer is often a better and easier pairing.

How did he set up his business initially? How does he decide what to sell and import? What is his favorite cheese? What if you've got four or five people coming over? What's a simple cheeseboard to create? Why is Parmigiano Reggiano some of the best eating cheese around to pair with wine? And why does it reach its peak within 10 minutes of being cut from a wheel? Something they experienced at the recent Parmigiano Reggiano Dinner at Lampo. Which sadly, sold out before I could get tickets. #bucketlist

We talk about the differences between fancy artisanal cheese and grocery store Velveeta. Both have their place on your plate. But in the right instances. After all, an American slice melts better than cheddar which dissolves into an oilslick. We also discuss his work with Apprenticeship Connections, a great program pairing young people who want to learn a skill rather than taking a college path.

Nadjeeb has been a silver medalist TWICE in a national competition for cheese where he was judged in a blind tasting, in cutting exact weights with both speed and good presentation, and was required to create an amuse bouche with a given cheese. For 100 people. In an hour.

I'm obsessed with cheese but know so little about it. Nadjeeb is now an expert in this exclusive information so I was glad to listen and learn. He has a great teacherly way of explaining your way around the cheese shop so you don't have to be intimidated the next time you visit. Nadjeeb only sells cheese he enjoys eating. Visiting and buying from him is always awesome and an incredible adventure for your tastebuds. Because of course he gives you a sample of whatever you'd like to think about purchasing.

We end this great discussion with maybe the best junk food vice I've heard in a year of podcasting. Please join us! Mmmmmmmmm.............CHEESE!

This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.