FoodCrush

Meredith Leigh is a mother. A farmer. A butcher. A chef. She’s worked as a teacher and a non-profit director. She’s also the author of “The Ethical Meat Handbook,” and “Pure Charcuterie: The Craft and Poetry of Curing Meats at Home.” Her mission? Discover and share pragmatic solutions related to sustainable, ethical, real food.

On this week’s podcast, we talk face-to-face with Leigh about some of the tough questions facing our food system including elitism in the food movement, food justice, women in butchery and the role of empathy in farming and raising livestock. We also discuss multiple topics tackled in her books, including the rationale behind -- and the skill needed -- to make delicious charcuterie at home. Along the way, Leigh shares stories about her food journey, from humble beginnings in urban America to years spent living a vegetarian lifestyle and her subsequent decision to take on farming, butchery and food advocacy. 

How did a tried and true Napa Cabernet drinker become the owner of a bottled sangria company? It’s a story we’ll explore on this week’s podcast with Jennifer Clearwater, owner of Lovino Sangria.

From her fortuitous meeting with original Lovino Sangria owners Jamie and Erica Zdroik, to her journey in recreating the flavors of the latent sangria brand with the help of Craig Fletcher of Mona Rose Winery in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, we’ll explore the ins and outs of Clearwater’s unexpected passion project. Along the way, we’ll discuss the challenges she faced in bringing back the brand, her experience in discovering the joys of sangria and her plans for growing the business from the ground up.

Mainstream demand for plant-based cuisine has resulted in 2019 being declared Year of the Vegan. Growth in flexitarian diets means plant-based alternatives have gained mass-market appeal, and even long-time meat-heavy markets like Milwaukee have seen exponential growth in access to vegetable-based fare. 

In this week’s podcast we chat with Melanie Manuel, chef-owner of Celesta, a relatively new East Side restaurant specializing in vegan fare. Along the way, she shares her thoughts on restaurant ownership, the inspiration behind her approach to plant-based fare, her success in making vegan food accessible to customers and her thoughts on the increased popularity of plant-based proteins like the popular Impossible Burger.

Every chef has a unique story to tell. On this week’s podcast, we talk with Dane Baldwin, chef and owner of The Diplomat about his passion for food and his journey to becoming a chef. 

From his first food-related job to opening his own restaurant, Baldwin shares stories about his early years working at Sendik’s to his first cooking gig in the kitchen at the former Gil’s Cafe. Along the way, he shares tales from his work at Bartolotta’s, SURG Restaurant Group and -- finally -- his own restaurant. We also chat about how it feels to make the James Beard Foundation’s semi-finalists’ list and what it takes to recreate the flavors of a fast-food burger to create the Diplomac.

Heading out to the bar for a drink is supposed to be fun. Unfortunately, the potential for drink tampering, sexual harassment or assault has become frighteningly common, especially for women. Even if it hasn’t happened to you, it’s likely happened to a friend of yours.

It’s estimated that one out of every four women will experience sexual violence at some point during adolescence or early adulthood. Statistics also show that at least half of those crimes will occur while the perpetrator is under the influence of alcohol. 

So what do bars do to create spaces that are safe for both women and men? In this episode, we chat with Peaches Seguin and Colleen Santner of Una Cafe about creating a bar culture in which customers feel safe and welcome. During our chat, we discuss bar culture, factors that make some bars feel more safe than others and the elements that go into creating a safe, welcoming bar culture. Along the way, we laugh, drink shots and get to know Seguin and Santner a bit better. 

Entrepreneurism is a two way street. On the one hand, it’s about following your passion; on the other, it’s about building knowledge and sharing what you’ve learned with others. There are learning curves, growing pains and myriad experiences that pave the road to success. 

This week on FoodCrush, we chat with Maggie Joos, entrepreneur and owner of Real Good Life, a meal delivery service born of both a passion for food and a desire to assist others in achieving their dreams.

Joos talks about her journey to starting her own business, the inspiration behind Real Good Life and the day-to-day realities of balancing entrepreneurism and family. Along the way, we discuss the rapid growth of her business, the rapidly expanding meal delivery landscape, the value of eating meals together as a family and the trade-offs folks make everyday in the process of living their own Real Good Lives.

The Door County Peninsula is among the top cherry producing regions in the U.S.; it’s also an increasingly popular tourist destination, sporting a burgeoning modern food and beverage scene, picturesque lake views and a growing collection of boutique wineries. 

Door Co. also happens to be home to the largest Belgian-American settlement in the country, making it the perfect spot for a brewery like Door Co. Brewing, a Wisconsin brewery dedicated to brewing beer using local resources, local influences and local heritage. 

In this week’s podcast, we talk with Door Co. Brewing founder John McMahon about his journey from Texas to Wisconsin and his evolution from a career in technology to heading up one of Wisconsin’s most creative beer brands. He shares the unexpected challenges of operating a beer-based business on a peninsula as well as insights into the brand’s rapid expansion to include its new experimental brewing arm, Hacienda Beer Co. Along the way, we discuss the art and craft of wild yeast, the innovation Hacienda is bringing to market and the motivation behind the new Hacienda Beer Co. tap room on Milwaukee’s East Side. 

It was February 2016 and Chef Daniel Jacobs' future was looking particularly bright. But when progressive muscle weakness necessitated a visit to his doctor's office, he found himself facing a medical blow: the diagnosis of Kennedy's Disease.

In this week’s podcast, Jacobs talks candidly about his diagnosis, the challenges of living with a disease about which so little is known, and the deeply personal impact it’s had on his life and work. He also shares his motivation and goals in fund-raising for the Kennedy’s Disease Association. Along the way, we discuss his love for cooking, cheeseburgers and his unmatched lust for life. 

The world of alcoholic beverages is changing rapidly. Products like canned cocktails and hard seltzer -- along with the low-carb trend -- are changing the way consumers drink. And despite the growth of craft beer over the last decade, it’s a whole new world for breweries, wineries and distilleries.

But what does all of this really mean for the beer industry? We consulted with Megan Mares, Trade Brewer for MillerCoors about the changing beer landscape. During our chat, we trace Mares’ journey from infectious disease researcher to Trade Brewer for Miller-Coors, and she shares her perspective on how both science (and smarts) play a role in training folks to taste and appreciate the many flavors in beer. Along the way, we discuss the changing beverage market, explore trends (from milkshake IPAs to the return of lagers) and discuss the future of beer in a world ruled by e-commerce.

Chef Miles Borghgraef might be known for his open hearth live fire cooking at Birch + Butcher; but his talents and passions for cooking take a backseat to one thing only: the Grateful Dead. His is a love affair that began from an early age and has persisted and evolved over the years. 

During this week's podcast, we chat with him about the origins of his identity as a Deadhead, the albums and songs that rock his world and the ways in which the Grateful Dead have managed to influence his life and work in the restaurant industry. Listen in for passionate discussion, big laughs and a special "Grateful Dead Minute" read by Borghgraef himself.