If This Food Could Talk

From olive groves to operating rooms, Dr. Poole shares how ancient eating habits are backed by modern science — and why food is our first and most powerful medicine.

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Raised on boiled potatoes and butter sauce, Marije Passos never imagined she'd fall in love — with a man, a culture, and a way of cooking. In this episode, she shares the story of how one unforgettable Portuguese dish changed her life, why chestnuts belong in your pantry, and what it means to truly root yourself in food, land, and legacy.

Catch her and her work at:

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From kitchen rituals to cultural memory, Dr. Sonda Laroussi is a badass Tunisian scientist turned olive grower turned world wide olive oil judge. Dr. Sonda shares how food nourishes not just the body, but the spirit — and why recipes are often acts of survival and love. Join us as we discuss her mission to turn the humble Tunisian olive - often a commodity to European brands, into a powerhouse elevated Tunisian cuisine

Get to know her and her works at:

www.aromgourmet.com

https://www.facebook.com/sonda.laroussimezghani

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Join us for a soulful chat with Dimitra,Mathiopoulou, founder of The Olive Routes in Kalamata, Greece. Dimitra's life is woven with the rhythm of the land. From pressing olives with her family to reviving old traditions, Dimitra reminds us that food isn’t just sustenance — it’s the keeper of memory, identity, and deep connection.

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🍷 New stories. ✈️ New flavors. 💚 Same soul.
Season 2 of If This Food Could Talk is ready to pour.

Tap the link & get ready taste the first episode on May 22nd! 🎧

#NewPodcastAlert #IfThisFoodCouldTalk #Season2Vibes #ClaudiaTravels #FoodCulturePodcast #mediterreneandiet

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Before Freda DeKnight began writing for Ebony Magazine in 1946, American publications that centered on Black cuisine were overwhelmingly written by white writers for white audiences, often using harmful caricatures and dangerous stereotypes. This week, we’ll discover how one Black American food writer changed the culinary narrative. 

Freda DeKnight’s food column and book - A Date With A Dish - helped revolutionize Black culinary coverage in post WWII America, breaking new ground for an entire generation of African American chefs and home cooks. Join veteran food writer Donna Battle Pierce as we follow Freda’s story from her home town of Topeka Kansas, all the way to the largest Black publishing company in the United States. And hear some of the stories and recipes she championed along the way.

Hosted by Claudia Hanna

Episode Guest:

Food writer Donna Battle Pierce

Site: https://www.skilletdiaries.com/

Blog: https://skilletdiaries.substack.com/

Recipe:

Ebony’s Barbequed Spare Ribs

To learn more:

Look through the 1948 first printing of Freda DeKnight’s book, A Date With A Dish.

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In today’s episode we turn the mic on our listeners and hear what food matters to them  - and why. We hear hilarious and touching stories from Italy to Iceland, Cairo to Los Angeles. Get ready to be transported and hear about some of the most delicious (and well, not so delicious) stories that will have you laughing, crying, and connecting. 

Hosted by Claudia Hanna

Episode Guests:

Kamilia Hanna (Claudia’s mom)

My Greek Table Host Diane Kochilas 

Yan Can Cook Host Chef Martin Yan 

Recipes:

We have 4 recipes for you to explore this week: 

1. Teta’s Whole Wheat Berry Cereal (Baleela)

2. Diane Kochilas’s Greens Pie

3. Mexican Wedding Cake

4. Spanish-style Kabocha Squash Au Gratin

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Thank God for wine. No, really! Wine has always played a part in the culture of the church. It’s what Jesus drank at the last supper, priests bless it during Catholic mass, and if you drink enough of it you might start having visions of the divine. But in the early 20th century, this millenia-old church culture was under threat. The temperance movement ushered in an era of prohibition. Wine barrels were cracked open with axes. The streets and sewers ran red, white, and sparkling. And in Southern California, winery owners like Santo Cambianica were given little choice but to shut down. As an Italian immigrant and a Catholic, prohibition wasn’t just a response to the rise of alcoholism, it was an attack on his culture and religion. But a little known exemption in the prohibition laws was about to change that. Instead of shutting down, Santo’s winery boomed. In fact, he did better business during prohibition than before it. All thanks to the holy loophole.

Hosted by Claudia Hanna

Episode Guests:

Santo Riboli (President, San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles, CA)

Father Gregory Elder (Historian and Pastor, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Palm Desert, CA)

Recipe:

Wine Pairings from Season One

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There are more Chinese restaurants in the US today than there are McDonalds, Burger Kings and KFC’s combined. It's neck and neck with pizza as America's most ordered takeout. How did Chinese-American cuisine become so deeply embedded in American communities? 

This week, we’re talking with New York Times bestselling author, journalist and documentary producer, Jennifer 8 Lee about the origins of 3 famous Chinese American dishes. Chop Suey, Fortune Cookies, and General Tso’s Chicken. We’ll uncover the American history that shaped them, and follow Jennifer’s journey to discover how understanding the past helped her find peace in the present.

Hosted by Claudia Hanna

Episode guest: 

Jennifer 8 Lee - Journalist, Documentary Producer and Author of New York Times Bestseller The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

Episode recipe: Beef Broccoli

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Bison meat has been showing up on many restaurant menus lately, but Native Americans have a relationship with the iconic animal that goes back thousands of years. Today we meet Jayme Murray, who runs a tribal-owned bison herd on the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation in South Dakota, and Chef Ben Jacobs, co-founder of Tocabe in Denver. Their stories help explain why the bison is so central to Indigenous American history, and how a new generation of Native American ranchers and chefs are restoring indigenous foodways — and reinventing them for the future. 

Hosted by Claudia Hanna

Episode Guests:

Jayme Murray, CEO of the Cheyenne River Sioux Buffalo Company. 

Ben Jacobs, Co-Founder of Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery in Denver, CO. Tocabe’s online marketplace is here. 

Recipe:

Bison Meatballs in an Agave Glaze

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