Julia talks to Lindo Bacon, PhD about connection, compassion, and more. Lindo's work is considered be life-changing and transformative for many, including Julia. They are the author of the best-selling book, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight, and the co-author of Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, or Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight. Their latest book is  Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming It for the Better).

Helpful follow-up links:

• LindoBacon.com
• Simply Julia
• Soom Foods (use the code KEEPCALM for 15% off!)
• Oxo

Julia kicks off Season Four of Keep Calm and Cook On with Wendy Lopez and Jessica Jones, the two women behind Food Heaven, which is, in their words: “a multimedia platform founded by two black registered dietitians & BFFs. We help people transform the way they eat and find joy in food through the practice of intuitive eating and body respect.”

This episode clarifies ideas and terms like health at every size, intuitive eating, and the difference between a dietician and a nutritionist. Additionally, Julia talks to Wendy and Jess about how they navigate their friendship while working together. 

Helpful follow-up links:

• Simply Julia
• Food Heaven
• Soom Foods (use the code KEEPCALM for 15% off!)
• Oxo

Additional Books and Articles:

• Smash the Wellness Industry (Jessica Knoll Op-Ed in the New York Times)
• Anti-Diet by Chirsty Harrison
• Intuitive Eating (book and more by Evelyn Tribole and  Elyse Resch)
• Lindo Bacon (Health at Every Size, Body Respect, and Radical Belonging)
• What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon (Your Fat Friend)

On this holiday bonus episode of Keep Calm & Cook On: Carla Hall, former co-host of The Chew and contestant on Top Chef, talks to Julia about authenticity, imposter syndrome, and more.

Follow-up links:

• Carla Hall
• Carla's Instagram
• Helen Keller International
• Great Jones (enter the code 'CALM' at checkout for 15% off your order!)
• Julia Turshen

Yemi Amu, from Oko Farms in Brooklyn, talks to Julia about aquaponics, expansion, and the healing capacity of her work. 

Yemi is the farmer and educator behind Oko Farms in Brooklyn, New York, an aquaponics farm that not only produces fish and produce and flowers, but also works as an educational farm. 

Our food community is at its best with people like Yemi doing the work she’s doing. She’s in the middle of raising money to expand into a second location at the Weeksville Heritage Center— please consider supporting her and her important work. The link to donate is below.

Follow-up links:

• Oko Farms
• Donate to Oko Farms's expansion!
• Weeksville Heritage Center
• Naina Marballi’s Ayurvedic practice 
• Great Jones (be sure to use the code 'CALM' for 15% off!!)
• Julia Turshen

Lezli Harvell is a board-certified pediatric dentist, who has spent her career providing oral healthcare to healthy and special needs children. She and her husband run a center called Dental Kidz, with a Z, in Newark, New Jersey. She’s also a mother of 5 daughters. Along with a passion for good health and family, Lezli is passionate about food and about breaking the antiquated industry traditions that go along with it. A dual citizen of the United States and Jamaica, Lezli is the creator and curator of The Iconoclast Dinner Experience (also known as IDE). IDE is an event series that has been celebrating diversity and culture through food since 2015. IDE now runs annual events in New York, Chicago and Martha’s Vineyard. IDE strives to broaden the food conversation by honoring chefs, sommeliers, and spirit trailblazers of color. All event proceeds benefit Lezli’s alma matter Spelman College students from Jamaican and sub-Saharan African countries.

Julia met with Dr. Lezli on her lunch break and they spoke about why she started IDE, how she runs it, and what it means to her. 

Follow-up links:

• For more about the Iconoclast Dinner Experience, head here.
• Follow Dr. Lezli on Instagram!
• Check out the goods at Great Jones! (remember to use the code 'CALM' for 15% off!!)

Lagusta Yearwood founded Lagusta’s Luscious, an artisinal vegan chocolate company in 2003. Over the last 16 years, she has grown the chocolate business into 3 brick-and-mortars— a chocolate shop and a café in New Paltz, New York, and a sweets shop in Manhattan’s East Village. She also just came out with a brand new cookbook titled SWEET + SALTY: The Art of Vegan Chocolates, Truffles, Caramels and More.

Lagusta and Julia talk about Lagusta's businesses, her book, the complication of operating a business while also questioning capitalism, the power of listening to your employees and developing systems, knowing how and when and why to grow, and how to navigate working with friends.

Follow-up links:

• Lagusta's podcast 'Thanks in Advance'
• Lagusta's Luscious
• Lagusta's book Sweet + Salty
• the Smoky Corn-on-the-Cob Chocolate Bar Lagusta mentioned
• How to Not Always Be Working, the book Lagusta mentioned
• Woodstock Animal Sanctuary
• Now & Again, Julia's latest cookbook which includes her recipes for matzo ball soup and turkey meatloaf!
• Great Jones (remember to use the code 'CALM' for 15% off!!)

Alexander Smalls is a modern Renaissance man. A world-renowned opera singer with both a Grammy and a Tony under his belt, Alexander is also a visionary restaurateur who has brought 5 important New York restaurants into the world— The Cecil, Minton’s, Café Beulah, Sweet Ophelia’s, and Shoebox Cafe. He’s also a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author. Most of all, he’s a warm and welcoming host. He and Julia speak about home, collecting, grief, legacy, storytelling, and, of course, food. 

Follow-up links:

• For more about Alexander Smalls, head here.
• For a tour of Alexander's apartment, head here.
• For more about the Harlem Schools of the Arts, head here.
• To donate to Angel Food East, head here.
• For more about Julia, head here.
• For more about Great Jones, head here (and don't forget to enter the code 'CALM' for 15% off of any order!!)

Alison Roman is a cookbook author, columnist for The New York Times, and all around busy person. She and Julia sat down to talk about the work they do as cookbook authors and what some of their challenges are and also what motivates them. 

Follow-up links:

• For more about Alison Roman and her new book Nothing Fancy, head here.
• For more about Great Jones, head here.
• For more about Oko Farms, head here.
• For more about Julia Turshen, head here.

Bonnie Slotnick, of Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, talks with Julia about her life and career.

Plus shout-outs to Oko Farms and Save NYC, ideas for apples, a curated guide to the Hudson Valley from Julia and her wife, Grace.

Show follow-up links:

• Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks
• Help Oko Farms!
• Save NYC
• Applesauce Cake with Cream Cheese + Honey Frosting
• Dorie Greenspan on Baked Apples
• Thanks to Oxo for sponsoring this episode!

Hudson Valley Farm Stands + Restaurants Links:

• Westwind Orchard in Accord
• Saunderskill Farms in Accord
• Davenport Farms in Stone Ridge
• Cherries Ice Cream in Stone Ridge *get the turkey reuben!
• Top Taste in Kingston *tell them Julia sent you!
• Julia's article about Top Taste for Bon Appétit
• Diego’s in Kingston
• Mi Pueblito in Kingston
• Egg’s Nest in High Falls
• Kitchenette in High Falls
• Hash in Stone Ridge
• Roost in Stone Ridge
• Stonehouse Tavern in Accord
• Gaby’s in Ellenville
• Sook House in Ellenville
• Dominican Restaurant in Ellenville
• Lagusta’s Lucious Confections in New Paltz
• LLC Commissary in New Paltz
• Gadaletto’s Seafood in New Paltz

Hudson Valley Things to Do Links:

• Rosendale Movie Theatre
• Upstate Films (Woodstock + Rhinebeck)
• Mohonk Preserve
• Minnewaska State Park
• Mohonk Mountain House
• 30 Minutes of Everything (Accord)