The sandy loam is perfect for cultivating rare and unique vegetable varieties near Lake Erie. Farmer Lee Jones tells us why his family farm quit selling by the semi load and became The Chef's Garden. The beautiful recipes in his Modern Guide to Common and Unusual Vegetables is just the nudge we need to find the way to a plant forward future.

This week, fellow AMI-audio podcaster Fern Lulham stops by with a Kitchen Confession. Not a cook but a lover of food, Fern shares some fond food memories like the time she braved a first-date spaghetti dinner and learning to share the kitchen with a sighted partner! Plus, we get a behind the scenes look at her dating and relationships podcast "Into You" and chat about disclosing a disability to a date.

In times of uncertainty gardening gives us a sense of purpose, comfort, and even food security so its no surprise that it's become ultra-popular throughout the pandemic. Canadian author and gardening expert, Frankie Ferragine says it reminds him of the Victory Gardens of World War II. He shares tons of tips to make the most out of any space and start a high yield food garden this season.

After her family moved to a vegan lifestyle in 2017, Izabela "Cake Mama" De Paz found herself competing with her own reputation. She spent months reformulating recipes that could stand up to her old repertoire of fabulous treats and landed smack dab in the midst of a burgeoning plant based movement, where she found popularity among herbivores and omnivores alike. Izabela shares some of her baking secrets with us, including the key to...gasp...a vegan pavlova?!

From tweezers to frosting knives, syringes and even a heat gun, food stylist Jason Skrobar carries around some peculiar items to keep food looking fresh! Jason credits Instagram for the spike in popularity of food photography and we get into some of his top tips for getting the perfect shot!

Sumac, watercress, morel mushrooms, wild mint. Those are just a few easy forage finds to add big interest to your cooking! After serving up 10,000 tenderloins throughout his career, chef and restaurateur Michael Hunter turned to wilder fare for more interesting flavours. Michael shares his new cookbook "The Hunter Chef," plus we chat about the ethics of hunting and his clash with an animal rights group outside Antler Kitchen & Bar.

Lance Johnson is a fellow podcaster and foodie friend. He lives with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease, and started the See-Through Podcast during the pandemic to make friends with other folks with RP, like me! He loves learning about people's creative adaptations so we chat all kinds of kitchen hacks as we learn about his food journey, and cooking at home with a sighted sous-chef!

Building healthy new habits can be tough. Strength and conditioning coach Angela Furfaro says you need a powerful motivator and an activity you actually enjoy! Her program, LIFT Academy, is all about equipping women with the confidence, consistency and right fuel for their fitness.

Claire Tansey has always thought of herself as a teacher first. In her new book, "Dinner Uncomplicated," she sets out to prove that cooking doesn't need to be difficult to be delicious. Culinary training, fancy appliances, or expensive ingredients are not the key to a worthwhile dinner. Instead, Claire explores every possible shortcut to put fantastic food within your reach. We talk about her time at the helm of Chatelaine magazine's test kitchen, tailoring thousands of recipes for their readers, plus how four years with an improv troupe shaped her outlook on life!

After years of grilling guests, these two finally get a taste of their own cooking! To kick off the new year we serve up a double scoop of kitchen confessions from the creators of the show as host Mary Mammoliti and producer / editor Matt Agnew chat about their own kitchen journeys and take us behind the scenes of the podcast.