Seasoned

Acclaimed chef and TV star Marcus Samuelsson’s latest book, The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food, celebrates Black excellence in the food world. This week on Seasoned: A conversation about what motivated Marcus to write The Rise, which is so much more than a cookbook. Marcus and co-author Osayi Endolyn profile chefs, writers, historians and activists. Of course, we get into some recipes from the book, too.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email at [email protected].

Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show.

Guest:
Marcus Samuelsson – Chef, restaurateur, TV host, and author of The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul Of American Food.

Featured Recipes:
Leah Chase Gumbo
Rodney Scott’s Ribs with Baked Cowpeas
Broken Rice Peanut Seafood Stew

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Love is in the air. Where is your favorite romantic restaurant in the state? Marysol Castro and Chef Plum share their picks and shout-out your recommendations from CT Public’s Instagram. Craving chocolate? At Thorncrest Farm and Milk House Chocolates, you’ll find some of the most swoon worthy chocolate on the planet—never mind the state. And it all starts with the cows on this working dairy farm in Goshen. Kimberly Thorn, co-owner of the farm and its chief chocolatier, talks with us about how prioritizing the health and well-being of their cows produces an exquisite chocolate. Plus, she offers tips for tasting and tells Chef Plum exactly what he should put in the heart-shaped box he’s planning for his wife. Plus, need a romantic idea for date night during a pandemic? Chef Plum visits Aquila’s Nest Vineyards in Newtown, where the inside is eclectic and artsy, and the outside is cozy with fire pits. One more chocolate treat we couldn’t resist—have you had a hot chocolate bomb yet? Southington chocolate maker Rosie Mariano of Rosie’s Royal Chocolates talks with us about this very tasty trend.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email at [email protected].

Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show.

Guests:
Kimberly Thorn – Farmer and chocolatier at Thorncrest Farm and Milk House Chocolates in Goshen, Conn.
Neviana Zhgaba – Co-Owner of Aquila’s Nest Vineyard in Newtown, Conn.
Rosie Mariano – Owner and chocolatier at Rosie’s Royal Chocolates in the Factory Square Building in Southington, Conn.

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South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, and Eritrea—do you know the predominant flavors of the eight countries that make up the backbone of the spice trade? Likely not. Hawa Hassan and co-author Julia Turshen are changing that through their book, In Bibi’s Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries That Touch the Indian Ocean. This hour: a conversation with Hawa Hassan. The Somali-born cook, entrepreneur, and now cookbook author shares recipes from the book as well as a bit of her own journey from child refugee in Kenya to small-batch sauce maker in Brooklyn. What do we mean when we talk about global cuisine? It’s time to add African cooking and flavors to the conversation.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email at [email protected].

Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show.

Guest:
Hawa Hassan – Entrepreneur and author of In Bibi’s Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries That Touch the Indian Ocean.

Featured Recipes:
Sukuma Wiki (Greens and Tomatoes)
Zanzibar Pilau (Rice Pilaf)
Kicha Fit Fit (Torn Flatbread with Spiced Yogurt)

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Connecticut restaurants have been honing their take-out game for a year, and it’s high-time we celebrate the spots that have really given us something to look forward to each week. This week on Seasoned: the best take-out in the state. Leeanne Griffin, Food and Consumer Reporter at Hearst Connecticut Media, joins Marysol Castro and Chef Plum to dish about the restaurant beat (is there a better job?) and take listeners’ calls about take-out food in Connecticut. Leeanne has covered the local restaurant scene for more than a decade. She knows where all the gems are. We invite listeners to call us and shout-out their favorite restaurants, those tried-and-true take-out joints, the mom-and-pop shops that never disappoint. Where is your favorite take-out?

NOTE: This show aired live at 3:00 pm on Thursday, January 28. Visit our show page for a listing of Leeanne's and our (many) callers' take-out recommendations. 

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email at [email protected].

Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show.

Guest:
Leeanne Griffin – Food and Consumer Reporter at Hearst Connecticut Media (@LGriffinCT)

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Ask any chef or home cook what ingredient they can’t live without, and we bet they’ll say onions. So many delicious things start with cooking onions. Onions are the foundation of the world’s great cuisines. In this episode, we celebrate the onion. . .the most essential ingredient in the kitchen. Kate Winslow, author of the book Onions Etcetera, shares recipes and onion wisdom. Plus, we talk with Sefra Alexandra, aka The Seed Huntress, about her quest to revive the Southport Globe Onion. She’s an agroecologist and ethnobotantist who has dedicated her life to seed saving and preserving the genetic biodiversity of the food we eat. You haven't met anyone more passionate about seeds and onions in Connecticut. And finally, we dive into the crop’s notable history in Westport during the Civil War with historian Ramin Ganeshram, and Chef Plum shares his riff on a first-year culinary school classic: French Onion Soup.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email at [email protected].

Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show.

Guests:
Kate Winslow – Author of Onions Etcetera: The Essential Allium Cookbook
Sefra Alexandra (The Seed Huntress) – Agroecologist and ethnobotantist. Founder of The Southport Globe Onion Initiative
Ramin Ganeshram – Executive Director of the Westport Museum for History and Culture, author of The General's Cook

Featured Recipes:
Red Onion and Goat Cheese Galette
Grits with Scallions and Bacon
Four-Onion Dip
Ramin Ganeshram’s Vegan Sour Cream and Onion Dip

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We’ve all seen the headlines: More than 600 Connecticut restaurants have closed since the COVID-19 pandemic began last March. This week on Seasoned: A conversation with David Lehman, the state’s Commissioner of Economic and Community Development (DECD), and Scott Dolch, the head of the Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA). Plus, we check in with chefs and restaurant owners throughout the state. We ask them how the pandemic has impacted their restaurants, what the hardest part has been, and what they need right now. They also tell us what they’re hopeful about and proudest of. Not surprisingly, some themes emerged: customer support has been a lifeline, they’re finding ways to feed hungry people in their communities, and you’ve been ordering a lot of take-out comfort food.

Note: The first segment of the show includes our extended conversation with Scott Dolch and David Lehman. Dolch responds to an article published in the Hartford Courant about restaurants contributing to COVID clusters, which sparked controversy, and we talked about changes the state and the industry needs to make to improve the lives of restaurant workers.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email at [email protected].

Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show.

Guests:
David Lehman - Commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD)
Scott Dolch - Executive Director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA)
Chris Torla – Chef and Managing Partner of Trumbull Kitchen in Hartford
Arturo Franco Camacho – Chef and Culinary Director for Geronimo in Fairfield and New Haven and Shell & Bones and Camacho Garage in New Haven
Chris Prosperi – Chef and co-owner of Metro Bis in Simsbury
Jillian Moskites – Chef and owner of Whey Station(ary) in Middletown and Whey Station Food Truck
Valdete Gjergjaj – Chef and owner of Nana’s Byrek & Pizza in Waterford
John Brennan – Chef and owner of Olives and Oil in Seymour and New Haven and Elm City Social in New Haven
John Tambascio – Co-owner of My Place and Tambascio’s Italian Grill in Newtown
Beca Tuinei – Chef and owner of Nala’s Kitchen in West Hartford
Stella Brown – Chef and owner of Stella’s African Eatery in Hartford

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Happy New Year! It’s the time of year—after the indulgences of the holidays—when a lot of people try to eat healthier and drink less. This week, we’re exploring options for those of you participating in Dry January. . .but truth be told, these drinks are delicious all year long. These are drinks for anytime and for anyone who doesn’t drink, or who wants to take a break. As our guest Julia Bainbridge says, “There’s never been a better time to be a non-drinker.” In this episode, we talk to the joy-filled local juice maker delivering wellness to Hartford and beyond, Josephine Joiner, owner of Juicy J. Juice Bar. And you’ll hear a conversation with John Walker, head brewer at Athletic Brewing Company, one of the first nonalcoholic breweries in the country—and the only nonalcoholic brewery in Connecticut.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email at [email protected].

Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show.

Guests:
Julia Bainbridge – Author of Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason
Josephine Joiner – Owner of Juicy J. Juice Bar
John Walker – Co-founder and head brewer of Athletic Brewing Co. in Stratford, Conn.

Featured Recipes:
Change of Address
Up-Beet
Salted Rosemary Paloma

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We’re revisiting an episode that originally aired as we were inching ever closer to the holidays. It occurred to us that while many of you are enjoying some much needed time off this week, you may be using some of that time to bake. We encourage that! This episode is loaded with tips bakers can use any time. “Pie Whisperer” Kate McDermott shares the tips and tricks you need to bake any pie, as well as how to use all your senses to bake great pies. Yes, bubbling fruit does make a sound you’ll learn to recognize. And, we highlight two new local bakeries you may not have heard of yet. Le Bánh Patisserie delivers French cakes and pastries to your door, and Kneads in Westport mills its own flour.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, and email at [email protected]

Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show.

Guests:
Kate McDermott – Author of Pie Camp
Kim Hoàng Wood, Pastry chef and owner of le Bánh Patisserie
Brittany Moreno – Head baker and owner of Kneads Bakery • Café • Mill in Westport
Daniel Moreno – Chef and owner of Kneads Bakery • Café • Mill in Westport

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year. . .but celebrating the holidays in 2020 will feel different. This week on Seasoned: How does food keep us emotionally connected, even when we have to be socially distanced? We’ll share some of our own family traditions around food, including recipes for a gorgeous oven-roasted salmon and a sweet, eggless coquito. We also talk to local chef Dan Monroe about his family’s food traditions. And Erik Landegren of Bridgewater Chocolate shares ideas for homemade gifts. Truffles, anyone? Plus, Dr. Laurie Santos, a psychology professor from Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast helps us see the bright side of a pared-down holiday.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email at [email protected].

Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show.

Guests:
Dr. Laurie Santos - Psychology professor at Yale University and the host of The Happiness Lab podcast.
Dan Monroe - Executive chef at The Pantry in Fairfield, Conn. Dan joined the show along with daughters, Athena and Alani Monroe.
Erik Landegren - Founder and owner of Bridgewater Chocolate with locations in Brookfield and West Hartford, Conn.

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Need a little comfort right now? We’re spending the hour with perhaps the most famous home cook in America, Ina Garten. Ina talks with us about her new cookbook, Modern Comfort Food and shares her recipes for Ultimate Beef Stew, Tuscan Turkey Roulade, and Chocolate-Dipped Brown Sugar Shortbread. Think: Milano cookies, but better!

Plus, we talk to Ina about her long career on The Food Network and how she still feels nervous filming her show. And yes, we thanked her for that giant Cosmopolitan she shared last April.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email at [email protected].

Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show.

Guest:
Ina Garten - New York Times bestselling author and the James Beard Award-winning host of Barefoot Contessa, which has won three Emmy Awards and airs on the Food Network. Ina is the author of 12 cookbooks. Her latest is Modern Comfort Food.

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.