If This Food Could Talk

Behind every cup of coffee and every bite we take, there’s a farmer whose story is rarely told. In this moving conversation, Claudia sits down with Saurin Nanavati to explore what it really means to grow food with care — for people, for land, and for the future. From cooperative farming to climate resilience, Saurin reminds us that sustainability begins with connection — and that every meal is a chance to honor the hands that feed us. Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/saurin-nanavati-a2623a86 Ethos Agriculture LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethos-agriculture/?viewAsMember=true Website: www.ethosag.com Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ex3IjzYE4I Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if your morning coffee could tell the story of our planet? In this episode, Claudia sits down with human rights advocate and lawyer, Etelle Higonnet, to uncover the hidden journey behind each cup — from the farmers tending fragile landscapes to the forests at risk of disappearing. Through Etelle’s lens, coffee becomes more than a daily ritual; it’s a reflection of justice, climate, and care. This is a conversation about waking up — not just to coffee, but to the choices that shape our world. Coffee Watch Website : https://coffeewatch.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/etelle-higonnet-a600675/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wondered what extra virgin really means? Olive oil experts Emily Lycopolus and Giuliana Mackler join Claudia to reveal what makes great olive oil truly great — from grove to mill, label to table. Learn how to taste, store, and love olive oil every day. Emily: Instagram.com/oliveoilcritic https://www.facebook.com/OliveOilCritic/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-lycopolus/ Giuliana: linkedin.com/in/giuliana-mackler/ Website Emily: https://oliveoilcritic.com/ Giuliana: giulianamackler.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if ice cream could carry the soul of a culture? In this episode, Claudia sits down with Chrys Kefalas, founder of Yala Greek Ice Cream, to talk about how one family recipe became a modern celebration of heritage and hospitality. From the creamy richness of Greek yogurt to the joy of gathering around the table, Chrys shares how Yala is more than dessert — it’s a love letter to memory, tradition, and togetherness. Website: https://www.yalagreekicecream.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yalagreekicecream/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raised with the scent of sumac and slow-simmered stews, Chef Fadi opens up about his roots, his favorite dishes, and why cooking is his love language. Learn more about him and his works:https://www.fadikattan.com/https://www.instagram.com/fadi.f.kattan/https://www.facebook.com/cheffadikattan/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A season on a Tuscan farm became a lesson in food systems, integrity, and soul work. Hear how Beatrice turned hard labor into a company with purpose. Follow her storyin her socials: @beaoliveoil @beatricexkarp Get to know more about her purpose: www.beaoliveoil.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about him at: www.drsimonpoole.com Make sure to follow him as well on IG and LinkedIn: @drsimonpoole Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: https://www.passeite.com/@marijepassos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.instagram.com/laroussimezghani/ https://www.facebook.com/sonda.laroussimezghani Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Check out her website 👉https://theoliveroutes.com/and IG @theoliveroutes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🍷 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are putting together a show all about the special dishes in our lives. Be they elaborate all day affairs or quick and simple we know it's not just about nutrients and taste, it's about people and story. So, we want to hear from you! As we are nearing the holidays and the end of the year, we are thinking about the food in our own families and lives. We all have recipes that have been passed down… or even meals that … stay with us. What do these dishes say about who we are, and where we come from?  That’s the question we want YOU to answer. We’d like you to share a recipe and story about a dish you love. And we want to hear specifics: How did this dish find its way into your life? Is it served on a special occasion or in a special way? Can you tell us about a time that you made it – or it was made for you? Who was it with, and why was it special for you?  Please record a voice memo for us. Include your name, the dish or meal you’re thinking about, and the backstory. We’d also love for you to email us the recipe! Send your voice memo and recipe to ifthisfoodcouldtalk@gmail.com We may use your voice and story in an upcoming episode and the recipe on our website. We can’t wait to hear from you!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a child in eastern France, Jacques Pépin learned never to waste a scrap of food. Raised during and after the rationing of WWII, he watched closely as his mother, Jeanette, built a successful career as a restaurateur by the skin of her teeth (and her chickens). Today, Jacques is a beloved celebrity chef. And yet he’s never forgotten what he knows about keeping food, and life delicious, without squandering ingredients or time. Jacques sits down with Host Claudia Hanna to explain how what he calls “miserly” cooking became his philosophy and his superpower. He shares how this approach has served him in the humblest, and the highest, of kitchens, and how you can apply it in yours, too. Plus – over Jacques’ long career, there have been some pretty radical changes in people’s attitudes about food waste. Food Historian Helen Veit joins us to explain why what we eat, and what we throw away, has changed so much in just a few generations.  Hosted by Claudia Hanna Episode Guests: Jacques Pépin is a chef, author, television personality, educator, and artist, and has starred in twelve acclaimed American Public Television cooking series. His dedication to culinary education led to the creation of the Jacques Pépin Foundation in 2016. He is the winner of sixteen James Beard Awards and author of more than thirty books, the most recent of which is Jacques Pépin: Cooking My Way. Helen Veit specializes in the history of food in the U.S. Her first book, Modern Food, Moral Food: Self-Control, Science, and the Rise of Modern American Eating in the Early Twentieth Century was a 2014 James Beard Award finalist.  Recipes: Claudia’s Homemade Caesar Dressing Leftover Hacks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, more and more fermented foods like kimchi, probiotic yogurt and kombucha have hit supermarket shelves in America, along with news of their purported health benefits. But where did fermentation come from, and how did this ancient practice help change the landscape of our world? Today, on If This Food Could Talk, we are taking a deep dive into the art and science of fermentation – a food practice with a universal history. One that is deeply intertwined with the evolution of humanity itself.  We’ll meet New York Times bestselling author and fermentation expert Sandor Katz, and follow his journey from New York City to the hills of Tennessee. Along the way we’ll discover how fermentation has changed the landscape of our world. And we’ll hear why Sandor believes reclaiming these ancient practices may have an important role to play in our collective future. We’ll also speak with James Beard Award winning chef Ann Kim, about the traditional Korean fermentation practice that helps her celebrate her heritage.  Hosted by Claudia Hanna Episode Guests: Sandor Katz, fermentation expert and author of New York Times Bestseller “The Art of Fermentation”  Ann Kim, James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur. Owner of Pizzeria Lola, Hello Pizza, Young Joni and Sooki & Mimi Recipes: Authentic Tzatziki  Make your Own Yogurt from Scratch!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Mediterranean, olive oil is more than an ingredient. It’s a way of life. For thousands of years, the humble olive has been used for everything under the sun. It’s been made into a cooking oil, a holy offering, a balm, a bite-sized snack, and even sunscreen. Today, we’re taking you to the ancient Greek isle of Crete to explore the early life of one of the oldest living olive trees in the world and to uncover its sacred relationship with the Minoan people. We’ll then follow olive oil’s influence from past to present with a guided tasting from an olive oil sommelier. Plus, we share a few tips on how to choose and store your olive oil, and a roasted olive recipe that will be the star at your next dinner party. Hosted by Claudia Hanna Episode Guests: -Diane Kochilas (Cookbook author, Host of My Greek Table) -Tassos Kyriakides (Olive Oil Sommelier & Associate Professor, Yale School of Public Health) -Anaya Sarpaki (Archaeologist and Olive Oil Preservationist) Recipe: Roasted Black Olives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices