Dishing with Stephanie's Dish

I am thrilled to bring you the latest episode of "Dishing with Stephanie's Dish," where we welcome the incredibly talented Hayden Haas, the creative mind behind "Simply Delishaas: Favorite Recipes from the Midwestern Kitchen." Discover Hayden’s unique path from being a dishwasher on the Food Network to becoming an assistant to Molly Yeh and, eventually, a renowned cookbook author and now Minneapolis resident! Follow Hayden on Instagram @haydendelishaasFeatured RecipesThis pickle soup recipe is from Hayden’s Food Blog where he has other delicious recipes including the Cranberry Tortellini recipe we talked about from the book.Pickle SoupServes 6Ingredients:* 3 russet potatoes or 3c (2-3pounds) diced (this also works with frozen potatoes) (300- 420g)* 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil (13g)* 2 carrots roughly chopped (130g)* 2 stalks of celery roughly chopped (120g)* 1 yellow onion, diced (150g)* 6 cloves of garlic, minced (60g)* 2 tbsp butter (14g)* 4 tbsp ap flour (30g)* Salt and pepper to preference * 4- 6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth (940-1410g)* 1 heaping cup of dill pickles chopped (about 5-6 pickles)* 1/2c pickle brine (127g)* 1 bunch of fresh dill, divided (100g)* 2 bay leaves (less than a gram) * 1 tsp fresh thyme (10g)* 1c freshly grated havarti cheese (83-100g)* 1/2c heavy cream (119g)* For garnish* Heavy cream for drizzling, sriracha for drizzling and remaining fresh dill  If you’d like an addition I grew up eating  this with garlic bread! * In a large pot over high heat begin boiling about 6cups of salted water. Once boiling add in potatoes, boil and drain.  ( you can make this all in one pot or two separate ones!* cook for 20 minutes and drain. If using a second, over medium heat add olive oil, onion, celery, carrot and garlic. * Cook until translucent about 8-10 minutes . Season with salt and pepper to preference (I use about 1tsp of each) * Once translucent, add in butter and melt then flour and mix until coated. Slowly start to incorporate the broth (you’ll see it change to a light creamy color) add in the potatoes, pickles, pickle brine, fresh herbs and simmer for 20-30 minutes over medium heat. Add in the cheese and heavy cream and mix until combined! You can enjoy from here or dress a bowl! To a bowl add your soup, a drizzle of heavy cream, sriracha and fresh dill! Enjoy!Pickle PopcornThis Pickle Popcorn recipe is from Hayden’s Food Blog He calls is Netflix and (Chi)DillIngredients:3 tbsp Oil of choice (see tips)1/2c  Popcorn kernels (a heaping 1/2c)5 tbsp (or more) Good quality butter (I like to use Kerrygold) ½ bunch Dill fresh or dried, chopped½ tsp Italian seasoning ½ tsp Garlic powder ½ tsp Onion powder 1 tsp cheese powder (optional) 3 tsp Pickle juice (brine) from a jar of picklesSalt ( i would recommend fine salt for this)-optional hot sauce for serving if youre Selena GomezTips: you can use avocado oil, refined coconut oil, vegetable oil, or even olive oil! I would recommend using a dutch oven or your favorite soup pot for this recipe (something with a lid)InstructionsTo a large pot over medium to high heat, add the oil, when the oil is hot add 2 or 3 kernels to test to see if its ready, then add the rest of the kernels and cover, leave a little crack to let some steam escape if needed. Another helpful tip when making popcorn over the stove, is to gently wiggle the pot while holding the lid and handles to jiggle the kernels around. Listen to the kernels, when it has mostly stopped popping, removed from the heat then add to a large bowl.In the meantime begin melting the butter on the stove or microwave in 15 second intervals. Add the seasonings to the butter along with the pickle juice, stir to combine, slowly incorporate over the popcorn and give it a light shake to distribute the pickley butter. Serve immediately! Store in an air tight container, Enjoy!EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:Stephanie Hansen [00:00:16]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish, the podcast where we talk to people in the food space, cookbook authors, people generally obsessed with food. I am holding in my hot little hands favorite recipes from the Midwestern Kitchen. Book is called simply Delicious by Hayden Haas. Delicious. I love the title. It's so funny.Hayden Haas [00:00:39]:Thank you so much, and thank you for having me on.Stephanie Hansen [00:00:41]:Oh, it's a blast. So let us talk about your cookbook and, like, use you somehow have not been on my radar. And then I, like, found your Instagram, and I was like, oh my gosh. This guy's from the Midwest. He has almost 500,000 followers. He's friends with Molly Yeh. I mean, how would how tell us about how you got started in the cookbook world because you must have been a food stylist. Your book is incredible.Hayden Haas [00:01:06]:Thank you so much. I appreciate that. Yes. I did have a little bit experience, with, food styling. I got my start on Food Network surprisingly as a dishwasher and sort of led me, on an unexpected path into the food world where I was then met with Molly and then, you know, the pandemic happened one thing or another. And then I was her personal assistant and then got to see all everything that's involved with that whole world. And Molly was such a joy and kinda taught me how to write my own recipes. And I'm so thankful for all the time that I did spend with her, learning behind the scenes.Hayden Haas [00:01:51]:The most important part was obviously the recipe development but also kind of, when I was working behind the scenes I kind of learned how to film and direct my own videos as well as, edit them at the same time too. So it was kind of just a full package deal. I still to this day don't even really realize that I'm doing so many people's jobs, and I'm so thankful that I had that opportunity.Stephanie Hansen [00:02:18]:Yeah. Your your book is well, it's beautifully shot, and you can tell, there's a lot of lifestyle to it and, yes, we're looking at recipes, but many times we're looking at, not completed recipes, like the ingredients of making it. There's a lot of color in the book. Whoever did the design, it has a real rainbow flare, which I think is really cute. Yes. I just loved it. I really got the book, and it feels really like, if I knew you, I feel like this is really a reflection of you.Hayden Haas [00:02:54]:Thank you so much. I that was something that was really important to me. I kind of think of this as, like, my debut album. And I it's so so special to me because one of my best friends actually took all of the photography for me, and there's so much, family and friends and everything tied into it. And my designer's name was Lindsey Dobbs from Penguin Random House. So I I really wanted to include a lot of color. That was something that was really important to me and kind of all seasons. Even though,You know, it is based mostly in the Midwest, and we have winter here maybe, like, 6 to 9 months of the year. So, trying to cover all of those bases and get pictures was probably the hardest part.Stephanie Hansen [00:03:42]:Yeah. And people I mean, just the shooting of a book and having the seasonality to it, it is hard. Like, I'm working on a book that's a sort of cozy winter cooking book, but we haven't had snow for over a year. So I'm trying to find snowy pictures.Hayden Haas [00:04:01]:Yes. Yes. You're also a published author, and I was just checking out your books as well.Stephanie Hansen [00:04:07]:I am a published author, but I think I'm in a different vein than you. Because while I do like developing recipes, my point of view is usually typically from, like, someone's inspired from a grandma or a friend or and then I kinda take it and make it my own. I am getting a little more confident in just being like, oh, I'm just gonna make this and kinda knowing how things come together.Hayden Haas [00:04:33]:Yeah. And that's, something that's super important in my cookbook too because that was inspired by all the important women in my life, like my mom and my grandmas and, you know, of course, like Molly, there's so many people who have contributed to me at this point that I couldn't not also include them and all these people who have motivated me and supported me, including all of my followers and stuff. Like, this wasn't originally my intended career path, but I am so thankful that it is.Stephanie Hansen [00:05:04]:What was your intended career path?Hayden Haas [00:05:06]:I went to school for architecture and drafting. I had dreams of becoming an architect, and then I decided that that wasn't really where my heart was, but it was a very good paying job.Stephanie Hansen [00:05:18]:And you live in North Dakota. Is that correct?Hayden Haas [00:05:21]:No. I actually recently just relocated to Minneapolis.Stephanie Hansen [00:05:25]:Oh, so you're probably like a neighbor somewhere.Hayden Haas [00:05:28]:Yeah. I'm freshly here for a couple of months, so I'm still kind of catching my bearings and, making my little space home, but Minneapolis has been so welcoming, and I have literally no complaints. It's a really great place to be.Stephanie Hansen [00:05:45]:Yeah. So now are you here for a short time? OrHayden Haas [00:05:49]:No. I'm here to stay until further notice.Stephanie Hansen [00:05:53]:Okay. So I need to I'm gonna connect with you, and we'll have a cup of coffee, and maybe I could help because do you need do you need this sounds so weird. Do you need friends?Hayden Haas [00:06:05]:I do need friends. Yes. Been so actively looking for friends. I need more foodie friends. You know, I'm kind of like I don't wanna say I'm a shut in, but since I work from home, I just cook all this food, and I get to share it with all my friends and neighbors. So it's just a great little opportunity and kind of like a howdy neighbor to Minneapolis.Stephanie Hansen [00:06:29]:Yeah. I love it. And same. So I'm always cooking tons of food. I'm also, like, because of the radio show, we go out a lot, but I'm always looking for people to eat wi

Welcome to another episode of "Dishing with Stephanie's Dish," where we dive into the world of food with our guests from all corners of the culinary landscape. This time, we're delighted to have Nicole Aufderhar with us, known for her Instagram page @TenThousandBakes, where she showcases her incredible baking creations. Our conversation traces her baking journey from family traditions to competing on the Great American Baking Show, where she reached the final three and participated in the finale. Nicole shares her love for Minnesota State Fair Baking and her insights into balancing a creative passion with an artistic career. Join us as we explore her baking adventures, inspirations, and the sweet success she's found along the way.EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:Stephanie Hansen [00:00:16]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish, the podcast where we talk to people in the food space. And today, my guest is Nicole Ofterhauer, and she is at 10000 Bakes on Instagram. And we became friends, kind of funny, through the Jason show's hottest day on record at the state fair.Nicole Aufderhar [00:00:36]:Yes. Where we were all dying and couldn't think straight.Stephanie Hansen [00:00:40]:Yeah. We were just, like, sweating ourselves off, and you had made these super beautiful blueberry macarons. And you were there to talk about your experience that you'd had as a state fair baker, but also on the Great American Baking Show, which if people don't know because I still think people don't know that that show exists.Nicole Aufderhar [00:01:01]:They don't know. Even, like, my friends and family sometimes don't know that it exists. It's yeah. Everyone knows the British version, but surprise, there's an American one.Stephanie Hansen [00:01:10]:Yes. So The Great British Bake Off, spun off a great American baking show, and Nicole was a guest on it and did very well. Weren't you, like, in the final 3?Nicole Aufderhar [00:01:20]:Yeah. Yeah. I made it all the way to the finals.Stephanie Hansen [00:01:22]:Okay. So that's exciting. And I just wanna point out, I don't know when people are gonna listen to this because I'm probably gonna release it maybe this Friday or the next Friday. I haven't decided yet. ButNicole Aufderhar [00:01:34]:Mhmm.Stephanie Hansen [00:01:35]:If you haven't gotten a chance, please go right now to Nicole's Instagram page and look at 10,000 Bakes. Because, honestly, she has some of the most amazing spooky treats on there. Girl, I mean, those the skull truffles with the raspberry filling, are you kidding me?Nicole Aufderhar [00:01:51]:Oh, yeah. Thank you. Yeah. I I've always been kind of a Halloween nut. Like, always been my thing. The spookier, the better. And so for me, Halloween baking is kinda all about embracing kind of the quirky and weird. So I just go all in with it.Nicole Aufderhar [00:02:07]:It's always fun every year.Stephanie Hansen [00:02:09]:I mean, your stuff is real cool looking. Very beautiful. There was also a black was it what kind of a, cake was it?Nicole Aufderhar [00:02:18]:Yeah. So I made it was a peri breast, actually. So, like, a patichou base pastry.Stephanie Hansen [00:02:26]:Yeah. It looked like chew pastries stuffed or filled with, like, a cream of some sort.Nicole Aufderhar [00:02:31]:Yep. Yeah. So I used, black cocoa creme pat, and then there was also you couldn't see the picture, but there was, like, a raspberry gel as well. So kind of that dark chocolate raspberry thing kinda fitting with Halloween.Stephanie Hansen [00:02:44]:I mean, it was unbelievably fantastic looking.Nicole Aufderhar [00:02:47]:Oh, thanks. Yeah. Like I said, it's I get to be my weird artistic self this time of year, so it's kind of fun.Stephanie Hansen [00:02:53]:I like your weird artistic self. Take that and the listener kind of on the journey of how this whole thing started for you.Nicole Aufderhar [00:03:01]:So I have kind of been baking my entire life. You know, like, most people grew up mom in the kitchen, Nestle Toll House, Christmas cutout. You know, nothing, like, crazy, but just, you know, family baking. And as I grew up, I just kinda started to dive more and more into it. I'm kind of a shy person. So when I would go to parties, like, talking to people is stressful, but if I bring a bank, that gives me something to talk about. Sure. So, you know, I kind of started doing that more.Nicole Aufderhar [00:03:30]:And in college, I actually studied photography with, like, emphasis on food photography. And because I don't wanna take pictures of babies. So I decided to do the food route, and then I kinda decided that, well, if I wanna take pictures of beautiful things, I might have to learn how to bake some of these things. And so it's just kind of continued to grow and grow, and it's always been kind of my creative endeavor that's just for me and just for fun and really lets me express myself without the pressure. You know, I'm an artist full time, so I have that pressure there. So this is just just for fun, just for me. And when I saw that there was a great American baking show, which I didn't even know. You know, I've watched the British version for years, and then I saw online that they were casting for the American version.Nicole Aufderhar [00:04:19]:I thought, oh, well, let's let's see. Why not? You know? And I put my hat in the ring, and I made it all the way to the final round of 1st year, which I wasn't expecting. It's a very long process, and I just what I thought would maybe just be something that I'd enter and never hear from again ended up being this multiyear journey of traveling with baked goods and auditions. And after a couple 2 years of auditioning, I was cast on the show.Stephanie Hansen [00:04:51]:So yeah. So exciting.Nicole Aufderhar [00:04:53]:Yeah.Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Stephanie Hansen [00:04:54]:So how long from the beginning of you arriving to start the taping to when you go home is that length of time?Nicole Aufderhar [00:05:04]:So you are there basically for an entire month. For us, it was the entire month of August. You do a lot of prep work stateside before you go, you know, coming up with your own recipes and stuff. But once you are there, you are there the whole time. Even if you're eliminated, then you just kinda get a London vacation, but you're there for the entire month.Stephanie Hansen [00:05:24]:So they do it in the Great British Bake Off same space?Nicole Aufderhar [00:05:28]:Yeah. So for the Great British Bake Off, there's 2 tents. There is a tent where they film the version everybody knows, and then there's a tent where they film, like, celebrity versions, and I believe it's coming from Janae Baycock is still there as well, but, yeah, there are 2 tents. We're in the the other tent, like so it's not the tent, but it's one of theirs.Stephanie Hansen [00:05:51]:Yeah. And Paul and Pru are still judges.Nicole Aufderhar [00:05:55]:Yeah. Yeah. It's the same judges. It's Paul and Pru. We have American hosts. You know, that's the difference. People always kind of, I don't wanna say, hate on the American version, but they always say, oh, we don't like it because they're hypercompetitive, and they don't have the accents and all this. And I'm like, well, yeah, we don't have the accents.Nicole Aufderhar [00:06:12]:Sure. And that's the baddest. Yeah. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen [00:06:16]:So there's that.Nicole Aufderhar [00:06:18]:Yeah. So, you know, I mean, if you wanna nitpick, but it's still, like, a heartwarming, friendly show. Like, once people sit down and watch it, they're like, oh, that's actually enjoyable. I'm like, yes. That's what I've been telling you.Stephanie Hansen [00:06:32]:It is funny that the perception of Bake Off and what people love and what attracted me to it too was just how kind and supportive everybody is. And we've gotten used to watching these, you know, chopped and these sort of aggressive male dominated, like, shows of competition. And it is funny because I do think America in general this is a very gross generalization, but I do think we're more competitive. We're very aggressively business focused, like, success focused. And I think what is nice about The Bake Off is there's a lot of people from all these different walks of life, and they just happen to make pastry too or they're bakers.Nicole Aufderhar [00:07:20]:Yeah. Yeah. That's exactly what it is. And that's when I auditioned because I talked a lot about my state fair, you know, competing background. And they purposely were, like, asking me, well, are you hypercompetitive? Are you how do you feel if you don't win? You know? And so I had to make sure that I expressed that I'm not competitive despite all that. Like, I love the community behind these competitions and the friends that I've made, and they are trying to seek out people for that show that are there to just be with other bakers and have fun and get this experience and aren't there because I wanna win. And, I mean, the prize is a cake plate. You know? Like, you're not getting $20,000 or a book deal.Nicole Aufderhar [00:08:01]:You know? You get a cake plate. So if you're not there to just have a good time, you know, they're not gonna put you in the tent.Stephanie Hansen [00:08:09]:You happen to mention the state fair. Can you talk a little bit about your state fair baking experience? Because you're pretty well known and traveled in the state fair scene too. Minnesota State Fair.Nicole Aufderhar [00:08:23]:Yeah. Yeah. Especially the last year, people have kind of, I don't know, found my like, I've always shared about my journey with it. That's kinda why I started my Instagram page was because I wanted to share this community and show how accessible it is. Like, you don't have to be an incredible baker to enter. You just start. You just start entering stuff, and you get to meet people on entry day. And sometimes

This week, we're excited to bring you a thought-provoking conversation with the wonderful Stephanie O'Dea, bestselling author and advocate for slow living.In this episode, Stephanie O'Dea dives deep into her journey from being known as the "crock pot queen," where I first connected with her (see her Slow cooker Brussels sprouts and Apricot Brie recipes below) , to embracing a more deliberate and slow-paced lifestyle. While we are in the month of Crocktober and Stephanie’s book, “Make It Fast, Cook It Slow,” is never leaving my shelf, I also was really interested in her new “Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World” pivot.Here's a quick look at what we talked about and… a recipe! 🌅 Morning Rituals & Solitude: Stephanie shares her love for early mornings, awakening as early as 4 AM to have personal time for journaling, yoga, and creativity. Her dedication to solitude helps her find mental space and clarity.📚 Lifelong Learning: For Stephanie, being a lifelong learner is key to avoiding burnout. She emphasizes the importance of evolving and staying curious, contrasting repetitive tasks with the joy of discovery.🌿 Redefining FOMO: Stephanie offers a new take on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) by instead focusing on "Figure Only Myself Out." This mantra encourages self-awareness and individual happiness, away from societal pressures.✨ Shift from Hustle Culture: In this hustle-driven world, Stephanie advocates for slowing down, unplugging from technology, and embracing authenticity in a world that often overvalues constant productivity.📖 Slow Living: Now with her own podcast and new book "Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle Driven World," Stephanie inspires others to live intentionally and with purpose, championing quality over quantity.We also touch upon the benefits of using a crockpot, societal expectations, and the importance of setting boundaries in both personal and professional lives.If you're looking to slow down and cultivate a life filled with purpose and joy, this episode is just what you need. Make sure to tune in!.Tune in to "Dishing with Stephanie's Dish" for more insights, and visit our website for past episodes. Whether you're sipping morning coffee or winding down for the day, we hope our conversations bring you inspiration and a fresh perspective.P.S. We'd love to hear your thoughts on embracing a slower lifestyle. Reply to this email with your ideas or stories or favorite cookbook authors you would like us to connect withSlow Cooker Very Best Brussels SproutsIngredients1 pound brussels sprouts3 tablespoons butter1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (ooh la la, fancy)1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper1/4 cup waterInstructionsUse a 2-quart slow cooker.Wash and trim the ends off of each Brussels sprout, and cut in half.Toss into the cooker. Add butter, mustard, salt, pepper, and water.Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 2 to 3.Stir well to distribute the sauce before serving. Slow Cooker Brie with Apricot ToppingIngredients1 large round or wedge of brie (the round I used was 13.2 oz)1/2 cup chopped dried apricots2 tablespoons brown sugar2 tablespoons water-1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary1/2 cup chopped walnuts (if you don't eat nuts, simply omit)InstructionsYou have two choices here: you can use a 2-quart slow cooker or you can use a 6-quart slow cooker with an inserted oven-safe dish.If your brie has a really hard rind, cut the top part off. Put the brie into the crockpot (or the oven safe dish).In a bowl, mix the chopped apricots, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, water and rosemary together.Spoon on top of the brie.Sprinkle on the chopped walnuts.If you are using an inserted dish with the brie in a large crockpot, you do not need to add water around the base of the dish.Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours, or on low for about 3. Check after an hour  just in case.When the brie is warm and as melty as you'd like, take it out. You aren't really cooking anything here, just melting it nicely.Serve with your favorite crackers or apple slices.EPISODE TRANSCRIPTStephanie Hansen [00:00:11]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish, the podcast where we talk to people that are cookbook writers, people that love food. And today, we have kind of a special podcast. It is, my pleasure to talk with Stephanie O'Day. And Stephanie and I first crossed paths, boy, probably maybe 12 years ago when I ran across your book. You were the crock pot queen at that time. You had 365 days of slow cooking, and you had a crock pot book that is still in my kitchen. And I've recycled a lot of cookbooks, but not yours. Make it slow, cook it fast.Stephanie Hansen [00:00:49]:And you became sort of this crock pot personality. And I'm was checking in with you on a couple of crockpot things for Croctober, which is my favorite month of the year. And you were like, yeah. I can do crockpot things, but really, I've evolved into this other whole being of slow living. And welcome to the program. I'm so excited to talk to you.Stephanie O'Dea [00:01:12]:Absolutely. Thanks for having me. The the crock pot lady was super fun. I I liked being the crock pot lady, and it worked really, really well until all of a sudden, it just didn't. And I started to feel a little fake and phony in my brain and my body. Because as you know, in order to write for the Internet, you have to consistently, like, pump out content.Stephanie Hansen [00:01:40]:Yeah.Stephanie O'Dea [00:01:40]:And and after a while, I kinda thought, well, gosh, Steph, how how, how many pot roast recipes does the world really need? And, and it was tricky because it because that first cookbook, the Make It Fast, Cook It Slow cookbook, it spent 6 weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list and did really, really well. So my literary agent, my book publishers, they wanted me to consistently create recipes and and tweak them. And as you know, in order to write a quote, unquote, new recipe for the Internet or for a cookbook, you really just have to change the name and change an ingredient or 2 and and write, like, some some beginning and head notes and end notes and and call it a day. But it it really started to to not kind of align with my ethics and morals, and I felt really uncomfortable. And then it legit came to a head in 2016 with the the invention of the Instant Pot. Yep. And and all of a sudden, everyone's like, you've gotta translate your recipes from the crock pot to the Instant Pot to the pressure cooker. And so I bought 1, and I goofed around with it, and I get it.Stephanie O'Dea [00:02:51]:The the tech part is fun. It's it's really exciting for some people to cook a frozen chicken in 45 minutes at 5 o'clock at night. For me, it it it I didn't like it. Yeah. I I just my brain, my body wants to put the food on in the morning, 6 AM, 7 AM. I'm fully awake. I'm highly caffeinated. I can push a button and walk away.Stephanie O'Dea [00:03:15]:The idea of having to cook at 5 o'clock when I'm already hungry, the kids are already, like, hangry and frustrated, just it didn't work for me. So, so I got fired.Stephanie Hansen [00:03:28]:You fired yourself, though, in effect.Stephanie O'Dea [00:03:31]:Well, sort of. It's so sort of, except for the publishers legit did fire me.Stephanie Hansen [00:03:35]:Yeah. Well, you know, publishers fire people all the time. That's not a big deal. Yeah. So you're not feeling consistent with your brand, this thing you've built, this thing you've created and put all this energy into. And how did you know that what you liked was the slow living aspects of it and make that transition because I imagine that was pretty hard.Stephanie O'Dea [00:04:03]:Yeah. So I I took some time off from the Internet, and and I actually got a real job, which is great. Because once you're not worried about making money, you can be creative again. And and that's what ended up happening. And I sort of had this, like, voice of God say, hey, just because you can do something fast, it doesn't mean you should. And I live in Silicon Valley and so everything is fast. Yeah. The the people drive too fast.Stephanie O'Dea [00:04:29]:I joke with friends that, like, Tesla's are pigeons here. They're they're everywhere, and they do not stop. And I don't think it's good for humans. And I certainly can see it firsthand with children that doing things in a rushed way or feeling like you're behind or you have to catch up. And it feeds this feeling of inadequacy and franticness in your body that's not healthy. And so I started to to really think about it. And, I did a lot of research, took up yoga, took up meditation, did a lot of research on, therapy practices, trauma informed practices, and and started the Slow Living podcast in 2021. And, and from there, my new book is Slow Living Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Huzzle Driven World.Stephanie Hansen [00:05:25]:When you so you've got this whole brand now and all of these things. I imagine you had to, like, essentially start over and rebrand and become this new person that you always were this person, but leaning into that. And I'm it's funny that I'm talking to you today because I literally just had a con or a meeting this week about, like, oh, for SEO, you need to do this and you need to do that. And maybe we don't make so many recipes. Maybe we just do this. Maybe we like, exactly where the joy of what I do started, it has become a business. And I'm feeling that for you and myself. Like, this thing you love, this thing you start, this thing that feels so fun, and then you're just like, is this, like, am I just a bot here to just create all this stuff and have it literally just be like, okay.Stephanie Hansen [00:06:23]:I'm just a robot?Stephanie O'Dea [00:06:25]:Yeah. It's it's really something else, and and the Internet is not normal. And when you live and work on the Internet, you start to think that's real. And, and it it takes maybe some u

We had a lovely chat with Erin Clarke, from @Wellplated on Instagram and author of “Well Plated” and her new book, “Well Plated Every Day.” Scroll down for Erin’s pumpkin gingerbread squares with spiced cream cheese frosting recipe.Cookbook Signing Event DetailsJoin Erin at ModernWell in Minneapolis on 10/30, 7:00pm-8:30pm, for her book signing event!  The Well Plated Cookbook, Erin Clarke, and Lee Funke of Fit Foodie Finds!Erin discusses her journey, from the influential blog Well Plated by Erin, to the creation of her popular cookbooks. You will sample one of Erin’s delicious recipes – and leave with a signed copy of Well Plated Everyday (Books provided by Valley Bookseller)Thanks for reading Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter! This post is public so feel free to share itErin shared her Pumpkin gingerbread squares recipe from her new book, “Well Plated Everyday,” to give you a taste of the deliciousness in its pages.Pumpkin gingerbread squares with spiced cream cheese frostingIngredients for the Cake1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar2 large eggs, at room temperature3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)1/2 cup canola oil, or melted and cooled coconut oil1/4 cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)2 teaspoons ground cinnamon11/4 teaspoons ground ginger1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/4 teaspoon ground cloves1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 small orange1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 cup white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking sodaInstructions For the CakePlace a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with parchment paper so that two strips overhang opposite sides like handles.In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cocoa powder, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Zest half of the orange directly into the bowl (about 1 teaspoon). Reserve the remaining orange to zest for the frosting. Whisk until smoothly combined.Sprinkle the all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda over the top. Whisk until combined and smooth, stirring only as long as needed to incorporate all the ingredients.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Gently tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake the cake for 20 to 24 minutes, until it is puffed, the edges are starting to pull away from the pan, and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Use the parchment overhang to lift the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.While the cake cools, make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted recipe and ingredients continueIngredients For the Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting6 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, or Neufchâtel cheese, at room temperature2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature1 1/2 cups powdered sugar plus a few additional tablespoons as needed1/2 teaspoon orange zest (use the same orange from the cake)1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pieInstructions for the frostingWith the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter at medium speed for 2 minutes or until very smooth and well combined. Add the powdered sugar, orange zest (zest from the reserved orange directly into the bowl), vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, until the powdered sugar is pretty incorporated. Increase the speed to high and pro tips beat until smooth, creamy, and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes more. If you’d like a stiffer, sweeter frosting, add two tablespoons of powdered sugar until your desired consistency is reached. Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. For easier cutting, transfer to the refrigerator for 20 minutes to allow the frosting to set up (or go for it). Slice into squares of desired size and enjoy. EPISODE TRANSCRIPTStephanie [00:00:16]:Welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish, the podcast where we talk to cookbook authors and people obsessed with food generally. I am here today with Erin Clark. Erin is well plated on Instagram. She's also a best selling author of the well plated cookbook and the soon to be well plated everyday cookbook. You are gonna be having an event in the Twin Cities in Stillwater. I'm so excited for you.Erin Clarke [00:00:42]:I am thrilled as well. Can't wait. I worked to live, Yeah. Yes. So I lived in the Twin Cities at the very beginning of my career. I worked for Target, their corporate headquarters, so I just have a really big soft spot for the area, and I'm really looking forward to being back there again.Stephanie [00:01:00]:And do you live in Milwaukee now?Erin Clarke [00:01:02]:I live in Milwaukee now. Yes.Stephanie [00:01:04]:Okay. Because my family is all from Milwaukee, and I was looking on your Instagram. You make Milwaukee look more fun than I recall because we've been all over, like, the third ward, and you found some hidden gems that I was like, oh, she knows her way around here.Erin Clarke [00:01:20]:Yeah. I moved there about 10 years ago kicking and screaming because I married a Wisconsin boy and he's from Milwaukee, so we ended up back there. And I, like, I loved the city so much. I was like, I don't understand why I'm moving to still be cold and still be in the Midwest to this, like, random city. Minneapolis is great. And then I just fell in love with it. Like, it just has there it there's so much to do. The city has grown so much even just since I have been there.Erin Clarke [00:01:46]:We've got a great food scene. People are friendly. You're right on, like, Michigan. Like, it really has a lot going for it.Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Stephanie [00:01:52]:Yeah. I really my family is in Delafield, but we go into Milwaukee and spend a couple days during the holidays and during the summer. I really like it. So, okay. Well, you're on the verge. Is has your new cookbook come out yet? I imagine it's already out.Erin Clarke [00:02:08]:No. It is t minus 11 days. Not that I'm counting. I am absolutely counting every single day. Okay. I just cannot I'm just so giddy. I, like, cannot wait for people to have it in their hands. You are gonna have a 100 recipes in the book, but will you,Stephanie [00:02:20]:like, get people that maybe aren't familiar with your profile kinda what your point of view is?Erin Clarke [00:02:29]:Absolutely. So I grew up cooking and baking with my grandmothers in Kansas, like pure Midwest comfort food. And then after I graduated college and started living on my own, I realized that I wasn't going to be able to live on grandma's cinnamon rolls and cakes that she taught me to make. So I needed to learn how to cook, and that was where I really started going to farmers markets, like, really just kinda discovering the beauty of eating seasonally, which I feel like we talk about very, you know, it's just so, like, a part of the conversation now. But for me back then, it really wasn't. Like, in my family, like, corn and potatoes are the primary vegetables. So, you know, so I was trying to explore markets, learn how to cook, but I found myself to do this, like, really missing my grandmother's cooking. So I would call my grammy and be like, hey.Erin Clarke [00:03:18]:Like, can you tell me about, like, your recipe for enchiladas? And she would, like, in detail, tell me on the phone while I was taking notes. And then I started to think like, okay. Well, you know, I'm learning to cook. I'm trying to feed myself well. Maybe I can make grammy's enchiladas, but let's just do a couple of little swaps, like, that could make it healthier. Let's try it with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Let's try a whole wheat tortilla. And then around that time, a friend had encouraged me to start a food blog, and I was like, what is a food blog? Like, I this is very, like, OG days, and I ended up posting the recipe, and I had a few friends from high school make it and love it.Erin Clarke [00:03:57]:And they're like, hey. Do you have any other recipes? And I was like, yeah. Like, I do. And so that it that just, you know, kinda sharing the lightened up versions of my grandmother's dishes just sort of started me off, and I still, like, very much keep the midwestern sensibility and unfussiness with my recipes. So if I could describe them briefly, it would be their easy, healthy with, heavy emphasis on lightened up everyday comfort food.Stephanie [00:04:27]:Which is perfect. I mean, honestly, that's what I love. I'm kinda more on the comfort food side, but I feel equally as comfortable cooking with kale, you know, as I would, I don't know, corn and potatoes. Right? And justErin Clarke [00:04:42]:Yeah. And I think it's wonderful that people have gotten you know, those ingredients have gotten more main stream. And I really like the idea of finding ways to make healthy eating more accessible. So for example, in my cookbook, on my blog, I will not put an ingredient in there if it's gonna require you to go to a food store. I try to keep the spices, like, very streamlined. I get it. Like, we're all busy and sometimes you're not in the mood to cook. So how can we get to a result that's good for you faster, but it's still delicious? Because life is also just way too short for boring chicken breasts and rice, like, every single night of our lives.Erin Clarke [00:05:23]:So how can we have a little fun with it without, you know, making it a ton of work for ourselves either?Stephanie [00:05:30]:So how long have you had your blog then?Erin Clarke [00:05:34]:Going on 13 years.Stephanie [00:05:35]:I was gonna say it has to be about we've had a radio show about food for 15 years, and we kinda started right at the very beginning of, you

@Lauren_McDuffie, is the author of the beautiful and inspiring cookbook "Homemade-ish: Recipes and Cooking Tips That Keep It Real" Known for her knack of blending home-cooked charm with modern-day convenience, Lauren's work has been making waves in the culinary world. We'll dive into her creative process, chat about her beloved blog "My Kitchen Little," and get a glimpse into the life of someone who beautifully marries food, photography, and writing.So grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and get ready to be inspired by the delightful Lauren McDuffie.TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:Stephanie [00:00:15]:Hi. Welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish, and I am here with the author Lauren McDuffie, Talking With My Mouth Full , and she is someone that I'm just getting familiar with. So Lauren, welcome to the program.Lauren McDuffie [00:00:26]:Thank you so much for having me.Stephanie [00:00:28]:Yeah. Your book, Homemade-ish, I think I saw it, like, on maybe a publisher's weekly list, and then I started paging through it. And you're I I hope this, like, hits you in the right way. You're kind of, like, sort of semi homemade ish, but not exactly.Lauren McDuffie [00:00:48]:Yes. No. That's you really hit the nail on the head with that. Okay. Yeah.Stephanie [00:00:52]:I used to watch semi homemade with Sandra Lee you. In the beginning of the Food Network days, and she's kinda gotten a bad rap. What I loved about her and what I loved when I was going through your book too is just this idea that we don't have to, like, make every single thing from scratch in order to put a decent meal on the table for our family.Lauren McDuffie [00:01:16]:Right. It's just that's just true.Stephanie [00:01:19]:And it prevents people sometimes from cooking at all. This idea that cooking is so complicated and so hard. And as someone who I mean, I'm just a home cook, and I feel like that's a great space where you can sometimes take shortcuts and also knowing the shortcuts to take.Lauren McDuffie [00:01:38]:Yes. Exactly.Stephanie [00:01:40]:So your book, Homemade-ishLauren McDuffie [00:01:42]:Mhmm.Stephanie [00:01:43]:Is really lovely. And I felt like was the modern day version of sort of that idea because your food looks incredible. Your you must be a are you a a photo stylist? Because your food in your book is, like, amazing.Lauren McDuffie [00:01:58]:Thank you. Yes. I did the photography and the styling for all my books, and it's I just love that part of the process so much. So thank you for saying that.Stephanie [00:02:07]:I did laugh because you have a piece in there you, talk about, like, I just love this. This is my joy. And I'm in the middle of finishing a second book, and I'm not feeling that it's my joy.Lauren McDuffie [00:02:23]:I get that too. Yeah. That's fair. I was like, I'm all the time. So I under Yeah.Stephanie [00:02:30]:I have 35 pictures left, and I don't even wanna eat the food anymore because I'm so sick of it.Lauren McDuffie [00:02:35]:Yep. You've spent enough time with it probably. Yes. I get that. I do.Stephanie [00:02:40]:So catch my listeners up a little bit about you and who you are and your blog.Lauren McDuffie [00:02:46]:Okay. So I yes. I run a, a recipe website called my kitchen little, which I think it just turned 5, like, within the past week. So I I don't know. In blog years, that's not a baby anymore. So and and I run it as a business, which I really, I really enjoy. But prior to this website, I had a blog, which was very much a writing space. I love to write, and I started that, I don't know, maybe 12, 13 years ago, a long time ago back when food blogs were still sort of a novel thing.Lauren McDuffie [00:03:19]:Not everyone had one at the time. So I started I started that when my daughter was was a baby, and I just needed an outlet. And for me, cooking has always been my favorite sort of creative outlet. I love food. I love to talk about food, and a blog just seemed like a really nice way to gather together my creative interest with writing and cooking. And and, eventually, I fell in love with photography just by necessity because I learned that people want to see what you're talking about. Yes. So I grew a new love for that whole side of it too.Lauren McDuffie [00:03:50]:So so I had a food blog for a really long time purely as a hobby, but I I I met a lot of other people along the way who were in in food land just like me but in different ways. And, I had the opportunity to do my my first cookbook several years ago, which was kind of an homage to my Appalachian roots. And then I did another book a few years later, which is called Southern Lights. I lived in Charleston, South Carolina at the time. AndStephanie [00:04:15]:You did? My brother lives there. I love Charleston so much.Lauren McDuffie [00:04:18]:I love you. We moved to Portland a year ago from Charleston, and I was very sad to leave. But I love Portland too. So so it's it's been fine. But, yeah, I have a special spot in my heart for Charleston, and that book sort of was inspired by just my time living in, the low country and in the south, and I wanted to show off the healthier side of the southern table, which was a really fun book project. But, this book, Homemade ish, I just really enjoyed doing because I've found that a lot of my actual friends, like in my neighborhood and in my real life, are really drawn to things that are genuinely easy, truly low maintenance, and unintimidating. You know, I love a long cooking project with the best of them, something that takes all day and then I have to go out into the world to find really obscure ingredients. I like that because I'm a food nerd, and that's the kind of stuff that makes me happy.Lauren McDuffie [00:05:11]:But a lot of people, in fact, most people that I know, they're not like that. They they do, however, want to make food themselves in their home because there's a lot to be said for that, but they wanna do it with the least amount of fuss, you know, possible. And so that's really where the idea for this book came. And I also did use to watch semi homemade, and I appreciated kind of the heart of the show. The point of it made so much sense to me. So, yeah, I kind of wanted to breathe some modern new life into that concept. And because ready made foods and store bought foods have really come a long way since the nineties, and there's so much out there, that's that's really great fodder for jumping off and being creative and doctoring up into something new. And that was that's kind of the point of the book.Stephanie [00:05:57]:Yeah. So you take something that's maybe giving you a a a helping hand as it were, like pesto or deli meats or even, rotisserie chickenLauren McDuffie [00:06:08]:Yes.Stephanie [00:06:08]:And then you kinda take it the rest of the way.Lauren McDuffie [00:06:11]:Absolutely. Yeah. I think that cookbooks really serve a wonderful purpose in just giving ideas also. I think sometimes just coming up with what to make for dinner can be, you know, a deterrent in and of itself. And so I'm I'm hoping that these recipes are also fodder for people's own just riffing and and their own interpretation. So, hopefully, it'll help people see their grocery stores kind of in a new light. Like, what do you mean for me? Yeah. Yeah.Stephanie [00:06:38]:You mentioned in the book, I think it's 5, like, of your favorite products that everyone should have in their pantry at all times that you always have a meal available. And maybe it wasn't exactly 5, but I think it was pesto was 1. Yep. Curry. I think prepared curry was theLauren McDuffie [00:06:58]:paste. I love I love a curry paste.Stephanie [00:07:01]:And can you share a few more?Lauren McDuffie [00:07:03]:Sure. And I think that this list probably changes, a little bit, but for me, a rotisserie chicken is always a go to. I I tend to never get sick of finding ways to wield a rotisserie chicken because you can just do so much with them. But I think this is gonna you know, people scoff at at bagged salads sometimes, which is silly to me, but I do a lot in this book with bagged salads. I usually have one in my fridge to play on and and riff on. I think they're really valuable because it saves you time with chopping and Yeah. Procuring all of the individual things. I just there's something to be said for that.Lauren McDuffie [00:07:41]:SoStephanie [00:07:41]:Do you have bagged salad? Like, are you an Aldi person? Are you a Trader Joe's person? Are you whatever your grocery store is where you are? Because they apparently someone told me once that the bagged salads at Aldi that are $3 are really quite good, and I've never hadLauren McDuffie [00:07:57]:I haven't either. Although, I'm people I see people talking about Aldi more and more singing its praises. So I will have to check that out. That's really good intel.Stephanie [00:08:07]:I can't get past the quarter to get the cart.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:10]:Oh. Oh, yeah. I can't do that.Stephanie [00:08:12]:I'm like, come on. Like, it's a quarter, but people say it ensures that the people bring the carts back into the store.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:21]:I see. Okay. Okay. I'm just like, chargeStephanie [00:08:24]:me a dollar. I don't care. I just want I don't wanna have to fish around in my bag for a quarter.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:29]:Right. I know. That's true. I didn't know about that whole thing. Okay. That is interesting. But it's funny you mentioned Trader Joe's because I just went there last week for the first time in, like, 6 years for no reason other than that. I've moved a few times and COVID happened, and I just hadn't been in a while, and I forgot how much I love that store.Lauren McDuffie [00:08:49]:Yeah. And it it's perfect for this book because they have so many wonderful things that are already kind of made and started for you. But, yeah, I almost panic bought so many things when I went in there because I was like, oh gosh. It all looks so good.Stephanie [00:09:03]:You are my person because I'm a panic shoppe

Subscribe to Jason DeRusha Substack Newsletter here The DeRusha Download: official newsletter of Jason DeRusha TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:Stephanie [00:00:15]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish, the podcast where we talk to people that are obsessed with food. And, Jason Derusha, I don't know how you feel about being introduced as being obsessed with food. I probably should start with that you're a very professional broadcaster first.Jason Derusha [00:00:32]:I'm pretty obsessed, though, so I think it works. I think it works.Stephanie [00:00:36]:Jason is the host of Drive Time with Derusha from 3 to 6 on WCCO Radio. And you may have known him from making the leap from being a TV news anchor to a broadcaster over in the audio space. You and I are are friendly. We, see each other at things and we chat and you've been super helpful for me in my freelance journey. But I just really wanted to chat with you about, like, how's it going? Most people, I think, see the idea of being on, like, the evening news and then going to AM radio as a step back. But I thought it was super fascinating for you, and I'd just love to see how it's going.Jason Derusha [00:01:18]:Well, thank you, and I appreciate you asking me. It is, I I had to get over my own sort of mental block as to whether or not this was a step back. And, also, like, is that even a relevant question? Like, who cares if it's a step back? Right? But, all of these things are sort of wrapped up in, oh, gosh. It just goes back to, like, when you're a kid. Right? Like, what was your vision of yourself? Is it okay to stop and say, like, I think I've achieved what I need to achieve? And that that sort of I don't know. It was an emotional decision for me because very much my identity was wrapped up in being the TV news guy.Stephanie [00:02:03]:Yeah.Jason Derusha [00:02:04]:And probably for my 1st year at WCCO Radio, when I would do events, I would I would, still, like, sort of struggle with how do I introduce myself. And even stuff like talking to my my, kids about you know, as an alum of Marquette University, when I was the morning news anchor, like, there was some prestige with that. When you are the afternoon radio talk show host on AM radio, It's just a little different for a younger generation. I will say this. Releasing yourself from sort of the burden of your own self expectations is incredibly liberating. And doing something because you wanna grow and you wanna challenge yourself and you want to be sort of okay at something and then get better, oh my gosh. Like, it has been so invigorating for me. I'm so glad I did it.Stephanie [00:03:07]:It's such a weird thing too because I came from radio and did then go to TV.Jason Derusha [00:03:14]:Yeah.Stephanie [00:03:14]:And and people act like TV is like the holy grail, but yet you've been doing something for 15 years over here. And the mediums are both broadcast, but the way you interact with people is super different.Jason Derusha [00:03:28]:Yes. Yeah. I've found you know, morning news and talk radio have a little more in common than when I was on the nighttime news. I remember when I was the Good Question reporter in the 10 o'clock news at WCCO TV. When I went to the morning show, all of a sudden, there was this much more personal intimate connection with the audience. And doing talk radio is like next level of that. Where on television, like, people got little glimpses into my life. And on radio, you know, all last week, and we're recording this in early September, but when when I was at the Minnesota State Fair, people were coming up to me wishing me good luck at dropping off my oldest at NYU because they knew this weekend I was going to New York to drop off my oldest.Jason Derusha [00:04:17]:Like, they just have that relationship with you, which is really fun. I mean, I think I've always had, maybe more of a personal relationship with the audience and, like, the traditional, you know, stand on mount anchor desk and deliver the sermon sort of TV news anchor that's never really been me. But it's just different when you have 3 hours to talk to people. You know?Stephanie [00:04:39]:One thing that's really struck me as a talk radio fan, and I have been for, I don't know, my whole life really from the time that my dad made me listen to WCCO in the 5th grade on the drive to school. I'm very impressed with how you handle this time that we're in where politics is so polarizing and people are just so feeling their feels all the time and really need to share those feelings with you. I just was noticing on, posts that you did that someone was mad that you weren't at the state fair on Labor Day and it's like, wow. People. But, also, I love the way that you you let people have their opinions, but you also don't let them abuse you, and I think there's a difference.Jason Derusha [00:05:26]:Yeah. Yeah. It's tricky. I mean, in TV news, I spent 25 years trying to get the audience to trust me. And part of that is, especially in morning news, you wanna be liked. Not that you shy away from asking tough questions, but you wanna do it in a likable way. That's what the audience wants. And here in in the talk space, it's it's hard.Jason Derusha [00:05:56]:It would be very easy if I were a left wing talk show host or a right wing talk show host, and then you just play the hits. You are essentially KDWB of political ideas. You play the top 40. You people know what you're gonna do, and you do it. And they like it. And people see in me what they want to see. So if they want to be mad at me and they are, Republicans and you're like you can make a line between Trump supporter I try to with Republican listeners. Like, look.Jason Derusha [00:06:37]:I am open to many Republican ideas. I'm not open to Donald Trump. Like, sorry. He's disqualified himself for me. That is not something I talk about a lot on the show because what's the point Other than making yourself feel, you know, good, I guess. I I I always think of my show as, like, the Thanksgiving table growing up where my uncle was, my uncle was a lawyer. He went to Madison. My grandfather was a hardcore Ronald Reagan Republican.Jason Derusha [00:07:14]:And everyone would duke it out, and everyone was welcome to join in. You're sort of expected to join in. And it was fine. Today, we've taken and I get it. Some of the issues we're talking about are very fundamental issues to different people. Right? It's it's a very white male sort of, privileged position to say, like, most of these issues for me are not life and death. But I also think it's not good for political discourse that we've turned everything into life or or death. And I don't I don't know that that what does that get us? Do we have better discussions? Do we have better participation? Do we have better policy because we've turned everything into a fundamental life and death, good or evil question? I I don't see a benefit to it.Jason Derusha [00:08:06]:So I try not to do that on my show.Stephanie [00:08:09]:I have noticed a change in you from when you first started broadcasting on the station, and I thought this was interesting because as a TV newsperson, you weren't supposed to have a lot of personality. You were supposed to be fairly impartial and just like a blank slate ofJason Derusha [00:08:27]:Yeah. The news for you. Star. Right? The news is the star, not me.Stephanie [00:08:32]:And I think it took you a little while to find your rhythm of how what to push, what buttons to push, how hard to push. And I'm really, pleasantly surprised and encouraged of the progress that you've made. I think you're just doing great.Jason Derusha [00:08:48]:It it's so nice, it's so nice of you to say that. I have had a tremendous coach at the radio station, and the thing I miss most about TV is the team. And I was more I don't know. I coworkers called me the CFO of our morning show. Mhmm. And that stood for chief feelings officer. My job was to sort of keep the trains on the track and make sure everyone felt heard and validated. And I didn't always tell people they were right, but they always were heard.Jason Derusha [00:09:24]:And so my job was to lift everybody else up. Well, in radio, it's just it's me and a producer. That's it. And we have a a brand manager who's, like, a program director of WCCO Radio, Brad Lane. And he's been tremendous, you know, and you can talk to any of my managers over the year. I've always have good relationship with managers, but I generally don't like to be told, what to do. Typical, media Broadcaster. Broadcaster.Jason Derusha [00:09:55]:Right? But in this case, like, I needed guidance. I needed coaching. I didn't really know how to do this. I I knew how to host, and I knew how to interview, but I didn't really know how to navigate talk radio today, which is different from talk radio 10 years ago. 10 years ago, if you could frame the issue well, people would call in. Today, people react to talk radio sort of like they do a a Facebook status update. They wanna know your take, and then they'll react.Stephanie [00:10:24]:Yeah.Jason Derusha [00:10:25]:Well, that took me a lot of work because, you know, do people really wanna hear my take? Is my take valid? Do I you know, it's all of those issues. And even as someone who's always had sort of an outsized personality in town, I still had that doubt of, like, do I really do I know what I'm talking about? Why are people really and he the the way Brad phrases it is he's like, what is your show about? What is your show about? And a lot of people ask me that. What is your show about? Which is such a funny question because you and I both, like, grew up listening to talk radio. So, like, I grew up in Chicago. WGN talk radio was part of my life. And then there was an FM talk radio, the loop in Chicago. That was more comedians, a little more edgy, a little younger. And you're like, talk radio is about well, fundamentally, it's about whatever the host wants to talk abou

In this episode of "Dishing with Stephanie's Dish," we had a delightful conversation with the talented cookbook author Kelly Jaggers. She shared her insights about her latest creation, "The Ultimate Meal Planning for One Cookbook," and her journey as a cookbook writer. Kelly's passion for creating recipes perfectly scaled for one person's enjoyment shines through her work, making her books a treasure trove for solo diners. She has 4 books currently in the “Cooking For One” series including:Join us as we delve into Kelly's culinary background, her inspirations for writing cookbooks, and her love for food, hockey, and dogs. So, grab a cup of your favorite beverage and join us in this engaging conversation with Kelly Jaggers.COOKBOOK GIVEAWAYI have two copies of this cookbook to give away. To be included in the giveaway, send me any comment here, and I will contact the winner via email and mail the book to your home. FINAL TRANSCRIPT:Stephanie [00:00:15]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to dishing with Stephanie's dish, the podcast where we talk to cookbook authors and people generally obsessed with food. Today, we have a cookbook author, and it is Kelly Jaggers. Welcome to the program, Kelly.Kelly Jaggers [00:00:27]:Thank you so much for having me.Stephanie [00:00:29]:Yes. So you wrote something that I find really fascinating. It's called the ultimate meal planning for 1 cookbook, and you previously wrote the ultimate Mediterranean diet cookbook for 1. Mhmm. What got you into, like, cooking for 1 person? Because I did notice that you're now married.Kelly Jaggers [00:00:49]:I am married. So just because I'm married doesn't mean I don't understand the, ins and outs of what people who are solo might need. Yes. I do spend a few days a week at home by myself. My husband works. Sometimes he travels. And on those dates, I'm just cooking for me. I don't have kiddos, just me and the dogs.Kelly Jaggers [00:01:06]:So it was important for me to learn how to scale down recipes so that I could enjoy them just for myself without having excessive leftovers. And that just really parlays well into the book series that I've been working on, because it's kind of a I wouldn't say so niche, but kind of overlooked audience for cookbooks.Stephanie [00:01:23]:For sure.Kelly Jaggers [00:01:23]:Thinking right. They're thinking about families, married couples, people with loads of kids or planning for parties. But what about those people who are, for whatever reason, cooking for themselves because maybe they're single or they have a spouse or an SO or a partner who works multiple days away from home or maybe they're on a special diet from an SO. And so, like, they're planning just for themselves.Stephanie [00:01:44]:Yeah.Kelly Jaggers [00:01:44]:So lots of reasons why you might just be cooking for yourself. So it's not just because you're a single, although you probably maybe you are. That's also fine. Like, I don't judge. Whatever. So, yeah, it was important for me to kind of, kinda fill that gap and to help, to fill out that market a little bit.Stephanie [00:01:58]:I feel uniquely, interested in this topic after just having spent 2 weeks with my mother-in-law who's 92, and she still does all her own cooking. And every time I was gonna make something, she acted sort of horrified at my portions because she's used to cooking for just herself. So she's always really keenly in tune to not cooking too much so she doesn't have to eat the same thing for 5 days.Kelly Jaggers [00:02:25]:Exactly.Stephanie [00:02:26]:Yep. Because leftovers are a problem when you're when you're single.Kelly Jaggers [00:02:30]:I mean, leftovers are great for 1, maybe 2 meals, but, like, five meals of lasagna in a week or 5 meals of, whatever it is that you've made. Yeah. It can get a little get a little depressing. Right? And it makes you not wanna cook, make you wanna reach for a takeout menu, and that's so expensive. So you're wasting food, spending more on maybe delivery or takeout than maybe you've planned for in the budget. So why not think about meals that are scaled for 1 to 2 portions? I think that makes a lot of sense for people who are thinking about their budget, thinking about ways to reduce food waste, which is so important too. Right? Food is so expensive these days. If you go to the grocery store, it's so high.Kelly Jaggers [00:03:09]:I don't wanna be throwing that food away. I'm gonna eat what I bought. So I wanna plan for meals that I can make, just in the portions that I want.Stephanie [00:03:16]:Your book is beautifully done in lots of ways. So Thank you. First of all, the design of itKelly Jaggers [00:03:23]:Yeah. Yeah. I love They did such a wonderful job with it. It's so, so pretty.Stephanie [00:03:29]:It's pretty. It's simple. It's easy to follow. You have pictures for most of the recipes. You also have, like, calorie counts, fat, protein, carbohydrates. So if someone is watching their calories, that's really helpful.Kelly Jaggers [00:03:45]:Yeah. Yeah.Stephanie [00:03:45]:We've got it also broken down into proteins, which we're kind of obsessing these days about if we're getting enough protein. So I loved that. Yeah. I also really liked the size of it and the paper, and it just feels like a manual I can pop in my purse and, you've got shopping lists, meal plans. It's really quite well done.Kelly Jaggers [00:04:08]:Thank you. Thank you. It's, it was a labor of love. I think that the most challenging part of the book was the meal plans is coming up with the 8 weeks of meal plans and the shopping lists because I wanted to make sure that the meal plans included a variety of recipes from the book. Nothing was too, like, Mexican every single night or, like, chicken every single night. I wanted to make sure there's plenty of variety. And to give an example for people who maybe have never sat down to meal plan before to say, like, this is what you can do. These are the kinds of recipes you can plan for.Kelly Jaggers [00:04:37]:This is an idea of what your week might look like, but feel free to plug and play. Right? Like, oh, I'm not such a big fan of this recipe. I'd rather have this. And you can just plug it into the meal plan and make it easy for you to customize and individualize so that as you start this meal planning journey, you have these great tools and you can just kind of utilize the week over week for yourself.Stephanie [00:04:58]:And the prep list too were really thoughtful. I think when you're cooking for because I do cook from 1 a lot, actually, 2. Mhmm. In my food life, because I'm doing recipe development, I'm, you know, usually making recipes for 2 to 6. Yep. But my husband in the summertime lives at our cabin for the most part. So I am cooking for myself a lot. And if I'm not eating recipe leftovers, which usually I end up giving to my neighbors because I don't really wanna eat what I just cooked.Kelly Jaggers [00:05:29]:I don't know why. Completely understand. I'm the same way.Stephanie [00:05:31]:I'm aKelly Jaggers [00:05:31]:first creature. It. Cooked it all day. I don't wanna consume it. I get it.Stephanie [00:05:35]:I photographed it. I'm just sayingKelly Jaggers [00:05:37]:with it all day, and I just don't want it. Yes.Stephanie [00:05:39]:So I'm, like, always running around the neighborhood, like, who needs food?Kelly Jaggers [00:05:43]:Who's hungry? I have I have meals. Please take these foods from me.Stephanie [00:05:46]:Yes. So, like, then I'm just myself and I'm like, oh, well, okay. What am I gonna just make for myself? And I always end up making too much. So then I've got, like, food and I again, I'm very conscientious about food waste too. But so I really enjoyed, the way that the book was put together. How did you get into cookbook writing? Were you a blogger first?Kelly Jaggers [00:06:08]:I was. I was. So, I had a blog. It still exists out there. I'm not updating it, obviously, but it was evil shenanigans.com. The shenanigans are evil because they're good for your taste buds, but maybe not so great for your waistline. And I started working on that blog when I went to culinary school. I was going to culinary school to become a baker.Kelly Jaggers [00:06:26]:I wanted to open my own bakery. I had these really grand plans. And I walked into bakery pastry management, one of my last classes for my degree, and the teacher came in and she's I'll never forget. She said, first thing she said before she even introduced herself was 90% of bakeries fail in the 1st year. It's about a $1,000,000 total investment. And I was like, and with that, I'm out. I am risk averse. I I know how hard it is to earn my money, and I was not interested in that.Kelly Jaggers [00:06:50]:So now what do I do with this education I've acquired? I don't wanna work in restaurants. I didn't wanna have that kind of, like, you know, chef y lifestyle that that's not me.Stephanie [00:06:59]:The beer doesn't appeal to you?Kelly Jaggers [00:07:01]:No. No. I am a gentle soul. Soul. I don't think I could handle it. I would cry every day.Stephanie [00:07:06]:Yep.Kelly Jaggers [00:07:07]:So I I started writing a blog during my culinary school journey, and so I just kinda focused in on that for a while, trying to figure out, like, what am I gonna do? And about a year into working on the blog, I received an email from a publisher asking if I was interested in working on a book on pies. And I looked around and said, are you sure you mean me? And they did. And so I wrote my very first book, which was the Everything Pie Cookbook. And sinceStephanie [00:07:29]:then had that. Yeah.Kelly Jaggers [00:07:31]:Yeah. Okay. Okay. Yeah. And so since then, I've written, a number of books for my publisher. I write roughly 1 a year right now. So I do the books and also the photography as well. So, on top of the books I write and shoot, I also shoot photography for other people's cook books.Kelly Jaggers [00:07:46]:So, so it's been a lot of fun. Yeah. Just like a nice little transition f

"Preppy Kitchen Super Easy" is John Kanell’s follow-up to his best-selling cookbook “Preppy Kitchen.” In this episode of “Dishing With Stephanies Dish,” I speak with him about his success, the ease of his recipes, and his favorite tools to use in the kitchen. Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Thanks for reading Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter! This post is public so feel free to share it.PODCAST TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:Stephanie [00:00:15]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Dishing with Stephanie's dish podcast. I am here with John Cannell, and he is the author of the Preppy Kitchen cookbook. Now feel like Preppy Kitchen is such a complete statement because it makes me think of all the things about you right off the bat. Congratulations on a great moniker on on a well titled cookbook.John Kanell [00:00:42]:No. Thank you. Preppy Kitchen's super easy.Stephanie [00:00:44]:Yeah. And, like, do you identify with that just in terms of I mean, I'm looking at you. You're pretty cute. You seem like a preppy person.John Kanell [00:00:52]:I suppose I do. But, you know, I used to be a math and science teacher, and I dealt with all these kids. It's kind of a long story, but I dealt with kids who had all this math anxiety and science anxiety too. They thought, like, I am an English person or I'm I love history, but I cannot do it. My brain doesn't work this way. And I was teaching middle schoolers, and they already had the sense of failure ingrained in them, and it was heartbreaking. You know, like, later on in life, when I switched careers and I pivoted over, I saw the same thing for people in the kitchen. They're like, I'm a baker.John Kanell [00:01:24]:I cannot cook. Or I am fine on the grill, can't bake anything. Or I just use my credit card and call it a day.Speaker C [00:01:30]:No. You can send itJohn Kanell [00:01:30]:with my kids. Like, you can do it. Let's just be prepared. Let's have all the steps laid out and everything else. So it's kind of a play on words. It's about being prepared in the kitchen and having, like, a fun, easy time, not anxiety inducing train wreck where you're, like, halfway through a recipe, like, I don't have this ingredient. Why do I die? You know?Stephanie [00:01:51]:Okay. I'm just gonna back up for a second because your aesthetic is really appealing to me in lots of ways. Number 1, just talking to you and the way you have your background set. Awesome. Number 2, the photographs in the book and the photographs on your Instagram and on your sites are also incredibly beautiful. Are you doing all this by yourself? Do you just have this lifestyle persona hidden inside you as a math and science teacher? Come on.John Kanell [00:02:18]:Well, I used to do it all by myself back back in the day. But to answer part of your question, like, in pieces, I was an art major. So I wasn't a science teacher, but UCLA and had, like, a fine arts degree. So I was about color theory and putting things together and conceptual art. So my career path has gone all over the place. And now, you know, I find that as business gets busier and my kids get older, I have 2 7 year old boys, they're twins, that whatever someone else can do, they can free me up to, like, spend more time with my family or do things that only I can do, I'll outsource. So the book, book number 1 and book number 2 were both shot by David Meloche, who's a be like, a wonderful photographer. For styling here, like, I do like to collect antique copper and stuff like that.John Kanell [00:03:09]:But there's there's a community that comes together.Stephanie [00:03:11]:I love antique copper, and I also actually kinda like cooking with it, But cleaning of it and the maintaining of it is, like, a full time job.John Kanell [00:03:20]:If like, you have to just understand, like, most antique copper is tinned on the inside, so you might just have to get it retinned every once in a while. Or if you found a piece for, like, $5 at a flea market and it's falling apart, you're gonna say, okay. This is $5 plus the retinning cost, and then it'll be good as new. Because copper you know, old copper's is so heavy. It's gonna conduct the heat really beautifully. And part of being prepared and having the right tools, like, you know, having the nice a nice pot or pan, a nice heavy one that conducts heat conducts heat evenly because you could be following a recipe perfectly to the t. Everything is right. But you had one of those, like like, a sad pot that has paper thin walls that scorches everything.John Kanell [00:04:02]:And, you know, your food's kind of it's not ruined, but it's not as good as it could be just because of the tool you had.Stephanie [00:04:07]:You're speaking to the choir. I'm at my, summer place, and I'm working on a cookbook. And we got a new stove, like, last year, and we have to buy a our place is super little, so we had to buy this specific size stove. Yeah. And it is just the worst. Like, everything I cook for the cookbook burns. There's so many hot spots in it. It's 75 degrees off.Stephanie [00:04:32]:And I'm just like, okay. I don't know if I can cook a cookbook and all the test all these recipes with this horrible stove. No. So, yeah, it's been challenging. NotJohn Kanell [00:04:44]:cool. Not cool at all.Stephanie [00:04:44]:When you when you besides your fancy French copper cookware, do you have, like, anything that you recommend for just the basics?John Kanell [00:04:54]:You know?Stephanie [00:04:54]:I, like, I always recommend All Clad, but that's a kinda easy one. AllCloud.John Kanell [00:04:58]:Because it kinda just lasts it's, like, indestructible, lasts forever, and is you know, it's expensive, but I will have the All Clad until I don't know what happens to me.Stephanie [00:05:08]:Yeah. Same.Speaker C [00:05:09]:YouJohn Kanell [00:05:09]:know, you just clean it with some steel wool. If it gets really singed, then it's fine. And then, also, you can find some, like, nice cast iron enameled, like Dutch ovens or something. You can get them secondhand. And if they're in good shape, they'll last forever. So those are, like, investment pieces that really make your time in the kitchen a lot easier.Stephanie [00:05:29]:Agreed. Now you're on your second book here. How did you can you give me the transition from math and science teacher to cookbook author? Did you just love cooking?John Kanell [00:05:41]:You know, I grew up in the kitchen with my mom. So I always had my mom taught chef, and my mom came from a very small town in Mexico where, like, everything was made fresh every single day. And she came to this country with a love of fresh flavors and ingredients and learning. She never wanted to stop learning. So she explored the world through her kitchen and cookbooks and recipes she clipped out. And, I got to be there on that journey with her and learn a lot from her. So and she was a teacher and retired as well, so I followed her by I just became a teacher. And, when my husband and I were planning a family, because it takes a lot of planning, we were thinking who's gonna be home? And, you know, my job had specific breaks, but you can't show up to school late.John Kanell [00:06:29]:So, if, like, you know, if your kid is sick or something happens, he really encouraged me to do a pivot. And he's like, you know, you love teaching, but you really are passionate about food. Like, that's what you kind of light up when you talk about. So he's like, you know, you could. I see people, like, having food blogs, and they can make that a career. So why don't we, like, try that out, and you can work from home and be there more often? So I really credit him for helping me do that because it was really taking a chance. Ended up working out pretty well.Stephanie [00:06:59]:And I I mean, congratulations on the books and your story of your mom is pretty inspiring. She sounds like a really neat lady.Speaker C [00:07:08]:She reallyStephanie [00:07:08]:But that is, I think, how a lot of us get started and and the being a cookbook writer is probably more possible now than it was before because of digital creation and social media, to be honest. Yeah. Did you always have a knack for that too? Because many people are great with, like, the food or the recipes, but they're not so great at the digital side. And then there's people that are great at the digital side, but maybe their recipes aren't the best.John Kanell [00:07:35]:Part of you thinks I was horrible at everything when I started except, like, I could make a delicious dish. But and I the funny thing is I went to art school. But, like, my photography classes were conceptual art photography classes. And there was no skill. Like, if you wanted to have any skill earned, you'd speak to a technician. And the teacher was just there for the discourse of arts and, like, different references. And, you know, it's a lovely conversation. I enjoyed it, but it gave me zero preparation for shooting food and making it look attractive because it's very difficult.John Kanell [00:08:07]:It looked tasty even as in the I mean, it's hard. And if you went scrolled all the way back on my Instagram, you would see some very tragic looking things. And I was, you know, so proud of them at the time.Stephanie [00:08:21]:Yeah. And I do think, like, the authenticity of the not so perfect photos too. Certainly not for a book, but we kind of had these whole curated Instagram feeds and lives and I do feel like we're getting away from that a little bit in a way that appeals to me just because it feels more democratic for everyone else.John Kanell [00:08:43]:Yeah. I mean, I am a bit of a klutz. I'm gonna acknowledge this. So for me, that part comes out of my YouTube channel where I'm making things and, like, something falls or, like, the I made eclairs 10,000,000 times. It's my favorite thing, but I'm filming it and they fall down because I added, li

Nava Atlas is an American cookbook author and illustrator known for her work on the groundbreaking and inventive “Vegetariana” and her “Vegan Soups and Stews For All Seasons,” now in its fourth edition.Truly a pioneer in the culinary world, activism, literature, and art, Vegetariana first hit bookshelves in 1984. Now, 37 years later, Nava’s premier work encompassing recipes, food lore, and imaginative illustrations has been reborn for a whole new generation of compassionate cooks.Nava’s “Vegan Soups and Stews For All Seasons,” features 120 Vegan Soup and Stew recipes that have been tried and true over the last 25 years. Nava’s vegan chicken noodle soup is one of her favorite recipes from the book. Here is the recipe from her blog, The Vegan Atlas and make sure to follow her substack newsletter at The Vegan Atlas and Literary Ladies Guide is at Whether you’re looking for a colorful global stew or a refreshing cold soup, there’s something for every soup lover in these pages. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:Stephanie [00:00:11]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's dish, the podcast where we talk to people obsessed with food, and we do talk to a lot of cookbook authors, and I feel pretty honored today. I'm with, I feel like, a living legend, not only in the vegetarian category, but vegan category, and also a fellow soup lover, which is so exciting. Good morning, Nava. How are you? Welcome to the show, Nava Hatless.Nava Atlas [00:00:35]:Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here, and I'll tell you why in a moment.Stephanie [00:00:41]:Okay. So let us talk because you have Vegetariana was one of your first books, which isNava Atlas [00:00:48]:This is my first.Stephanie [00:00:49]:Okay. And it is a hoot. It has, like, these hand drawn illustrations, little bits of wisdom throughout. It is really a well done book, and it was reissued in the last couple of years and made all completely vegan. Did you go vegan later in life? Or tell me about that transition.Nava Atlas [00:01:08]:It was exactly, I would say, 20. I go by my son's age because he was 10 when he went vegan, and now he's 32. So it's always easy for me to keep track. So, yeah, 22 years vegan. I was vegetarian since high school. So I was kind of an early adopter, not necessarily on the veganism side of it, but, you know, I remember even in being a weirdo as a vegetarian back then. And also I was gonna say that, you know, I've really seen this whole progression from analog to digital and, you know, wanting to familiarize myself with you, your work, your podcast. I went straight to and, of course, I'm going to forget.Nava Atlas [00:01:51]:Oh, John Kung. Yeah. And he was talking about Detroit, and I was so thrilled because I grew up right outside Detroit.Stephanie [00:02:02]:My radio partner grew up outside Detroit too. And I really I love Detroit. I visited and had, like, 4 very memorable days in my life.Nava Atlas [00:02:14]:It is an amazing city, and it's an an amazing transformation. The last time I was there was not that long ago. It was maybe a year ago a year ago, June. Sure. And, my friend was showing me around central downtown, and then I saw an article. I'm not sure if it was in New York Times or elsewhere statistic that statistic that says that downtown Detroit is actually safer than San Francisco.Stephanie [00:02:46]:Oh, I believe that. Yeah. I absolutely believe that. It is a really cool place to visit. The farmer's market alone was just mind blowing to me. So many just sheds upon sheds of makers, and I've always loved maker culture and people that make products, and I have podcasts about that too. And really just enjoy the craft of people making food and how hard they have to work and how delicious it is.Nava Atlas [00:03:15]:And so many vegan restaurants, you know, for me, that's really my interest. And, one that had started when I was in college in Ann Arbor, I am a University of Michigan graduate, was Ceva, and now they have that beautiful place in downtown Detroit that is delicious. It is, you know, expensive on a par with New York, still very much worth it. But I, you know, I'm really glad to see the city thriving because the city has been through so much. Yeah. And I have to admit, I did not get to Eastern Market on my last visit because I also really wanted to save some time to go to Ann Arbor, my alma mater, and see how I haven't been to Ann Arbor for a longer time and how that has transformed. It looks like a little city now. And then Royal Oak looks like Ann Arbor did when I went to something there.Stephanie [00:04:02]:It's funny. Yeah. So veganism, I will say so I do eat meat, and I knew people that were vegans, and I knew it was a thing. And, obviously, being in the food world, you're paying attention to trends. And, obviously, eating plant based is super beneficial health wise. And then I started working on my TV show, and my executive producer is vegan. And I just really felt like I had my eyes opened to what it really means to, like, live a vegan lifestyle. And for her, she's been doing it like you for so long.Stephanie [00:04:42]:It's just like, oh, I just don't eat meat. It's really no big deal at all. And we are so fortunate now in that we have so many choices and so many options in our food world. Writing a cookbook that's vegan specific to soup, I thought was probably not as hard as people think because a lot of soups are vegan if you're using a vegetable broth.Nava Atlas [00:05:03]:Right. They're vegan. So many soups are vegan already, and soup is a very plant forward type of food, maybe second only to salad.Stephanie [00:05:12]:Yeah. Exactly. And that's kinda how I think about soup because I make a lot of soup, but I also make a lot because I cook a lot. So I have all of the vegetable scraps and the broths and the little dribs and drabs of things that I'm always throwing into a soup. When you put your cookbook together, was it hard for you to think about, like, okay, what recipes am I gonna put in? What am I not?Nava Atlas [00:05:34]:So this book, like Vegetariana, has a long history. What you're holding in your hands now is the 5th edition. I've heard. Yeah. So I think I published it. I I had an agent back then, not the same one I have now, and she said, oh, you know, publishers are saying this is just too niche. It's too specific. Couldn't find a publisher.Nava Atlas [00:05:54]:So I thought, you know what? I'll publish it myself. And at the time, it was it was actually so many more people are self publishing now, but it was easier back then like a lot of things. It was a very small, really diminutive hand drawn book, and it did very well. So once I had proved myself, it was picked up by Little Brown. Then it went out of print at Little Brown. I went back to self publishing it. That same editor went to Random House, so she picked it up again, and then it went out of print. It you know, none of the additions before this one had as many photographs and they weren't designed as beautifully as I would have liked.Nava Atlas [00:06:38]:So it was really nice to get the whole process back into my hands.Stephanie [00:06:42]:The book is really beautiful. So did you publish this version yourself?Nava Atlas [00:06:47]:This one I did because, you know, after the 4th edition, it's the likelihood of another publisher publishing something that's been in and out of print so many times is probably close to nil. Even though it has sold lots of copies, you know, people want to move on to the new thing, to the fresh thing, and it's understandable.Stephanie [00:07:06]:I'm pretty impressed by that. Not only that you're in your 5th edition, but as a cookbook writer myself who does publish the more traditional route, you're probably, financially, it's a much better, amount of money per book that you make probably publishing yourself than going through a publishing house.Nava Atlas [00:07:28]:I was going to say maybe per book for the copies that you're lucky to sell, but, you know, really at a disadvantage from the perspective of distribution. That's a big thing. Yep. I have a good distributor, but, you know, I I feel I felt like, you know, I just want a beautiful edition of this book before I leave this mortal coil. But as far as making lots of money, no. I would say to your listeners, that's not the way to get rich.Stephanie [00:07:58]:Yeah. No. I just see, I think about it from the perspective of, like, okay. A traditional book, the author probably makes anywhere from 3 to $7 a copy.Nava Atlas [00:08:09]:Less than that.Stephanie [00:08:10]:Okay. And then a published book that you publish yourself, people say that you can make anywhere from 15 to $22 a copy.Nava Atlas [00:08:19]:Oh, maybe connect me with those people. I'd like to see where they got that information. Because Okay. You know, you're not doing huge printing, so your per unit cost is not great. Right. And also, I didn't wanna print overseas because, you know, that's another thing in itself and the books have to be printed way ahead of time. Yes. And so I did it domestically, which I think they did a beautiful job.Thank you for reading Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter. This post is public so feel free to share it.Stephanie [00:08:42]:It is beautiful. But the perNava Atlas [00:08:43]:unit cost is going to be a little bit more. But, you know, this was a, a labor of love, I would say, to get it into print in a fashion that I'm really happy with. Because I do like you, I absolutely love soup. I think that I would say it's my very favorite category of food and eating. It just it's so digestible. And like I said, with the title, soups and stews for all seasons, you make them every time. If your people think of it fall, winter, but I love a cold summer soup. There's nothing more refreshing for dinner than, you know, when it's a warm evening like the summer we've had this past summer to have a a really delicious cold soup.Stephanie [00:09:26]:And like gazpacho can

Behind Mixly Cocktail Co. is a group of friends. Some met in college, others through work, but they all came together with their shared love of craft cocktails and thought they could offer a complex craft cocktail base that you could make at home. Whether you are making Mocktail or Cocktails, any of Mixly’s 7 cocktail varieties or their new Spritz line will transport you to a craft cocktail bar experience at home.Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.EPISODE TRANSCRIPT :Stephanie [00:00:16]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to dishing with Stephanie's dish. This is a Minnesota maker edition, which are always extra special to me because it's how I got started in the podcast space. I'm here with Jonna Rosbach, and she is the founder of Mixley, which is a we'll call it a cocktail concentrate. Is that what you would call it, Johnna? I think Johnna?Johnna [00:00:36]:I think you could. I mean, we still refer to it as a mixer, but it certainly is more concentrated than typically what you find on shelf.Stephanie [00:00:44]:And what it is is this delicious fruit forward mixer that you can mix with mocktails. You can have it in a cocktail. You can have it with sparkling wine. You can just have it with, you know, soda pop, really. If you wanted to have it with 7 Up, it would be equally delicious. What made you think that, like, this was a place in the market that there was a hole that you could fill with this product?Johnna [00:01:12]:So there was a couple things. I think the the first area was, well, we all we started the journey, when we set out to you know, wanting to do our own business, and we love the idea of cocktails. Me and my business partners, we love cocktails, and just kind of the faucet making great cocktail. And then we went to the shelf to see you know, curious what our mixers like these days. Yeah. And we were shocked to see, oh, oh my gosh.Stephanie [00:01:40]:There's bad.Johnna [00:01:41]:Bad. Really bad. Bad ingredients, bad branding, bad flavors, same old flavors. And so we were just really excited. 1, I think just let's clean up the ingredient deck. Like, we all know in every other beverage category, we've evolved. So let's 1, step 1. 2, let's bring exciting flavors, like what you would want to see at a craft, you know, at a great bar, at a you know, getting a craft cocktail.Johnna [00:02:06]:And then I think 3rd, this was I was pregnant at the time. The kind of sober, curious, any movement was just coming. So, like, let's make this versatile. Let's make this for everyone. So whether you're drinking or you're not, you can really make it your way and, you're not no one's having to feel left out, you know, if they're not drinking alcohol.Stephanie [00:02:27]:I think a lot of products too thought that they were gonna deliver on that message, but then kind of few did. Because if you weren't having them with alcohol, some of them didn't have the flavor punch. Others, if you were drinking them strictly as a mocktail, they were a little too much. Like, you guys really seem to hit the right balance. So go through your flavor profile because you've been pretty consistent too.Johnna [00:02:54]:Yeah. It's really about a balanced cocktail. So you're gonna have you know, you want the balance of the sweetness. So obviously, or tartness. Right? So the fruit, whether like the strawberry, pomegranate, you're gonna have some of that tartness. We wanna balance that then with a honey. So we used a honey in our simple syrup base, and that is really just gonna create a more balanced sweetness versus cane sugar can be really intense. And then the benefit to a lot of people do, you know, prefer honey as a sweetener these days over cane sugar and then acid.Johnna [00:03:28]:So, obviously, it's lemon or lime in all of our flavors, and that acidity is, not only part of a great cocktail or can be part of a great cocktail, but also for us, that is what acts as our kinda natural, stabilizer. Right? So we are shelf stable, but because we, you know, lean into some of those, you know, to the using fresh lime and lemon, it allows us to be shelf stable longer without having to add preservatives. So I think right. It's like the sweetness or tartness and then a really good acid. And then we do have a lot of, bring in a lot of, earthy flavors as well. So we have, like, the pineapple basil lime. So we're adding in, you know, the freshness of the babel basil or the mint, cucumbermint lime has that, you know, really, refreshing element. And same thing too, like, one of my favorites we just launched, as part of our spritz line is the elderflower mint.Johnna [00:04:26]:And that again, it's floral. It's refreshing with the mint. It's, yeah. So it's really all about, yeah, that combo to create a nice balanced cocktail.Stephanie [00:04:36]:So I'm talking with cofounder at Mixley, Jonna Rosbach, and you mentioned that you have this spritz line. It is a new we'll call it an extension. Is that fair? And why did you rebrand it and make it somewhat different looking than the traditional mixed line? I was curious what the thought process was there.Johnna [00:04:57]:We were really great summer, you know, sipper. And we felt too that this was not only do we want to, you know, jump into the spritz, scene with our Mixley take, And it was a fun truly, like, Megan, our my business partner who's our designer is just so creative, wanted to have fun and and see, you know, how a kind of different branding would do. But I think it's also just, you know, it's an interesting test for us of how does a a mixer that's for a single a single type of cocktail do versus the versatility message we've had with Mixley where you can make it with rum or tequila or vodka. Like, how does that resonate with consumers when it's, like, really easy? It's a spritz. You mix it with sparkling wine, and there you go. So we wanted to distinguish it a bit, have fun with it, and then also it's just interesting to see, yeah, how it performs.Stephanie [00:05:54]:Can you talk a little bit about that? Because, clearly to me, that seems like people that have a marketing background that are doing sorta AB testing that are really as interested in the brand packaging and the messaging as the actual love of the cocktail itself. So what was your background and your business partner's background getting here? Because it seems sort of packaged goods focused.Johnna [00:06:20]:You are correct. Very much. Yes. So my background is all CPG marketing. Came up through the agency world and then spent, years in in corporate marketing at, you know, 2 different big food, CPG firms. And Megan, my business partner, the same. So, yes, we have that background. Her background's design.Johnna [00:06:41]:My background is more the marketing communication. So some ways, that's very helpful. In some ways, you have to take everything that you learned in your big CPG world and forget that you learned it because it doesn't apply.Stephanie [00:06:53]:Yeah. To yeah. That's really interesting too because I think that's one of the if I'm talking with people that are manufacturing products or talking about products and that's their background, I usually do tell them that. And you also don't have the depth of, staff or even the depth of resources or time. So you have to kinda move a lot faster than people are comfortable with.Johnna [00:07:19]:Yeah. Move faster. And I think even as you think about, like, the marketing tactics, things that we would do, it's like, it's so different when you already have brand awareness and distribution. Yeah. We made a lot of mistakes early on. I was like, oh, that lesson, that thing I thought I did really well. Like, that does not apply to Mixley to what we're doing. SoStephanie [00:07:40]:What's an example of that?Johnna [00:07:44]:I would say, for example okay. Spending on influencers. Right? Everyone wants to spend on influencers. And I'm not to say that's wrong. However, it is a very different game when you don't have, on shelf presence. Also, if you're just gonna do and true if you're truly going to invest in d two c, you have to do it right. So if you're having influencers drive to your website, you really have to be focused. And I think when we launched, we were trying to do too much.Johnna [00:08:12]:We were doing retail and a little d two c. So you're just your spend in a in a tactic like influencer marketing is really not gonna go far in the stage we were at, and that's where we learned to focus and prioritize early on. We launched we went heavy into retail, and that's what we did. So influencers at our stage of the game don't make sense. What makes sense is in store tastings. So that's where if I'm gonna spend a $100, I'm better spending in it on a brand ambassador doing an in store tasting versusStephanie [00:08:41]:an insJohnna [00:08:41]:you know, a a Instagram post.Stephanie [00:08:43]:Yeah. And I think too, maybe you can speak to this. I feel like the influencer world is changing, we're discovering that real influence is hard to come by and isn't always with the person with the 100,000 followers in a marketplace. Like, that maybe those micro influencers and doing an event or something that's different might have actual more influence than the gal that has, you know, 50,000 followers and hold something up, and her pretty smile just for lack of a better way of saying that. But do you know what I'm saying?Johnna [00:09:25]:Yeah. We're all become very savvy. I think we're very now we look at anyone who posts on and, again, it's not it's not putting anyone down, but we do look at that. I think we're all skeptical, or we know now. They're getting paid to say that. That's not you know, it doesn't feel authentic anymore. And I think too I think you're right in where the real influences, and I will say influence in as it relates to purchase for us has been in store tastings, has been

Lisa Steele is a fifth-generation chicken keeper who shares her profound knowledge of poultry tips, egg facts, recipes, and more from her farm in Maine. Along the way Lisa has expanded her brand from taking care and raising chickens to mastering ways to use their lovely eggs. Lisa is the author of the "Fresh Eggs Daily" Cookbook, Blogger at "Coop to Kitchen" and host of the show "Welcome To My Farm."Lisa talked about when she perfected omelets and souffles and how satisfied she felt! Having never gotten to that level of mastery, I can only say I am jealous! She has provided her recipe (see below) so you, too, can make your best omelet and savory souffles and get a taste of her delightful book. She also sent me this link from her new recipe website for another delicious version of said perfect omelet. Gruyere and Tarragon Omelethttps://www.cooptokitchen.com/2024/06/gruyere-and-tarragon-omelet.htmlSpinach Goat Cheese OmeletThis half fold omelet is bursting with flavor and one of my favorites to whip up. It seems like a lot of spinach, but the heat from the omelet will wilt it down pretty quickly.2 eggs, room temperaturePinch of Kosher saltFreshly ground black pepper1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil1 tablespoon butter2 cups fresh baby spinach1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, plus more for garnishHeat a 9- or 10-inch skillet with sloped sides over high heat while you whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt in a small bowl until frothy. Add the oil to the pan and tilt the pan to coat the bottom with the oil. Then add the butter, continuing to tilt and swirl the butter. Once the butter is melted and has stopped sizzling, pour in the eggs, and use a rubber spatula to gently move the eggs around in the pan, while continuing to tilt the pan with your other hand.When the eggs are almost set, pile the cheese and spinach on one side of the pan, then tip the skillet and pull the egg away from the edge of the pan. Tilt the pan with the spinach and cheese closer to you and use a spatula to fold the opposite half of the egg over towards the middle, covering the filling. Slide your omelet out of the pan onto a plate.Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, crumble some additional cheese on top and drizzle with additional oil.Makes one omelet.Savory Cheese SoufflesWhile the thought of making a souffle might be intimidating, they’re rarely found on restaurant menus, so you’re going to have to learn to make your own at some point! I find these individual souffles easier to make than a large one - and just look at it this way, what’s the worst that can happen? Your souffle will fall?It will still taste divine. And once you’ve mastered the technique and made the perfect souffle, there’s such a sense of satisfaction. This is my standby recipe for a basic savory souffle with Parmesan cheese. It should come out light and fluffy and practically melt in your mouth if you’ve made it correctly. Butter and cornmeal for dusting ramekins6 fresh eggs, room temperature1 Cup milk1/4 Cup heavy creamSprig of fresh thyme2 Tablespoons butter1/4 cup flour3 Tablespoons sherry1/4 Cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese1/2 teaspoon sea saltFresh ground nutmeg1/2 teaspoon cream of tartarPreheat oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the bottom third. Butter six eight-ounce ramekins, brushing the butter in an upward motion and dust with cornmeal. Separate the six eggs so you have three of the yolks and the six whites separated in two bowls. Save the remaining three yolks for another recipe.Bring the milk, cream and thyme sprig to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the milk foams and begins to bubble. Remove from the heat. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then sprinkle in the flour, whisking constantly for about a minute until the mixture thickens.Slowly whisk in the warm milk mixture and continue to whisk for another minute or two, until the sauce is bubbling, smooth and begins to thicken. Remove the thyme sprig, pour the liquid into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the sherry, Parmesan cheese, salt and nutmeg, then whisk in the three egg yolks. Let cool.When the egg yolk mixture has cooled, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on low speed until foamy, then beat on high speed 1-2 minutes  just until soft peaks form.  The whites should still be glossy, not dry.  Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the flour/milk mixture with a rubber spatula, then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined. Ladle the mixture into the prepared ramekins, filling each to within ¼” of the top rim, then gently smooth the top, run your thumb around the inside rim of each ramekin, place them on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 16-18 minutes, or until puffed and golden on top. Don’t peek! Don’t open the oven until the souffles have been baking for at least 15 minutes. Serve immediately.Note: for a higher rising souffle, you can make a collar to fit around the inside top rim of the ramekin out of parchment paper and slide it in between the egg and ramekin just before putting the souffles in the oven.Makes 6 single-serving souffles.Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

We chat with Emmy Award-winning talk show host, journalist Tamron Hall and her good friend, award-winning chef Lish Steiling about their new book, "A Confident Cook."When Tamron Hall and Lish Steiling first met while working at the Today show, they never imagined their friendship would lead to kitchen adventures filled with laughs. In the book, “A Confident Cook” they share that same empowerment and excitement with those just beginning to cook. This book guides beginning cooks and seasoned home cooks through delicious recipes.Pre-order the book, “A Confident Cook” now for the September 3rd release and enjoy the Baked French Toast recipe from the book.Thank you for reading Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter. This post is public, so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

When I first saw Jeremy Intille on the Jason Show, I knew we had to connect. He reminds me of the rock and roll pastry chef you want to see and hear what he is going to do next. He is sassy, funny, talented, and oh so sweet. Watch his segment here:Jeremy won the first competition of the season in Episode 1 of the Food Networks, “Next Baking Master Paris,” Continuing to do very well on the show – watch episodes every Monday at 8 ct on Food Network. Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Jeremy’s specialty is visually stunning (and to-die-for) desserts. He is witty and full of personality – Jeremy’s led quite a fascinating and inspiring life, as you can read about here in a piece the Star Tribune published by my friend Sharyn Jackson.  Take a listen to the podcast and enjoy getting to know my new favorite reality TV food star.Thank you for reading Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

I first discovered these fantastic chocolate bonbons from my friend Laurie at the Golden Fig. They are so beautiful and equally delicious. They are the creations of local chocolatier Denny Rain from Cocoa Flake Mn.I was delighted to gift them to ZoëBakes Newsletter in our Mother's Day edition of “Taste Buds With Stephanie.” Listen to the podcast to learn more about this talented Minnesota Maker, and watch for her chocolate shop to open this Fall in Robbinsdale.Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

We had a blast catching up with Bentley Gillman and talking about his new foraging cocktail book, "Cocktails in Bloom," which is available for pre-order. You can find ingredients to forage when heading into the woods or even your backyard. Bentley combines his love of the wilderness with his passion for distilling at Tattersall and making beautiful spirits, cocktails, and mocktails.He shared a recipe with me for “Vermouth” that I tried with “Ground Ivy” or “Creeping Charlie.”* Gather 1 cup of “Creeping Charlie” * Add 1/4 cup sugar and macerate* Refrigerate overnight* Add a bottle of any variety of white wine and refrigerate for two more days* Taste for sweetness and strain* Use the “Vermouth” mixture for a martini or* Makeva Spritz with 1.5 oz “Vermouth” to 3-4 oz sparkling waterAnother recipe he mentioned in the podcast is his “Dandelion and Spruce Tonic” Recipe from the book. Pre-order now and get a custom bandanna for your own foraging adventures! Thank you for reading Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter. This post is public so feel free to share itIngredients:* 1/2 cup Spruce Tips* 5g dried (or 25g fresh) dandelion root* 1 cup water* 2 cups sugar* 1 stalk chopped lemongrass* 2 limes, zested and juicedInstructions: Simmer water, sugar, dandelion root, and lemongrass until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in lime zest, and allow to cool. Strain into a jar, add lime juice, and stir.For a cocktail: Mix 1 ounce of tonic syrup with 1 1/2 ounces of gin. Pour over ice and add 4 ounces of soda water. Garnish with spruce tips and a squeeze of lime.For a Mocktail: Mix 1 ounce of syrup with 3 ounces of cold brew. Pour over ice and add 2 ounces of soda water. Garnish with an orange.Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe