The Food Podcast

Cake, Pudding and the Space In Between with Colleen Thompson -  is officially live! Yes we are back to regular programming after a little pause in the season. I haven’t been toes up and eating cake - I mean pudding - this whole time. I’ve been sorting out the semantics of dessert. It can be confusing, so the episode begins with a short primer on the sweet and savoury world of cakes and puddings, and how their names vary from place to place. The cake above, a Malva Pudding, is where a pudding and a cake intersect. It is also where the magic of science comes into play. The sponginess of this pudding happens when baking soda and vinegar meet- sweet bubbles and growth, that’s what this pudding/cake is all about. And the space in between? That’s the story that lives in this cake - its journey from South Africa to a little restaurant in Canada, and the story of writer and photographer Colleen Thompson who wrote a cookbook capturing the flavours of these places. And woven through the in between is music, because as Colleen writes, “music, like food, has an incredible ability to shape us. Songs describe the longings, the passions, the small details we might otherwise miss.” And like recipes, when we record these songs, we remember who we were when we loved them.I hope you enjoy this story of life, through the lens of a sweet, spongy, storied pudding. x LindsayLinks:* Dark Angel - featured in this episode with permission from Jill Barber, Rose Cousins and Jenn Grant* Colleen Thomspon - writer, photographer and raconteur Instagram @monkeyweddings* Monkey Weddings & Summer Sapphires - South Africa to Nova Scotia: Stories, Recipes and Memories (General Public Inc, 2020) * 32 Songs to Live and Cook By - Colleen Thompson* Field Guide, Halifax - Malva pudding is still on the menu!* Mrs. Beeton’s Cookery Book Malva Pudding - from Monkey Weddings & Summer Sapphires, reprinted with permission.Yield: 4-6 servingsINGREDIENTS1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 tablespoon smooth apricot jam2 teaspoons white wine vinegar1 cup flour1 teaspoon baking sodaPinch of salt1 cup granulated sugar1 large egg1 cup milkSyrup½ cup sugar½ cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons unsalted butter½ cup hot water(this is where some might add a splash of booze - Cognac if you have it!)* Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a square 9” baking dish.* In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter, apricot jam and vinegar together. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. * In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. * In a separate bowl, mix the egg and sugar together until the mixture is pale yellow - about 4 minutes. Add the butter, apricot jam and vinegar mixture to the eggs and sugar together with the milk and mix. * Add the flour mixture bit by bit and mix well. * Pour mixture into the baking dish and bake for 30-45 minutes until the pudding is golden and baked through (a skewer inserted should come out clean). * In a small saucepan, over medium heat combine all of the syrup ingredients and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup over the cooked pudding and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Serve with heavy cream, custard or vanilla ice cream.CreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abigail CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

Here I am, on a sunny day back in October, savouring a Shore Lunch sushi bowl in the sun. I am sitting on a red adirondack on the wharf in Lunenburg, NS. A few tourists are milling around. A ship is tied up in front of me. Water is lapping against its sides. I take this picture then put my phone away. This food takes all my focus. Yellofin tuna. peppery greens. Chickpeas. Seaweed salad. Nori Flakes. Sesame Chickpeas. Miso Whip. Later I will see Amy Funk’s art exhibition at the Lunenburg School of the Arts. Amy is also the chef behind the Shore Lunch food truck. She made this bowl. This episode is the story of how Amy Funk, and artist and chef who has lived far and wide, has landed here, on the south shore of Nova Scotia. Cooking, painting, and feeding me in the sun. We discuss life. Hardships. Ingredients. Wanting the big time, and finding it in Nova Scotia. Here in this bowl.Thanks for listening, x LindsayLinks:* Shore Lunch Food Truck* Tipping is a Legacy of Slavery by Michelle Alexander* Lincoln Street Food* Lunenburg School for the ArtsCreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abigail CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

This episode began with a prompt in my writing class - to explore a threshold moment. It could be an ending, a beginning, leaving something behind or entering into something new. It could be a boundary, a tipping point, the edge of an experience. I began by making lists, but like all good prompts, I found myself transported to a place I hadn’t expected - my grandmother’s apartment overlooking the Bedford Basin. And as I walked through the memory, images, flavours, aromas and textures emerged. And a recipe too. So here is it, an episode through the lens of my grandmother Vivian. I hope it transports you into your own threshold memories. Feel free to share a taste of them with me in the comments below. I’d love that.Thanks for listening, x LindsayCreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abigail CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

A Measure of My Dreams is a lyric from A Rainy Night in Soho by the Irish band The Pogues. The lyric speaks to love and loss, but it also touches on the transient nature of life, and the fleeting beauty of moments, and the profound impact brief encounters can have. Liz Chute has made a life from profound encounters. For 25 years Liz has owned and run The Pebble Bed and Breakfast in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Liz is from Listowel, Ireland, and her family, her home, her business and her kitchen is full of Irish love and passion. This episode is Liz’s story, told through the lens of music, food, family, dancing, running, pressed sheets and a passion for authentic hospitality.It’s a special one. I hope you enjoy it!X LindsayLinks:* The Pebble B&B * That review on Tripadvisor * The Food Podcast - A Field Guide to Christmas* The Pogues - A Rainy Night in Soho* Simon Pearce Glassware* Frette Linens* Molton Brown * qualifying for the Boston MarathonCreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abigail CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

Lauren Gerrie is my guest this week on The Food Podcast. She is a New York based chef, a dancer, teacher, artist, collaborator and community builder. She’s a flavour alchemist, a master in texture, a cheerleader and a woman who barbecues scallops on the windy shores of Nova Scotia in a leotard. This conversation is a celebration of community through the lens of food, friendship, The Two Fat ladies, dance, movement and celebration. And Pat Benatar. Thanks for listening.Links:* We Belong by Pat Benatar * Ryan Heffington - Ted Talk: How Dance can unleash your inner joy* Moves Pure Joy - Instagram @movespurejoy* Lauren Gerrie - Instagram @laurengerrie * The Two Fat Ladies Complete Series on Youtube* Books for Cooks Notting Hill, LondonCreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abigail CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

I’m jumping in here to welcome you to a re-leased episode of last year’s A Field Guide to Christmas. For those who celebrate, we do it every year, but somehow, we still need a field guide, a mentor, and calming friend to shepherd us through this beautiful, nostalgic and sometimes difficult time of year. At least I do, and I know there’s one other person too…I was sitting at a high school football game earlier in the fall, watching my son and nephew play. It was an away game -  A five hour drive. But the last of the fall leaves were still hanging on, there were thermoses of coffee in the cup holders, so it wasn’t such a bad drive. The Cape Breton autumn winds were whipping at our backs as we perched on metal bleachers. (I should say that the field guide to watching Canadian football would include pads to sit on  - we use the little cushions that come with our ikea outdoor furniture - they work like a charm and keep you warm.) Anyway, the turnout wasn’t so good for our team, spectators were thin, but those who were there had clearly read the football field guide and were kitted out in cozy jackets, hats, mitts and were lounging in portable camping chairs. At half time one of the mom’s leaned over and said, I’ve been listening to your Field Guide to Christmas. I know we’re two months away, but it soothes me knowing other people cry on Christmas. And we can laugh about it. So if you too need a refresh for how to get through the next week with ease and wonder, listen to the rest of this episode, perhaps again, for the first time. You too might pick up a word I had forgotten in the wisdom shared by writer and long time Christmas host Vicky Grant. The word she drops is outdoorfin - the rush of joyful energy received when you leave the chaos of the home, the chaos of the world, the heat of the oven, the wrapping paper on the floor, and the drying Christmas tree, and GO OUTSIDE. So with that, I give you our field Guide to Christmas, recorded in December of 2022… and by the way, my sons would say I did spiral out of control last Christmas, just for a little bit, but, not only did I go for a walk on christmas day, I also dipped in the river with my sister and nieces on New Year's Day. A cold plunge in a brackish river on the east coast of canada in winter will give you enough ourdoorfins to last at least a week. But before we listen I just want to say Thanks so much for being here at The Food Podcast, sharing stories, through the lens of food. The Food Podcast will be back on the 9th of January with chef, artist and dancer, Lauren Gerrie. Until then,x LindsayShow Notes* Nigel Slater, The Christmas Chronicles . Or listen to the Christmas Chronicles here - * Anja Dunk, ADVENT - Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas * Jenn Grant’s Forever on Christmas Eve Album* Writer Vicki Grant. Vicki says a Christmas party isn’t a Christmas party without Grease Babies. I wrote about them here. As for the recipe, here’s the gist: begin with white bread, crusts cut off. Add a teaspoon of undiluted Campbell’s Mushroom Soup to each slice and spread edge to edge. Roll slice and wrap with bacon. Bake until crispy but still gooey on the inside. They’ll be gone in seconds.Episode CreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abigail CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to season four, episode two of The Food Podcast! This episode is all about the storied history of the blue fin tuna, told through the lens of investigative food systems journalist Karen Pinchin. Through the writing of her book Kings of Their Own Ocean, a story that follows a tagged blue fin called Amelia back and forth across the Atlantic, we also learn about Karen. Karen and I are friends, but it wasn’t until I read this book that I learned how the story of what happens beneath the ocean can also uncover details of human life, Karen’s life. Thanks for listening, x LindsayLinks:* Karen Pinchin* Kings of Their Own Ocean - Penguin Random House Canada* Kings of Their Own Ocean on Audible And for a deeper dive into Kings of Their Own Ocean - * Gastro Pod: All About the Tuna Rollercoaster* Canadian Geographic * The American Scholar - On the Line* The New Yorker - The Magnificence of the Blue Fin Tuna* The Coast - The Reel DealCreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abigail CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

New! Click to listen to the essay. It’s me, mistakes and all. I’m going for a done, not perfect, approach. Fits with today’s theme. Please let me know if this is a helpful/fun/user friendly/easy addition to the newsletter and if so, I’ll do it every time. I planted spring bulbs in a light hail storm yesterday. The ground was soft after heavy rain the night before; digging was easy. I wore my husband's sailing gear - waterproof overalls and a matching jacket, rain boots and gardening gloves. I was overdressed, but I had fifty dollars of bulbs to put in the ground, bought hastily the other day after my friend Piia texted with the reminder to get bulbs in the ground, asap, before it freezes. I didn’t have time to mess around.I bought the bulbs at Halifax Seed. I arrived just as woman in a teal Subaru was pulling up. She had bangs the same colour as her car. Together we dug through the dregs of their bulb collection, both with the frantic air of a late-November bulb shopper. Some were massive, the size of small onions, others looked like shriveled plums or bulbs of garlic. The blue banged woman and I carefully counted the bulbs by the dozen, tipped them into the paper bags provided, and scratched the names of the bulbs on the side of the bags.Purple scilla. Silver bells. Full star pink.Full star red. White crocuses. Grape hyacinth. We both were grabbing at things, unknowing, but there was an understanding that we needed these bulbs. Winter stretches long into April in this part of the world. Pops of colour against the gray winter sky and cold black earth pull us through to mid-May, when spring begins in earnest. “Have you heard the weather forecast for tomorrow?” I asked as we finished up our task. “It might freeze overnight,” she said, shrugging, “But just pour boiling water over the soil if you can’t get the shovel through. I’ve done that many times when planting garlic. Works like a charm.”The bulbs sat on the floor of our cold, drafty porch until yesterday. It turns out the ground was soft from rain the night before. It was a sign, a gift of nature. But the sun would set in an hour. This was my window. I used to be a big procrastinator. In high school I would clean my room and bake a double batch of chocolate chip cookies before I sat down to do homework. I wrote essays through the night in my first year of university, then printed them off on a dot-matrix while I showered before class. I remember my friend Mark standing in the hallway, waiting for me, while the printer screeched back and forth, back and forth. When I started writing freelance pieces for the local paper I filed each story so late there was never enough time for edits. I dreaded seeing my editor’s number on my phone display. Almost done? She’d ask, hopefully. Almost, I’d say. Almost. I’m much better now. Things began to change when I realized the feeling of getting it done was better than putting it off. My husband’s grandfather always said, “why do it tomorrow when you can do it right now!” I will never be that fervent when attacking a to-do list, but I have tools and limitations to help me now: egg timers. A small desk of my own. Noise canceling headphones. A dog that needs walking. Kids with schedules. Weather patterns. They all help me get things done. Most of the time. I’ve known about the annual cookie exchange for twelve months now. I have decided on my contribution (the ever popular peanut butter ball dipped in chocolate. I’ve shared the family history of those peanut butter balls over here). I have bought the ingredients. I even went to the hardware store, twice, to pick out a small scooper to shape the balls (I can hear my grandmother saying, “oh for goodness sake, what do you need a scooper for?” But I’m trying to up my game). The first time at the hardware store, the man at the counter held up the smallest scoop, a 1 ⅛’’, frowned and said, “I’d prefer a bigger peanut butter ball”. So I went bigger, 1 ⅝”, but really, they were too big. How would I ever get 80 made with that big scoop, by Friday? I went back and bought the smaller of the two. The pro of procrastination means forward, as in promise, promote or progress. It can also mean for, as in sharing the pros of an argument. Procrastination is said to be the thief of time, it takes and doesn’t give it back. But there is also the gift of moving forward, of progressing, of getting it done. It’s a push and pull word, one that I, maybe we, will always wrestle with.  This brings me to right now, the day before the cookie exchange. The bulbs are nestled in the ground beneath soil frozen in the shape of my rubber boot treads. This story is almost written, but I still have thirty balls to roll and dip. I’ve employed a scoop then hand roll technique. The trip to the hardware store, I tell myself, was worth it. My sister arrives tonight from Vancouver. We are gathering the day after the cookie exchange for my father’s eightieth birthday. Her bed is made. The birthday dinner is planned. The birthday boy has requested lasagna and carrot cake. My husband made the sauce. I’m on pasta and cake. I can feel the rush of adrenaline pumping through me, the kind that comes with the crushing of tasks, last-minute. I don’t like it. But I like it. And soon, I will have a freezer full of cookies, shining like a colourful bulb in spring, ready, just when I need them. Chocolate Peanut Butter BallsMy Aunt Susan’s recipe. I’ve done something radical this year and added a touch of natural peanut butter to the recipe. It doesn’t affect the texture, and it mellows the sweetness, just enough. 2/3  cup smooth peanut butter⅓ cup natural smooth peanut butter4 tablespoons butter, softened1 cup icing sugar1/2 cup desiccated coconut1 cup Rice Krispies250g dark chocolate1 teaspoon oil, to loosen the melted chocolate if too thick (I used coconut oil)sea salt crystals, to finish – optionalIn a large bowl mix together the peanut butters, butter and icing sugar. Add the coconut and Rice Krispies. Stir to combine. Roll into balls (chill first if mixture is too soft.) Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl suspended over a saucepan. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Coat the balls in melted chocolate, place on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with sea salt (optional!) and refrigerate or freeze. Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to season four of The Food Podcast!In this episode, our first of the season, we mention - * Skyting Yoga * Kumi Sawyers* The poet Alden Nowlan * The Food Podcast Season 3 Ep 5 ‘All We Need is Here’ with Gillian BellThe Food Podcast is produced by Abby Cerquitella Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

Mentioned in this episode - * Amy Minichiello | Instagram | Website * Recipes in the Mail - Family Cookbook and Journal * Amy’s Instagram post from April, 2023 * The Food Podcast Season 3 Episode 7 - Homemaking with Jill Barber * Jill Barber’s song, My Mother’s Hand Episode Credits-@amy_minichiello_ Episode edited by @abigailcerquitella Host @lindsaycameronwilson @thefoodpodcast  Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

Season 3, Episode 7, Homemaking with Jill Barber, is live!Mentioned in this episode:* Jill Barber | Website | Instagram* Clint Smith on Stephen Colbert - Clint Smith: Poetry is the Act of Paying AttentionVia Jami Attenburg’s ‘#1000 words of summer ‘* Maggie MacKellar on The Food Podcast - Flavours of Home with Maggie MacKellar* Maggie MacKellar’s Substack, The Sit Spot - “Lucinda Williams and Me” * Angela Garbes - Essential Labor Mothering as Social Change * Alison Roman’s Key Lime Pie Edited by Abby Cerquitella Music by Jill Barber + Jenn Grant Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

Season 3, Episode 6, Listen to the Tea, is live and ready for listening!Mentioned in this episode:* MFK Fisher’s A Map of Another Town: A Memoir of Provence* Discovering Tea with Margaret Ledoux * London based textile artist Rachna Garodia * The Sophie Scarf by Petite Knit* Weaver Sandra Brownlee in her studio (a Sandra Brownlee weaving is featured in the image above)* Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner * Hetty McKinnon’s Sheet Pan Pierogies with Brussels Sprouts and KimchiEpisode CreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abigail CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

Gillian Bell has many stories to tell. She is an English cook, cake maker and social worker living in Brisbane. She can bake for a crowd with a broken oven. She loves poetry and the natural world around her. And, she travels the world making wedding cakes, only deciding on the direction the cake will take after she arrives at the venue, meets the couple and learns the flavour of their lives. This whimsical style of cake making invites intrigue, adventure, deep connection and, potential cake disasters. But as it turns out, Gillian doesn’t experience cake disasters - of course things go wrong, but nothing is a disaster when you see life through the lens of challenge and adventure. So this episode, the second in a two part series on cake disasters, has taken a turn. Yes there will be disasters, but Gillian guides us through them using ingenuity, resolve, extra buttercream and the most important tool in her cake-making kit: asking for help. Mentioned in this episode - * Gillian Bell Cake | IG @gillianbellcake | Web GillianBellCake https://www.gillianbellcake.com.au/privatecook* Part one of our series on cake disasters: Step Toward Disaster with Marianne Pfeffer Gjengedal* Dispatch to a Friend, Season 1, Episode 8 - * My newsletter, FOOD STORIES * Wendell Berry’s  What We Need is Here * Ottolenghi’s Za’tar Salmon with Tahini CreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abigail CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

What do you do when things go wrong? This episode of The Food Podcast is all about learning to face disasters. Norwegian content producer Marianne Pfeffer Gjengedal, maker of the most colourful, delightful and fantastical tall cakes, shares her cake disaster story and wisdom on how to roll when things go awry. It’s an episode all about pushing through the pain, trusting, and practicing a lot so when disaster does strike, you’re ready for it. Links and things -Marianne Pfeffer Gjengedal’s InstagramEpisode 30 of The Food Podcast with Marianne PfefferMarianne’s Call Your Girlfriend Cake Video, inspired by @robynkonichiwa Sesame Street Disaster Cake SkitAn essay about the isolation birthday cake I made and slathered in the almost ruined Swiss meringue butter creamThis episode is written and hosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abigail CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Nova Scotia singer songwriter Jenn Grant IG @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilsonThanks for listening!x Lindsay Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is all about the wonder of the mussel, the edible kind. We’ll explore their beauty, resilience, innovation, taste and the ways they’re providing answers to food scarcity here on the east coast of Canada. We’ll beachcomb, cook, and learn how easy mussels are to make at home. We’ll meet Tiago Hori, director of Innovation at Atlantic Aqua Farms on Prince Edward Island, who will walk us through the biology of the mussel, and explain how they are cultivated in the waters off PEI. And, we’ll reminisce about the mark they’ve made on me, from jobs I’ve had to what they’ve taught me about living, all on this episode of The Food Podcast.  We mention:Atlantic Aqua Farms On Being episode featuring Janine Benyus Biomimicry.orgHeather Waugh Pitts IG Find her mussel shells at Conifer Shop IG Recipe for the Sweet Chili Thai Mussels on Food Stories, my newsletter that you can subscribe to herePeimussel.com - for recipes, information and those videos…CreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abigail CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to episode two of our third season of The Food Podcast, where we peek under the hood of the show to see how ideas become stories. We’ll jump over stones in the river, learn to take criticism, try to tell the truth and tap into curiosity. We’ll also talk about the importance of putting our work out into the world, quickly. That’s what Jenn Grant does. And we'll find value in smelling like soup. Trust me! Thanks for listening!In this episode we discuss:Pauline Dakine Jenn Grant’s One More Night How to Fail with Elizabeth Day: Margaret Atwood on wisdom, witchcraft and womanhoodGloria Steinem on We Can do Hard Things PodcastThe Food Podcast : Finding the Light with Julie Van Rosenthal The Food Podcast : Finding Home with Fanny SingerAnd special thanks to friend and writer Karen Pinchin for guidance on teaching a classHelpful tools when creating a podcast:* Descript - an app that allows you to edit sound from text* Epidemic music - an excellent source for audio to sprinkle into stories * Temi - for transcribing ‘at lightning speed’* Tape a Call - an app, as the name suggests, for recording phone calls* And Abigail Cerquitella - for all your podcast and storytelling production needs Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

We’re happy to welcome you back to The Food Podcast with our first episode of the season: The Jellyfish Buffet. It begins with a turtle soup savoured in a 19th Century Danish home, then travels to present day Nova Scotia, where Sea Turtles visit from the Caribbean every summer. We meet Kathleen Martin, Executive Director of the Canadian Sea Turtle Network, who explains why Sea Turtles find their way to Nova Scotia, and what challenges they face on their epic journey. We also learn about the lion’s main jellyfish, the Sea Turtle’s favourite food. It’s a meandering coastal exploration, on this episode of The Food Podcast. We discuss:Babette’s Feast Muppet Show Turtle Soup The Sea Turtle Scoop Kathleen Martin, Executive Director of the Canadian Sea Turtle Network  Chef Oliver Rowe’s recreation of Babette Feast in Vice Magazine Food Stories - a Newsletter - lindsaycameronwilson.substack.comCreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abby CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and A Finely Sliced Soup I’ve been working on speaking French, slowly, lentement, since I studied in France at the end of university. My French roommate Cécile and I are still friends. Last June I visited Cécile and we spent the week cooking, eating, walking and exploring favourite places while speaking our usual mélange of French and English. I get scrambled from time to time, like one evening when Cécile was in her garden and asked me if I would like to help her arrose le jardin (water the garden). I heard, would you like a rosé dans le jardin ( a rosé in the garden)? So I went inside and opened the fridge in search of a bottle of rosé while Cécile watched me from the garden door, a watering can in her hand. Rosé, in addition to a lovely pink wine, means the colour pink in French. Early spring in my Halifax kitchen means wintery foods with a tiny touch of pink. I say this every year, I know. But I, we, need this colour when the ground is still frozen, buds are weeks from unfurling and crocuses are just peeking through. Pink is the bridge. I find it in the beet microgreens I scatter over salads, or in the cluster of pickled red onions balanced on top of a bowlful of chili. Thinly sliced radishes also work. So does my pink hat. So this is why I placed a bunch of fat, crinkly, rainbow chard leaves in my grocery cart the other day. Their magenta stems are wide and tender crisp like celery. They take longer to cook than the leaves, so I will chop them separately and add them to the beginning of a soup with the chopped onions and garlic. But this extra time in the pan means the pink stems will fade to a dark, murky tone, as though winter’s claw is pulling them back into the soil. Vibrance isn’t in season, not quite yet. Ribollita is on the menu. It’s an Italian soup made with vegetables, cannellini beans, yesterday’s bread and a good grating of parmesan cheese. I have chard, a big bunch of Tuscan kale, a random assortment of vegetables and a loaf of almost stale sourdough- the perfect lid for this homey, almost-spring soup. But I had forgotten about the bread. I thought we were getting better at anticipating Dottie’s unrestrained desire for food. We know not to leave slices of pizza in a pizza box on the center of the kitchen island, many paw lengths away, or chocolate chip cookies inside a glass jar, sitting on the counter, or a bowl of cat food casually on the floor. Of course not. We didn’t know that Dottie could pull open a bread drawer with her paw and help herself to the delicacies inside. Well she can. So I made the ribollita without the bread. Ribollita translates from Italian as ‘re-boil.’ It’s a soup meant to sit on the stove for hours, boiling and re-boiling as people come and go. The vegetables inside are hearty and forgiving. The cannellini beans might turn to mush and the stale bread will eventually melt into the soup, but this only makes it better. I used to think ribollita was a nod to the word ribbons - ribbons of kale and ribbons of chard, swirled together in the pan with finely sliced leeks, sticks of celery and whatever other vegetables you have on hand. A celebration of strips of things. The internet tells me ribbons translates to nastri in Italian. Ribollita sounds more appetizing. As I made the soup I jotted down measurements and recipe notes with a golden mechanical pencil. I gave it to my middle son, Charlie, last Christmas. Charlie loves a sharp pencil. We used to have a jar in the kitchen filled with yellow HB pencils and a manual sharpener that vacuum sealed to the counter. He’s moved on to mechanical pencils, and this one, a brass beauty that I bought at Inkwell around the corner, is special. Charlie says it’s a bit ‘extra’ for highschool math class, so we keep it in the kitchen for moments like these. I served the soup to my conversational French class. We gather once a week, taking turns at each other’s houses, trying our best to chat in French as we eat lunch. I served the soup after its first boil - the colours had faded from vibrant pinks to ruddy reds and forest greens. But a grating of parmesan lifted the tones, and the new loaf of bread I had to buy sopped up the juices beautifully. It was a ribbons of greens soup, rubans de verdue, with a flavourful, faded, touch of rosé.A Ribollita of sorts3 leeks1 red onion3 cloves garlic3 ribs of celery 1 bunch of rainbow chard (slice the stems and green tops, but set stems aside)1 bunch of kale, sliced greens only, discard the stems*sliced greens amounted to 7 cups / 250g in total - they shrink a lot!2 tablespoons olive oil5 baby potatoes (that’s how many I had on hand) halved1 x 398ml can chopped tomatoesA good pinch of chili flakes1 x 540 ml can cannellini beans6-8 cups vegetable or chicken stock (1.5-ish litres)A parmesan rind, if you have oneSalt and pepper to tasteBegin by finely slicing all the vegetables, except for the potatoes which can be halved or quartered, depending on their size. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and add the leeks, onion, garlic, celery and stems from the chard. Mine were bright pink, aren’t they gorgeous? Stir well, add a pinch of salt, and let the vegetables cook low and slow, about 30 minutes, until soft. Add the potatoes, the can of tomatoes, a good pinch of chili flakes and stir, leaving to cook for five minutes more. Add beans, stock, parmesan rind (it’s a block of flavour), salt and pepper to taste and simmer gently until potatoes are cooked through. Add more stock if soup gets too thick. Serve with a good grating of parmesan cheese.  Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

We’re happy to welcome you back to The Food Podcast with our first episode of the season: The Jellyfish Buffet. It begins with a turtle soup savoured in a 19th Century Danish home, then travels to present day Nova Scotia, where Sea Turtles visit from the Caribbean every summer. We meet Kathleen Martin, Executive Director of the Canadian Sea Turtle Network, who explains why Sea Turtles find their way to Nova Scotia, and what challenges they face on their epic journey. We also learn about the lion’s main jellyfish, the Sea Turtle’s favourite food. It’s a meandering coastal exploration, on this episode of The Food Podcast. We discuss:Babette’s Feast Muppet Show Turtle Soup The Sea Turtle Scoop Kathleen Martin, Executive Director of the Canadian Sea Turtle Network  Chef Oliver Rowe’s recreation of Babette Feast in Vice Magazine Food Stories - a Newsletter - lindsaycameronwilson.substack.comCreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abby CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is for all of you who love the Christmas season - the traditions, the decorations, the nostalgia and the baking. It’s also for those who have softly cried on Christmas, because the traditions, the decorations, the nostalgia and the baking have pushed you over the edge. We understand, we’ve been there. Here you will find solace, comfort, and a primer from Vicki Grant - a mother, writer and Christmas Guru - on how to avoid those inevitable tears. So cozy up with a blanket, wrap yourself in Jenn Grant’s Christmas album that’s sprinkled throughout the episode, and breathe. All will be merry and bright, I promise.Nigel Slater, The Christmas ChroniclesListen to the Christmas Chronicles hereAnja Dunk, ADVENT - Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of ChristmasJenn Grant’s Forever on Christmas Eve Album Vicki GrantVicki says a Christmas party isn’t a Christmas party without Grease Babies. I wrote about them here - as for the recipe, here’s the gist: begin with white bread, crusts cut off. Add a teaspoon of undiluted Campbell’s Mushroom Soup to each slice and spread edge to edge. Roll slice and wrap with bacon. Bake until crispy but still gooey on the inside. They’ll be gone in seconds.CreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abby CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe

Kate Inglis is a multi-creative - a writer, photographer, a brand strategist, a champion thrifter with the best tickle trunk around. She’s a magical host of workshops, of outdoor gatherings, she’s a lover of the outside, a skier, a mountain biker, and a wood chopper. And now, a person who’s been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that required her to overhaul her life. Kate is here today to tell us about this diagnosis, how it dragged her through the fire, and what it feels like to be living on the other side.We discuss:Kate Inglis’s websiteKate’s InstagramDr. Mark Hyman - functional medicine and foodDr. Andrew Huberman - sleepWim Hof - cold and breath therapyChef Laura Rodriguez - 'anti-inflammatory comfort food'—everyone is unique, and food protocols vary, but she hits the broad strokesThe Happy Pear - Irish Sea sunrise dipsKate’s favourite recipes right now:Raw Oreo Cookies — I have these in my freezer all the time. I had googled 'sugar-free dairy-free grain-free gluten-free cookies' as a grumpy joke and now these are a staple. The cookie dough and cream filling are made in the bullet blender. Best eaten straight out of the freezer. Melty and rich and so lovely.Savory Chickpea Pancakes—I googled these after having them in a restaurant in Toronto, with a warm roasted beet salad on top. These are so fast and easy to make, and could easily be made sweet instead of savory. Made a little thicker, they make almost a flatbread—an excellent replacement for a pita and filled with pork tenderloin or chicken and (cashew cream) tzatziki with cucumber. So yummy.Corn-Free Cornbread—Another chickpea flour triumph, found while experimenting to make a Thanksgiving stuffing. Such a good feeling to find that as well as a delicious vegan gravy—which combined, these two cover me for all the fall and winter holidays.CreditsHosted by Lindsay Cameron WilsonEdited by Abby CerquitellaTheme song is One More Night by Jenn Grant Follow: @thefoodpodcast and @lindsaycameronwilson Get full access to Food Stories at lindsaycameronwilson.substack.com/subscribe