What has Covid revealed to us about our food system ? Joshna and Mirella delve into what’s next and the great opportunity we have to rebuild a stronger , better connected, more sustainable food system. Vive la revolution ! --- On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory consultant Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on every aspect of our food system, all the way from farm to table. How have things changed? What’s going on ...
Jan 31, 2022•32 min•Season 4Ep. 12
On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory expert Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on every aspect of our food system, all the way from farm to table. How have things changed? What’s going on behind the scenes? The answers to these questions are often surprising and will help strengthen our connection to our food. www.hotplatepod.com
Jan 28, 2022•1 min
What is food security ? What does it mean and how is it evaluated? Mirella and Joshna explore food security in Canada before and after the pandemic . What they find is daunting to say the least. But what are the potential solutions? --- On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory consultant Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on every aspect of our food system, all the way from farm to table. How have things changed? What’s...
Jan 24, 2022•34 min•Season 4Ep. 11
On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory expert Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on every aspect of our food system, all the way from farm to table. How have things changed? What’s going on behind the scenes? The answers to these questions are often surprising and will help strengthen our connection to our food. www.hotplatepod.com
Jan 21, 2022•51 sec
Mirella and Joshna dig into how Covid-10 has impacted our relationship with food at home. Home gardening has had quite the renaissance , which - unlike other DIY Covid trends - has persisted into 2021. Home cooking and eating family meals together has also had a boom . Both provide benefits as well as significant challenges! ---- On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory consultant Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on e...
Jan 17, 2022•28 min•Season 4Ep. 10
On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory expert Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on every aspect of our food system, all the way from farm to table. How have things changed? What’s going on behind the scenes? The answers to these questions are often surprising and will help strengthen our connection to our food. www.hotplatepod.com
Jan 14, 2022•53 sec
Mirella and Joshna discover what’s interesting about fast food ‘restaurants’: despite the fact they suffered financially in the early days of the pandemic, some of them have bounced back to record profits. Why is that? Next, they cover the disjoint between the increase in coffee consumption during the pandemic and decreased sales . This being said, it’s a good news story because coffee chains, like fast food chains, are doing just fine ! --- On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer...
Jan 10, 2022•32 min•Season 4Ep. 9
On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory expert Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on every aspect of our food system, all the way from farm to table. How have things changed? What’s going on behind the scenes? The answers to these questions are often surprising and will help strengthen our connection to our food. www.hotplatepod.com
Jan 07, 2022•50 sec
Mirella ad Joshna move through the Covid-19 timeline as it affected bars. Lockdowns and safety regulations made running bars very challenging, but legal changes were made in Ontario (and elsewhere in Canada) to help bars, alcohol producers, and restaurants. Many of these newly permissive laws are now permanent - like selling bottles with take-out! They’re sorely overdue, and will continue to positively impact the sector over the course of its long recovery. But there are still problems in the se...
Jan 03, 2022•34 min•Season 4Ep. 8
On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory expert Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on every aspect of our food system, all the way from farm to table. How have things changed? What’s going on behind the scenes? The answers to these questions are often surprising and will help strengthen our connection to our food. www.hotplatepod.com
Jan 01, 2022•44 sec
Alcohol buying habits have changed wildly over the course of the pandemic, and that impacted alcohol producers massively. On the one hand, people bought lots of alcohol, but on the other hand people weren’t visiting wineries, distilleries , breweries , restaurants, and bars. Production was impacted too. Thankfully, smart adaptation and smarter pivots kept the producers afloat in the hardest of times. Due to the long timescales involved in producing many alcoholic beverages, shutting down was sim...
Dec 27, 2021•34 min•Season 4Ep. 7
This episode starts with the devastation that has occurred, and is ongoing, in the restaurant industry. But then, watching carefully, we noticed ways restaurants pivoted in order to survive . Finally we explore theories that Covid has provided an opportunity for an industry deeply in need of a “reset” to make long overdue changes. -- On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory consultant Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had ...
Dec 20, 2021•31 min•Season 4Ep. 6
On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory expert Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on every aspect of our food system, all the way from farm to table. How have things changed? What’s going on behind the scenes? The answers to these questions are often surprising and will help strengthen our connection to our food. www.hotplatepod.com
Dec 17, 2021•1 min
There have been significant changes to our grocery shopping habits over the course of the pandemic . There was a rude awakening when supply chains initially broke down, leaving store shelves empty. Then came a rampant adoption of online grocery shopping as we avoided encountering the virus. Finally in the evolution, consumers have slowly rediscovered the joy of buying their food directly from the source: farmers. This brings us to farmers markets , the curious space they occupy, and our preconce...
Dec 13, 2021•33 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Have you noticed the dizzying changes in junk food offerings over the course of the pandemic? We did . And don’t worry. No judgement here! Most of us are in the same boat . In this episode Mirella and Joshna look at this phenomenon, first, from a consumer perspective. Why was there a junk food boom? Then, they delve into the company perspective , trying to address the question: who really decides what we eat? --- On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory consultant Mirel...
Dec 06, 2021•30 min•Season 4Ep. 4
On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory expert Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on every aspect of our food system, all the way from farm to table. How have things changed? What’s going on behind the scenes? The answers to these questions are often surprising and will help strengthen our connection to our food. www.hotplatepod.com
Dec 03, 2021•1 min
Joshna and Mirella start by examining the connection between factory farming of animals and zoonoses , like Covid-19. Although the virus did not originate from a factory farm, if nothing is done to improve how we farm animals , there’s a good chance our next pandemic will. Working conditions in meat packing plants were big news, with outbreaks in facilities across the country. But what was behind the the headlines? Oh boy… what we found will make your blood boil . The antidote to this stressful ...
Nov 29, 2021•32 min•Season 4Ep. 3
On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory expert Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on every aspect of our food system, all the way from farm to table. How have things changed? What’s going on behind the scenes? The answers to these questions are often surprising and will help strengthen our connection to our food. www.hotplatepod.com
Nov 26, 2021•52 sec
We’re at the beginning. That is to say - on the farm! First Mirella and Joshna spend some time analysing what happened with all the ‘ dairy dumping ’ and food waste that was reported early in the pandemic. The transactional nature of agriculture is revealed, which includes how we handled surpluses when covid shook up demand. (Trigger warning: we discuss some inflammatory language in the media about how farm animals were treated. That said we don’t go into any vivid detail.) We also dig into the ...
Nov 22, 2021•28 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Sometimes it feels like we’re living inside a machine. In the case of our food, we kind of are. With Covid lingering and impacting just about everything, beer and sensory consultant Mirella Amato, and chef and food activist Joshna Maharaj, decided to take a look at how Covid has affected our food. This leads them to a step-by-step exploration of “the food system”, the complex web of people and activities involving the production, processing, transport, and consumption of our food - which doesn’t...
Nov 15, 2021•30 min•Season 4Ep. 1
On this special series of HotPlate Podcast, craft beer and sensory expert Mirella Amato, and chef and activist Joshna Maharaj, examine the impact Covid has had on every aspect of our food system, all the way from farm to table. How have things changed? What’s going on behind the scenes? The answers to these questions are often surprising and will help strengthen our connection to our food. www.hotplatepod.com
Nov 11, 2021•1 min
Equal Pay for BIPOC Culinary Talent. The Truth About Jerk. And Curious Moves from KFC. This week we’re thrilled to welcome back Pay Chen as guest host -- @paychen on Instagram and Twitter. Pay is an experienced TV host, writer and producer with a passion for food, fitness, dogs and travel. Pay is frequently seen on morning shows and national daytime programs as a guest expert, brand spokesperson or guest host including Breakfast Television Toronto, CTV Morning Live, Cityline, George Stroumboulop...
Jan 26, 2021•37 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Fresh Ideas for 2021. Chinese Protest Recipes. What Little We Pay for Pho. And David Chang’s Infamous Rage. This week we’re thrilled to welcome Pay Chen as guest host -- @paychen on Instagram and Twitter. Pay is an experienced TV host, writer and producer with a passion for food, fitness, dogs and travel. Pay is frequently seen on morning shows and national daytime programs as a guest expert, brand spokesperson or guest host including Breakfast Television Toronto, CTV Morning Live, Cityline, Geo...
Jan 12, 2021•39 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Cooking with Zooming Grandmas. Comfort and Nostalgia. The Kimchi Crisis. The Plants We Ignore. This week Joshna is joined by Laura Brehaut. Laura is a food reporter for the National Post. She earned a Culinary Arts Certificate and Professional Fromager Certificate from George Brown College. She graduated with a B.A. (Hons) from Ryerson University’s RTA School of Media, and a B.A. in Linguistics and Anthropology from the University of Victoria. She has an interest in the cultural significance of ...
Dec 15, 2020•34 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Label Wars. Cake for Democracy. The Battle of Borscht. And Dining Domes. This week Joshna is joined by Laura Brehaut. Laura is a food reporter for the National Post. She earned a Culinary Arts Certificate and Professional Fromager Certificate from George Brown College. She graduated with a B.A. (Hons) from Ryerson University’s RTA School of Media, and a B.A. in Linguistics and Anthropology from the University of Victoria. She has an interest in the cultural significance of food and foodways, and...
Nov 24, 2020•32 min•Season 3Ep. 5
French al fresco Dining. Tech is changing indoor dining. The curfew debate. Why Tequila is the new vodka. This episode Joshna is joined by Elayne Duff. Elayne is an accomplished professional with more than 20 years within the beverage and alcohol industry. Working for the two largest drinks companies in the world AB-InBev and Diageo Wine and Spirits has earned her a solid track record as a mixologist, luxury spirits brand Ambassador, and brand strategist. She is an in-demand speaker at trade sho...
Nov 03, 2020•31 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Smuggled culture. Uncle Roger. The globalization of the grocery store. And presumptuous pumpkin spice. This episode Joshna is joined by Elayne Duff. Elayne is an accomplished professional with more than 20 years within the beverage and alcohol industry. Working for the two largest drinks companies in the world AB-InBev and Diageo Wine and Spirits has earned her a solid track record as a mixologist, luxury spirits brand Ambassador, and brand strategist. She is an in-demand speaker at trade shows ...
Oct 14, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In our 50th episode -- The Pandemic vs. Irish Pubs. Can wine be any cleaner? The fermentation inoculation. And magic molluscs. Joshna is once again joined by Susan Boyle, drinks consultant, researcher, writer, storyteller, and performer based in Ireland. She writes about beer, presents drinks features on Irish national television and radio and hosts tasting and masterclasses. Susan is also one half of Two Sisters Brewing, makers of Brigid’s Ale. She is pursuing a PhD at the Technological Univers...
Oct 05, 2020•34 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Awards on pause. Rethinking Healthy Food. Airplane meals at sea level. And when it snows chocolate. Joining us this week and next is Susan Boyle @miss_susanboyle, alongside Joshna @joshnamaharaj while Mirella @beerology is on leave. Susan is a drinks consultant, researcher, writer, storyteller, and performer based in Ireland. She writes about beer, presents drinks features on Irish national television and radio and hosts tasting and masterclasses. Susan is also one half of Two Sisters Brewing, m...
Sep 18, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Bandaid food solutions. Mushroom proteins. Is your meal A+ grade in France? What is perfect rice? An idea which keeps re-emerging is to use corporate food waste to feed the hungry . There are a few reasons it’s not a great idea - not to mention we can all agree hungry people deserve better than waste. Canada just got Mycoprotein this year. It's a very interesting, possibly appetizing, mushroom-based protein, which is worth giving a shot. France has an interesting approach to developing healthy e...
Sep 01, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 30
