Join co-host Ethan for a conversation with Jose Alvarez, founder of treestar* . Jose is a native New Yorker and entrepreneur who has always been excited by social psychology and consumer behavior. Has worked in law, wine importing, and most recently started treestar*, a feel-good, experience driven soap and candle company with a mission to spread love, not germs. Why Food? is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.co...
Mar 13, 2020•38 min•Ep. 117
Join cohosts Vallery and Ethan for a conversation with activist, model and chef DeVonn Francis . DeVonn is a queer, first-generation Jamaican-American artist with a background in design and performance studies. He founded Yardy in fall 2017 as a way to investigate his own role in Caribbean culture and to encourage others to seek joy and celebration in their own identities. Since then, Yardy has gone on to create brand campaigns, develop activations, and redefine and reaffirm the importance of fo...
Mar 05, 2020•44 min•Ep. 116
Join co-hosts Vallery and Ethan for a conversation with Priyanka Naik . Born and raised as a first generation Indian-American in Staten Island, she is a self-taught cook who entered and won the top prize on Food Network's Cooks vs Cons. Priyanka has been featured in GQ, works with several food brands and contributes to the largest digital food publishers including The FeedFeed and Tastemade. Why Food is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privac...
Feb 27, 2020•45 min•Ep. 115
Join cohosts Vallery and Ethan for a conversation with Ben Simon, Founder & CEO of Ben to Table , a food subscription service. After a career in political campaigns with Greenpeace, Amnesty International and Unicef, Ben launched an online food subscription company for avid home cooks. Listen in on his career story and how he's combined his interests in politics, environmental sustainability and food! Why Food is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cali...
Feb 20, 2020•40 min•Ep. 114
Join Vallery and Ethan for a conversation with Sufia Hossain, Founder & CEO of Silly Chilly Hot Sauce . Sufia left a successful career as a fashion industry executive after realizing the damaging impact of clothing manufacturing on the environment and communities around factories. She started making hot sauce in her home kitchen to share with her coworkers, and Silly Chilly Hot Sauce was born. She sources peppers from local NJ farmers to make unique, delicious hot sauces that are good for fa...
Feb 13, 2020•43 min•Ep. 113
Join cohosts Vallery and Ethan for a fascinating conversation with Rahim Diallo, co-founder of Ginjan Brothers , a line of ginger juice and a new cafe in east Harlem. His career path has taken him from materials sciences to bartending to launching is current company with his brother. Why Food? is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Feb 08, 2020•55 min•Ep. 112
Shannon Roddy is an Amazon expert, specializing in helping food business launch and scale on the Amazon marketplace . Join cohosts Vallery and Ethan for an enlightening conversation about how food entrepreneurs can use the reach and popularity that Amazon provides to build their businesses. Why Food is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Jan 30, 2020•52 min•Ep. 111
This episode was pre-recorded. Vallery Lomas sat down with Alex Berkley, Frieda Caplan's granddaughter and Head of Sales for Frieda's Produce. Frieda's Produce is a unicorn of sorts-- a business started by Frieda Caplan when she introduced the "Chinese Gooseberry" (which she later renamed the "kiwifruit") to the United States produce market in 1962. During the beginning of Alex's career, she faced the decision that so many children and grandchildren of small businesses face: "Do I go into the fa...
Jan 23, 2020•49 min•Ep. 110
Welcome back! Vallery and Ethan speak with David Mawhinney, chef and founder of Franklin + Emily , a children's furniture company. Unlike most of our guests, David has pivoted away from the food industry while using the skills he developed in Michelin-starred kitchens. Why Food? is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Jan 16, 2020•43 min•Ep. 109
Join cohost Ethan for a conversation with Chef Woldy Reyes, founder of catering company Woldy Kusina . Woldy came to New York City for a career in fashion, starting in the editorial departments of Nylon and Elle and later working for designer Phillip Lim. Join us for a conversation about his career path through fashion to food, and how he expresses identity through his food. The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming...
Dec 19, 2019•52 min•Ep. 108
Join cohosts Vallery and Ethan for a conversation with Chef Hannah Wong of Van Da, a modern Vietnamese restaurant in NYC's East Village. Before beginning her culinary career, Hannah was a Fulbright scholar and editorial assistant at Harvard University Press. After switching gears and returning to school to pursue a culinary degree at Johnson & Wales, she worked at Daniel Boulud’s dB bistro Moderne and Gramercy Tavern before being tapped to help run the kitchen at Battersby. She has also appe...
Dec 12, 2019•55 min•Ep. 107
Join cohost Vallery for a conversation with Janet McCracken and Joseph Hernandez. We discuss how to balance our time and energy as freelancers, while still working on larger projects that are important to us. Over the past 20 years, Janet McCracken has served as an editor, recipe developer, and recipe tester at a variety of publications, including the Los Angeles Times, Bon Appetit, and Rachael Ray Every Day. She believes in the zen of pie-making, that ice cream is the perfect food, and that sha...
Dec 09, 2019•54 min•Ep. 106
Join cohosts Vallery & Ethan for a conversation with Benjamina Ebuehi , Quarterfinalist of the Great British Baking Show and author of the new cookbook The New Way to Cake . We discuss Benjamina's previous career in education, her competition on the Great British Baking Show and her more recent work, both on the book and with the social enterprise Luminary Bakery. Why Food? is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art...
Nov 21, 2019•56 min•Ep. 105
Join cohosts Vallery & Ethan for a conversation with Denise Woodard, founder of Partake Foods. Denise had a career with huge corporate food companies but when her young daughter developed serious food allergies, she decided to launch her own allergen-free line of cookies. Tune in to hear Denise's story, and how she wound up with Jay Z as an investor in her company! Why Food? is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://ar...
Nov 14, 2019•43 min•Ep. 104
Join co-hosts Vallery and Ethan for a conversation about alternative paths to food media. Our guests this week are Majed Ali : law school graduate, amateur baker and winner of the 2018 Saveur Blog of the Year, and Rachel Gurjar : former marketer and Test Kitchen Manager at thefeedfeed. We'll talk about their career paths, translating recipes across cultures and cuisines, and the role of new media in teaching people to cook. Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feas...
Nov 07, 2019•58 min•Ep. 103
Join cohosts Vallery and Ethan for a conversation with Klancy Miller and Rochelle Oliver. Klancy is a pastry chef and cookbook author, and her book is Cooking Solo: The Fun of Cooking For Yourself. Rochelle is a journalist and the editor of IslandandSpice.com, an online magazine covering Carribbean cuisine. They'll share the stories of their careers in (and out) of food media and discuss the state of food writing today! Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to...
Oct 31, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 102
Join co-host Vallery Lomas for a special conversation with Aaron Hutcherson, a writer, editor, and recipe developer based in New York City. He obtained a master's degree in finance and worked on Wall Street when he decided to take the leap and start an evening and weekends culinary program at the French Culinary Institute. He now works for Robert Parker Wine Advocate and MICHELIN Guide US producing digital content and helping manage social media for both publications, maintains a recipe blog, Th...
Oct 24, 2019•41 min•Ep. 101
Join co-host Vallery Lomas for a special conversation with former attorneys, Nisha Vora & Jessie Sheehan, as we celebrate our 100th episode! These three women all turned in their pant suits and legal pads to focus full time on food writing, Instagram and publishing cookbooks. Nisha Vora is a cookbook author, food blogger, and food photographer. After graduating from Harvard Law School and working as a lawyer for four years, she launched a career in her dream world of food by creating Rainbow...
Oct 17, 2019•52 min•Ep. 100
Join cohost Vallery for a conversation with Kanchan Koya . Kanchan has a doctorate in Molecular Biology from Harvard Medical School and training from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. While studying DNA repair as a PhD student, Kanchan’s lab began studying the cancer-fighting powers of curcumin, the active compound in the ancient spice, turmeric. This sparked Kanchan’s interest in the science-backed health benefits of spices, which she had grown up enjoying on a daily basis in India. Upon ...
Oct 10, 2019•42 min•Ep. 99
Join cohost Ethan Frisch for a conversation with Monica Lozano and Daniel Reza. They're partners and the cofounders of La Rifa Chocolateria in Mexico City, working with Mexican cacao farmers to reclaim their country's ancient traditions of eating and drinking pure chocolate. Hear their stories of starting and building the company, building relationships with cacao farmers in southern Mexico and changing the way that modern Mexican citizens engage with their past. Why Food? is powered by Simpleca...
Oct 03, 2019•52 min•Ep. 98
Claire Matern grew up with a chef for a father, building culinary skills and learning to cook by instinct rather than rote. Join cohosts Vallery and Ethan for a conversation with Claire, educator and Instagram personality dedicated to teaching people to cook without recipes. Why Food? is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Sep 26, 2019•49 min•Ep. 97
Michael Pollack is the cofounder of the iconic coffee company Brooklyn Roasting Co . After a career as a host and producer of a children's radio show for the New York City Board of Education, he decided to rasie his kids as a stay at home dad. He started roasting green coffee beans in his kitchen as a hobby (which didn't always go well) and decided to apply for an internship with the brand new Brooklyn Roasting Company. He quickly proved himself and became a cofounder of the company, which he ha...
Sep 19, 2019•56 min•Ep. 96
Join host Ethan for a conversation with Paul Nasrani , accountant-turned-ice cream maker and founder of Adirondack Creamery. Paul got his start making ice cream in the bathtub of his NYC apartment before quitting his accounting job, moving to Lake George and partnering with a dairy farmer to launch his company. Why Food? is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Sep 12, 2019•55 min•Ep. 95
Join hosts Vallery and Ethan for a conversation with culinary entrepeneur and TV personality Chadwick Boyd . For over 20 years, he's made it his mission to change the world for good through food, which he's done through a cookbook, work with major food brands and regular TV and print media appearances. Don't miss this interview, kicking off our fall season! Why Food? is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priv...
Sep 05, 2019•54 min•Ep. 94
Please join hosts Vallery and Ethan for a conversation with Naomi Mobed, founder of Le Bon Magot . Naomi grew up in Pakistan and Iran, and even while pursuing a career in banking, never stopped dreaming about the flavors of her childhood. She swtiched careers to launch Le Bon Magot, a line of sauces, jams and chutneys using fresh produce cooked with the spices of the Middle East and South Asia. Join us for a fascinating conversation about her life traveling the world and her experience of launch...
Aug 15, 2019•57 min•Ep. 93
Join cohost Ethan and guest Dan Giusti to hear his fascinating story, going from Head Chef at Noma to the founder of Brigaid , transforming school food. They'll discuss Dan's career path, what it's like to run the kitchen of the best restaurant in the world, and how he decided to change careers to cook school lunches. Why Food? is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Aug 08, 2019•59 min•Ep. 92
Join cohosts Ethan Frisch and Vallery Lomas for a conversation with Anna Francese Gass , author of the recently released cookbook Heirloom Kitchen. After a stint in corporate sales, she traded the boardroom for the test kitchen, and has since worked for Whole Foods, Mad Hungry, and Martha Stewart Living Ominmedia. Currently, she is a regular contributing editor at Food52 and contributing writer for msn.com. In her new book, Heirloom Kitchen, Anna shares the stories and recipes of 45 strong, exce...
Aug 01, 2019•53 min•Ep. 91
Join cohosts Vallery and Ethan for a conversation with Flip Biddelman , Partner and General Manager at Gertie , a nostalgic Brooklyn restuarant. Born and raised in NYC, Flip spent his childhood singing the praises of institutions like Grays Papaya and H&H bagels to all of his out of town friends. Flip has worked in several different fields throughout his career including work for two non-profits in South Africa and Brooklyn, teaching, and advertising. Alongside current Gertie partner, Will E...
Jul 25, 2019•50 min•Ep. 90
Beth Linksey has had a long career in and out of food. She's worked as a photographer's assistant, an apparel buyer for Sears Roebuck, and a corporate caterer, but is best known for her jam company, Beth's Farm Kitchen, which she ran for 36 years. She was an early member of the Union Square Greenmarket and is a board member of the Fulton Stall Market. Join co-hosts Ethan & Vallery for a conversation with Beth about her decades of work to improve local food and local food systems around New Y...
Jul 18, 2019•51 min•Ep. 89
"A native of Singapore, Nona Lim is a former competetive fencer representing Singapore in international competitions. After working for over eight years in management and software consulting, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and started the first of a series of entrepreneurial food businesses. She launched an online meal delivery business, before it was trendy, as well as a food-based detox program. She launched her Nona Lim brand in 2014, focusing on clean-label fresh Asian products, inc...
Jul 11, 2019•50 min•Ep. 88
