Jess & Bryan's fav Foodstuffs of the Year
Just in time for the end of 2016, Jess & BryaN share three of their favourite episodes of the year and talk about what made them so special
A difficult task after a stellar year, but somehow we made it happen.
Jess' Top 3 of 2016:
Ep 28: How It's Made with Cut Coffee's Lee Knuttila
When you have the chance to speak with someone like Lee, there's no shortage of things to discuss, so it becomes a question of how best to frame the discussion. Despite not being much of a coffee drinker, this is the sort of conversation that really sticks with me: ritual, culture, social justice & science. Doesn't get much better than that.
Ep 16: Black Creek Farm & Third Wave Coffee
This is one of my favourite interviews Bryan has done for the show. Black Creek is an amazing example of a community looking at their needs and addressing them in meaningful ways. And then- go figure, another coffee interview- I had the opportunity to speak with Sam Le about some brand news ideas cropping up at the intersection of modern coffee culture and gender. As one of my lifelong role models would say, I had several "Ah ha!" moments in this one.
Ep 14: The Homegrown Dinner Project & A Farmer's Perspective
There was something about the production of this whole episode that makes it special. It was one of the first times I did an interview and brought back virtually unusable tape. This meant going back to Omar to get another interview. While this might normally lead to losing a lot of good content, our second go was just as great, if not better, than the first. And then Bryan's conversation with Larry gave me a whole new perspective on farming in the 21st century. I love having my assumptions about what is "best" challenged, and Farmer Larry McGill most certainly did that. And then Bryan and I also got to have some good laughs in the studio.
Bryan's Top 3 of 2016:
Ep 25: Joe Dorgan
Joe, like every other farmer I’ve spoken with so far, resonates authenticity and humility. What stood out for me was hearing him reflect on playing a role in discovering seaweed’s affect on reducing greenhouse gases. “It means I’ve contributed something that’s going to be good down the road that I can pass down to my kids and grandkids, and it means I’ve actually done something good.”
Ep 20: Hot for Food & The Newcomer Kitchen
Lauren Toyota is inspiring to me because she created a space for herself to shine and succeed after big-media failed her. The interview (and accompanying extended cut via Extrastuffs) show that it takes more than pretty pictures and hashtags to turn a face into a business, it takes a lot of smarts, hard work, and resourcefulness. A must-listen for outsiders and independents hoping to break through.
Ep 11: @chefjacqueslamerde & The New Kosher
The @jacqueslamerde interview was great because Jess managed to get Christine past the facetiousness to show how humour can help people get through hard times. And Eran has such an interesting story of how discovering religion later in life forced him to reconsider his approach to food.