Food Farms & Chefs Radio Show – Détails, épisodes et analyse

We began with friends from White Dog Cafe Chester Springs and their Executive Chef, Rob McKee. Chef Rob's culinary career is why he is so versatile in the kitchen, having initially learned on the line, and circled back to the industry via a culinary degree.  Chef Rob earned his marks while working in kitchens across the US, and is now back in his home state working at White Dog Cafe in Chester Springs as their Executive Chef.  He's now gearing up for not only the seasonal changes to their menu, he's also preparing the dishes that will be offered during Fearless Restaurant's Restaurant Week (FRRW) specials, happening this April 7th-13th.  So tune in to find out more about Chef McKee, what to look forward to for their Restaurant Week and other specials coming this Spring!

Now it's happenstance that our host has crossed paths so many times with our next guest, who joined us to talk about West and Main's two dining options, Hook and Ladder Skybar & Kitchen, and 1874 Social. After some humorous back and forth between our host and West & Main's Executive Chef, Edward Hancock, they'll jump into how Chef Hancock's career adds to the opulence of both Hook & Ladder and 1874 Social's menus. From options as simple as grabbing a coffee or cocktail & a sandwich from 1874 Social to a Wagyu Beef Board at Hook & Ladder, you'll find your way to any food-lover's heart.  You can even plan a staycation surrounding your night out, or plan ahead for your St. Patrick's Day celebrations so you can enjoy all the festivities, then stay overnight.  Stay tuned during this segment to find out all the ways you can enjoy visiting West & Main in Conshohocken, PA from Executive Chef Edward Hancock!https://www.hotelwestandmain.com
https://www.hookandladderskybar.com
https://www.hotelwestandmain.com/restaurants-conshohocken/1874-social
Chef Hancock's YouTube Recipe Demo Video: https://youtu.be/Vc5wpftx0Nc
Lastly you'll hear from Katelynn Ennis-Wolf, whose business Kreations by K is a one-stop shop for anything you might need to host a fabulous gathering! You'll hear how she began as a teacher, eventually finding her way to owning and operating Kreations by K, which offers everything from equipment rentals to charcuterie grazing tables.  So if you're looking for a balloon sculpture, grab-n-go charcuterie cups, or places to sit while you eat...listen to Katelynn's full interview and then check out her socials (website to come!) to find out more!https://www.facebook.com/kreationsbykco/

We began this week's show with Kim Bernaus, the owner behind Unruly Nature - a company which offers products that are very versatile.  Whether choosing a delicious way to start your day, enjoying a snack, or enhancing the meals you might create, Unruly Nature granolas offers unique flavors that will surprise you. "Each Bag is handmade with care from small batches utilizing gluten free and vegan ingredients, antioxidant rich elements and is defined by our unique, delicious flavors," stated on the website.  Tune in to hear from Kim on how you can get creative with her granolas, and "fuel your next adventure!"
https://www.unrulynature.com

Next, Amaris sat down with the General Manager of Testa Rossa in Glen Mills, Luke Tamney. One of Fearless Restaurants groups latest concepts, Testa Rossa (which means Redhead in Italian) includes an array of Italian-based dishes offering lunch, dinner, and brunch (weekends only). Testa Rossa offers a scratch-made menu, working with locally-sourced ingredients. And you'll hear from GM Tamney how this fiery new location will indulge your senses.  And be on the lookout for a new, fun Fearless Restaurants event where they'll host their own restaurant week. Tune in to hear more exciting announcements that will be coming soon to Wayne, PA and to learn more about Testa Rossa!
https://www.testarossa.restaurant/

We're offering a happy Cheers to end the show this week, with Robin Commiskey who owns Wallace Dry Goods in Ardmore, PA. Robin and Amaris had an affable time throughout the entire conversation, chatting about Robin's one-stop zero-proof shop. Robin had years of retail experience and a desire to own a business, however, she wanted to open something she felt passionate about. And as Philadelphia began trending towards the NA (non-alcoholic) beverages and bar experiences, Robin's own life choices and passion for the movement also aligned with the trend.  As such, she started Wallace Dry Goods and now offers a huge selection of NA brands and beverages.  So if you're looking for an alternative to offer at your next party, on your own, or to mix into your cocktails to lower the amount of alcohol in your drink...check out what Wallace Dry Goods has in the store! 
https://wallacedrygoods.com

"Chef Keesha's culinary journey began at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Culinary Arts in NYC, where she mastered the art of organic, vegan, and health-supportive diets. With a BS in Information Systems Engineering and an MBA from Simmons College, Chef Keesha brings a unique blend of culinary expertise and business acumen to the Live Loud table. From gracing the NYC fine dining catering scene to dazzling on Epicurious's 50 Person Prep Challenge and making waves on Food Network's Chopped, Chef Keesha is a force to be reckoned with," as described on Live Loud Foods website: https://www.liveloudfoods.com

Cheryl Gilmore joined Food Farms And Chefs Radio Show, first discussing how her career blossomed from one opportunity to the next, and ultimately rooting her path as the Wrightstown Market Manager.  Per Wrightstown Farmers Market's website, "On September 29, 2006 the newly founded Bucks County Foodshed Alliance held a Harvest Festival at the Middletown Grange Fairgrounds in Wrightstown to kick off the Wrightstown Farmers Market, a new kind of farmers market that would inspire numerous others in the county." They continued by explaining their mission, which was, "To provide a thriving outlet to connect consumers and producers of local, sustainably grown food products so that it strengthens the community and local farming economy." https://www.wrightstownfarmersmarket.org

Jezabel Careaga's passion, traditions, and love of food is palpable when you hear her story in her own words on this week's Food Farms And Chefs Radio Show.  With origins in the hospitality and business management, Jezabel's hands-on approach guided her to creating a venue that was welcoming to not only visitors of Jezabe's, but also to the individuals who work in the spaces that she crafted by hand. Ultimately, she shares the comforting meals she grew up with through her menu, store, and bakery.  https://www.jezabelscafe.com

There's a lot to celebrate on this week's Food, Farms, & Chefs Radio Show, as we spoke with Tamas Szene who is the Director of Operations for Fearless Restaurants.  Szene joined us to celebrate White Dog Cafe's 40th Anniversary, and this iconic restaurant that helped bring the farm-to-table movement to the culinary industry.  Fearless Restaurants has even more to celebrate, as they announce their newest location on our show!  So stay tuned to learn more about this trend-setting establishment, and where they are opening next!

 

To continue with our celebrations, we asked Melissa Fernando to join our family of foodies.  Melissa is no stranger to bringing flavor to every dish, as she grew up learning the piquant flavors behind a variety of cuisines.  Born in Sri Lanka, and growing up in Chennai, India Melissa eventually moved to Philadelphia, PA.  This dynamic self-taught chef made a name for herself when she established Sri's Company and began offering delicious food at pop-ups {markets} around Philly.  She quickly learned that the City of Brotherly Love, loved her back; as word of mouth spread, so did the popularity of her cuisine.  So stay tuned to find out just how many flavors we can celebrate with her now, and hopefully in the future too!

 

Lastly, we're bringing back the enigmatic, energetic, and always knows how to entice our taste buds--Chef Joe Poon. He joined us in-studio to help celebrate Chinese New Year, and brought a feast along with him.  We celebrated the New Year by delving into a dozen types of dumplings, hand-made candy (inside the studio), and other good luck treats.  Joseph certainly knows how to celebrate in-style, and does so with a zeal while offering an insightful look at the traditions and symbolism of all the dishes presented to us.  

 

We highly enjoyed our guests this week, and you will too.  So stay tuned until the end as we travel across the globe without leaving our seats!

We began our episode by serving up the freshest meals in Camden County as we spoke with the co-owner and Chef of Corinne's Place.  Originally born from a small catering business, the Founder Corinne Bradley-Powers grew her business into a beloved neighborhood spot; offering scratch-made foods that visitors from all over would travel to enjoy. Eventually word spread and her meals became so enticing that even celebrities and food critics became repeat customers.  Mrs. Bradley-Powers eventually sold her business to Trevor Vaughan & his partner, Craig Sawyer, but not without Corinne's blessing; Corinne's new role within her famed restaurant is being the new owner's consultant.  After ownership of the restaurant changed hands in 2019, Corinne's Place was nominated (and won) the James Beard Foundation's "America's Classics" Award, which is given to establishments that have remained open for at least 10 years, and reflect the character of its community.  We touch on all of this and more, so stay tuned to hear about Corinne's Place's mouth-watering foods made with a whole lot of heart.

 

Speaking of heart, we take you into the heart of Philadelphia's dining scene as we speak with Michelle Shannon who is the Vice President of Market and Communications for Center City District's Restaurant Week.  Michelle and Gene had an enlightening discussion regarding the origins of Restaurant Week and the role it plays within the community.  The two-week long event not only highlights some of the most prestigious restaurants within center city, it benefits all of you by providing the opportunity to taste the flavors of Philadelphia's vibrant dining scene at a set price.  If you are looking to experience a restaurant that you've not heard of before, or perhaps one that is on your date-night bucket list, Center City Districts Restaurant Week is the perfect time to get a taste of what you're craving!

 

Now if what you're craving is a delicious Mediterranean meal, then our next guest will surely tempt your taste buds!  Spice Finch's Executive Chef, Michael Brenfleck, joined us to discuss the delectable options for their Center City Restaurant Week Menu!  As we discussed a variety of Spice Finch's menu, both our co-hosts salivated over the luscious descriptions of every item.  And what better way to enjoy a richly devised meal than to pair it with the perfect wines? This is why Chef Brenfleck sat with Spice Finch's Beverage Manager to pick just the right wine to pair with the first two courses.  Now that is something I would like lingering on my palate--and you can too, so long as you stay tuned in for the entire episode of Food, Farms, & Chefs!

To start, we're celebrating two new concepts from FCM Hospitality that just opened in Philadelphia!  Neina Langford, FCM Hospitality's Director of Special Events, joined us to chat about the delicious new breakfast & lunch offerings from Rosy's Cafe--and to help celebrate it, she delivered some of the tantalizing menu items to the studio!  So not only did we chat about how delightful the food is, we can attest to it from first-hand experience!  From flavorful bites of tortas, to tacos--this new spot is sure to please your palate!  Then, we danced our way into the night with NoChe!  NoChe, which is also part of the FCM Hospitality's ever-expanding and trend-setting concepts, offers elevated bites and cocktails that will tantalize all your senses.  If you're looking to impress, then tune in to find out just how impressive these two new spots are!

 

Then, we had the pleasure to introduce Olga Sorzano, the amazing entrepreneur behind Baba's Brew aka Baba's Bucha--a kombucha with so much heart behind it, that I'm sure you will fall in love with her family's kombucha just as we have.  Olga joined us to let us know the story behind her booming Kombucha brand, all of the health benefits, and to answer a question that so many have asked; what is Kombucha?  On top of all the health and wellness benefits derived from drinking this time-tested beverage, it is a great alternative if you're looking to make a delicious mock-tail!  So if your new year's resolutions included commiting to a healthier diet, be sure to stay tuned to hear from Olga, and to find out how you can learn to make Kombucha too!

 

Lastly we heard from Robert Ashford who owns a number of businesses with his wife, Arielle.  Robert joined us to discuss 'Dry January, and how Volstead by Unity, Philadelphia's first zero-proof bar, is here to serve you the best alcohol-free time you will ever have.  Located in the trendy neighborhood of Manyunk, this very popular bar also happens to offer a menu that is entirely vegan.  Yes, you heard that correctly; a zero-proof bar that is also vegan AND it just so happens that we're having them on during January!  This is a discussion you don't want to miss!  Not only do we tackle the questions of what zero-proof libations are, we discussed the delicious assortment of menu options; cocktails; wines; and how this amazing duo created businesses that give back to the community.  

 

We are still out having some fun, so for your listening enjoyment we're re-playing one of your fan favorites of Food, Farms, & Chefs! On the episode, which originally aired in 2021, had Jimmy Kunz whose undeniably tasty products from The Truffleist will tempt any foodies taste buds. Then, for our sports fans who also happen to be foodies, we had NFL/CFL player Justin Renfrow on to talk about the amazing things he does to help out feeding those in need. And for our final segment we also had the multi-talented Mark Cassasanto on. Mark, who is the Director Of Operations at Imperial Events Security and a featured columnist at "Philadelphia Row Home Magazine," has worked in the food and hospitality industry for years, and brings his delightful demeanor (and wealth of experience) with him everywhere he goes!

We appreciate all of our Food, Farms, & Chefs Family for supporting and listening throughout the years, and as we take a break to celebrate the Holiday Season with our families we wanted to share one of your favorite episodes with all of you again.  So please enjoy our wonderful guests, and if you can find time to visit them--I'm sure that they would love to see you just as much as we do!

On that note, for your listening pleasure:

We're starting our show with Chef Tim Pervizi and owner of Heirloom in Doylestown, PA!  Chef Tim Pervizi considers that all knowledge and talents are an Heirloom that is passed on from mentors and colleagues, and in that spirit he has become proficient in his own culinary talents under some highly acclaimed Chefs, including David Pasternack, a James Beard Award Winning Chef,  and Food and Wine's Best New Chefs, Missy Robbins and even attaining his skills by acknowledging the differences in how every kitchen is run.  He will take us on a wonderful look into his own culinary background, and lead us to his present day experiences, including how he is currently running Heirloom to be "In the Now."

Later, we hear from the husband team and owners of Kelly's Bakery, Chef Kevin Halim and Darrin Oakley, who also joined us in-studio with their barista aficionado, Joanna.  You will get to hear how Kevin Halim found his own path in life by becoming a Chef, and how he used his talents during the pandemic to hone in on his bread-making skills.  You'll also learn how this amazing duo founded their successful business through a brilliant idea that Darrin came up with, leading to the now popular bakery in Poughkeepsie, NY.

This week's episode of Food Farms & Chefs radio show is happy to welcome our friend, and celebrity chef, Georgeann Leaming back to discuss all her numerous endeavors, including the newly established pop-up concept; Zang Croissants. These buttery, flakey, and Super-sized pastries caught our attention, as I'm sure they will catch yours too! She's also joining us to chat about her role as one of MAPP's Ambassadors; MAPP stands for: Mentor, Advocacy, Purpose, Power of women. And how her involvement within the supportive community of MAPP coincides with other groups that she is involved with. All of whom offer equal support and comradery for women within the culinary and hospitality industry. We'll then take you into the hustle and bustle of becoming a chef when we took a behind the scenes look at Chef Barry Galasso as he taught his students (and our co-host Amaris Pollock) how to prepare a crab cake from scratch. Yes, you'll even get the recipe that Chef Galasso used to create this foodie-favorite dish, right down to his plating suggestions! We'll then take a seat to speak with Chef Barry one-on-one to hear how he began his career and what led him to inspire future generations of chefs at Camden County Technical High School in Sicklerville, NJ.

This week's Food, Farms, & Chefs show has ALL the spirits! We're bringing you a lot of holiday cheer from stateside to across the globe! As we begin, we spoke with our favorite libations expert, Frank Pagliaro. Not only did he offer recommendations of the best wines and spirits that are trending this season, he also delivered on a holiday treat! If you stop into Frank's Wines in Wilmington, DE you'll have the chance to win big! If you're wondering the "how's and what's" just stay tuned in on this week's episode to find out! Then we take another trip around the globe to celebrate the holiday season with both co-hosts Gene Blum and Amaris Pollock as they take turns describing some of the fun and interesting traditions and places where cheer across the United States as well as some traditions across the globe! We're talking about food traditions, fun places that you can visit for amazing holiday experiences, and events and locations that you might not know about. We rounded out our show with two amazing individuals who shared their culinary endeavors as well as offered samples from the dishes they created during the Taste of Philadelphia event. We first heard from Passanantes Home Food Services' Krystan Hale as she joined us to describe her delectable Pork Carnitas. The Carnitas, which our co-host Amaris Pollock loved to savor, were definitely something to brag about! And Krystan wasn't shy when it came to describing what made their food taste as amazing as it did: they use small-batch organic ingredients as well as proteins that come from non-antibiotic, hormone-free, free-range farms. We then heard from one of the Queens of this years Taste of Philadelphia, Keisha Prosser. Keisha began her career as a Pastry Chef, however in 2004 she noticed a decline of families who cooked at home. Seeing the problem and a perfect solution, Keisha decided the best way to remedy the situation was by teaching individuals how to cook and now offers classes through her business, Mobile Cooking Teacher. She joined us to describe how she began, what types of classes she offers, and how you can join her to learn how to make delicious meals at home!