ExtraVirgin Food & Travel – Details, episodes & analysis

 

Okay, 2024 might not officially be over but some of us are already planning a trip/s for 2025. In this podcast, the last for the year, travel writer Natascha Mirosch talks a little about where she visited in 2024 but also offer some suggestions of trips and destinations you might like to put on your wish list - from cruising the Amazon to a new Orient Express luxury train journey, visiting the home of the world’s most famous cartoon dog and more.

You'll find links to the places mentioned in the podcast on the ExtraVirgin Food & Travel website.

 

Sonya Gellert has the enviable job of being a full-time food writer.

She’s done a host of fabulous things throughout a career that's taken her from Australia to Japan, the UK and back to Australia.  She's been a travel editor, restaurant reviewer, editorial food and drink writer, copywriter and recipe editor. She’s written for Table Magazine UK, Escape magazine, delicious Magazine, Vogue Living, Huffington Post and more and worked with food luminaries such as Rachel Khoo and Donna Hay. 

We're going to hear about Sonya's career trajectory, what she likes to cook and eat, what makes a good recipe, her favourite cookbook and foodie travel destination, what are the most searched-for recipes and more. 

Accommodation is one of the biggest expenses when we travel, but what if you could travel almost anywhere in the world and stay for free?

Our guest on this episode of ExtraVirgin Food and Travel tells us how. Fiona Ryan has done more than a dozen exchanges, temporarily swapping her home in Brisbane, Australia for one in cities such as Helsinki or Barcelona.

 

Fiona, who's a volunteer regional coordinator with the world's oldest home exchange program, the not-for-profit "Intervac," chats with host Natascha Mirosch about how it's done; the multiple benefits of changing homes with someone and gives us her tips, gained from fifteen years’ experience. 

 

So if you've got itchy feet, but not necessarily the budget for that holiday you’re dreaming of, this episode is for you.

 

This episode of  Extra Virgin Food and Travel's "Postcards,"comes to you from the Republic of Ireland's capital, Dublin. 

Our guide is Louise Slyth, who's originally from Scotland but has made this enchanting city her home. 

Louise shows us around 'her' Dublin, her favourite galleries and museums, parks and pubs. She tells us the best places to shop and shares with us her recommendations of where to eat and drink  - from simple fish and chips to sophisticated modern Irish; a pint of guiness to a classic cocktail.

So, whether you're planning a trip to Dublin or simply daydreaming of a future visit, have a listen, as our guide Louise shows us where to find the craic in Dublin. You can also follow Louise on instgram at @louiseslyth_writer. 

And if you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe and rate us on your favorite podcast platform.

 

 

Welcome back to another episode of ExtraVirgin Food and Travel Podcast. In this episode, we're embarking on an extraordinary journey to an enchanting travel destination, where east meets west (literally) and history and flavours are equally complex -  Istanbul, Türkiye.

Chatting with host Natascha Mirosch, is intrepid travel writer and cultural connoisseur, Lisa Morrow. Lisa has spent more than 15 years living in and exploring this captivating city, and today, she's here to be our guide through Istanbul’s culinary and cultural treasures.

The city, which spreads across two continents, is a top travel destination that entices with its aromas, seduces with its history, and leaves an indelible mark on visitors’ hearts. It’s a place where ancient traditions collide with modern trends, and where every bite tells a story.

So, join us as we explore this city's rich history, vibrant culture, and, of course, its irresistible cuisine with Lisa Morrow. It's a journey full of wanderlust-inducing experiences, from traversing the bustling bazaars, to learning about Lisa’s favourite places to eat and drink and how she likes to spend her time in this most enigmatic of cities.

Being credited with having "the Midas touch" is one thing that riles the seemingly unflappable Tony Kelly. His journey from young apprentice to owning ten successful Sunshine Coast hospitality businesses has been far from easy, nor linear - there have not only been set-backs and hard times, but also periods of intense self-doubt, the chef-turned-restaurateur admits.

Today though, Kelly is recognised as a tour de force, a game-changer on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, where he employs around 400 people across his group's businesses, that include the incredibly popular "Rice Boi." "Bocca Italian" and newly opened "RB."

In this episode, ExtraVirgin Food and Travel host Natascha Mirosch talks to Tony about his earliest years working in hotels, cruise ships and fine diners. They discuss how he manages to steer his hospitality juggernaut and his most memorable meals, she canvasses his opinion on hats, stars and the Michelin Guide, the best advice he's ever received and finds out who he'd invite to dinner.

Even if you've not heard of Tony Kelly or dined in one of his establishments, it's guaranteed you'll enjoy listening to Natascha's chat with this modest and very open chef-turned-businessman.

Sommelier, importer and wine writer Jane Lopes reckons that Australia is making the most exciting wines in the world right now, and ExtraVirgin podcast host Natascha Mirosch, while she could be accused of being a little biased, agrees. 

In this episode of ExtraVirgin Food and Travel Podcast, Jane and Natascha discuss Jane's background - including the soul-destroying experience of passing, then having her consort's Master Sommelier exam nullified; her newly released book: How to Drink Australian, co-written with her husband, Jonathan Ross and how a Californian-born, Nashville-dwelling American developed such a passion for Australian wine.

Jane also tips us off on one of her favourite great-value Australian wines, her "death row" Australian choice and her favourite Australian wine region. 

Whether you already know how great Australian wines are, or have zero experience with them, pour yourself a glass of wine and have a listen.

Cin Cin!

 

Heading to London? There's a lot more to the city than Buckingham palace and Big Ben. Our guest on this episode of "Postcards," is Che-Marie Trigg, a freelance writer and editor. In February 2023 she relocated from Sydney to London for the second time – she spent two years living and working in the English capital in 2017 and 2018, and has been in the city's grip ever since. 

  In this Postcard, Che Marie shows us her London, sharing her favourite places to eat and drink, off-the-tourist-track sights, including museums and parks (including one with a swimming pond!) and much more.    So whether London is an upcoming holiday destination for you, or you're just armchair travelling, sit back and enjoy this postcard from London.

What could possibly be wrong with volunteering in an orphanage for a week of your holiday? Should you reconsider taking that Antarctic cruise?

In this episode of ExtraVirgin Food and Travel, Natascha Mirosch talks with Freya Higgins- Desbiolles, an academic in the field of tourism and co-editor of the recent books Socialising Tourism: Rethinking Tourism for Social and Ecological Justice (2022) and The Local Turn in Tourism: Empowering Communities (2023).

First up they discuss the bad news- the effect that our love of travel is having on the planet and its people. Then the positive - the destinations making change to both protect their tourism industry and empower the people who work in it. They wrap the episode up with practical steps you can take to be a more respectful traveler. 

"Be curious. Willing to dig and learn and be engaged," says Freya Higgins Desbiolles. 

Good advice in an episode that is essential for listeners who want to know the back story to the feel-good production that is travel and what they can do to make it a more equitable and enriching experience for all - not just the traveller. 

Italians have what is indisputably the best cuisine and lifestyle in the world, right?

In this episode of ExtraVirgin Food and Travel, Natascha Mirosch talks with Silvestro Silvestori, owner and director of cooking school The Awaiting Table, in the beautiful baroque city of Lecce, in Italy's south about how to cook and eat like an Italian.

Rich in cooking tips and fascinating facts about this highly regional cuisine, this episode is essential listening for anyone who loves Italy and Italian food. 

Buon appetito!