Darina Allen on Wild Food, Cooking from the Land & Forgotten Skills
Season 1 · Episode 1
Friday, January 23, 2026 • Duration 54:57
In the very first episode of The Wild Kitchen, Tiffany Bader sits down with Darina Allen, a cook, teacher, and one of the most influential voices in seasonal and traditional food.
This conversation begins where many food stories do: at the kitchen table.
Darina reflects on growing up in rural Ireland, learning to cook by watching, gardening as a way of life, and the moment she realized that real food - grown well, cooked simply, and shared generously, could shape not just meals, but communities. Together, Tiffany and Darina talk about forgotten skills, food education, the importance of soil, and why reconnecting with how we grow and cook food matters now more than ever.
This is not a how-to episode. It’s a slow conversation about memory, land, tradition, and choosing a different path in the kitchen.
_____ Silvercore is built on a lifetime spent outdoors, on ranges and in the company of people who live with skill, purpose and integrity. Here you will find real conversations, fieldcraft, practical training, stories from the wild and the lessons that help us grow mentally and physically. Whether it is a podcast with someone who has been tested, a tip you can use today or a look behind the scenes, the goal is to help you live stronger, safer and more capable in the outdoors and in life.
Silvercore Club members receive exclusive podcast episodes, online courses, insurance for their adventures and discounts on premium gear: https://www.silvercore.ca/club
All content on this channel is for informational purposes only. Always follow the law, follow safe handling practices and train with qualified professionals. Silvercore assumes no liability for the use or misuse of any information shown here. _____ 00:00 Welcome to The Wild Kitchen 01:00 Why Darina Allen was the first guest 03:00 Growing up with food as daily life, not instruction 06:00 Choosing cooking when it wasn’t considered a “career” 10:00 Meeting Myrtle Allen and learning to cook by season 15:00 Why forgotten skills matter more than ever 18:00 Making butter and realizing what students didn’t know 23:00 Children, taste, and why growing food changes everything 27:00 Foraging, nutrition, and noticing the landscape 32:00 Soil, health, and what we’re losing 37:00 Homesteading, leaving cities, and taking back control 43:00 Ultra-processed food and the cost of convenience 48:00 The joy of making things with your hands 52:00 Ballymaloe today and passing skills forward 55:00 Closing thoughts on food, care, and connection
The Wild Kitchen - Introduction
Season 1
Friday, January 23, 2026 • Duration 02:45
Food has always been more than food.
It’s memory. It’s ritual. It’s how stories are passed, from one generation to the next.
The Wild Kitchen is a podcast about food — but really, it’s about the people, places, and ideas that gather around it.
Coming soon.
You Don’t Need a Packet of White Powder: Sandor Katz on Real Fermentation
Season 1 · Episode 2
Monday, January 26, 2026 • Duration 52:45
Fermentation has been framed as risky, technical, even dangerous - and Sandor Katz thinks that fear is the whole problem.
In this conversation, the author of Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation breaks down why sauerkraut is simpler than we’ve been taught to believe, what that “weird layer” on top actually is, and how fermentation often makes food safer than it was before. We talk about trusting your senses again, the lies of expiry dates, and the tradeoffs between low-tech tradition and modern tools like vacuum sealing and the Instant Pot.
Plus: Koji experiments with chestnuts, black garlic myths, the real reason fermentation takes time, and a reminder that you don’t need a starter culture to do what humans have done for thousands of years.
_____ Silvercore is built on a lifetime spent outdoors, on ranges and in the company of people who live with skill, purpose and integrity. Here you will find real conversations, fieldcraft, practical training, stories from the wild and the lessons that help us grow mentally and physically. Whether it is a podcast with someone who has been tested, a tip you can use today or a look behind the scenes, the goal is to help you live stronger, safer and more capable in the outdoors and in life.
Silvercore Club members receive exclusive podcast episodes, online courses, insurance for their adventures and discounts on premium gear: https://www.silvercore.ca/club
Why do some foods make us uncomfortable while others feel familiar?
In this episode of The Wild Kitchen, Tiffany talks with James Beard Award–winning author Hank Shaw about how modern eaters learned to fear foods that were once ordinary. From fermented fish and haggis to offal, fat, and texture, they unpack how culture, upbringing, and convenience shape what we consider “real food.”
The conversation moves through old cookbooks, whole-animal cooking, and the way children learn disgust. Hank draws on a lifetime of hunting, foraging, cooking, and writing to explain why taste is rarely instinctual, and what gets lost when food is stripped of context and tradition.
Guest links: Hunter Angler Gardener Cook: https://honest-food.net Hank Shaw on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huntgathercook To The Bone: https://tothebone.com Hank's mincemeat pie recipe: https://honest-food.net/venison-mincemeat-pies/ _____ Silvercore is built on a lifetime spent outdoors, on ranges and in the company of people who live with skill, purpose and integrity. Here you will find real conversations, fieldcraft, practical training, stories from the wild and the lessons that help us grow mentally and physically. Whether it is a podcast with someone who has been tested, a tip you can use today or a look behind the scenes, the goal is to help you live stronger, safer and more capable in the outdoors and in life.
Silvercore Club members receive exclusive podcast episodes, online courses, insurance for their adventures and discounts on premium gear: https://www.silvercore.ca/club
Online Training: Training and Services: Merchandise: Blog:
What Happens When We Actually Look at How Meat Is Made
Season 1 · Episode 4
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 • Duration 01:44:28
Jeff Senger left accounting to buy a small slaughterhouse in rural Alberta. What followed was sixteen years of working directly with animals, farmers, hunters, and the realities most of us never see behind plastic-wrapped meat. We talk about what changes when food becomes a commodity, why some meat tastes alive and some doesn’t, and how much control we actually have as eaters. Jeff shares what it’s like to stand on a kill floor, why he believes butchers still matter, and how flavour, ethics, and responsibility are tied together whether we want to admit it or not.
Topics include: What slaughter actually looks like and why hiding it matters How feed, age, and handling shape flavor The difference between real butchery and portioning Chronic wasting disease and what responsibility looks like in real life Why whole animals used to feed communities, not markets How trust is built between hunters, farmers, and butchers
The Wild Kitchen with Tiffany Bader Ep. 4
🌿 Learn more about Jeff Senger: https://www.instagram.com/jeff_senger/
🔥 The Wild Kitchen: https://thewildkitchen.transistor.fm https://instagram.com/thewildkitchen
_____ Silvercore is built on a lifetime spent outdoors, on ranges and in the company of people who live with skill, purpose and integrity. Here you will find real conversations, fieldcraft, practical training, stories from the wild and the lessons that help us grow mentally and physically. Whether it is a podcast with someone who has been tested, a tip you can use today or a look behind the scenes, the goal is to help you live stronger, safer and more capable in the outdoors and in life.
Silvercore Club members receive exclusive podcast episodes, online courses, insurance for their adventures and discounts on premium gear: https://www.silvercore.ca/club
Online Training: Training and Services: Merchandise: Blog:
Cooking the Wild | Alan Bergo
Season 1 · Episode 7
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 • Duration 51:59
Alan Bergo has built a career around noticing what others overlook.
Alan is a chef, author, and forager known for his deep knowledge of wild foods and his ability to bring them into the kitchen in thoughtful, creative ways. Through his work, he has helped thousands of people see forests, fields, and shorelines differently.
In this conversation we talk about the craft of foraging, the intelligence of wild plants, and what it means to cook with ingredients that most people have never considered food.
Alan shares how he first began exploring wild ingredients, the lessons he learned working in professional kitchens, and how those experiences eventually led him to focus almost entirely on wild food.
We talk about:
• how to begin learning wild plants • the responsibility that comes with foraging • bringing wild ingredients into the kitchen • why curiosity is the most important skill a cook can develop
This episode is about attention. About learning to see what is already around us. And about the quiet thrill of turning something wild into a meal.
Guest Links
Forager Chef https://foragerchef.com
Alan Bergo Instagram https://www.instagram.com/foragerchef
Alan Bergo Books https://foragerchef.com/books
_____ Silvercore is built on a lifetime spent outdoors, on ranges and in the company of people who live with skill, purpose and integrity. Here you will find real conversations, fieldcraft, practical training, stories from the wild and the lessons that help us grow mentally and physically. Whether it is a podcast with someone who has been tested, a tip you can use today or a look behind the scenes, the goal is to help you live stronger, safer and more capable in the outdoors and in life.
Silvercore Club members receive exclusive podcast episodes, online courses, insurance for their adventures and discounts on premium gear:
The Long Road to Great Charcuterie | Elias Cairo
Season 1 · Episode 6
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 • Duration 01:07:10
Great charcuterie doesn’t start in the curing room. It starts with the animal.
Elias Cairo has spent most of his life chasing that idea.
Elias is the founder of Olympia Provisions in Portland, Oregon, one of the most respected charcuterie producers in North America. What began as a small project has grown into a group of restaurants and curing rooms, but the heart of Olympia Provisions is still a tight knit crew of people committed to doing things the right way.
In this conversation, Elias shares the path that brought him there.
As a young cook he left North America to apprentice in Switzerland, where food traditions are treated with deep respect and charcuterie is inseparable from farming, animals, and place. When he returned home, he realized that if he wanted to make that kind of product here, he would have to build the systems himself.
Finding farmers raising animals the right way. Creating relationships that ensure consistent quality. Building a company culture where everyone understands the responsibility behind the food they produce.
Because great charcuterie is not just about technique. It is about people, animals, and the discipline to do things properly.
We talk about hunting, wild game, fermentation, patience, and the long pursuit of making food that people trust.
Guest Links
Olympia Provisions https://www.olympiaprovisions.com
Olympia Provisions Instagram https://www.instagram.com/olympiaprovisions
Elias Cairo https://www.olympiaprovisions.com/blogs/bios/9641623-elias-cairo _____ Silvercore is built on a lifetime spent outdoors, on ranges and in the company of people who live with skill, purpose and integrity. Here you will find real conversations, fieldcraft, practical training, stories from the wild and the lessons that help us grow mentally and physically. Whether it is a podcast with someone who has been tested, a tip you can use today or a look behind the scenes, the goal is to help you live stronger, safer and more capable in the outdoors and in life.
What Happens When Women Stop Playing It Safe
Season 1 · Episode 5
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 • Duration 01:06:45
Tana Grenda lives off the road system in remote Alaska, flying bush planes, hunting for food, and raising six kids where mistakes have real consequences.
In this episode of The Wild Kitchen, Tiffany Bader sits down with Tana to talk about life without convenience and what that demands from the people living it. They get into fear, risk, and preparation, why skill matters more than confidence, and how time on the land changes the way people think, eat, and move through the world.
The conversation spans subsistence food, women-only hunting retreats, physical training, health, and the realities of raising a family far from infrastructure. Tana also shares stories from recent hunts and trips, including time spent in Florida dealing with invasive species and the responsibility that comes with harvesting your own food.
This episode is about capability, responsibility, and choosing a life that doesn’t offer many shortcuts.
_____ Silvercore is built on a lifetime spent outdoors, on ranges and in the company of people who live with skill, purpose and integrity. Here you will find real conversations, fieldcraft, practical training, stories from the wild and the lessons that help us grow mentally and physically. Whether it is a podcast with someone who has been tested, a tip you can use today or a look behind the scenes, the goal is to help you live stronger, safer and more capable in the outdoors and in life.
Silvercore Club members receive exclusive podcast episodes, online courses, insurance for their adventures and discounts on premium gear:
Jesse Griffiths on Why the Story Matters
Season 1 · Episode 8
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 • Duration 01:11:23
Jesse Griffiths spends most of his time between the field and in the kitchen.
We talk about how those two things connect, and how that connection shapes the way he cooks, teaches, and thinks about food.
There’s a lot in here about the parts people usually rush through. Cleaning an animal. Butchering. Taking your time with it. Jesse has a way of bringing you back to those moments and making them feel worth paying attention to.
We get into the instinct to tell the story after a hunt. Where that comes from. Why it sticks with people. And Jesse shares how his work has shifted over the years. Less time in the restaurant. More time writing, teaching, and building things that let him reach more people without losing what matters to him.
We also talk about hunting with his daughter, and how that’s changed the way he looks at time in the field.
This one moves between Texas and the kitchen, between the field and the table. But it always comes back to the same thing.
Pay attention. Don’t skip the important parts.
_____ Silvercore is built on a lifetime spent outdoors, on ranges and in the company of people who live with skill, purpose and integrity. Here you will find real conversations, fieldcraft, practical training, stories from the wild and the lessons that help us grow mentally and physically. Whether it is a podcast with someone who has been tested, a tip you can use today or a look behind the scenes, the goal is to help you live stronger, safer and more capable in the outdoors and in life.
Silvercore Club members receive exclusive podcast episodes, online courses, insurance for their adventures and discounts on premium gear: https://www.silvercore.ca/club
Kevin Kossowan on Wild Food, Terroir, and Building From the Wild His Way
Season 2 · Episode 9
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 • Duration 01:14:02
Kevin Kossowan is a filmmaker, forager, and hunter best known for From the Wild, a James Beard nominated series he shoots, edits, and scores entirely on his own in the Canadian wilderness. In this episode, he talks about how he thinks about wild food as a full pantry, why terroir applies just as much to a forest as a vineyard, and what happens when you slow down and pay attention to everything around you, not just the thing you came for. If you hunt, forage, cook, or just find yourself curious about what's growing outside, you'll like this one.
_____
LINKS Kevin Kossowan https://www.fromthewild.ca
From the Wild on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@fromthewild
The Perennial Plate (Daniel Klein, mentioned) https://www.theperennialplate.com
Strathcona Spirits / Clear Stock (mentioned) https://strathconaspirits.ca _____ Silvercore is built on a lifetime spent outdoors, on ranges and in the company of people who live with skill, purpose and integrity. Here you will find real conversations, fieldcraft, practical training, stories from the wild and the lessons that help us grow mentally and physically. Whether it is a podcast with someone who has been tested, a tip you can use today or a look behind the scenes, the goal is to help you live stronger, safer and more capable in the outdoors and in life.
Silvercore Club members receive exclusive podcast episodes, online courses, insurance for their adventures and discounts on premium gear: https://www.silvercore.ca/club
Discover shows related to The Wild Kitchen, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
All content on this channel is for informational purposes only. Always follow the law, follow safe handling practices and train with qualified professionals. Silvercore assumes no liability for the use or misuse of any information shown here.
____ Timestamps: 00:00 — Tiffany’s intro: how Wild Fermentation changed her early chef career 01:15 — Why fermentation seems technical (and why it isn’t) 03:20 — Sauerkraut is absurdly simple - fear of bacteria is the real barrier 04:10 — “Fermentation makes food safer” (acidity vs pathogens) 07:20 — Expiry dates are arbitrary + trusting smell/taste again 08:20 — The “kahm yeast” moment: why people throw away perfectly good ferments 11:05 — Hard rules: what growth is harmless vs what to toss 14:35 — The real worst-case ferment: flies + eggs (practical warning) 15:05 — Lids vs cloth vs crocks: how Sandor actually covers ferments 17:30 — Brine vs dry-salt: when to add water and what it costs (flavor dilution) 20:15 — “There’s no singular way to ferment vegetables” (core philosophy) 21:50 — Fermentation Journeys + Tiffany’s inscription story 24:55 — New book: Fermentation: A Natural History (what it is / isn’t) 26:40 — Chestnut shio-koji project (enzymes + umami) 29:45 — Koji Alchemy + growing koji on “almost anything” 31:00 — Simple DIY koji incubation setup (light bulb + controller) 33:10 — Black garlic isn’t really fermentation (and the Instapot workaround) 35:30 — Tradeoffs: vacuum sealing vegetables (benefit vs waste) 37:05 — Chestnut miso + spontaneous pancakes (dosa, buckwheat, mung bean) 41:00 — Why he teaches so much: the hunger for fermentation confidence 44:50 — Pear pressing → accidental vinegar (and why timing matters) 47:50 — Packets of yeast are new; wild fermentation is the old standard 50:05 — “You don’t need a packet of white powder to make sauerkraut” (mic drop)
All content on this channel is for informational purposes only. Always follow the law, follow safe handling practices and train with qualified professionals. Silvercore assumes no liability for the use or misuse of any information shown here.
All content on this channel is for informational purposes only. Always follow the law, follow safe handling practices and train with qualified professionals. Silvercore assumes no liability for the use or misuse of any information shown here.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Leaving accounting, buying a slaughterhouse, and why food pulled him in
05:10 – Why meat quality starts long before the kill floor
10:45 – Calm, responsibility, and what it means to take a life seriously
17:40 – Marbling, Wagyu, grass-fed beef, and flavor reality
24:30 – Hobby farming, bad beef, and uncomfortable truths
31:15 – What modern butcher shops often aren’t doing anymore
38:50 – Tenderloin myths, forgotten cuts, and education fatigue
46:10 – Waste, culture, and what’s been lost
55:40 – Chronic Wasting Disease Explained Honestly.What Jeff has seen firsthand and how to think clearly about risk
1:10:30 – Why Europe Treats Food Differently
1:18:45 – Teaching Kids Where Food Comes From
1:27:00 – Why Buying Less Meat Might Matter More
1:36:20 – Trade, Sharing, and Old Food Economies
1:43:50 – What Jeff Hopes People Actually Take From This
All content on this channel is for informational purposes only. Always follow the law, follow safe handling practices and train with qualified professionals. Silvercore assumes no liability for the use or misuse of any information shown here. _____
00:00 Introduction to Alan Bergo 02:40 Discovering wild food 07:30 Learning to see edible plants 13:20 Early kitchen career 20:10 Why chefs are drawn to wild ingredients 28:45 Responsibility in foraging 35:10 Cooking with wild plants 44:20 Mushrooms and the excitement of discovery 52:00 Teaching others about wild food 59:40 Advice for people curious about foraging
Silvercore Club members receive exclusive podcast episodes, online courses, insurance for their adventures and discounts on premium gear: https://www.silvercore.ca/club
All content on this channel is for informational purposes only. Always follow the law, follow safe handling practices and train with qualified professionals. Silvercore assumes no liability for the use or misuse of any information shown here. _____ 00:00 Introduction to Elias Cairo 02:15 First tasting Olympia Provisions 05:10 What real charcuterie is 08:40 Learning from European food culture 14:20 Apprenticeship in Switzerland 20:45 Why great charcuterie starts with the animal 27:30 Hunting and cooking wild game 33:15 The difference between North American and European food traditions 40:50 What makes great salami 49:10 Patience, fermentation, and curing meat 57:30 Building Olympia Provisions 1:05:10 Advice for people who want to make charcuterie
All content on this channel is for informational purposes only. Always follow the law, follow safe handling practices and train with qualified professionals. Silvercore assumes no liability for the use or misuse of any information shown here. _____
00:00 – Meeting Tana and the Wild Women Rendezvous 03:20 – Building the right community and cutting out ego 06:40 – Why women-only spaces work differently 09:30 – Confidence in the outdoors and confidence in life 13:10 – Fear, risk, and being prepared instead of scared 15:40 – Living in Alaska off the road system 22:00 – Subsistence food, logistics, and real costs of remote life 26:10 – Gator, iguana, and python hunting in Florida 34:40 – Wildlife management and cultural disconnects 39:30 – Health coaching, hormones, and women’s training 46:00 – Non-negotiables: sleep, food, movement 49:30 – Training women for backcountry hunts 54:30 – Wild food, inflammation, and listening to your body 59:00 – Why women-only events matter 1:02:30 – Children’s books, hunting stories, and legacy
All content on this channel is for informational purposes only. Always follow the law, follow safe handling practices and train with qualified professionals. Silvercore assumes no liability for the use or misuse of any information shown here.
All content on this channel is for informational purposes only. Always follow the law, follow safe handling practices and train with qualified professionals. Silvercore assumes no liability for the use or misuse of any information shown here. _____
TIMESTAMPS 00:00 What makes From the Wild different from other hunting shows 02:00 Kevin's influences: Heartland Bowhunter, Jamie at Home, The Perennial Plate 05:30 Leaving finance for filmmaking and rebuilding a food system from scratch 07:30 How From the Wild started 09:00 How the show has evolved toward plants, spirits, and sea kayaking 10:30 Terroir in wild spaces and why time and place change everything 14:00 Why elk hunts turn into mushroom hunts 15:30 Noticing everything around you in the field 16:30 Snow goose, digestivos, and what happens when you look beyond the target 18:00 Wild tinctures, neutral grain spirit, and what alcohol percentage does to extraction 19:30 Learning from people who know more than you 21:00 Lamb's quarter, fireweed tea, and the plants that replaced grocery store staples 24:00 Galium triflorum: the wild plant that replaced 98% of a restaurant's vanilla bean order 28:00 The pull between documenting food and just eating it 29:00 Filming the pace of nature and post-production as a time machine 31:30 What a good episode looks like: fishing, crabbing, foraging, cooking, being there 33:30 Why the show stays unscripted 35:00 Making something for yourself and sharing it 36:30 When wild ingredients are challenging and what chefs do with that 38:00 Tall blue lettuce, wormwood, and finding the right application for bitter ingredients 41:00 Growing up on moose meat and learning almost everything else from scratch 42:30 How Kevin approaches learning something new 44:00 Why most of the forest turns out to be usable 45:30 One plant, a whole menu: dandelion, spruce, and what that opens up 47:00 Sweden, Finland, and how related species can taste completely different 50:00 Working alone and what that produces creatively 51:30 Self-shooting and why a second camera changes the dynamic 53:30 From the Wild as documentation of real friendships 57:00 Season 13 plans: BC coast, goose barnacles, lingcod, halibut by sea kayak 01:00:00 How to preserve fish when you're paddling back to port 01:03:00 What else is out there beyond salmon and halibut 01:07:00 Seaweeds on the BC coast 01:09:00 What time in the field does to how capable a person feels 01:11:00 Gin, tonics, herbal medicine, and where plant-based drinking came from 01:13:00 Robert Rogers: 65 books on plant and fungal medicine
