Edacious - Food Talk For Gluttons

The very last Edacious podcast. Thx for the food, drink, laughter, memories. Thx for being a conduit Cville, RVA, DC and everywhere else me and my truck Serena went. Thx for the lessons. Be well, Remember to allow. Join me. Here's what next. It's EPIC!

Maybe the most important podcast I've ever produced. Addiction in restaurant culture. In an environment whose very premise is dedicated to serving others, how do we take care of ourselves without the emotional blankets of alcohol, drugs, sex, work, shopping, chaos, rage, you name it? How do we help each other remove those blankets and begin to feel and work through the complicated feelings that come with running and working in the food industry? How do we help our own? Ben's Friends is figuring it out. My conversation with Carrie Neal Walden of the Atlanta Chapter confirms we absolutely need this in Charlottesville. Sooner rather than later and you guys know why. No need to spell it out, if you know what I mean, you know what I mean. If you don't? Ask your local food industry professional, because until we start talking about addiction in restaurant culture, it will not get better. Our discussion topics are listed below. Also stay tuned for my very biased and giggly review of our local AquaFloat facility. It'

Welcome to Episode 122! No guest this time because all y’all are running around like crazy people anyway. Putting up greenery and buying shit because you think if you don’t get Aunt Gladys a singing gingerbread man, she’ll give you the stink eye. You know what? She will anyway, save your money. DO YOURSELF this holiday. I see your gutter minds you dirty birdies, but I ain’t talking about bedroom eyes under the mistletoe. I’m talking about expectations and perceptions. What would YOU do if Christmas was the way YOU wanted it and not the way you THINK you wanted it? You’re allowed to do that you know. Pretend your life is a movie and you’re playing the part of you and if you win the Academy Award this year, that mythical SELF LOVE will finally materialize and throw itself about you like a fabulous new cashmere shawl. Why not? Nothing else has worked to this point. Or maybe it has but just hasn’t lasted long enough for you to notice. In any case, treating self-care as a game, and a movie and a pretend play, wher

Authenticity, intuition, and perception in a world full of rigid expectations. Meet Heather Carlucci, medical intuitive, former NYC pastry chef and restaurant owner. All-around badass Glamazon. She did all the things in food: pastry, savory, consulting, teaching, appearances on Good Morning America and Iron Chef. You name it she probably tackled it with edacious-ness. But five years ago she made a huge change...because something told her there was something more. This is one of the most authentic conversations I’ve ever had on the podcast. A perfect representation of what I want this medium to be. The fact destiny brought me to a medium as the first guest of Edacious 2.0? Feels great in my soul. I can’t imagine a more tremendous beginning, and I’m so grateful to Heather for donating her time. One not to miss. Big Love everyone. Embrace your inner Woo-Woo. Just one way I stay edacious! Rabbit holes we traveled down: Authenticity Not Being Defensive Accepting all parts of yourself Zero fucks Cultural and societ

The Who, What, When, Where, and Why of Edacious, as well as the What's Next. There will be food. There will always be food. What the hell happened? Find out in this "Catch-Up" episode. So much life, I had to take a minute. Not a bad thing. Reflecton and solitude are essential in order to love yourself. To know yourself. To know what works and what doesn't. When you act from your center instead of reacting to outside forces, the ripple effects, the connections created, are much more powerful. I needed that for myself and for my work which is also my art. I've also decided I fucking hate show notes so if you want to discover the magic of Edacious, you just better go on and hit SUBSCRIBE at the purple podcast app on your phone. Or not, makes no never mind to me. But I'm saving the writing for the book I just finished. That's on the podcast too. Stay edacious folks. Especially for yourself. I know it's hard. Pro tip: feel the feelings, don't BE the feelings. Trust me on this one. Big Love from Edacious, a true Co

What is The Farmer’s Shadow and why is it important in making a great wine? Welcome to a reflective, thoughtful conversation with Emily Pelton of Veritas Vineyard & Winery. In wine there is truth. Emily’s truth lies in this concept. Being present with the grapes on a daily basis, tasting, tasting again. Walking the rows. Taking the time and doing the work rather than trying to rush and fix mistakes later. Wine and how it grows over time both on the vine and in the bottle. The pride you feel when you look at a bottle you grew yourself, the product of many hands and many months of work and careful care. The grape farmer’s finished product. Just like a produce seller is proud of her prized tomatoes, a winemaker feels the same for her wine. As Emily says, wine isn’t just a product on the shelves, every piece is carefully curated before going into the bottle, just like a chef curates a plate of food. Taste varies among different years, but also among each individual row. It’s the winemaker’s job to taste const

Happy New Year! Welcome to a special edition of 3dacious, a bi-weekly compendium of the top 3 regional Foods I Forked, Cool Collaborations, and events I'm excited about, but will probably miss because I'm already snuggly in my recliner with a hot tea and a lapful of cats. This week? My Best of 2018. The top three of everything. Television that filled my heart with hope and made me guffaw, food I inhaled like a ravenous bear, and the best of the best in this year's podcast conversations. Stories of triumph and survival. Stories that showed me the strength of the human spirit, stories that made me cry, stories of community, and just damn good stories. It was hard to pick only three from so many folks who took time out of their busy lives to share, but here they are. If you had to pick just three to represent a year of great development and change, both in my world and the world at large, this would be a pretty stellar start. I rant about how well-meaning folks sometimes say stupid things, the importance of know

Happy Holidays everyone! In this special episode of Edacious - Food Talk for Gluttons I go off-script. But no worries, there’s still food. Everything starts over food. When I was a young woman with big dreams, travel was a requirement. Still is. So I worked three jobs, saved some money, and lived on a friend’s couch in Glasgow until the only thing my bank statement showed was enough cash for fare back to the airport. I had a lot of time to write. To think. I brought my favorite books for inspiration, one of which was Paul Auster’s Moon Palace. My favorite book by my favorite author. In a fit of crazy WTF I wrote him a letter of gratitude. To my utter astonishment, he wrote back. My happy tears covered the note and to this day I still use his monogrammed notecard as a bookmark. The day my father told me over a very staticky, barely audible, public phone box line that my favorite author had taken the time to encourage me in my work was one of the happiest in my life. So this holiday, I want to share Auster’s br

So you’ve got a great recipe for Italian gravy and want to start a food business? Well, it’s way more than throwing it in a jar and sticking it on a grocer’s shelf. There are many hoops to jump through and tests to pass before that dream becomes a reality. Meet Yvonne Ham of Nona’s Italian Cucina. A story full of love, comfort, the safe spaces grandmothers create, and all the different forms heart health can take. This is not your typical pasta sauce folks. This is REAL ITALIAN GRAVY. What’s the difference? First taste and you’ll know. True Italian gravy is thicker, the cooking process longer and slower. Flavorwise? No comparison. The essence of tomato with an unctuousness, a comforting meatiness. But this sauce is vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free. Just San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy, fresh herbs, and classic spices. There’s also sweetness, but no sugar here. That’s just supreme tomatoes expressing their flavors. The story behind Nona’s Italian Cucina is as great as the gravy. Yvonne learned the re

Happy Holidays everyone and welcome to another episode of 3dacious, a bi-weekly compendium of the top 3 regional Foods I Forked, Cool Collaborations, and events I'm excited about, but will probably miss because I've already taken my Tylenol PM. This week? I rant about my hatred of cookie swaps and think aloud about smiling. Why women are told to do it, and not do it depending on the situation. Plus my recommendation for binge-watching over the holidays. A lovely, sweet sitcom from Australia called, "Please Like Me." Yes, folks, Edacious is WEEKLY. Because it’s never just about the food. Be well. Do good. Big Love. SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast: Support this podcast! Be Edacious! Patreon is EDACIOUS about supporting creators, helping each one achieve a sustainable income through monthly sponsorship. Thank you to my Edacious Sponsors, who donate so I can save up for a new desk and chair. Because currently, my ass is sitting on the floor ;) Help my back. Click the link. Subscri

Why is the dishwasher the "a**hole" of the restaurant? Who is the Duner Lunar? Who is Lil’ Skittles? Just a few of so many vital questions we tackle in Episode 114 with Chef Laura Fonner of Duner's in Ivy. As you can see from the important issues listed, our conversation was lively and warm. Much like a visit to Duner’s, where since 1983 owner Bob Caldwell and his staff have served up warm food and ambience to locals and tourists alike. Only open Wednesday to Sunday. With a menu that changes daily. A place where a person can be a regular. A place where you feel taken care of. A true neighborhood establishment. A combination becoming increasingly unheard of in such a competitive food region. Their oldest waitress has worked 30 years. The rest of the staff have been there at least 15. Again, something unheard of in an industry where revolving doors are common. Why the longevity? One reason is Owner Bob, who allows kitchen staff to spread their wings, experiment, try out stuff. He trusts them. Which means their

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and welcome to another episode of 3dacious, a bi-weekly compendium of the top 3 regional Foods I Forked, Cool Collaborations, and events I'm excited about, but will probably miss because I'm in my jammies. This week? The Little White Party 2018, a restaurant with a milkshake that's a part of my DNA, a turkey pot pie to DIE for and I get all mushy about friendship and gratitude. Plus my recommendations for binge-watching over the holidays. Yes, folks, Edacious is WEEKLY. Because it’s never just about the food. SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast: Support this podcast! Be Edacious! Patreon is EDACIOUS about supporting creators, helping each one achieve a sustainable income through monthly sponsorship. Thank you to my Edacious Sponsors, who donate so I can save up for a new desk and chair. Because currently, my ass is sitting on the floor ;) Help my back. Click the link. Subscribe. Stay Edacious! - Come on, after this episode? You know you want to. Subscri

Welcome to Episode 112 of Edacious and a conversation about success. How that doesn’t necessarily mean having your own show or managing a bunch of line cooks. Meet Chef Trish Clinton, chef for Zeta Psi fraternity at the University of Virginia. Yes, it’s a thing. Yes, I had questions. And yes, she manages a team but instead of checking mise en place, she’s guiding her group of 45 young men into being better, self-actualized individuals, using food as a starting point. “I’ve done tweezer food. I didn’t get the reward that I get from this.” I met Trish at one of the first Charlottesville Women in Food gatherings and was eager to find out what a typical day is like for a chef in charge of feeding 45 hungry young men every single day on a tight budget. How she has to make do, get creative, work with what she has in front of her. Make magic. Being a single mom, she uses a lot of the same skills. Her menus are planned to the penny. Just like a Mom with 45 kids needs to do. Trish is a self-taught chef who started h

Welcome to another episode of 3dacious, a bi-weekly compendium of the top 3 regional Foods I Forked, Cool Collaborations, and events I'm excited about. This week? An overnight wine gathering that was also a homecoming, a ceviche to die for, and a rant about why I'll never apologize for the number of books I own. Yes, folks, Edacious is WEEKLY. Because it’s never just about the food. SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast: Subscribe to This Podcast. Stay Edacious! - Come on, after this episode? You know you want to. Subscribers get new episodes instantly, while non-subscribers have to wait a few hours or days depending on the Apple Podcast Gods. Never miss a chance to be edacious! Leave a review about Edacious! - Click the link, then "View in iTunes" then "Ratings and Reviews". Whether you think it's great, or not so great, I want to hear from you. I might just read your review on the air! Whoa! #famousforahotminute This episode is sponsored by Teej.fm and listeners like you who dona

Welcome to a conversation about perception. Because whether you believe vinegar is a supreme condiment or an item best left to the depths of your dusty pantry shelves, whether or not you think all Norton wine should be vinegar, or whether you’re still under the perception acid is a secondary notion when it comes to flavor profiles, my talk with Jay and Stephanie Rostow of Virginia Vinegar Works is not one to be missed. And I cannot even believe I just typed out the words “flavor profiles”. But here, and rightly so, acid is a flavor that is king. It’s the brightness, the lightness, that extra kick at the back of your throat on top of a fatty dish heavy with butter, that zing which makes your taste buds cry out. Acid elevates every other flavor in a dish. I still say, “Gild the lily...” to myself when I spritz lemon juice or vinegar on just about every prepared dish in my kitchen, even though the source of the quote, a chef known for his Orange crocs, still turns my stomach. Because that’s what acid does. It ad

Welcome to another episode of 3dacious, a bi-weekly compendium of the top 3 regional Foods I Forked, Cool Collaborations, events I'm excited about, and as an extra special extra this week? My conversation with Lilia Fuquen of Virginia Humanities. I-Collective and UVA are partnering with Virginia Humanities to offer the 2-day symposium: Our Evolving Food System: From Slavery to Sovereignty. Which starts TOMORROW, October 17th. Two days of fun talks, roundtable discussions, cooking demonstration, and a lunch by Native American chefs using foraged ingredients and cooked with ancient methods. Now THAT'S both an event and collaboration not to be missed! Stay tuned next week for my conversation with Stephanie and Jay Rostow of Virginia Vinegar Works. Yes, folks, as of October 4th you will get your Edacious fix WEEKLY. New day, new digs, new attitude. Hope you’ll join me on the next leg of this journey of connection and community. Because it’s never just about the food. Stay Edacious! SHOW NOTES – Links to resources

Welcome! In this episode of Edacious, we meet a former magazine art director turned baker. A man who used the skills acquired in his old career to set the look, feel, and intention for his current one, creating a new community in the process. I became acquainted with Brian Noyes of Red Truck Bakery when I wrote about him a few years back for Unite Virginia magazine. Flash forward to a farm dinner at Caromont where we became fast friends. It was SUCH a treat to sit with this busy man and talk. About cake, pie, the people we've met, and what it means exactly to take that extra step of care, whether it's writing thank you notes to customers or making sure that cake on your plate is the best you’ve ever had. Brian’s attention to detail is so evident from the art on the walls to the sprinkle of salt atop the focaccia on my ham sandwich. Before we met he sent me a “How Do You Do?” cake! This level of curation makes every customer feel cared for whether they’re enjoying a Dutch streusel crumb apple pie at the shops

OMG what?! Yes, it’s ANOTHER new segment here at Edacious that’s a reconfiguration of a newsletter I created last Spring. Instead of quippy-quip words it’s the-closest-I-can-manage-to-dulcet tones for your ears. Who am I kidding? I’m more Becky from Roseanne than Terry Gross. Nevertheless here it is, a bi-weekly compendium of the top 3 regional Foods I Forked or events I’m excited about (but probably missed because I’m old and tired), cool collaborations I can’t wait to crow about, and as an extra special cinnamon roll this week? That comment I made on Instagram. It’s all here in the October 4th edition of 3dacious. Stay tuned next week for my conversation with Brian Noyes of Red Truck Bakery in Warrenton and Marshall. Yes, folks, as of October 4th you will get your Edacious fix WEEKLY. New day, new digs, new attitude. Hope you’ll join me on the next leg of this journey of connection and community. Because it’s never just about the food. Who created the foods in the pictures? You’ll have to listen to find out

Tribute Work. With Much Grief and Gratitude. Yet another tribute. On September 16th La Taza closes its doors. They’ll be having a huge party to celebrate and I encourage you to get there as soon as your little feet can carry you. Because La Taza rocks. La Taza is badass. La Taza is a motherfucking motherlode of brunch and camaraderie goodness and I’m sad as hell that it’s closing. Because La Taza has been my go-to for coffee, breakfast, and deep soulful insights on a patio that is people-watching heaven for a decade. On a recent Saturday morning, the city market was a zoo. Panic attack inducing crowds of folks looking to stuff their maws with artisanal delights and stuff their tote bags with Sunday supper produce. But La Taza was quiet. Just the regulars. Eating, reading the paper, sipping coffee, discussing life’s big questions. Just how I like it. Just like this. It’s becoming so I’m writing so many obituaries for beloved restaurants I’m starting to feel like the Dave Attell of restaurants. Check out his Fa

Navigating Hospitality. With Dedicated Food Folks. Welcome to a special episode, the second in a segment I like to call the Edacious Round Table. Instead of learning one person's journey, area Food Folks discuss a topic. The first covered #MeToo. Today we're talking hospitality. How do we traverse these waters in the stormy Age of Outrage? Are there folks just not allowed in the restaurant because of their choices? My co-hosts are Chef Laura Fonner of Duner's in Crozet and Chef Harrison Keevil who with his wife Jennifer runs Keevil & Keevil Grocery and Kitchen while also taking the reins at Commonwealth Skybar on The Downtown Mall. It's a volatile topic with many recent ties to this region. In February, Chef Scott Crawford refused service to a restaurant critic at Crawford and Son in Raleigh. In May, Boylan Heights was taken to task for their "No drugs, no thugs," policy which has since been discontinued. Then in June Sara Huckabee Sanders tried to eat at The Red Hen and we all know what happened there. L