Smidgen

Discover Pathway: A Culinary Journal , Anne's tribute to South Louisiana. You can also download Pathway as a PDF . In this episode, Anne walks us through Hot & Crispy Des Allemands Catfish Sandwich —you can see all the amazing recipes of Pathway here . Hurricane Ida made landfall on August 29, 2021, cutting a path of destruction across part of South Louisiana. La Place, Louisiana was particularly...

The very first interview on the very first episode of Smidgen was with Galen Iverstine of Iverstine Farms Butcher . Galen is back on this Season 3 finale episode of Smidgen to talk about what impact the last year had on his small business; what he learned as a rancher from the pandemic; and what customers are shopping for now at the meat counter. Galen and Anne Milneck, host of Smidgen and owner o...

When you walk into Red Stick Spice Co. looking for tea, the staff will ask you, "Caffeine or no caffeine?" Your answer will set a course for your sipping future. Last week on Smidgen was all about tea from Camelia Sinensis . This episode of Smidgen is the no caffeine side of things— herbals and botanicals . Host Anne Milneck walks us through the leaves, flowers, bushes, roots, and other delights t...

Watch the leaves dance about in the water, allow the aroma to change and develop, maybe gently raise and dunk the infuser in your cup… and in a few minutes, take a sip of something rich and complex. It's tea—delicious, flavorful joy in a cup. Red Stick Spice Co. is a spice shop, yes, but it's also a purveyor of tea. Anne Milneck, host of Smidgen, is a tea sommelier and certified tea lover. All of...

Here we are, back with our ol' pal CHICKEN! This reliable protein finds the way onto many of our dinner tables (for lots and lots… and lots of meals.) With all this poultry, it could be easy for chicken to be boring or even a chore. Anne Milneck, chef and owner of Red Stick Spice Co. has some things stored in the pantry to let chicken be the star of dinner. Long time listeners of Smidgen know that...

It happens to everyone—don't panic—and there is hope to escape. We're talking about cooking ruts. Even Anne, a chef and foodie pro, has known a rut or two in her time and assures us it's not just the pandemic that is causing this bout of malaise. In this episode, Anne diagnoses two common cooking ruts and gives specifics on how to get out. Anne details how to take your most successful meals—the ma...

It's the equipment episode of Smidgen!  It's not just food that goes into meal preparation. Anne takes us on a tour of the kitchen—from smallwares to the stove to the oven to electrical tools—everything we use to be amazing home cooks. Since Anne just spent the pandemic building out a 2,000 ft teaching kitchen, she's got lots of thoughts about what goes into a kitchen that serves the needs of cook...

The pandemic impacted so many families' eating routines, but one thing that never changes is the need to get dinner on the table quickly. Quick dinners that are hot, nutritious, and delicious are always in demand, no matter what the current circumstances.   How much of fast dinners is hype? What can we keep in the pantry to make quick dinners easier? How do we keep fast dinners from getting boring...

Smidgen is back! The podcast of Red Stick Spice Company, hosted by Anne Milneck, kicks off Season 3 with a dive into some of the best (and most delicious) food trends of 2021. The prior year had people cooking—a lot—and now, this year, folks are getting specific about the brands used; high-quality, top of the line spices and ingredients; and adding fancy touches to go-to weekly dinners (standby fo...

New year, new flavors, by now you probably have some new cooking skills, new favorites AND now—a new season of SMIDGEN, the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co is coming soon. Join your host Anne Milneck—chef, spice girl, and teacher to talk about… the food trends you need to know about (and how to bring these trends to your own table); how to cook for your family NOW; cooking ruts (and how to get out o...

Quarantine has revealed for many of us the importance of a well-stocked pantry; for some, their pantry was an absolute lifeline in a tough time. Anne Milneck—chef, owner of Red Stick Spice Co ., and host of Smidgen — talks on this bonus episode about pantries, staples, and stocking up. How do you make sure you're stocking stuff you actually use? How can sauces make all the difference for your pant...

Any peek into foodie social media during quarantine has revealed pictures of beautiful loaves of bread, tales of sourdough, and beautiful cakes and cookies (still warm from the oven.) Everybody is baking! Anne Milneck, intrepid host of Smidgen and owner of Red Stick Spice Company is… how to say it… not an avid baker (she even claims FOF—fear of flour.) That's why on this special bonus episode of S...

All this home cooking everyone has been doing either reveals your cooking skill limitations or inspired you to take things up to the next level. How can you become a better cook? What skills should every home cook improve right now? (And how can we improve our cooking skills?) Anne Milneck—chef, owner of Red Stick Spice Co ., and host of Smidgen—tells us what are the top skills every home cook sho...

Parents with children of all ages, we see you! Right now, this very moment, you're probably preparing food for the folks in your home. On this bonus episode of Smidgen, the podcast of Red Stick Spice Company, host Anne Milneck and producer Catherine O'Brien talk about the extra home cooking lots of parents are doing now. How can you use this time to get kids involved in cooking and meal prep? What...

If you are hunkered down, practicing social distancing, and maybe wanting a little comfort, we have a little Smidgen bonus for you. Anne Milneck, host of Smidgen and owner of Red Stick Spice Company talks (remotely) with producer Catherine O'Brien. Anne shares her thoughts on why heading to the kitchen is a good idea right now, and can even be a source of joy in stressful times. Anne also has a un...

S2E7 We're throwing it back here on the Season Two Finale of Smidgen to some vintage recipes that are making a comeback. Do you have memories from your young days of parents pulling out "fancy" china for entertaining and making certain dishes that are for special occasions only? Smidgen Host and Owner of Red Stick Spice Co. Anne Milneck speaks with Lili Courtney about some of these dishes, and our...

S2E6 Lots of customers discover Red Stick Spice Company after being given the directive to reduce salt consumption. What better place than our shop to reduce salt without losing flavor? We also hear talk of the DASH Diet —a little bit "Baton Rouge famous" due to research and development at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. To learn more, we're joined by Renee Puyau, Registered Dietician at Pe...

S2E5 "Local food" is a term we hear more and more. It feels good to say, it seems to capture the spirit of an ideal we would like to uphold. Looking a bit closer, the issue of local food gains some depth and complexity. On this episode of Smidgen, host Anne Milneck starts off her local food journey by speaking with John Cotton Dean , Director of the Rural Prosperity Initiative for the Central Loui...

S2E4 A large pot, the smell of sugar and fruit (and maybe some peppers) filling the air, plus stirring—lots and lots of stirring. Homemade jams, jellies and preserves are all the rage. Our friend Ashley Andermann of Grinning Jupiter Jammery joins host Anne Milneck to talk about confidently making jams and jellies at home. In the Smidgen cooking segment : Ashley and Anne head to the Red Stick Spice...

S2E3 Happy Thanksgiving! Food, memories, family—on this episode of Smidgen, host Anne Milneck explores each of these elements as she tries to get to the bottom of a childhood Thanksgiving memory she has about a turkey being dropped and the chaos that ensued. As often happens with family memories, it is hard to get one consistent version of events (despite Anne asking several key family members.) A...

S2E2 We are getting to the bottom of a question heard daily at Red Stick Spice Company: How do I use spices? Last week, Smidgen hosted Rosemary Gill from Milk Street for her take on using spices. In this episode, Smidgen host Anne Milneck speaks with producer Catherine O'Brien for Anne's take on the how, when, and why of spices. The cooking segment brings it all home with a recipe that uses a surp...

S2E1 We are back with Smidgen, Season 2, ready to bring you fabulous food and in-depth interviews plus several items of exciting news. Up first, Red Stick Spice Company recently certified as a Milk Street Cooking Classes Partner Location . Milk Street is a media company founded by Christopher Kimball, focusing on cooking fundamentals and developing delicious flavor profiles. To share the Milk Stre...

S2E0 Smidgen, the podcast of Red Stick Spice Company will be back with Season 2 very soon! We have some wonderful guest interviews to share with you and some amazing food you can prepare at home.  We are excited to announce that Smidgen is now available on Pandora ! Smidgen is a finalist for not one but two categories of Discover Pods Awards ! For your consideration, Smidgen is up for Best New Pod...

S1E7 Now we gather . This simple motto carries a deeper meaning beyond the first glance, its significance can be experienced by preparing a meal and enjoying it with family and friends. Licensed Clinical Social Worker Leslie Todd joins us on Smidgen to talk loneliness, isolation and how those factors affect mental health, plus what actions we can all take to counteract the negative results. Host A...

S1E6 There are a couple kitchen skills that are worth learning (and some that can have a huge impact on your home cooking), and Smidgen host Anne Milneck is here to tell you that making stock and broth at home can be a game changer. Our own tireless champion of the home cook Anne is interviewed by podcast producer Catherine O'Brien to learn why stock and broth are fundamentals of cooking, why we'r...