Seasoned

Joanne Lee Molinaro is a content creator and writer known as “The Korean Vegan.” She’s been sharing stories about food, family, and culture since she started a blog in 2016. Her TikTok videos exploded in 2020. Her first cookbook is a New York Times bestseller, and it’s called The Korean Vegan Cookbook : Reflections and Recipes from Omma’s Kitchen . Joanne talks with u...

Lots of you will be popping corks and drinking something bubbly on New Year's Eve. But, how much do you actually know about Champagne and sparkling wine? This week on Seasoned, we’re live with wine expert Zachary Sussman. He’s the author of the new book,  Sparkling Wine for Modern Times . Plus, professional bartender Chelsea Solkowski shares ideas for festive sparkling cocktails t...

We’ve talked to some wonderful people in the food world this past year. This week, we’re listening back to some of our favorite conversations from 2021. We got lots of baking tips from Vallery Lomas and we revisit our time at The Beardsley Zoo, where we learned so much from zoo educators about what the animals in their care eat. Plus, we’re sharing the inspiring conversation abou...

What gadgets, treats, spirits, and kitchen crafts do you have on your wish list this year? This week on Seasoned, we talk about the kitchen gadgets that end up in every cook’s stocking. James Hines, co-owner of Cookshop Plus in West Hartford, tells us what’s flying off the shelves right now and what local, highly giftable items he loves. And Emma Wartzman, writer at The Strategist shar...

Author and activist Bryant Terry has curated a book unlike his previous cookbooks. It’s called Black Food . It’s a deep dive into Black culture: art, essays, history, poems, and recipes, of course. This week on Seasoned, a conversation with the always-inspiring chef and creative force, Bryant Terry. We also talk with the book’s designer, George McCalman about his experience craft...

This show originally aired on January 21, 2021 Ask any chef or home cook what ingredient they can’t live without, and we bet they’ll say onions. So many delicious things start with cooking onions. Onions are the foundation of the world’s great cuisines. In this episode, we celebrate the onion. . .the most essential ingredient in the kitchen. Kate Winslow, author of the book Onion...

Stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans! Chef Plum and Marysol Castro ask chefs to talk about the real stars of Thanksgiving dinner. We also talk with Bon Appétit’s Test Kitchen Director Chris Morocco about the side dishes featured in the magazine's Thanksgiving issue. Plus, we talk to farmer Keith Bishop, owner of Connecticut's one and only cranberry bog about what it...

Lidia Bastianich, one of the most beloved PBS chefs and cookbook authors in the country, joins us to talk about her new book, Lidia's a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl: Simple Recipes for Perfect Meals . The book is filled with no-fuss Italian dishes; it’s just the simplicity you need as we approach the biggest cooking holiday of the year. We’ll talk with Lidia about the book—and about Th...

Send out the invites for the latke party! This week on Seasoned, a conversation with Shifra Klein, the founder of Fleishigs, a magazine devoted to modern kosher cooking. We talk with Shifra about the meaning of Hanukkah. . .and what to eat! And we visit The Crown Market in West Hartford, where they fry up thousands of latkes for the holiday. Plus, kosher wine has come a long way since Maneshevitz...

How much do you know about Native cuisine in Connecticut and New England? This week on Seasoned: an exploration of Indigenous food and cooking. We talk with Nakai Clearwater Northup and Rachel Sayet—educators in the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribal nations—about their culinary traditions. Plus, Navajo chef Freddie Bitsoie talks with us about his new cookbook, New Native Kitchen:...

If the only thing you’ve ever made with pumpkin is pumpkin pie, we’re here to help expand your repertoire. There’s a whole world of savory pumpkin dishes that evoke fall comfort: soups, stews, curries, sauces, hummus. And pumpkin loves pasta (use it as a sauce or a filling for gnocchi, ravioli, or lasagna). What are your favorite dishes using pumpkin? We also demystify pumpkin sp...

Apple cider is having a moment. This week on Seasoned, we watch the apple press at work during a visit to Hogan’s Cider Mill in Burlington, Conn. Owners Chet Dunlop and Theresa Clifford Dunlop make cider at the mill the way the farm’s original cidermakers did 100 years ago. And while the craft may be rooted in the past, Chet and Theresa are looking toward the future. Their daughter, Ma...

James Beard Award-winning author Carla Lalli Music talks with us about her latest cookbook, That Sounds So Good: 100 Real-Life Recipes For Every Day Of The Week . Carla describes how the book came together during the pandemic—her family served as captive recipe testers—and offers tips for everything from stocking a pantry to reducing food waste. She also explores the ways in which cook...

Vallery Lomas’ first cookbook, Life Is What You Bake It , is a dream realized. We talk with the former-lawyer-turned-baker, and winner of The Great American Baking Show, about how an unrelenting belief in herself spurred a career change, how she refused to let her accomplishments be erased, and how she created a beautiful book filled with recipes influenced by family, travel and an obsession...

Who doesn’t love a good ol’ fashioned diner? Bring on the breakfast all day, the smell of hash browns, and the slice of blueberry pie in the middle of the night. Diners are as much about the community as they are about the food, so we’re celebrating diners and diner culture on this episode of Seasoned. We talk with Mike Urban,  Yankee  contributor and author of  Th...

This week on Seasoned: Tips to avoid lunchbox burnout! Renee Kohley, author of The Little Lunchbox Cookbook , is our guest. Plus, we talk with Lonnie Burt, the head of food services for Hartford Public Schools, about the Farm-to-School program and the “Cafeteria as Classroom” concept. And kids weigh in on the lunches they love. Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski produced this show....

Aarón Sánchez is an award-winning chef, TV personality, and philanthropist. He’s currently a judge on MasterChef and MasterChef Junior on Fox. He’s also the author of two cookbooks and his memoir, Where I Come From: Life Lessons From a Latino Chef, is out in paperback now. We talk to Aarón about some of those lessons, his mentor chef Paul Prudhomme, and how his bic...

Step outside. Connecticut is ripe ground for wild food. This week on Seasoned, a poignant conversation with one of the best-known foragers in the country, chef Bun Lai. Plus, we search for edible plants and berries and find a gorgeous chicken of the woods mushroom with the founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. And, consider us starstruck—we also talk with the 81-year old amateur mycologi...

We’re taking a deep dive on how to prep and cook seafood with David Standridge, executive chef of The Shipwright’s Daughter in Mystic. You’ll get advice for buying fresh seafood at the market, as well as tips for grilling, roasting, and searing fish like a pro. Plus, local cookbook author Mike Urban shares some of his favorite fish markets and seafood shacks in our region. This s...

This program originally aired on June 17, 2021. Thirsty? Let’s taste the drinks of summer 2021. Sommelier Erin Swain shares her top rosé picks and Robert Simonson of The New York Times explains the allure of mezcal and shares recipes from his new book, Mezcal + Tequila Cocktails . Plus, Chef Plum tastes the award-winning gin at Fifth State Distillery, because a G&T is always a sum...

Nothing quite says summer like a beautiful ripe tomato, and in our region, we love our tomatoes. This week on Seasoned, we talk to husband-and-wife tomato farmers Trout and Jennifer Gaskins about growing their many varieties of tomatoes. We also talk to horticulture scientist Harry Klee about his mission to sequence the genomes of hundreds of tomatoes in order to breed flavor  back  into...

Summertime is the time when we crave healthy, juicy, cooling foods. . .and the fresher, the better! This week on Seasoned, we’re celebrating the foods of summer and talking with local author, Terry Walters. Terry’s books include Clean Food , Clean Start , and her latest, Eat Clean Live Well . Terry explains what clean eating means to her and offers advice about eating seasonally for op...

Have you seen Fresh, Fried & Crispy on Netflix yet? Connecticut’s own Daym Drops has gone from YouTube star to Netflix star, and his new show is as addictive as the fried food he critiques. This hour on Seasoned: The man we all love to watch eat and hear his hot takes on fried food. Got a question for Daym about his new show? Maybe you’d like to know which fast food spots, greasy s...

When we think about our most prized local foods, honey is at the top of the list. This week on Seasoned, Marina Marchese of  Red Bee Honey  in Weston teaches us how honeybees make honey through their amazing coordination and communication. We also talk to Sarah Taylor, the founder of  Huneebee Project , a social enterprise bringing beehives to community gardens and vacant green spac...

One of our favorite parts of making Seasoned, is YOU, our listeners. Once a month, we open up the phone lines and talk with you about food stuff you’re passionate about: apple picking, barbecue, breweries, ice cream. This week on Seasoned: A look back at fun and informative moments from a year of live shows. You really do give the best recommendations. And, you ask great questions, too. Join...