Smy Goodness Podcast : Food History & Food Art

A look at one of the most loved and iconic shapes of all time and one of our favourite shapes to eat. From the history of the heart shape and its links to plants both sacred and extinct. To how it has become so entwined with the anatomy, metaphor and symbolism of the human heart, emotions of love. Points of discussion include Aristotle's History of Animals, Pierre Vinken's The Shape of the Heart,...

This week is the first in a series of episodes about foods, ingredients, different things that I couldn't do without a series I'm calling: Smy Fundamentals. I will look at things that I use everyday, things I swear by, things that I'm constantly suggesting to people or…things that I share with people when they ask me, "what's your secret for x, y or z?" First up!…is something I am so particular ab...

I'm back after quite the hiatus to share with you a bit about why I've been absent and the epiphany that led to my making a Galette des Rois and what makes this Twelfth Night/King Cake so special...and so tasty. I'll share my experience making one, a bit of the history behind it and the surprising treat buried within it. There's a look at my culinary bible Larousse Gastronomique and memories of th...

Gimme a break, gimme a break - break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar - it's the food history and food art of the Kit Kat. My next episode will be followed up with a much deeper look at cacao. This episode is a bit of a departure as it's the first time I have featured a brand. It was inspired by my dear friend Michiru and her recent gift of a pack of assorted Japanese Kit Kats and will start wit...

With this episode I'm going straight to my interview with today's guest - Maddalena Ghezzi. Maddalena is a musician, singer, composer, artist and improviser. She has been working in the field of jazz, improvised and experimental music since moving to the UK in 2009 and her work draws inspiration from the natural world, literature, visual arts and the socio-political status of our world. Here we ch...

I chat with one of my dearest friends, award-winning writer and artist Kurt Cole Eidsvig.  Kurt has been featured in The Boston Globe, The Improper Bostonian, NBC, CBS, and ABC and loads more prestigious places. We will talk about his new book OxyContin for Breakfast, his previous book Pop X Poetry, his visual art, inspirations and how food factors in to all of the above. We will chat about his co...

Vinegar depictions range from fanciful stories relating to it, appearances in still life paintings to the different stages of its production and enjoyment. Vinegar is a symbol of preservation, of hard work and longevity and being cleansed. It's found in religious stories, fables, stories of love, war, money and death…basically all aspects of the human experience. Featuring artworks such as the Thr...

Vinegar is a vital addition to popular dishes, condiments and beverages from around the world. It has as many uses outside of the kitchen as it does in it and is a staple ingredient of many natural or home remedies. There are countless health benefits that are associated with it and the varieties are endless - from bayberry, bamboo, black, brown and balsamic and one that is famously described as w...

I am sharing and processing some of my thoughts and experiences of racism as a woman of colour. Covering examples of racist imagery in food history and amazing representation, examples of racist imagery in art and amazing representation in art. Covering racial stereotypes, Ava DuVernay and the documentary 13th, Mixed Girl Meetup, Birth of a Nation, , fried chicken, watermelon, stereotypes, micro-a...

In a special edition of Smy Goodness Podcast - Quarantine Catch-up we chat with Aimée Furnival of Another Studio, the London design studio specialising in Plant Gifts and Playful Products. Aimée featured in the Smy Goodness Podcast Ep5 Pancakes and Creativity which looked at the food history and food art relating to pancakes all whilst we chatted about creativity, similarities between cooking and...

Across the world and throughout myths, legends and religious texts pomegranates have been symbolic of wealth, fertility and good luck. The pomegranate has been a popular feature and motif in artworks, literature, ceremonies and culinary offerings from all over the world. A modern day superfood yes…but people throughout time and place have known of its health benefits. From stories of Agdistis, Per...

Exploring the historical links between food and fashion plus a chat with fashion designer and artist Emilio de la Morena. Emilio was my very first guest for Episode 1 which was all about quince and now he's my latest guest for Episode 30! We discuss his latest creative endeavours as a painter; the fashion and food events we have been hosting and how food and fashion inspire us both. Connected sinc...

They are associated with luxury but historically this has not always been the case. They live in all oceans, yet I am partial and prejudiced to those from New England. Today it's the food history and food art of lobster. My guest Greg Weekes shares his insight and stories as a Cape Cod Lobsterman. Their form and colour have inspired artists throughout the ages. There's art from the Moche civilisat...

Heat from the body can soften it making it more pliable and chewy. Chewy is a key word around its etymology. It's a tree sap that is dried in the sun from only one place, the Greek island of Chios. It's all about mastic, or mastiha in Greek or by it's poetic name Tears of Chios. I'll look at its history, rarity, value and its many uses. There's art by Émile Bayard, Elisabetta Duminuco and Clémenti...

"Marine Style" flask with octopus, Aegean Civilisation of Crete, the Late Minoan Bronze Age from c. 1500-1450 BC Throughout the world and throughout time, people and cultures have both revered and feared this eight-limbed, legendary Cephalopod - the octopus. We'll look at the mythology and folklore of the octopus, their physiology and behaviour; which all strengthen their reputation as symbols of...

Orso Tosco, author of Aspettando i Naufraghi This episode it's the zucchini aka the courgette and their stunningly beautiful flowers. As my guest was Orso Tosco, the Italian author who has just published his novel, Aspettando I Naufraghi. For his topic Orso chose fiori di zucca or courgette/zucchini flowers as they feature in his novel and are one of his favourite dishes. As we will see there is a...

          This episode looks at where rhubarb came from and how it traveled the world. I look at the changes from how rhubarb was first used by humans to how it is enjoyed today. We'll learn about the etymology of rhubarb, the need for albarelli drug jars and then there's the utterly interesting link between rhubarb and the Zoroastrian creation myth. I'll share why the culinary tradition of Forced...

At Christmas-time and New Year we drink more of it than ever and it seems perfectly acceptable to be cracking open bottles of bubbly before noon or anytime you have guests round. It's also the perfect gift to bring round, a ribbon tied round the iconic bottle. Bubbly is a great aperitif, can finish off a meal, be paired with liqueurs or drank on its own. Those bubbles can go straight to ones head…...

This mini-episode is just a little taster, chocolate will get a FULL ON episode in the future, here we are just focusing on Christmas chocolates such as chocolate coins, chocolate tins and trays. From its roots in South and Central America cacao has created joy and good tidings everywhere it has gone and we love to gift it, share it and gorge on it at Christmas. yougov.uk did a really snazzy poll...