Great show at Green Building Supply last night with Eric and Denyce Rusch of Breadtopia.  We consumed terrific red fife bread and cookies.  Thanks to both of them, and our sponsors GBS and Everybody's Whole Foods.  You can hear part of the discussion in the second half of the show on our "Iowa Cooks" segment.

The first half of the show features Alice Medritch, author of the new and highly-acclaimed book, Flavor Flours.  Join us.  Here is what Alice wrote to me about her book:

"The book is about new ingredients and a whole new approach to what people insist on calling Gluten Free, and I want to discuss why that is so, and what the advantage is of not thinking about these flours as merely substitutes.  This book is about broadening horizons and new tastes and textures.  The recipes are mostly quite easy, of course I have advice about how to best to succeed with the recipes, but there is not rocket science involved."  This is going to be a fascinating look into what up, until now, would be considered baking outside the box.

This Wednesday I welcome back to the show Matthew Kenney.  I have great admiration for Matthew.  In the 90's he was in the top tier of chefs as a chef/owner of Matthew's and other restaurants in New York City.  But, much to the dismay, confusion, and derision of many of his colleagues he changed course in the new century to become an untiring champion of the plant-based, raw food lifestyle.  He has applied his extensive classical training, modernist techniques, and experience to elevate raw food cuisine to a level that wows people at his restaurants, his culinary academy, and through numerous books.  Despite numerous overwhelming personal and business challenges, his commitment to educating the public about the benefits of a plant-based diet and lifestyle is unwavering.  

"I feel like I talked way too long," said author Rebecca Katz.  "I thought you would interrupt me if you needed to."

When what you have to say is not only fascinating, engaging, and critically important to anyone tuned into the show, why break in and disturb the flow.  That's exactly how I felt listening to Rebecca talk about her new book, The Healthy Mind Cookbook. My hope is you will take the time to listen to her.  I believe her approach to food, nutrition, and cooking can make the kitchen a safe place to experiment and grow in for those who presently are not comfortable there, and also broadens the perspective of seasoned cooks by introducing them to a wide variety of previously unthought of flavor possibilities.

Click READ MORE now!

Andi Mitchell, the author of the blog “Can You Stay for Dinner,” and the new book, It Was Me All Along kicks off this week’s show.  Andie’s book is the story of how she lost half her body weight, and learned that her life’s journey encompasses much more than the single issue of weight.  Her book is written in a straightforward style, and chronicles how her love of food also became her vehicle of choice to mask her emotional struggles.  It’s a look at how one woman took control of her life, achieved the immediate goal of weight loss, and applied that knowledge to become a mindful eater, and, in addition, grew to become cognizant of the many other complex issues that comprise our lives on this planet. 

Andie’s story is inspiring so I hope you’ll take the time to listen.  You can watch an interview with Andie on Good Morning America here.

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LA personal chef, Nick Trombetta, joined us for a LIVE Great Taste Tuesday night at Green Building Supply.  Nick put his Italian heritage into play showing us how to make rosemary focaccia and a perfect dish for a cold winter night, creamy polenta with three cheeses, shitake mushrooms, and bok choy.  I would be remiss if I didn't state that I'm not certain I have ever tasted and enjoyed a better polenta dish.  All the flavors married together for a sparkling taste experience that highlighted a very light and nuance touch with ingredients that can be extremely heavy.

You can listen to part one of the show with Nick at 7:00 pm Wednesday and the replay is at 7:00 am on Friday.  Part two airs on Wednesday, February 11 at 7:00 pm and again on Friday, February 13 at 7:00 am.  Don't forget:  Great Taste is LIVE and FREE with a cooking demo the first Tuesday of every month brought to you by Everybody's Whole Foods and Green Building Supply.

You can watch the entire show with Nick here, courtesy of Jason Strong and Fairfield Media Center.

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After two weeks on the road, I am more convinced than ever that ChefsFeed is the one go-to app to have on your smart phone if you want the best restaurant recommendations.  The content on the site is chef-driven, and top name chefs, too.  

The app is clearly focussed on presenting you concise information on where the best chefs like to eat, and what their favorite dishes are on the menu.  Jared Rivera, co-founder of ChefsFeed is my guest on the first half of the show.  Did you know that people can still get gout?  Listen in and find out how Jared and gout had two encounters.

Check out my article about the app in iPhone Life href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwSiBP2f272qRDVJSklsRDQ1cVk/view?usp=sharing">here.

Inspiring is the one word that comes to mind when I think about this week’s show.  Both of my guests inspire me, and I believe you, the listener, will feel the same way after tuning in.  It’s very easy to become cynical looking at the devastation of our natural resources, and the plundering of the environment that goes on in a world dominated by industrial agriculture in the guise of feeding the ever-growing population of human beings.  I think a little cynicism may have just snuck through in the previous sentence.  BUT…..Deborah Madison and Fred Kirschenmann, through their words and actions, can pull us out of that dark spot where it’s too easy to become enmeshed in futility, and turn our attention to the immense change that is the reality of the present and future cultivation of our planet.  

It’s an honor to welcome Deborah back to the show.  We’re planning to talk seasonally so she can offer insights into what fresh foods  play well with the weather.  Though we have a variety of micro climates in the lower 48 states there are plenty of foods that are either grown locally or easy to find at the market or store that represent the changing seasons on our plate.  For decades Deborah has championed the use of local/regional produce, and showcased that world in numerous award-winning cookbooks like Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, and Vegetable Literacy.  In this visit, we’ll focus our discussion on the abundance of delights still available in the autumn, and provide some assistance for home cooks to not only expand their repertoire, but revel in the experience.

During our “Iowa Cooks” segment, Fred Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, and President of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in New York, provides a vision of how significant positive change is not only already in motion in the cultivation and production of our food, but why it is inevitable.

Other than spending time with family members, the most fulfilling moments for me are when I get to cook, talk, and eat with friends.  I hope you enjoy listening in on the GREAT TASTE conversation this week with Sabitha Sawhney, assistant professor of business at Maharishi University of Management, and proprietor/chef of Sabi's Cafe, and Sonia Vera, a courtroom interpreter who helped us learn some basic Columbian dishes. 

Sabitha and Sonia's food and philosophies of cooking are both dear to my heart and stomach.  Thanks to Dori Rector and my wife, too for helping out in the kitchen. Dori's Colombian bean soup was extraordinary.  The link to the basic recipe is below, but she added a bit more garlic and salt, a leek, and substituted three whole chipotle chilis for the ham hocks.

Originally aired 20140409.

http://www.food.com/recipe/frijoles-paisas-colombian-pinto-beans-432225

Opening Segment of the show-How to Restore the Body's Natural Balance with Dr. Suhas G. Kshirsagar

And our second segment-"Iowa Cooks"-Astred Griffin Wants YOU to Eat Her Quiche!

Our LIVE show at Green Building Supply Tuesday night featured the creative mind and cooking skills of Astred Griffin.  On the menu: quiche in both veggie and vegan versions and both iterations were organic and gluten-free. Vegan quiche is something I had never tried, but Astred's version was  great.  Click READ MORE now!

Tune in to the video stream of the hour we spent at Green Building Supply on the Fairfield Media Center site or listen to the show on KRUU, Wednesday,January 7th at 7 pm, rebroadcast Friday, January 9 at 7 am.  A special "THANKS" to Jason Strong for engineering the event.  Also, a salute to Everybody's Whole Foods for contributing the terrific ingredients our cooks use to create the great tastes in the GBS kitchen.

NEXT WEEK GREAT TASTE IS "LIVE" ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 6 AT GREEN BUILDING SUPPLY-7:00 PM

GREAT TASTE gets a bit scientific this week as we explore the role food plays in feeding the brain.  It seems funny that little attention is paid to this particularly important part of the physiology in the course of general food discussions.  We're always talking about how a particular food affects the functioning of other organs or usually conversing about the sensory titillations we experience when eating.  But, our brain serves as the central hub for everything that happens to us processing information through as many as 1 quadrillion synaptic connections.