Eat Your Heartland Out

This week, I am revisiting interviews with six James Beard Award nominees and winners I have welcomed to the show over the last five years.  Never would I have thought that I would be among this esteemed group! That's right, I am a 2025 James Beard Awards Broadcast Media nominee! Tune in to this special episode to learn more about my journey and the journey of these six culinary powerhouses. Heritage Radio Network is a listener-supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This week, Eat Your Heartland Out is sharing the show with two podcast hosts who use their microphones to amplify the stories of American agriculture. Join Capri in conversation with Rodger Wasson, host of Farm To Table Talk, and Dana DiPrima, host of the One Bite is Everything podcast.Heritage Radio Network is a listener-supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This week, the show welcomes two guests who capture the power of farmland preservation. Angie Doucette is the Midwest Senior Farmland Program Manager at American Farmland Trust. She is joined by Kyle Zwieg, owner of Zwieg's Maple Acres in Wisconsin. Angie and Kyle discuss how the work of American Farmland Trust helps protect farms and food sources for generations to come.Heritage Radio Network is a listener-supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Len Senater is the founder of The Depanneur. The Dep, as many call it, is a place and a concept that has evolved over more than a decade. It has had several iterations, including housing a corner store and cafe and even the inspiration for a nonprofit lifting up newcomers to Canada. The Dep has served as a showcase of the incredible culinary diversity that makes up Toronto's food culture by hosting thousands of unique, public, and private food events from supper clubs and cooking classes to table talks, brunches, and more.Heritage Radio Network is a listener-supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Jessica Allen is probably best known as one of the co-hosts of CTV's popular daytime talk show, The Social. But this St. Thomas, Ontario,  native also has a reputation for being a bit of a foodie. From working in restaurants to writing about food, relationships, and pop culture, you will hear Jess' excitement over food shine through.Heritage Radio Network is a listener-supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This week, we are travelling back to the American Midwest, where I will chat with Cincinnati-based James Beard nominated chef Jose Salazar. And we will revisit my 2024 interview with Chicago-based James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Mindy Segal.Heritage Radio Network is a listener-supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

We are back with another episode about Canadian food culture in our limited series, More Than Maple. This show brings us out to Manitoba where I meet historians and authors Janis Thiessen and Kimberley Moore.Janis discusses the stories she discovered behind some of Canada's favorite snack foods and talks about how she, along with Kimberly, embarked on a journey to learn about Manitoba food culture.You may be surprised by what you learn in this episode. Spoiler alert: there are some Midwestern connections you may not see coming!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

We are continuing our limited series about Canadian food culture, More Than Maple. This week, I welcome two guests who share their respective lived experiences in food justice and bringing indigenous cuisine to a wider audience in Western Canada. Meet  BC-based food systems activist Abra Brynne, and Chef Brittany Stoney of Bernadette's, an Indigenous restaurant in Edmonton, Alberta.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

We are back with another episode that is part of our limited series about Canadian food culture, More Than Maple. This week we are traveling from the Maritimes to the Prairies to learn about important programs serving the unique food security and job training needs of communities in Newfoundland & Labrador and Alberta. Josh Smee and Laurel Huget join us from Food First NL and Anca Roman joins us from EthniCity Catering and Cafe in Calgary.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This is another episode that is part of our limited series about Canadian food culture. Meet Chef Tammy Maki, pastry chef and founder of Raven Rising Chocolate, and Inez Cook, owner of the Salmon and Bannock restaurants and catering company. Both women share their inspiring stories of exploring their Indigenous identity while building successful food businesses in the process.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

We are kicking off a limited series of episodes about Canadian food culture. Much like Midwestern foodways, Canada's food landscape offers much more than meets the eye…much more than maple! Get an introduction to Canadian foodways with guests David Szanto, a freelance academic in food studies, and Kesia Kvill, an independent food historian focused on Canadian Foodways. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

In this episode, we are embracing the culture of fairs and festivals across the Midwest. Meet Haylie Robinson, executive producer and host of the TV series Finding Festivals. Then, we reach back into the archives for a conversation with Marla Calico, President & CEO of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions and  a chat with Catherine Lambrecht to learn about a state fair recipe competition.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This week we are saluting two women who have brought their unique talents to North Dakota's food and drink scene. I will introduce you to Elena Silvestru Martinez, an immigrant from Moldova who has turned her passion for cooking into teaching kids kitchen skills. And, hear from Susan Ruud, President and Mead Maker at Prairie Rose Meadery.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This week we are heading out to the prairies of North Dakota to learn about the marvels of honey and many of its sweet uses. Meet John Miller, the man driving his family's migratory beekeeping business. Then, learn how Jason Kesselring uses honey in the mead he makes at the North Dakota vineyards that bare his name.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This week we are talking about the power of food with Minnesota based baker, scientist, and dessert curator Dr. Altreisha Foster. Dr. Foster is also an author, entrepreneur, and the founder of the Cake Therapy Foundation, which aims to use baking as a tool of empowerment and resilience. We will also revisit an episode from the archives that dives into culinary arts therapy with social workers Julie Ohana and Courtney Fields Fuciarelli.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This week we are taking a trip back in time to two farms that offer immersive historic culinary experiences. First, we will visit with the team at Living History Farms in Iowa, who run several dinners that reflect authentic experiences of community members from days gone by. Then, it's off to Indiana to visit Conner Prairie, where historic interpreters bring yesterday's cooking skills to modern day students.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Meet Kaydee Riggs-Johnson, one of the superstar women behind Ladybird Brewing in Winfield, Kansas. Kaydee and her partner Laura Riggs-Johnson bring a sense of community to their main street brewery. And, we also revisit an episode from the archives with Wisconsin-based Mary Pellettieri, founder of Top Note Tonic.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This week, I'm going to introduce you to two women whose businesses I discovered while on the road filming my TV series America The Bountiful in Kansas and Michigan. In Wichita, meet Tricia Holmes, who grew up in the produce business and founded Holmes Made Salsa. And in Traverse City, meet Heather Burson, who started Third Coast Bakery to make tasty desserts available to those with dietary restrictions.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This week, we head to the Windy City to meet two individuals who have brought their own twist to the Chicago food scene. James Beard award winning pastry chef Mindy Segal introduces us to the bakery that bears her name. And, Chef Max Robbins, Culinary Director at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, shares his perspective on the evolution of what defines “Midwestern Cuisine.”Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

The show welcomes two food entrepreneurs whose work is rooted in a deep sense of purpose. Six years ago, Sara Kubiak founded the Vanilla Bean Project, a company driven by commitment to regenerative business practices. And, Jason Noel is Chief Operating Officer of Abbott's Candy, the oldest confectionery in Indiana that prides itself on preserving tradition.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

We travel to the Land of Lincoln to visit Scratch Brewing Company, where brewer and co-owner Marika Josephson gives us a taste of what inspires their unique brewing style that incorporates botanicals and local forged ingredients. Then it's over to Springfield to meet Amy Beadle, marketing manager of the town's convention and visitor bureau, who introduces us to the famed horseshoe sandwich that Springfield put on the map.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This episode celebrates the diverse Middle Eastern flavors that are part of the Midwestern culinary landscape. Meet Zehorit Heilicher, a Yemenite raised in Israel who is now a Minnesota based culinary instructor behind the website mideasttomidwest.com. And, get a taste of Galit, a Middle Eastern fine dining restaurant in Chicago. I will talk with their co-owner and chef, James Beard Award winner Zach Engel.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Meet Sabrina Servais, a third-generation farmer and the herd manager at Hamburg Hills, an organic dairy farm and part of the Organic Valley co-op located in Wisconsin. After earning her degree at UW-Madison, she returned to her roots on the farm where she has been caring for animals since she was a child. Sabrina is leading the way for a new generation of young women in farming.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Join us for a deep dive into Iowa's culinary culture with food historian, author, and Iowa storyteller Darcy Maulsby. We go beyond corn and pork tenderloins to explore everything from indigenous farming traditions to how the chop suey craze swept Des Moines in the early 20th Century.As an Iowa Storyteller, Darcy believes anyone who eats has a connection to the things she's passionate about, including food, farming, and history. Darcy writes about the food-to-fork connection for clients through her non-fiction books, including “A Culinary History of Iowa”, “Classic Restaurants of Des Moines and Their Recipes,” and "Iowa Agriculture: A History of Farming, Family and Food."Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This episode is a personal one. I'm going to introduce you to my new TV series coming to PBS member stations nationwide starting in April. America The Bountiful aims to capture the nation's cultural story by using food as a guide. I will be joined by the show's director and fellow executive producer Jesse Roesler of Minneapolis-based Credo Nonfiction. And, expect some other special interviews with guests who have previously appeared on Eat Your Heartland Out and will now be featured in America The Bountiful.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Cheese is the star of this episode of the show. I speak with anthropologist and author Heather Paxson. Her book, The Life of Cheese: Crafting Food and Value in America, tells the cultural and economic story of cheese. Then I will introduce you to Andy Hatch, proprietor and master cheesemaker at Uplands Cheese in Wisconsin, for a front row seat to Farmstead Cheesemaking.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This show features two guests who are creating new culinary experiences in their respective Midwest communities and beyond. Meet Nikki Thompson Frazier, the founder of Sweet Encounter Bakery, which aims to create an inclusive dining experience for people with dietary restrictions. And, get to know Erin Carlman Weber, the founder, owner, and operator of All Together Now, a social gathering space in Chicago offering wine, cheese, and much more.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This episode features two guests who are journalists by trade, that forged a path as stewards of Midwestern storytelling. Meet James Norton, the editor and co-founder of the Heavy Table based in the Twin Cities; and Amanda Gajdosik, the founder of the Midwest Nice blog.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Meet Kim Laing, the Indiana woman behind the blog and podcast More Than Corn, as well as Staci Perry Mergenthal, creator of the Funeral Potatoes and Wool Mittens podcast and the Random Sweets blog.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Meet James Norton, founder of Heavy Table, a Minneapolis-St. Paul based magazine and newsletter highlighting the food, drink and culture of the Upper Midwest. James is also the is the co-author of the The Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin and Lake Superior Flavors, a book which takes readers on a tasty road trip through the Lake Superior Circle Tour.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This show is the second and final episode in our series about unique agricultural and food education programs based in the Midwest. We will return to Kalamazoo Valley Community College to discuss their Sustainable Brewing program with instructor Aaron Ross and will learn more about the KVCC Culinary Arts and Brewing Program with its Director Stephanie Hughes-Winfrey and culinary instructor Joel Boone.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This show highlights some unique agricultural and food education programs based in the Midwest. Learn about the work of the Iowa Dairy Center, where community members and students at Northeastern Iowa Community College use the center as their own learning lab. And, we explore how Kalamazoo Valley Community College is training a new generation of sustainable ag and culinary leaders. Meet Mariah Busta, the Dairy Center Coordinator at the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation. Additionally, meet the team from KVCC; Kate Miller, the Director of Career and Continuing Education, Lizzie Luchsinger, the coordinator of the Community Culinary & Nutrition program, Rachel Bair, the Director for Sustainable Food Systems and Agrifoods, and Culinary Arts Instructor Kyle Mitchell.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Get to know two women with a connection to the Midwest who are both are blazing a trail in their own unique way. Mary Pellettieri, founder of Top Note Tonic, talks about her journey from being in the early wave of female craft beer brewers to founding her craft tonic and soda company in 2017. And, Elizabeth Poett discusses how her life on a cattle ranch inspired her to author a new cookbook. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This episode is all about cookbooks that celebrate the flavors and culture of the Midwest. Paul Fehribach joins the show to discuss his new cookbook, "Midwestern Food: A Chef's Guide to the Surprising History of a Great American Cuisine, with More Than 100 Tasty Recipes." And, we welcome Amy Thielen back to the program to chat about her newest cookbook, "Company: The Radical Art of Cooking for Others." Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Meet two people who are helping innovate how consumers access fresh food. Market Wagon co-founder Nick Carter joins the program to discuss how this virtual farmer's market helps strengthen agriculture and small business while providing fresh, quality food to its customers And, Emily Stucker, VP of Menu at Farmer's Fridge, tell us how her team helps make eating well easy, even when you're on the go. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This week, the show travels to Kansas to explore some hidden cultural gems in the state.We head to Heartland Farm, a retreat founded 35 years ago by the Dominican Sisters of Peace with an aim to address the challenges of its rural Midwestern community. Site Director Sister Jane Belanger, Marketing Director Teresa Johnson, and Farm Manager Terra Crawford share how they welcome volunteers from far and wide to run a farm that promotes holistic well-being through agriculture.And, we take the show to Topeka, the home of Fiesta Topeka, a celebration of Mexican-American heritage that has spanned decades. We meet the festival's publicity chair Marisol Marcelo and captain of the event's kitchen Ginny Barron Jaramillo.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Paul Fehribach is the chef-owner of Big Jones in Chicago. He joins the show to discuss his new cookbook, "Midwestern Food: A Chef's Guide to the Surprising History of a Great American Cuisine, with More Than 100 Tasty Recipes."Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Meet Michigan-based clinical social worker Julie Ohana and Ontario, Canada-based social worker Courtney Fields Fuciarelli as they discuss how they both use food as part of their therapeutic behavioral health practices and how food and cooking could become more prevalent as part of mental health treatment in the future.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Market Wagon is an innovative model connecting farmers, makers, and producers with consumers. Co-founder Nick Carter joins the program to discuss how this virtual farmer's market helps strengthen agriculture and small business while providing fresh, quality food to its customers.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

This week we're checking out some fun and unique food festivals in Nebraska and Kansas. Local fairs and festivals have great value to small communities, attracting visitors from far and wide and celebrating something special about the area. Come with me as I say "OH YEAHHH" to Kool Aid Days, visit with Popeye at the Lenexa Spinach Festival, get a taste of Czech pastry at Verdigre Kolache Days, and take a bite out of Nebraska City's Applejack Festival.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

On this episode, I'm celebrating food from my home state of Ohio. I will introduce you to Chicago native and Ohio transplant Renee Casteel Cook. Renee is the author of the Columbus Food Truck Cookbook, Ohio Ice Cream, and Ohio Buckeye Candy. Since we are talking about one of Ohio's most legendary sweets, The Buckeye, I also welcome Alicia Hindman, better known as The Buckeye Lady, to the show for a deep dive into what makes the Buckeye candy so special.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.

Meet two female culinary stars in the Midwest who have made a nationwide name for themselves. Grace Goudie, who competed on Chopped in 2022, is the Executive Chef of Scratchboard Kitchen in Chicago. Lisa Ludwinski is the founder of Sister Pie in Detroit and authored a cookbook by the same name.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Eat Your Heartland Out by becoming a member!Eat Your Heartland Out is Powered by Simplecast.