Feeding People

Chi Chi Okwu, Content Producer and Host of The Next Question web series, joins Amy at the table to talk about race, black and white women in friendship and how wholehearted living for everyone requires every person doing the work. Mentioned on the Show: Chi Chi’s first appearance on Feeding People (season 1) EverThrive Illinois The Next Question   Follow: Chi Chi on Instagram Chi Chi on Twitter Amy on Instagram Amy on Twitter Feeding People on Facebook Sunday Supper Church on Instagram Feeding People Patreon Page

Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann shares her journey from growing up on the south side of Chicago to her decision to found Mishkan Chicago, a spiritual community "reclaiming Judaism’s inspiration and transformative essence,” and which seeks to “resonate with the next generation, as well as people who have felt on the fringes of the Jewish community.” Rabbi Lizzi also discusses the role that food—and sitting around the table with others who might be different from each other—plays in the life of the Mishkan community, as well as all of our lives.   Mentioned on the Show:  Hillel @ Stanford IKAR PICO California Diaspora Dinners Spacca Napoli Pizzeria Gather   Follow: Mishkan on Instagram Mishkan on Twitter Mishkan on Facebook Mishkan on YouTube Amy on Instagram Amy on Twitter Feeding People on Facebook Sunday Supper Church on Instagram Feeding People Patreon Page

Dominique Leach, chef and owner of Lexington Betty Smokehouse, makes her second appearance on the show and shares with Amy the challenges and joys of opening her first restaurant, her commitment to be herself, and the importance of supporting black-owned restaurants.   Mentioned on the Show:  Lexington Betty Smokehouse Dominique’s first appearance on Feeding People (Season 1) Truth Italian Batters and Berries Sweet Maple Cafe Egg Rolls Etc Tips and Toes Bowen’s Pizza   Follow: Dominique on Facebook Lexington Betty Smokehouse on Facebook Lexington Betty Smokehouse on Instagram Amy on Instagram Amy on Twitter Feeding People on Facebook Sunday Supper Church on Instagram Patreon Page   Episode Credits: Produced by Kelly Dolan Music by Matt Troup  Additional Equipment provided by Justin Campbell

Cookbook author and podcast host Julia Turshen discusses the crucial role food played during the Civil Rights Movement and the Stonewall Uprising, the unifying human connection that cooking creates, and the correlation between her Jewish identity and her love of food, eating, and gathering together for meals.   Show Notes   Mentioned on the Show:  Keep Calm and Cook On with Julia Turshen Feed the Resistance  Now and Again Small Victories  Equity at the Table Georgia Gilmore  Cheryl Day The Jewish Cookbook Angel Food East  Sunday Supper Church   Follow: Julia’s Website Julia on Instagram Julia on Twitter Amy on Instagram Amy on Twitter Feeding People on Facebook Sunday Supper Church on Instagram Patreon Page   Episode Credits: Produced by Kelly Dolan Music by Matt Troup Additional Equipment provided by Justin Campbell

Amy talks with Emily Scott, the former founding pastor of St. Lydia’s dinner church in Brooklyn and the current founding pastor of Dreams and Visions in Baltimore, on the connection between food and spirituality, centering church around the practice of the table and the beautiful nature of seeing the humanity in each other when sharing a meal. Mentioned on the Show:  St. Lydia’s  St. Gregory’s  Sunday Supper Church Dinner Church Movement  Give to Dreams and Visions Shelter (write “LGBTQ shelter” in the memo line) Emily’s Book For All Who Hunger Follow: Emily’s Website Emily on Facebook Emily on Instagram Amy on Instagram Amy on Twitter Feeding People on Facebook Sunday Supper Church on Instagram Patreon Page

After much reflection (and hesitation), Amy shares her journey towards embracing her identity as a home cook—how someone without formal training can still be a great cook and feed people with great love.

Amy talks with Rudy Garrett, Co-Deputy Director of Chicago Votes, on connecting her passion for food with her profession in politics. Rudy also shares her perspective on engaging at tables with people you disagree, and the simple mind shift we can make when engaging volunteers to ensure they have what they need to do their work.

Amy talks with film and television producer Abby Davis about how she’s becoming comfortable in her Korean identity, what the entertainment industry in Los Angeles highlighted for her about body image, as well as how she currently centers business meetings around meals and cares for herself through prepping meals on Sundays.

Amy talks with Chef Nicole Pederson, Director of Culinary Arts at Center on Halsted, about her passion for connecting food and community. Nicole shares how her 20 year journey as a chef—working at Gramercy Tavern in New York City, and Lula Cafe and Marcus Samuelsson’s C-House in Chicago—led her to train unemployed and under-employed people within the LGBTQ community how to cook and find work in Chicago restaurants.

Amy reflects on Season 2 of Feeding People, announces the launch of the show’s brand new Patreon page and discusses ways to help create Season 3 together.

Amy talks with longtime friend Sarah Deardorff Miller, Senior Fellow at Refugees International, about the current refugee and family separation situation in the U.S., the role of food in the refugee resettlement process and the ways which Sarah has experienced beautiful hospitality as she has eaten food all around the world.

Amy talks with Emma Brewster and Joe Lindsay, owners of David’s Delicatessen & Coffee, about the importance of sourcing local food in their restaurant, their famous Corned Beef Off that brings the community together, and their desire to create a welcoming, one-of-kind experience for all who walk through their doors.

Amy talks with Zuri Thompson, the founder and director of Pearly Peas, a program designed to feed seniors living in food insecure communities nutritious food. Zuri shares how she found her passion for food and feeding seniors, as well as how she currently sees cooking food for family and friends as her most important work.

In celebration of Pride month, Chicago artist and activist Darren Calhoun shares his experience as a black, Christian, gay man and encourages us to embrace change and healing close to home. (This episode was recorded live at Sunday Supper Church, June 23, 2019.)

After participating in the Food and Faith event alongside one hundred interfaith leaders, politicians, climate change experts and farmers, host Amy Dolan shares her inspiring and life-changing experience and how she plans to connect her learnings on land, labor and food with her life and work. The conference was presented by the Methodist Theological School of Ohio, Center for Earth Ethics, The Climate Reality Project and the Ohio State University Initiative for Food and Agricultural Transformation (InFACT).

Amy talks with Wendy Zeldin, the 61st Street Farmers Market Manager and Food Educator, about Jewish grandmothers, food accessibility and her hope that the Chicago agricultural scene will grow to provide access for all to healthy, affordable, good food.

Host Amy Dolan and her husband, Kelly, share their story of infertility, and the role of food and tables in times of grief and loss.

Amy talks with Maui Jones, Founder and Artistic Director of Echo Theater Collective, about their shared love of ketchup on hot dogs, how food shapes connection and healing, and their dissatisfaction with the institutional church and its upholding of white supremacist ideals.

Musician, artist and social justice activist Dan Stanford reflects on how his family’s relationship to meal time shaped his current thinking about food, as well as how sharing a meal with someone and sitting at the table eye to eye with others provides equalization in a world of social imbalances.

In this first episode of Season 2, school administrator Dr. Erica Bauer joins Amy for a meaningful conversation around the power dynamics that exist at every table, and how her experiences growing up shaped the way she approaches food and justice work today.

Amy reflects on the first season of Feeding People, plays messages recorded by listeners, shares some thoughts about season two, and gives all the details for the $50 restaurant gift card giveaway!

Lifestyle and brand photographer Jenn Gaudreau joins Amy for a laughter-filled conversation about the seasonality of food, Jenn’s unique perspective on the intentionality of food and gatherings, and how her recent spiritual journey has helped her discover the way food allows each of us to be more mindful of the present moment.

Writer, communicator and performer Caleb Johnson recounts how he reconstructed his life from the ground up after coming out to his pastor and losing his job at the church. Caleb shares with Amy how that experience led to greater bravery at the table and the kinds of people he seeks to sit at the table with each day.

Danielle Tubbs, CEO of Tubby’s Taste, joins Amy for a discussion about how her family, which she describes as “Jamaican cake ladies on one side and a host of African-American foodies on the other,” shaped her earliest memories of food and how even with that foundation, she finds herself surprised to be running a vegan dessert company. She also talks about the upcoming anniversary of her father’s death and the role it played in starting Tubby’s Taste.

Chef Brian Wolters sits down with Amy to discuss his journey through the culinary world of Chicago—restaurants, hotels and catering. He reflects on the amount of food wasted within the industry, and the way he currently feeds and leads people as Pastor Chef of Sunday Supper Church.

Amy shares a meal with Dominique Leach, owner and chef of Lexington Betty Smokehouse. Joined at the table by her wife Tanisha, Dominique discusses how she discovered—through tragedy and triumph—her life's purpose to gather people.

Host Amy Dolan and Co-Producer (and husband) Kelly Dolan reflect on what has been most meaningful to them in the first half of season 1, what has most surprised them, and what's in store for the future of the show. Amy and Kelly also provide a behind-the-scenes look at the creation, planning and production of Feeding People.

Chicago artist and advocate Darren Calhoun sits down with Amy to talk about food justice and the ways each of us can make space for the needs of others at the dinner tables, church tables and boards room tables in our lives. Darren describes how being given food choices during his childhood complicated his visits with extended family, but also shaped the way he thinks about the choices we give to others. Darren also makes is case against cilantro and for Giordano’s pizza.

In this very special episode, Amy’s Mom (Mari Ann) and Aunt (Myra) join her at the table to celebrate Hanukkah, and to discuss their Jewish culture of food and family. Having spent their childhood Friday nights at their grandparents’ table, they talk about the importance of now inviting people into their homes, how they’ve learned to host alongside their spouses, and they encourage listeners to worry less and simply enjoy the magic of the table.

Rosario Wolters, a former pastry chef, discusses how her mom’s generosity and creativity in the kitchen, while living on food stamps, inspired her love of food and belief in the abundance of the table—that when you share food, food and love will be returned to you. Rosario recounts her journey through culinary school and working in Chicago restaurants, including meeting her husband (also a chef) during her first internship. Rosario reminds listeners of the importance of inviting people to our homes, being present and enjoying the company rather than worrying about having the best food or the cleanest house.

Rich Havard, Executive Director of the Inclusive Collective, discusses how his mom’s southern cooking influenced his love of food and caused him to create environments for people to eat. In his work hosting beautiful dinners every Sunday night for people experiencing homelessness, he shares the importance of connecting and having fun around the table as you  eat with people of different ages, ethnicities and socio-economic status.

Chi Chi Okwu joins the show to discuss how Nigerian culture and her childhood growing up in Alabama influenced her love of food and desire to intentionally gather people and feed them great meals. We talk about creating opportunities for people to know they belong, and starting with what you have—whether a couch, table, or kitchen island. Chi Chi reminds us that life is too short not to eat great food with great people.

In this introduction to the podcast, Amy Dolan shares how she went from a lonely non-cook to a pastor of a dinner church and host of regular dinner parties in her home. Inspired by Rachael Ray, Amy learned to cook by practicing on her friends and family, and inviting people over as often as possible to her tiny Chicago apartment. Alongside husband Kelly Dolan, Amy now hosts and cooks for people as an expression of love, and as a connection to her faith. Join Amy each week as she sits down with guests who are feeding people in a million different ways, and be inspired to invite someone to the table for conversation and good soul connection.