Cook Local, Eat Local David Crowley

In this episode, host David Crowley from Cooking Chat talks with local entrepreneur, Joshua Reed-Diawuoh, about his business that focuses on importing cashews from small, sustainable producers in West Africa. He then prepares them to sell as tasty, healthy snacks.

In this episode, we cover:

How Josh's visits to West Africa inspired the creation of GRIA Food Co. Why the typical business model of large food importers don't lead to a sustainable living for local farmers in Africa. Josh's approach to identifying small producers of cashews in West Africa that use sustainable practices. The variety of cashew snack flavors that GRIA Food Co. offers. Nutritional benefits of snacking on cashews. Where you can purchase GRIA Food Co. snacks in the Boston area and online. How Commonwealth Kitchen supports local food entrepreneurs like Josh, as part of their mission to promote equity and inclusive entrepreneurship.  Information on the Fairtrade standard.
While the cashews come from Africa, far away from us here in Boston, this episode picks up on themes we cover on Cooking Chat such as sustainability and supporting small farmers and food entrepreneurs.

In this episode, host David Crowley from Cooking Chat talks with Alessandra Macaluso from Live for the Season about her tips for winter seasonal cooking and other ways lean into seasonality.

How growing up in a large Italian family contributed to Alessandra's early interest in cooking.
Alessandra's passion for seasonal cooking and her overall focus on seasonality.
Background behind the blog, "Live for the Season," which emphasizez the importance of living in tune with each season and embracing seasonal ingredients.
How Alessandra's interest in seasonal cooking deepened after having children, leading her to research and create a cookbook titled "What a Good Eater".
Ways that her cooking in winter draws upon Chinese medicine principles, and ingredients she suggests using based on these ideas.
Ideas for keeping fresh local produce in the mix during winter, including growing a tower garden in your home.
Information about the Healthy Holiday Challenge that Alessandra is running.

In today's episode, host David Crowley from Cooking Chat talks with Chef Jen Murray about her ideas for our final CSA veggies of 2023 - delicata squash, Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. We also learn more about the Wine and Dine classes she teaches and other culinary services she offers.
This episode covers:

How Jen's family inspired her passion for food and wine. The story of how Jen switched careers to focus on culinary arts. Ideas for preparing and serving Brussels sprouts. A recipe for delicata squash. The Wine and Dine classes that Jen teaches at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. Things to make with sweet potatoes. Wine pairing ideas for the vegetables discussed. Services Jen offers through her business, The Urban Chef Inc.

In Episode 30, host David Crowley from Cooking Chat talks with Mike Cleavenger from The Frizzled Leek about his ideas for cherry tomatoes, scallions and delicata squash. We also hear about his ideas for using appliances such as an air fryer for convenient preparation of local food.

In this episode, we cover:

How Mike got interested in cooking at an early age. Gaining a foundation of classic cooking techniques at culinary school. How to use an air fryer for slow roasted tomatoes. Ways to prepare a delicata squash. Mike's motivation for starting The Frizzled Leek website and what it offers home cooks. How an air fryer and sous vide preparations can help with dinner prep. His tips for grilling scallions.

In this episode, host David Crowley from Cooking Chat talks with Chef Joe Carli, the Chef / Owner at  A Tavola restaurant in Winchester, Massachusetts. They talk about Chef Joe's ideas for heirloom tomatoes, corn and eggplants. We also learn more about his approach to cooking with local seasonal ingredients at the restaurant.
Topics covered in this episode include:

How Joe's grandfather inspired is passion for cooking with fresh ingredients. The story behind Joe becoming the chef / owner of A Tavola restaurant. Ways to use heirloom tomatoes, including some methods for preserving that fresh summer taste for a cold winter day. The many ways they use fresh corn at A Tavola. Ideas for preparing eggplant. Chef Joe's approach to making the most of every ingredient. Ways to enjoy A Tavola's food at the restaurant or through special take out options.
 

In today's episode, host David Crowley from Cooking Chat talks with Robert Russell, who has worked in multiple roles on his family’s farm in Westport, Massachusetts since 1985.  The family owns Westport Rivers Vineyard, the primary focus of our interview, as well as Buzzards Bay Brewing.

This episode covers:

How Westport Rivers Vineyard got started. Robert's background and how he came to work on the family farm business. Westport Rivers Vineyard's emphasis on being a family farm as part of the local ecosystem. Challenges of growing wine grapes in the New England climate. Finding wine grapes that will grow well in Westport terroir. Activities at Westport Rivers Vineyard for visitors to enjoy. Adding Buzzard's Bay Brewing to the family business.