The Table Underground w/Tagan Engel: Recent Episodes
Tagan Engel
Digging deep into stories of food, race, radical love and creative social justice. Broadcast on WNHH 103.5fm community radio - New Haven, CT. Hosted by chef, activist, artist Tagan Engel
Our host Tagan Engel got to co-host this month’s WNPR food show Seasoned, and we are so excited about these amazing guests! Check out the podcast on CTPublic HERE, and catch it on the radio January 5, 2023.
From CTPublic:
Chef Plum and co-host Tagan Engel of The Table Underground head to Atticus Bakery in New Haven to delight in a warm Rosca de Reyes. Baker Selene Tepatzi is our guide to the traditional Mexican bread made to celebrate Three Kings Day. Later, Chef Plum and Tagan toast to friendship with Ony Obiocha and Adam Bitker and learn some basics about natural wine. You’ll also hear Tagan’s conversation with culinary historian Michael Twitty about his book, Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew.
GUESTS:
- Charlie Negaro Jr.: CEO of Chabaso and Atticus Bakery in New Haven, Conn.
- Selene Tepatzi: Bakery manager and pastry chef at Atticus Bakery in New Haven, Conn.
- Michael W. Twitty: James Beard Award-winning culinary historian and author of The Cooking Gene and Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew
- Ony Obiocha: Entrepreneur and natural wine enthusiast. Founder of Palm Wine, “a natural wine social club for the homies” (@palmwine.us)
- Adam Bitker: Co-founder of Ungrafted Selections, purveyors of conscientiously farmed, handcrafted wines from small, independent growers
Go to CT Public for more info and links to recipes.
Many thanks to Robyn Doyin-Aitken, Catie Tilarski, Chef Plum and the whole team at CT Public for producing this show and inviting Tagan to partner!
A story short with Sandra and Miguel Pittman owners of Sandra's Next Generation Soul Food Restaurant in New Haven, CT. They share on their 32+ year journey as restaurateurs, being pillars in their community, and the family legacy they have fostered.
Story series sponsored by Yale School of the Environment. Photos, slideshow and links at www.thetableunderground.com - Produced by Tagan Engel, Edited by Jon Oliver Music, Photographed by Maza Rey Photography
A story short with Ms. Kim, owner of the oldest Asian market in New Haven, CT where she's been running this neighborhood institution with her personal touch for cooking and community since 1985.
Story series sponsored by Yale School of the Environment. Photos, slideshow and links at www.thetableunderground.com - Produced by Tagan Engel, Edited by Jon Oliver Music, Photographed by Maza Rey Photography
A story short with husband and wife team Shilmat & Wub Tessema on serving up traditional Ethiopian food and culture at their restaurant since 1999 plus the 24/7 demands of the kitchen and raising a family of three now grown children.
Story series sponsored by Yale School of the Environment. Photos, slideshow and links at www.thetableunderground.com - Produced by Tagan Engel, Edited by Jon Oliver Music, Photographed by Maza Rey Photography
A story short with Cositas Deliciosas owners Miguel Xicohtencatl & Cecilia Serrano - Speaking on their business and personal journey to establish this delicious Mexican fruit, juice, and take-out shop in the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven, CT.
Story series sponsored by Yale School of the Environment. Photos, slideshow and links at www.thetableunderground.com - Produced by Tagan Engel, Edited by Jon Oliver Music, Photographed by Maza Rey Photography
A story short with Elisha Hazel & Qulen Wright, owners of Caribbean Style Vegan restaurant in New Haven, CT. Sharing their passion for serving up life-giving Ital food with local ingredients, and learning the business ropes along the way.
Story series sponsored by Yale School of the Environment. Photos, slideshow and links at www.thetableunderground.com - Produced by Tagan Engel, Edited by Jon Oliver Music, Photographed by Maza Rey Photography
A story short with Francisco Mendez and Zenaida Muñoz on their experiences running their much loved food carts together with brother Carlos Mendez. They share on their evolution from cooks to cart owners, the Colombian style arepas they’re famous for, and what it’s like working out in the elements.
Story series sponsored by Yale School of the Environment. Photos, slideshow and links at www.thetableunderground.com - Produced by Tagan Engel, Edited by Jon Oliver Music, Photographed by Maza Rey Photography
Digging into farm and food worker led organizing that’s, multi-sector, multi-racial and has the power to transform our food system by prioritizing people and the planet. With guest Navina Khanna. Episode hosted through the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale.
Reparations in practice with this emerging investment fund collectively led by Black food ecosystem experts. Guest Melanie Allen, Program Director for the fund speaks on their work to build transformative supports for Black farmers and food entrepreneurs. This interview was hosted through the Center for Business at Yale. For more info go to www.thetableunderground.com
Digging a little deeper into this Jewish festival of lights with rabbi in training May Ye; Illuminating injustices, sparking change, creating ritual with connections for Jews of Color, her journey and identity from secular Chinese American Jew into the rabbinate, and there's a little food talk too....More info + recipes at www.thetableunderground.com
We love applesauce with latkes, but when kitchen inspiration hits, we do not deny. This tart apple slaw is a great match for some wonderfully fried latkes
Youth leaders Jeremy Cajigas and Jamila Washington of the Citywide Youth Coalition in New Haven, CT share their perspectives on organizing protests for liberation and black lives; their groups demands for removing police and security guards from schools; divestment from police and investment in Black and Brown lives and communities; Bomba music and dance for resistance and celebrating #BlackJoy, and much more. Editing and Engineering by Jon Oliver Music.
and the importance of rooting her restaurant in community, which is helping to sustain them through the Covid-19 pandemic.
CT Chefs Avi Sazpiro of Roia Restaurant, Raquel Rivera of A Pinch of Salt Culinary Education & Catering Company, and Aaron Lee of Yale University Dining & Heartfelt Catering speak to the many ways this pandemic is impacting their work and communities. See more at www.thetableunderground.com Produced by Tagan Engel, Edited by Jon Oliver
Some tips to make cooking in quarantine a little easier. Includes info on prepping food for the week, 4 ways to cook dry beans, roasting veggies, green sauces, and more.
Quick and delicious recipes to make cooking up more beans really easy. From a 10 second sauce to DIY Bean Burgers, these real life bean meals are straight from our quarantine kitchen to yours.
Insights on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic from a wholesale produce distributor, an urban farmer / food justice educator, and tips on cooking in quarantine. Hear about massive shifts in the produce industry, mutual aid efforts to get free farm fresh food to families in need, and some recipe-free ways to prep food for the week, including what to do with dry beans, roasting veggies and more. With guests Maria Desarbo of Carbonella & Desarbo’s , Disha Patel of Common Ground High School & Urban Farm , and host Tagan Engel.
Fab culinary duo Liz Alpern & Jeffery Yoskowitz of The Gefilteria sit down (pre Covid-19 quarantine) to nosh and kibbitz about old family recipes, the wide spectrum of Jewish ethnic cuisines, Asha-normativity, producing tons of great gefilte fish each year, liberation stories, and passover traditions.
Chef, activist, and author Bryant Terry on his newest plant-based cookbook - cooking for his kids - uplifting Black and Asian food traditions - and collective actions to transform our "messed up food system".
Decadent treats with no refined sugar, perfect for valentines day and sharing with your heart’s desire.
Two recipes for this extremely popular Puerto Rican coconut milk based holiday season cocktail - including Aida Casanova’s award winning version, and Addy’s Castillo’s family recipe.
This homemade coconut milk based cocktail is the pride of the Puerto Rican holiday season. Guests Addys Castillo, and champion coquito maker Aida Casanova talk family recipes, parranda (caroling) traditions, and the complexities and joys of Puerto Rican history and heritage.
Three women speak on the realities of hunger and poverty and their inspiring advocacy work through the group Witnesses To Hunger. With guests Susan Harris, Junie Cullum, and Wanda Perez.
Fall food adventures help heal depression, Chicken & Sweet Potato Dumpling soup, front porch living in the Hood, talking to strangers = fun food finds = dosa making and heirloom apple munching in VT. W/ guests Babz Rawls Ivy, Frankie Douglass, and Chef Stephen Ross.
Giselle Cando & Anajja Stevenson talk about starting their own businesses, working in community gardens, and life as teens in the world today. Feat. the Growing Entrepreneurs Program of the New Haven Land Trust.
Host Tagan Engel speaks about her recent trip to Berlin to partner with a group doing transformational education work around the Nazi death camp, Sobibor, her Grandparents escaped form in 1943.
Atticus Bakery & Bookstore manager Charlie Negaro Jr and baker Josh Kanter talk about their glorious infatuation with sourdough bread making & grain growing - two exceptional new ventures for this 2nd generation establishment in New Haven, CT.
A classic, deliciously revised with oats, dates, nuts, and coconut oil replacing the usual flour, sugar, and butter. So good and good for you.
An inspired chef shares his mission for bringing life giving food into the Black community, his journey from Dishwasher to Sous Chef in Yale University Dining, and the stereotypes he deals with as a young Black Chef.
Iroquois Strawberry Drink, Mohegan friendship berries, Sexy Strawberry Vinaigrette, Black food wisdom, Grandma's Jam, the berry pickers boycott, and more! Guests Rachel Sayet, Raquel Pablo Rivera, and Farron Harvey dig in with host Tagan Engel on, culture, race, joy, and liberation through strawberries.
Ep. 55 When Women Chefs Run The Kitchen
Robin Bodak (co-owner and head chef) and Dignity Maille (cook) at the restaurant Next Door in New Haven, CT talk about their women-centric kitchen culture, outstanding and unpretentious food, Tanzanian hummus, popped sorghum, and salty caramel & ash no-dairy ice cream. We also chat about cultural appropriation vs kitchen creativity, race, and the real challenges of running a restaurant that values both their workers and local farmers.
More info at www.thetableunderground.com
A collection of short stories on the lives and work of twelve people who explore the landscape of race, change making, education & community around Connecticut. Host Tagan Engel recorded these stories and more as part of a larger multi media project in 2018 to mark the 25th anniversary year of the Graustein Memorial Fund. To learn more go to www.thetableunderground.com
Entrepreneur Ariana Yuen shares the successes and challenges of starting her new single origin honey business based in the Gera Forest in Ethiopia.
Tagan Engel’s speech given in honor of her grandparents for the Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony in New Haven, CT 2019.
Brother Tommy Joshua Caison, co-founder and Director of the North Philly Peace Park talks about transformative healing and fence free food forests within this African American community.
Babalawo, Priest of Ifa, and Clinical Social Worker Enroue Halfkenny, Onigbana Sangofemi (and husband of host Tagan Engel ;-) shares an overview of the traditional religion of the Yoruba people, and what it looks like in daily life. He speaks on this indigenous African tradition as a path towards personal and communal healing and a wholistic framework for healing our broken society.
Made from actual WHOLE GRAINS, and fermented overnight, these waffles are soooooooo delicious, and so good for you!
Rebroadcast of a 2017 three part show: Maple Moon Season with Mohegan educator Rachel Sayet - Tapping maple trees and boiling syrup in the city with 8 year old Sam - and Marshal Cruz shares the wild story of how he started cooking and his dreams of opening a Grits ‘n Gravy food truck.
Entrepreneur Domingo Medina, explains how he’s improving the environment through Peels & Wheels Compost, his bike, solar, and people powered composting business.
Guests from A Pinch of Salt, Dave’s Angry Sauce, and Love Breakfast talk about their passions for food, supporting Black and Brown owned food businesses, and spreading fresh food love in their communities.
Guests Eric Rey and Sumiya Khan talk about their two ventures which use soup as a vehicle for sharing culture, building community, and supporting entrepreneurship. Sopa! is a soup subscription company started by Eric and his brother Alejandro to spread love and build their relationship. Soup & Salaam: Creating Community Over Soup and Conversation is part of Sanctuary Kitchen which works with chefs who are refugees in New Haven, CT.
Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm on her new book Farming While Black, the Afro/Indigenous roots of sustainable agriculture and the work of supporting people of color in finding liberation on land.
Three enthusiastic New Haven, CT food system change agents share their personal journeys, as well as their visions and practices for transformative change...oh and some fun food stuff too... with Guests Latha Swamy, Genesis Vicente, and Austin Bryniarski
Three indigenous educators talk about giving thanks, true history, native foods and how they handle Thanksgiving each year. AND, check www.thetableunderground.com for a new post by Mohegan educator
Roast off some pumpkin, (or sweet potatoes or squash), and get three pies out of one delicious (not too sweet) recipe.
Co-Editor of The Hood Health Handbook Alife Allah on health wisdom in Black & Brown communities, systemic change, hip hop as inspiration, playing in the park, and his journey into health justice work..
Host Tagan Engel speaks with her husband Enroue Halfkenny, a healer and therapist about her recent trip to Poland to mark the 75th Anniversary of the mass uprising, and her grandparents escape from the Nazi death camp Sobibor.
Pie baker and serial entrepreneur Mubarakah Ibrahim is on a mission to fix local policies to support micro-food businesses like her's. With a step by step conversation on how to start a food business, and being the change you want to see!
Four New Haven, CT Public School students share their experiences and insights on how race shows up in schools and how it impacts their lives and learning, including: the importance of curriculum that centers people of color, overcoming internalized racism, the need for teachers of color, metal detectors and security guards in schools and so much more.
Summer time rest and rejuvenation, fabulous food adventures and progressive communities in the green mountains of southern Vermont.
Ceramic artist Rob Lugo speaks on his incredible journey from graffiti to the pottery wheel, the importance of seeing people of color in art, and his inspirations as an Afro-Latino from Kensington, Philly.
10 year-old girl, Tomistela Engel-Halfkenny shares her favorite books featuring inspiring girls and women including many black and brown women in HERstory... and how reading them impacts her view of herself.
4 fab folks dish their food adventures in CT. An incredible new Ice cream trail with Tagan Engel, vegan soft serve with The Fabulous Babz Rawls Ivy, pow wow foods with Mohegan food expert Rachel Sayet, and Acclaimed Chef Franco Comacho shares his favorite spots to eat with his daughters, french pastry, BBQ and a slammin’ new taco joint.
Guests Kay Holness and Nadine Nelson dig into delicious food from restaurants featured in the first ever New Haven, CT Caribbean Restaurant Week. We talk flavors, culinary history and food as a great connector for overcoming an anti-immigrant climate.
Greg Smith, ConnCAT Culinary Arts grad, talks about finding his purpose and joy in cooking, gardening, and foraging food. He speaks to the impact the job training program had on him as a black man trying to find supports to live a vibrant life and better the community around him. For more info go to: www.thetableunderground.com
Guest Kia Levey-Burden shares her struggles with a school district punishing her son due to his learning needs and race.
Chef Gabriela Alvarez of Liberation Cuisine shares her journey into food, cooking for social justice movements and solidarity work in Puerto Rico. Feat music by Taina Asili & La Banda Rebelde. For tons more info go to www.thetableunderground.com
The LoveFed New Haven Duo share inspiring stories about their great grandparents seeding their passion for gardening and their new vision for transforming lives and communities one home garden at a time. Guests Raven Amandla Blake and Dishaun Harris speak on food justice, the importance of working in the Black communities they grew up in, and all the love they have for gardens and food.
A conversation with Tagan Engel and Lucy Gellman of The Kitchen Sync podcast about the importance of telling the passover holiday liberation story and the complications and responsibilities of being a white Jew. Oh and some food talk too...
Some Passover recipe favorites. Matzo Ball Soup, Iranian Almond Cardamom Cake, the Best Coconut Macaroons... Sephardi friendly Lentils with Roasted Apples and Onions and so much more....
One in a special series of equity in education stories. Guests Dr. Jessica Powell of Southern Connecticut State University, and teachers Tai Olasanoye and Rebecca Harmon discuss anti-racism teacher education as a foundation for equitable classrooms, recruiting teachers of color, the importance of culturally relevant curriculum, and more. Guests share their personal stories about race in schools and talk about the efforts at SCSU to transform teacher education to better address student needs and racial equity in schools.
If you're starting with popcorn as the base for dinner, then you've basically already won the fun game.
Food lover and instagramer Tiffany Jones (CTiff Eat) talks about her family's fabulous soul food, her favorite restaurants in Bridgeport & CT, colorism and her dreams of what's to come.
Geek out on seed keeping, the importance of ancestral seed stories, building vibrant community and undoing racism work with this amazing human and the 20+ farms growing with him at Truelove Seed Co.
Three activist/organizers speak on the realities of hunger for people living in New Haven, CT and solutions they are advocating for to end hunger and reduce poverty. Activist Kim Hart shares her personal experience with hunger and emergency food providers, Alycia Santilli of CARE discusses their recent data report "The State of Hunger" and Billy Bromage shares on community organizing efforts to improve access to good food for all in the city. More info, photos and links at www.thetableunderground.com
Cook up some delicious soup to nourish yourself and those around you for a new year filled with more goodness than the last!
Delicious gifts you can pull together in minutes and still give a gift filled with love and care.
Puerto Rican empanadas, olive oil tasting, the ultimate latkes, salmon cakes, and a warm chocolate & olive oil dessert! Fab guests Jason Sobocinski, Babz Rawls Ivy and Marshall Dios Cruz! More info at www.thetableunderground.com
Loved by bubbies and tantes alike...The one and only recipe you need to make the ultimate latkes for Hanukkah or any other occasion. If you have a better recipe, let's have a fry-off next year!
A simple version of a Thai curry, for a delicious warm meal using whatever ingredients you have in the fridge.
Joint episode with Kitchen Sync & Lucy Gellman, the table is flipped and host Tagan Engel answers questions together with entrepreneurship collaborators Ony Obiocha and Collab founders Caroline Lee and Margaret Smith. They talk (and laugh) about food business entrepreneurship and community lead economic development. For lots more info go to www.thetableunderground.com
10 favorite cookie recipes with tons of variations ranging from sweet buttery melt-aways and the best soft-gingerbread to a few dairy, gluten free and low-sugar treats.
Specific activities you can do around the table to bring meaning and gratitude to the Thanksgiving meal.
Three indigenous educators: Chef Sherry Pocknet, Mohegan Rachel Sayet and Jay Levy speak about the many ways native peoples give thanks, the true history of colonists and north eastern indigenous peoples, foods of the Wampanoag, Pequot and Mohegans then and now, and how they each deal with the Thanksgiving holiday every year. For more info, photos, links to events and resources, go to www.thetableunderground.com
The pie that everyone sneaks back over to the table for, trying to snag another slice. Warm, rich, not too heavy or sweet, and the flavor and texture of the chocolate soufflé-like filling is out of this world.
Oglala Lakota Chef Sean Sherman speaks on his journey in revitalizing Native American Cuisine through his company The Sioux Chef, a new cookbook, indigenous food hubs, foraging wild ingredients and re-identifying what North American Cuisine is.
Drag as art, transformative social change and community building - the reflections of 3 artists. Featuring Daniel Eugene (and his new book #NHVdrag), Luis Antonio and Drag Queen Sylvia Heart.
A two part show. Second half features The Black Art jazz Colective, with All-star band founders Wayne Escoffery and Jeremy Pelt on the importance of celebrating Jazz as Black music, being positive role models and fantastic compositions inspired by African American icons. First Half of show, a story on Water Harvesting.
Part #1 Water Harvesting: Julianne Kaphar shares water wisdom as we travel with her to a natural spring where she collects 33 gallons of pure water for her family each month.
Part #2 Black Art Jazz Collective: All-star band founders Wayne Escoffery and Jeremy Pelt on the importance of celebrating Jazz as Black music, being positive role models and fantastic compositions inspired by African American icons. (Starts at minute 20:17)
Passionate conversation about transforming communities and businesses through radical relationship building at Foodlab Detroit.
This woven braid is easier to make than it looks and helps us bring sweetness and renewal into life when we most need it.
Chef Bun Lai of Miya's Sushi takes us foraging for weeds, talks climate change, gut health and cracks jokes while making sushi in his family's 35+ year old restaurant.
The crisp caramelized edges of this delicious chickpea flour flat bread are irresistible. A new recipe thats easy and good for you.
4 fab folks dish their food adventures in CT. An incredible new Ice cream trail with Tagan Engel, vegan soft serve with Babz Rawls Ivy, pow wow foods with Mohegan food expert Rachel Sayet, and Acclaimed Chef Franco Comacho shares his favorite spots to eat with his daughters, french pastry, BBQ and a slammin new taco joint.
This is not your usual list of ice cream spots. From oceanfront to city streets, to country farms, you'll find scoop shops, flavors and styles of frozen treats you didn't know where here. Plus nearby & notable things to do and places to eat.
2 part show: Theater of the oppressed NYC sparks policy changes & a gardener, activist & grandma grows food, community and beauty in a former vacant lot.
Growing community, food and beauty in a former vacant lot in the Hill neighborhood of New Haven, CT. An interview with gardener, activist and grandma, Jamilah Rasheed.
Mother, Montessori education enthusiast, and black breastfeeding advocate Amelia Sherwood talks about her passions for supportive community, Montessori educators for social justice, and her love of nurturing vibrant life for all children, and in particular the importance of nurturing black & brown children and families.
Delicious versatile cereal, perfect for summer, and you'll feel great to start your day.
Ice cream entrepreneur Netta Hadari talks about his passionate quest to create real ice cream, commercially produced with amazing flavors and no artificial ingredients or stabilizers. And, when you work in social justice...why does ice cream even matter?
CT Core - Organize Now! founders & husband and wife team Isa Mujahid and Camelle Scott-Mujahid share their insights into grassroots organizing to transform the racial and economic inequity in the state of Connecticut and beyond. For more info: www.thetableunderground.com
Fabulous drinks for the summer heat....no sugar needed. And we made them all on Love Babz Radio!
Sanctuary Kitchen is a new organization in New Haven, CT that helps refugee cooks teach cooking and start food businesses. Hear from founder and nutrition educator Sumiya Kahn, and talented Syrian refugee cook Fatema.
Fatema's special family recipe for this delicious cake that's easy to make. Orange flower and rose water add wonderful fragrance and flavor to the syrup that drenches this fab cake.
Host Tagan Engel, and more than 40 members of her family traveled to Holland for a holocaust memorial in honor of her grandmother Selma Wynberg Engel and the Wynberg family, who lived there before most of them were murdered by the Nazi's during WWII. Guest Saul Fussiner joins Tagan to discuss their shared history as grandchildren of survivors, and how people and societies try and heal from genocide. Tagan tells her grandparent's story of revolt and survival, and Saul shares about teaching high school students about these issues using the Facing History & Ourselves curricula and techniques.
Four restaurant workers, Oscar, Antonio, Ivan and Raffael shed light on the abusive working conditions they experienced at a local restaurant. Together with two other workers they filed a federal law suit in April 2017 with support from Unidad Latina en Acción and New Haven Legal Assistance Association.
Digging into host Tagan Engel's recent trip to Cuba with Cuban American scholar Albert Laguna. Talking food, culture, race, history and Cuba today.