Kitchen Confession Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mary Mammoliti
Welcome to the Kitchen Confession Podcast. I’m Mary Mammoliti your hostess with the mostess. I’m a Legally Blind food blogger, I'm a home chef who is obsessed with food and I love to talk to just about anyone. On the KITCHEN CONFESSION PODCAST you'll hear from blind and partially sighted home cooks, chefs and foodies with some pretty amazing stories. These rock stars sharing their tips, stories and adventures. Pull up a chair and join me in my kitchen.
One reason Mary began the Kitchen Confession podcast was to help people get more comfortable in the kitchen and not take mistakes too seriously. For our last hurrah, we've whipped up a tasty compilation of the juiciest, messiest, and most unforgettable kitchen confessions that have graced our show, so sit back and get ready to chow down on these candid moments.
Kitchen Confession producers, Mary and Matt, reflect on over 5 years of episodes and revisit the top ten moments that influenced their outlook on food and cooking.
We’ve spoken with many avid bakers on Kitchen Confession and learned a lot from them! So, we're offering up their best tips to help you improve your technique, build better flavour, troubleshoot recipes, and make smart substitutions for special diets.
Summer is in full swing and we revisit some of our favourite seasonal inspirations, from grilling to gardening and great drinks for sharing with friends on the patio!
Got room for seconds? This week we share bonus content from recent episodes on Cut for Time! We hear about challenges and trends in the olive oil industry from international expert, Fil Bucchino; Ryan Hinkson of EatFamous shares the ups and downs of social media for creating food content; and cookbook author Susan Spungen shares her favourite flavour combos from her new book Veg Forward!
At age 19, John Grimes survived bacterial meningitis; but after waking from a coma he learned that neural damage had left him blind. We learn about his early years in recovery and returning to college, as well as his work connecting with the community on his podcast Ambiguously Blind. Now, John enjoys cooking for crowds and says that "convenience for the masses" smart tech holds a lot of accidental accessibility features for the blind grill-master. He shares some of his favourite grilling tips and his experience collaborating with companies to improve accessibility.
Susan Spungen, a professional food stylist and bestselling cookbook author has just released her latest book "Veg Forward" to encourage people to take their cooking in new and unexpected directions. We discuss some recipes from the cookbook and hear some behind the scenes stories about food styling from the set of Julie and Julia. "Veg Forward" by Susan Spungen is available in accessible formats from the CELA website and on e-readers.
Food content creator Ryan Hinkson calls for people to dig deep to support local business and help cities retain their food culture. We hear about some incredible restaurants that Ryan has featured on Eat Famous and why he wants to put the spotlight on local business owners. Plus, he tells us how ghost kitchens have helped independent chefs beat steep overhead and thrive in a post-pandemic market.
Once a punk musician, Fil Bucchino began rejuvenating abandoned groves in Italy after receiving a life changing bottle of olive oil from his parents while touring. Fil explains why he's obsessed with olive oil; what it takes to produce and preserve a quality bottle; and the symbiotic loop of the people, the land, and our food.
Alexis is the creator of Stump Kitchen where she spends time alongside kids and co-creators with limb differences like hers and encourages body positivity and adaptivity. We discuss what led her to begin experimenting in the kitchen, the progress of disability representation online, and the double edged influence of social media in kids' lives.
Are cities losing their food identities? In part two of our conversation with Chef Romain Avril, we explore the struggle for independent chefs to create unique and affordable dining experiences post-pandemic while competing with chain restaurants for increasingly precious real estate. Romain says rent subsidies and a strong showing of Michelin-starred restaurants are key to preserving the GTAs food identity. We also discuss how tip culture in North America is damaging for both restaurant owners and their staff.
Romain Avril is a Michelin trained Chef whose work has taken him around the world and we hear how he mixes the richness of French cooking with exciting flavours from the Asian palate. Plus, Avril is always posting new "Serve It or Trash It" and "Croissant Reviews" online, serving followers with explanations of fascinating gastronomy cooking techniques and honest reviews. He tells us about some of the feedback he's received from the business owners!
Mary is back with some bonus content from recent interviews on this Cut for Time episode! PlantYou author and blogger, Carleigh Bodrug, shares some sage advice for plant-based cooking; food writer Hannah Sunderani shares her go-to easy weeknight meals; MasterChef, Christine Ha, recalls memories of her mother's beef pho; and Erica Karbelnik sheds light on an unglamorous side of the restaurant industry.
Jason Barato is a Michelin trained chef and restaurateur who's studied all across the world. He tells us about growing up bussing tables in his parent's cafe; learning about entrepreneurship from his father and good food from his mother; and making the choice to close Trattoria Giancarlo's, his family's restaurant and a Toronto institution, at the onset of the pandemic. Plus, he shares lessons learned about staying sharp in the food and wine world.
This week we meet Erica Karbelnik, season 9 winner of Food Network's Top Chef Canada. She takes us behind the scenes of the show with stories about filming the competition and her unique experience qualifying with, then facing off against her husband.
For Paralympian Dave Johnson, food is fuel! The runner shares how growing up with Retinitis Pigmentosa led him to compete for Team Canada and how he manages Type 1 diabetes with healthy home cooked meals that keep him in peak shape for the track.
Boosting your "Food IQ", beating inflation, and recipe testing fast and flavourful favourites. Mary and Matt, the Kitchen Confession creators, discuss what's inspiring their culinary adventures this winter. Plus, Mary serves up an amuse-bouche for Season 3 of her AMI-tv docuseries "Dish with Mary."
Preena Chauhan is all about spices. She and her mother, Arvinda, have been teaching Indian cooking classes for decades and in the duo's newly released book "New Indian Basics," they aim to teach people how to cook liberally with spices and gain confidence cooking exceptional Indian meals at home. With recipes like Aloo Methi (fenugreek potatoes), Cardamom Barfi (milk fudge), and Maple Tandoori Salmon, "New Indian Basics" bridges traditional techniques and recipes with local ingredients and little hints of Canadiana.
Known in college as a tater-tot-toting poutine fiend, Carleigh Bodrug's friends were surprised to hear that she'd started a blog called "Plant You" about plant based, healthy cooking. Since then, Carleigh published the Plant You Cookbook and launched a meal planner app, all to help plant-curious people make the switch to healthier food with delicious, practical recipes. She tells us about her journey and shares her favourite "scrappy cooking" tips for reducing food waste and beating soaring grocery prices.
Tre Sanderson is the season 10 winner of Food Network's Top Chef Canada! The self-described "underdog" of the series talks about the drive, dedication, and soul it took to face off against Michelin starred chefs; the women who inspired his culinary pursuits; and how he keeps up with an industry that's constantly evolving.
This week, we're double dipping with some recent guests on Cut for Time! Brewmaster Richard Park walks us through the anatomy of a beer, and how just four main ingredients contribute major flavours; Beverly Crandon says that geography and history go hand in hand with a Sommelier's training; and food writer Hannah Sunderani shares her favourite quick and easy meal ideas.
Beverly Crandon is the second Black female in Canada to become a certified Sommelier. Beverley says there's a whole lexicon around wine that people find intimidating and typically revolves around European regions and cuisine. So, she started the Spice Food & Wine group to find common ground with others and push the envelope with unconventional ethnic pairings. Today, we talk about the food origins and influences she's exploring to make the food and drink industry more exciting and inclusive.
We pack a lot into our episodes, but there's always a little more where that came from! In this episode, Mary shares a few great conversations with recent guests left on the cutting room floor. On this edition of Cut for Time, Two Spoons blogger, Hannah Sunderani busts a myth about vegan cooking; Peak Season author Deirdre Buryk tells us about some great forage ingredients and how to cook with them; and Chefs Christine Ha and Devan Rajkumar share their thoughts on developing a great recipe.
We meet digital media star, musician, and fellow foodie, Kalen Allen; creator of the popular "Kalen Reacts" on Twitter. His over-the-top commentary on social media cooking videos and other entertainment efforts garnered attention from and collaborations with the likes of Ellen DeGeneres; Mariah Carey; and most recently, Ricki Lake. Kalen tells us about his transition from viral success to television broadcast, plus his secret to great home cooking and a few fond food memories.
Chef Devan Rajkumar has been experimenting with food since he was a child, watching his grandmother grind coconut for choka and helping out in the temple kitchen. After bouncing around university, he landed in culinary school in 2009 where he set out on a mission to modernize the craft, traditions and tastes of East and West Indian cuisines. Chef Dev tells us about his early influences, food memories from years of international adventure, and shares a wealth of advice for beginners set on breaking into the industry.
After getting a world class education in brewing from Labatt, Richard Park teamed up with Old Flame Brewing founder, Jack Doak; the two carving out a storied niche for themselves among the growing craft beer industry in Ontario. Old Flame first took up residence in an old carriage works factory in Port Perry, then the duo revitalized Newmarket's Main Street fire hall, and this fall they're "coming home" to a new space in Toronto's Distillery district. Richard takes us on a tour of their facilities and tells us about the traditional German heirloom lagers and experimental sour ales that are on tap this season!
Growing up in Barbados, Tony Bradshaw spent his summers tailing his father on the job at a vacation resort, where he first fell in love with food and hospitality. Tony tells us about his wide-ranging culinary education from Toronto's CN Tower 360 restaurant, then Morton's Steakhouse in Chicago, and finally opening up his own Caribbean fast-casual joint "Street Bites".
Cooking great meals is so much easier when you start with fresh and flavourful food, so Deirdre Buryk joins us to share her new cookbook "Peak Season". This guide is organized by month and packed with ideas that celebrate the bounty of Ontario - both wild and cultivated; plus how to's on preparing unique seasonal ingredients like fiddle heads and staghorn sumac.
Mushroom whisky, pizza ovens, and baby-led weaning are all on the table today as Kitchen Confession producers Mary and Matt share what's inspiring their summer culinary exploits!
When Christine Ha opened up her restaurant in Houston, she didn't want to compete over authenticity with first generation Vietnamese mom-and-pop shops. So, Christine went for her own unique twist of Vietnamese heritage and Texas upbringing for her establishments. Her first venture, The Blind Goat, combined whimsical ambience with modern takes on Vietnamese street foods like Bánh Tráng Nướng (grilled rice paper pizza). Her follow up effort with Xin Chào exposed crowds to more fun fusions like Texas barbecued Gỏi Vịt (duck salad) with a traditional ginger fish sauce vinaigrette. Christine shares more about her restauranteuring and how sight loss has impacted her cooking.
A penchant for cooking and love of the sciences led Michele Todd to a career in Food Science. As a Senior Food Scientist at Riverside Natural Foods, Michele tracks and optimizes every data point behind the delicious snacks of brands like Made Good, Good to Go, and for the pet lovers, Cookie Pal! She tells us about a typical day in the lab and how to turn your Nona's special sauce into an international best seller!
After the birth of her daughter, Mary Smith figured her declining health was just postpartum "mom life." She spent four years navigating the healthcare system and was finally diagnosed with celiac disease at the age of 32. Mary documented her journey to better health through food on her blog "Mary's Whole Life," where you can find delicious gluten-free, Paleo, and Whole30 recipes.
Food writer, Hannah Sunderani, returns to tell us about her latest venture! The Two Spoons Cookbook is an anthology of adapted French classics that she compiled while living abroad for a growing plant based audience.
Renowned pastry chef and master chocolatier, Steve Hodge drops by to fill us in on season two of his show "Project Bakeover". Plus, we hear about his shop Temper Bakery and how the pandemic led to scientifically superior croissants!
Our friend, author and professional home economist Mairlyn Smith, returns to the show. She tells us about the morning tea ritual she started as an excuse to break out her good china and spread some positivity. And, with buds nearing blossom, we chat about spring garden prep and Mairlyn's herbaceous plans for the claw foot bath in her new fairy garden.
Daphne Oz is an Emmy award winning TV host and New York Times bestselling author. She says people need to get more than they're giving up for positive changes to really stick. So, Daphne wrote her new cookbook "Eat Your Heart Out" to be a reset for people who love to eat, with tons of simple yet luxurious recipes and indulgent healthy foods.
Julia Cho is the Content and Marketing Manager at Purdy's Chocolatier. Recently, the confectioners collaborated with blind and partially sighted chocolate lovers to make the Braille Box; a more inclusive sweet tooth experience. Julia tells us what they learned as a brand by getting to know their customers a little better.
Ten years ago Stuart Sutton bought a wooded acreage just outside of Newmarket, Ontario; his family named it Serendipity Forest. The property, thick with sugar maples, came with all the trees and taps Stuart needed to start making maple syrup. Now, for a few weeks every year when the temperature flirts between freezing and melting, he rallies a crowd to collect and boil sweet sap in the sugar shack. Stuart tells us all about the making of Canada's iconic condiment.
In this special episode, we hear the origin story of Kitchen Confession host, Mary Mammoliti! She relates how she learned to cope with degenerative vision loss, detached from anxiety by practising cognitive behavioural therapy, and how her kitchen helped bolster a joyful and empowered new outlook.
With restaurants open and closed and travel off the table, new experiences are hard to come by, but Mary says a return to comforting classics is her cure for dried-out creativity. Show producers Mary and Matt catch up on a winter's worth of their culinary exploits, plus lessons learned from over 100 episodes of Kitchen Confession!
What do MTV Awards, antiquing, and tea infused chocolate have in common? They were all topics savagely cut from recent episodes by our editor and co-producer, Matt Agnew. He shares those deleted scenes and more on our Cut for Time feature.
Alexa Jovanovich is a fashion designer and the creator of Aille Design. Her brand puts a big statement in the hands of blind and low vision shoppers with pieces that artfully display descriptive and uplifting phrases in braille bead-work. And, while Alexa claims not to be a culinary virtuoso, she shares an indulgent use of fine Niagara ice wine plus some of her favourite Chicago eats!
Nancy Kee was an early adopter of the sourdough craze, already nurturing a mother dough before the bored bakers of 2020 wandered into the kitchen. She took a baking class and learned that plastic was the worst way to store her new artisan loaves so she created the Keeki Bag; a linen drawstring bag with a beeswax lining that keeps the crumb soft and fresh for days longer. Nancy launched Keeki Co to share her invention with the masses when she noticed the hobby spike in popularity during the pandemic.
Dr. Nate Wood is a resident physician, health media expert and trained chef. This jack-of-all-trades shares how savoury daydreams drove him to sneak off to culinary school in the midst of his medical training. Plus, Nate tells us how his cooking technique changed after developing anosmia.
A business born of a late night craving, Opal Rowe's Stush Patties aims to give the Jamaican favourite a gourmet glow up. With real, natural ingredients and options for everyone, Opal hopes to push out of Toronto's multicultural city center and make her patties a well know Canadian classic.
Did you know writing a cookbook can take upwards of two years? With nine books of her own and more on the way; Canada's baking sweetheart, Anna Olson, talks about sparking creativity, weathering the brutal honesty of children, and learning to trust collaborators at every stage. Plus, Anna answers all your baking questions from choosing salted vs unsalted butter to saving an over-beaten whipped cream.
After a disappointing shopping trip to one of Vancouver's most 'premium' grocers, Janna Bishop noticed a glaring gap in the familiar farm to table movement. Her father-in-law, a Canadian grain farmer, pointed out that some of the store's bougie offerings would only nab a cattle feed classification on the international commodities market. So, Janna left a career in clothing design and teamed up with foodie friend Shira McDermott to launch Flourist; a company that sources whole grains and legumes from Canadian farmers and connect home cooks and bakers to real, traceable, premium ingredients.
It's time for another catch up with show producers Mary and Matt who are back to spill on all their autumn kitchen action. Dry brine experiments, vegetarian thanksgiving, and a special holiday teaser. Plus, what on earth is 'cowboy dinner'?
That's right, Rita DeMontis is back, and this week we dive into her personal food journey! She shares how she got started in the kitchen, learning to cook from her mom and how not to grill from her dad; some memorable meals; and reconnecting with her roots during an impromptu adventure in Sardinia. This episode is all about how food, the great equalizer, connects us all.
Award winning lifestyle and food editor, Rita DeMontis shares her predictions of drastic change for the food industry post-pandemic. She thinks we'll see a shrinking fine dining scene and resurgence of Mom & Pop shops; but most importantly, a re-imagining in the middle, where young chefs and waitstaff no longer tolerate the all-to-common abuse in hospitality. And, we hear how Rita got her start writing for The Toronto Sun and stories of the incredible people she's met over 45 years in media.
Between work, school, sports, and clubs, figuring out what to put on the table is enough to make anyone want to curl into a ball. Registered Dietitian and lifestyle blogger, Tori Wesszer returns to the show to tell us about Fraiche Table, her answer to the dreaded question "what's for dinner?". Plus, we talk about raising kids to keep healthy habits without villainizing junk food.
TV cooking expert and taste-maker, Vijaya Selvaraju, is all about sparking excitement in the kitchen and connecting with people who love food! She enjoys long strolls down the grocery aisle with her husband as they scour stores for new and exciting ingredients to try! Vijaya pulls back the curtain on food media production and tells us how Tik Tok is making waves in the industry.
Celebrity chef, restaurateur, TV host, and author Roger Mooking has done it all! At home, Roger's kitchen is his playground, never cooking the same dish twice. He shares a little about his many experiments, including grilled grapes! Plus, despite industry challenges, business owners should get ready for a big boom, as Chef Mooking forecasts an enthusiastic return to the food scene post-pandemic.
What's going on in the kitchens behind Kitchen Confession? We flip the script for another catch up episode with the producers of the show, Mary and Matt!
After her family moved to a vegan lifestyle in 2017, Izabela "Cake Mama" De Paz found herself competing with her own reputation. She spent months reformulating recipes that could stand up to her old repertoire of fabulous treats and landed smack dab in the midst of a burgeoning plant based movement, where she found popularity among herbivores and omnivores alike. Izabela shares some of her baking secrets with us, including the key to...gasp...a vegan pavlova?!
Lance Johnson is a fellow podcaster and foodie friend. He lives with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease, and started the See-Through Podcast during the pandemic to make friends with other folks with RP, like me! He loves learning about people's creative adaptations so we chat all kinds of kitchen hacks as we learn about his food journey, and cooking at home with a sighted sous-chef!
Building healthy new habits can be tough. Strength and conditioning coach Angela Furfaro says you need a powerful motivator and an activity you actually enjoy! Her program, LIFT Academy, is all about equipping women with the confidence, consistency and right fuel for their fitness.
Claire Tansey has always thought of herself as a teacher first. In her new book, "Dinner Uncomplicated," she sets out to prove that cooking doesn't need to be difficult to be delicious. Culinary training, fancy appliances, or expensive ingredients are not the key to a worthwhile dinner. Instead, Claire explores every possible shortcut to put fantastic food within your reach. We talk about her time at the helm of Chatelaine magazine's test kitchen, tailoring thousands of recipes for their readers, plus how four years with an improv troupe shaped her outlook on life!
After years of grilling guests, these two finally get a taste of their own cooking! To kick off the new year we serve up a double scoop of kitchen confessions from the creators of the show as host Mary Mammoliti and producer / editor Matt Agnew chat about their own kitchen journeys and take us behind the scenes of the podcast.
Rich Francis had never cooked much before leaving a career in carpentry and ironwork to apply to Stratford Chefs school. Now, he works to challenge food tourism's idea of indigenous food like bannock and indian tacos. Leaving the commercial kitchen behind and pushing past traumatic colonial influence, Rich wants to bring a 'sexy' flair to indigenous fusion prepared in the elements.
For graphic designer Aldo Fierro, cookbooks can be a tough project. "You gotta have the good food shots. People eat with their eyes but I don't even cook with my eyes!" While his whirlwind cooking style may leave spatters on the ceiling, it always leads to a great tasting, if somewhat unsightly supper.
Natalie Minnema and Sarina Cormier are the minds behind Two Canes Consulting. As restaurants and other shops across the country struggle for customers, Natalie and Sarina are showing people how accessibility and inclusion are good for business! We dish on some clever design features in Sarina's new kitchen makeover and a few of their most cherished food memories!
YouTube is an awesome place to spark creativity, learn and teach new skills, and of course find plenty of great recipes! YouTuber Sam Seavey started his channel, The Blind Life, in 2013 to document his life with Stargardt's disease and share tips and how-to videos with the blind and low vision community. We find out about the different products Sam reviews and what he'd put in an assistive technology kitchen kit!
We're joining the AMI-audio podcast family! AMI is a not-for-profit media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians who are blind or partially sighted.
We're super excited to introduce this audience to food industry experts, pro and home chefs, plus all our favorite foodie finds! You can find new episodes every other Wednesday at ami.ca/kitchenconfession
So what do you have to do? Nothing! If you’re already subscribed you’ll be getting the same show you know and love. And if you’re not, well now’s your chance!
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Food, friends, and embarrassing confessions await, lets go!
As the "Wife of a Grocer" Candra Reynolds is always discovering amazing new products and brands. She says it can be tough for entrepreneurs to find the perfect intersection of good products, packaging, and marketing to break into the food space. That's why she puts together the Curated Kitchen Box, stuffed with all her favourite seasonal finds to put the spotlight on brands that are rocking the food industry!
Who qualifies as a chef? Does it take restaurant experience or a Red Seal certification? Andrea Buckett recalls years of catering, teaching, and recipe development and feels she's earned her stripes! She's inspired by a broad flavour palate born of the multi-cultural Toronto food scene and shares her top tips for boredom busting meals.
A little compilation of cautionary tales for from our Kitchen Confession-ers for your Thanksgiving prep!
Georgio Taverniti has been rolling pizzas for so long he doesn't even bother to keep count anymore! His family owns Frank's Pizza House and he shares his experience running one of Toronto's oldest pizza joints. We talk about how COVID-19 has impacted his business and a unique way for restauranteurs to step up for their communities throughout the pandemic.