Episode 020: Avinash Jeff Barnes

This week I talk to Ashton Zubal from Farmstock Farm in Kingston, a collaboration between four idealistic young former professionals who left the big city to get back to the land. We discuss their motivations, their plans, and how far they've come in their first year. Enjoy!

This week I talk to Christopher Williams, head distiller at Coppersea Distillery in New Paltz. He brought whiskies to taste, and we discussed many things having to do with the making and drinking thereof. If you enjoy a wee dram, or have dabbled in brewing or distilling, or are interested in terroir and the Hudson Valley, this show will be a treat. Cheers!  

This week I talk to Megan Denver of Hudson Valley Bee Supply in Kingston. Bees are a critical part of our food supply, and she's doing terrific work as a business owner, educator, and activist. We had a lively and engaging conversation and I think you'll enjoy hearing what she has to say. Sweet!

This week I talk with Avinash Jeff Barnes, the executive chef at the KTD monastery in Woodstock, New York. We discuss the long and winding path that brought him here, and the ways in which he has managed to combine cooking with music and spirituality to form a rich and fulfilling life. He's got some great stories, and I really enjoyed getting to know him. I hope you do too.

This week I've got a double header from my trip to Seattle at the end of April. I spent my time there with Andrew Rubinstein, who has just launched Rubinstein Bagels after a couple of years perfecting his recipe and finding the right business partners. He and I went to grad school together and I went out there to see his first solo show and also do some geeky bagel recipe development for future specials. I also got to meet my old food blogger friend Brittany Bardeleben for the first time in real life, and we had a lovely chat about her life as a pastry chef. Enjoy!

This week I talk with Mark Bittman, long-time columnist at the New York Times and author of nearly 20 books. We talk about his history as a writer, and specifically the his practice and evolution as an advocate for home cooks, as well as Heated, his new venture with Medium. This was a fun one, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

This week I talk to Jeff Gordinier, the Food Editor at Esquire and author of the upcoming Hungry: Eating, Road-Tripping, and Risking It All With The Greatest Chef In The World. We had a long, wide-ranging talk that covered a lot of ground. He's an expansive thinker, and a hell of a writer, and if you're at all interested in food writing you'll find a lot to chew on. Enjoy!

This week I talk to Ross Bingham, the man behind Critical Mass Selections, one of my favorite wine importers. He's got a great story, and took an unusual route to his current occupation. We discuss all that (including what exactly a tinsel ruffler does) as well as the importance of a good palate and the burden of being English (which I can attest to since my father was). My only regret is that I didn't ask him to yell "The King in the North!" during the interview. 

This week I talk to Karen Washington of Rise and Root Farm in Chester, NY. She's an activist and advocate for community gardens in New York city and beyond. We talk about her long journey, the challenges of urban gardening, and how Rise and Root, now in its fifth year, is taking the model of growing food for under-served neighborhoods to the next level. 

This week I talk to chef Gerard Viverito, an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park. He knows as much about seafood as anybody, and we get into the challenging issue of sustainability in addition to covering his winding path to the CIA and his thoughts about culinary education today. If you care about where your food comes from, especially fish, don't miss this one.