Christina's Culinary Voyages Podcast

I chat with Faith Ferguson of Oolie Foods, the first company I know of making egg-based dips and yogurts. Oolie, a sub-brand of certified B-corp HBF Foods, began as a way for the largest manufacturer of free-range and organic hard-boiled eggs to rescue misshapen, unsaleable eggs. The solution? Turn 'em into yogurt! With a clean ingredient dek and no eggy taste, these "saved eggs" became smooth, creamy yogurts and dips. 

Faith and I dig in on what makes Oolie's dairy-free yogurts so creamy and satisfying, who the product is appropriate for (hint: everyone), and why they are c...

Winner of The Ultimate Baking Championship, Pastry Chef Molly Coen of Carmel Valley Ranch dishes on declaring her future as a pastry chef as a child, how a baking science class and a summer spent decorating cakes laid the foundation for her career, and the important role that fortune played in helping her break into the baking world.

Coen enjoys working in luxury hospitality and designing cakes with seasonal flavors. Episode Encore, a seasonal follow-up to "The Ultimate Baking Championship," offers guests at Carmel Valley Ranch's restaurant smaller plated versions of desserts Coen made on the show...

How does a restaurant become a great restaurant? At Anomaly, the modernist cuisine from owner-chef Mike Lanham and his team reflects a grit honed as much in Michelin-starred restaurant kitchens as at competitive bike races and wrestling matches. This dude is DETERMINED to make his small restaurant succeed. In our chat, Lanham talks about his path to restaurants, why he works out every day, how the pandemic helped launch Anomaly's success, and why an emoji egg – a dish that catapulted Lanham to the front page of San Francisco's food media – remains a sacred menu item.

#sfrestaurants @anomaly_sf...

Matt Levey is no stranger to starting businesses — Field Trip, maker of jerky, meat sticks and pork rinds, is another company he is a part of. But human bodies – despite the media hype around protein – need more than protein. We need fiber, fats and other nutrients to maintain health, especially gut health. And that's where a next gen bar like Defender comes in. Levey and I chat about the ideal balance of protein, fiber, and sugar for adults and kids, what makes dandelion root such a powerful pre-biotic, and why whey is not a perfect protein solution. 

Added b...

A PhD in Neuroscience and Physics helps chef and restaurateur Omer Artun of Meyhouse restaurants in California maximize operational efficiencies. But it's his passion for food, especially the Turkish food of his upbringing, that energizes the flavors of Artun's cuisine. Our conversation sweeps from Artun's culinary influences, across the breadth of Eurasian manti (stuffed pasta or dumplings), to his 32 year-old (and counting) yogurt culture.

#californiacuisine #turkishfood #slowfood #foodwriter

https://christinamueller.com

@eatdrinkthink 

Professional chef Aran Goyoaga grew up in a bakery – her Basque family owned one. After a doctor's diagnosis required a shift to a gluten-free life, Goyoaga started a journey of gluten-free discovery, learning to bake sweet treats, like cookies and pies, and then brioche and bread. 

I sat down with Aran to chat about how to start your own gluten-free bread baking journey, what butters to consider (vegan and regular), and the joy of holiday baking. Plus a side note about marzipan.

#glutenfree #glutenfreebread #glutenfreebaking #foodwriter

https://www.arangoyoaga.com

@cannellevanille

Known for their work at Oakland's now-closed Juhu Beach Club where they introduced the San Francisco Bay Area to modern South Asian street food by way of California, Chef Preeti Mistry changed the narrative around Indian food. The James Beard Award-winning podcaster (Loading Dock Talks with Chef Preeti Mistry) talks about being a chef at heart, their path back to cooking full-time at Napa' Silver Oak Winery, and bringing flavor to their seasonal, four-course tasting menu – Chef's Table – at the acclaimed winery. 

#silveroak #wineries #food #modern #Indian #dining #napa 

https://christinamueller.com

The aroma of McEvoy Ranch's Chai Spice Olive Oil lifts out of the bottle the moment you crack the cap. Thank you, proprietary blend of single-origin cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, clove, and black peppercorns, all sourced exclusively from Noble House Spices. I chat with McEvoy's President Samantha Dorsey about how they capture the spices' flavor through their infusion process as well as what makes olive oil from Northern California so special.

#oliveoil #chaispiceoil #foodwriter

https://christinamueller.com

@eatdrinkthink 

A motorcycle enthusiast, owner John Wohlfert of Washington’s Wohlfert Craft Distilling names his creations after different parts of the two-wheeled machines. His Clutch Coffee liqueur caught my attention. Not only is it available in decaf, it tastes nearly identical to the caffeinated version. Wohlfert and I chat about the technology behind the exceptional flavor and his family history in bootlegging.

#espresso drinks #coffee drinks #foodwriter

https://christinamueller.com

@eatdrinkthink 

The chef at Alila Napa Valley Hotel's onsite restaurant digs in on his fall menu and what makes his Foraged Mushroom Risotto a must-try dish. #risotto #napavalley #restaurants

https://christinamueller.com

@eatdrinkthink 

As a restaurant critic and food journalist, I probably should not tell you that I really do not enjoy mushrooms. I simply never understood their appeal. Then I made Peter Som’s Fancy Mushrooms and Creamy Beans with Citrus Brown Butter in his cookbook, Family Style: Elegant, Every Day Recipes Inspired by Home and Heritage.

Blog Page 

https://christinamueller.com

@eatdrinkthink