Baking, foraging, and more: A look back at our favorite episodes in 2021

By Robyn Doyon-Aitken ,

Marysol Castro, Chef Plum

Published December 23, 2021 at 10:15 AM EST

1 of 3 — Cookbook author Vallery Lomas. Photo by Linda Xiao

Vallery Lomas, author of Life Is What You Bake It

Linda Xiao / Clarkson Potter Publishers

2 of 3 — Zoo educator Chrissy Shore feeds Newton the Macaw at the Beardsley Zoo

Zoo educator Chrissy Shore feeds Newton the macaw at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Conn. Newton peels shells off of her nuts and seeds. Her favorite snack? Hard boiled eggs.

(Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public)

3 of 3 — Cef Bun Lai

Chef Bun Lai

Courtesy Bun Lai

We’ve talked to some wonderful people in the food world this past year. This week, we’re listening back to some of our favorite conversations from 2021. We got lots of baking tips from Vallery Lomas and we revisit our time at The Beardsley Zoo, where we learned so much from zoo educators about what the animals in their care eat. Plus, we’re sharing the inspiring conversation about foraging we had with Connecticut chef Bun Lai.

This show was produced by Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski.

Guests:

Vallery Lomas – Author of Life is What You Bake It (@foodieinnewyork)
Chrissy Shore – Zoo educator at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, Bridgeport, Conn.
Jim Knox – Curator of education at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Conn.
Chef Bun Lai – Chef and pioneer of the sustainable food movement. Host of culinary and educational experiences at Miya’s in the Woods in Woodbridge, Conn. Learn more about Bun Lai's journey by watching the documentary, Little Fish, by Edward Columbia.

Featured Recipe: Olive Oil-Chocolate Chunk Cookies