Food | Connecticut Public

A clear bottle filled with olive oil sits on a table covered with a tablecloth. Light coming through a window shines directly on the bottle.

Seasoned explores olive oil, plus chef JJ Johnson’s ‘The Simple Art of Rice’

Robyn Doyon-Aitken

What makes an olive oil extra-virgin? This week on Seasoned, a conversation with an olive oil somm. Plus, a local org uses Palestinian olive oil to fund education and we learn about the importance of olive trees and oil in Palestinian cuisine. Plus, chef JJ Johnson’s ‘The Simple Art of Rice.’

Wicker basket in a vegetable garden with freshly picked Aubergines, zucchini, bell peppers and tomatoes.

Connecticut Garden Journal: New veggie varieties to grow in 2024

Charlie Nardozzi

Drumroll please. . .after researching the new catalogues and websites of a few of my favorite national seed companies, I have compiled my 2024 list of new vegetables to grow. Here we go!

Shop local, even for seeds! Some local Connecticut seed houses include NE Seed, John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds, Chas Hart Seed, and Select Seeds. (pictured)

Connecticut Garden Journal: When you shop local, think of seeds, too

Charlie Nardozzi

January is time to go through all my old seeds, see what I need to replace and try some new varieties. This year let's keep our seed purchases local. There are vegetable and flower seed houses based in Connecticut offering a nice variety of seed to purchase. I'll share a few.

Brightly colored beats are gathered in a wooden box.

Going plant-based: Exploring Veganuary

Anya Grondalski

January is the month of goals and challenges. Veganuary is no exception. This hour we look at the 30-day plant-based challenge that originated nearly a decade ago and has since taken on a life of its own.

Reneé Touponce, Executive Chef of Oyster Club and The Port of Call in Mystic, Conn.

Local voices: Highlights from our favorite Seasoned conversations of 2023

Robyn Doyon-Aitken

This week on Seasoned, listen back to conversations we had with local guests in 2023. We celebrate restaurants that have stood the test of time, and chefs like Reneé Touponce, Sherry Pocknett and Damon "Daye" Sawyer.

The "old school" Norwegian krumkake iron (left) and the "new school" iron (right) rest beside the hand-written cookie recipe and cone-rolling tools belonging to Joyce Biolzi and Janice Papuga.

Holiday cookie traditions, plus Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh’s ‘Maman and Me’

Robyn Doyon-Aitken

People share the stories behind their holiday cookies, and Roya Shariat and her mother Gita Sadeh talk about their cookbook, 'Maman and Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Family.'

Real talk about diet culture from the ‘Food, We Need to Talk’ experts

Robyn Doyon-Aitken

This week on Seasoned, Juna Gjata and Dr. Eddie Phillips, authors of 'Food, We Need to Talk,' join us to unpack ideas about diet culture, weight loss and what it means to be healthy.

Bake smarter—and with confidence, plus exploring connections between Judaism and farming

Robyn Doyon-Aitken

This week on Seasoned, Samantha Seneviratne talks about butter’s role in baking, chocolate chip cookies and her love for enriched doughs. Plus, Tagan Engel shares latke-making tips for Hanukkah and explores the ways Jewish practices connect to farming.

Students check out UConn’s food pantry after a ribbon cutting ceremony January 26, 2023 at the Hartford campus.

Addressing misconceptions around food insecurity: 'It's about more than food'

Katie Pellico

This hour, we discuss food insecurity in Connecticut, and some of the solutions, with local advocates and experts. Plus, an in-school pantry just opened at Hartford High School. Principal Flora Padro describes the "new normal" she envisions.

A photograph of a carved turkey on a platter. Next to the platter is a gravy boat and sides of cranberry sauce and green beans.

Talkin’ turkey with local chefs, plus the gift of Buffalo Creek squash

Robyn Doyon-Aitken

This week on Seasoned: tips for pulling off Thanksgiving dinner and the efforts to grow and save the seeds of Buffalo Creek squash in a garden at Yale Farm.