Speaking Broadly

Hi Speaking Broadly listeners, we wanted to share the trailer of Dana Cowin's new podcast, which will premiere on October 16. Please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. A bit more about Progressive Hedonist and the podcast: After two decades as the Editor in Chief of Food & Wine magazine, Dana Cowin launched this platform to bring joy, connection and uplift through food and gathering while tackling one of the seemingly impossible challenges of our lifetime: healing the natural world. On this podcast, Cowin interviews people who also believe in the powerful potential for food to bring change and fuel community.

Macaroni au gratin is the dish that star chef Ashley Christensen might be best known for. Served at Poole's Diner in Raleigh, North Carolina, it's dialed in to perfection. Thoughtfully conceived, utterly delicious, memorable, tweaked where necessary, but never overhauled. This attention to detail that shows in every dish at this 15 year old institution is a reflection of Ashley's leadership style. Profoundly human, intensely fair, and earned over time. Listen in to hear more from one of the most talented leaders in hospitality.

Through her profound connection to her people and land in Apex, North Carolina, cultural preservationist Gabrielle Eitienne shares the importance of place and the power of archiving the wisdom of your community. Says Eitienne: "I was working in the food industry, I was doing pretty well. I had just gotten a really cool job offer and was climbing this ladder that on paper looked really good to me. I also felt that the real work that I needed to do was elsewhere." With that revelation, Eitienne moved home. Listen in to hear stories of family, gardening, juke joints, sack sausage, and love.

Seeing people adversely affected by not planning for more resilient futures, both in the face of climate change and in the face of inevitable economic change, has shaped Briana Warner's entire career. From working with the US Foreign Service as an undergrad to now running Atlantic Sea Farms, Bri has sought out solutions today that will make for a better tomorrow. Right now she's throwing all of her energy into growing kelp with the lobstermen on the coast of Maine. "It is the best food you could possibly eat for people and planet, and I don't think that's hyperbole. There are ways to oversell the impacts of kelp. We're not sequestering carbon. We're not going to reverse climate change. We're not going to save the planet with kelp. But certainly anything that you put on the plate that is not kelp is more carbon intensive and worse for the planet."

Lindsay Hoopes went from working with Kamala Harris on tough cases to taking over her father's Napa Valley winery, which is a job twist she never saw coming. As the CEO at Hoopes Vineyard, she's navigated challenges as complex as those she encountered as a lawyer back in San Francisco. When the 2017 fires blanketed the grapes with smoke, Hoopes had to choose whether to compost the year's crop or find a way to save it. Her move to salvage the vintage with a Napa-appellation Brandy (coined Napagnac) put a spotlight on the future of Napa Valley as the wine industry contends with climate-change related issues among others. Listen in for more on Lindsay's fascinating career and her stewardship of one of Napa's top family-owned wineries. Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!