Food People are the Best People

Nico Niebes, executive director of Urban Gleaners, joins us to talk about the organization’s mission to reduce food waste and fight hunger here in Portland. This dynamic nonprofit rescues fresh, unsold food from farms, grocery stores, bakeries, restaurants, and caterers, and redistributes it to more than 8,500 families every week. Nico shares insights into how Urban Gleaners is building community through food and the challenges and opportunities in hunger relief. This conversation was recorded shortly after their Summer Suppers fundraiser last year. This year’s event takes place on September 14th, with tickets on sale now at UrbanGleaners.org This episode is brought to you by Portland Staycation — your chance to fall in love with downtown all over again, September 12-14, 2025. Discover special events, dining, and hotel offers at PortlandStaycation.com.

Chef Cathy Whims of Nostrana joins us to discuss her debut cookbook, The Italian Summer Kitchen: Timeless Recipes for La Dolce Vita. A six-time James Beard Awards Best Chef Northwest nominee, Cathy shares her journey from Portland’s Genoa to Nostrana, and how her culinary experiences in Italy inspired her to create a cookbook that celebrates the simplicity and joy of Italian summer cooking. She discusses the influence of her mentors, including Marcella Hazan, and how her childhood in the South shaped her approach to seasonal, vegetable-forward dishes. Cathy also reflects on the process of translating her love for Italian cuisine into a cookbook that invites readers to embrace the pleasures of cooking and eating. This episode is brought to you by Portland Staycation — your chance to fall in love with downtown all over again, September 12-14, 2025. Discover special events, dining, and hotel offers at PortlandStaycation.com.

Chef/Owner Garrett Benedict has created two of Portland's most aesthetically pleasing dining experiences with his produce-focused restaurant, G-Love, and cocktail bar, Love Shack. Looks aside, the food and drinks are as delicious and thoughtfully prepared as they are photo-worthy.

Alanna Keifer knows a lot about about seaweed and kelp. When she's not leading intertidal tours and workshops on the Oregon coast with Shifting Tides, or celebrating local seafood and sea veggies with Winter Waters, she's growing and touting the benefits of dulse seaweed -- one of the most sustainable foods in the world. Follow Judiaann on Instagram for the latest news and updates: @Judiaann - instagram.com/judiaann judiaannwoo.com/podcast Listen to the Podcast - new episodes every other week! Creative Director: Stephanie Duong Videographer, Photographer: Carter Hiyama Graphic Designer: Aeri Kim

After years of bootlegging for friends, Cy Cain and Casey Richwine knew there must be a better way to enjoy cocktails at home without all the fuss and heavy lifting. In 2018, they co-founded Straightaway, makers of premium ready-to-sip cocktails, and the rest is history. Their bottled and canned cocktails have gone on to win the most prestigious spirit awards, and their new line of house-made amaros, liqueurs, and vermouths has become a favorite with professionals and serious cocktail enthusiasts alike. Host Judiaann Woo talks with Cy about his long-way-round approach to ingredients and and how that standard has contributed to the success of the brand.

Host Judiaann Woo speaks with Chef Rebekah "Becky" McGrath, Executive Chef of Burgerville – the Pacific Northwest's favorite quick-serve burger spot famous for its use of local, high-quality, seasonal ingredients. Loved by generations in the PNW, their famous Walla Walla onion rings, strawberry shortcake, and other seasonal menu items have such a loyal following that people will plan vacations to be in the region just to enjoy them while they're on the menu.

From a young age, Brooke Jackson-Glidden always knew she wanted to be a food writer. She achieved that goal as a James Beard Award-winning journalist and the editor of Eater PDX, Portland's online guide to the city's dining scene. She recently landed a plum position as the editor-in-chief of Portland Monthly, the city's premier monthly magazine. Host Judiaann Woo talks with Brooke about food as a lens through which we can experience a greater commentary on the world around us.

After a bit of a hiatus, we’re back! Guest host, influencer, and food personality, Bill Oakley ("The Gordan Ramsey of Fast Food” and former head writer/co-producer of “The Simpsons”) interviews podcast host Judiaann Woo for a little “get to know our host” session as we kick off Season 2 featuring more great conversations with some of the best people in food.

Little Sous turns the kitchen into a place where families connect, and kids learn to become creative, confident cooks. Themed, monthly subscription kits include lessons, recipes, food science and art projects, culture and kid-safe tools. The company’s first imprint, Teen Kitchen Takeover (foundations in cooking for teens) is launching this November. Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.

The beloved Top Chef star revolutionizes healthy eating in his groundbreaking cookbook "Everyone's Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health" -- the ultimate guide to cooking globally inspired dishes free of gluten, soy, legumes, and grains that are so delicious you won't notice the difference. Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.

As a second generation fishmonger with a background in aquaculture, Lyf Gildersleeve of Flying Fish Company in Portland, Oregon has made it his mission to only source the highest quality local, seasonal, sustainably harvested seafood available in the market because in doing so, he believes this is the best solution for our environment, the coastal fishers, and his customers. Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.

New episode next Thursday! Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.

In the competitive world of hot sauces, Sarah Marshall's small batch, handcrafted, made with local ingredients, hot sauces stand out from the pack. Marshall's Haute Sauce brings the heat but also celebrates the farmers and community of Portland and beyond. Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.

Sambal chili sauce just might be the thing you never knew you were missing until you try it. Use it as a condiment or as a ingredient in all sort of unexpected dishes. You don't have to be from Singapore to appreciate the versatility and flavor pow of sambal. Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.

Long before a global pandemic fueled a baking frenzy, Ken Forkish has been making some of the finest breads, pizzas, and pastries in this country. He is the author of “Flour Water Salt Yeast” and “The Elements of Pizza” and owner of Ken’s Artisan Bakery and Ken’s Artisan Pizza in Portland, Oregon. Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.

Not since Lewis & Clark has anyone harvested salt in the Pacific Northwest with any real success. That was until Ben Jacobsen came along. After falling in love with fine sea salts while living abroad, Ben took it upon himself to learn the craft, eventually founding Jacobsen Salt Co. and becoming America’s top salt maker. Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.

In her book "School Lunch: Unpacking Our Shared Stories," author and photographer Lucy Schaeffer transports readers back to a time when lunch was so much more than the school cafeteria or brown bag. With 70 interviews from a range of voices spanning the U.S. and 25 countries, each interview and portrait celebrates our diversity and our shared childhood experience. Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.

Like her favorite team the Chicago Cubs, Melissa McMillan is building a mini sandwich empire in Oregon with the same borrowed motto, "Do Simple Better." We talk about what it takes to makes a great sandwich, her childhood growing up in Texas and her formative sandwich years in Chicago, and all the fun stuff in between. Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.

We eat with our eyes first and nobody creates more crave-worthy photos than Kari Young. Besides being one of the most recognized food photographers in the country, she's also passionate about restaurant culture, being a single mom, and always growing and learning in her craft. Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.

If you've ever experienced the magic of Feast Portland, one of the country's premier food festivals, you have Mike Thelin to thank in some part for those happy food memories. But long before Feast, Mike has been a food person in every sense of the term from his love of multicultural cuisines as a young kid to accomplished career as a food journalist. Subscribe on all podcast apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media @judiaann and @eddpoddnet. Presented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network.