Keep It Quirky podcast

This year in October, I was invited to be a judge for the World Cheese Awards! (Yes, it was as epic as it sounds.) This podcast episode is a recap of my experiences there.

The World Cheese Awards are put on my the Guild of Fine Food, and they're in a new country each year. This past year it was in Bergamo, Italy, and 3,800 cheeses were tasted!

I talk with Mary Quicke, of Quicke's Cheddar, and she describes why she developed the professional cheese qualification in the UK, the Academy of Cheese.

I also got the chance to catch up with Jason Hinds, Sales Director at Neals Yard Dairy. As a member of the international super jury of the awards, he has a unique perspective on the goings on of the event.

So, which cheese won? You'll have to listen to the episode to find out!!

It's a short and cheerful episode. And on this festive note, I want to say happy holidays to you all! This is my last episode before Christmas and the New Year. Thanks, as always, for listening, and please rate/review if you liked it. Keep it quirky!

–Guild of Fine Food–

Instagram & Twitter // @guildoffinefood

World Cheese Awards // https://gff.co.uk/awards/world-cheese-awards/

–Keep It Quirky–

Instagram // @keepitquirkypodcast

Katie Quinn on Insta & Twitter // @qkatie

www.youtube.com/TheQKatie

Theme song music by Funky Brian, @bqfunk on Instagram

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Polly Russell is a food historian and curates the Food Season at the British Library, an annual series of events. In her role as curator of Contemporary Politics and Public Life at the British Library, she curates a variety of events, but all of her work looks at the world through the lens of food. She has a PhD in Food! (Her doctorate looked at food and the politics of identity in post-war Britain.) She writes a fantastic column for the Financial Times called “The History Cook,” and has presented for the BBC's "Back In Time..." television series.

I absolutely loved talking with Polly, and I'm thrilled to be sharing the audio from one of the Food Season events that she curated: Women In Cheese, hosted by Bronwen Percival (of Neal's Yard Dairy), who interviewed Mrs. Ruth Kirkham and Carrie Rimes -- both incredible cheesemakers. So after my chat with Polly, stick around to listen to panel discussion.

By keeping curiosity at the forefront and by resisting boundaries in her work, Polly Russell curates events that are fascinating and entertaining, both. Make sure to see what's on at next year's Food Season at the British Library!

Thanks to Polly and Susannah Stevenson at the British Library, the audio engineering team there, and thanks to Bronwen Percival, Mrs Ruth Kirkham, and Carrie Rimes.

--Polly Russell--

Instagram // @the_history_cook

Twitter // @pollyrussel1

British Library's Food Season // www.bl.uk/events/food-season

The British Library podcast: Anything but Silent

--Keep It Quirky--

Instagram // @keepitquirkypodcast

Katie Quinn on Insta & Twitter // @qkatie

www.youtube.com/TheQKatie

Don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter! Go here: http://eepurl.com/dNtAx2  

Theme song music by Funky Brian, @bqfunk on Instagram

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Go for the weird and wonderful," Lydia Harrison told me, and it just may be the best wine advice I've ever heard! Lydia is a Master of Wine -- the incredibly rigorous qualification that less then 400 people have worldwide. She's also a teacher at the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, WSET, and she taught me when I took my Level 2 Awards.

In this episode, I give you sense of what it's like taking a certification course at WSET (thanks to my seat mate Tom for chatting for the pod, too!), and Lydia and I have a more in-depth conversation about the world of wine, and also answering the questions you all sent me on Instagram that you wanted me to ask! We try not to get too nerdy on you (sometimes we succeed, sometimes we don't).

To find out more about WSET's qualifications and where to study to go to www.wsetglobal.com.

--WSET--

Instagram & Twitter // @wsetglobal @wineducationweek

Website // https://www.wsetglobal.com/

Lydia Harrison on Instagram // @lydiaharrisonMW

--Keep It Quirky--

Instagram // @keepitquirkypodcast

Katie Quinn on Insta & Twitter // @qkatie

www.youtube.com/TheQKatie

Don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter! Go here: http://eepurl.com/dNtAx2  

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jessica Hammer founded the company Taste of Toulouse, which gives walking food tours in English in the city center of Toulouse, France. As an American, she and her husband moved to France a couple years ago and she has hit the ground running ever since. 

We talk about what it was like starting a business in another (non-English-speaking) country, and resources she tapped to make that transition as smooth as possible. We also talk about mental health and emotional intelligence as an entrepreneur (important!). She says she learned time and again what we all know about ourselves: “I’m stronger than I feel like I am sometimes.”

Another part of our conversation that I loved was our chat about introversion and extroversion. Either way you swing, we talk about how recognize how you refuel and find energy is key to a happy work life and personal life.

The warmth and hospitality in Toulouse and southwest France is remarkable, and I had such a great visit there -- in large part thanks to Jessica’s help in my researching bread in that area for my book. I also had the chance to hop on one of her tours of Le Marche Victor Hugo, which just reinforced the fact that food tours are a wonderful and unique way to get to know a place.

You’ll going to love this episode, and will want to book that ticket to visit Toulouse (and take one of her food tours) asap!

Don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter! Go here: http://eepurl.com/dNtAx2 

--Taste of Toulouse--

Instagram & Twitter // @tasteoftoulouse

Website // https://www.tasteoftoulouse.com/

--Keep It Quirky--

Instagram // @keepitquirkypodcast

Katie Quinn on Insta & Twitter // @qkatie

www.youtube.com/TheQKatie

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the 50th episode of the Keep It Quirky podcast! Woohoo! I can't think of a better guest to celebrate the big 5-0...

Fuchsia Dunlop is one of my culinary and literary heroes. Her memoir, Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China is one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read -- and the fact that it’s full of tantalizing food descriptions and recipes is the cherry on top! The new edition of it has a foreword from the fabulous Bee Wilson (a British food writer and historian). 

Fuchsia has won 4 James Beard Awards for her work. From Sichuan Cookery (which in the US was published as Land of Plenty) to Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking, and more, she has shared Chinese food culture with the masses. Some of her other work has appeared in the New Yorker, Saveur, Lucky Peach, Financial Times and Gourmet, and you’ve probably seen her as a guest on Netflix’s Ugly Delicious with David Chang, and Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. 

If you can’t tell by now, Fuchsia is a force of nature. Talking with her was a huge honor and her ongoing love for her work -- decades into it -- is evident. Her career began with a sub-editing job at the BBC, which led her to take Mandarin classes and after that she won a British Council scholarship to study a year in Chengdu, China, the heart of Sichuan province. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Show notes:

-Her newest book release: The Food of Sichuan → https://www.amazon.co.uk/Food-Sichuan-Fuchsia-Dunlop/dp/1324004835

-She also does culinary tours around China! Check out her website for more info: www.fuchsiadunlop.com

-Shout out to Ed Levine, founder of Serious Eats, for connecting me with Fuchsia. You should check out his book, Serious Eater: A Food Lover's Perilous Quest for Pizza and Redemption. And he was episode #8 of this podcast! https://keepitquirkypodcast.com/8-ed-levine-of-serious-eats-on-the-era-of-reluctant-entrepreneurs/

--Fuchsia Dunlop--

Instagram & Twitter // @fuchsiadunlop

--Keep It Quirky--

Instagram // @keepitquirkypodcast

Katie Quinn on Insta & Twitter // @qkatie

Don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter! Go here: http://eepurl.com/dNtAx2 

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katie Parla is a Rome-based food and beverage author/writer/food journalist/cookbook author and guide. She also cohosts a fantastic podcast, GOLA, with a woman named Danielle and they deep-dive into everything food & drink in Italy. Katie recently released her newest cookbook, “Food of the Italian South,” in which she tells us how those southern regions of Italy differ in personality (and food!) from the rest of the country.

We discuss the role language plays in her life and career (she’s fluent in Italian). We also talking about staying true to yourself and values as a writer, especially when the gray area of brands pops in. One of my favorite quotes of hers: “I made a conscious decision to not act as a public relations agent of brands a long time ago. I just say what I believe in, and that’s not always popular, but I’m okay with that.”

She also tells us some great Romanesco insults, and she teaches us how to say keep it quirky in Italian! It’s a fun episode -- I hope you enjoy it!

--Katie Parla--

Instagram & Twitter // @katieparla

Website // katieparla.com

Podcast GOLA // https://anchor.fm/gola

--Keep It Quirky--

Instagram // @keepitquirkypodcast

Katie Quinn on Insta & Twitter // @qkatie

www.youtube.com/TheQKatie

Don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter! Go here: http://eepurl.com/dNtAx2 

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rebekah Peppler is a James Beard Award-nominated cookbook author (of "Apéritif: Cocktail Hour the French Way), food stylist, recipe tester and all around badass. She splits her time between Paris, LA and NYC and is currently working on a second cookbook, "À Table." She also wrote an article for the New York Times about the Aperol Spritz that blew up the internet, called "The Aperol Spritz Is Not a Good Drink."

We talk in her Paris apartment about the fantastical and clichéd things that really do happen in Paris, we chat about how food (and drinks) are personal, how the adage "fake it 'til you make it" is sometimes the best way to go, and how we both handle anxiety when it comes to tackling a big project -- like writing a book!, which is something we're both in the midst of right now.

Rebekah is awesome; I loved having a microphone on this conversation, which was, honestly, like one we'd have over a glass of wine or during apéritif.

You can follow Rebekah on Instagram at @rebekahpeppler!

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is not all about yoga -- but it is with one of my favorite yoga teachers in London, Mollie McClelland Morris. We use yoga as a jumping off point to understand the creative life and more happily move through -- and create in -- this world.

We talk about being incremental about change, following threads of interest, "movement snacks" and the act of creation. I'm sure this conversation will give you a lot to think about and hopefully some tips to enjoy each day a bit more.

Thanks to triyoga for letting Mollie and I record this episode in your Shoreditch space! 

--Mollie McClelland Morris--

Instagram // @mollieyoga

Website // www.molliemorris.com

--Keep It Quirky--

Instagram // @keepitquirkypodcast

Katie Quinn on Insta & Twitter // @qkatie

www.youtube.com/TheQKatie

Don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter! Go here: http://eepurl.com/dNtAx2  

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

I start this episode with some BIG NEWS! I'm writing a book!! (HarperCollins William Morrow will publish it in spring of 2021!) I give a quick breakdown of what it's about, and how it relates to today's guests....

First up, I talked with the founder of Natural Born Wine, Oli and Sam. They began their wine importing company three years ago, a career shift for both of them (they came from a writing background). I love their story of how they got into this path, which is unexpected and delightful, and we talk about what it means for a wine to be a natural wine, and the principles behind wines that are biodynamic.

I also talked with Tom Calver of Westcombe Dairy. Westcombe’s beloved Cheddar is made in Somerset, England (the area that’s home of Cheddar cheese!). He and I talk in their Cheddar maturation cave about what it means to make cheese with raw milk, the concept of farming with flavor, and why he's not a cheese elitist.

In this episode, I wove together the wine and cheese interviews because I wanted to make a connection between these two seemingly very different products and the paralleled issues they face of agricultural principles, taste, quality and the larger values at play.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

--Natural Born Wine--

Instagram & Twitter // @naturalbornwine

Website // www.naturalbornwine.com/

--Westcome Dairy--

Instagram // @westcomedairy

Website // www.westcombedairy.com/

--Keep It Quirky--

Instagram // @keepitquirkypodcast

Katie Quinn on Insta & Twitter // @qkatie

www.youtube.com/TheQKatie

Don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter! Go here: http://eepurl.com/dNtAx2  

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frankie Celenza is a video personality and cook, with a hugely successful Tastemade show called Struggle Meals. In this episode we talk about how his career evolved from studying music production in college (where he would cook Italian meals in his dorm and sell plates to his classmates), to producing/hosting/shooting/editing a food television show for his local New York television station … to being one of the most recognized faces in the digital food space.

We talk about finding momentum in your career and the importance of keeping in motion, how A.D.D. and dyslexia didn’t stop him from pursuing his passions and finding his genius, why you never make “it,” because “it” is a moving target, and his bicycle wheel metaphor for career strategies and visualization.

Frankie's the bomb. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Show notes :

Video that Frankie and Katie did together for Tastemade:

https://www.tastemade.co.uk/shows/along-for-the-ride/frankie-and-katie-in-athens-as-in-ohio

Katie’s video about British English/American English food translations:

https://youtu.be/_LeyhplXo9k

--Frankie Celenza--

Stuggle Meals // https://watch.tastemade.com/struggle-meals

Instagram & Twitter // @frankiecelenza

--Keep It Quirky--

Instagram // @keepitquirkypodcast

Katie Quinn on Insta & Twitter // @qkatie

www.youtube.com/TheQKatie

Don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter! Go here: http://eepurl.com/dNtAx2 

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.