Add Passion And Stir

The restaurant industry was hit incredibly hard by the pandemic. In 2020, Add Passion and Stir connected with chefs to learn how the pandemic was affecting them. We're revisiting these inspiring conversations to showcase the resilience of the restaurant industry and its commitment to service. In April 2020, Add Passion and Stir connected with NYC’s Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns chef and co-owner Dan Barber to discuss how vulnerable the pandemic had made the farm-to-table movement. “There’s a network of farmers that we’re connected to, whether you know it or not. That network has been shattered,” laments Barber. To help, Barber and Stone Barns launched resourcED which sold food in boxes as a way to give the farmers that supply his restaurants a revenue stream. In this updated epsiode, we revisit this conversation with Barber and share updates on how things are going now. Click here to hear the original interview with Dan Barber.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy N

The restaurant industry was hit incredibly hard by the pandemic. In 2020, Add Passion and Stir connected with chefs to learn how the pandemic was affecting them. We're revisiting these inspiring conversations to showcase the resilience of the restaurant industry and its commitment to service.In May 2020, Add Passion and Stir connected with Chef Erik Bruner-Yang (Maketto, ABC Pony, Foreign National) who said that for him the pandemic "...has been a wake-up call... I’ve always been wading in the water of being a public servant and [I’m] finally jumping into it.” In this updated episode, we return to the conversation we had with Bruner-Yang about the effects of the pandemic and establishing the Power of 10 Initiative to help those in need and share updates on how things are going now. As Bruner-Yang shared recently, “No matter how much people want the pandemic to be over, the effects are going to be generational and programs like The Power of 10 which started as an emergency response has turned into a long term

Why should Americans care about hunger around the world? World Food Program USA President and CEO Barron Segar and food and lifestyle personality Sandra Lee join the podcast to talk about their commitment to combatting hunger around the world. “Food is a basic vaccination against chaos. When you don’t have food, you have increased unrest and conflict,” observes Lee. For both Segar and Lee, the mission is a personal one. Segar recalls the impact of his work in Ethiopia on the South Sudanese border. “I saw so many kids and moms and grandmothers... fleeing violence to stay alive. I saw how they walked for days and weeks… I saw how food literally brought a child and a mom back to life,” he says. Lee shares how she was raised on welfare and foot stamps, "It’s important to remember where you come from, and when you come from a place like that, I think you need to give back." This interview is equal parts awareness building and call to action, “Everybody listening to this show has a voice, but not everybody in the w

Is our divided political culture energizing or suppressing democracy? Former Nebraska Governor and US Senator Bob Kerrey and renowned chef, restaurateur and food activist Tom Colicchio join Billy Shore to discuss the politics of hunger, public education and the role of the citizen in democracy. “The real problem in the food system is [it doesn’t] permit the kind of innovation that will produce a different outcome. You’ve got to create a system whereby the innovators who want to deliver healthy food have an opportunity to get in the door and be successful,” explains Kerrey. Colicchio agrees and talks about the insights he gained from his wife’s (Laurie Silverbush) groundbreaking film about hunger in America, A Place at the Table. “People aren’t hungry in this country because of famine, war or drought. We have enough food to feed people. We don’t have enough political will to feed people,” he notes.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-

How do we protect those most vulnerable to poverty and racism? Originally aired in April 2020, Sojourners' Founder Jim Wallis explains how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the inequities in our society. “Poverty and racism are preexisting conditions that help you get the disease,” says Wallis. “How can we redeem this time for not just immediate response… but also how this will change us – how we act, how we lead, what we do now - going forward. History is being changed by this, so how will those changes result in our being different going forward?”Wallis reflects on the need for leadership, now more than ever. “SNAP [the federal food stamp program] is maybe the most effective way to serve people’s immediate needs and revitalize the economy at the same time... What’s clear that government is the only place big enough to respond at a time like this. We need politicians from both sides of the aisle to prioritize poor people,” he believes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy N

Originally recorded in December 2020, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Nicholas Kristof and Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health Director Allison Barlow discuss the struggle for social justice in Native American communities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Bureau of Indian Education schools only have a 53% high school graduation rate! We are failing them way before they fail us,” suggests Kristof. “One of the greatest prides for parents on a Native reservation is to celebrate their child’s high school graduation. If children there aren’t graduating from high school, it’s because of generations of trauma on top of a really ineffective education system,” Barlow says. “We as a country have had this narrative that when people struggle, it’s because of a lack of personal responsibility and bad choices. When a child born in a certain county has a life expectancy shorter than that of Cambodia, that’s not because that infant is making a bad choice. It’s because we as a socie

While this conversation first aired in 2018, the issues it explores about food equity and access remain unsolved in America and in many ways were exacerbated by the pandemic. In this episode of Add Passion and Stir , poverty expert and author Kathy Edin ($2 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America) and Washington, DC-area social entrepreneur Tom McDougall of 4P Foods illustrate how our current systems – political, social, economic, geographic – keep poor people from succeeding. They argue for more equity in social programs and a more dignified way of serving the poor. Kathy shares stunning statistics and poignant stories from America's impoverished families with whom she has worked and reminds us that, "When it comes down to it, what people seem to want more than anything else is dignity. … but a lot of our social policies deny people that.” What remains true today is the call-to-action to address and fix America's broken food system that as Tom notes can't be fixed "...unless we talk about money and politi

Why is it so important to nourish ourselves and each other? On a special Father’s Day episode, actor and musician Jeff Bridges and his daughter, Mother’s Empowerment Coach Isabelle Bridges, talk about the importance of nourishing relationships and fighting child hunger. “As you get older, you realize that the value you have and what’s really precious in life are these family relationships,” Jeff says about the inspiration and process of their children’s book, ‘Daddy Daughter Day.’ “I remember reading the Daddy Daughter Day story to you Dad, and you saying, with sparkly eyes, ‘we should turn this into a book, and I will illustrate it,’” recalls Isabelle. “When we have our children, we want to nourish them, and then we go unnourished ourselves. My mission is to help the moms feel nourished on the inside so they have a wellspring to give them,” she continues about her work helping mothers take care of their own needs. Jeff is the official spokesperson of the No Kid Hungry campaign. “[Child hunger] an issue that’

In a special Father’s Day episode, Danny Meyer (Shake Shack, Union Square Hospitality Group) and his daughter Hallie Meyer (NYC’s Caffè Panna) share what they have learned from each other and how it has shaped their lives, particularly during the challenges of 2020. Both Danny and Hallie found their way to food by following their desire to do what they love. Hallie’s path ran parallel to her father's and she describes how she made it her own. “I do credit you for that, Dad: for setting an example that I can do whatever I want with the business… that there’s not one way to do it,” she says. Danny shares how Hallie has equally taught and inspired him. “I’m so proud of the way she does business and the spirit that she brings to the business… Hallie had a courage and an entrepreneurial spirit and an ability to pivot that really inspired me,” says Danny about his daughter’s response to the pandemic. Hallie and Danny talk about building purpose into their business. For Hallie, that has mean

Can the current pandemic strengthen our resolve to eradicate hunger? Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot describes what she is witnessing on the frontlines of the escalating hunger crisis caused by COVID-19 and the opportunities it presents. “There are lots of opportunities in this pandemic to come out of it better than we were going into it,” she says, referring to the increased public awareness of hunger in America. “Do you really want four-mile-long lines [outside food banks] or would you prefer, as I do, to provide people with the dignity where they can go into a grocery store just like the rest of us?” she asks. She also encourages all of us to be informed voters. “I think we have a responsibility to be well informed about what the people who represent us that we elect, where they stand on issues like hunger,” she concludes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who is responsible for solving our major social problems? Former Massachusetts Governor and Bain Capital Senior Advisor Deval Patrick discusses the roles of government and business in solving our society’s most intractable problems. “[Government] policy is not that interesting or important in the abstract, it matters where it actually touches people.” After his term as governor, he founded and built an impact investment fund that helped push the industry. “No one sector is going to be able to solve those issues alone, and business has to be part of solutions because it’s so fricking big. What if we could prove that [business has] a false choice; if you could get superior returns and measurable, demonstrable positive human or environmental impact at the same time.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why does it matter who tells the story or who is behind the camera?   Food & Wine Editor-in-Chief Hunter Lewis discusses the evolution of how the magazine thinks about representation and social justice as a result of the pandemic and racial reckoning. “As we think about our role in food media, we are thinking much more intentionally not just about who we’re telling stories about, but who gets to tell the story. Who are we commissioning to tell that story? Who are we commissioning to shoot that photograph?,” he says. “[Our readers] are coming in for recipes and they want to be surprised and delighted, but there’s always a deeper story around food to tell.” He also shares his insights on the future of the hospitality and restaurant industries. “So many things that are continuing to shake out… You’ve got leaders in the industry who have been changing the way that they do business, changing their models, thinking about equity, and thinking about a more livable wage.”See Privacy Policy at https:

How do you get a seat at the decision-making table? Actor and black-ish executive producer Anthony Anderson talks about how black change agents like himself participate in societal decisions and help involve diverse communities. “I like to think of us as agents of change… what makes [black-ish] timely is that we talk about real issues and how it affects us in real time… telling the story in an organic way.” Anderson is also a change agent in his own community. “You can’t have a seat at the table unless you're moving the needle and the way the needle moves in America is economically… It's about investing and reinvesting in yourself and in your community. And then that way you are a force to be reckoned with because now you have the ability to make change, real change.” Anthony Anderson is an Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and the star and executive producer of ABC’s critically-acclaimed sitcom “black-ish” where he portrays Andre “Dre” Johnson. He also currently hosts the ABC game show “To

Chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park in New York city rocked the culinary world when he announced his three-star Michelin restaurant would re-open with a meat-free menu. Host Billy Shore connects with Chef Humm to learn more about what motivated the change: "My hope is that we can show that we can create these magical moments that are luxurious and delicious without using meat."Chef Humm noted our current food system is not sustainable, "This is not an anti-meat move. This is more a pro-planet move." The shutdown of Eleven Madison Park during the pandemic, gave Humm time for reflection and a reevaluation of his priorities.  As part of this episode, we re-visit an earlier conversation with Chef Humm during the height of the pandemic, when Humm transformed Eleven Madison Park into a food provider of 5,000 meals a day in partnership with Rethink Food NYC. “The recipe I want to really share with the world is the recipe of doing what we’re doing,

How can American learn and grow from the COVID19 public health crisis? U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack talks child hunger, economic reforms, and this generation’s opportunity to step forward boldly in response to the pandemic. During this year’s Share Our Strength Rural Childhood Hunger Summit, keynote speaker Vilsack describes how COVID19 has affected so many American families, and how the American Rescue Plan is a critical first step to rebuild our country’s economy. “Once you have an understanding of the cracks that have been shown, it is up to us – this generation of Americans – to respond to that challenge,” he says. “What a great legacy it would be for this generation of Americans who have gone through COVID, to take a horrific tragedy and turn it into an amazing opportunity to provide help and assistance to make sure no child is hungry,” Vilsack believes. Join us for a conversation with an influential leader within the Biden and Obama Administrations. See Privacy Policy at http

James Beard Award-winning chef JJ Johnson describes the challenges of black business ownership and how to support black-owned businesses. “Don’t say you care about black lives if you can’t walk into a black-owned business and look on the shelves and give it the same amount of money that you give a white-owned business,” says Johnson. There continue to be systemic barriers, as well. “When I was applying for my PPP money, I got declined three times. There are a lot of black-owned businesses that just weren’t able to get PPP money to stay alive,” Johnson explains about the Payment Protection Program within the CARES Act that has provided support for small businesses during the pandemic. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Iconic singer-songwriter and environmental activist Carole King talks music, activism, and the power of a meaningful gesture. King shares how her more than 50 years of activism has helped her see how interconnected issues like the environment, immigration, education and hunger truly are. “We are all connected as humans, whatever our party is, and we are all connected on the issues because the issues are interconnected,” King believes. “Hate is a feeling and it’s genuine and people feel it, but the way it has been misused and abused by so many people in politics is ugly… I want to encourage love and I want to encourage civil discourse.” This commitment is evidenced in King's decades-long fight to protect national forests in and around her adopted state of Idaho as an advocate for the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act. “I take so much joy from the proximity to nature. It is intrinsically heartwarming. It nourishes us,” she says. Join us for a conversation with an icon who shares her stren

Is a lie still a lie if enough people believe it? ‘Good Morning America’ co-anchor and former White House Communications Director George Stephanopoulos discusses the media and how politics and public opinion have shifted over the past 20 years and during the pandemic. “A crisis like this hits everyone. It’s not people who haven’t been working, it’s not people who have been irresponsible, it’s not people who are somehow ‘other.’ You see how quickly people can fall from a solid, middle class life into something very close to poverty,” Stephanopoulos notes. “The prospect that [the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit] could become permanent changes is something I had not imagined.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can we shift a historic stigma towards people living in poverty? Princeton poverty researcher and author Kathryn Edin describes welfare reforms in the 1990s that were based on fear that recipients would become dependent on the system and how changes to certain tax credits in the $1.9 trillion COVID relief American Rescue Plan will give more Americans support to move out of poverty. “We have turned 400 years of history about how we treat the poor and think about the poor… on its head,” says Edin. “The message [these new credits] is sending to people who are struggling is, ‘we trust you and we want to support you.’ This is literally the opposite of the message we’ve been sending for over 400 years.” This conversation explores how we can all work to make these new credits permanent.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do we continue to care for each other as the pandemic draws to a close? Congressman Mike Thompson from California’s 5th District and influential Sacramento chef Patrick Mulvaney discuss how the pandemic has affected the food and wine industries. Congressmen Thompson and Mulvaney partnered with funders, including No Kid Hungry, Sacramento County, and community members to deliver more than 250,000 meals through schools and seniors during the pandemic. Both changemakers are hopeful about building America stronger after the pandemic. “I’m excited about the things that we can do. If we work together, there’s no stopping us,” Thompson believes. “What I feel now is hope… There’s a sense that any of us that have made it this far are going to live to see the other side,” says Mulvaney.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.