Theokrapodcast

04/12/2021

31/03/2021

In Episode 6 of , Sidney Nicholson recounts some beautiful, and often amusing, stories about his okra loving mother! Check it out: https://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/1218326/8180033-2021-okra-dreams-with-ira-wallace-mark-tancig-and-sidney-nicholson

Sidney retired from a long career in law enforcement in NYC and became an after-school coordinator at Cornerstone Learning Community in Tallahassee, FL, where he mentored children, young people, and adults alike. He is a father and grandfather, and husband and partner to his childhood sweetheart, Gloria. He enjoys life outdoors and spending time with family and friends.

23/03/2021

A collection of photos that relate to the wonderful okra conversations we had with our guests Mark Tancig and Sidney Nicholson.
Music by Hot Tamale Tallahassee
https://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/1218326/8180033-2021-okra-dreams-with-ira-wallace-mark-tancig-and-sidney-nicholson?fbclid=IwAR3be9DvQX0l644ohvPeh_KcfrbXxKimmspcX3xh7HTAj_CThc588wO3eD8

23/03/2021

This photo was taken pre-Covid at one of the last agriculture conferences before close down. But we still have the internet, and Chris was able to spend some time talking with Ira Wallace of talking all about okra and varieties and food and history. Anybody who knows Ira, knows that she is a wealth of knowledge with a big sharing heart.

Check out our latest episode with Ira (and others) and join the 2021 Okra Dreams: https://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/1218326/8180033-2021-okra-dreams-with-ira-wallace-mark-tancig-and-sidney-nicholson

21/03/2021

Episode 6 is LIVE https://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/1218326/8180033-2021-okra-dreams-with-ira-wallace-mark-tancig-and-sidney-nicholson.

2021 Okra Dreams: After a short winter break, The Okra Pod Cast is launching straight into spring. This episode is focused on growing okra and the upcoming season, but there’s plenty of food talk to get us dreaming about those hot harvest days. Marc Tancig, a University of Florida Extension Agent, shares expert advice on growing okra and talks nematodes with Rebekka. We’ll discuss okra varieties with Ira Wallace (.wallace) of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange () as well as food, memories and culture. And then this episode closes with some beautiful stories from Sidney Nicholson, who recounts his, often amusing, childhood responses to his okra-loving mother!

13/02/2021

As the okra growing season approaches, one of the top questions we get asked is, What are our favorite varieties? We may well answer that question in Episode 6, but since it’s such a subjective question, we wanted to turn it back on you! So, fellow okra growers, What are YOUR favorite okra varieties and why?

We’d love you to record a voice memo on your phone answering this question and then email the audio file to [email protected], or if you prefer then you can just email us a written answer! We’ll be playing, or reading, some of your responses in Episode Six of .

08/02/2021

Some of you may be wondering why there wasn't a January episode of The Okra Pod Cast (some of you may not have noticed, and that's ok too!).

2020 was The Okra Pod Cast's inaugural year, which started with Michael Twitty's () cultural and historical introduction to okra in Episode One and finished with a culinary okra adventure across India in Episode Five.

For 2021, we are planning an exciting set of episodes so we can continue our journey of exploring okra's stories and the people it connects. Look to March 15 for the launch of Episode Six!

In the meantime please take a moment to subscribe to and review The Okra Pod Cast on your favorite listening platform! We love hearing your feedback 💚

24/12/2020

Our first guest in Episode Five: India's Bhindi is Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal. She takes us on a culinary tour of okra (bhindi) across India and it's amazing how much diversity exists. Rushina's blog is a wealth of knowledge, and we highly recommend getting lost in its pages!

From Rushina: "Culinary Expert, Writer & Consultant I write about food history and stories most often around ingredients, cuisines, and the people who cook them."

A blog by food writer and consultant Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal,

23/12/2020

Episode 5. India's Bhindi: A Romp Through Okraland. We speak with long time food writer, Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal who gives us a mouthwatering overview of okra across India. Rushina’s interview is a fantastic glimpse into the diversity on offer. After Rushina we speak with two chefs in India who both bring a creative, experimental eye to a traditional food. Executive chef, Vidit Aren, shares his personal journey with okra and some okra research and development at the Mumbai restaurant, Slink and Bardot. And then Rachel Goenka, award winning restauranteur, chef and author, shares her solution to having too much okra!

Special thanks to Vikram Baker Mital for connecting us to our guests!

Photo Credit: Peter Taylor

India's Bhindi: A Romp Through Okraland: We speak with long time food writer, Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, who gives us a mouthwatering overview of okra across India. Rushina’s interview is a fantastic glimpse into the diversity on offer. After Rush...

18/11/2020

It was a joy to interview Roy Blount Jr, but now we want to interview Stephen King to hear his side of things....

Listen to Episode 4 to hear Roy Blount Jr. reading his Song to Okra and some other great interviews with botanists, scientists and okra lovers.

LISTEN: https://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/1218326/6314920-okra-s-family

17/11/2020

In Episode 4 we interview the 'Botanists in the Kitchen' as we delve deeper into okra's mucilaginous and marvelous self! Listen to the interview here: https://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/1218326/6314920-okra-s-family, and check out their blog on okra here: https://botanistinthekitchen.blog/2013/09/21/okra-whats-not-to-like/

What is hairy, green, full of slime, and delicious covered in chocolate? It has to be okra, bhindi, gumbo, Abelmoschus esculentus, the edible parent of musk. Katherine explores okra structure, its …

11/11/2020

NOW LIVE https://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/1218326/6314920-okra-s-family

Okra's Family: This episode is centered around okra. That may sound a little crazy given this is a podcast all about okra, but we really wanted an opportunity to get to know okra on okra’s own terms. We hear from Jordan Collins (), who shares some botanical origins and agronomic potential of okra. We're honored that Roy Blount Jr. shares his Song to Okra and some slippery stories. And two talented 'Botanists in the Kitchen' share botanical and culinary insights which may leave you hungering for a plate of fried okra and mole! We hope this episode leaves you knowing okra just a little bit better!

21/10/2020

We've got a sticker! Support us on Patreon via www.patreon.com/theokrapodcast. $1 to show you love the podcast, $3 to get a sticker! We're splitting all our Patreon support with our amazing guests ❤️

15/10/2020

Do you have an okra recipe with a story? Do you have a story involving okra? Does okra bring back memories? We are building a special collection of okra recipes, stories, and phototographs. Join us!

14/10/2020

Episode 3 is LIVE!

Okra Soul Soup: In previous episodes we’ve certainly talked a lot about eating okra, but this is our first deep dive into a specific dish: Okra Soup. We are very fortunate to have interviewed two incredible Charleston natives, Chef BJ Dennis and Amethyst Ganaway (), who help weave a narrative of food and people and deep roots stretching back to West Africa. Okra soup is certainly delicious, and be prepared to salivate during the whole episode, but it's also a connection to community and culture beyond it's varied ingredients.

Listen at http://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/1218326/5884912-okra-soul-soup

06/10/2020

Mehmet Oztan is a Service Assistant Professor of Geology & Geography at West Virginia University, where he works on projects related to preservation and documentation of West Virginia’s and Appalachian Region’s agrobiodiversity, seed stories, race and culture of seeds, racism and discrimination in seed industry, advocacy of food diversity, and adaptation of seeds to changing regional climate/growing conditions.

Mehmet is co-owner of Two Seeds in a Pod Heirloom Seed Co, a small, family-owned seed company that specializes in Turkish heirlooms. His dedication to seed and food preservation is inspiring. Learn more Two Seeds in a Pod Heirloom Seed Company

Listen to the whole episode at http://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/1218326/5443858-grand-mother-okra

30/09/2020

Here's a short snippet from our interview with Sansour Listen to the whole interview via https://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/1218326/5443858-grand-mother-okra.

Vivien Sansour is the founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library and the Traveling Kitchen Project. Both initiatives work to bring Palestinian seed heritage back to the dinner table. Vivien was born in Palestine and grew up in Bethlehem. She has spent time in the United States, including in North Carolina! Vivien Sansour is a powerful story teller and talented writer.

16/09/2020

Grand Mother Okra: In our previous episode, titled Motherland okra, we explored okra’s West African origins with our guests Michael Twitty and Jon Jackson. In this episode we accompany okra on its journey northward to hear how okra is used and celebrated by our friends and neighbors of Middle Eastern descent. We are happy to welcome three wonderful guests, who tell us about their experiences with okra, its uses, and who share with us the stories that connect okra to the people and the culture they love and carry within them.

Meet our guests: .sansour

Listen Now: https://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/1218326/5443858-grand-mother-okra

25/08/2020

Jon Jackson of Comfort Farms. Read about his purposeful work here:
https://civileats.com/2019/11/11/veterans-find-purpose-and-healing-at-comfort-farms/

24/08/2020

Jon Jackson of Comfort Farms. Read about his purposeful work here:
https://civileats.com/2019/11/11/veterans-find-purpose-and-healing-at-comfort-farms/

The 20-acre central Georgia farm, founded by former U.S. Army Ranger Jon Jackson, helps struggling veterans find connection and belonging as they care for the land and animals.

20/08/2020

The Okra Pod Cast is first and foremost a passion project that came about because two podheads walked into a bar... No, not literally :)

I do believe that our mutual obsession for all things okra made it inevitable for Chris Smith and me to meet and ultimately, to work together on a project such as this podcast. It is awesome to collaborate with someone who is equally as inspired by nature and who pursues his okra vision with fervor, enthusiasm, and commitment similar to mine.

We are both truly excited about sharing the voices and stories of okra aficionados everywhere! Please continue to tune in to The Okra Pod Cast and share it with everyone you know, as well as with those you'd like to know better. Okra is a great conversation starter after all and it has successfully connected people for many hundreds of years now...

Please consider supporting The Okra Podcast on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/theokrapodcast

Become a patron of The Okra Pod Cast today: Read 2 posts by The Okra Pod Cast and get access to exclusive content and experiences on the world’s largest membership platform for artists and creators.

18/08/2020

Motherland Okra interviews Michael Twitty (), culinary historian and author, as we dig deep into okra's origins on the African continent, and its subsequent 'globetrotting' journey. We learn of the culinary skills and knowledge of people along the West coast Africa, where okra is ubiquitous, and recognize slavery's role in the dispersal of food crops as well as of people. Okra is certainly food deserving of celebration, but as you'll come to see, it's also so much more!

We were extremely excited to speak to Michael Twitty about okra: Michael really is first and foremost an explorer and a seeker of knowledge. He is a scholar, a historical interpreter, and a culinary historian. He’s also an amazing writer. He wrote The Cooking Gene, which won a James Beard Award in 2018 for Book of the Year. Michael Twitty's website, Afroculinaria.com, which is a blog and so much more, highlights much of Michael Twitty’s work and projects, which are devoted to African American historic foodways and their legacies.

Our first Okra Short comes to us from Jon Jackson. Jon Jackson founded and runs, , a 20-acre central Georgia farm which helps struggling veterans find connection and belonging as they care for the land and animals. Jon tells us about an okra variety he is growing from his Mother's land, Liberia.



Photo Credit:
Co-hosts: and

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1218326/episodes/5039579

18/08/2020

Our very first 'Okra Short' (a 2-3 minute okra story) comes to us from Jon Jackson of Comfort Farms, who shares his story of Motherland Okra.

Listen to the full episode (including an interview with ) at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1218326/5039579 to learn more about this beautiful and very special okra.

Photo Credit: Comfort Farms

15/08/2020

We are super excited (and honored) to have Michael W. Twitty join us as our first guest on, The Okra Pod Cast.

Michael W. Twitty (The Cooking Gene) is a writer, culinary historian, and educator. He is the author of the multiple award winning book, The Cooking Gene and is currently working on his new book, Kosher Soul.

If you've ever heard or read Michael W. Twitty, then you already know it's going to be a great first episode!

Stay tuned!

09/08/2020

Thank you for listening and for subscribing to The Okra Pod Cast! We are excited about this season and we hope that you'll continue to help us spread okra love throughout this galaxy!

We also want to give big thanks to Hot Tamale Tallahassee for sharing their beautiful music and to Raz White for designing our awesome logo.
https://theokrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/

Photo credit to Keante White

05/08/2020

We already have listeners on three continents! Episode Zero is available now via the link in our bio. It's a short introduction to let you know all about The Okra Pod Cast.

In Episode 1 we'll be interviewing about okra, history, culture and food, and will be sharing an okra short about his 'Motherland Okra'.

Photo Credit to the crazy talented

04/08/2020

A podcast dedicated to okra, not just the pod, but the whole plant and the people it connects. It’s amazing where okra will take you, so join us as we explore okra in all its diversity, both in the garden and the kitchen, and maybe even on Mars!

Welcome to The Okra Pod CastThis first episode is a short conversation between co-hosts and okra fanatics, Chris Smith and Rebekka White. Our aim is to introduce you to the podcast and to ourselves. Remember, this is a podcast dedicated to okra, n...