Tune in to Episode 033 with Yuka Polovina a lecturer at the University of Hawaii whose work focuses on multiculturalism and immigration. She’s also a writer who aims to shed light on the care (or lack thereof) available for postpartum people. Listen to learn about:

• How her high school volleyball coach helped influence her academic trajectory

• Her dissertation about a Chinese Canadian woman who represented the African country Mauritius in the 2012 Olympics

• Why she felt there wasn’t information on what happens postpartum and why she felt compelled to share her story

• Her difficulty bonding with her baby while dealing with physical postpartum issues

Follow up links:

Mama on the Mend

Music Credits:
Theme song - Jazz from the Kitchen by Nikitaka

RECIPE: Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
Servings: 6

1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup quinoa
2 cups veggie stock
1 cup water
1 medium yellow onion (diced)
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 yellow pepper (diced)
1 cup diced mushrooms
3/4 cup frozen sweet corn
1.5 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1.5 tbsp olive oil

Garnish:
cilantro
vegan sour cream
shredded pepper jack cheese (dairy or vegan)
tortilla chips

In the Instant Pot, turn on the sauté setting and bring oil up to heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add all of the seasonings, stir and let cook for another minute. Add the yellow pepper and mushrooms and cook for another minute. Add the veggie stock to deglaze the pot, followed by the canned tomatoes and beans. Stir, then add the quinoa. Stir again, cover and cook according to the Instant Pot instructions (about 20 minutes).

Once the timer has gone off and the pressure has been released, open and add the corn. Stir through and taste and add any additional seasoning. Let cool, then serve up in bowls and add all of your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

This week we chatted with Therese Lee, a Therapist and Spiritual Coach based out of Southern California. Learn about her journey discovering her spiritual gifts and how she uses them to help her clients. Listen to learn more about:

• How she came to realize she wasn’t having “normal” experiences, but spiritual ones

• Why being so in tune with spirits can be overwhelming

• How she can be her own worst critic

• How she helps her clients by giving them the knowledge to understand their own spiritual experiences

Follow up links:

Intuitive Prescription

Music Credits:
Theme song - Jazz from the Kitchen by Nikitaka

RECIPE: Spring Vodka Soda
Servings: One

2 oz Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit Rose Vodka
Lemon Spindrift (to taste)
1 slice of lemon (for garnish)

Combine the two ingredients in a short glass with a large piece of ice. Stir, add the lemon garnish, and be prepared to impress your friends with this tasty, light and refreshing spring drink. Enjoy!

Tune in to Episode 031 with Iman Wilkerson, an entrepreneur who started two companies: Step by Step Run and PacePartner.  Listen to learn more about:

• How listening to her gut led her to San Diego and ultimately to starting her own business

• Why her biggest struggle is doubting herself and how she overcomes getting in her own way

• Her passion for helping runners run like a local and not like a tourist

• Why she no longer runs with music and practices mindful running

Follow up links:

PacePartner

Mindful Running (Book)

Dignity Period

Music Credits:
Theme song - Jazz from the Kitchen by Nikitaka

RECIPE: Peanut Butter & Oat Energy Bites
Servings: One dozen balls

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup vegan carob chips (or your favorite chocolate chips
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup hemp hearts
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands. It helps to really massage the loose ingredients into the peanut butter base. Once combined, shape into 1 inch balls. This recipe makes about a dozen. Place onto a lined cookie sheet and either refrigerate or freeze to store. Enjoy!

This week we chatted with Terri, a VP of Global Sales at a tech company that focuses on anti-piracy and...who just quit her job! Learn about her journey coming to the United States for her career with six weeks notice, why a good sales experience is never “seen”, and her ongoing battle for equal pay. Listen to learn more about:

• Why she is proud of being fired from Disney

• Her encounter with Anthony Hopkins which resulted in what we’re calling dry mouth and shaky teacup syndrome

• Why she believes the best is yet to come in her career

• How photography feeds her soul

Follow up links:

To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others

Ruinart Champagne

A Private War (trailer)

Instagram: @denverphoto65

Teresa Denver Photography

Music Credits:
Theme song - Jazz from the Kitchen by Nikitaka

RECIPE: Winter Pear and Manchego Salad
Servings: Three

1 bunch of kale
1 pear
1 wedge of manchego cheese (a younger/softer choice is best)
1 lemon
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Pine Nuts

Salad:

Pull the kale away from its stems. Chop medium-finely. Massage with the juice of half a lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil and salt. Let sit for about 5 minutes. While it’s resting, heat the pine nuts on stove top for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Shave a generous amount of manchego with a vegetable peeler, and thinly slice the pear. Combine with the kale.

Dressing:

In a small jar, combine the remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and few shakes of salt and pepper to taste. Shake the contents of the jar and pour over and mix into the salad.

Serve into three hefty bowls and enjoy!

Tune in to Episode 029 with Allie Barnes, an elementary and middle school teacher in Mendocino County who focuses on History and English. Learn about how she decided to become an educator, why Harry Potter teaches important lessons, and how she deals with differing perspectives inside and outside of the classroom. Listen as she discusses:

• Persevering despite a “mentor’s” negative feedback

• The joy of seeing a student apply something they learned in the classroom to real life

• Her experience moving from San Francisco to a small town

• Why she’s a qualified cruise entertainment director candidate

Follow up links:

Allie’s Best (Youtube Channel)

Hot for Food

Too Cool for Middle School

Music Credits:
Theme song - Jazz from the Kitchen by Nikitaka

RECIPE: Sweet and Sour Tofu
Servings: Four

Tofu:

1 brick of extra firm tofu: cut into large bite-sized squares
1/2 cup(ish) cornstarch seasoned with salt and pepper

Sauce:

2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons of water to make a slurry
1/2-1 onion chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 cups chopped pineapple optional (drained if from a can)
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 inch of ginger minced
(You can replace fresh ginger with powdered- it’s not perfect but it’s fine.)
2/3 cup rice vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup maple syrup
1 small can of tomato paste
Around 1/4 cup soy sauce
Salt and crushed chili pepper to taste

Tofu:

Coat the tofu with seasoned cornstarch and bake on parchment paper at 400 for about 10 minutes (it should have a crunchy skin without the pieces developing a dried hollow feeling)

Sauce:

Heat a full tablespoon of oil in a pan and add ginger and garlic. Once fragrant add onions and peppers. Stir until bright and slightly softened but still has a bit of bite. Add vinegar, water, tomato paste, soy, salt and chili pepper. Whisk on medium high until simmering throughout. Add the slurry and continue to whisk on medium or low heat. Once you’ve hit the texture you’d like, add pineapples and set aside off heat.

Cover finished tofu with sauce and serve over rice. Enjoy! :)

This week we chatted with Katrina, a relationship marketer whose work focuses on bringing new parents, local businesses and events together. Learn about how she quit her job as marketing manager and reinvented her work life once she became a mom. Listen as she discusses:

• The New Mom School and the importance of community when becoming a parent

• Her struggle to work out an accommodating work schedule after becoming a mom

• Why she started her own Macaroni Kid publication in her city

• Her dream to start a nonprofit

Follow up links:

The New Mom School

Macaroni Kid

Music Credits:
Theme song - Jazz from the Kitchen by Nikitaka

RECIPE: Vegan Pozole
Servings: Four

Ingredients:

1 large can of jackfruit (roughly chopped)
2 jars of homemade veggie stock (or 1 box of vegetable broth)
4 cups of water
1 yellow onion, diced roughly
4 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
1 medium can of hominy
1 tbsp ancho chile powder
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Toppings:
purple cabbage
avocado
radishes (sliced)
lime wedges
cilantro (chopped roughly)

In a medium sized pot bring your vegetable oil up to medium heat. Add onion and saute for about a minute. Add garlic and seasonings. Saute for another minute. Then add broth and water which will then deglaze the pan. Add the jackfruit and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes. At the end of the 30 minutes, add your can of hominy, cover and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Taste the soup and add more seasonings as needed (I sometimes add more salt, cayenne, garlic or ancho powder at this point).

Serve up in a large bowl and squeeze in a wedge of lime, a scoop of diced avocado, a handful of cabbage and sliced radishes. Mix in and enjoy!

Tune in to Episode 027 with Ryan Martin - a fine artist and field project manager for a startup company. Learn about how he decided to pursue a career in fine art, how he balances that passion with a couple other pursuits and hear about his first solo show in San Francisco. Listen to learn more about:

• The struggles and sacrifices involved with a career in fine art

• The importance of following up and how if he hadn’t his life would be very different!

• How the 2008 market crash impacted his art career

• His commitment to making his art accessible

• The role music plays in his work

Follow up links:

Ryan Martin: Website

@ryanmartinart

San Pablo Mural

Music Credits:
Theme song - Jazz from the Kitchen by Nikitaka

RECIPE: Pulled Jackfruit Tacos
Servings: Two

Ingredients:

1 can jackfruit
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used Carolina BBQ sauce)
6 corn tortillas
1/4 cup cotija cheese
1/4 cup cilantro
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
1/2 yellow onion
3 slices of roasted red pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper (to taste)

To make the jackfruit:
Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove jackfruit from can and drain the liquid. Either chop or shred the jackfruit. Place onto a lined baking sheet. Pour about half of your BBQ sauce and stir through. Bake for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove jackfruit from oven, toss around the baking sheet and add the rest of the BBQ sauce. Bake for another 5 minutes.

To make the corn mixture:

Heat a saute pan on medium. Add olive oil - add the onion and cook for about a minute or until slightly translucent. Add the corn and cook until slightly golden. Add chopped roasted red peppers and toss. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Combine above ingredients into heated tortillas. Add cotija cheese, cilantro and any salsas of your choosing. My personal favorite is THIS ONE. Enjoy!

This week we chatted with Karin Oen-Lee, the Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Tune in to hear how she shifted her focus from medicine to art history and her personal mission to bring a more diverse perspectives to the art world and the public. Listen to learn more about:

• How a physical injury allowed her time to reflect and ultimately jump-start her journey into the nonprofit art field

• The importance of showing art that reflects diverse perspectives

• Find out how and why one of her job duties included procuring a cow heart

• The satisfaction of seeing how people are impacted by her exhibits

Follow up links:

Nanette
Asian Art Museum

Music Credits:
Theme song - Jazz from the Kitchen by Nikitaka

RECIPE: Lavender Gin & Soda
Servings: One

Ingredients:

Lavender simple syrup to taste (I used about 1/3 oz)
1 oz gin (I used Barr Hill Honey Gin)
1/2 lemon (juiced)
1-2 oz soda water

Optional Garnish:
Lavender

To make the simple syrup:
In small pot, boil 1/2 cup of water. Add 1/2 cup of sugar (I used evaporated cane juice). Add 1 tsp of dried lavender. Once boiled, let sit for about 10 minutes until cool. Strain out lavender.

Combine above ingredients (except for soda water) in a shaker. Shake em up! Pour in a short glass over a large ice cube. Add soda water. Enjoy!

Tune in to Episode 025 with Tatiana Jimenez! You know her as your friendly podcast host but by day she is as an AVP of Marketing at a credit union. Listen to learn more about:

• How she shifted her career focus from psychology to graphic design

• Her experience being laid off… and the stress tea that came with it

• Her bold decision to take the leap and move to SF without a job

• The fear and excitement that comes from realizing you are seen as an expert in your role

• Her fascination with spies

Follow up links:

Tatiana on LinkedIn

Shine Theory - a term coined and written about by Aminatou Sow and Anne Friedman

Undercover: Escaping NXIVM

The Dream

Music Credits:
Theme song - Jazz from the Kitchen by Nikitaka

RECIPE: Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili
Servings: Four

Ingredients:

1 large onion chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 garlic cloves minced or use a garlic press
1 can (28oz) plum tomatoes in juice
1 small can diced green chiles or 3 jalapeno chilis seeded and minced (adjust according to heat preference)
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 cans (15oz each) black beans and/or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves chopped

Optional Garnish:

Fresh Cilantro
Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt or Vegan Sour Cream
Sprinkled Cheese (cheddar, cotija, etc) or Vegan Cheese
Tortilla strips, tortilla chips

In a 5 quart saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium high heat until hot. Add squash and cook until golden brown then set aside.

In the same pot heat up the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add carrots and onion and cook until golden brown (about 10 mins). Still in the chili powder and garlic and cook 1 minute longer

Add tomatoes with their juice, green chiles or jalapeno, broth, sugar and salt and heat to a boil over medium high heat.

Stir in beans and squash and heat to boiling again over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and cook another 4 minutes.

To serve pour into individual bowls and garnish with sprinkled cheese, sour cream, cilantro etc. Or eat plain to enjoy a delicious vegan chili! Enjoy!

This week we chatted with Melissa Pinion, a Communications Manager for a community college as well as a lead singer for multiple metal and rock bands! Listen to learn more about:

• Her career in breaking news journalism

• The importance of always learning

• Her struggle to land a new career during the recession

• How she incorporates her love of running to raise money for charities she cares about

• Why she wrote two science fiction novels and what she wants to write about next

Follow up links:

Stygian Crown

Without Warning

Melissa - Facebook

Music Credits:
Theme song - Jazz from the Kitchen by Nikitaka
Trampled the Earth by Stygian Crown
Flametongue by Stygian Crown
Through Divine Rite by Stygian Crown

RECIPE: Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
Servings: Three

Ingredients:

1/2 large butternut squash (cubed)
3 medium-sized carrots (chopped)
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
2 cloves of garlic
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 can coconut cream (or full fat coconut milk)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/3 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground garlic
salt to taste

Heat a medium sized pot on medium/high. Add olive oil, add onion and garlic and cook for about a minute. Add carrots and butternut squash. Toss in the oil and aromatics, then add turmeric, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Let cook for another 2 minutes, then add the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer on low for 25 minutes.

Remove lid and add your coconut cream. Stir and either with an immersion blender (or potato masher) blend your soup until smooth. (You can also pour into a blender. Be careful not to overfill the blender!) Then serve and add more salt and pepper if needed. I added some nutritional yeast and chopped raw kale to mine. Enjoy!

Tune in to Episode 023 with Berni Altman. She’s lived 94 years on this planet and has a lot to share. She was a US Naval Reserve WAVE (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) during World War II. She has had many jobs in her lifetime, is still an active volunteer in her community and continues to take college courses. Listen as we discuss:

• Why she wanted to become a WAVE

• The saucy nickname she was given during her service (which was not based on facts!)

• Her decision to move across the country to live near her first and only granddaughter

• Why she hasn’t stopped taking college courses

• Her simple but sage advice to listeners

Follow up links:

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

US Navy Reserve WAVES

Music Credits:
Theme song - Jazz from the Kitchen by Nikitaka

RECIPE: Matzo Brei
Servings: One

Ingredients:

3 sheets of matzo
1 egg
Kosher salt
Pam (cooking spray)

Break up the matzo and soak it in water for 30-45 seconds, then drain the water. Beat and pour the egg over the matzo and toss in a pan over medium heat. Serve and sprinkle with kosher salt. Enjoy!