Could the often overlooked “fungus among us” be one of our strongest allies in a warming climate? Mushrooms and mycelium have the potential to redefine our relationship with dinner, reduce plastic waste, and even improve the sustainability no the fashion industry. Join us along with leading experts, makers, and thinkers Colin Averill Researcher & Ecologist, Alan Bergo Chef, Author, & Forager, Stephanie Lipp Founder of Gillis Naturals, and Andrew Edlin Head of Sustainability at Quorn Foods as we learn what makes mushrooms so much more than just a side dish.

Tune in this week to learn all about how insects are a sustainable, equitable, delicious options for you to cook with in your kitchens with guests Dr. Julie Lesnik, Chef Joseph Yoon, Sarah Schlafly, and Dr. Christine Picard.

Indigenous North Americans’ cuisines evolved over millennia, but through colonialism, genocide, and systemic oppression, much of that knowledge was lost in just a few centuries. Today, there are incredible chefs, educators, farmers, and journalists, all working to reclaim the history of native foodways and reintegrate traditional cooking practices into the kitchen. The term often used to describe this wave of momentum is called a “Native Food Movements,” which we’ll be breaking down with our guests, Nico Albert from Burning Cedar Indigenous Foods, Sean Sherman from The Sioux Chef, and Andi Murphy from the Toasted Sister Podcast.

Napa Valley might be known for its delicious wine and sprawling, gorgeous views, but it’s also on the front lines of a changing climate where meaningful action is happening every day. We spoke to folks on the front lines of the industry who are putting everything they have into every bottle of wine, and also into creating a more sustainable planet. Thank you to our guests, Molly Moran Williams from the Napa Valley Grapegrowers, Tom Davies from V. Sattui Winery, Daniel Petroski from Massican Wines, Greg Jones from Abacela Winery, and Katie Jackson from Jackson Family Wines for their time and for sharing their stories.

Nobody likes food waste. It feels like throwing perfectly good money down the drain. Yet, in the United States alone, approximately 40% of all food we buy is never eaten. This week, we talk to food waste experts Shannon Kenny and Claudia Fabiano at the EPA to understand the scale of this problem and how it affects our planet, to the Founder and CEO of Pulp Pantry Kaitlin Mogentale to see how big companies turning scraps into savory snacks at the store, to Susan Miller Davis of the Silicon Valley Food Recovery Initiative to understand how to affect systems change, and to chef and CEO of Ends+Stems Alison Mountford to pick up tips and tricks for eliminating waste and cooking with all of what we buy at the store.

The Climate Kitchen, hosted by Zachary Azrael, aims to share practical knowledge that will help you stay informed about our food system, the people driving it, and its effects on our planet. Each episode we will go on a journey with our listeners to better understand the levers that drive our food by talking to the experts who grow and cook it. From the climate benefits of cooking with scraps, to sourcing responsible foods at the store, to the impact of climate change on wine, even to bringing insects into the kitchen. We will explore our food system together so you can be an informed chef in your kitchen at home. Looking forward to learning with you soon.