Add Passion And Stir

Is wheat the key to a healthy food system? One Mighty Mill co-founder Jon Olinto talks to Billy Shore about the history of wheat and the impacts freshly-milled and sustainably-sourced wheat can have on our health, agricultural systems and communities. “Everybody wants healthy local food systems. The true cornerstone of that is going to center around mills because wheat and flour have infiltrated nearly everything we eat,” says Olinto. Olinto wanted to ensure that community revitalization was part of One Mighty Mill’s mission. Located in downtown Lynn, MA, it serves as healthy community resource as well as an economic engine. “You know you can’t fix everything at once. But when you start, if you hardwire some of this impact that you know you want to have, it creates a pathway for you to stay true to why you started,” Olinto explains. Join us for this fascinating conversation with an entrepreneur who is helping to make people, communities and agricultural systems healthier. See Privacy Policy at

On October 30, 2019, Share Our Strength held its first ever No Kid Hungry Leadership Summit. Activists, philanthropists, teachers, chefs and other thought leaders gathered to collaborate and share best practices in the fight to end childhood hunger. This special episode of Add Passion and Stir features some of the highlights from that day. “It is just a symptom that children are hungry in this country… and the truth of the matter is that the real issue is poverty.” -George Jones, CEO of Bread for the City “If you want to lead, you have to follow. You have to follow great principles.” - John Miller, President and CEO of Denny’s Corporation“We have to find a way to connect this abundance of agriculture that we have with the children that need it the most. And that fuels the economy.” - Dorothy McAuliffe, Former first lady of Virginia “As the mother of a school teacher, it is really important that we are there for our education system because that's the best way we can look to the future.” - Renee

What inspires people to help others? Chef Marcus Samuelsson owner of Harlem's Red Rooster and FEED founder Lauren Bush Lauren come from different backgrounds but have both found a way to share their strength with others. Samuelsson and Bush Lauren discuss their individual paths to social impact work and how they use their networks for good. They discuss the role of privilege in one's life, as Lauren notes: “It’s literally like a ‘birth lottery’ – just because of where you are born, your next meal is not a guarantee.” And how acknowledging this privilege broadens and deepens once perspective and empathy, “The luxury of being adopted and the luxury of being African is that… you get windows into different worlds. [Ethiopia] is more than this quick sound bite or how people want to label us with false narratives,” says Samuelsson.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How can we spread more happiness to children in this world? Akshaya Patra Foundation USA CEO Shridhar Venkat and The Third Space owner and chef Asha Gomez join hosts Debbie and Billy Shore to discuss the challenges and triumphs of alleviating childhood hunger around the world. “The world needs more compassion. If the rich people in the world looked on this problem with compassion, I feel you could solve this problem in one year,” claims Venkat. “People are innately good. People want to do good… a lot of times people don’t know how or have the resources necessary to be able to do good,” says Gomez. Both guests talk about the personal fulfillment they experience through their work. “To truly enjoy work, work should be love made visible,” explains Gomez about her cooking and her work for international aid organization CARE. “At the end of the day, you are giving wings to their dreams,” declares Venkat about the 1.76M children who are fed through Akshaya Patra’s school meal programs. Tune in for this he

How does food both create conflict and provide a foundation for cultural integration and inclusion? American University professor and Stimson Center Distinguished Fellow Johanna Mendelson Forman and Foodhini founder Noobtsaa Philip Vang join hosts Debbie and Billy Shore to discuss gastrodiplomacy in the US and abroad. “Refugee food… is very popular and growing because this is the way you learn that the people who are villainized and made into statistics are not that – they are human beings,” says Forman, who teaches the wildly popular course in ‘Conflict Cuisine.’ Vang founded Foodhini to provide opportunities for refugees and immigrants to make a living through sharing their culture’s food. “All the different communities of diaspora, it’s all the same: they go to a new place, they don’t have anything, but one of the things they do still have is their food,” he says. This ‘perfect pairing’ of guests has worked together for years: Forman acts as a business mentor for Vang and Vang serves as advisor on sev

How do we transform the way kids experience school? Former head chef Dan Giusti, the founder and CEO of Brigaid, and Angie Jerabek, the founder and executive director of the BARR Center, join hosts Debbie and Billy Shore to share their insights on driving culture change in our nation’s schools. “The personal interaction, whether it’s in a restaurant or in a school, is always going to be more important than the food itself,” insists Giusti. “You need to build relationships. You’ve got to have relationships from staff to student, student to student and staff to staff,” agrees Jerabek. Both guests emphasize that the talent already exists within schools. “We’re hesitant to have outside people come in. We really want to train the current staff because then we know it’s going to become part of the culture,” explains Jerabek. “One thing that’s always stood out to me is that we’ve had high school kids literally say to the cafeteria staff ‘I didn’t even like this meal today, but we see that you’re really putting

Is there such a thing as American cuisine? James Beard Award-winning chef Ann Cashion and Yale history professor and author Paul Freedman have a thought-provoking discussion about the intersection of food, restaurants and American culture with and hosts Debbie and Billy Shore. Freedman’s newest book, American Cuisine and How It Got This Way, explores the evolution from regionalism to the standardization of food in the 20th century and how that trend is reversing. “Homogenization, standardization, industrial food… that’s the main trend in American history for the 20th century,” he explains. Cashion describes the “active educational process” she used to have with her customers about using seasonal and sustainable food on her menus. “People are more in tune with what it means these days, and are more supportive of it,” she says. “Sylvia’s, the famous African American restaurant in Harlem, reflects not only the history of African American cuisine but the great migration of African Americans to the north,” ex

What is the media’s responsibility to keep us informed? WGBH president and CEO Jon Abbott and culinary personality and Milk Street founder Christopher Kimball join host Billy Shore in Boston to discuss the intersection of education, media and culture. “This is not about a sound bite, this about having a conversation with people,” explains Abbott about the role of WGBH, a Boston public radio station and member station of National Public Radio and Public Radio International. Kimball agrees with the importance of the media message. “If you manage your media business strictly to make a profit, Julia Child and Mr. Rogers are not going to be on television,” he says. Kimball, the creator of popular PBS programs America’s Test Kitchen and Milk Street Television, talks about exploring international food culture. “It’s always changing, that’s what’s exciting; the world isn’t what you thought,” he notes. “That’s what public media is really all about, revealing and exploring and giving people a sense that there’s al

Where would we be without immigrants? RefugePoint founder and executive director Sasha Chanoff and Chickadee owner and executive chef John daSilva join host Billy Shore in Boston to discuss the hardships faced by immigrants and refugees and the promise and strength they bring to their new homes. “Refugees do revitalize cities - like Lewiston, Maine, or St. Louis, Missouri - that were on the decline and Somalis and Bosnians moved in and started businesses,” Chanoff explains. “Immigrant workers make up 30% of the workforce [at Chickadee]. If you take away 30% of the workforce in a workforce-depleted industry, the effects would be devastating,” observes daSilva. Chanoff shares a harrowing tale about rescuing hundreds of massacre survivors in war-torn Congo early in his career. “I was struck viscerally by this idea that if I could play a very small role in helping somebody who had gone through a lot of trauma and terror, and often lost so much in their lives… that was the most important thing I could do,” he

What’s keeping three billion people from climbing out of poverty? Accion President and CEO Michael Schlein and New York restaurateur Roni Mazumdar talk with Billy Shore about the importance of financial inclusion and creating an economic system that works for everyone. “It’s really hard to imagine anyone working their way out of poverty without some of the most basic financial tools—a safe place to save, access to credit, efficient payments, insurance,” says Schlein. Accion provided capital that helped young entrepreneur Mazumdar save his first business after hurricane Sandy devastated the region. “People don’t realize how important it is to survive that first year… Within two weeks, I had the money to continue to operate,” he recounts. Schlein explains Accion’s market-based strategy for investing in financial technology companies and the people they ultimately help. “We’re a nonprofit, but we’re a big believer in harnessing the capital markets to change the world,” he explains. Mazumdar talks about his

The third installment in our series of curated episodes revolves around our painful legacy of racism in America and how we can overcome it. Guests that include MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Dr. Joe Marshall; Chef Tanya Holland; social justice champion Reverend Jim Wallis; thought leader and businessman Robert Lewis, Jr.; Chief of Staff to former Boston Mayor Kevin White, Ira Jackson; and Grantmakers In Health (GIH) President and CEO Faith Mitchell speak powerfully and thoughtfully about our shameful past, our difficult present, and a more hopeful and just future.  Check out the original episodes by following the links below. “I remember we were angry and my mom was like, ‘You win with love. If you're locked up or arrested, you can't do anything in life.’ … So I made a commitment in my life that I was going to be part of shifting this narrative of folks who are poorer and black and brown communities in a different way.” – Robert Lewis,

The second installment in our series of curated episodes revolves around the controversial topics of diversity and immigration. Guests that include renowned chef and humanitarian Jose Andres, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, Oxfam America’s president and CEO Abby Maxman, former Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera, and president and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Marco Davis share personal stories and impactful insights about America’s complicated and painful history with diversity. Check out the original episodes by following the links below. “You have to think about how much our country has benefited from immigration and how immigrants have brought new life, new energy, new views.” -- former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (Sep 18, 2018) http://addpassionandstir.com/genius-knows-no-boundaries/ “Nobody wants to leave the comfort of their homes, the place they belong. They don't want to go to a faraway lan

The over 250 remarkable guests on more than 140 episodes of Add Passion and Stir have shared great wisdom, poignant personal experiences and true inspiration. To create a fresh experience for our listeners, we have curated this powerful content into some brand new episodes with themes like leadership, diversity and inclusion, national security, food equity and child hunger. This first episode is a compilation of expert views on leadership, including Former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, United States Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Congressman Jim McGovern, Civil Rights legend Hubie Jones, Panera Founder Ronn Shaich, and social change pioneer Bill Novelli. Tune in for perspectives on effective leadership from an all star lineup of seasoned and successful leaders. “One of the things that I think all of us can do is to model civil discourse and respect for others - for people we don't agree with necessarily. We have to be able to listen to each other and to figure out how we can compromise and work together.” -

How do we achieve lasting social and racial justice in America? Children’s advocate and social justice icon Hubie Jones and Sweet Home Café (at the National Museum of African American History and Culture) executive chef Jerome Grant talk with Billy Shore about their perspectives on race in America and commitment to living purpose-driven lives. “On to the stage came Dr. King and he went into this oratory that absolutely blew me away... By the time I left Jordan Hall, I felt that I was levitating,” Jones recalls about the night in 1956 that helped set the course of his life. Grant shares a similar experience about opening Sweet Home Café. “Walking in that cafeteria the day before opening and seeing these murals on our walls, seeing these awesome quotes, the picture of the Woolworth dine-in boycott… You see the resiliency of us as African Americans and what we contributed to American society. There’s no feeling like that at all,” describes Grant. Both guests share their perspectives on our increasingly divi

How do we inspire resiliency and hope in the kids who need them the most? First Lady of Massachusetts Lauren Baker and Boston restaurateur Chris Himmel (Grill 23, Post 390, Harvest, Bistro du Midi) join host Billy Shore for a heartfelt conversation about how creating positive experiences can have a profound impact on underprivileged kids. Baker discusses her work for the Wonderfund, which partners with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families to provide comfort and dignity to children. These comforts can be as simple as buying a young boy in foster care a baseball glove. “He was able to play little league, engage with his friends, and be part of his community. That’s a moment that really matters for a child,” she explains. Himmel is very intentional about finding causes that he and his restaurants can support that have a direct impact on kids. “If you really care, you can find a way to make a difference. What we get is so much more because our team sees first-hand the difference they can mak

Is food the key to solving our healthcare crisis? In this episode marking the two-year anniversary of Add Passion and Stir, Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts and Washington DC Chef Todd Gray (Equinox, Manna) discuss nutrition as the root cause of our spiraling healthcare costs and the role of Congress with Debbie and Billy Shore. “Food is medicine. What we eat determines our health outcomes in a whole range of areas,” says Congressman McGovern. “We are cooking and operating our restaurant in the way that we are living our lives. I have so many customers changing the way they eat for a multitude of reasons many of them health reasons,” says five-time James Beard Foundation nominee Gray of his healthy vegetable-forward menus that have established him as a leader in the DC sustainable food movement. McGovern wants to reframe the debate over food programs like SNAP from how much they cost to how much they save. “If we can show you over a ten-year period that you could actually save mon

What can Chefs Cycle teach us about finding our strength? Recorded after the rain-soaked second day of Chefs Cycle 2019, Billy Shore discusses riding 300 miles in three days with Cathartes principal Jeff Johnston, ZAZU Kitchen & Farm chef/owner Duskie Estes, chef Elizabeth Falkner and Add Passion & Stir producer Paul “Woody” Woodhull. Woodhull, who is new to cycling, was inspired. “One thing I was told when I went out on a training ride was… you can shift and make it feel like you’re on a level road. For hungry kids, there’s no button they can push to level the road,” he notes. Johnston, an experienced rider, also found the experience meaningful. “It was challenging, but at the same time, you’re feeding kids, you’re doing the right the thing while you’re out riding through the vineyards,” he says.Estes and Falkner point out that Chefs Cycle does as much for the chef community as it does for No Kid Hungry. “It’s not just that you got the chefs who are cyclists - you are making cyclists out of the chefs

Billy Shore and Producer Paul "Woody" Woodhull are riding 300 miles in 3 days in Santa Rosa to help raise millions of dollars to end childhood hunger in America today so we are offering a reprise of this fascinating discussion. If you want to support the Chef Cycle ride and No Kid Hungry Please click on this link ( https://tinyurl.com/WoodyTurns62 ), to learn how you can join me in the fight to end childhood hunger here in the United States. Every $1 you donate can help connect a child with up to 10 meals.What do business and politics have in common in today’s climate? Panera Bread Founder and Chairman of the Board Ron Shaich and FoodCorps Co-Founder and CEO Curt Ellis discuss how responsible leadership can inform both business and politics and the central role that food could play. “One of the most powerful things we can do as leaders is first, tell ourselves the truth,” says Shaich. “The hardest part of making decisions is the uncertainty that occurs… You need to project the confidence to everybody to get t

Can technology save small-scale agriculture? Big Burrito Restaurant Group corporate chef Bill Fuller and Rivendale Farms general manager Christine Grady join hosts Debbie and Billy Shore from their hometown of Pittsburgh to talk about food and the future of sustainable agriculture. Grady describes robotic milking systems that allow for 15% more milk from less-stressed cows. “If the cows are getting anxious, that affects the yield and the quality of the milk,” she says. Fuller was on the cutting edge of the sustainable food movement in Pittsburgh twenty years ago. “It was great to watch this transition and transformation and ride along with it. It was really sort of beautiful,” he says. “So many aspects of our community start to unravel and fray as a result of the disappearance of small farms,” observes Billy Shore. Fuller asks Grady, “Farmers in general are really conservative and slow to change. What are your thoughts on getting farmers to adopt the new technology?” Grady responds that the key may be yo

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 our eroding 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. Kerrey sees parallels to our failing education system and worries that the American dream is out of reach for a large