In this engaging conversation, Catherine Smart interviews Jess Zander, a passionate gardener and business owner at You Can Do it Gardening, about her journey into gardening, the importance of ecological practices, and practical tips for spring gardening. Jess shares her insights on balancing aesthetics with ecological health embracing native plants and battling invasive species, the significance of composting, and her recent travels in Southeast Asia. The discussion also touches on the evolution of Jess's gardening business and how she connects with clients through virtual consultations and social media.

Follow Jess on Instagram @youcandoitgardening, you can book a consult and download her gardening guides on her website youcandoitgardening.com

When I heard that my dear friend Vicky Bram was running for the select board in our hometown of Hopkinton, New Hampshire I knew I wanted to have her on the podcast.

If you’re thinking, “Catherine, what does a small town local election have to do with your podcast about curious creatives??”, stay with me.

This episode is (at least mostly) not about specific political issues.

It’s about recognizing that listening to your neighbor, especially when you think you don’t have anything in common, is powerful.

It’s a reminder that while we are drowning in a never-ending doom cycle of national news, that our nation is actually made up of small communities, and our own backyard is a good place to start working through the issues that affect our daily lives.

It’s about understanding that in order for things to get better, there must be compromise, and creative solutions, and good people who are willing do the unglamorous work of showing up to serve their cities and towns as volunteers, or elected officials.

From the school board, to the rec department, to the food pantry, there are so many ways to contribute, and this conversation got me thinking about how I might be more civically minded, at a time where I often feel like burying my head in the sand, or succumbing to a doom-scroll.

I hope this episode is an antidote to the the toxic sludge we’re seeing on social media around politics at every level, and a reminder that there are caring people like Vicky who are working hard to make our communities a better place to live and work, every day.

Thanks for reading Smart Cooks! This post is public so feel free to share it.

In case you missed the last couple of Smart Cooks recipes:

We are back with a new episode of Talking to Smart People! I know I was just in your inbox yesterday with the latest Smart Cooks on White Hot Chocolate, but I wanted to get this lovely chat about flowers out to you on Valentine’s Day proper.

A brief programming note: No Smart Cooks next week as I’ll be on February break with the family! Going forward, I’m going to experiment with alternating traditional Smart Cooks recipe newsletters and Talking to Smart People podcast newsletters, so you’ll get one send every Wednesday. I’ve realized creating an original recipe every week, plus the bi-weekly podcast is too chaotic for this current moment of my life, and my goal is to be as consistent as possible.

Now, let’s talk flowers. And Jeffrey Pratt. I met Jeffrey at lovely dinner hosted by our mutual friend Alice Saunders of Forestbound design. When we talked about him doing a photoshoot for not just co. he jumped right in and asked if he could also do the flowers. He’s a kind, creative, go-getter, and after we had a ton of fun on that no-budget shoot, I wanted to learn more.

Tune into our chat to hear about the path from living on his family’s farm, to forays into photography and modeling, and then throwing himself into building his floral design business out of a VW van. You’ll also get some takeaways for arranging flowers at home, and keeping florals fresh, plus advice on following your own creative path.

Smash that play button up top, or listen to Talking to Smart People on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Sometimes it takes a while for Apple and Spotify to sync up after this episode is published on Substack, so if you are someone who hurries over there to listen, thank you for your patience!

Thanks for reading Smart Cooks! This Valentine’s Day, I would LOVE for you to forward this email to a friend, and subscribe for free if you haven’t already! X0

Follow Jeffrey on Instagram @farmandson and follow me @catherinesmart_

Thanks for reading Smart Cooks! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Ali’s fans know her as the host of The Ali on The Run Show, the world’s top rated running podcast. She’s a race announcer, broadcast correspondent, and community builder extraordinaire in the running world. She’s also a mom, a cancer survivor, and a fellow 2003 graduate of Hopkinton High (Go Hawks!)

I’m lucky to have known Alison since kindergarten, and it surprises me not one tiny bit that this talented writer, determined creator, and quick-witted, self-aware woman has built such a successful career, and beautiful life.

But despite many personal and professional highlights — going live from the broadcast booth at the New York City Marathon! Taking her daughter Annie to Disney! Selling out Carnegie Hall! — this last year was, in many ways, hellacious for Alison: She battled breast cancer and went through a divorce, while managing a pretty public life.

I’m so grateful to Alison for sharing her playbook on building a creative career and a thriving community, while being so honest and open about the ups and downs she continues to experience.

Whatever your year looked like, I hope this episode will inspire you to joyfully mark your milestones, and keep moving through the tough stuff until you get to your own version of what Alison calls, “The stagelight at the end of the tunnel”.

I was lucky to meet Andrew “Kappy” Kaplan, in the process of fulfilling a lifelong dream of doing some recipes for the Rachael Ray Show. Kappy is technically Rachael’s Vice President of Culinary Operations and co-founder and Director of Yum-o!, but he’s basically Rachael’s right hand man in all things culinary production, and philanthropy. Kappy is also host and creator of the fantastic Beyond the Plate podcast where he interviews the most well-loved chefs in the food business about their culinary journeys and the ways they give back. He’s also a producer on Rachael’s new podcast, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead where she interviews chefs and celebrities about drive, resilience, and how we face life’s challenges.

The list goes on, but this man has a hand in so many cool culinary projects I can’t name them all here. While his resume makes for some long show notes, it also makes him the perfect guest for today’s discussion on all thing Thanksgiving, and I’m grateful we were able to find time to chat!

In today’s episode, Kappy and I discuss all of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes and techniques, and answer some listener questions. Below are links to some of the recipes discussed on the show. I hope this episode of Talking to Smart People is helpful and makes you hungry for Turkey Day.

And if you have more questions? Send me a DM here on Substack or at catherinesmart_ on Instagram.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to Smart Cooks to receive weekly recipes and support my work.

RECIPE LINKS:

This crunchy topping from Samin Nosrat that Catherine is obsessed with.

The sous vide turkey breast Kappy is making this year

The low and slow dark meat Kappy is making this year

Rachael Ray’s Negroni Cranberry Sauce

Rachael Ray’s apple, celery and onion stuffing

What a joy to talk with Southern storyteller Landon Bryant (@landontalks). Landon is a former art teacher and current content creator, stand-up comedian, and author of the forthcoming book “Bless Your Heart: A Field Guide to All Things Southern”.

Maybe you’ve seen (or participated in) Landon’s social media discussions on how to take care of cast-iron skillets, the origins of “haint blue” porch ceilings, and whether or not cornbread should be sweet (according to Landon, absolutely not). If you haven’t, let me introduce this smart, humble, and hilarious southern gentleman.

On this week’s Episode of Talking to Smart People, we dive into how he’s building a platform by cultivating a kinder corner of the internet, how we both navigate life with ADHD, how growing up in a small town shapes you, and of course, Southern cuisine.

You can listen to this episode right here in this email up top, in the Substack app, and on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. If you enjoy Talking to Smart People, I’d be so grateful if you could take a moment to rate and review, and share an episode with a friend.

You can pre-order Landon’s book HERE. And follow him on Instagram (plus find links to all Landon’s projects) HERE.

I hope you enjoy this episode!

-Catherine

Are you a food lover? If you’d like delicious, original recipes you’ll want to make right now delivered straight to your inbox, please subscribe to my free weekly Smart Cooks newsletter

In this episode of Talking to Smart People, host Catherine Smart talks with cookbook and drinks author and editor Maggie Hoffman, discussing her journey from writing about drinks to launching new projects focused on cocktails and dinner planning. They explore the evolution of food media, the challenges of kitchen burnout, and the importance of finding joy in cooking. Maggie shares insights on her new Substack newsletters, 'What To Drink' and 'The Dinner Plan', aimed at providing inspiration and practical solutions for home cooks.

Subscribe to Maggie's Newsletters What to Drink and 'The Dinner Plan' and follow The Dinner Plan podcast

Click HERE to check out Catherine's free weekly recipe newsletter Smart Cooks and subscribe.