On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Chef Shawna Goodman. Among other endeavors, Chef Goodman combines her love of cooking and living in Israel with her philanthropic work; she also leads a yearly tour for women, called Shefa.

“The incredible initiatives that are coming from everybody's regular kitchen [in Israel] and the capacity for giving is [amazing],” she says. “There's no greater comfort than someone's home cooked meals.”

Goodman, who grew up in Canada, graduated from the Natural Gourmet Cooking School and in pastry arts from the Institute of Culinary Education (formerly, Peter Kump’s Cooking School) both in New York City; she also trained at the Cordon Bleu School in Paris. She loves the abundance of fresh produce in Israel.

“As a Canadian, eating local would have meant eating apples and maybe some potatoes and some onions, because most of the year we're under mega snow,” Goodman explains. “Being a chef in Israel … I really appreciate when something comes in bloom and something becomes ripened, and it's usually from my backyard or my friend's backyard; the sharing and the partaking in what's around me is inspiring.”

Chef Goodman talks about living and cooking in Israel, her food-loving origins … and how that love continues to shine, culinary school adventures, and more. She also shares why you should always share your recipes, along with her favorite comfort food recipe - overnight French toast - which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Connect with Chef Shawna Goodman on Facebook. For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with singer and composer Craig Taubman. The founder of the Pico Union Project (PUP), a multi-faith cultural arts center in downtown Los Angeles, Taubman is passionate about food and nourishing the community.

“Food is deep: it's cultural, it's philosophical, it's spiritual, it's nourishing,” Taubman believes. “[You] can use food to build community, to build relationships and to feed people's minds, hearts and souls.”

According to Taubman, every week they distribute fresh produce that would have otherwise been thrown away. PUP provides 19 people in the community with jobs, offers cooking, nutrition and mental health classes, health services and more.

“The food's great; the conversation is invaluable,” Taubman says. “Each time that we break bread together, we discover something new about each other, something powerful … we give the community the opportunity to flourish, and it's usually around food.”

Taubman shares his background, and how the Pico Union Project came about, along with food memories, a food song, and his recipe for spicy Asian noodles. Get the recipe and read the article at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more about Craig Taubman PicoUnionProject.org and Craignco.com. For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with food writer Amy Rogers, who has covered topics ranging from pie contests to public policy, Her books include “Hungry for Home: Stories of Food from Across the Carolinas” and “Red Pepper Fudge and Blue Ribbon Biscuits.”

Rogers, who has been a contributor for The Food Network, Salon and Business Insider, among others, says it was inevitable that her passion for food and stories would meet. She had been working as a journalist for a long time, when she noticed that food kept showing up in her work.

“I will always tell people that I'm not a chef and I'm not a fancy cook,” Rogers explains. “I'm just someone who appreciates good food.”

Everything is a food story, and everybody has a different perspective from the way they love, appreciate, or approach food.

“Most people have in their family legacy, a person who … made the best pie or made the best something,” she explains. “Those kinds of little snapshot recollections become very, very meaningful.”

Rogers talks about her love and appreciation of food, her favorite ingredient (it’s everything bagel seasoning), and how food - and food stories - connect us all. She also shares her recipe for writing a recipe, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more about Amy Rogers and connect with her at AmyRogers.net. For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.