Podcast · Arts & Books

Not From Concentrate

by Catherine Smart · English · Arts & Books

Not From Concentrate is a food podcast for busy brains from host Catherine Smart — a cook, writer, mom, and creative entrepreneur with ADHD. Tune in for conversations with chefs, authors, creators, and food lovers about sparking creativity, calming chaos, and finding joy in (and out) of the kitche

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 46 min
Latest: 13 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026 · 56 minNew

Song Exploder's Hrishikesh Hirway on Creative Breakthroughs, Home Cooking, and His New Album

What do a perfect cookie, your mom’s cooking, and a song you can’t stop listening to have in common? This week, I’m joined by musician Hrishikesh Hirway, creator of Song Exploder and co-host of Home Cooking with Samin Nosrat. We talk about the chole and puri he requested for every birthday, the mango pie mishap that inspired an ice cream collaboration with Salt & Straw, and why he once asked a baker to make thousands of cookies for a live audience. We also get into the complicated business of making things you care about: how interviewing successful musicians fed his own writer’s block, what…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

6 Oct 2026 · 48 min
From Olive Garden to a James Beard Award with Chef Evan Hennessey
What takes a cook from scrubbing chowder pots and working at Olive Garden to winning a James Beard Award? For chef Evan Hennessey, the path led through some of the country’s most acclaimed kitchens — and back home to Dover, New Hampshire. This week, I’m joined by the chef behind Stages at One Washington, The Living Room, and Topolino to talk about building a tiny tasting-menu restaurant in his hometown, finding inspiration in New England’s farms and fisheries, and why great food doesn’t require a big-city address. We also get into the busy brain behind the plates: how Evan experiences…
29 Sep 2026 · 55 min
What Makes a Recipe Work? With Recipe Tester Laura Manzano
What makes a recipe work — and when is an extra step actually worth the effort? This week, I’m joined by Laura Manzano, the recipe tester behind my forthcoming cookbook, Not From Concentrate. Laura grew up working in her dad’s restaurants, honed her skills in the Martha Stewart test kitchens, and built a freelance career helping cookbook authors make their recipes clearer, more reliable, and better suited to the people cooking them. We go behind the scenes of my cookbook to talk about what recipe testing actually involves, why fewer dishes matter, and the challenge of writing recipes for…
22 Sep 2026 · 45 min
A Hamptons Private Chef’s Secrets to Easier Dinners with Robyn Henderson
What does a private chef cook when she’s tired, her family needs dinner, and nobody wants leftovers? Something simpler than you might think. Hamptons private chef Robyn Henderson joins Catherine Smart to talk about cooking delicious food without making every meal a production. From sheet-pan dinners at home to family-style spreads for clients, Robyn shares why seasonal ingredients, simple menus, and less fuss can make for better meals—and why a quick salad once stole the show from her painstakingly handmade lobster ravioli. Catherine and Robyn also get candid about the business of feeding…
15 Sep 2026 · 42 min
Big Flavor and Bold Living with Claudette Zepeda
What makes dinner taste like it’s been cooking all day when you absolutely do not have all day? Chef Claudette Zepeda has a pantry full of answers—and zero shame about canned beans. This week, Catherine welcomes the chef and author of Cooking the Borderlands for a conversation about big flavor, creative freedom, and feeding a family when you’re stretched thin. Claudette shares how growing up between San Diego, Tijuana, and Guadalajara shaped her food, from the Asian pantry staples woven into her Mexican cooking to the smoke and community of carne asada. We talk about using miso, kombu,…
8 Sep 2026 · 51 min
Overcome Garden Overwhelm with Jess Zander of You Can Do It Gardening
Feeling overwhelmed by your garden? Garden coach Jess Zander of You Can Do It Gardening joins Catherine to make the whole thing feel more manageable—and much more fun. Jess explains how to prioritize garden projects, tackle invasive plants before they spread, choose native plants without becoming dogmatic, and make smart decisions about where and what to plant. She also shares why buying small plants can save money, how to divide perennials without being too precious, and why fall is one of the best times to plant. Plus, Jess offers a refreshingly low-effort approach to fall cleanup,…
1 Sep 2026 · 49 min
Grill Time and Letting Go of the Perfect Family Dinner with Noah Galuten
What if the best thing you could bring to family dinner wasn’t a perfectly cooked meal, but a better mood? Chef, cookbook author, and TV host Noah Galuten joins Catherine to talk about his new cookbook, Grill Time!, and why the grill deserves a place in your weeknight cooking routine. They discuss shopping according to what’s on sale, salting chicken or steak now and figuring out dinner later, and setting up groceries so they’re easier to use when your busy brain needs them. Noah also gets honest about cooking through creative ruts, feeding young children, and the impossible pressure to make…
25 Aug 2026 · 41 min
Back-to-School Lunches, Sheet-Pan Dinners, and Finding Joy in the Kitchen with Hillary Dixler Canavan
Back-to-School Lunches, Sheet-Pan Dinners, and Finding Joy in the Kitchen with Hillary Dixler Canavan Hillary Dixler Canavan returns to Not From Concentrate as the show’s first repeat guest! Nearly one year after her first appearance, Hillary joins Catherine for a timely conversation about feeding our families, and ourselves, during the back-to-school rush. They talk about letting go of picture-perfect lunchboxes, choosing foods children will reliably eat at school, and adding joy without adding much work. Hillary shares her genuinely life-changing trick for assembling and freezing…
18 Aug 2026 · 41 min
Building a Better Local Food System with Erin Baumgartner
What does it actually take to make local food more accessible, sustainable, and financially viable for the people who produce it? Catherine talks with Erin Baumgartner, founder of Family Dinner, a farmers market delivery service that grew from bringing groceries to seven friends out of Erin’s Somerville apartment to serving 120 Massachusetts communities. Erin explains how Family Dinner uses data and predictive analytics to help farmers plan what to grow, reduce food waste, and reach more customers—and why buying local can have such a meaningful impact on the communities where we live. They…
11 Aug 2026 · 54 min
The Radical Act Of Cooking at Home with Trinity Mouzon Wofford
What if the answer to feeling too busy isn’t making everything faster, but choosing one place to slow down? Trinity Mouzon Wofford, founder of Golde and author of Eating at Home, joins Catherine to make the case for protecting mealtime in a culture built around convenience. They talk about taking a real lunch break, shopping at the farmers market and why it's work soaking your own beans. Trinity also shares what she learned from building a wellness company during a period of explosive growth, separating her identity from her business and writing her first cookbook while becoming a mother.…
4 Aug 2026 · 41 min
How to Turn a Busy Brain Into a Creative Advantage with Chef Will Gilson
What happens when the brain that fuels your ambition and creativity is also the one constantly pulling you in twelve directions? Chef and restaurateur Will Gilson, whose Cambridge Street Hospitality Group now includes eight concepts, talks with Catherine about thriving under pressure, self-sabotaging deadlines, and why the chaos of a restaurant kitchen can feel strangely comfortable to an ADHD brain. He shares how seasonal depression led him to seek out projects with a clear beginning, middle, and end—and why learning to delegate was essential as his business grew. Will gets practical about…
28 Jul 2026 · 38 min
How Cooking Builds Executive Functions with Sophie Mortner
What if learning to cook could help us get better at starting tasks, managing time, working through frustration, and asking for help? Sophie Mortner is an educator, learning designer, executive functioning coach, and the creator of Nibblings, a collection of recipes designed to help kids cook independently. She joins Catherine to explain why the kitchen is such a powerful place to build skills that extend far beyond cooking. They talk about breaking intimidating tasks into manageable first steps, developing time awareness, helping kids become more independent in the kitchen, and why parents…
21 Jul 2026 · 10 min
ADHD, Masking, and Letting Your Guard Down
In this solo episode of Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart shares a personal essay about ADHD masking, embarrassment, and the effort of trying to seem easygoing, capable, and “normal.” She reflects on how sensitivity, people-pleasing, and a strong social radar can be exhausting—but can also make us thoughtful friends, generous hosts, and deeply caring people. This is a personal reflection on understanding old patterns with more compassion and learning when it might be okay to let your guard down. Read the essay at catherinesmart.substack.com. Not From Concentrate is a food podcast for…
14 Jul 2026 · 50 min
Ham El-Waylly on Home Cooking, 90s Nostalgia, and Harnessing ADHD Powers in the Kitchen
On this episode of Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with chef and cookbook author Ham El-Waylly about the surprising journey that led him from fine dining back to the food that first shaped him. Raised between Egyptian, Bolivian, and Qatari cultures before building a career in New York restaurants, Ham shares how the sudden loss of his mother caused him to distance himself from the recipes he grew up with—and how reopening her handwritten recipe notebook during the pandemic helped him reconnect with his family, his creativity, and himself. They talk about: How home cooking became…
7 Jul 2026 · 45 min
Courtney E. Smith on Ravenous and the Future of Independent Food Media
Courtney E. Smith joins Catherine Smart to talk about Ravenous, the new worker-owned food and culture publication founded by former Eater writers after a layoff. Courtney shares how the team built an independent media company from scratch, why they’re choosing subscriber support over VC money and branded content, and what it means to cover food, labor, restaurants, and culture with stronger ethics and sharper opinions. She and Catherine also talk about what’s missing from today’s food media landscape, the challenge of writing about local restaurants for a national audience, the business…
30 Jun 2026 · 41 min
Bow Market, Small Business, and Building Community with Zachary Baum
On this episode of Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with Zachary Baum, co-owner of Bow Market in Somerville, about what it takes to build a place where small businesses can take root. They discuss how Bow Market transformed from an old carport into a vibrant courtyard of independent food, retail, art, and service businesses; why a true sense of place cannot simply be scaled or replicated; and how small restaurants and makers navigate the realities of rent, regulation, labor, and limited capacity. Catherine and Zachary also talk about the importance of proximity, flexibility, and…
23 Jun 2026 · 37 min
Wedding Cakes and Finding Joy in the Kitchen with Freelance Baker Mackenzie Innis
This week on Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with freelance baker Mackenzie Innis about the artistry, logistics, and emotional weight behind her beautiful seasonal cakes. Mackenzie shares how she moved from fine dining pastry kitchens to building Ceres, a freelance baking business rooted in local ingredients, florals, seasonality, and deeply personal celebrations. She talks about translating clients’ food memories into wedding cakes, sourcing from New England farms, growing flowers in Somerville, and finding inspiration in bakeries, gardens, mythology, and community. Catherine…
16 Jun 2026 · 51 min
SingleThread, Food Waste, and the Future of Farm to Table
This week on Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with Alex Fuentes, Head Chef of Special Projects at SingleThread Farm–Restaurant–Inn in Healdsburg, California. SingleThread is known for its three-Michelin-starred restaurant, five-room inn, and deeply integrated farm led by Kyle and Katina Connaughton. But this conversation goes beyond the fantasy of wine country fine dining. Catherine and Alex talk about what it means to cook at the highest level without recreating the toxic kitchen culture that has shaped so much of fine dining’s past. They also dig into the practical lessons home…
9 Jun 2026 · 43 min
Jerrelle Guy on Burnout, Creativity, and Finding Magic in Everyday Meals
This week on Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart sits down with cookbook author, photographer, and artist Jerrelle Guy to talk about her beautiful new cookbook, We Fancy. Jerrelle first burst onto the food scene with her acclaimed debut cookbook, Black Girl Baking, but success came with a cost. In this conversation, she shares how burnout, creative pressure, and the constant pursuit of “more” led her to rethink not just the way she cooked, but the way she lived. Catherine and Jerrelle talk about slowing down, making everyday meals feel special, and using food as a form of artistic…
2 Jun 2026 · 51 min
Food Budgeting for Busy Brains with Meghan Splawn
Food writer, recipe developer, and longtime meal-planning expert Meghan Splawn joins Catherine Smart to talk about the emotional, practical, and very real work of getting a food budget under control. After realizing her family had spent more than $32,000 in a year on groceries, dining out, coffee, Costco runs, and food in general, Meghan began publicly documenting her effort to cut that spending in half. In this conversation, she shares why tracking is the first step, how food spending can get tangled up with shame and identity, and why budgeting does not have to mean giving up good food.…
26 May 2026 · 46 min
You Can Cook Indian Food at Home with Heartland Masala
When Indian food is on the menu at Catherine Smart’s house, it usually means ordering dosa, saag paneer, and cauliflower Manchurian from a favorite local spot. But why do so many of us love eating Indian food while feeling intimidated to cook it at home? This week on Not From Concentrate, Catherine is joined by Auyon and Jyoti Mukharji, the son-mother duo behind Heartland Masala, for a warm, funny, and practical conversation about bringing Indian cooking into your own kitchen. They talk about building confidence with spices, techniques, and pantry staples; the role of family recipes,…
19 May 2026 · 42 min
Veg Forward Local Hawai'i Food with Alana Kysar
This week on Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with cookbook author, photographer, and recipe developer Alana Kysar about the rich, comforting world of local Hawaii food — and how she transformed some of Hawaii’s most beloved flavors into vegetable-forward recipes in her new cookbook, Aloha Veggies. Catherine and Alana dive into the cultural influences that shape Hawaii’s culinary identity, and why dishes like katsu, laulau, poke, and plate lunches are about so much more than vacation food. Alana also shares what it is like to photograph her own cookbooks, navigate the modern food…
12 May 2026 · 1 hr
Chef Spencer Horovitz on ADHD, Finding Calm in the Kitchen & California-Jewish Cuisine
This week on Not From Concentrate, Catherine sits down with chef Spencer Horovitz , a 2025 James Beard semifinalist and the founder of Hadeem, a beloved California-Jewish Cuisine concept that's been popping up in San Francisco. But this episode goes far beyond food. Spencer speaks candidly about living and working with ADHD in the high-pressure world of professional kitchens: the burnout, shame, impulsivity, time blindness, and sensory overload — but also the creativity, resilience, and self-awareness that ultimately helped him build a career that actually works with his brain instead of…
5 May 2026 · 42 min
Food, Bravery, and Hope in Ukraine, with Felicity Spector
In this episode, Catherine sits down with journalist and author of Bread and War Felicity Spector to talk about the role of food in one of the most difficult places on earth right now: war-torn Ukraine. Since 2022, Felicity has been traveling to Ukraine to support grassroots food initiatives—from mobile bakeries feeding frontline communities to chefs creating restaurant-quality meals for soldiers. Her work captures something often missing from headlines: the resilience, ingenuity, and humanity that keep people going. They talk about: How mobile bakeries are feeding communities without…
28 Apr 2026 · 50 min
Following the Silk Roads: Anna Ansari on Identity, Trade, and the Flavors That Connect Us
This week on Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with cookbook author and food writer Anna Ansari, whose new book, Silk Roads, explores the rich, interconnected cuisines stretching from East Asia to the Middle East. Anna’s path to food writing was anything but linear. She started as an international trade and customs attorney in New York before moving to the UK and finding her way into recipe testing, food writing, and cookbook authorship. In this conversation, she shares how her background in law, her Iranian-American identity, and her global perspective all shaped the book.…
21 Apr 2026 · 41 min
Building a Creative Career with Food Photographer Nina Gallant
In this episode of Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with food photographer Nina Gallant about what actually goes into building a beautiful food image — from lighting and composition to creative direction, storytelling, and the invisible work behind every shot. Nina pulls back the curtain on the world of food photography: what a food photographer really does beyond taking beautiful pictures, how creative careers evolve, and what it takes to turn artistic work into a sustainable business. Catherine and Nina talk about balancing creativity with the practical demands of running a…
14 Apr 2026 · 48 min
Ashley Moore on ADHD, Food Styling & Thriving at America’s Test Kitchen
In this week’s episode, Catherine chats with Ashley Moore, food stylist and senior editor at America’s Test Kitchen, about building a creative career with ADHD—and why the way your brain works might actually be your biggest advantage. Ashley takes us behind the scenes of life at ATK, from fast-paced photo shoots to the precision and organization required to make every recipe (and image) just right. She shares how she found her way into food media, including early experiences working alongside chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay, and what it really takes to stay in the industry…
7 Apr 2026 · 38 min
Baking Bread + Breaking into the Food World with Great American Baking Show Winner Martin Sorge
This week on Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with baker, cookbook author, bread connoisseur, and Great American Baking Show winner Martin Sorge. Growing up in the Midwest, Martin learned how to find the best sweet corn at farm stands from his mom: by peeling back the husk and taking a bite right from the ear. Even with a food-rich upbringing, his path did not lead straight to a culinary career. He studied English, then public policy and economic development, and spent years in community-based work while baking in the background. Eventually, Martin auditioned for one of his…
28 Mar 2026 · 50 min
Learn to Be a Better Home Cook + Writer with Sheryl Julian
This week on Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart sits down with her longtime mentor Sheryl Julian — her former professor in Boston University’s Gastronomy Program and her editor at The Boston Globe. Like any great editor, Sheryl is not shy with a red pen. She and Catherine talk about what it takes to give useful feedback, how writers actually get better, and why becoming a remarkable writer mostly requires doing the work again and again. They also talk about cooking at home — the daily grind of it, the stretches when it can feel uninspiring, and the small ways busy brains can get their…
24 Mar 2026 · 49 min
Cheese 101 with Madame Fromage
On this episode of Not From Concentrate, Tenaya Darlington (aka Madame Fromage) shares her cheese journey — from working at a community newspaper in Wisconsin, teaching university English in Philadelphia, to becoming a cheese educator, blogger, and cookbook author. From Belgium to France to Switzerland, Tenaya discusses her cheese-centered travel and how they’ve formed her love and passion for cheese. As an expert, she imparts advice for the cheese curious to curd nerds for approaching cheese counters, expertly curating cheese boards, and how to chat it up with cheese mongers. They cover…

About Not From Concentrate

Not From Concentrate is a English arts & books podcast from Catherine Smart. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Catherine Smart
Language: English
Category: Arts & Books
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 46 min
Latest episode: 13 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1849667703

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