Christina's Culinary Voyages Podcast

The Ultimate Baking Championship Winner Molly Coen Dishes On Finding Her Fortune in Cake

Winner of The Ultimate Baking Championship, Pastry Chef Molly Coen of Carmel Valley Ranch dishes on declaring her future as a pastry chef as a child, how a baking science class and a summer spent decorating cakes laid the foundation for her career, and the important role that fortune played in helping her break into the baking world. Coen enjoys working in luxury hospitality and designing cakes with seasonal flavors. Episode Encore, a seasonal follow-up to "The Ultimate Baking Championship," offers guests at Carmel Valley Ranch's restaurant smaller plated versions of desserts Coen made on the show. We chat about hyper-realistic desserts and how Coen's finds inspiration from products grown or husbanded on the Ranch and how they make their way into her desserts. @carmelvranch @sweets.first #desserts #gfdesserts #foodwriter https://christinamueller.com [https://christinamueller.com/] @eatdrinkthink

Chef Mike Lanham of San Francisco's Anomaly

How does a restaurant become a great restaurant? At Anomaly, the modernist cuisine from owner-chef Mike Lanham and his team reflects a grit honed as much in Michelin-starred restaurant kitchens as at competitive bike races and wrestling matches. This dude is DETERMINED to make his small restaurant succeed. In our chat, Lanham talks about his path to restaurants, why he works out every day, how the pandemic helped launch Anomaly's success, and why an emoji egg – a dish that catapulted Lanham to the front page of San Francisco's food media – remains a sacred menu item. #sfrestaurants @anomaly_sf [https://www.instagram.com/anomaly_sf/] #funluxury @m_lanham [https://www.instagram.com/m_lanham/] #foodwriter https://christinamueller.com [https://christinamueller.com/] @eatdrinkthink

More Than Protein: Fiber + Omega-3s with Defender Bar co-founder, Matt Levey

Matt Levey is no stranger to starting businesses — Field Trip, maker of jerky, meat sticks and pork rinds, is another company he is a part of. But human bodies – despite the media hype around protein – need more than protein. We need fiber, fats and other nutrients to maintain health, especially gut health. And that's where a next gen bar like Defender comes in. Levey and I chat about the ideal balance of protein, fiber, and sugar for adults and kids, what makes dandelion root such a powerful pre-biotic, and why whey is not a perfect protein solution.  Added bonus? My listeners can enter EATDRINK15 at https://defenderbar.com/ [https://defenderbar.com/] or on Amazon to get 15% off orders of any size.  #balancednutrition #onthegosnacks #functionalfood #gymsnacks #foodwriter https://christinamueller.com [https://christinamueller.com/] @eatdrinkthink

Exclusive Chat With Chef Artun: Turkish Manti & More

A PhD in Neuroscience and Physics helps chef and restaurateur Omer Artun of Meyhouse restaurants in California maximize operational efficiencies. But it's his passion for food, especially the Turkish food of his upbringing, that energizes the flavors of Artun's cuisine. Our conversation sweeps from Artun's culinary influences, across the breadth of Eurasian manti (stuffed pasta or dumplings), to his 32 year-old (and counting) yogurt culture. #californiacuisine #turkishfood #slowfood #foodwriter https://christinamueller.com [https://christinamueller.com/] @eatdrinkthink

The Best Gluten-Free Bread Cookbook: A chat with "The Art of Gluten-Free Bread" author, Aran Goyoaga

Professional chef Aran Goyoaga grew up in a bakery – her Basque family owned one. After a doctor's diagnosis required a shift to a gluten-free life, Goyoaga started a journey of gluten-free discovery, learning to bake sweet treats, like cookies and pies, and then brioche and bread.  I sat down with Aran to chat about how to start your own gluten-free bread baking journey, what butters to consider (vegan and regular), and the joy of holiday baking. Plus a side note about marzipan. #glutenfree #glutenfreebread #glutenfreebaking #foodwriter https://www.arangoyoaga.com @cannellevanille https://christinamueller.com [https://christinamueller.com/] @eatdrinkthink