The Philanthropist's Conversation

S2E3: Bridging Ancient and Modern Culinary Worlds, in Turkey's vibrant Istanbul.

Istanbul is a city of layers. Ancient minarets rise above hip coffee shops; winding market streets give way to rooftop terraces and buzzing night life. In a city where Ottoman food ways meet contemporary dining culture exist side by side - what can we learn about food resilience that we don’t already know? What does it mean to bridge the gap between the ancient and the modern? Between the East and the West? In this episode, Jay, Garth, and their team of food experts explore Istanbul, tasting their way through a city that sits at the crossroads of civilisations. Between a vibrant fish market, a backyard grill, and a traditional tea garden, the group discovers a city where fresh produce and communal dining have survived globalisation and now shape the future of food. They trace the Ottoman roots of meze culture, debate the limits of the "Mediterranean diet" as a label, and reflect on how Turkey's adaptive food identity can hold a mirror up to food cultures in the West. This episode also takes a wider look at how food content has been transformed in the digital age. From longevity experts to epicurean influencers, the group maps out the new landscape of food media, and asks what it really takes to inspire people to eat better. The conversation also returns to something essential: that the best food system starts not with policy, but with pleasure. If you've ever wondered what the world would look like if food culture had never stopped mattering, and what the rest of us might learn from that, this is your place to start. Highlights: * Welcome to Istanbul: first impressions from the terrace (0:10) * The Ottoman tradition of sharing and snacking (3:53) * Rethinking the "Mediterranean diet" label (8:51) * The history of Turkish cuisine: Byzantines, Ottomans, and beyond (12:51) * Shopping like a local at the fish market (15:28) * “The sea in the middle of the land”: understanding mediterranean geography (19:25) * Istanbul as a bridge between East and West (29:51) * Social media and a new era for food education (35:17) * Three types of food influencer: the fitness aesthetic, the biohacker, and the epicurean (37:01) * How to grill a whole sea bass (44:59) * Diet, mental health, and physical activity are three pillars for health to emerge (50:19) * What your first 1,000 days have to do with your sugar habits (1:00:41) * Personalised nutrition: does it have to be expensive? (1:01:48) * Drawing conclusions over dessert at a chai bahçesi (59:08) * Reconnect, integrate, be resilient (1:09:36) * Next time on the Philanthropist’s Conversation: where individual power ends and systemic change begins (1:11:21) The Philanthropist's Conversation is a podcast from Pegasus. For more any enquiries, you can write to us at: ivan.tse@pegasus-sa.uk [ivan.tse@pegasus-sa.uk]

S2E2 - Tipping the balance back, in Hanoi, Vietnam.

In Hanoi, food is everywhere. It’s fragrant herbs and tropical produce spilling out of market stalls, the scent of charcoal meat on a busy street, or a steamy bowl of phó grabbed on the go at breakfast time. So what can Vietnam teach us about food resilience? And can it offer a meaningful contrast to the industrialised food landscape many of us navigate in the West today? In the second episode of our new series, Jay and Garth set out to find answers alongside their crew of food experts, Rohan, Zane, and Mateo. This episode will make you discover the bold flavours of Vietnam and South Asia dish by dish -- from homemade spring rolls known as gỏi cuốn, to a smoky meatball dish (bún chả), and of course, the inimitable phở. Between the busy urban life of Hanoi, and an active kitchen, our group uncover the leading principle of Asian cooking: balance. Here, food is more than sustenance; it is a cosmological art de vivre that can be sustained over time, connecting body, mind, and environment. Rather than focusing on policy or supply chains, this episode interrogates food resilience on a personal level. How does food reconnect us with our bodies? What does it really mean to eat well, and feel like it too? And how might those answers guide the next changes we make in our own kitchens and communities? Through shared meals and simmering broths, the group returns to the essence of eating well, rediscovering the pleasure of cooking and enjoying fresh food, day after day. This episode reveals how Vietnam’s food culture acts as both teacher and mirror, reminding us that resilience doesn’t just live in institutions or systems, but in the very act of cooking too. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to eat in harmony and what Western food cultures can learn from Eastern traditions, this episode is a great place to begin. Highlights: * Welcome to the streets of Hanoi (1:02) * A picture of the food landscape in Vietnam (3:39) * The marketplace: a space for social connection (7:54) * In the kitchen making gỏi cuốn and bún chả (13:16) * The links between Asia and the Global North (17:57) * Defining “glocalisation” in Asia (24:13) * A dive into the history of the Silk Road (28:35) * Food and health: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and a “cosmology of flavour” (31:07) * Spirituality, philosophy, and food habits (34:18) * Reconciling proactive and reactive healthcare systems (38:19) * A new global food education movement (43:15) * Making vietnamese coffee (49:53) * Democratising cooking through social media, YouTube… And the Covid-19 pandemic (52:08) * “Resilience means paying attention to our system and to our bodies” (57:15) * Final roundtable: drawing conclusions around a rich bowl of phó (59:14) * Cooking means getting your agency back (01:01:40) Further Resources: * Pegasus Website [https://pegasus-sa.uk/] * Learning about regional cuisine in Vietnam from the Michelin Guide [https://guide.michelin.com/vn/en/article/features/vietnam-101-regional-cuisine-in-vietnam-explained] * Further (accessible) research on traditional health Practices in India and China [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379190625_Ayurveda_Across_Asia_Understanding_Traditional_Practices_in_India_and_China] * Exploring food education through the YouTube cooking universe [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIAadjrmUe8] * Articles and research sources The Philanthropist's Conversation is a podcast from Pegasus. For more any enquiries, you can write to us at: ivan.tse@pegasus-sa.uk [ivan.tse@pegasus-sa.uk]

S2E1 - In New Orleans, What Counts As Food These Days?

To kick off Season 2 of the Philanthropist’s Conversation, our hosts Jay and Garth take us to New Orleans, a city shaped by migration, music, and some of the richest food traditions in the United States. So yes, our journey starts with a rich gumbo and freshly made beignets, but it also uncovers a harder truth: America’s food system has drifted far from the ancestral wisdom that once shaped its kitchens. In this episode, Jay, Garth, and their lead guests explore the roots of that drift: What happened to everyday cooking in America? How did ultra-processed foods become the norm? Why is eating well so difficult today? And what can we learn from a city that sits in the roots of its cultural upheaval, yet still cooks to keep the memory alive? Through supermarket aisles, street corners, and the very heart of a New Orleans kitchen, we break through the amnesia created by convenience and industrialisation. Along the way, we get to know this season’s cast too. Jay will connect the dots between culture, and identity; our astute journalist Mateo will unpack the deeper social history behind American eating habits; Garth, the food system expert, will break down how food chains work today, and why it’s hard to undo them; Rohan, the chef, will give us a taste for the real flavour of Creole and Cajun cuisine; and Zane, the nutritionist, will decode our pantry staples, show us what we’ve lost, and what we can reclaim. If you’ve ever wondered why modern eating feels so chaotic, and how to find your way back to real food; this is where our journey begins. Highlights: * Settling in New Orleans (4:24) * A food resilience itinerary (9:45) * Creole food: history, culture & disconnect (14:09) * How to make a good gumbo (18:47) * A deep dive into Ultra Processed Foods (24:07) * Food Industrialisation: a “chicken or the egg” question (30:20) * Perfecting the roux - a taste for food tradition (33:22) * A lesson in food marketing at Winn Dixie (36:12) * Making a case for a new kind of food literacy (40:23) * Switching off the "autopilot" mode (47:03) * Beignets, tea, and the health question (55:04) * “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” (58:08) * A walk through the French Quarters (1:01:42) * Drawing conclusions: food resilience is systemic and personal (1:06:01) Further Resources: * Pegasus Website [https://pegasus-sa.uk/] * On the History of Cajun and Creole Cuisine [https://hnoc.org/publishing/first-draft/taste-creole-and-cajun-cuisine-10-stories] (Music Break #1) * How to Make a Perfect Gumbo [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3I3FiK3_r8&t=17s] (Music Break #2) * How to Read a Food Label [https://archive.is/RgByq] (Music Break #3) * On “Food Rules” with Michael Pollan [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le8UH60DmGs] (Music Break #4) * Further articles and research sources [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jTRjLArqORX3PqKq_2Kp9lUM5TQYXyX6z1J3nPrSaes/edit?tab=t.0] The Philanthropist's Conversation is a podcast from Pegasus. To learn more or get in touch, find us at our website.

Welcome to Season 2: Culture, Resilience, and the Food that Sustains Us

The Philanthropist’s Conversation returns for Season 2, ready to take you on a new journey, through food and culture, towards a more resilient world. This season, our co-hosts are two life long lovers of food: Jay Brooks and Garth Pritchard. As Pegasus [http://pegasus-sa.uk/]’s champions of food resilience, they’re on a mission to answer a deceptively simple question: What does it mean to eat well in a world that’s forgotten how? They map out today’s food landscape to find the answers; from the streets of New Orleans to the rolling hills of the Swiss Alps, with stops in Vietnam, Turkey, and beyond. Along the way, we uncover ancient foodways, and imagine what the future of food could be if we choose to rebuild it now. Joining them on this journey are three food aficionados who speak to every kind of listener: Rohan Kashyap, a self-taught Michelin-starred chef blurring the lines between high-end and everyday cuisine; Mateo Flores, a journalist and cultural commentator, with a foot in media outlets across the world, and cutting edge takes on the current food landscape; and Zane Carver, the food-and-fitness entrepreneur, who will talk longevity and show us how what we cook shapes how we live. Together, their voices will get straight to the heart of the food resilience conversation. Take a seat around the table, to start new conversations and build a bigger picture of resilience. One where food isn’t just about what we eat, but what sustains us. Links: * Pegasus Website [http://pegasus-sa.uk/] * The Philanthropist’s Conversation - Season 1 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4TO2nKfWzJn5wqL3uE3XPU?si=0179c26fa2ca49ab] The Philanthropist's Conversation is a fictional podcast from Pegasus. For any enquiries, you can find us at our website.

S1E4 - The Heat of Now: Designing the Future of Urban Heat, in Abu Dhabi

In the shimmering heat of the Gulf region, a new kind of city is taking shape. One where ancient architectural wisdom meets cutting-edge technology—and where people live well with extreme heat. In this final episode of The Philanthropist’s Conversation, our host Paula lands in Abu Dhabi to ask a powerful question: What does urban life look like, in a world where temperatures frequently reach 40*C? Joined by senior government advisor Hamdan Al Suwaidi, Paula tours Abu Dhabi’s historic landmarks like Qasr Al Hosn or the Grand Mosque to learn about the city’s centuries-old relationship with heat. They also spotlight the United Arab Emirates’ most innovative design initiatives, with a visit of the ultra-modern Masdar City – a large-scale urban project that put the UAE on the map when it comes to sustainability. Along the way, you’ll hear an exclusive interview with Gerard Evenden, a senior partner at Foster + Partners who helped designed Masdar. And we’ll explore the UAE’s sustainability agenda, which is moving away from oil wealth, and towards ecological stewardship. So what can an experimental desert city teach the world about adaptation? And what conclusions should we draw from this series, to turn individual projects into engines for systemic change? Find out today on The Philanthropist’s Conversation: Social Architecture to Address Urban Heat. Highlights: 1. Welcome to Abu Dhabi (00:59) 2. Meeting Hamdan Al Suwaidi in the Mandarin Oriental Lounge (03:05) 3. An Historic Approach to Heat in Central Abu Dhabi (07:29) 4. Islamic Futurism at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (16:02) 5. Masdar City: A Case Study in Heat Resilient Design, with Gerard Evenden (26:33) 6. Introducing Ivan Peter and Pegasus’s Ambitious Vision (37:31) 7. Insights & Legacy: A Walking Tour of Masdar City (39:16) 8. Reflecting on Abu Dhabi’s Approach to Extreme Heat (51:28) 9. Conclusions on Urban Heat and Applications for the Future (58:32) 10. A Glimpse into Season 2: Spotlight on Food Resilience (01:04:48) Links: 1. Episode Resources [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZvwOCM0s2xb-5PvRjnbXoFqz93doPTae5qEur3XmbcE/edit?tab=t.0] 2. Gerard Evenden LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerard-evenden-28431312/]