116 - Yvonne Ham, Nona's Italian Cucina. How many ways can Italian gravy heal a heart?
Release Date: 12/18/2018
So Long, Edacious. It's Been Real. Thx For Being A Conduit. What's Next? House of NAE, LLC 8/22/22.
Edacious
The very last Edacious podcast. Thx for the food, drink, laughter, memories. Thx for being a conduit Cville, RVA, DC and everywhere else me and my truck Serena went. Thx for the lessons. Be well, Remember to allow. Join me. Here's what next. It's EPIC!
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123 - Carrie Neal Walden, Ben's Friends. In an industry dedicated to service, how do we help each other?
Edacious
Maybe the most important podcast I've ever produced. Addiction in restaurant culture. In an environment whose very premise is dedicated to serving others, how do we take care of ourselves without the emotional blankets of alcohol, drugs, sex, work, shopping, chaos, rage, you name it? How do we help each other remove those blankets and begin to feel and work through the complicated feelings that come with running and working in the food industry?
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122 - Blue Plate Special, Self Care vs. Consumer Care.
Edacious
Welcome to Episode 122! No guest this time because all y’all are running around like crazy people anyway. Putting up greenery and buying shit because you think if you don’t get Aunt Gladys a singing gingerbread man, she’ll give you the stink eye. You know what? She will anyway, save your money.
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121 - Heather Carlucci, Medium.
Edacious
Authenticity, intuition, and perception in a world full of rigid expectations. Meet Heather Carlucci, medical intuitive, former NYC pastry chef and restaurant owner. All-around badass Glamazon.
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120 - Blue Plate Special, Intermission.
Edacious
The Who, What, When, Where, and Why of Edacious, as well as the What's Next. There will be food. There will always be food.
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119 - Emily Pelton, Veritas Vineyard & Winery. What is the "Farmers Shadow" and why should you care?
Edacious
What is The Farmer’s Shadow and why is it important in making a great wine? Welcome to a reflective, thoughtful conversation with Emily Pelton of Veritas Vineyard & Winery. In wine there is truth. Emily’s truth lies in this concept. Being present with the grapes on a daily basis, tasting, tasting again. Walking the rows. Taking the time and doing the work rather than trying to rush and fix mistakes later.
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118 - 3dacious Best of 2018!
Edacious
Happy New Year! Welcome to a special edition of 3dacious, a bi-weekly compendium of the top 3 regional Foods I Forked, Cool Collaborations, and events I'm excited about, but will probably miss because I'm already snuggly in my recliner with a hot tea and a lapful of cats.
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117 - Blue Plate Special - Auggie Wren's Christmas Story by Paul Auster.
Edacious
Happy Holidays everyone! In this special episode of Edacious - Food Talk for Gluttons I go off-script. But no worries, there’s still food. Everything starts over food.
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116 - Yvonne Ham, Nona's Italian Cucina. How many ways can Italian gravy heal a heart?
Edacious
So you’ve got a great recipe for Italian gravy and want to start a food business? Well, it’s way more than throwing it in a jar and sticking it on a grocer’s shelf. There are many hoops to jump through and tests to pass before that dream becomes a reality. Meet Yvonne Ham of Nona’s Italian Cucina. A story full of love, comfort, the safe spaces grandmothers create, and all the different forms heart health can take.
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115 - 3dacious for December 6, 2018.
Edacious
Happy Holidays everyone and welcome to another episode of 3dacious, a bi-weekly compendium of the top 3 regional Foods I Forked, Cool Collaborations, and events I'm excited about, but will probably miss because I've already taken my Tylenol PM.
info_outlineSo you’ve got a great recipe for Italian gravy and want to start a food business? Well, it’s way more than throwing it in a jar and sticking it on a grocer’s shelf. There are many hoops to jump through and tests to pass before that dream becomes a reality. Meet Yvonne Ham of Nona’s Italian Cucina. A story full of love, comfort, the safe spaces grandmothers create, and all the different forms heart health can take.
This is not your typical pasta sauce folks. This is REAL ITALIAN GRAVY. What’s the difference? First taste and you’ll know. True Italian gravy is thicker, the cooking process longer and slower. Flavorwise? No comparison. The essence of tomato with an unctuousness, a comforting meatiness. But this sauce is vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free. Just San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy, fresh herbs, and classic spices. There’s also sweetness, but no sugar here. That’s just supreme tomatoes expressing their flavors.
The story behind Nona’s Italian Cucina is as great as the gravy. Yvonne learned the recipe from an Italian neighbor, a grandmother who acted as both friend and mentor while she and her military family were stationed in Naples. It was Yvonne’s first time abroad and she felt so out of her element, but Nona took her under her wing and not only taught her cooking but showed her how to navigate this new world. Nona became a part of the family and when The Hams returned 12 years later, Nona was there to greet them once more. Yvonne is now carrying on her tradition, feeding people and connecting to folks within her own community. Even though Nona is no longer with us, Yvonne knows she’s watching and guiding Yvonne with her blessing. And I know she’s just so proud.
I first tried Yvonne’s gravy at The Charlottesville City Market, where she’s been sampling and selling and getting the word out for some time. Now she’s begun the next step of the journey. Store shelves. You can find Nona’s Italian Cucina at The Charlottesville City Market, The Spice Diva, Nourish Louisa, Market Street Wine, and Blue Ridge Bottle Shop in Crozet.
What happens when you’ve just started your food business and a major health scare manifests right out of the blue? You keep going. This happened to Yvonne and her story is not only a tribute to her strength and resilience but also to her commitment to caring for people and her community by feeding them good food. Healing yourself, learning your own value, by connecting and caring for others. A deep soulful lesson for all of us and one we can all learn from.
Part of that commitment is future initiatives with the American Heart Association, maybe a fundraiser or a consciousness-raising about advocating for your health and finding your voice. Working to eradicate food deserts. Cooking classes. Whatever Yvonne plans, count me in. She’s a beautiful human being with an amazing product I’m honored to promote and eat, as much as I can. Our lunch lasted almost 6 hours, a leisurely stroll of food and conversation in the true Italian style. Dolce Far Niente. The sweetness of doing nothing. An Italian way of life that everyone should get behind. Often.
Happy holidays everyone. May your own table be as comforting and healing as this conversation was for me. Mille Grazie, Yvonne. Your gravy is amazeballs!
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