EATYALL: Chefs Go Behind the Scenes at Farms, hosted by Andy Chapman Andy Chapman

Picture this: you’re at a restaurant called Magnolia Southern Kitchen - a sought-after southern oasis plopped in the center of California - and your plate is overflowing with spicy jambalaya. It’s so exceptional you start to hope to meet the creator and chef - this Trace person you’ve been hearing about. You finally cross paths, and you’re expecting a “howdy,” a couple “y’all”s or maybe an “over yonder” from a food creator this brilliantly country, but to your surprise you hear… a thick British accent.
This is Trace Tedde-Vega. Born in the UK, Trace learned the art of food from her parents at their restaurant, and became a pastry expert at a young age. She later married into a southern family, and fell in love with a whole new world of foods.
She has since traveled the world with musical acts like Journey and Erykah Badhu, worked as a private chef for celebrities, and opened a southern restaurant.
On today’s episode, Andy and Trace talk culture comparisons, country classics, and her truly farm-to-table approach at Magnolia Southern Kitchen.
A British Chef serving Southern Food in the Middle of California
Trace puts Wood Colony (Modesto), California on the map - at least for us. This rural, agricultural area is known as Almond Country, and the restaurant sits between several almond farms.
Trace gets all of her pork from Long Ranch (a farm located 15 minutes from her restaurant), and a few weeks ago she served a pigs’ feet dish that would drum up fond memories for Yorkshire and Mississippi dwellers alike. She posted the dish on their Facebook page, and it sold out within an hour.
Since California is one of the most prolific food production hubs in the world, Chef Trace gets to have genuine relationships with copious individual producers. She can even make specific requests, and many come in for lunch to see who is enjoying the final product. Her restaurant only buys a couple things from distributors - making it truly farm-to-fork.
Wisdom for Young Chefs
Trace says, “I always tell young chefs: culinary school is great to learn about the basics, like learning a math equation. But it’s the people that have a willingness to be playful, to add passion and to try new things that find success. Put your heart-print on it.” 
Maximizing Cuts/Meats
In an era where everyone wants to use more parts of the animal, we value Trace’s expert take on the flavor profile of different parts and cuts of beef. She teaches us about combining two or three flavors - for instance highlighting the depth of a structured part, pairing it with some gelatinous marrow, and combining those with a more common protein cut to make something new. She throws some new ideas out for less-used cuts that may have a brisket quality, a deeper flavor, or work well in a cream sauce.
It’s clear that Trace Tedde-Vega touts no exaggeration when she says, “We keep it economically viable, but also freaking delicious.”
Connect With Today’s Guest
Follow Trace Tedde-Vega’s amazing restaurant here:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/magnoliasouthernkitchen
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/magnoliasouthernkitchen
Connect With EATYALL:
https://eatyall.com
Instagram - https://instagram.com/letseatyall
Facebook - https://facebook.com/letseatyall
Twitter - https://twitter.com/letseatyall
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/letseatyall
YouTube - https://youtube.com/letseatyall
Show Credits:
Hosts are Andy & Marianna Chapman
Graphic Design by Tyler Castleman
Production provided by Easy Podcast Solutions
The EATYALL Podcast is hosted by Andy Chapman, CEO and founder of EATYALL. EATYALL serves the food and farm community with effective chef outreach services.

Have you ever walked 14 miles with 90 pounds of salt, traded it for 90 pounds of organic flour, and walked back home with it on your back? Los Angeles-based Italian/French/Argentinian restaurant Bianca is named after a baker who did just that - regularly.

Her name was Bianca, and during World War II this Italian self-taught chef would source her ingredients the only way she could to help feed her family and community. Now, her grandsons Gianni and Nicola Vietina are successful chefs in Los Angeles, and we get to hear from the only baker they trust as pastry chef of Bianca Restaurant: their long-time friend Federico Fernandez.

And lest anyone think Federico (a.k.a Fede) was given this honor based purely on his friendship with Gianni and Nicola, we quickly learn that his talent and experience precede him: he was the executive pastry chef of the Four Seasons Hotel before his work at Bianca began.

Today’s episode will make you swear you can smell Fede’s cream-filled Cannoncini’s and almond croissants as we listen in on some of his fresh-sourcing secrets. Andy and Fede touch on everything from elaborate wedding cakes to Argentinian Bar-B-Q gatherings, and the busy kitchen sounds of Bianca carry on in the background, welcoming us to the richly cultured heart of Los Angeles.

Ingredient-Sourcing: Balancing Quality and the Bottom-line
Fede’s wisdom feels especially rich when Andy asks about sourcing flour and other important ingredients from week to week. His experience and skill create standards that aren’t work compromising to save a few short-term dollars, and his savvy knack for relationship building with local sources helps keep the establishment in the black, even as the Culver City area of Los Angeles is still in the recovery process from coronavirus lock-downs.

All About Federico Fernandez
Fede grew up in Argentina baking with his mother. He studied the culinary arts in Buenos Aires and then traveled internationally and worked in several prestigious hotel chains like Hyatt, Marriott and Intercontinental. He eventually connected with the Four Seasons where his culinary creations could be tasted in Argentina, Uruguay, Canada and the US.

Now busy co-owning and creating at Bianca, he’s able to integrate the classics of his childhood with his current surroundings. He’s made appearances on Iron Chef, The Today Show and other programs.

Connect with Fede
https://www.instagram.com/pastrycheffede/
https://www.instagram.com/bianca.losangeles/
https://www.facebook.com/bianca.losangeles

Connect With EATYALL:
https://eatyall.com
Instagram - https://instagram.com/letseatyall
Facebook - https://facebook.com/letseatyall
Twitter - https://twitter.com/letseatyall
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/letseatyall
YouTube - https://youtube.com/letseatyall

Show Credits:
Hosts: Andy and Marianna Chapman
Graphic Design by Tyler Castleman
Production provided by Bryan Murphy

The EATYALL Podcast is hosted by Andy Chapman, CEO and founder of EATYALL. EATYALL serves the food and farm community with effective chef outreach services.

Lew Childre’s expertise in the world of oysters budded early. An Alabama-born fisherman, he grew up fishing in muddy rivers and snacking on sea creatures. Even after becoming a full-time reliability engineer, his love for oysters and hard work led him to dive for product in the evenings and on weekends. 
Lew and his best friend Doug worked serving other growers first, and learning from their wins and misses. They became experts on Lower Alabama’s Oyster game. They soon decided to apply for their own permit to grow oysters in 2013 near Dauphin Island in Alabama’s gulf coast.
Now the gulf coast’s first and largest shellfish aquaculture business, Double D Oysters has made a mighty reputation for itself around Mobile Bay by growing off-bottom oysters, supplying oyster seed (small oysters under the size of 25 mm long), and continuing to help other operations get proper gear. Their commercial oyster nursery sells to the gulf coast states, up the eastern seaboard, the Caribbean and even parts of Asia, and as the restaurant business picks up post-covid, Lew finds himself on the water daily.
What Makes a Successful Oyster Business
The aquatic environment of the south point of Sandy Bay in Alabama boasts near-ideal nutrients, thanks to the flow of the nearby Escatawpa river delta, and its perfect mingling with the briny and highly oxygenated waters of the gulf.
Lew’s company uses OysterGro grading and tracking gear in order to predict the ideal times to harvest the oysters. His ability to design and repair equipment has served as a huge advantage during this first decade of the business, and you can hear a There’s-a-Way-to-Fix-Everything conviction in his voice. We learned that he’s applied this sense of grit to more than his equipment; he’s found, and built, plenty of creative solutions on the business side too.
Ecology and Sustainability
Did you know the oyster population helps filter and clean the waters of the gulf? And, healthier water means copious fish, as a handful of savvy fishermen in the area have learned. Then there are the extra snow and blue crabs, baby shrimp, and other crops that oyster farming welcomes to the waters.
In the middle of a historic shift in the demographic of the area, with pricey homes being built all over the gulf coast, it’s reassuring to hear from a farmer who knows the area’s history and strives to farm with the long-term implications in mind. 
 
Supply and Demand
In today’s episode, Andy asks Lew the question, “What prepared you to be a farmer?” We hear Lew’s wisdom stream out as he addresses all he’s learned over the years about protecting the growth process, material handling and supply, and the current market. Oysters are a tad more sparse right now, need is high, and yet he has to refrain from over-selling so his customers won’t be lacking later.
 
Nearby restaurant chefs who care about serving authentic local taste source from Lew’s company religiously. Many of the residents are loyal to the brand as well, and ask for Double D Oysters by name. They get to enjoy some of the finest tasting oysters in the world, caught straight from the waters that make up their beautiful view.
 
Today’s Guests 
Lew Childre
Equipment designer and mechanic at Double D Oyster, Lew grew up with a family full of diverse farmers and a knack for fixing things. His current venture supplies local oysters - known for their perfectly brined taste - to restaurants and foodies all over Alabama’s sliver of the gulf coast.
Connect With Our Guests
 
Lew Childre
Double D Oyster
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/doubledoysters
 
Connect With EATYALL:
https://eatyall.com
Instagram - https://instagram.com/letseatyall
Facebook - https://facebook.com/letseatyall
Twitter - https://twitter.com/letseatyall
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/letseatyall
YouTube - https://youtube.com/letseatyall
 
Show Credits:
Hosts are Andy & Marianna Chapman
Gra

Bales Farm has been in the family for six generations and counting. Owned and operated by accomplished bass player and songwriter Barry Bales, his amazing wife Aliceson, and their son Marshall,  the tight-knit family farm sells grass-fed, grass-finished beef, pastured pork, pastured poultry and plenteous free-range eggs. They have been selling direct-to-consumer for a decade through farmer’s markets and shipping, but especially post-covid.
This episode touches on simple, sustainable home cooking, pivoting sales strategies during covid shut-downs, and even contains a bit of impromptu lyric rhyming. We know you’ll feel instantly welcomed onto their East Tennessee porch just like we did. 
Hearing about a small farm in the smoky mountains that knows their customers by name is healing to our souls, and we love the Bales’ goal of excellence as a small farm providing healthy, local meat to their neighbors.
Processing Challenges
Bales Farm found themselves facing some sudden hurdles in 2020, and their agile shift in focus to more direct sales, along with their incredible work ethic, got them through. Now in 2022, Andy and Barry discuss the unmet demand for meat processors and how it’s affecting many small farmers. (You know it’s bad when appointments with processors are getting re-sold on Craigslist).
Despite the setbacks, which included a canceled music tour, Barry and Aliceson are grateful for a spacious place to thrive as a family even during the pandemic. They transitioned the business from selling about 75% of their product to chefs, restaurants and grocery stores, to now almost exclusively retail, which has taught them new methods and strategies.
Timeless and Savory Recipes 
Aliceson’s blogs and recipes caught on like wildfire with friends and fans alike, and eventually led to a really well-made recipe book. Just like them, the recipes are all savvy, wholesome, down to earth and excellent. Aliceson found a way to explain southern-style classics in a way that even new food creators can access, combining common ingredients with generational wisdom.
Family Dynamics
Tackling things like pushing cattle as a family and running a farm as a married couple is not for the faint of heart. Barry and Aliceson share honestly about how they grew into the well-oiled machine that they obviously are now, and how it wasn’t without some stressful moments. 
Today’s Guests 
Barry and Aliceson Bales - www.balesfarmstn.com
The Owners of Bales Farms are stewarding land that has been in the family since 1882; their son Marshall is the 6th generation to live and farm there. They employ regenerative agriculture and boast healthy animals on healthy soil.
Connect With Our Guests
Barry Bales
www.balesfarmstn.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/balesfarms
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BalesFarmsTN
 
Connect With EATYALL:
https://eatyall.com
Instagram - https://instagram.com/letseatyall
Facebook - https://facebook.com/letseatyall
Twitter - https://twitter.com/letseatyall
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/letseatyall
YouTube - https://youtube.com/letseatyall
 
Show Credits:
Hosted by Andy & Marianna Chapman
Graphic Design by Tyler Castleman
Production provided by Bryan Murphy
Copywriting by Easy Podcast Solutions
 
Connect With EATYALL:
https://eatyall.com
Instagram - https://instagram.com/letseatyall
Facebook - https://facebook.com/letseatyall
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/letseatyall
YouTube - https://youtube.com/letseatyall
 
Show Credits:
Hosts are Andy & Marianna Chapman
Graphic Design by Tyler Castleman
Production provided by Bryan Murphy
 
The EATYALL Podcast is hosted by Andy Chapman, CEO and founder of EATYALL. EATYALL serves the food and farm community with effective chef outreach services. The first firm of its kind, EATYALL uniquely builds chef communities on behalf of producer clients, leading to sustainable access to exclusive buying p

When’s the last time you went outside of your comfort (food) zone and tried a new flavor? Meals made with care bring powerful memories not just for first-time tasters, but also for the chefs who prepare them. For chef Dunia Borga, her journey from home baker to chef of La Duni restaurant and bakery in Dallas, Texas, has been shaped by her family, along with the countries and U.S. states she has called home.  
In today’s episode, Andy sits with Dunia in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, for a seaside chat about her childhood in Colombia amidst exotic fruits and her grandmother’s one-of-a-kind European recipes, and her unique path to becoming a chef via Los Angeles, New York, and Dallas. Listen in for Dunia’s story of how her dishes are infused with the people, places, and passion within her.
 
Latin American Flavor, By Way Of Europe
 
A Taste Of Slovenia in Colombia. Hear Dunia recount her childhood in Colombia, spending time in the kitchen with her grandmother, who had grown up in Slovenia and was trained by a famous nun to make delicious, heavenly recipes from scratch. 
 
The Road More Traveled. From the fresh papaya in Colombia, to Los Angeles’ restaurants, to the highs and lows of living in Manhattan, to culinary school in Dallas, and touring pastry cafes in Europe, learn how each chapter of Dunia’s life enriched her recipes and shaped her mantra as a chef: “A little bit of me, for you.”
 
Savoring Food in Places New and Old. In her early days, Dunia didn’t fully appreciate the unique foods of Colombia until she had moved away. She now prefers to “eat her way through every city” she visits, in an effort to experience local flavors to the full - a lesson that’s worth the few extra pounds! 
 
As chef of one of Dallas’ best restaurants, Dunia has kept family and memories close as she puts a bit of herself in every recipe she makes. And even during other careers and studies, her grandma’s recipes and her husband’s encouragement led her back to cooking as her first love. Catch Andy and Dunia’s full conversation in today’s episode, and keep it at Eatyall to meet more fascinating figures of the food industry.



Today’s Guests 
 
Dunia Borga - www.laduni.com
 
As the Co-owner and Executive Pastry Chef of La Duni in Dallas, Texas, Dunia Borga’s family-inspired baking background, management experience, and culinary education at Dallas College El Centro has forged La Duni’s Latin American cuisine and pastries with a European flair. From Colombia to Dallas, Dunia’s award-winning pastries are made with as much love as her grandmother’s inimitable apple strudel. 
 
Connect With Our Guests
 
Dunia Borga
La Duni Latin American Restaurant and Bakery
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ladunilove
      https://www.instagram.com/ladunibakingstudio
       https://www.instagram.com/duniaborga
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LaDuniLove



Connect With EATYALL:
https://eatyall.com
Instagram - https://instagram.com/letseatyall
Facebook - https://facebook.com/letseatyall
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/letseatyall
YouTube - https://youtube.com/letseatyall
 
Show Credits:
Hosts are Andy & Marianna Chapman
Graphic Design by Tyler Castleman
Production provided by Bryan Murphy
Copywriting by Sean Sousa
 
The EATYALL Podcast is hosted by Andy Chapman, CEO and founder of EATYALL. EATYALL serves the food and farm community with effective chef outreach services. The first firm of its kind, EATYALL uniquely builds chef communities on behalf of producer clients, leading to sustainable access to exclusive buying power and influence. Learn more at EATYALL.com.

Connect With EATYALL:
https://eatyall.com
Instagram - https://instagram.com/letseatyall
Facebook - https://facebook.com/letseatyall
Twitter - https://twitter.com/letseatyall
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/letseatyall
YouTube - https://youtube.com/letseatyall
 
Show Credits:
Hosts are Andy & Marianna Chapman
Graphic Design by Tyler Castleman
Production provided by Bryan Murphy
Copywriting by Sean Sousa
The EATYALL Podcast is hosted by Andy Chapman, CEO and founder of EATYALL. EATYALL serves the food and farm community with effective chef outreach services.