“You gotta take the phyllo dough, put it down on your station. One person takes the butter, garlic, lemon juice mixture, wipes it down.  And then someone else spoons on the filling, and then they fold it. And then the butter person butters the outside, puts it in the baking tin. And then you gotta immediately start the next dough...”

Food as a Foundation

This week on the show, Kayte Young drops the mic, and producer Daniella Richardson takes up the hosting mantle for one special episode. She talks with friends about the unique foundational foods that have shaped their lives and perspective on human connection.

Daniella finds herself in the kitchen, not once, not twice, but three times with her close friends. She has Bryn Edwards teach her the important “dos and don’ts” of cheeseball etiquette. Spoiler alert: Nuts are not allowed.

Next, we catch up with Indiana University student MaKiya Tramil to chat about taco salad, self-care, and tackling her relationship with cooking as a contemporary young Black woman.

Ana Veros then takes us through her family history, starting back in the Greek mountains of the small village of Zatouna, all the way to Indiana, today. She guides us down the Tiropita assembly line and teaches us how to keep the pace and avoid cracking the phyllo dough.

Also on this episode, producer Alexis Carvajal invites us into her family kitchen, where she and her dad prepare Pernil, a Cuban pork shoulder dish. Her grandmother Rachel leads her through the steps, and together they take a walk through family memories and traditions.

Finally, Daniella gives a reading of her original work, “Flood,” a reflection of her own foundational food. 

Music on this Episode:

The Earth Eats theme music is composed by Erin Tobey and performed by Erin and Matt Tobey.

Additional music on this episode from Universal Production Music.

Credits:

The Earth Eats’ team includes: Kayte Young, Eoban Binder, Alexis Carvajal, Alex Chambers, Toby Foster, Luann Johnson, Leo Paes, Daniella Richardson, Samantha Shemenaur, Payton Whaley and Harvest Public Media. Our executive producer is Eric Bolstridge.

This episode was written and produced by Daniella Richardson. The pernil story was written and produced by Alexis Carvajal.

Kayte Young and Alex Chambers provided editing and production assistance. 

Special thanks to the Cox Legacy Scholars program. 

Pernil, a Cuban pork shoulder dish

Pernil isn’t just a delicious dish, it’s also a meal served with many memories.