ExtraVirgin Food and Travel

Ola! This ExtraVirgin Postcard comes from the beautiful capital of Portugal -  Lisbon, one of Europe's oldest cities.

Tour guide, travel and food writer and blogger Daniela Sunde-Brown moved to the city in 2018.

In this postcard, Daniela shares with us the best of her adopted city, from the miradores offering the best views of the city, to where to eat and drink, including the famous Portuguese tarts, grilled fish and the slightly sparkling 'green' wines.  

If you're planning to visit Lisbon or looking for European travel inspiration, you'll love this episode.

In April 2022, chef Adam Wolfers was riding his bike when he was struck down by a stroke, at just 38. 

He lost movement on one side of his body, his sense of taste and had to learn to do the everyday things he once took for granted all over again.

In this episode of ExtraVirgin Food & Travel, Natascha Mirosch catches up with this talented chef, who's worked under Wylie Dufresne in New York, and at the 3 Michelin -starred Quique Dacosta in Spain, in addition to a raft of hatted restaurants in Australia.

They discuss how he's doing, what such a life-changing event has taught him, mental and physical health in the hospitality industry, his foodie heroes and more.

If you'd like to support ExtraVirgin Food & Travel Podcast and keep us ad-free, you can do so for as little as the price of a coffee here. 

New York City. "Everybody is here and everything is here for you. A lot of people are here to live out their dreams and make wonderful things happen."

So says our guest in this episode of ExtraVirgin Food & Travel Podcast's "Postcard," Dena Levitz.

Event organiser, yoga teacher and travel journalist, New Yorker Dena shows us her New York, taking us on an in-depth virtual tour.

She tells us about little-known museums, parks and markets. How you can attend a private music event at a local's home or an unsual piano bar where the guests join in as well as comedy clubs and cocktail bars. 

And with a professional interest in food, Dena generously shares her extensive knowledge - from where to get New York's best bagel to "bacon egg and cheese," at a local bodega; what she reckons are the best dosa outside India, as well her favorite restaurants, delis and much, much more. 

I nearly cancelled the whole thing, I really did. Mid-2022 and I'd booked a trip in September to France and Italy and it was causing me high anxiety. 

The world is in turmoil. The Covid crisis seems to be easing, but is it? Will I get stuck away from home like so many others? What about the war in Ukraine? What about work, how can I be away that long?

But I went and found the world still a beautiful place and that I still loved to travel.

Join me for this episode of ExtraVirgin Food and Travel, where I tell you a little about my recent trip.

And keep an eye out for an upcoming newsletter about places to stay, where to eat, and what to do in all of the places I visited. You can subscribe via the website: www.extravirginfoodandtravel.com

Laura Thayer is living a life most of us could only dream of.

Italy. Art, culture, history. They're some of the topics Natascha Mirosch discusses with Dr Kathleen Olive, cultural historian, university lecturer and tour leader. 

They discuss her first trip to Florence as a young PHD student, the best places to visit in Italy for art and culture lovers, how she'd spend 10 days in Italy and much more, 

If you love Italy, art, history and culture, this is the episode for you. 

This ExtraVirgin Food & Travel Postcard wings its way to us from one of the world's most multicultural cities, Toronto, Canada.

Our guest is lifestyle journalist Maryam Saddiqi who shares everything she loves about her city; from its lively art scene, to heritage districts and green spaces, its residents’ love of sports, the live music scene, and of course, with the city about to get its own Michelin Guide, the fantastic food scene.

Maryam recommends everything from a local wine you should try, to a farmers’ market to visit, tells us why you should jump on a ferry to explore Toronto’s islands and the best spot for a sunset view of the city.

We also learn a few fascinating facts - Toronto’s Young Street is the longest street in the world. And if you want to pass as a local, you’ll drop the second ‘t’ in ‘Toronto’ and pronounce it “Tor-on-o.”

Here are just a few of the places Maryam mentions - listen for the comprehensive guide full of her insider tips.

Bar Pompette https://www.pompette.ca/barpompette

Evergreen Brick Works https://www.evergreen.ca/evergreen-brick-works/

Bang Bang https://bang-bang-ice-cream-bakery.square.site/

Good Behaviour https://goodbehaviourto.ca/

Ba Noi https://ba-noi.myshopify.com/

Alo https://alofoodgroup.com/

Terroni https://www.terroni.com/

Patois https://www.patoistoronto.com/

Distillery District https://www.thedistillerydistrict.com/

Her classes sell out within minutes of being open for bookings; she is a regular guest chef on Masterchef and she has her own television programme, The Chocolate Queen.

In this episode of ExtraVirgin Food & Travel, Natascha Mirosch talks with "The Chocolate Queen" herself, renowned patissiere, owner of Savour Cooking School and international pastry judge, Kirsten Tibballs.

Kirsten talks about how she started at business at the tender age of 12, how she established her cooking school, now celebrating its 20th year and shares some very useful tips for wannabe bakers- from a breakdown of different chocolate types to her favourite cream; common mistakes cooks make and what equipment you need in your home kitchen to be a better baker.

So, cut yourself a nice big slice of chocolate cake, grab a a coffee and have a listen.

Travel writer Ute Junker travels all over the world, but it's Sydney, Australia she comes home to. 

In this ExtraVirgin Food & Travel "Postcard," Ute generously shares her insider knowledge of one of the world's most beautiful cities; from its architecture to the culture, history, and of course, Sydney's fantastic food and drink scene. You'll hear about:

• The best coastal and bush walks, right in the city
• Where you'll find a revamped historic precinct packed with great bars and restaurants
• Sydney's coastal swimming pools
• Where to find a former reservoir turned into a garden
• The city's rich cultural life
• Eating and drinking: from catching a seaplane to lunch, to fish and chips by the sea
• Where to find deserted beaches and a secret garden

And so much more.

Ute's genuine love for her city is evident in every word and we reckon wherever you are in the world, you'll be looking up fares to Sydney by the end of this episode.

Are you a planner or do you prefer to wing it when you travel?

ExtraVirgin host Natascha Mirosch is definitely one of the former and in this episode of ExtraVirgin Food & Travel Podcast, she tells us why she prefers to leave nothing to chance. 

Natascha also shares her tips and tricks; from getting the best out of frequent flyer points, to how to increase your chances of getting an empty seat next to you on the plane. She tells us about the sites she uses when planning her trips and shares a couple of distasters that saw her carefully laid plans go pear-shaped.

Nicole Brewer is from Detroit, Michigan, but now lives in the small town of Nizwa, just over an hour from the Oman capital, Muscat where she's a university teacher of English and a published author.

Famous for its souks and its silver as well as traditional wooden sailing boats, called dhow, its deserts and beautiful beaches, as well as its warm, friendly people, Oman is a pearl that tourists are just now starting to discover, Nicole says.

In this "Postcard," we learn a little bit about life in Oman and in Nicole's adopted hometown of Nizwa; from the Friday goat market to touring the nearby mountains by 4-wheel drive, taking in a show at the opera house, shopping, or sampling the local cuisine. 

If you're a keen traveller, it's a good bet that you have a Frommer's Guide or two on your bookshelf.

The highly respected guidebooks have been around since 1957 and the company is still family- owned.

In this podcast, Natascha Mirosch talks with New Yorker Pauline Frommer, co-president of Frommer's Media, award winning-travel writer and editorial director of of Frommer's guidebooks, podcast host and daughter of Arthur Frommer who published that first guide, the seminal "Europe on $5 a day."

They discuss those early days and what prompted Arthur, a lawyer by trade, to go into the publishing business and what place guidebooks have into today's world and into the future.

This is a really fun and informative episode if you’ve ever wondered about the life of a travel writer (spoiler alert – there’s not a lot of sitting around hotel pools sipping cocktails.) Pauline shares what it’s like to have to write fast and fearlessly, to stay at a different hotel every night, haunt nightclubs until 3 in the morning and sometimes eat 2 dinners in a single night. 

There’s also some fantastic insider intel about her home city, New York – from where to stay, to her favourite café plus what you can safely exclude from your NYC bucket list.

Our guest on this episode of ExtraVirgin Postcard lives an enviable life in La Paz on the Bay of California in Mexico.

Travel writer Kristen Gill fell in love with the town on a work trip and made it her mission to move there. Now, as she tells us, she rides her bike along The Malecón, goes down to the seafront of a morning to watch the fishermen return with their catch, hikes in the desert and explores secluded islands with crystal clear water. All in a place where it only rains for 5 days of the year.

And of course, there is the seafood - from fish tacos to local shellfish, marlin and tuna,  washed down with a 'Ballena' - a beer named for the region's most famous visitors - its whales.

If you've visited La Paz, you'll enjoy reminiscing while listening to Kristen. If you haven't been, you'll be packing your bags by the end of the episode.

Writer and editor Julie Kleeman was on a hill in Dharamshala photographing monkeys when she met Yeshi Jampa. Yeshi had grown up in a semi-nomadic family in northern Tibet, living a traditional lifestle, taking care of their many animals.

At 19, he made his way over the Himalayas in an arduous 24-day journey to the Indian town, now home to the exiled Dalai Lama.

Their chance meeting saw love bloom, and the couple now live in Oxford with their two children, own a Tibetan restaurant and have just published their first book - Taste Tibet - Family Recipes from the Himalayas, based on Yeshi's recipes. 

In this episode of ExtraVirgin Food & Travel, we hear not only about life in the highest country in the world, but all about the historical and geographic influences of its cuisine and how fate bought this couple, from such very different cultures to meet on that hilltop. 

Venice has been on the wishlist of  travellers for centuries, but in this postcard, we're taking a tour of a Venice way beyond St Mark's Square, the Rialto Bridge or the Grand Canal.

Artist and writer Allison Zurfluh lives on the island of Burano, in the northern section of the Venice lagoon. 

Passionate about her adopted home, she tells us a little of the history of the lagoon's islands and shares some of her favourite things to see, do and taste - from taking an excursion on a traditional boat with a local fisherman to where to eat the best seafood, how to do a cicchetti crawl like a local, where to go to visit an island winery, a lace museum or call in on friars living a monastic life on another island.

Whether you've never been to Venice, or you're a regular, this view from the lagoon will give you an entirely different perspective of La Serenissima. 

Are you a foodie planning a trip to Australia? Or a local just looking to add to your dining bucket list? In either case, you'll want to listen to this episode of ExtraVirgin Food & Travel.

Our guests are Joanna Hunkin, editor of Australian Gourmet Traveller, and restaurant critic at The Australian newspaper, John Lethlean. 

You'll find out what Joanna reckons is Australia's 'most fun' restaurant and which formal diner John was forced to eat at on his own. 

Both Joanna and John generously share their extensive knowledge, nominating what they believe to be the best restaurants around Australia.

Thailand's capital, Bangkok is a large, sprawling city best known for its river, ornate temples and delicious street food.

Our guest, Wisrute Buddhari has lived in Bangkok most of his life. Not only does he share the best time of the year to visit and what to see and do; from temple hopping to viewing the city from a boat on the Chao Praya river, as well as a secret beach only locals know about, but this keen foodie let's us in on some of his favourite places to eat and drink. Have a listen to discover:

•  Where to get the best roast goose in the city
•  Where to go for Thai beef noodles
•  Which markets locals shop at 
•  Where to find the best beef ribs
•  Where to eat regional Thai food
•  A vineyard just out of Bangkok

You'll find links to these and more in the show notes at: www.extravirginfoodandtravel.com

Have you ever taken a trip that changed your life? ExtraVirgin Food & Travel Podcast host and travel writer Natascha Mirosch certainly has.

In this episode, Natascha shares five destinations that have had a huge impact on her life. 

She reads from her diary, written as a 20 year old on her first overseas trip as an adult, explains  how she came to understand her roots better on a short break in an eastern European city, shares what happened on a Greek island that changed her life in a way she could never, ever have foreseen, talks about a deeply spiritual experience and how another destination saved her ailing health.

It's a deeply intimate episode, examining how travelling can often offer up the most unexpected and precious gifts.

Headed to California? Or just California dreaming? Los Angeles is far more than just Hollywood, as this "Postcard" episode guest, Wendy Lee explains.

Wendy, who has a blog, Empty Nesters Hit the Road, shares with us some of her favourite things to see and do in Los Angeles - you might be surprised to find out what a rich multicultural and cultural city Los Angeles is.

Wendy tells us about its theatres and galleries, its green spaces and mountain hikes, as well as its 76 miles of shoreline. She also shares secrets about LA’s ethnic neighbourhoods and street art, food markets, roof top bars and her favourite restaurants.

So, whether you’re planning a trip, or just armchair travelling, enjoy this tip-packed Postcard from Los Angeles.

Parks

https://www.laparks.org/griffithpark/

https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/angeles/recreatin/hiking

Eating and Drinking

https://www.sunnongdan.net/

https://www.olvera-street.com/

https://redbird.la/

https://thefactorykitchen.com/

https://www.manuela-la.com/

Theatres and Galleries

https://www.lacma.org/

https://www.thebroad.org/

https://www.getty.edu/

https://www.centertheatregroup.org/

http://www.pantagestheatre.net/

A Weekend in LA

https://artsdistrictla.org/

https://www.grandcentralmarket.com/

https://rowdtla.com/

https://la.smorgasburg.com/

No-one can deny the effects climate change is having on our oceans, with temperatures and sea levels rising.

The world's biggest reef, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, is the canary in the coal mine and right now its health is of serious concern.

The good news is, that while politicians argue about the way forward vis a vis climate change, scientists and tourism operators in Australia have partnered up to develop a stewardship program, the Coral Nurture Project with the goal to transform both ecological and social resilience to environmental change.

Part of this, is a unique 'coral gardening' project, sucessfully growing and replanting coral onto the reef. 

In this episode of ExtraVirgin Food and Travel ,

Natascha Mirosch talks with David Suggett, a marine biologist and professor in the Climate Change Cluster at the University of Technology of Sydney, who heads the Future Reefs program, about the propects of The Great Barrier Reef.

If you've ever dived or snorkled among the spectacular corals and marine life of The Great Barrier Reef, you'll want to listen to this.