Food Origins Podcast

Nate Kouhana is a former Green Beret turned entrepreneur. He brings the same discipline, resilience, and commitment to excellence from his military service into the world of premium meat snacks. As the founder of Anthem Snacks, a veteran-owned company, Nate is dedicated to crafting high-quality, protein-packed snacks that fuel adventure and honor the spirit of service.  

With a deep love for the outdoors, Nate and his wife made their way to Montana, "The Last Best Place," where they continued to embrace a life of purpose and passion. His journey from the battlefield to the business world is d...

Ranga’s journey is one of adventure, passion, and resilience. From his upbringing across Sri Lanka, Oman, England, Southern California, and Montana to his deep connection with fishing, foraging, and open-fire cooking, he has always embraced the outdoors as both a lifestyle and a calling. Now a private chef, he curates immersive fishing and cooking experiences, blending his love for nature with his culinary craft.  

Now a private chef, Ranga curates unforgettable fishing and cooking experiences, blending his passion for the outdoors with his culinary artistry. Whether he's hiking upriver in pursuit of trout, foraging for mushrooms in...

With a CrossFit Games championship title and eight consecutive appearances at the highest level of competition, Jason Khalipa’s record speaks for itself. His lifelong dedication to training hard and his relentless pursuit of excellence have propelled him to success—not just in fitness, but in business and life.  

As the author of “As Many Reps as Possible’”, founder of NC Fit gyms, Train Hard Fitness programming, and the Train Hard Men’s Club, Jason continues to lead and inspire athletes, entrepreneurs, and high performers. Beyond the gym, he is a devoted father, husband, and business leader, always pushin...

Jared began his love for the culinary experience in his grandmother's kitchen. Jared attended the California Culinary Academy and started his externship with Wolfang Puck and has been working for him for over 20 years along with his mentor Erick Klein . At 17 years old he started working at Spago in Palo Alto and from there he went on to work at several locations including Las Vegas and becoming the Executive Chef in Colorado. After returning to the Bay Area Jared took the Helm of Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino where he became interested in butchery. To hone his butcher skills further...

Taku Kondo, a sushi chef with a passion for outdoor cooking, brings the art of cooking in nature’s kitchen to your ears. From grilling over campfires to creating gourmet meals in the wild, Taku shares his knowledge, tips, and stories about food, adventure, and the joy of cooking outdoors. An amazing fisherman, Taku has caught or foraged for halibut, salmon, crab, uni, wild mushrooms, and so much more. The best part is the dishes Taku creates after the catch! Whether you're an experienced outdoor chef or just starting your culinary journey under the open sky, Outdoor Chef Life of...

Greg Putnam, President of Little Belt Cattle Co., is a former Navy SEAL and now a rancher in Montana. His transition from elite military service to cattle ranching is both inspiring and unique. After serving in the Navy as a SEAL, Greg sought a new chapter in life that aligned with his values of hard work, discipline, and connection to the land.

Greg co founded Little Belt Cattle Co. with his partner Tim Sheehy, where they operate a sustainable cattle ranch, focusing on regenerative agriculture practices. This reflects...

Mike Glover is the CEO and founder of FieldCraft Survival, a leading company dedicated to teaching practical skills for everyday survival, self-reliance, and preparedness. With an extensive background as a former U.S. Army Green Beret and a seasoned survival expert, Mike has dedicated his life to training individuals, families, and organizations to stay safe in challenging environments.

In this episode, I’m honored to have my friend Mike on the show, who not only helped me get this podcast off the ground but also shares a wealth of knowledge on topics ranging fr...

Tim Freeman is a highly respected Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Sergio Silva and Eddie Bravo. With a deep passion for grappling and innovation, Tim has made a significant impact on the martial arts community as the host of his own Inside BJJ podcast and co-host of Grappling Hour. Tim has become a prominent voice in the martial arts community, sharing stories and insights that resonate with practitioners around the world. In addition, Tim is the owner of two thriving 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu academies, located in Stockton, California & Nashville, Tennessee. Tim’s teaching philosophy blends the precision of traditional te...

Danny Bolton, known as "The Boarman," is a skilled outdoorsman, expert hunter, and passionate conservationist featured on MeatEater. With years of experience tracking and harvesting wild hogs, Danny has earned his reputation as one of the most knowledgeable and dedicated boar hunters in the field. His expertise goes beyond the hunt—he’s a storyteller, advocate for ethical hunting practices, and a champion of the connection between sustainable harvesting and the food we eat.

From his adventures in rugged terrain to his commitment to preserving wild ecosystems, Danny embodies the spirit of the outdoors. His unique insights, shar...

The Cross O Ranch was established in 1890 and has seen 6 generations live in the same house at the same location. It is nestled in the second deepest canyon in the continental United States and the beauty and views are absolutely breathtaking. Despite its harsh terrain, it is home to some of the best land to raise and harvest cattle. 

In late 2016, the Cross O Ranch had to make a big shift. After the death of current owner and 4th generation rancher Dave Wilson, his kids, Derek and Amy, were forced to make some life-altering decisions. The ranch, w...

Firecracker Farm is family owned and operated in Palm City, Florida. From planting, growing, and harvesting their peppers, to developing, designing, and producing products, it’s all done one small batch at a time. It’s a handcrafted operation that handles with the care and enthusiasm that only a family business can.

Alex Bonamarte is the founder of Firecracker Farm, known for creating unique, hot pepper-infused salts that bring a fiery kick to any dish. With a passion for bold flavors and a dedication to quality, Alex developed his signature infused salts to elevate everyday cook...

Mark Melnick was born in Tokyo, Japan of Japanese and Polish/Ukrainian descent . At an early age, Mark learned the struggles of managing a business because his parents owned an export company. After graduating high school Mark came to the United States and studied business and accounting. A turn of events caused Mark to change careers and take a job as a beef exporter. It was an exciting time and a growing business. The beef trade was a hot button issue, overcoming many obstacles, including disease, BSE , duty taxes and many other parts of the business. 

Trex C...

Andy Hung is a dedicated lifelong martial artist who has a wealth of knowledge in multiple fields. Andy was born and raised on the island of Oahu,Hawaii. Andy is a 2nd Degree Black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a 4th Degree Black belt in Judo. Andy is the founder and CEO of Dojo Outfitters where he sells his own brand of Martial Arts apparel and gear through his online store and brick & mortar shop in Portland, Oregon. Andy has owned academies PDXBJJ and Portland Judo which unfortunately closed due to the pandemic. Andy is also currently a...

Chef Eduardo Garcia is a chef and avid outdoorsman driven by wild curiosity and a deep love of food and landscape. For Chef Eduardo Garcia, meals are meant to be shared. Food and cooking have served to connect with others in meaningful ways: taking him around the world as a yacht Chef, motivational speaker, and big-screen storyteller as the host of the James Beard Award-winning Big Sky Kitchen on the Magnolia Network. His appetite for exploration has taken him on a journey from chef to grower, and he and his family now run a small regenerative farm, with the...

Greg Lapin has made a living for the past two decades in Law Enforcement Special Operations and Government special operations, deploying to war zones throughout the world. Greg started his Jiu-Jitsu journey in 2005 when he was a New Orleans Police Officer because he understood what violence was and what skills he needed to have to go home at the end of the day. After leaving the police department and going to work for the U.S. Government, Greg trained on and off for several years in between deployments. Greg was what is known as a 10-year white belt due to...

On this episode of the podcast I am solo. I take about some of my favorite tools, sauces and goods that I've come to love over the years. Although not sponsored by any of these brands, some of the products have become friends of mine, guests on the podcast and affiliates. Great visuals of everything will be uploaded on my Food Origins Podcast Youtube Channel. Links are in the show notes below.

Show Notes

https://www.foodoriginspodcast.com/podcast-episode-43

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Chef Ryan Gallego is a highly accomplished sushi chef with an impressive 20 years of experience in the art of Japanese cuisine. Graduating from the prestigious California Culinary Academy in 2005, he embarked on a culinary journey that would shape his expertise. His training at renowned establishments, including Morimoto Napa, Nobu in Palo Alto, and Village Sake in Marin, enriched his skills and refined his palate. Inspired by his father, he developed an unwavering passion for creating exquisite sushi dishes with a meticulous attention to detail. Chef Ryan Gallego continues to leave a lasting impression on diners with his culinary creations...

Mohammad Abutaha is Palestinian but grew up in Amman, Jordan and moved to America when he was 20 years old to study mechanical engineering. In 2015, he dropped out of university in his final year to pursue his dreams of owning a restaurant. Mohammad started as a dishwasher and worked his way up the kitchen ladder, working in iconic kitchens around the Bay Area including Reem's California. 

At the end of 2019, Mohammad and his brother Feras launched a shawarma pop-up, and then turned their pop-up into the brick and mortar restaurant Shawarmaji in December 2020. Since opening the restaurant in O...

Petra Higby is the CEO and co/sister founded Caviar Co. Petra was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas and her father is from Holland, and mother is from Texas. 

Immediately after college graduation, Petra moved out to Carmel, CA to take an internship with Coastal Luxury Management, assisting with putting on L.A. Food & Wine, and Pebble Beach Food & Wine events. This opened up my eyes to the culinary industry and the passion to work in hospitality. After this internship, she moved to San Francisco and got a job working for a local caviar company.
Duration: 00:55:28

Emily Winston is the CEO and founder of Boichik Bagels. Born and raised in central New Jersey, she grew up eating a LOT of bagels. When her father had business take him to the Upper West Side, he would stop by Zabar's for lox, sable, whitefish, and chive cream cheese, then H&H for bagels, which her family would have as a special treat.  These bagels were on a whole different level of unique deliciousness.

In 2010 Emily moved to the Bay Area and bemoaned the lack of proper bagels. Emily was so distraught when she heard that h...

Chef Elizabeth Binder was born and raised in South Africa, inspired by her fisherman father and great entertaining grandmothers, she attended the internationally recognized Christina Martin School of Food and Wine in her hometown of Durban. 

After graduating, she landed her first cooking job at the small luxury hotel, Blue Mountain Lodge near the Kruger Park, where she was quickly promoted to head chef at the tender age of nineteen. At Blue Mountain, her reputation rose as she cooked state dinners for both F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela at a pivotal point in South African h...

Rhasaan Fernandez is the owner of Boffo Cart and Sam’s Log Cabin. Rhasaan was born and raised in San Francisco of Puerto Rican and Caucasian descent. 

Growing up in the 90s, Rhasaan was exposed to all the diverse cuisine in San Francisco. Rhasaan worked his way through the hospitality industry from California to Colorado and back. Rhasaan decided to start cooking his own style of food for everyone and began Boffo Cart. Circumstances also allowed him to become apart of an old roadhouse/speakeasy Sam’s Log Cabin in Albany, CA which serves breakfast and home style...

Justin Gill is the founder and CEO of Bachan’s Japanese BBQ Sauce. Justin was born and raised in Sebastopol, CA and of Japanese, Portuguese, French and Irish descent. 

Justin dreamed of bringing his family sauce to market since he was a kid during the holidays. Justin, Grandmother Judy and his family would brew batches of their sauce to give out to clients of their family landscape business. Many rave reviews and requests for more and offers to purchase always followed. Justin started working on his business back in 2013 making sure that he would keep the integrity of...

Alchemist Farm is a small family farm team headed up by Franchesca & Ryan Duval along with their two children in Northern California.  Known for being pioneers of humane breeding and hatching, no male chicks are killed on their farm as they are at large scale hatcheries and all of their heritage breeding groups are free to roam on their separate pastures.

Franchesca was born and raised in Santa Cruz, CA of German, Greek and Italian descent. Franchesca’s great grandfather owned a German bakery in San Francisco. Franchesca was studying to be a midwife and a psychologist bef...

Sean Nguyen is the founder/owner of PapaWagyu. Sean is of Vietnamese descent and born and raised in San Jose,CA.

We go over how we became friends through food and began working events together. Going over his family meals growing up like : Bun Bo Hue & Pho noodle soups. After traveling to Japan, the dream was planted to somehow work in the hospitality industry with food.

Sean continued to work for his family’s furniture business and later took a job in the Tech industry always finding ways to help people. 

PapaWagyu was sta...

Matthew Kosoy from Mt. Laurel New Jersey is the founder & owner of Rosalind Bakery in Pacifica, CA. The bakery is named after Matthew’s grandmother, a nod to his family roots. The tech-worker-turned-baker started making sourdough as a side hustle, but his loaves quickly became a staple of the local farmer’s market. Matt had enough demand to open a storefront in 2019, where he continues to draw carb-hungry fans of his delicious baked goods. 

Podcast was recorded on location at the bakery. 

Really appreciate Matt’s support for my podcast and enjoyed our conversation about East Coa...

Judy Tan is the CEO &  Founder of Purely Drinks. Judy was born in Taishan in Southern China . Judy and her family immigrated to the USA when she was six years old and grew up in Portland, Oregon. A graphic designer by trade working for some very big companies; Judy took the leap to start her own business. 

Inspired by the memories of her Chinese grandmother's recipes, Purely was founded in Judy’s own kitchen, perfected with a modern approach to meet her consumers' needs today - organic ingredients, low sugar, vegan, gluten-free, and locally sourced.

Drin...

Franco Finn is a first generation San Francisco native.  Growing up, Franco attended a bi-lingual French-American school where he learned to speak fluent French and that’s where he began his passion for the arts.  Franco graduated with a B.A. in Communications at Santa Clara University, studying television & film production.  Franco has been working in the aviation industry for the past decade, working in a variety of capacities during his aviation career, from Brand Marketing, Partnerships, Communications, External Relations & Employee Engagement. Currently, Franco manages the Community Relations & Engagement efforts for the state of California at Alaska Airlines, while also...

Monica Wong and Quynh Nguyen are the founders of a Little Green Cyclo. 

I met Monica and Quynh back in the day in 2010 when they first started with their first Vietnamese food truck serving delicious Banh Mi and various dishes. Monica grew up on the East Coast where her family owned one of the first Chinese restaurants in downtown Boston. Monica worked many years in finance, before deciding to get back in the food business. Quynh grew up in Saigon, Vietnam and spent most of her childhood playing table tennis for her country’s National Team. After mov...

John Ferrando was born and raised in the Bay Area specifically in Pacifica and San Francisco, CA. John is 100% Italian half Sicilian and half Genovese. I met John when we worked as police officers for the San Francisco Police Department. John learned a lot about cooking from his Grandmother and Father who is a retired San Francisco Firefighter. John has also traveled to Italy frequently to cook along side his cousins. Food was a common conversation especially when it came to cooking for our colleagues and talking about all the restaurants in the City. After retiring from department, with...

Howard Bulka was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Howard studied economics in college in San Francisco but suddenly realized he hadn’t found his calling until a friend suggested he become a chef. 

With that in mind, Howie sought out the knowledge to begin his new career choice by going door to door talking to hotels and restaurant chefs for their advice. Howie soon was hired to start cooking pastry in downtown San Francisco and the rest is history. Howie spent the next forty years cooking, managing and consulting with and for som...

Paul Arihara was born in Japan and moved to California at age 5. Paul was orphaned at 8years old and institutionalized till he was 25. Paul has worked in the hospitality industry for over 34 years starting at McDonald’s at the age of 15 in San Diego,CA. Paul only completed the 9th grade and was homeless at 18 shortly after being released from incarceration. Paul’s worked in almost every position from dishwasher to bartender. Working in restaurants from fast food, Chinese buffets, seafood, sushi, American, breweries and to steakhouses! After being released from Federal Correctional Facility he moved to New York City...

Joey Camacho is the owner and managing partner of Konjoe Burger Bar. Born in Saipan and raised on Guam with a diverse Japanese/Chamorro and multi-ethnic background. Konjoe currently has four locations in the cities of Los Altos at State Street Market, Santa Clara at Levi’s Stadium , SAP Center and another cloud kitchen both in San Jose, California. 

 Joey brings his vast knowledge from working in finance to culinary school and cooking in kitchens in Hawaii, Guam and California. I’ve always wanted to talk to Joey since I tasted his delicious food at the former locati...

Wyatt Fields is the owner and pitmaster of Breakwater BBQ in El Granada, California .

After five jam packed years of full-service, catering for weddings, and some of the biggest tech companies in the Bay Area and everything in between, Wyatt decided to take the next step in his journey and open a small store front in the coastal town of El Granada, California right before the start of the global pandemic of 2020. Located right where the Princeton Harbor Jetty meets the Coast Highway, hence the name Breakwater.  It’s a special location to Wyatt  where he went to e...

Nirvana Soul is a San Jose-based coffee company bringing exciting flavor, bold inspiration, and undeniable joy to Silicon Valley and beyond. Founded by sisters and best friends, Jeronica Macey and Be’Anka Ashaolu, Nirvana Soul’s mission is to bring people together using the power of coffee and tea.

Jeronica & Be’Anka

We’re Jeronica and Be’Anka. Sisters, best friends, and co-founders of Nirvana Soul. Since we were little girls, coffee has held a special, calming place in our hearts. For as long as we can remember, we’ve dreamed of creating a space that feeds o...

Tracy Desmond was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois. Tracy has been working in the hospitality and tech industry. But it all started with a visit to a kombucha bar on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The kombucha was light & refreshing. There was also a sense of connection and community that created a very special experience. That feeling stuck with Tracy and she knew she wanted to create something like that back home.

Tracy started to make kombucha in her home kitchen and experimented with various flavor combinations. Tracy eventually moved into a commercial kitchen. This gave...

Loren Poncia was born and raised in Tomales, CA. Loren follows in the footsteps of his parents, Al and Cathie Poncia, as the 4th generation of his family to steward their land. A graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a major in Dairy Science and Ag Business, Loren always dreamed of coming back to the ranch to pursue his passion in agriculture. Loren oversees the entire ranching operation, and spends countless hours carefully studying genetics with the goal of raising grass-fed and finished beef that is tender, well-marbled, and tastes just as good as, if not better...

Born and raised in Boston, Adrian started working in kitchens as a young teenager. Adrian is the CEO/Co-Founder of Four Star Seafood and Provisions based in San Francisco, CA. After cooking his way through the Boston area, and a obtaining degree in Philosophy from Brandeis University, Adrian’s taste for adventure led him to cook in San Francisco, New York, London, Israel, France and Tokyo before he landed back in San Francisco as the chef at One Market Restaurant. In this role, he received top accolades from the San Francisco Chronicle before becoming the culinary director at Lark Cr...

Chef Guillaume Bienaimé was born and raised in Paris, France and moved to the U.S. at an early age but traveled back to France every summer. Guillaume was learning French cooking techniques from his “quintessential French grandmother” who cooked all the time and family meals were a great influence. Guillaume was not only interested in cooking from his family. Guillaume's first cooking job was in a small Pennsylvania pizza restaurant. Guillaume enjoys every aspect of hospitality. After making the switch to fine dining, he knew he wanted to make it a full time career. Growing up and spending a lot...

MACBBQ. Established in the California Bay Area in 2014 as a competition barbecue team. Chris, John, Nick, Bruce, Gary and Dominic are all featured on this podcast. 

Chris is the founding member and collaborator of the entire team with a passion for learning barbecue and using his background in science to establish a measured approach. John backs him up also with his technical experience and provides a sense of humor, excellent videography and a deep understanding of what it takes to cook serious barbecue. 

Andy Thompson is also one of the original founding members who currently re...

Lars Smith was born and raised in Palo Alto, CA part of a 3rd generation family in the Bay Area. This podcast was recorded on location at the State of Mind Slice House, their second location, which coincidentally Lars lived and grew up with down the street. 

Lars got into food early especially from both of his Grandmothers' cooking who provided an inspiration.  Despite not receiving any formal culinary training, Lars worked his way up from making pizzas to managing numerous pizzeria locations with Pizza My Heart. Learning under the tutelage of Leah Scurto who now owns Pi...

Christine Sebastian is the owner of Treatbot Karaoke Ice Cream Truck along with her husband Ryan. Also they are founders of a food truck gathering and consulting firm called Moveable Co. 

 Christine and I know each other from attending the City College of San Francisco’s Hotel & Restaurant Program together. Christine talks about her process of working at a traveling catering company, her Filipino upbringing and culture along with family dishes and the struggles to get where they are today. 

 We recorded the podcast on location in their new business "O’Brien's Candy Shop and Ice Crea...

A builder and storyteller, my guest today is Timothy Koide. Tim was born in Berkeley, CA of Japanese and Caucasian descent. Tim’s great grandparents immigrated from Japan and settled in the Bay Area. 

At a very young age, Tim’s family moved to the East Coast and he spent the majority of his childhood there, but would spend parts of his summers back in California. Tim later embarked on a very impactful Mission with his Church to Tokyo, Japan for two years, spending time in the towns of Hachioji and Kichijoji which allowed him to dive into...

Guy Crims, or “Guy the Butcher,” as he’s generally known, is a veteran of the butcher business and a legend in the world of Japanese Wagyu. In 2017 alone, Crims was responsible for bringing 4.3 metric tons of Wagyu beef into the U.S. 

 Crims, a California native, became fascinated with the butcher business when he was 14 after reading The Jungle, Upton Sinclair’s novel depicting the American meatpacking industry in early 20th century. His first job was at a family-owned butcher shop in Pacifica. Crims followed the original owner to a butchery in San Francisco, where he continued...

Ben grew up in in the small town of Perkinsville along the Connecticut River in the state of Vermont.  With a French background and Ben's family based out of New Hampshire and New Orleans he saw many different great dishes such as crawfish boils and fresh shellfish. Ben started early in the culinary world by working in a small NY and Sicilian style pizzeria  in Vermont at the age of 14. Progressing through other pizza restaurant opening Ben started working at a more upscale French Polynesia restaurant called Tilley's Cafe  and later moved to San Francisco working at Bar Bambino lea...

Esa Yonn-Brown was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. Raised in a family of passionate cooks that were an early part of the slow food movement and used as many fresh ingredients as possible in their meals. Esa has been working in the restaurant industry since she was sixteen years old. 

Esa and I know each other from attending the same class at the City College of San Francisco’s Hotel & Restaurant Program . That’s also where Esa met her husband Josh Perez, who is currently the Chef De Cuisine at Foreign Cinema in San Francisco. Esa s...

Ken was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Ken grew up in a family of great cooks which stoked his passion for food. Traveling abroad and cooking professionally in Australia furthered his knowledge and repertoire. After returning to the states, Ken simultaneously went to culinary school and worked at Zuni Cafe under Judy Rogers in San Francisco working through all the ranks of the kitchen to Chef de Cuisine. 

With all that experience, Ken moved on to open his own place, Turner’s Kitchen, in the heart of the Mission District of San Francisco not far fro...

Born and raised in Petaluma California in Sonoma County; Joe Costarella comes from an all Italian Neapolitan and Sicilian family.  With heavy roots also in San Francisco, Joe grew going to the city for the family business and dinners. Joe also spent a lot of time in the outdoors hunting and fishing which exposed him to great variety of food by his family especially his La Nonna and Mother’s great cooking. 

Joe Costarella currently manages the family wholesale seafood business, along with his Mother and Father Bob who started Costarella Seafoods in 1991. I recorded this podcast on l...

Andy Moeckel aka the “ Flip Flop Guy” known for his delicious wild game cooking style and family marinade recipe. Andy is an accomplished hunter/fisherman & was born and raised in West Marin, California. After a troubled youth, Andy turned his life around and began sharing his Grandfather’s cooking when it was passed down to him by his father on his 25th birthday. Andy’s Grandfather Al Giddings was a Fish & Game warden, WWII Veteran and responsible for adopting the Portuguese sheep rancher “flip flop” style of cooking with venison and crafting a delicious marinade recipe. 

On location in S...

Born and raised in Northern France in the town of Lille, Geoffroy has worked in restaurants since he was 15 years old. Geoffroy is the owner of Cuisinett French Bistro & Market in San Carlos, CA. Cuisinett offers a casual, family-friendly restaurant with great quality French comfort food and now incorporates a Epicurie with wine, cheese, charcuterie, sweets, and other products from France. 

Geoffroy and I sat down on location at the restaurant and talked about his childhood, Lille’s famous stinky cheese and the amazing town event in September. We discuss traveling back to France and shopping at all...

Dave Williamson aka “Meat Dave” is a comedian, pitmaster and host of the Meat Dave podcast. Dave is also a water polo coach and a co host of the Tony Azevedo podcast. Dave was born and raised in Miami, Florida.  After working in his family’s car business ; Dave knew he loved making his customers smile and laugh. Excelling in many comedy festivals and being named “Best Comedian in Miami” , Dave packed up his family in a 25 foot trailer and toured for eighteen months before settling in Los Angeles. Dave can be seen touring with Bert Kreischer and headlining his own com...

Ulises Bella is one of the founding members of multi Grammy award winning band Ozomatli. “Uli” grew up in South East Los Angeles, CA. Uli developed a passion for music at a young age and went to the LA High School of the Arts. Subsequently Uli spent some time in college and playing in punk bands. Later he met the now founders and members of Ozomatli. Uli dropped out of college and pursued his dream of becoming a full time musician and spent many years traveling over fifty plus countries and becoming a cultural ambassador in the process. Ozomatli rece...

Christopher Olson is a police officer for the City and County of San Francisco Police Department. Officer Olson is currently a bomb technician assigned to the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) division of the SWAT team. Chris has worked numerous positions in the SFPD for over fifteen years. Some of them include: all aspects of patrol, mayor's detail, undercover plainclothes investigations, and the Specialist team.

Chris was born and raised in San Francisco. I met him when we worked together at SFPD. We shared an awesome meal at Mission Chinese in San Francisco years ago and have been...

Bobby Takahashi is the fourth generation member of the Takahashi family. Bobby was born and raised in the Bay Area and currently manages Takahashi Market in San Mateo, CA. Bobby provides insight into the history of the market, allergies to chocolate , parents cooking, dealing with the pandemic pivot , local eats, food favorites and travel experiences.  I have been going to this market for over ten years and super excited to share  this with you all!

Takahashi Market was started back in 1906 by Issei immigrant, Tokutaro Takahashi. (Bobby's great grandfather) This family owned and operated market has served th...

TJ Villagomez is a Chef at Google specializing in catering , grab n go, and working their food truck program.  Jose Palacios is a QA software engineer. I'm fortunate to have trained the martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with these guys at One World Jiu Jitsu under Mike Prudencio. We have shared a passion for food along with some great meals and many barbecues together. I initially was recording a podcast with Jose and a power outage caused the recording to be lost. Hence having both TJ and Jose on together made it epic! Both of them were born a...

Max and Juliana Gambirazio are the owners of Papachay Peruvian Coffee in San Carlos, CA.

Max tells us about his origins of immigrating to the US. On a trip back to Peru, his motorcycle broke down in the rainforest and a chance to buy a 30 acre coffee plantation arose. Juliana , Max's wife who is from Saul Paulo Brazil, also joins us on the podcast telling us about her love for coffee since she was a little girl and how she met Max through the coffee business.  We talk about the coastal cuisine where Max is from and m...

Welcome to another episode of the Food Origins Podcast!

This podcast is dedicated to our Mother, Yuriko who passed away in 2019.

I was fortunate enough to sit down with my one and only sibling; my brother Michael Sands. Mike is a self-employed web developer and an accomplished martial artist in the styles of Kuk Sool Won, Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Before settling in his now hometown of San Diego, we were born and raised in San Francisco, California. Mike spent many years traveling all over the world including a year in Japan...

Welcome to the premiere episode of the Food Origins Podcast!

Recorded on location at Hendo Studios in San Diego, CA. I sat down with my friend Courtney Henderson who provided me with inspiration to start this podcast. Courtney is a professional photographer from a small agricultural town in Albany, Georgia. I was volunteering for an Echelon Front / Jocko Willink conference where Courtney was working several years ago and we've been friends ever since.

Before opening his own photography studio, Courtney spent many years as a Professional Mixed Martial Arts photographer. Taking photos of many of...

ABOUT

The Food Origins Podcast

The podcast was created because of my passion and experience with food. I want talk to people from many areas of life about their origin stories. What they ate growing up, some of their culture, favorite foods, recipes, family traditions, awesome tools, best & worst restaurant experiences any where in the world and of course; their current projects & businesses.

Food connects us all, so let’s learn more about it together.

HOST

DAVE SANDS

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