056 Shelly Danko+Day Talks Food Evolution

(01:02) What transforms our relationship with food? For Shelly Danko+Day, host of "With Bowl and Spoon" podcast, the answer lies in those pivotal moments that shape our "personal food evolution" - the turning points that fundamentally change how we approach eating, cooking, and sharing meals.

(06:52) Shelly's own journey embodies this evolution perfectly. From keeping chickens in Pittsburgh before it was legally sanctioned to working for nearly a decade in urban food policy, she eventually found her calling documenting others' transformative food experiences. "Everybody has a food story," she explains, whether they're award-winning chefs or everyday people who've experienced that perfect bite that changed everything.

(20:15) Our conversation reveals how deeply intertwined food is with our identities and histories. Shelly shares touching memories of her grandmother Morley's simple yet profound influence through home-canned tomatoes, which became the foundation for her ultimate comfort food. Her Polish grandmother Helen's homemade pizza business - started after becoming a widow - demonstrates how food becomes not just sustenance but survival and connection.

We all experience these food evolutions throughout our lives. Whether it's developing a taste for spicy cuisine (as Shelly did through her husband's influence) or rediscovering a childhood recipe, these moments connect us to culture, community, and our own histories in profound ways. 

(33:30) Later in the show, Rick Sebak recommends Showcase Barbeque for that perfectly smoked feast, and Pam Luu shares a cheat-code recipe for her mom's Bánh Cuôn, beloved Vietamese rice rolls. 

Listen to discover the foods that have shaped your own evolution and the stories behind the dishes that might change how you eat forever.

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