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Not From Concentrate: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Catherine Smart
Not From Concentrate is a food podcast for busy brains from host Catherine Smart — a cook, writer, mom, and creative entrepreneur with ADHD. Tune in for conversations with chefs, authors, creators, and food lovers about sparking creativity, calming chaos, and finding joy in (and out) of the kitchen.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 days ago48 min
From Olive Garden to a James Beard Award with Chef Evan Hennessey
What takes a cook from scrubbing chowder pots and working at Olive Garden to winning a James Beard Award? For chef Evan Hennessey, the path led through some of the country’s most acclaimed kitchens — and back home to Dover, New Hampshire.This week, I’m joined by the chef behind Stages at One Washington, The Living Room, and Topolino to talk about building a tiny tasting-menu restaurant in his hometown, finding inspiration in New England’s farms and fisheries, and why great food doesn’t require a big-city address.We also get into the busy brain behind the plates: how Evan experiences hyperfocus, what rock climbing brings to his cooking, and how six years without alcohol changed his life inside and outside the kitchen. Plus, what he actually cooks for his family, and a reassuring reminder for anyone feeling overwhelmed at the stove: you can turn the burner down. It’s just dinner.In this episode: From the dish pit to fine dining—and why Evan came home to New Hampshire. How keeping Stages small gave him room to build something ambitious. Finding new possibilities in familiar, seasonal ingredients. Hyperfocus, intricate plating, and knowing when to step back. Sobriety, fatherhood, and finding creative inspiration outside. Simple dinners at home with a Dutch oven and farm-stand ingredients. Learning to celebrate a major win instead of immediately getting back to work.
- 1 weeks ago54 min
What Makes a Recipe Work? With Recipe Tester Laura Manzano
What makes a recipe work — and when is an extra step actually worth the effort?This week, I’m joined by Laura Manzano, the recipe tester behind my forthcoming cookbook, Not From Concentrate. Laura grew up working in her dad’s restaurants, honed her skills in the Martha Stewart test kitchens, and built a freelance career helping cookbook authors make their recipes clearer, more reliable, and better suited to the people cooking them.We go behind the scenes of my cookbook to talk about what recipe testing actually involves, why fewer dishes matter, and the challenge of writing recipes for people who love food but don’t have unlimited time or attention. We also compare notes on working with ADHD, building structure into a creative career, and giving yourself permission to work when your brain works best.We get into: How Laura went from restaurant kitchens and food styling to testing entire cookbooks. What a recipe tester catches beyond missing ingredients and seasoning adjustments. When detailed instructions help—and when they get in the way. Writing down your process so you don’t have to reinvent it every time. Being realistic about time, resisting the urge to overpromise, and finding your own working hours. Why collaboration has been my favorite part of making this book. Find Laura on Instagram at @laurammanzano and read her Substack, Laura’s Dinner.Preorder the Not From Concentrate cookbook: geni.us/NotFromConcentrateFor recipes, episode updates, and more, subscribe to my newsletter. Send questions, feedback, or guest suggestions to hello@catherinesmart.com.Not From Concentrate is distributed by PRX and produced by Catherine Smart, with audio and video production by Kevin O’Connell. Our associate producer is Allie Miller, and the theme music is by Kylie Dailey
- 2 weeks ago45 min
A Hamptons Private Chef’s Secrets to Easier Dinners with Robyn Henderson
What does a private chef cook when she’s tired, her family needs dinner, and nobody wants leftovers? Something simpler than you might think.Hamptons private chef Robyn Henderson joins Catherine Smart to talk about cooking delicious food without making every meal a production. From sheet-pan dinners at home to family-style spreads for clients, Robyn shares why seasonal ingredients, simple menus, and less fuss can make for better meals—and why a quick salad once stole the show from her painstakingly handmade lobster ravioli.Catherine and Robyn also get candid about the business of feeding people: raising your rates, knowing your worth, and learning to trust other chefs with your reputation. Plus, Robyn shares a local’s view of the Hamptons, the farm stands she loves, and the homemade herb salts that became a sellout side business.In this episode:• Simple family dinners with fewer dishes and less cleanup• Why more effort doesn’t always mean better food• Cooking with peak-season produce and fresh herbs• Pricing your work and growing a private chef business• The year-round community behind the Hamptons’ summer image• Keeping your cool when things go wrong in the kitchenGet Robyn’s Hamptons farm-stand list and more from Not From Concentrate in Catherine’s newsletter: https://catherinesmart.substack.comWant more behind-the-scenes private chef stories? Listen to Catherine’s episode with culinary producer and private chef Claire Langan.Not From Concentrate is produced by Catherine Smart, with audio and video editing by Kevin O’Connell and Asia Garcia. Our associate producer is Allie Miller, and our theme music is by Kylie Dailey
- 3 weeks ago41 min
Big Flavor and Bold Living with Claudette Zepeda
What makes dinner taste like it’s been cooking all day when you absolutely do not have all day? Chef Claudette Zepeda has a pantry full of answers—and zero shame about canned beans.This week, Catherine welcomes the chef and author of Cooking the Borderlands for a conversation about big flavor, creative freedom, and feeding a family when you’re stretched thin. Claudette shares how growing up between San Diego, Tijuana, and Guadalajara shaped her food, from the Asian pantry staples woven into her Mexican cooking to the smoke and community of carne asada.We talk about using miso, kombu, chicken bouillon, and chili oil to build flavor; the comfort of her mom’s albóndigas; and why a great meal can start with a few cans from the pantry. Claudette also opens up about her late AuDHD diagnosis, pursuing a creative life as a single mother, and honoring the generations of women who came before her.Plus: a refrigerator rearrangement that helps keep vegetables out of the “sludge of shame,” why music gets her cooking again, and how getting outside helps her calm the chaos.Not From Concentrate is produced and distributed by Catherine Smart, with audio and video production by Kevin O’Connell and Asia Garcia. Our associate producer is Allie Miller, and our theme music is by Kylie Daly.
- Sep 8, 202651 min
Overcome Garden Overwhelm with Jess Zander of You Can Do It Gardening
Feeling overwhelmed by your garden? Garden coach Jess Zander of You Can Do It Gardening joins Catherine to make the whole thing feel more manageable—and much more fun.Jess explains how to prioritize garden projects, tackle invasive plants before they spread, choose native plants without becoming dogmatic, and make smart decisions about where and what to plant. She also shares why buying small plants can save money, how to divide perennials without being too precious, and why fall is one of the best times to plant.Plus, Jess offers a refreshingly low-effort approach to fall cleanup, explains her delightfully simple method for planting bulbs by the shovelful, and talks about how gardening can calm a busy brain, spark creativity, and connect us to our communities and the people we love.Find Jess, her virtual garden coaching, classes, guides, and newsletter at You Can Do It Gardening.Not From Concentrate is distributed by PRX and produced by Catherine Smart, with audio and video production by Kevin O’Connell and Asia Garcia. Our associate producer is Allie Miller, and our theme music is by Kylie Daley.
- Sep 1, 202649 min
Grill Time and Letting Go of the Perfect Family Dinner with Noah Galuten
What if the best thing you could bring to family dinner wasn’t a perfectly cooked meal, but a better mood?Chef, cookbook author, and TV host Noah Galuten joins Catherine to talk about his new cookbook, Grill Time!, and why the grill deserves a place in your weeknight cooking routine. They discuss shopping according to what’s on sale, salting chicken or steak now and figuring out dinner later, and setting up groceries so they’re easier to use when your busy brain needs them.Noah also gets honest about cooking through creative ruts, feeding young children, and the impossible pressure to make a nutritious family dinner without making everyone miserable in the process. Plus, he shares how he balances books, television, and his Substack—and how a YouTube project that didn’t take off ultimately helped lead to Barbecue: Smoke Out on Netflix.It’s a funny, candid conversation about grilling, parenting, creative work, and letting go of perfection in the kitchen.Find Noah on Instagram at @galuten and subscribe to his Substack, I’m Legally Required to Feed You. You can watch Barbecue: Smoke Out on Netflix.Not From Concentrate is distributed by PRX and produced by Catherine Smart, with audio and video editing by Kevin O’Connell and Asia Garcia. Our associate producer is Allie Miller, and our theme music is by Kylie Daley.
- Aug 25, 202641 min
Back-to-School Lunches, Sheet-Pan Dinners, and Finding Joy in the Kitchen with Hillary Dixler Canavan
Back-to-School Lunches, Sheet-Pan Dinners, and Finding Joy in the Kitchen with Hillary Dixler CanavanHillary Dixler Canavan returns to Not From Concentrate as the show’s first repeat guest! Nearly one year after her first appearance, Hillary joins Catherine for a timely conversation about feeding our families, and ourselves, during the back-to-school rush.They talk about letting go of picture-perfect lunchboxes, choosing foods children will reliably eat at school, and adding joy without adding much work. Hillary shares her genuinely life-changing trick for assembling and freezing sandwiches in advance, plus easy ways to bring protein and variety into packed lunches.The conversation also ventures into cooking with kids, why project-based kitchen activities may be more manageable than everyday “help,” and the value of teaching practical cooking skills when children are ready.Then Hillary previews Sheet Pan Month in her newsletter, What Are We Having? She and Catherine even develop a Green Goddess chicken, gnocchi, and broccoli dinner in real time. Finally, they discuss finding creativity through constraints, clearing physical clutter, and using audiobooks to make cooking feel restorative.In this episode Why a successful lunch is one your child can actually eat within the school’s allotted time Letting go of elaborate, photo-ready lunchboxes The difference between “school foods” and foods children will eat at home Easy protein ideas, including mini Chomps, cheese, hummus, and beans Low-effort ways to make lunch feel special with food picks, stickers, and notes Finding genuine points of connection based on the interests you share with your child Why cooking with kids can be easier as a planned project Teaching age-appropriate kitchen skills without rushing the process Establishing helpful structure around meals and snacks Hillary’s forthcoming Sheet Pan Month Developing a Green Goddess chicken, gnocchi, and broccoli sheet-pan dinner Why a delicious sauce can make a simple meal feel restaurant-worthy Making and freezing school-lunch sandwiches in advance Using themes, limitations, and what you already have to spark creativity Decluttering the kitchen before the school year begins How audiobooks can transform dinner preparation into something worth anticipating Hillary’s freezer-sandwich methodAssemble sandwiches in batches, return them to their original packaging or place them in a freezer-safe reusable bag, and freeze. In the morning, put a frozen sandwich directly into an insulated lunch bag. It should thaw by lunchtime while helping keep the rest of the lunch cool.Freezer-friendly combinations include: Ham and cheese Turkey and cheese Bagel with cream cheese Cream cheese and jelly, with optional chia seeds Peanut butter and jelly, where permitted Audiobooks mentioned Yesteryear The Compound by Aisling Rawle Ruth Ware’s mysteries and thrillers The Searcher by Tana French Find HillarySubscribe to What Are We Having? at whatarewehaving.substack.com.Follow Hillary on Instagram at @hillarydixlercanavan.
- Aug 18, 202641 min
Building a Better Local Food System with Erin Baumgartner
What does it actually take to make local food more accessible, sustainable, and financially viable for the people who produce it?Catherine talks with Erin Baumgartner, founder of Family Dinner, a farmers market delivery service that grew from bringing groceries to seven friends out of Erin’s Somerville apartment to serving 120 Massachusetts communities. Erin explains how Family Dinner uses data and predictive analytics to help farmers plan what to grow, reduce food waste, and reach more customers—and why buying local can have such a meaningful impact on the communities where we live.They also talk about balancing our food ideals with real-life budgets and limited time, building a mission-driven business without outside investors, resisting shiny objects, and breaking intimidating goals into manageable steps. Plus: feeding kids without expecting perfection, making dinner from whatever is languishing in the fridge, and why creativity sometimes requires doing absolutely nothing.Not From Concentrate is distributed by PRX and produced by Catherine Smart, with audio and video production by Kevin O’Connell and Asia Garcia. Our associate producer is Allie Miller, and our theme music is by Kylie Dailey.
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About Not From Concentrate
Not From Concentrate is a food podcast for busy brains from host Catherine Smart — a cook, writer, mom, and creative entrepreneur with ADHD. Tune in for conversations with chefs, authors, creators, and food lovers about sparking creativity, calming chaos, and finding joy in (and out) of the kitchen.
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