About this show:
What truly sustains us when it comes to food?
Taking into account bio-individuality, health, age, sex, geographical location, climate, regeneration, and taste preferences, it’s not a black-and-white conversation at all, much as many try to make it and in this conversation, we explore it. We talk:
- What drives an everyday desire to cook well
- How even the best chefs get frustrated with the constraints of sustainability/limited resources (phew!)
- How not to be overwhelmed by new skill-building in the kitchen
- How to find what inspires you
- How to make peace with the “grey area” and not always being able to make the best choices for the planet/you
One of Australia’s most inventive chefs, Jo Barrett, joins me to unpack her journey as a person and chef into connecting on a deeper level with food and our food system, cooking from “place”, from emotions and connection, as well as working to pioneer what’s possible with curiosity and creativity. Jo made her name at the acclaimed Oakridge Winery in the Yarra Valley, before joining the groundbreaking eco-living experiment Future Food System in 2021, which involved a year of living and working with fellow chef Matt Stone, in a tiny urban, zero-waste farm situated on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne’s Federation Square, a project that famed regenerative superhero, Joost Baker, spearheaded as the ultimate anti-dote example to the destructive modern food system. It was a no-waste house complete with aquaponics, solar power, micro-farms, a charcoal tank, and a rooftop garden, home to Matt and Jo, who spent their days harvesting, cooking and eating the food this 100% sustainable modern urban farm produces – while all waste produced by the house was fed back into the house’s systems: a closed-loop.
Jo recently opened the restaurant Little Picket in the seaside town of Lorne. Fearless and visionary, there is no one better placed to write the ultimate guide to cooking deliciously and consciously and her book Sustain, inspires and delights as it teaches us to get curious and learn new skills to sustain ourselves – and our planet – better each day in our daily lives at the kitchen table.
Follow @jobarrett @littlepicket_lorne on Instagram and check out her new book Sustain, out now.
Tag me and share any AHAs on @lowtoxlife on Instagram with me or anyone in your life who needs this week’s show. .
Our wonderful sponsors are helping you with your low tox swaps this September:
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Title show track, by LIOR.
Love the podcast music? You will hear excerpts from Lior’s track “Caught Up” – go check it out on iTunes or Spotify if you want to hear the whole song or album, Scattered Reflections. Co-written with Cameron Deyell, it’s a great song and I love the reflective energy of it – perfect for the show, right? Enjoy. Lior is always touring, so do check out his website. It is wonderful to hear him sing live, trust me.
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About Jo:
Jo Barrett is one of Australia’s most inventive chefs specialising in sustainable cooking. Jo made her name at the acclaimed Oakridge Winery in the Yarra Valley, before joining the groundbreaking eco-living experiment futurefoodsystem, which involved a year of living and working in a tiny urban, zero-waste farm situated on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne’s Federation Square. She recently opened the restaurant Little Picket in the seaside town of Lorne. Fearless and visionary, there is no one better placed to write the ultimate guide to cooking deliciously and consciously.
Instagram: @jobarrett @littlepicket_lorne
More About This Low Tox Episode’s Sponsors:
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Ausclimate’s highly recommended range of WINIX Air Purifiers is the ideal solution for cleaner, healthier indoor air. Easy to use, reactive features and settings with a truly comprehensive 4-5 stages of purification, including Hospital Grade True HEPA Filtration and Winix’s unique PlasmaWave® technology. Perfect for smoke, dust, pets, viruses, bacteria, household odours, and allergies (covering a variety of allergens). Breathe easier, sleep better and feel better. Winix; the most complete air-purifiers on the market!
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When it comes to the benefits of Omega 3s, there are many but I found two studies of interest – one on covid and long-covid that’s worth reading and another on the benefit for brain development and support for children and teens with ADHD. Get your Arctic Cod Liver oil at your local health shop or visit Thera Health Australia (therahealth.com.au) for stockists.
About Nordic Naturals – https://therahealth.com.au/brands/nordicnaturals/
About the Arctic Cod Liver Oil – https://therahealth.com.au/product/arctic-clo-liquid/
More about Thera Health – https://therahealth.com.au/about-us/
Nordic Naturals Quizzes and Webinars – https://therahealth.com.au/learning-hub/
Website: https://therahealth.com.au/brands/nordicnaturals/
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