Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of MasterChef: The Professional, or what growing up in Cardiff is like? Then some of this week’s podcasts will be a treat.
1. Sonder & Salt
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Food
The weekly podcast for food lovers, Sonder & Salt, hosted by Harleigh and Malaika, is a delightful listen.
Recently, they have had a few guests join them on the podcast – which listeners seem to enjoy. So this week, they continue in the same vein and are joined by the 2023 MasterChef: The Professional semi-finalist Lauren Wilmott, a chef by trade.
Before they got into how her banana ketchup impressed the MasterChef judges – a recipe inspired by a pair of socks – the co-hosts spoke about what they have been eating lately and vegetable tempura came up in conversation.
Wilmott went on to speak about what it’s really like behind the scenes of competitive cooking shows, admitting that she’s never experienced the level of nerves that she did on MasterChef: The Professionals.
It was also interesting to hear Wilmott talk about fridge-raid dinners and why she always has dumplings in her freezer that she can bulk into various dishes, including broth.
Food tells a story about who people are and where they come from, I learnt a lot about Malaika, Harleigh and Wilmott from this episode alone.
(By Yolanthé Fawehinmi)
2. How Was It For You?
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Comedy
Sitting in what Marcus Brigstocke joked is “a very confrontational set-up” the British comedian and actor and his co-host Rachel Parris, a comedian and musician, kick off the first-ever episode of How Was It For You?
In each episode, the comedy power couple review things in their life for the sake of other people. The aim is to become a go-to helpful and frank guide.
From Brigstocke’s surprisingly good voice impressions, travelling as a group – which for them is “risky business” – and noisy toys, they share their unfiltered opinions and experiences.
If you are looking for a new weekly dose of laughs, Brigstocke and Parris’ new podcast could be just what you are missing.
(By Yolanthé Fawehinmi)
3. Kicking Back with the Cardiffians
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Personal stories
At the start of the third episode (there are 15 in total) of Kicking Back with the Cardiffians, hosted by Welsh singer-songwriter Charlotte Church, I was surprised to hear the sounds of a dog hotel owned by Charlotte’s mother, Maria Church.
Before going into detail about their mother-and-daughter relationship, we hear about the remarkable story of Maria’s life up until Charlotte was a baby. But be warned – Maria knows how to swear and sadly the episode refers to emotional and sexual abuse.
I loved the question Charlotte first asked her mother, “Where do you feel like you most belong?” It helped provide some context to Maria’s undying love for Cardiff, which shaped her into the person she is today.
They have definitely had their ups and downs, but this episode was a great reminder to ask our parents questions about their lives while they are still here. Through their stories and memories, they can live forever.
(By Yolanthé Fawehinmi)
4. Split Screen: Kid Nation
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: TV
In 2007, CBS released a new survival-style reality show called Kid Nation, where they took 40 children between the ages of eight and 15 to the middle of a deserted town in New Mexico.
The premise of the show was that they had to set up their society without the supervision of any adults. But under the disguise of both a new social experiment and in-real-life entertainment, Kid Nation became a dangerous breeding ground for child abuse and was cancelled after its first season.
Hosted by Josh Gwynn, the creator of the pop culture podcast Back Issue, Split Screen: Kid Nation co-produced by Vespucci and CBC, looks into what happened to some of the children who appeared on the show.
But why is reality TV so popular? What do people love the most about it? Why is there so much pressure to be the most outrageous and scandalous?
This new weekly podcast does a great job of uncovering and challenging listeners to think about the type of TV they consume and why.
(By Yolanthé Fawehinmi)
Spotlight on…
5. One Bite at a Time
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Food
Welcome to One Bite at a Time, the podcast where Chef Wu and Chef Vee talk about the hospitality industry – particularly in Nigeria – their personal and professional experiences and how to raise the bar one bite at a time.
In their second episode – out on April 14 – they are joined by Tannaz Bahnam, the founder of The Lost in a City and Awari app, who talks about how food businesses should market their work, and why restaurants should never get complacent.
They then discussed the three pillars of a good restaurant: food, ambience and service – which I agree with. Though they debated on what’s the most important.
It was insightful and thought-provoking listening to a food podcast that delved into the nature of the hospitality industry.
(By Yolanthé Fawehinmi)
6. For Tech’s Sake!
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Technology
There is always a lot to talk about in every episode of For Tech’s Sake!
So for loyal listeners who are part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network – the podcast is a co-production from Silicon Republic and The Headstuff Podcast Network – bonus episodes have become the place where hosts Jenny Darmody and Elaine Burke can go a little deeper into the fascinating world of tech.
From the latest tech news, including a racist AI image generator and whether this is a problem with the engine or representation, and sharing their tech legends, the episode brought me up to speed on an industry that sometimes feels quite overwhelming.
It’s a great accompaniment to their usual episodes.
(By Yolanthé Fawehinmi)
