Lettuce Wrap
28 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsWe’re Christine Doerr and Tammy Tan: friends, food enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. Between us, we own three food businesses (including our shared-use commercial kitchen where this podcast is recorded), and have lots to say about food, the food business, and the people who work in our industry.
Join us each episode as we explore food and the food business with other entrepreneurs and food lovers, and share our decades of experience owning, running, and marketing our businesses.
New episodes are released on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. Thanks for listening and subscribing!
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Episodes
27: Bakers Against Racism (T&C Talk)
June 16, 2020 23:30 - 10 minutes - 7.76 MBUpdate: Thanks to your purchases, we raised $1,800 to support the work of Planting Justice! Thank you for supporting this effort. -- We’ve joined thousands of other #BakersAgainstRacism supporting the #BlackLivesMatter movement by doing what we know best: making delicious food! All profits from the purchase of our brownies and spiced nuts supports Planting Justice, a non-profit organization with the mission to “Grow Food. Grow Jobs. Grow Community” by empowering “people impacted by mass inca...
26: We're Social Distancing (T&C Talk)
May 28, 2020 15:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MBWe’re back! We didn’t plan to be away this long, but the world changed, quickly. In this episode, we share what it’s been like running three essential businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how we’re coping with all the changes it’s brought about. We’ll have more episodes throughout 2020, so thank you for staying subscribed (or for resubscribing)! Links and Show Notes COVID-19 Poster https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/f/ff67b32d-68dc-4ffa-8e3e-157bcf552e52/Ka3mf9nf.j...
25: The Pumpkin in the Room (T&C Talk)
December 14, 2019 08:00 - 46 minutes - 32.4 MBIn our final episode of 2019, we take a break from interviews to talk about our favorite (and busiest!) time of the year: The holidays! We get personal and chat about our holiday history, how we prepare (business-wise and personally), how we celebrate, and what we miss. Along the way, we admit a few shocking truths, from Tammy’s feelings on pumpkin pie to Christine’s childhood Halloween costume, and we wrap up with a holiday-themed Wrapid Fire and a heartfelt thank you to you, our listeners! ...
24: My Medium, Not Your Medium, with Anucha Kongthavorn of Mae Krua
November 23, 2019 08:00 - 59 minutes - 41.8 MBIn 2007, Anucha Kongthavorn stepped off a plane in San Francisco from his native Thailand, and got a job cooking the same day. He's spent his career in the service industry, from restaurant busser to cruise ship butler, culminating in opening his own Thai food take out, Mae Krua. He joins us to talk about his journey, shares his philosophy on serving others, provides advice on starting a restaurant, and explains why his restaurant regulars asked about his emotions before ordering. In this epi...
23: Support The Farmers Directly (T&C Talk)
November 09, 2019 08:00 - 26 minutes - 19 MBThis episode we talk about something we both know a bit about: farmers’ markets. Both NeoCocoa and Spice Hound owe their early success to these neighborhood marketplaces, and we firmly believe they’re an amazing way for new food entrepreneurs to get started. We visit a local market to chat with vendors and shoppers, ponder their growing popularity in urban areas, and share our experiences from over a decade of being behind the table. Links and Show Notes La Cocina (https://lacocinasf.org/) —...
22: Like a Gym, Except a Kitchen, with Dan Mills of Tinker Kitchen
October 26, 2019 07:00 - 50 minutes - 34.9 MBDan Mills turned his hobby of collecting commercial kitchen gadgets into Tinker Kitchen, a makerspace for community cooking. He joins us to talk about his inspiration for the space, why entrepreneurs need grit in the face of never-ending roadblocks, and how his very understanding girlfriend provided the (literal!) space he needed to succeed. Links and Show Notes Maker culture (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maker_culture) CAD (Computer-aided Design) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aide...
21: Cake Scraps and Hugs, with Kelly Zubal of Inticing Creations
October 12, 2019 07:00 - 59 minutes - 40.8 MBKelly Zubal of Inticing Creations made a custom guitar birthday cake for Journey guitarist Neal Schon, and appeared on TV next to Martha Stewart. Now she’s here with us to talk about how she got started in her sculpted edible cakes career, her experiences as a “reality tv star”, and why her husband “Home Boy” Pete is her third favorite kitchen tool. Kelly also tells us - Why 4 years La Cocina (https://twitter.com/lacocinasf) was “the best bootcamp” - How she “stumbled on” edible art as a busi...
20: Petri Dish Meats (T&C Talk)
September 28, 2019 07:00 - 59 minutes - 41.4 MBWe discuss the state of “plant-based meat alternatives” then taste seven different burgers, beef and not-beef, to see if we like (or can even identify!) the plant-based ones from Impossible Food and Beyond Burger. These are definitely not your old-school alternatives like Boca Burger or Gardenburger. Do these lab-engineered foods actually taste like beef? Can a self-described carnivore and a non-beef eater find common ground in these patties, or will we be left asking “Where’s the beef?!” We ...
19: 850 Item To-Do List, with Marissa Daskalakis Tsangaropoulos of Fete Fraiche
September 14, 2019 07:00 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MBGrowing up in a big Greek family, cooking for large groups was a natural part of Marissa Daskalakis Tsangaropoulos’ youth. She eventually turned that passion for bringing people together over food into a business, Fete Fraiche, first as a personal chef, and now as an event chef and caterer for the likes of Google and Stanford. Marissa shares the challenges of unanticipated growth, why saying no is such an important part of success, and the reason she’s such a gigantic fan of… lists and spread...
18: This Country Needs Onigilly, with Koji Kanematsu of Onigilly
August 24, 2019 07:00 - 59 minutes - 41.4 MBThe lack of decent lunch options led Koji Kanematsu to launch Onigilly, serving onigiri—traditional Japanese rice balls—to busy American workers. He now has an ambitious mission to build Onigilly into a nationwide chain of at least 500 locations, as a healthier alternative to Subway and McDonald’s. He joins us to share his vision, how his early career in high tech and mobile gaming prepared him for the food business, and why the death of his childhood friend inspires him to always move forwar...
17: BBQ is a Little Mystical, with Steven Hollifield of Seismic BBQ
August 10, 2019 07:00 - 59 minutes - 27.5 MBSteven Hollifield walked into a kitchen dish-pit, found it magical, and remained in food service his entire career. He now runs two kitchen-based businesses, Seismic BBQ and South Basin Kitchen, and joins us to discuss how he got his start, shares some sobering realities of owning a catering business in San Francisco, and of course, talks barbecue, from sauces to its place in American history. Learn about the value of a good partner, great suggestions for great meals, and why even the chefs a...
16: It’s So Hot In San Francisco
July 27, 2019 07:00 - 17 minutes - 16 MBIt was unusually warm in San Francisco in early June, so we took a quick break from interviews to chat with each other about ice cream to keep us cool during these rare, warm San Francisco evenings. If you live in—or plan to visit—San Francisco, consider this a guide to delicious, creamy treats. Links and Show Notes Listen to Lettuce Wrap 8: The Ice Cream Atmosphere, with Lori Phillips of Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos (https://www.lettucewrappod.com/8) Make your own waffle bowls: DASH Waffle Bowl ...
15: I’m the “J”, with Joel Sakakihara of R&J Toffees
July 13, 2019 07:00 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MBThis episode is dedicated to James Yamaoka. Joel Sakakihara and his brother updated their grandfather’s 60 year old toffee recipe, and built a business that’s grown from farmer’s markets to Costco and Whole Foods. Joel joins us to chat about the complexities of running a rapidly-growing food business, advice for starting a food business of your own, and how he launched the company with... Arnold Schwarzenegger? Plus, the return of our favorite segment, Wrap-id Fire! Links and Show Notes Focus...
14: Two Whole Croissants, with Robert Hac of Sons & Daughters
June 22, 2019 07:00 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBAward-winning pastry chef Robert Hac joins us to taste some of the best chocolate croissants in San Francisco. Robert is the pastry chef at Sons & Daughters, where he builds seasonal desserts inspired by memories of the foods he ate as a kid. He traces his love of cooking to his grandma, and the dumplings and mochi they made together. We talk about the start of his decade-plus career before Robert shares the essential trait needed to enter the culinary world, creeps himself out from his open ...
13: I Moved 6,000 Pounds By Hand, with Elyce Zahn of Coco Tutti
June 08, 2019 07:00 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBAs an entrepreneur, you do what it takes to make your dream a reality, and Elyce Zahn almost literally built Coco Tutti by hand. She makes gorgeous, “addictively edible” chocolate artwork, an award-winning business she started just as her architectural business was going under. We cover a wide range of topics this episode, from Elyce’s start in the arts to having the vision to see a kitchen where others see an office. Learn what you can accomplish when you’re a one-woman force of nature. Link...
12: Food Is Not A Widget, with Mirit Cohen of Adobe
May 25, 2019 07:00 - 53 minutes - 49.6 MBMirit Cohen was “executive chef” of her family’s large dinner gatherings long before becoming Executive Chef at Google and Adobe, as well as CEO of her own “daily foodservice” business. Now Adobe’s Global Workplace Experience Programs Manager, Mirit shares her advice about the importance of identifying your market, the hazards of scaling too quickly, the right way to shut down a business, and why she believes sharing a meal is the original social networking. Links and Show Notes Adobe (https:...
11: A Chocolate Tourist, with Jack Epstein of Chocolate Covered
May 11, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBYou don’t need passion to start a business, but you do need it to keep one going for a quarter century. Life-long entrepreneur Jack Epstein of Chocolate Covered sells over a thousand artisan chocolates from his store in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. Learn how Jack built his unique business, and hear valuable advice from a shopkeeper who’s been in business for 25 years. Plus, Jack shares dozens of chocolate and San Francisco restaurant recommendations! Links and Show Notes Ocea...
10: I Prefer My Beer Distilled, with Stuart Cristol-Deman of Stuart on the Coast
April 27, 2019 07:00 - 48 minutes - 47.1 MBStuart went from whiskey novice to Certified Bourbon Steward, turning a bad first impression with whisky into a passion he now shares with others in his at-home whiskey tasting and cooking classes. We taste our way through a personalized flight of four ryes, while learning more about whiskey (and whisky!) with Stuart as our guide. Links and Show Notes What we tasted The four ryes we tasted: Sagamore Spirit Signature (Maryland) Rye, Resurgens Rye, Willett Family Estate Bottled 3 Year Rye, Venu...
9: I Used to Dance Around Those Trees, with Nafy Flatley of Teranga Juice
April 13, 2019 07:00 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBThe baobab tree looms large in the life of Nafy Flatley. Its fruit juice nourished her when she was young, and powers her Teranga Juice business today. We discuss the origins of Nafy’s business and learn a lot about the “tree of life”, including its health benefits. Can the juice of the baobab fruit help you be stronger, fall in love, or attain happiness? Listen and find out! (Recorded October, 2018.) Links and Show Notes La Cocina (https://lacocinasf.org)—“a nonprofit working to solve proble...
8: The Ice Cream Atmosphere, with Lori Phillips of Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos
March 23, 2019 07:00 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBFrom an immunology Ph.D to ice cream entrepreneur, learn how a book, a funny name, and a memory of an ice cream taco all came together to form Lori’s delicious desert business. We discuss reasons to remaining artisanal, the argument against franchising, and the power of liquid nitrogen. Links and Show Notes I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! (https://youtu.be/-U5TTQ1mReY) (Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup commercial) Song that originated the phrase (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_...
7: My Kitchen as a Lab, with Guilianna Glassman of Alma Superfoods
March 09, 2019 08:00 - 29 minutes - 27.6 MBWhy does Guilianna of Alma Superfoods say “my kitchen is my lab”? And how did a dislike of peanut butter turn into a nut butter business? Guilianna grew up in the Peruvian Andes where she helped her mom run a popular catering business. From her mom, she learned how to mix the flavors and aromas of ancient ingredients and was inspired to created her food business. She leads us through the genesis of Alma Superfoods before taking us on a culinary adventure through Peruvian flavors and ingredi...
6: The Business of Food Awards
February 23, 2019 08:00 - 18 minutes - 17.6 MBThe Good Food Awards Mercantile is the place to taste the future of food, from small, sustainable producers. We discuss the Good Food Foundation that puts it on, and chat with two Good Food Guild members, direct from the show floor. Links and Show Notes Good Food Foundation (https://goodfoodfdn.org) Good Food Awards (https://goodfoodfdn.org/awards/) Good Food Mercantile (https://goodfoodfdn.org/mercantile/) Specialty Food Association (https://www.specialtyfood.com) 2019 Winter Fancy Food Show...
5: Most of Them Will Give Up, with Lu Den of Lulu Yum
February 09, 2019 08:00 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBLulu runs a cake business, but is her ultimate goal to build a lifestyle brand? A self-taught baker and accidental entrepreneur, Lulu got her start making cakes for friends, who convinced her they were good enough to sell. We learn the value of persistence, the power of social media, and how a beautiful, delicious cake is like an attractive woman with a computer science degree. Links and Show Notes Lulu Yum (https://luluyum.com) Crepe cakes/Mille-feuille/Thousand layer cakes (https://en.wikip...
4: The Appreciation They Deserve, with Mark Priestley of Yummy Artisan Foods
January 26, 2019 08:00 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBMark has the best job: he tastes award-winning, artisan-crafted olive oils, chocolates and honey, and shares his finds with the world. He leads us through a chocolate tasting, and chats about why he started his business. Links and Show Notes Yummy Artisan Foods (https://YummyArtisanFoods.com) All About Olive Oil (https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil) Good Food Awards (https://goodfoodfdn.org) New York International Olive Oil Competition (https://nyoliveoil.com) What Is Coconut Milk? And A...
3: These Shows Stress Me Out
January 12, 2019 08:00 - 37 minutes - 34.9 MBWe pick our favorite shows, movies and documentaries about food and cooking, from old school classics to new school faves. And a few things we definitely do not like.… Links and Show Notes Julia Child (PBS) (http://www.pbs.org/food/julia-child/) The French Chef With Julia Child, Amazon Prime Video (https://amzn.to/2K35fvC) Martha Stewart (https://www.marthastewart.com/) Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party (http://www.vh1.com/shows/martha-snoops-potluck-dinner-party) The Frugal Gourmet (h...
2: Not to Yuck My Mom's Yum, with Melanie Rogers of Slow Brine
December 29, 2018 08:00 - 29 minutes - 27.6 MBMelanie has a pickle problem, and there’s only one way to solve it: More pickles! Can she pickle anything? We explore the difficulty of starting a food business when you have no experience, and getting hung up on the details that don’t matter (or do they?). There’s value in an enthusiastic partner when starting a business who helps with the heavy lifting (literally and figuratively). In our Wrap-id Fire round, we explore ‘kraut and pickle pairings, some good, some... less good. Links and Show...
1: A Crust and Fudgy Center, with Amanda Garcia of NeoCocoa
December 15, 2018 08:15 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBAmanda Garcia joins us to explore the value of attending school to get experience—and confidence—vs. getting into the industry early. Amanda—who fell in love with chocolate while attending pastry school—shares her thoughts on learning the fundamentals, and the difficulty of getting into a kitchen without kitchen experience, then reflects on missing out on "home economics" class as an "older" millennial. She looks forward five years and the impact of living in the Bay Area on her plans. We exp...
0: 0: We’re a Little Food Crazy (Pilot)
December 15, 2018 08:00 - 25 minutes - 24.1 MBWe're Christine and Tammy: friends, food enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. Between us, we own three food businesses, and have lots to say about food, the food business, and the people who work in our industry. In this pilot episode, we share our backstory and the reasons we started Lettuce Wrap. Learn how Christine’s candy selling leads to deboning a duck which leads to an epiphany. A multitude of kitchen jobs leads to a career in graphic design, and it all ends in a sandwich of chef-ery. Meanw...