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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/NotFromConcentrate For recipes, episode updates, and more, subscribe to my newsletter. Send questions, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected]. 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

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 kitchen Get Robyn’s Hamptons farm-stand list and more from Not From Concentrate in Catherine’s newsletter: https://catherinesmart.substack.com Want 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

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.

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.

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.

Back-to-School Lunches, Sheet-Pan Dinners, and Finding Joy in the Kitchen with Hillary Dixler Canavan Hillary 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.

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.

What if the answer to feeling too busy isn’t making everything faster, but choosing one place to slow down? Trinity Mouzon Wofford, founder of Golde and author of Eating at Home, joins Catherine to make the case for protecting mealtime in a culture built around convenience. They talk about taking a real lunch break, shopping at the farmers market and why it's work soaking your own beans.  Trinity also shares what she learned from building a wellness company during a period of explosive growth, separating her identity from her business and writing her first cookbook while becoming a mother. Plus, she explains “component cooking,” her practical alternative to traditional meal prep, and how a pot of beans, rice, pickles or a simple herb sauce can make home-cooked meals possible on even the busiest weeknights. It’s a candid conversation about convenience, all-or-nothing thinking and why making time for food might be more radical—and more necessary—than ever.

What happens when the brain that fuels your ambition and creativity is also the one constantly pulling you in twelve directions? Chef and restaurateur Will Gilson, whose Cambridge Street Hospitality Group now includes eight concepts, talks with Catherine about thriving under pressure, self-sabotaging deadlines, and why the chaos of a restaurant kitchen can feel strangely comfortable to an ADHD brain. He shares how seasonal depression led him to seek out projects with a clear beginning, middle, and end—and why learning to delegate was essential as his business grew. Will gets practical about assessing his bandwidth, deciding what truly needs his attention, building a team he trusts, and using technology to keep multiple restaurants connected without having to be everywhere at once. He and Catherine also talk about unfinished projects, the temptation to say yes to everything, the dangerous ways restaurant workers have traditionally tried to “turn off,” and why sometimes you need to physically leave your environment to rest. They also dig into what failure can teach you, how Will transformed the debt and emotional baggage of his first restaurant into lessons for the next one, and why travel is still essential to his creativity. If you’re trying to build an ambitious life without letting your busy brain run the entire show, this episode is for you.

What if learning to cook could help us get better at starting tasks, managing time, working through frustration, and asking for help? Sophie Mortner is an educator, learning designer, executive functioning coach, and the creator of Nibblings, a collection of recipes designed to help kids cook independently. She joins Catherine to explain why the kitchen is such a powerful place to build skills that extend far beyond cooking. They talk about breaking intimidating tasks into manageable first steps, developing time awareness, helping kids become more independent in the kitchen, and why parents may need to step back and let things get a little messy. Sophie also shares practical strategies that can help adults with ADHD navigate task avoidance and calm kitchen chaos. Find Sophie’s recipes at nibblingscooking.com

In this solo episode of Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart shares a personal essay about ADHD masking, embarrassment, and the effort of trying to seem easygoing, capable, and “normal.” She reflects on how sensitivity, people-pleasing, and a strong social radar can be exhausting—but can also make us thoughtful friends, generous hosts, and deeply caring people. This is a personal reflection on understanding old patterns with more compassion and learning when it might be okay to let your guard down. Read the essay at catherinesmart.substack.com. Not From Concentrate is a food podcast for busy brains about ADHD creativity, cooking, and finding more joy in and out of the kitchen.

On this episode of Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with chef and cookbook author Ham El-Waylly about the surprising journey that led him from fine dining back to the food that first shaped him. Raised between Egyptian, Bolivian, and Qatari cultures before building a career in New York restaurants, Ham shares how the sudden loss of his mother caused him to distance himself from the recipes he grew up with—and how reopening her handwritten recipe notebook during the pandemic helped him reconnect with his family, his creativity, and himself. They talk about: How home cooking became part of healing after grief 90s Nostalgia and how it shaped this book Making global flavors feel approachable for everyday cooks Balancing restaurant life, parenthood, and feeding a family ADHD, creativity, routines, and learning to work with a busy brain Why comfort food is about memory as much as ingredients Ham also shares recipes from Hello, Home Cooking, including his Cinnamon Pita Crunch, cheesy tapioca garlic buns, and toasted spaghetti with black beans.

Courtney E. Smith joins Catherine Smart to talk about Ravenous, the new worker-owned food and culture publication founded by former Eater writers after a layoff. Courtney shares how the team built an independent media company from scratch, why they’re choosing subscriber support over VC money and branded content, and what it means to cover food, labor, restaurants, and culture with stronger ethics and sharper opinions. She and Catherine also talk about what’s missing from today’s food media landscape, the challenge of writing about local restaurants for a national audience, the business learning curve for creatives, and why shared values matter when you’re building something with other people. For listeners interested in ADHD creativity, this conversation digs into the messy, energizing process of making something new with limited resources, strong opinions, and a lot of moving parts. And because Not From Concentrate is a food podcast for busy brains, Catherine and Courtney also explore how food media shapes the way we think about restaurants, cooking, labor, and culture. 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 + subscribe to the Not From Concentrate newsletter on Substack

On this episode of Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with Zachary Baum, co-owner of Bow Market in Somerville, about what it takes to build a place where small businesses can take root. They discuss how Bow Market transformed from an old carport into a vibrant courtyard of independent food, retail, art, and service businesses; why a true sense of place cannot simply be scaled or replicated; and how small restaurants and makers navigate the realities of rent, regulation, labor, and limited capacity. Catherine and Zachary also talk about the importance of proximity, flexibility, and human relationships in building sustainable businesses, plus why consumers have a role to play in supporting the local places they want to exist. 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. We'd love your feedback! Take the NFC community poll HERE 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 + subscribe to the Not From Concentrate newsletter on Substack

This week on Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with freelance baker Mackenzie Innis about the artistry, logistics, and emotional weight behind her beautiful seasonal cakes. Mackenzie shares how she moved from fine dining pastry kitchens to building Ceres, a freelance baking business rooted in local ingredients, florals, seasonality, and deeply personal celebrations. She talks about translating clients’ food memories into wedding cakes, sourcing from New England farms, growing flowers in Somerville, and finding inspiration in bakeries, gardens, mythology, and community. Catherine and Mackenzie also get into the less-glamorous but essential parts of creative solopreneurship: email, bookkeeping, client communication, systems, structure, and managing a busy brain while running a business. For listeners interested in ADHD creativity, this conversation is about what it really takes to turn beauty, skill, and intuition into a sustainable creative practice. And because Not From Concentrate is a food podcast for busy brains, they also talk about ADHD cooking, calming kitchen chaos, slowing down, edible flowers, Boston-area bakeries, wedding cake etiquette, and why cake can still matter in complicated times. 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 + subscribe to the Not From Concentrate newsletter on Substack