Schnitzel & Stories

About Schnitzel & Stories

Schnitzel & Stories is a podcast about the flavors that connect us—and the people who shape them. In past seasons, hosts Angelika, a food writer, and Arlene, a food and hospitality specialist, have explored the rich tapestry of food traditions, tracing how dishes travel across borders and time. Now in Season 3, Schnitzel & Stories shifts focus with “Only a Woman”—a series of bold conversations with women who have transformed the food world. From Michelin-starred chefs to quiet revolutionaries behind the scenes, we uncover what it really means to lead, create, and thrive in a space that hasn’t always made room for them. Whether it’s a recipe with a backstory or a woman rewriting the rules of the kitchen, this is food, with context.

Publisher

Angelika Schwaff & Arlene Stein

Category

arts · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Apr 2024

Latest episode

23 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

38 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Jun 2026

   Nathan Thornburgh: Food, Politics & Storytelling

   In our final episode for this season, we spoke with journalist, editor, and Roads & Kingdoms co-founder Nathan Thornburgh to explore the intersection of food, politics, migration, and identity. Drawing on his years as a foreign correspondent covering conflict and political change, Nathan reflects on the stories that exist beyond the headlines and why food became his preferred lens for understanding the world. Together, we discuss journalism, war, immigration, nationalism, and the role of storytelling in shaping public understanding. We explore how migration reshapes culture, what food can reveal about identity, and why sharing a meal often offers insights that politics cannot. From the Caucasus to contemporary America, Nathan examines the human stories behind some of today's most divisive issues and explains how Roads & Kingdoms continues to create spaces for dialogue through food and hospitality. At its heart, this conversation is about curiosity, connection, and the enduring power of food to help us better understand one another.

2. 

   16 Jun 2026

   Hawa Hassan: Foods That Endure, Recipes and Stories from Countries Shaped by War

   For author and chef Hawa Hassan food is memory, survival, identity, and a connection to home. Born in Mogadishu during the Somali Civil War, Hawa's life was forever altered by conflict. After being separated from her family and spending years in a refugee camp in Kenya, she immigrated to Seattle at the age of seven, not seeing her mother again for fifteen years. Today, Hawa is an acclaimed chef, entrepreneur, and author whose work explores the powerful relationship between food, culture, and displacement. In this conversation, we discuss her book, In BIbi’s Kitchen. At the heart of the book are the stories of women, particularly grandmothers, whose kitchens became centers of resilience and cultural survival. Hawa shares why she chose to focus on these often overlooked voices and how recipes can preserve history when so much else has been lost. We also explore the lasting influence of colonialism on food cultures, including the presence of ingredients and dishes introduced through occupation and trade. How do communities reconcile painful histories embedded in their cuisine? Can foods associated with colonization be reclaimed and transformed into expressions of identity and belonging? This episode is a moving exploration of memory, migration, and the enduring power of food to sustain families, preserve culture, and carry stories across generations.

3. 

   9 Jun 2026

   JP McMahon: Famine, Food Memory, and the Making of New Irish Cuisine

   Chef JP McMahon of the Michelin-starred Aniar in Galway and founder of the internationally acclaimed Food on the Edge symposium is widely recognized as one of the leading voices behind the understanding and evolution of New Irish Cuisine. In this episode we explore the complex relationship between food, colonization, identity, and cultural memory through the lens of Irish history. As a chef, author, scholar, and advocate for Irish food culture, JP offers a unique perspective on how centuries of British rule shaped Ireland's agricultural systems, food traditions, and national identity. Together, we trace the journey of the potato from South America to Ireland and examine how a crop that was never native to the island became synonymous with Irish cuisine. We discuss the social and political conditions that led to widespread dependence on the potato, the devastating impact of An Gorta Mór, the Great Famine, and the lasting influence this tragedy continues to have on Irish culture and collective memory. The conversation also challenges common assumptions about Irish food. Long before the arrival of the potato, Ireland's people relied on a rich diversity of ingredients drawn from the sea, forests, bogs, rivers, and fields. JP shares insights from his extensive research into Ireland's culinary past and explains how modern chefs are rediscovering forgotten ingredients and traditions to create a contemporary Irish cuisine rooted in place and history. From land ownership and food insecurity to seaweed, wild herbs, and the future of gastronomy, this episode examines how food systems can be shaped by power, disrupted by crisis, and ultimately reclaimed through knowledge, culture, and creativity. Join us for a fascinating conversation about resilience, identity, and the enduring story of Irish food. “Think you're escaping and run into yourself. Longest way round is the shortest way home.” ― James Joyce, Ulysses

Who has been a guest on Schnitzel & Stories

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Trine Hahnemann
• Karin Desveaux
• Eden Hagos

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 38 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

64

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Schnitzel & Stories

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.