November 12, 2015
Local Moutful/for PhillyVoice
Joy Manning (left) and Marisa McClellan of "Local Mouthful."
Podcasts can be a home cook’s best friend, teaching and entertaining us while keeping us company --and they’re especially useful during the holiday season as we log extended hours in the kitchen.
A new one worth checking out is Local Mouthful, launched by food writers and longtime friends Joy Manning and Marisa McClellan.
Manning is the editor of Edible Philly magazine, a cookbook author and a former restaurant critic for Philadelphia magazine. McClellan is a canning guru and the author of several books, including the upcoming Naturally Sweet Food in Jars (Running Press, 2016).
The two met in 2002 while working admin jobs at a nonprofit outside of the culinary world. Coincidentally, both went on to pursue careers in food writing. Over the years, Manning and McClellan would take long walks around the city, discussing everything from farmers market finds to recent restaurant meals.
“I often thought to myself, we should record this and do a podcast,” says Manning.
Finally, in August they began producing weekly episodes in McClellan’s Rittenhouse apartment. Topics range from the best weeknight crockpot meals to favorite types of oysters. Many of the episodes include an interview with a guest, such as Joe Beddia of the acclaimed Pizzeria Beddia and P.J. Hopkins of Brine Street Picklery.
“We’re both big fans of ‘Good Food’ out of KCRW in L.A.,” said Manning. “We wanted to give Philly its own version that would be interesting to people who live here and people who don’t live here.”
They aim for about 30 percent Philly-centric content, and the rest is more general. “We’re home cooks who cook more than we eat out, but there’s some really interesting stuff happening here,” said McClellan.
Their conversations cover hot trends (hello, bone broth), but they also offer a slew of nitty-gritty, timesaving tips for getting delicious and relatively healthy meals on the table (e.g., use pre-peeled and cubed squash instead of wrangling a large butternut).
Both Manning and McClellan have extensive practical culinary experience to draw from, and a healthy obsession with eating well. In a recent episode, Manning shared that she keeps several spreadsheets detailing past Thanksgiving meals and begins planning and strategizing about dishes months in advance of the holiday.
“In some ways I’m thinking about Thanksgiving all year round,” she joked.
And the hosts won’t run out of themes anytime soon.
“The nice thing about food is that it’s endlessly interesting. There’s always something to talk about — what you’re cooking, what you’ve discovered, what’s new in your kitchen or what’s seasonal,” said McClellan.
