We spent some time with Yumna Jawad, better known as Feel Good Foodie, in her Grand Rapids home. She shared her must-have holiday dish and some super practical tips to help us all survive the holiday season in the kitchen.
Find Yumna's stuffed grape leaves recipe here
Find the landing page for Yumna's episode here
Find The Dish's suggestion form here, or email us at TheDish@MichiganPublic.org

We spent some time with Yumna Jawad, better known as Feel Good Foodie, in her Grand Rapids home. She shared her must-have holiday dish and some super practical tips to help us all survive the holiday season in the kitchen.
<ul>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><a href="https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/lebanese-stuffed-grape-leaves/">Find Yumna's stuffed grape leaves recipe here</a></li>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><a href="https://www.michiganpublic.org/podcast/the-dish">Find the landing page for Yumna's episode here</a></li>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><a href="https://forms.fillout.com/t/fRKCYeDpUJus">Find The Dish's suggestion form here</a>, or email us at TheDish@MichiganPublic.org</li>
</ul>

The Dish, hosted by Mercedes Mejia, brings you behind the scenes with Michigan’s most inspiring chefs and culinary talents. Learn how food connects these chefs to their cultures, and strengthens our communities, one dish at a time.

Support our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

The Dish, hosted by Mercedes Mejia, brings you behind the scenes with Michigan’s most inspiring chefs and culinary talents. Learn how food connects these chefs to their cultures, and strengthens our communities, one dish at a time.
Support our work: <a href="https://www.michiganpublic.org/podfund">michiganpublic.org/podfund</a>

The Dish, hosted by Mercedes Mejia, brings you behind the scenes with Michigan’s most inspiring chefs and culinary talents. 

The Dish

Cooking through the holidays with Feel Good Foodie's Yumna Jawad

A sober bar manager in Ann Arbor is redefining what zero‑proof cocktails can be.

In this episode, my colleague April Baer talks with Max Schikora of Echelon Kitchen and Bar about his path to sobriety, the pressures of bar culture, and how he’s crafting some of Michigan’s most thoughtful spirit‑free drinks. 

Max’s story is also a window into a broader shift. More people in the service industry are choosing sobriety, and more restaurants are making space for them. At Echelon, Max helps lead a weekly Ben’s Friends meeting, part of a national support network for hospitality workers navigating addiction and recovery.

He also walked April through one of his favorite creations: a roasted beet cocktail that’s earthy, bright, and built from kitchen scraps that would otherwise be tossed. It’s a drink that captures his philosophy: nothing wasted, everything intentional.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or use Lifeline Chat to connect with a trained counselor.
Find The Dish's suggestion form here, or email us at TheDish@MichiganPublic.org

A sober bar manager in Ann Arbor is redefining what zero‑proof cocktails can be.
In this episode, my colleague April Baer talks with Max Schikora of Echelon Kitchen and Bar about his path to sobriety, the pressures of bar culture, and how he&rsquo;s crafting some of Michigan&rsquo;s most thoughtful spirit‑free drinks.&nbsp;
Max&rsquo;s story is also a window into a broader shift. More people in the service industry are choosing sobriety, and more restaurants are making space for them. At Echelon, Max helps lead a weekly <a href="https://www.bensfriendshope.com/">Ben&rsquo;s Friends</a> meeting, part of a national support network for hospitality workers navigating addiction and recovery.
He also walked April through one of his favorite creations: a roasted beet cocktail that&rsquo;s earthy, bright, and built from kitchen scraps that would otherwise be tossed. It&rsquo;s a drink that captures his philosophy: nothing wasted, everything intentional.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or use<a href="https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/mentalhealth/crisis-and-access-line?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=fy26_awareness&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22452851230&amp;gbraid=0AAAAA9Yl-LVTfMu7e8H-WIE9ebIuHHjyM&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAj8LLBhAkEiwAJjbY7yNLfmt6p777UprfDRltTqNw8T2SAv_KUIV84WGXyxoFqj3PtRLZ3RoC-TUQAvD_BwE"> Lifeline Chat </a>to connect with a trained counselor.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://forms.fillout.com/t/fRKCYeDpUJus">Find The Dish's suggestion form here</a>, or email us at <a href="mailto:TheDish@MichiganPublic.org">TheDish@MichiganPublic.org</a></li>
</ul>

Sober bartender reinvents zero‑proof cocktails

British-born and Michelin-starred chef Kieron Hales has cooked for presidents and royalty across 27 countries. 

He's Executive Chef at Zingerman's Cornman Farms in Dexter, Michigan, a farmhouse and event space with a restored red barn on the property. He works with couples to create custom menus—crafting farm-to-table meals or recreating family favorites—and provides them with the recipes to keep.

Today he talks with me about his favorite food memory, his mother's crepe cannelloni. It’s a labor-intensive lasagna-like creation of crepes stuffed with bolognese and baked in bechamel sauce. Plus what he takes away from cooking at the highest levels of the culinary world, and what it means to create meals that become memories. 

We’d love for you to fill out this listener survey. It will only take a few minutes, and it will help us know what you want to hear! 

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.

Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

British-born and Michelin-starred chef Kieron Hales has cooked for presidents and royalty across 27 countries.&nbsp;
He's Executive Chef at <a href="https://zingermanscornmanfarms.com/">Zingerman's Cornman Farms</a> in Dexter, Michigan, a farmhouse and event space with a restored red barn on the property. He works with couples to create custom menus&mdash;crafting farm-to-table meals or recreating family favorites&mdash;and provides them with the recipes to keep.
Today he talks with me about his favorite food memory, his mother's crepe cannelloni.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s a labor-intensive lasagna-like creation of crepes stuffed with bolognese and baked in bechamel sauce.&nbsp;Plus what he takes away from cooking at the highest levels of the culinary world, and what it means to create meals that become memories.&nbsp;
<hr>
We&rsquo;d love for you to fill out&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/tRg7LtjFiCAazNR39">this listener survey</a>. It will only take a few minutes, and it will help us know what you want to hear!&nbsp;
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider <a href="http://michiganpublic.org/podfund" data-stringify-link="http://michiganpublic.org/podfund" data-sk="tooltip_parent">supporting our work.</a>
Music in this episode by<a href="https://www.sessions.blue/" data-stringify-link="https://www.sessions.blue/" data-sk="tooltip_parent"> Blue Dot Sessions.</a>

How Chef Kieron Hales turns wedding meals into memories at Cornman Farms

MIDROLL

In Boyne City, a little lakeside town in Northern Michigan, there’s a bakery offering crepes of a quality that you'd expect to find in France. It’s owned by a classically trained French baker, Gildas Berrou. The shop offers a variety of savory and sweet fresh-baked goods, including traditional crepes made to order. Just don’t ask Gildas to add American cheese.

HELPFUL LINKS:
Find the Gildas' Lake Street Bakery website here
Find bonus footage on our website here

We’d love for you to fill out this listener survey. It will only take a few minutes, and it will help us know what you want to hear! 

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.

Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.

In Boyne City, a little lakeside town in Northern Michigan, there&rsquo;s a bakery offering crepes of a quality that you'd expect to find in France. It&rsquo;s owned by a classically trained French baker, Gildas Berrou. The shop offers a variety of savory and sweet fresh-baked goods, including traditional crepes made to order.&nbsp;Just don&rsquo;t ask Gildas to add American cheese.
HELPFUL LINKS:
<ul>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Find the <a href="https://www.gildaslakestreetbakery.com/">Gildas' Lake Street Bakery website here</a></li>
<li data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Find <a href="https://www.michiganpublic.org/podcast/the-dish">bonus footage on our website here</a></li>
</ul>
<hr>
We&rsquo;d love for you to fill out&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/tRg7LtjFiCAazNR39">this listener survey</a>. It will only take a few minutes, and it will help us know what you want to hear!&nbsp;
If you like what you hear on the pod, consider <a href="http://michiganpublic.org/podfund" data-stringify-link="http://michiganpublic.org/podfund" data-sk="tooltip_parent">supporting our work.</a>
Music in this episode by<a href="https://www.sessions.blue/" data-stringify-link="https://www.sessions.blue/" data-sk="tooltip_parent"> Blue Dot Sessions.</a>

Cooking through the holidays with Feel Good Foodie's Yumna Jawad

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