Best Cornucopia The Podcast About Food Podcasts (2024)

1
What You Don't Know About Recycling 44:48

1+ y ago44:48

44:48

In this episode we look at the history of recycling in America and discuss the good, the bad and the ugly about sorting your trash. While recycling is inherently good its effectiveness is another thing. In other words, recycling was never meant to work. An add on to a linear economic system designed to maximize profits and minimize costs to private…

1
EP 31: Classic Repost: The Easter with No Peeps - Grocery Hell 15:58

2+ y ago15:58

15:58

ITS BEEN a year since we published our homage to the addictively sweet and garishly bright Easter Peeps . Some might the episode the grocery world's answer to David Sedaris' Santaland Dairies. We just call it GROCERY HELL. The Easter with no Peeps. Twenty-five years ago phones were connected to the wall, gasoline cost an average of a $1.23 a gallon…

1
Trailer: The Easter with No Peeps 1:44

2+ y ago1:44

1:44

Twenty-five years ago phones were connected to the wall, gasoline cost an average of a $1.23 a gallon and in San Francisco a small grocery chain had no peeps at Easter because its distributor was no good. Matt Levine recalls his time working as a sales representative for this incompetent distributor in this funny tale of grocery hell, featuring Geo…

1
A History of Bottled Water in America 18:58

3y ago18:58

18:58

Bottled water sold today is a new phenomena, not much older than quarter Tom Brady. Back in the 19th century there were lots and lots of bottled water companies in America. But the advent of municipal waters system in the early 20th century meant nearly of all these early brands disappeared. When Evian arrived in America back in 1978 experts wonder…

1
Ep 29: Here in SF - Keto Crusaders vs Carbo Zombies Part 2 50:02

3y ago50:02

50:02

In this episode we'll talk about John Harvey Kellogg and bacon, oat bran and coconut water as well as ask whether the Paleo diet makes sense. Spoiler alert- logic never matters when it comes to diet and food trends. We'll examine a variety of food trends, how the grow and how they die, as well as the people pulling the levers behind the curtain man…

1
Ep; 28: Here in SF- Keto Crusaders vs Carbo Zombies on the Golden Gate. Part 1 36:25

3y ago36:25

36:25

In case you wonder why some people think eating spaghetti and garlic bread is as bad for you as pouring whiskey on your wheaties don't miss this episode. Actually, even if you pour whiskey on your wheaties or use it as pasta sauce, you should listen too. As the title implies were going to take a look at keto and other high protein diets, But not to…

1
Ep. 27: Is That a Sticker on Your Banana? Our New Cornucopia Express Series 4:34

3+ y ago4:34

4:34

This is the first episode in our new series, Cornucopia Express: Ten Items or Less (aka: A Podcast in a Hurry). In these four minute-ish episodes we will expand your understanding of the grocery and consumer packaged goods business as well leave you lots of time to beg your spouse for a foot rub, tell your teenager to turn down the Ariana Grande, c…

1
Ep 26B: Bonus-Easter with No Peeps 6:56

3+ y ago6:56

6:56

After listening to episode 26 The Easter with No Peeps here's a short and sweet bonus episode to help you get the taste of jelly beans out of your mouth. Matt Levine talks to his ex-boyfriend David Adams too see what he remembers about Matt's grocery hell getting yelled at five days a week. They discover memories are deceiving, discuss pickles (no …

1
Ep 26: The Easter With No Peeps - Grocery Hell 15:58

3+ y ago15:58

15:58

Twenty-five years ago phones were connected to the wall, gasoline cost an average of a $1.23 a gallon and in San Francisco a small grocery chain had no peeps at Easter because its distributor was no good. Matt Levine recalls his time working as a sales representative for this incompetent distributor in this funny tale of grocery hell, featuring Geo…

1
Ep 25: Here in San Francisco: Bamboozling Bay Area Billionaires 1:12:38

3+ y ago1:12:38

1:12:38

Originally this was going to be a bonus episode to Episode 23 Poor Jack Dorsey & The Search for Meaning Through Food. But once we bushwhacked through the billionaire weed patch it became clear that this required way more time. Because our local bamboozling billionaires were symbols, as well as the causes of a wide range of problems facing America t…

1
TRAILER - HERE IN SF: BAMBOOZLING BAY AREA BILLIONAIRES 1:52

3+ y ago1:52

1:52

If you've listened to episode 23, Poor Jack Dorsey and the Search for Meaning Through Food you heard our admonition that if you think we're being unfair to that lanky fellow worth 15 billion don't troll us on Twitter until you listen to the Bonus Episode Bamboozling Bay Area Billionaires. Well it's not ready yet because there was so much juice in t…

1
Ep 23: Here in San Francisco: Poor Jack Dorsey and The Search for Meaning Through Food 30:12

3+ y ago30:12

30:12

In this episode we take a look at the anti-Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey and his unconventional approach to living. His lifestyle offers something to marvel at -- okay, laugh at too -- but also provides an opportunity for self-reflection. In other words he's not the only buying stupid things. Though his are way, way, way more expensive than the things mos…

1
Listener Favorite: Pilot Episode The History of the Supermarket-From A & P to Amazon 25:16

3+ y ago25:16

25:16

As food shopping and grocery stores have become the center of so much of our pandemic life we thought it would be great to replay our pilot episode. In this episode we’ll look at the history of food retailing in America, how self-service replaced counter service, the way a couple of notable innovators changed how we shop and discuss how today’s ret…

1
Episode 22: Here in San Francisco: The New Gold Rush 5:23

3+ y ago5:23

5:23

In our new series we'll look at how San Francisco and the Bay area both influence and reflect our national obsession with food. In this episode we'll set the scene. Since the gold rush we've been boom and bust, sometimes crazy rich and stupid too. An anecdote from just before Covid-19 changed where and how we eat sums this up quite well. A young gu…

1
Ep 021: Open The Refrigerator Door Hal. Can iGrabit's Artificial Intelligence Take on Amazon 18:19

6+ y ago18:19

18:19

In the age of Alexa, Siri and Amazon's never ending reach, it might not be a surprise that a new app can monitor your what you buy and eat and automatically create and send shopping lists to your store for delivery or pickup. What might be surprising is that iGrabit's new app could even the playing field between retail giants and the pipsqueaks, al…

1
EP 20: POV Amazon's Greed, Whole Foods, Costco Trader Joe's and the Myth of The Good Wage 6:42

6+ y ago6:42

6:42

While Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods has received a lot of media attention, there has been little discussion of the impact on Whole Foods' employees. And the impact has been huge. But while Amazon's gutting of employee profit sharing is just plain greedy, it's nothing new. Ever since the last quarter of the 20th century corporations have been …

1
Ep 19: POV Nestle Buys Blue Bottle and The Emperor's No Clothes 8:55

6+ y ago8:55

8:55

While Coke, McDonald's, Nestle and the rest of America's food giants capture nearly 90 cents out of every dollar spent on food & beverages their consolidation is beginning to erode, at least a little bit. And amid this shifting landscape paying huge prices for little companies continues unabated. In this episode of Cornucopia Point of View we look …

1
Ep 18: POV The Retail Hand Job and Whole Foods Amazon 5:43

6+ y ago5:43

5:43

In this episode of Cornucopia Point of View we look at whether the chaos surrounding Amazon's integration with Whole Foods is really all that newsworthy as well as how Whole Foods mastery of theatrical grocery, or the retail hand job is likely to change as Amazon takes over the reins. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sho…

1
Listener Favorite: Before Steve Jobs There Was Piggly Wiggly's Clarence Saunders 23:50

6+ y ago23:50

23:50

After we finished our pilot on the history of the supermarket we realized that Clarence Saunders, the man who created Piggly Wiggly, deserved way more attention. Blending PT Barnum's theatrics with Steve Jobs-like innovations so much of the grocery business even today bear his mark. With an unabashed joie de vivre, Saunders was a self-made man who …

1
Ep 17: A Food Scientist on Weed or Cannabis Manufacturing 101 5:38

6+ y ago5:38

5:38

This bonus track from our Food Scientist on Weed episode features Mary Mulry who discusses the challenges weed food companies face as California shifts to legal cannabis. New rules requiring companies to standardize the amount of THC in their cookies, gummies and chocolates is a burden. One that isn't easy, even for food science professionals and e…

1
Ep 16: A Food Scientist on Weed, Edibles, Opioids and Pharma 24:59

6+ y ago24:59

24:59

Food scientist Mary Mulry details the shifting landscape for manufacturers of cannabis edibles and how the shift from an underground business to the mainstream requires more science in product development and manufacturing. In addition she discusses how potency on the cannabis labels compares to alcohol, and how the pharmaceutical industry fears th…

1
EP 15: Surviving Trader Joe's. Laid Off and Landing Work in the Grocery Aisle 21:07

6+ y ago21:07

21:07

At the age of 58 after getting laid off from a career in the lighting business my sister Nancy got a job at Trader Joe's. With humor, gratitude and a teeny bit of regret she shares what it's like stocking the aisles, ringing up customers and fetching shopping carts at Trader Joe's, a place where everyone pretends they're working on a boat and peopl…

1
Ep 14: An Economist On Weed. Jerry Nickelsburg on Legal Cannabis in California 15:00

6+ y ago15:00

15:00

In this episode we ask Jerry Nickelsburg, Director of The UCLA Anderson Forecast and economics professor about how legal weed is likely to impact California. In addition to macro economic trends, our favorite professor talks about whether the end of prohibition in the 1920's offers insights, how sales of beer wine and spirits have fared after marij…

1
Ep 13: Chipotle Bonus: Store Design, Marketing, Willie Nelson & Industrial Farms 12:15

6+ y ago12:15

12:15

After editing our interview with Chipotle's Chris Arnold we realized there was too much leftin this audible burrito that we had to do a bonus episode. Matt talks with Chris about store designs, marketing, their animated video featuring Willie Nelson and the challenges facing farmers seeking to raise food on a human scale. --- Support this podcast: …

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Ep 12: Innovating Fresh Fast Food -- Chipotle Beyond E-coli 30:47

6+ y ago30:47

30:47

While Chipotle's e-coli outbreak in 2015 severely damaged the company's image and its investment value the fast casual restaurant's was an early pioneer in creating healthier fast food, making choices that flew in the face of conventional wisdom. In this episode we talk with Chipotle's Chris Arnold about the decision to use Niman Ranch pork in thei…

1
EP 11: America's New Generation of Farmers: Spade and Plow 23:52

6+ y ago23:52

23:52

Defying conventional wisdom about millennials, there's a small but growing group of young people who are farming the land. In this first of an ongoing series of interviews with America's new generation of farmers, Ashley Ellis travels half an hour south of the Silicon Valley to speak with a young farmer keeping an 8th generation family tradition al…

1
Ep 10: Can Food Giants Change Their Stripes? Campbell's, Innovation and the Unknown 25:20

7y ago25:20

25:20

Despite earning billions of dollars annually by selling the same old stuff, America's food giants are trying to clean up their act. In this episode we interview Mike Movitz to learn about how legacy brands are losing sales to upstart natural & organic innovators and how Campbell's is ahead of the rest in reshaping the way it makes and sells food.--…

1
Ep 9: 1 on 1 with David Lebovitz Talking About Paris Blueberries Cheese And More 31:05

7y ago31:05

31:05

Despite his all-star credentials - Chez Panisse, acclaimed food blogger and Paris connoisseur - David Lebovitz lacks any pretense and is gracious and funny. In this fascinating and wide-ranging discussion, David shares his thoughts about the allure of food in Paris, the challenges small food businesses face there and his belief that food is also th…

1
Ep 8: 1 on 1 with NYTimes Best Selling Author Michael Moss of SALT, SUGAR FAT 33:09

7y ago33:09

33:09

A fascinating discussion with Michael Moss author of the NY Times number-one best seller Salt, Sugar, Fat about how America's food giants have altered our tastebuds in the lab all in the name of lower costs and higher profits.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support…

1
Ep 7: Amazon Buys Whole Foods.With Mike Movtiz. 20:40

7y ago20:40

20:40

Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods, may seem like the start of a brave new world, but hold onto your shopping carts. The die has yet to be cast. Listen to Matt Levine and Mike Movitz talk about the implications of Jezz Bezos' and John Mackey's sweaty love affair . And if you haven't listened to Episode 1, our History of the Supermarket what are you w…

1
Ep 6: What to Know About Amazon Buying Whole Foods 26:28

7y ago26:28

26:28

Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods, may seem like the start of a brave new world, but hold onto your shopping carts. The die has yet to be cast. Listen to Matt Levine and our resident expert Mary Mulry talk about the implications of Jeff Bezos' and John Mackey's sweaty love affair . And if you haven't listened to Episode 1, our History of the Superma…

1
Ep 5: Trump, Immigrants and the Food We Eat 14:03

7+ y ago14:03

14:03

The reality beyond Trump's rhetoric about deporting undocumented workers and how it would impact food production.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/supportBy Cornucopia The Podcast About Food

1
Ep 4: Before Steve Jobs there was Clarence Saunders and Piggly Wiggly 23:29

8y ago23:29

23:29

After we finished our pilot on the history of the supermarket we realized that Clarence Saunders, the man who created Piggly Wiggly, deserved way more attention. Blending PT Barnum's theatrics with Steve Jobs-like innovations so much of the grocery business even today bear his mark. With an unabashed joie de vivre, Saunders was a self-made man who …

1
Ep 3: Forest of Illustions Bonus Content with Mary Mulry on Ethical Shopping 18:46

8y ago18:46

18:46

In this episode, Matt and Jeremy interview Mary Mulry on best practices for healthy and ethical shopping.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/supportBy Cornucopia The Podcast About Food

1
Ep 2: Environmentalists, Monsanto Bayer & The Forest of Illusions on Food Labels. 18:42

8y ago18:42

18:42

Cornucopia Episode 2 - The Forest Of Illusions by Cornucopia The Podcast About Food--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/supportBy Cornucopia The Podcast About Food

1
Ep 1 (pilot) - The History of the Supermarket 20:48

8y ago20:48

20:48

These days Americans can buy groceries everywhere. Gas stations, drug stores, mass merchants, at bodegas and corner stores and of course good old supermarkets too. In this episode we’ll look at the history of food retailing in America, how self-service replaced counter service, the way a couple of notable innovators changed how we shop and discuss …

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