To kick off Season 2 of the Philanthropist’s Conversation, our hosts Jay and Garth take us to New Orleans, a city shaped by migration, music, and some of the richest food traditions in the United States.

So yes, our journey starts with a rich gumbo and freshly made beignets, but it also uncovers a harder truth: America’s food system has drifted far from the ancestral wisdom that once shaped its kitchens.

In this episode, Jay, Garth, and their lead guests explore the roots of that drift: What happened to everyday cooking in America? How did ultra-processed foods become the norm? Why is eating well so difficult today? And what can we learn from a city that sits in the roots of its cultural upheaval, yet still cooks to keep the memory alive?

Through supermarket aisles, street corners, and the very heart of a New Orleans kitchen, we break through the amnesia created by convenience and industrialisation.

Along the way, we get to know this season’s cast too. Jay will connect the dots between culture, and identity; our astute journalist Mateo will unpack the deeper social history behind American eating habits; Garth, the food system expert, will break down how food chains work today, and why it’s hard to undo them; Rohan, the chef, will give us a taste for the real flavour of Creole and Cajun cuisine; and Zane, the nutritionist, will decode our pantry staples, show us what we’ve lost, and what we can reclaim.

If you’ve ever wondered why modern eating feels so chaotic, and how to find your way back to real food; this is where our journey begins.

Highlights:

1. Settling in New Orleans (4:24)
2. A food resilience itinerary (9:45)
3. Creole food: history, culture & disconnect (14:09)
4. How to make a good gumbo (18:47)
5. A deep dive into Ultra Processed Foods (24:07)
6. Food Industrialisation: a “chicken or the egg” question (30:20)
7. Perfecting the roux - a taste for food tradition (33:22)
8. A lesson in food marketing at Winn Dixie (36:12)
9. Making a case for a new kind of food literacy (40:23)
10. Switching off the "autopilot" mode (47:03)
11. Beignets, tea, and the health question (55:04)
12. “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” (58:08)
13. A walk through the French Quarters (1:01:42)
14. Drawing conclusions: food resilience is systemic and personal (1:06:01)

Further Resources:

1. Pegasus Website
2. On the History of Cajun and Creole Cuisine (Music Break #1)