Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders

On this episode of Munching Around Milwaukee, host Charlie visits Kinship Café in downtown Milwaukee. He chats with Café Culinary Manager Shania Hutchins about the menu and the café’s role in workforce development. Together, they sample a Mediterranean grilled salmon salad.
 
The episode highlights Kinship’s mission to train and employ community members, Shania’s culinary journey from Tandem to Kinship, and the café's support for healthy, affordable meals and community connections.
 
You can watch the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/TqD6bMDydGg 
 
Kinship Cafe -  https://kinshipmke.org/cafe 
 
“Munching Around Milwaukee” is part of the Milwaukee Podcast Network - https://milwaukeepodcastnetwork.com/. It is an Interview show with local Milwaukee chefs, restaurateurs, foodies, and food influencers.
 
We talk about the Milwaukee food scene and what makes it so special. We talk while munching on some of the best food Milwaukee has to offer. Join us each week as we Munch Around Milwaukee.

On this episode of Munching Around Milwaukee, host Charlie chats with Megan Todd, co-owner of La Masa Empanada Bar, about their two Milwaukee locations.
 
La Masa features freshly made empanadas and recently expanded into the Milwaukee Public Market. They discuss menu evolution, brunch offerings, and the fast-paced grab-and-go concept at the market.
 
The episode highlights La Masa's commitment to daily-made dough, a variety of empanada flavors, community roots, and the vibrant local food scene in Milwaukee.
 
You can watch the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/DYs_pvxaKfg
 
La Masa Empanada Bar website: https://lamasaempanadas.com/ 
 
“Munching Around Milwaukee” is part of the Milwaukee Podcast Network - https://milwaukeepodcastnetwork.com/. It is an Interview show with local Milwaukee chefs, restaurateurs, foodies, and food influencers.
 
We talk about the Milwaukee food scene and what makes it so special. We talk while munching on some of the best food Milwaukee has to offer. Join us each week as we Munch Around Milwaukee.

Live from Studio D, host Charlie welcomes Megan Seppmann, Chief Commercial Officer of the Wisconsin Center District.  Megan shares her family spin on a spicy, veggie-forward bolognese-style sauce, featuring chicken meatballs, ground beef, roasted poblano peppers, and jalapeño-stuffed olives.
 
Between cooking steps, Megan discusses her Minnesota roots, hospitality career, and how the Baird Center and other venues are driving Milwaukee’s growth as a convention destination.
 
The episode blends cooking, community leadership, and local pride as the hosts taste the finished dish and talk about the city’s culinary scene, events, and the personal stories behind the recipe.
 
You can watch the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/V1-AZmr-b3M 
 
You can find the recipe here: https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2026/08/07/homemade-bolognese-style-pasta/ 
 
“Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders” is part of the Milwaukee Podcast Network - https://milwaukeepodcastnetwork.com/. This show is an Interview and cooking show with Milwaukee Community Leaders.
 
We have an interview about their work in the community, then we cook something, and then we eat it. From our elected leaders to those working at the grassroots, we talk with people trying to make Milwaukee a better place.

In this episode of Munching Around Milwaukee, host Charlie visits Momo Mee and talks with owner Himanshu Makansa about the pan-Asian restaurant’s focus on handmade soup dumplings (momo) and noodle dishes (mee), plus its local awards and loyal following.
 
The episode highlights Momo Mee’s steamed soup dumplings, Korean spicy noodles, craft cocktails, large portions, newly added halal options, and the owner’s strategy of preserving consistency while carefully improving the operation.
 
Himanshu gives Charlie a tutorial on the proper way to enjoy the soup dumplings.
 
You can watch the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/dDbW8jNhYRo 
 
“Munching Around Milwaukee” is part of the Milwaukee Podcast Network - https://milwaukeepodcastnetwork.com/. It is an Interview show with local Milwaukee chefs, restaurateurs, foodies, and food influencers.
 
We talk about the Milwaukee food scene and what makes it so special. We talk while munching on some of the best food Milwaukee has to offer. Join us each week as we Munch Around Milwaukee.
 

Join Charlie and Chef Joe Parajecki as they cook Bigos, Poland’s national dish — a hearty blend of pork, beef, kielbasa, sauerkraut, dried mushrooms, prunes, and spices — and let it simmer to perfection.
 
Along the way, they discuss the Polish Center of Wisconsin, Polish Fest, Joe’s culinary work, and an upcoming foodie tour in Poland, then taste the finished dish.
 
You can watch the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/A79kQ7OQ3FM 
 
You can find the recipe for Bigos here - https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2026/07/24/bigos-hunters-stew-polands-national-dish/ 
 
“Local Chef Go International” podcast is part of the Milwaukee Podcast Network - https://milwaukeepodcastnetwork.com/.
 
Local Chefs Go International: Charlie teams up with top local Milwaukee Chefs each month to create recipes from a single chosen country.

Charlie visits Fiddleheads in Lake Leelanau, MI, to speak with co-owner Chef Joshua Deters, who also runs the historic VI Grill in Suttons Bay, MI. They discuss Joshua’s Cincinnati roots, culinary training, and long restaurant career, which led to his ownership and rebranding of the VI Grill.
 
The episode covers opening Fiddleheads during the pandemic, its breakfast-to-dinner menu, local sourcing, live music and vinyl culture, pop-up dinners, community programs like the Mockingbird Foundation, and the chef’s commitment to mentoring and second chances.
 
The episode features Fiddleheads Wagyu Corned Beef Reuben, which Charlie and Joshua sampled while chatting about the food scene in Leelanau County, MI.
 
You can watch the YouTube video of this episode here - https://youtu.be/UBqWB-8GnpI