So, some big news about changes to the podcast plus a wonderful story: Davey & The King of the Fishes. You can find out and get updates about my new podcast at my new website: A Question of Death You can find more about me and Folklore, Food and Fairytales via my ⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠ which will continue as purely as storytelling podcast with a monthly folktale or two featuring food. You can find the interviews in my newest interview series here: ⁠⁠How Food Frames Stories⁠⁠. You can find my...

A collection of wintery and festive tales for the season: Why the Sea is Salt, The Christmas Bear and Twelve Brothers. The first is 'Why the Sea is Salt' a Norwegian tale adapted from Christmas Fairytales colled by Neil Phillip. The story begins on a bitterly cold Christmas Eve when a poor and hungry man finds himself unable to provide for his family and turns to his rich brother. The brother unwittingly starts him on the road toto a better life, but first he must pay a trip to hell with a...

In which we discover that strange food stealing horses don't always have your best intentions at heart, that you should always be kind to cats, rowan is good for protection and that kale has its very own folklore. The Story: The Widow & Her Daughters adapted from the version in Popular Tales of the Western Highlands collected by Joseph Campbell. The Recipe: Wilted Kale If you would like to find out more about what I talked about in this episode you can find books and links at ⁠Further...

The ⁠Stories⁠ in this episode are: Golden Hair, The Lass & her Good Stout Blackthorn Stick and The Tailor in the Church adapated from Sorche nic Leodhas and Ruth Manning Sanders  This is another just the stories episode, this time for All Hallows Eve. There are three traditional tales which are just a little bit scary but also a little bit clever and maybe also just a little bit silly in the case of the last tale. I hope you enjoy these tales even if you prefer yours a bit more bone...

In which I explore a completely different direction, have fun with food symbolism and folklore at this interesting time of year and make a realisation about how I really feel about good food. I hope you enjoy this bonus episode as it is very different to anything I have done on the podcast before. I will be presenting a menu for a Halloween or an All Hallows Eve Feast, providing some of the folk beliefs or symbolic meanings for the foods involved and folklore around some of the ingredients...

In this episode I interviewed the wonderful Sarah Robinson about the fabulous book she has created with Lucy H Pearce: The Kitchen Witch Companion: Recipes, Rituals & Reflections If you are reading this on or before 19 October 23 there is still a chance to pre order this direct from the publisher there will still be a chance to pre-order the book direct from Womancraft Publishing (pre-ordering direct from Womancraft gets you a selection of free e-goodies, signed copy &...

In which we discover that everything is not always as it seems, that you should take advice from helpful travellers, that bees can be excellent as a home protection system and that the taste of honey can make you cross worlds. The Story: The Beekeeper & The Hare adapted from Thistle & Thyme collected by Sorche nic Leodhas The Recipe: Hot Honey If you would like to find out more about what I talked about in this episode you can find books and links at Further Reading You can find...

My current research is around the areas of food and death and the rituals around both. We talk so much about food being a huge part of life but it is also a large part of death and the rituals we have developed to help us cope with loss. The American South is well known for its traditions and rituals around food and funerals and funerary practices so I interviewed Ashley-Anne Masters, a Presbyterian Pastor from North Carolina and we discussed how food can bring us together in grief just as it...

I met with Zuza Zak and we talked about her wonderful new book Slavic Kitchen Alchemy: Nourishing Herbal Remedies, Magical Recipes & Folk Wisdom. Zuza is also the author of ‘Polska: New Polish Cooking’, ‘Amber & Rye: A Baltic Food Journey Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania’ and ‘Pierogi: Over 50 Recipes to Create Perfect Polish Dumplings’ all of which I own and have allowed me to do some of my favourite travelling via food and books without leaving my kitchen.   This book is different...

If you want to pre-order Icy's new book Rebel Folklore you can find links below: US Bookshop.org : Pre Order Link UK Bookshop.org : Pre Order Link You can also find out more about Icy at her website You can find more about me and Folklore, Food and Fairytales via my Linktree You can find the interviews in my newest interview series here: How Food Frames Stories. You can find my interviews with storytellers here: Vernacular Voices of the Storyteller  You can also subscribe here (or just...

In which we find out that certain tropes aren't always true, that a heart of gold sometimes needs assistance and that brownies and a bannock in the house are invaluable. We also venture into peat bogs and cheese riots in pursuit of food and folklore. Our story: The Laird with a Heart of Gold adapted from Thistle and Thyme : tales and legends from Scotland - Sorche Nic Leodhas Our Recipe: Fresh Cheese If you would like to hear more about what I talked about in this episode you can find...

This episdoe is a little different but I hope you enjoy a wonderful Welsh tale from fantastic storyteller Owen Staton and our chat in which we barely touch the depths of how both food and stories can break down barriers between people and nourish our souls but had a fabulous time in the talking just the same. As a bonus I also interviewed Catherine Warr about her fascinating new book A Yorkshire Year: Folklore, history, traditions as well as finding out all about how she got interested in...

In which we discover that taking care of animals is its own reward, fishermen are somehow inherently magical, womens voices can achieve change and a good risotto creates its own legend. Our story: Why Cats and Dogs Disagree - adapted from a Korean tale found in Nine Lives: the Folklore of Cats edited by Katharine Briggs Our Recipe: Risotto Risotto Meditation If you would like to hear more about what I talked about in this episode you can find books and links at Further Reading You can...

In this episode I talked with Aaron Bobick the host of Appalachian Folklore Podcast and Stories from the Cabin, a storytelling podcast within a podcast and we talked all things food, folklore and story. Aaron is a brewer-turned-distiller by day. His undergraduate and graduate studies were in literature, bibliography, and textual editing where he gained a love for research; for finding the history of any given topic that interests him.  His research into UK folklore is what started his...

In which we find out that eggs are not as straight forward as you might think, that luck doesn't really come into it, that truths can be uncomfortable and that the advice you recieve from old women is invaluable no matter where they heard it. Our story: The Search for Luck adapted from Modern Greek Folktales by RM Dawkins from 1953 Our Recipe: Chip Omelette Here are the newsletter and Episode Recipe I mentioned. You can find the interviews in my newest interview series here: How Food...

In which we discover that princes can be forgiven anything, that women are destined to some sorrow no matter what they do, that onions aren't always just onions and secure mail is essential.  Our story: Prince Lindorm, adapted from the Pink Fairy Book, collected by Andrew Lang Our Recipe: French Onion Soup If you would like to hear more about what I talked about in this episode you can find books and links at Further Reading You can find the interviews in my newest interview series here:...

In which a shoemaker reluctantly becomes a hero, a princess reluctantly gets married and we discover the relevance of a giant, a unicorn, a wild boar and some ricotta. The Story in this episode is: The Brave Little Shoemaker, a Sicilian tale adapated from various sources including Laura Gonzenbach The Recipe in this episode is: Spinach & Ricotta Lasagne If you would like to hear more about what I talked about in this episode you can find books and links at Further Reading Jack the...

The Story in this episode is: The Christmas Cuckoo - This story is adapted from a literary fairytale written by Frances Elizabeth Browne from a book called from Granny’s Wonderful Chair, first published in 1856.  Frances was born in 1816 in Donegal but moved first to Scotland and then to London. She originally wrote poetry but also wrote short stories.  The whole collection is beautiful and she created a gorgeous world rich in imaginative detail, made even more incredible by the fact that she...

In which we discover that if there is ever a choice between a cat and a cow, choose the cat, arguments over porridge are rarely worth it and that the main differences between royalty and commoners is that commoners get a better night sleep and worse dresses. The Story in this episode is: The Palace That Stood on Golden Pillars adaped from Yule-tide stories: a collection of Scandinavian and North German popular tales and traditions from the Swedish, Danish and German The Recipe in this...

The Stories in this episode are: Old Tommy & The Spectre, Box on the Ears and The Cook & the Goblin adapated from Ruth Manning Sanders  This is another just the stories episode, this time for All Hallows Eve.  There are three traditional tales involving food which are just a little bit scary but also a little bit clever and maybe also just a little bit kind in the case of the last tale. I hope you enjoy these tales even if you prefer yours a bit more bone chilling normally.   You...

In which we discover that you should stick to your path, no matter what others say, that you shouldn't let an elderberry pudding get in the way of the rest of your life and that perfectly good castles only lie empty for a good reason. The Recipe in this episode is Elderberry Cordial The Story in this episode is The Dark Spectre adapated from Ruth Manning Sanders - Spooks and Spectres You can find the interviews in my newest interview series here: How Food Frames Stories. You can find my...

In these fractured times l wanted to continue to look at how stories and food can overcome the distance between people and enhance our shared experiences so earlier this year I spent time exploring storytelling through food writing. I interviewed some very talented writers who tell stories through their food writing to find out why how food has shaped their writing and in what ways food enhances their storytelling.  They have all had different experiences around food which has influenced how...

In these fractured times l wanted to continue to look at how stories and   food can overcome the distance between people and enhance our shared  experiences so earlier this year I spent time exploring storytelling   through food writing. I interviewed some very talented writers who tell   stories through their food writing to find out why how food has shaped   their writing and in what ways food enhances their storytelling.  They   have all had different experiences around food which has...

In  these fractured times l wanted to continue to look at how stories and  food can overcome the distance between people and enhance our shared experiences so earlier this year I spent time exploring storytelling  through food writing. I interviewed some very talented writers who tell  stories through their food writing to find out why how food has shaped  their writing and in what ways food enhances their storytelling.  They  have all had different experiences around food which has...