With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, most people take time to reflect on all the good things they have. Giving back comes naturally at this time of year, and one of the best ways to help others is to donate time, goods, or money to our local Utah Food Bank. Today’s episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, Bob Harmon and Ginette Bott, president and CEO of the Utah Food Bank, join our host Brandon Young to discuss the importance of supporting the food bank not just at this time of year,...

Pistachios are one of the world’s healthiest and tastiest nuts. The trees they grow on are native to the desert, so they only grow a few places in the world, most commonly in the Middle East, California, and Hurricane, Utah. Wait, what? Hurricane, Utah? Bryce Thornberg, an engineer by trade, discovered the climate and growing conditions in Hurricane, located in Southern Utah, were a lot like Iran and Turkey. So, twenty or so years ago he planted some trees, and the rest is Red Rock...

There are few things as good as a mouthwatering caramel, especially when they are made with love by a dedicated candy maker, and that describes Rowena Montoya perfectly.  Rowena is the Utah-based owner of JulieAnn Caramels, which can be found in all of our stores, and is one of our favorites (admittedly, we have quite a few). On the latest edition of Taste of Harmons, Rowena joins Brandon Young and Chef Lesli to discuss her story, trials, and ultimately her successes.  You’ll want to tune...

When her husband was diagnosed with celiac disease, Pamela Schulte went on a mission to make the sweets and treats he still craved but couldn’t eat. She spent hours and hours refining recipes to take the “tasteless” out of gluten-free baking, and her husband was happy when she came up with some cookies, muffins, and cupcakes that were moist, delicious, and completely free of gluten.  Her quest became her passion, and Lucky Spoon Bakery was born. Pam joins our hosts in the latest episode of...

All of our chefs have amazing culinary skills, but almost all of them specialize in a certain food culture or cuisine, and Chef Jake Driffil is definitely that way. He knows the art of Asian cuisine inside and out. In this episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, Chef Jake joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young to talk about all the different varieties of food that fall under the “Asian” category.  Chef Jake also shares his “aha” moment, the day he realized that he wanted to...

There’s nothing like cookies fresh from the oven. Nobody knows this better than RubySnap's owner, Tami Steggell. And she is passionate about them. Especially those that feature distinctive and unique flavor combinations. Tami joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young in the latest episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast. RubySnap is a past winner of our Local Development Grant. And we are thrilled to work with Tami and company, selling delicious frozen cookies that you take...

Cathy Tshilombo-Lokemba says the heat in her intensely spicy pili pili sauce “talks to you.” We believe this is true, and it has quite a story to tell. In the latest episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, she shares the story of how her family history—and the history of her people in the Congo—shaped the flavor of the family recipe that makes up Mama Africa’s Pili Pili sauce. Pili pili is a popular condiment in the Congo and Ivory Coast regions of Africa. “Pili” means pepper and, legend...

Our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young are joined by Chris Smith and Ashley Quadros. Chris is the director of meat and seafood for Harmons, and Ashley is one of our amazing dietitians, and together they are sharing some really important and relevant information about sustainable seafood. August 10-16, 2021, is wild salmon week at Harmons, and it’s a great time to get savings on the freshest wild salmon. Chris and Ashley share their knowledge of how we get the tasty king, sockeye,...

In the latest episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, Dietitian Sarah Kiel joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young. Sarah and our hosts discuss produce hybrids and genetically modified varieties of our food. The somewhat controversial subject of GMOs has many pros and cons to it. The practice involves altering the DNA of a plant to improve or change its properties. We’re fortunate to have Sarah’s knowledge as she breaks the details down for us.  GMOs basically come two...

Chef Casey Bowthorpe joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young to discuss his career with Harmons. In an interesting journey, he joined Harmons as an associate in 2007. But he held many positions, including dairy manager and café manager, before he took a job as the cooking school coordinator in 2013. It was then that the “chef” fire was lit. Chef Casey took a three-month sabbatical from Harmons to work as an intern at a New York restaurant. But when he was ready to return to...

In this episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, Sheri Brailsford Cutler and Steve Brailsford join our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young. Sheri and Steve are from KEB Enterprises, and their father Ken Brailsford purchased Lehi Roller Mills in 2013. You’ll want to listen to the story of how the original owner’s family, the Robinsons, are still involved in the mill, along with how the Brailsford family has managed to keep the Mills local.  Another guest on this podcast is Todd...

It’s fairly common knowledge that our coral reefs across the world are in trouble, but not many people know a Utah man is behind an effort to save them. Brent Andersen, CEO of Loveland Living Planet Aquarium joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young in a fascinating discussion focusing on Brent’s and LLPA’s efforts, along with marine biologists and others worldwide, to rescue the coral reefs and the marine life they support. The marine biologist, despite being born in...

In a fascinating episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, recurring guest Chef Aaron Ballard joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young in a lively discussion focusing on the history of one of America’s favorite meals: the hamburger. You won’t want to miss this episode, which includes not only the history of the hamburger, but Chef Aaron discusses the origin story of Just Burgers, our amazing hamburger restaurant at the City Creek Harmons location. As he talks about creating the...

Harmons is deeply involved in our community, and so is Red Butte Garden, so the fact that we partner with them is pretty much a no-brainer. In today’s episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, Eddy Dawson, director of programs at Red Butte, joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young to talk about something a little different from the food we eat—but it’s still related. Red Butte Garden is a museum of living plants, according to Eddy. And its history is long and storied. You’ll...

You might have heard there are some health benefits to CBD, but you might be thinking that seems like a risky choice to take in a country where “marijuana” is illegal in most states. Will CBD get you high? The short answer is no, especially with the topical varieties that are sold at Harmons. But we wanted to go a little more in-depth, and so Greg Jones, our pharmacy director, and Denise Braby, the director of home, health, and beauty, join our podcast hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon...

Redmond Real Salt is the “real” deal when it comes to salt. At Harmons, when creating our made-fresh-in-store items it’s the only salt we use. And there is a very good reason for that. It’s natural, clean salt, which tastes very different than iodized salt. And not only is the taste better; so are the health benefits. So, where does Redmond Real Salt come from? Darryl Bosshardt, grandson of one of the original founders, joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young to share the...

It can sometimes feel like Earth Day, April 22, gets overlooked or pushed aside, and yet the day is extremely important, especially for a sustainable future. Here at Harmons, Kate Whitbeck, director of sustainability, thinks about the earth every day, and pretty much all day. Her job at Harmons is to help us reach our goals as a sustainable company, keeping in mind all the ways we take steps to be earth-friendly, and bringing up places where we can do better. Kate joins our hosts Chef Lesli...

In this special episode of the Taste of Harmon Podcast, Greg Jones, director of pharmacy operations for Harmons, joins our host Brandon Young to talk about coronavirus and the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been a long year, but now COVID-19 vaccines are widely available to most Utahns and will shortly be available to all adults. Greg and Brandon discuss the details of the vaccine, how safe vaccines are, and the most important one, the fact that vaccines work! Listen to this episode...

If you are one of those people who used the extra time spent at home becoming a pandemic baker, this is the podcast for you. Jason Lindsey, our Artisan Bread Program Specialist, joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young in the latest episode of our Taste of Harmons Podcast, and he is passionate about bread, including sourdough. Listen to this episode and subscribe to be notified about all upcoming episodes. You can watch the Telly Award winning "Art of Good Taste - Artisan...

Chef Daniela Oliveira, the instructor at our Mountain View Cooking School, came to America from Brazil, a country where “every celebration revolves around food.” In the latest episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, Chef Daniela joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young to discuss how she ended up in America and what drives her to cook and create.  Listen to this episode and subscribe to be notified about all upcoming episodes. Be sure to leave a rating and/or review, we'd...

DeAnn Wallin, the owner of Solstice Chocolate, literally eats and breathes chocolate, and we don’t know for sure, but she might dream about it when she sleeps. She joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young in the latest episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, and shares with us the ABCs of bean-to-bar chocolate. DeAnn is a chocolate maker, which is different from a chocolatier, as she makes her chocolate from scratch. Her love for chocolate is evident in her words, and you’ll...

Meal prepping and planning can seem overwhelming to the uninitiated, but it doesn’t have to be that way. On the latest edition of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, Dietitian Genevieve Daly joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young to discuss the ins and outs of easy meal prep and planning. From making a grocery shopping list to stocking your pantry, Genevieve offers up great tips that make meal planning and prepping efficient.  Listen to this episode and subscribe to be notified...

With the beginning of a new year comes a plethora of resolutions to eat better and exercise more. But what will make this year different? How can you actually keep those resolutions? In the latest episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, Dietitians Sarah Kiel and Heather Lieber join our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young to discuss eating for exercise and how to fuel your body properly. For more information visit...

Chef Adalberto Diaz is passionate about pastries, and in particular macarons. In the latest episode of the Taste of Harmons Podcast, Chef Al, founder and co-owner of Fillings & Emulsions, joins our hosts Chef Lesli Sommerdorf and Brandon Young to talk about his upbringing in Castro-era Cuba, how he came to America, and how he made his dream of owning his own bakery in the US come true.