In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Catherine De Orio — food & lifestyle media personality, former host of “Check, Please!” Chicago, executive director of the Foundation for Culinary Arts, and founder of Casa De Orio, a new media brand celebrating la dolce vita.
Catherine’s journey is one of reinvention, resilience, and creativity. From her early years in an Italian-American family where food focused on connection and nourishment, to her transition from litigator to culinary school graduate to national TV host, she shares how she’s turned every chapter into an opportunity to grow, serve, and create.
We dive into how she built a career at the intersection of culinary arts, media, nonprofits and entrepreneurship, how she’s shaping the future of culinary education through the Foundation for Culinary Arts, and what inspired her newest venture — Casa De Orio, a digital platform and lifestyle brand focused on food, design, travel, and finding beauty in everyday life.
In this episode you’ll learn:
To learn more about the Foundation for Culinary Arts and support its mission, you can visit www.foundationforculinaryarts.org. You can follow FFCA on Instagram at @f4cachi.
You can learn more about Casa De Orio at www.casadeorio.com and follow on Instagram @casadeorio.
Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
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In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Chef Logan Neisel, the creative force behind North Coast Culinary Group — known for his innovative Prologue Dinner Series pop-ups and private dining experiences in Cleveland.
Logan’s approach to food blends fine-dining precision with personal storytelling, drawing on history, culture, and art to craft meals that are as thought-provoking as they are delicious. From his culinary beginnings to curating one-of-a-kind experiences, Logan shares what inspires his menus, how he brings a sense of art and history to every dish, and why he believes food should make you feel something.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Want to join Logan for one of his Prologue Dinner Series events? Get 10% off your tickets with code PERFECTBITE here.
You can follow Logan on Instagram @chef_lone, @northcoastculinarygroup, and @prologuedinner_cle.
Head to this link to see where Logan will be serving his next dinner in Cleveland.
Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen!
Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!
In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Chef Zubair Mohajir, the creative force behind Lilac Tiger, Coach House, Mirra, and Sarima Café—four of Chicago’s most inventive and culture-forward restaurants.
Zubair’s journey is anything but traditional. Born in Chennai, India, and raised in the Chicago suburbs, he went from a career in finance to the kitchens of Jean-Georges, Bouchon, and even Gaggan in Bangkok. His story spans immigration, resilience, mentorship, and the reinvention of Indian cuisine paired with other cultures for a new generation.
He shares how his South Indian roots shaped his culinary identity, how he built community-driven restaurants rooted in collaboration and culture, and how he’s using food to challenge stereotypes about Indian cuisine.
You’ll Learn:
You can visit all of Zubair’s venues throughout Chicago. To learn more, visit www.chefzubair.com.
You can follow Zubair on Instagram @zubairmohajir. You can follow his restaurants @lilactigerchi, @mirrachicago, @coachhousechi, and @sarimacafe.
Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!
When Mark and Gail Elvidge’s son Tanner had a life-threatening reaction to peanuts, they knew they had to make a change. What started as a way to keep their family safe became Vermont Nut Free Chocolates, a pioneering allergen-friendly confectionery brand founded in 1998.
In this inspiring episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Mark Elvidge, co-founder of Vermont Nut Free Chocolates, to talk about building a beloved brand for families with food allergies — and why safe, great chocolate is for everyone.
Mark shares:
If you or your loved ones have ever struggled with food allergies, work in the CPG or chocolate space, or just love entrepreneurial stories (and chocolate!), you won’t want to miss this conversation.
Want 15% off your Vermont Nut Free order? Use code PERFECTBITE at checkout or follow this link: https://www.vermontnutfree.com/discount/PERFECTBITE
You can purchase Vermont Nut Free Chocolates at www.vermontnutfree.com or use the website's Store Locator to find a retailer near you.
You can follow Vermont Nut Free Chocolates on social media at @vermontnutfree.
Learn more about the FARE PACT Alliance here.
Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack!
What if dinner could be fresh, delicious, and stress-free—without hours in the kitchen?
In this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, host Sarah Perkins sits down with David Rabie, co-founder and CEO of Tovala, the smart steam-powered countertop oven and meal service that reimagined home cooking. From humble prototypes to being named one of Oprah’s Favorite Things, Tovala has grown into a national brand that’s changing the way people cook at home.
David shares the full journey:
Whether you’re a foodie, a startup founder, or someone looking for smarter ways to cook at home, this episode is packed with insights on innovation, perseverance, and building a consumer brand that lasts.
You can order a Tovala oven and sign up for the meal service at www.tovala.com.
Follow Tovala on Instagram at @tovalafood and your other favorite social media platforms.
Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for the newsletter on Substack!
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What happens when you mix hometown pride, bold flavors, and decades of CPG experience? You get Local Style Potato Chips, Chicago’s favorite foods reimagined in snackable form.
This week on The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Laura Gardner, founder of Local Style, to talk about her journey from Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo to launching a startup that has Chicago buzzing.
Laura shares how memories of eating Better Made chips with her grandmother and a honeymoon in Japan enjoying unique chip flavors sparked the idea for Local Style, how she brought iconic flavors like Italian Beef, Chicago Hot Dog, Deep Dish Pizza, and Hot Giardiniera to life, and why entrepreneurship in her 40s was the right move.
We also dive into:
If you love snacks, debating Chicago foods, or entrepreneurial stories full of resilience and creativity, you won’t want to miss this episode.
To learn more and order Local Style nationwide, head to www.localstylechips.com. You also can order Local Style on Here Here Market nationwide at www.hereheremarket.com.
Follow Local Style on Instagram and Tiktok @localstylechips.
Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for the newsletter on Substack!
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Food is heritage, healing, and storytelling — and in her new cookbook Dal Chawal, Sapna Punjabi brings all of that to life.
In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Sapna Punjabi — registered dietitian, culinary educator, and founder of beSPICED— to talk about her journey from Mumbai to Texas, how Ayurveda shapes her philosophy of food, and the inspiration behind her debut cookbook Dal Chawal.
Sapna shares:
This episode is a beautiful reminder that food is more than fuel — it’s connection, culture, and healing.
👉 Dal Chawal is available now wherever books are sold.
You can learn more about beSPICED, Sapna’s products, Dal Chawal, and her courses at www.bespiced.com.
You can follow Sapna on Instagram @be.spiced and her YouTube channel. In California? View Sapna’s upcoming book tour dates and locations here!
Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.
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I was so honored to join Colleen Silk on Hospitality Bites! You can listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Captivate. Read more about our chat below:
In this episode of Hospitality Bites, host Colleen Silk sits down with Sarah Perkins, Cherry Bombe member, founder of Perkins Creative Consulting, and host of The Perfect Bite podcast.
Sarah shares her journey from working as the “phone girl” at a pizzeria to building a career rooted in storytelling, creativity, and entrepreneurship. From being ahead of her time in the fashion swap era as a younger, successful startup founder, navigating the tech space, to now finding happiness and success in sharing conversations with strangers turned friends.
Together, Colleen and Sarah explore the heart of the food and beverage industry: connection, storytelling, and the power of personal journeys.
What We Discussed
Episode Takeaways
Chapters
#HospitalityBitesPodcast #HospitalityEntrepreneur #WomenInHospitality #HospitalityLeadership #FemaleFounders #FoodAndBeverageIndustry #CherryBombe #PerfectBitePodcast #BusinessOfFood #FoodStorytelling
About Hospitality Bites:
Hosted by Colleen Silk, Hospitality Bites is an honest and restorative space for voices within the hospitality industry. More than just a podcast, it serves as a storytelling platform for changemakers, risk-takers, and hospitality professionals who are approaching their work in innovative ways. Each episode features guests ranging from chefs to advocates and media personalities, focusing on mental and physical health, personal experiences, and the realities of thriving in the hospitality industry and beyond.
New episodes of Hospitality Bites drop every Monday, now proudly under the Walk-In Talk Media umbrella.
Watch the full episode on YouTube the following week.
Want to get involved or learn more? Visit HospitalityBites.com
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What do food, sports, and determination have in common? For Chef Dan Jacobs (DanDan, EsterEv, James Beard-recognized Top Chef alum) and Chicago pizza and media entrepreneur Billy Zureikat (Tripping Billy), they’re the foundation of friendship, creativity, and their new podcast Over the Line.
In this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, host Sarah Perkins dives into Dan and Billy’s incredible stories:
This conversation is about more than food — it’s about finding purpose, reinventing yourself, and building community.
You can follow Dan Jacobs on social media @chefdanjacobs and learn more at www.chefdanjacobs.com.
You can follow Billy Zureikat on social media @therealbillyz and learn more at www.trippingbillyz.com.
Listen and subscribe to Over The Line on any of your favorite podcast platforms. You can follow the podcast on social media @otlwithdanandbilly.
If you’d like to learn more and support the causes discussed today, visit www.mda.org (Muscular Dystrophy Association) and www.kennedysdisease.org (Kennedy’s Disease).
Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What if restaurants could understand every guest and their personal preferences across reservations, private dining, e-commerce, and events — all in one place? That’s the vision behind Panso, the 360 degree hospitality CRM platform founded by Britney Ziegler.
On this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, I sit down with Britney to talk about her journey from working alongside celebrity chefs and food icons like David Burke, Carla Hall, and Molly Baz, to launching a startup that’s reshaping how restaurants build customer loyalty and future-proof their business.
Britney shares:
Whether you’re a restaurant operator, food tech entrepreneur, or hospitality professional, you’ll walk away with insights on customer experience, innovation, and building a mission-driven business.
✨ Listen now to learn how Panso is helping restaurants thrive in 2025 and beyond.
You can learn more about Panso at www.hellopanso.com.
You can follow Panso at @hellopanso on Instagram.
You can follow Britney Ziegler on LinkedIn.
Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.
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What does it really take to get a cookbook published today? I sat down with Sally Ekus, lead of and senior literary agent at The Ekus Group (now a division of JVNLA), to explore the intersection of food, publishing, and entrepreneurship.
Sally has spent over 16 years representing cookbook authors, chefs, food writers, and culinary thought leaders, helping them bring their unique stories and recipes to print. She shares how publishing has evolved from the days of Julia Child and Emeril Lagasse to the era of TikTok food creators, Substack writers, and BookTok trends.
Sally leads The Ekus Group, a boutique literary agency specializing in cookbooks and culinary talent. With a background in sociology, she brings a unique perspective to agenting—blending negotiation skills with deep care for authors’ stories. She also writes the popular Substack “Not So Secret Agent,” where she offers transparent insights into the publishing world.
Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen!
Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.
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From a five-time James Beard Award nominee to a tech co-founder reshaping hospitality, Matt Jennings has worn many hats — chef, restaurateur, author, and now tech entrepreneur with MAJC.ai.
In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Matt to trace his journey from his early days in New England kitchens to running celebrated restaurants like Farmstead and Townsman, and to now co-founding MAJC.ai — a platform designed to help restaurants recruit, retain, and develop top talent.
Matt shares:
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to transition from chef whites to startup life — and how hospitality can thrive with tech done right — this episode is for you.
To join the MAJC community (for free!) and learn more, head to www.majc.ai.
You can follow MAJC on social media @majc.ai and Matt on Instagram @matthewjennings.
Listen to MAJC’s podcasts Restaurant Ready or Serving Success anywhere you listen to podcasts, or watch the episodes on YouTube!
Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts.
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and subscribe to our newsletter here.
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“Honest cuisine”: That’s probably my favorite phrase now for seasonal or farm-to-table cooking. Thanks to Chef Chaz Lindsay, you can have the most honest, delicious Italian-Mississippi cuisine at Pulito Osteria. Chef Chaz Lindsay went from the high-pressure kitchens of Eleven Madison Park and Colicchio & Sons/Craft to building a soulful, seasonal osteria in Jackson, Mississippi. In this episode, Chaz shares how Italian simplicity, Mississippi produce, and a “people-first” culture shaped Pulito Osteria—where 90% of the vegetables come from local farms and pasta is made by hand daily.
You can visit Pulito Osteria and Rowan’s (Chaz’s dive bar) in Jackson, Mississippi in the Bellhaven Town Center.
To learn more about Pulito Osteria, visit www.pulitojackson.com.
You can follow Pulito Osteria on Instagram @pulito_osteria; Chaz Lindsay at @chazzyl; and Rowan’s at @rowansjeffersonst.
Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts.
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack.
You’ve had cold brew coffee, but have you heard of cold brew chai? Sinwise Farms founder Joshua Chemparathy has created the first canned cold brew chai and gorgeous canned coffee, all with single origin tea, coffee, and spices from his family’s farm in Kerala, South India.
It’s hard to believe Josh and I have known each other for about 15 years now, thanks to being in the same co-ed business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, at Santa Clara University. He’s always been so cool, calm, and collected, and now he has the coolest chai around! We chat through how AKPsi shaped us as we entered the real world for our careers, Josh’s family history on the farm, and how he’s reshaping a tradition to share it with a broader Western audience. In a lot of ways, Josh has gone back to his roots—honoring Indian flavors and shaping how they’re served on a more scalable level with his engineer’s brain.
You can find Sinwise Farms products in Whole Foods stores across Northern California, Berkeley Bowl, Gus’s Market in San Francisco, and other specialty grocers across the Bay Area.
You also can purchase Sinwise Farms and learn more about the brand’s story at www.sinwisefarms.com.
You can follow Sinwise Farms on Instagram @sinwisefarms.
Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts.
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter on Substack.
On this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Belinda Kelly and Venice Cunningham, the sister duo behind the Simple Goodness Sisters, authors of the new cocktail recipe book Drink Your Garden.
Belinda and Venice share how they went from corporate jobs in tech to creating the world’s first cocktail farm, launching a mobile bar business, and building a thriving CPG brand around their seasonal, farm-to-glass cocktail syrups. They discuss the inspiration behind Drink Your Garden, tips for growing your own cocktail-friendly herbs and edible flowers, and how to make elevated drinks at home without wasting ingredients.
This episode is packed with insights for food & beverage entrepreneurs, cocktail enthusiasts, and anyone curious about scaling a business that blends farming, flavor, and community.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
About the Simple Goodness Sisters:
Belinda Kelly and Venice Cunningham founded Simple Goodness Sisters in Wilkeson, Washington, where they grow herbs and edible flowers for cocktails and produce their own line of syrups. Their Soda Shop tasting room and CPG mixers bring farm-fresh flavors to bar carts nationwide. Their book, Drink Your Garden, teaches home bartenders how to grow, mix, and sip seasonally.
To purchase Simple Goodness Sisters syrups, join the Cocktail Farm Club, or order your own copy of Drink Your Garden, visit www.simplegoodnesssisters.com. You can also purchase Drink Your Garden at any major book retailers.
You can visit the Simple Goodness Soda Shop in Wilkeson, Washington.
You can follow the Simple Goodness Sisters on Instagram @simplegoodnesssisters.
Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts.
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and subscribe to the newsletter on Substack.
What do you get when you mix Michelin-starred training with playful storytelling, rubber duckies, and dry ice? For Chef Donald Young, the answer is Duck Sel—Chicago’s most whimsical private dining and popup experience.
In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins dives into Don’s journey: from growing up with a plain palate in the Midwest to training under iconic French chefs (like Roland Liccioni), cooking in France, earning a Michelin star at an incredibly young age, and ultimately creating Duck Sel, his passion project blending high-end cuisine with a sense of fun.
Don shares the challenges of building a business out of private dinners, why resilience (and a few setbacks) shaped his career, and what it really takes to stand out as a chef in today’s food culture.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
To learn more about Duck Sel and to book tickets to the private dining experience in Chicago, you can visit www.ducksel.com. You also can book your spot at Duck Sel on Tock.
You can follow Duck Sel on Instagram @duck_sel and Donald at @donaldduckconfit.
Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts.
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and subscribe to the newsletter on Substack.
On this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Chef D’Andre Carter and Heather Bublick, the duo behind Soul & Smoke, one of Chicago’s most beloved barbecue brands.
From staging at Moto under Chef Homaro Cantu to running underground dinners, private catering, and eventually pivoting during the pandemic to launch Soul & Smoke, D’Andre and Heather share their remarkable journey. Today, their soulful barbecue can be found across Chicagoland, from Evanston to Soldier Field, alongside their signature sauces and rubs in stores.
They open up about the realities of building a business, growing a team of 50+, parenting while running multiple concepts, and why resilience, flexibility, and heart are key to entrepreneurial success.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
You can visit Soul & Smoke’s outposts throughout Chicagoland in Evanston; the Avondale neighborhood; Accenture Tower; and at Soldier Field.
To learn more about Soul & Smoke or to purchase their sauces and rubs, head to www.soulandsmoke.com or www.hereheremarket.com.
You can follow Soul & Smoke on Instagram @soulandsmoke, along with Heather at @heatherbublick and D’Andre at @chefdandrecarter.
Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts.
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and subscribe to the newsletter on Substack.
Calling all wine lovers!
This is our first episode with a winemaker extraordinaire. On this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Janie Brooks Heuck, Managing Director of Brooks Wine, located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and named one of the Top 50 Wineries in the World.
Janie shares how she unexpectedly stepped into the wine industry after her brother Jimmy’s passing and how she has carried forward his vision of biodynamic farming, authentic winemaking, and a relentless focus on Riesling. Over two decades later, Brooks has become one of the most respected wineries in the world, celebrated for its farming practices, B Corp certification, and dedication to community impact.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
You can visit Brooks Wine in Amity, Oregon. To learn more about Brooks Wine, and to sign up for their wine club and the nationwide Wine Atlas Collective, head to www.brookswine.com.
You can follow Brooks Wine on Instagram @brookswinery and Janie @janiebrooksheuck.
Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts.
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and subscribe to the newsletter on Substack.
In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Paula Haines, CEO of Freedom a la Cart, a Columbus-based café, catering business, and nonprofit that helps survivors of human trafficking rebuild their lives through food and workforce development.
Paula shares how her journey from entrepreneurship and marketing led her to lead an organization that blends purpose and business through a unique social enterprise model. Freedom a la Cart offers survivors a pathway to employment, housing, and long-term stability — showing how food can be a catalyst for both healing and empowerment.
They discuss how the organization was built, the challenges of combining a business with a mission, and the incredible outcomes of their work, including a 7-to-1 social return on investment validated by Stanford Business School researchers.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
To learn more about Freedom a la Cart, head to www.freedomalacart.org. You can visit Freedom’s cafe in Columbus at 123 E. Spring St.
You can follow Freedom a la Cart on Instagram @freedomalacart.
Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts.
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.
Have you ever tried Nam Prik Pao?
It’s maybe one of the greatest condiments EVER! In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins talks with Palita Sriratana, the founder of Pink Salt Kitchens and the creator behind the cult-favorite Thai chili jam Nam Prik Pao.
Palita’s journey is anything but ordinary. From growing up in Bloomington, Illinois, learning family recipes alongside her grandmother, to walking away from a pre-med path to follow her passion for food, she’s turned creativity, culture, and persistence into one of the most exciting new brands in the Asian CPG category.
Palita shares how her pop-up dinners evolved into a thriving consumer brand, how she built Nam Prik Pao into a nationwide favorite featured on Chopped and at retailers like Fresh Thyme and Here Here Market, and why she believes in doing things slowly, authentically, and with intention.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
To learn more about Pink Salt Kitchens and Nam Prik Pao, head to www.pinksaltkitchens.com.
You can buy Nam Prik Pao and have it shipped nationwide on www.hereheremarket.com.
You can follow Palita at @hi.palita and Pink Salt Kitchens @pinksaltkitchens on Instagram.
Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!
Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts.
You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.
