Keep It Quirky Podcast

In this episode, my all-time favorite yoga teacher Jessica Weiss tells us how she handled maternity leave and new parenthood as a creative freelancer. We also talk about her prenatal yoga series, which has been an absolutely life saver for me during my pregnancy!! My favorite take away from this conversation is: TAKE YOUR TIME. That's a mantra to remember -- especially as a new mom -- even when life is a whirlwind around you and you feel the pressure to resume your career ASAP.To see Jess's yoga classes -- from online livestreams to on-demand videos, in addition to the prenatal course -- visit https://www.wild-heart-yoga.com and follow her on Instagram at jessweissyoga. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I’ve wanted to have this person on for years. Spoiler: it’s my dad. But I’m not just having him on because he’s my dad, I invited him to be a guest because he has inspired me and my path in life -- has inspired me, and inspires me to this day!There are endless facets to his enjoyment and dedeication to his chosen work, but also for living his passions, for connecting with other humans, and adding positivity to the world. If you’d be even 5% as inspired by him as I am, this episode is a worthwhile listen. I hope you enjoy this DADCAST! ;)The musician who wrote the theme song: @bqfunkHost Katie on Instagram: @qkatie@keepitquirkypodcastKatie's Patreon: www.patreon.com/katiequinnOrder my book "Cheese, Wine, and Bread" -- available everywhere books are sold! https://bit.ly/3iOptMY See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jessie Kanelos Weiner is an author and illustrator -- and she was the illustrator for my book, which publishes today, "Cheese, Wine, and Bread!" Her illustrations are absolutely incredible, and I'm excited to have her on the show. In this episode, we talk about how she landed on illustration as an art form, her side hustles, and telling stories with her paintbrush. She says, ""The work that speaks most to people is personal work," and I adore the way she defines keeping it quirky: Having the courage to by yourself. YES!Jessie was born in America, but has lived in France for some time now. She has worked as a food stylist in Paris and New York, and was a costume designer (which led her to picking up watercolor). Now, she is known and highly regarded in the industry for her detailed, whimsical, and instantly recognizable style.  Some of her books are “Paris In Stride," and "Edible Paradise."  Her work explores gastronomy, travel, lifestyle, architecture, and pop culture. You may have seen her ill

Caroline Conner is an American entrepreneur living in Lyon, France. She is the woman behind Wine Dine Caroline — a company all about enjoying wine and learning about it in the most accessible way. She’s just the kind of wine lover I want to have as a friend because she doesn’t stand for snobbery, but her knowledge of wine — everything from the science specifics to historical background — is incredible. She has her WSET diploma, over 12 years of experience in the industry, and is currently pursuing her master of wine.In this episode, we talk about why she’s focused her wine knowledge and educating us normal people ;) and why she loves living in Lyon, France. In the latter part of the show, I got a little nerdy with her, asking about some specifics of how Italy’s wines differ from France’s wine. (I loved her breakdown of Champagne versus Prosecco!) All that and much more, in this episode!Show Notes:Wine Dine Caroline’s Food & Wine Pairing PDF Download:https://ck.winedinecaroline.com/food-wine-pairing-lt&nbs

Anna Maggio is the author of the cookbook "Under the Olive Tree: Memories and Flavours of Puglia." (Gourmand World Book award Winner 2020!) Anna is an Italian-born and bred woman who has lived in London since her early twenties, but has been a proud proponent of Puglia, the southern Italian region when she spent her childhood.In this episode, I talk with Anna about some of the ingredients and recipes in her cookbook -- all of which are very simple and accessible -- and we talk about the concept of "cucina povera." We delve into a bit of the history of the Puglia region, the differences between southern Italy and northern Italy, and her personal experiences in both places..."It set me up to fight for survival," says Anna about moving from southern Italy to the big northern Italian city of Milan, where she was "treated like an immigrant." We also talk about her move to London, her career in the arts, and how she began her food tours and writing this book, a beautiful love letter to her childhood home.Her book h

Hi everyone! I start this episode with some big news: I've moved to Italy! And in the spirit of that move, I'd like to introduce you to someone who knows Italy like the back of her hand, adores it, and will make you want to eat pasta straight away.Sophie Minchilli was raised in Rome, Italy, to an Italian father and American mother (you may know of her mom -- author Elizabeth Minchilli, @eminchilli) and she is passionate about sharing Italian culture. In this conversation, we have a fun, nuanced chat about Italy -- we talk about the huge regional differences in Italy, making friends with the older generation here, and some of her favorite dishes from the part of Italy where I'm living (Puglia).Sophie and Elizabeth team up to do food tours all around Italy! - you can find more information here: https://www.elizabethminchilli.com/week-in-italy/andhttp://www.sophieminchilli.com/food-tours/Follow Sophie on Instagram: @sminchilliWatch her make Orecchiette con Le Cime Di Rapa: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHdRNgiiLV

Jenny Linford is the food writer behind the massively popular Food Lover's London guides, Great British Cheeses, and many more drool-worthy books. Her most recent book is an absolute joy -- The Missing Ingredient: The Curious Role of Time in Food and Flavor. She currently lives in London, but has lived in Italy, Singapore (where her mother is from), Trinidad, and Ghana. In this episode we talk about the affect travel during the early years of her life has had on not only how she sees food culture, but also how she writes and how she experiences life.We chat about the deeply ingrained cultural aspects of food, writing as a conduits for others, and the satisfaction of doing something you believe in. It was a pleasure to talk at length with Jenny; I hope you enjoy our chat!JENNY LINFORD@jlinford on Instagram@jennylinford on TwitterKEEP IT QUIRKY@keepitquirkypodcast@qkatiePreorder my book, Cheese, Wine, and Bread: Discovering the Magic of Fermentation in England, Italy, and France! https://www.katie-quinn.com/che

Author Cree LeFavour has the kind of writing career many creatives (ahem, myself included) dream of. She's authored four cookbooks (and has ghostwritten countless others), an acclaimed memoir, and most recently -- a novel! She has such an intuitive relationship with her creativity, and it was an absolute delight to talk with her about her path, and the sparks that have led the work she’s done. In this episode, we start by talking about her new novel, "Private Means," which is a fascinating (and sometimes rather sexy!) book that is, on the surface, about a middle aged couple that loses their beloved dog and the unraveling that occurs thereafter...but of course what’s it’s really about is human relationships. It’s funny & thought provoking, dark & wry. We discuss her writing process and how writing a novel was different than writing her memoir, "Lights On, Rats Out," which came out a few years ago. If you're a foodie, check out the cookbooks she's written, "The New Steak," "Fish," "Pork," and "Poul

Today's guest is Brian Quinn, a professional musician (the creator of this podcast's theme song!), and, yes, he's my brother. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, one of the preeminent music schools in the USA. Since then, he has worked as a professional musician, calling Chicago, IL his base. In this conversation we talk about everything from what it's like to be a professional, performing musician during this time of Covid-19, to discussing whether or not it's a good ideal to go to music school if you want to be a musician. The debut album of his band, bq, is releasing worldwide this Friday, September 4! The album is called "The Inner Solar system," and it's instrumental funk music that is sure to get your feet tapping and hips swinging. (He's also playing an album release show -- FREE and OUTDOORS -- this Saturday, September 5 from 5:30p-8:00pat Chicago's Navy Pier, at Miller Lite Beer Garden.)He gives us some sneak peeks of his songs, and talks us through elements of the music to listen f

Hana Asbrink is the Executive Editor at Chowhound, and has an impressive resume that includes everything from being a senior editor at Food52 to working in the kitchen at Michelin-starred chef Jean-George’s ABC Kitchen restaurant in Manhattan. She also has her Masters in Journalism and attended the French Culinary Institute. From behind a desk to behind the cutting board, from working for startups to major outlets and dappling in the freelance game (where she founded Pantry Confidential), Hana has a wealth of experiences that anyone interested in food media will love, and what’s more is that her path proves that there is no such thing as a predictable, perfect path in this industry. (if it even exists at all these days!)In our conversation, Hana talks about being born in South Korea and her earliest food memories there (communal eating, fermented things!) to moving to NYC with her immigrant parents, as well as her love of travel (Paris!). We also chat about how to follow your passions in a way that opens

Patricia Niven is a photographer who specializes in food, the people who grow it, cook it, and eat it -- and the interconnectedness therein. In this episode, we talk about how to find your creative "thing" (following your interests each step of the way), and also pushing yourself to continue reaching for new things (she does a 90-day checkin with herself, introspecting on what she's accomplished and what new pursuits she will start action on in the following 90 days).She arrived in London on a one-way ticket from Australia 21 years ago. In her early years in London, alongside being a photographic assistant, she photographed within the music scene. Highlights included shooting portraits of musicians such as Jill Scott, Amy Winehouse & Cyprus Hill, documenting club nights in Brixton, and traveling to post-genocide Rwanda to document survivors, musicians, politicians & entrepreneurs.She’s won many awards, from places like the Association of Photographers, the Pink Lady Food Photography Awards, and the Su

Julian George epitomizes the term “creative entrepreneur.” He runs a creative house, Made by Humans, and the company Chef Signatures, which includes videography, photography, and representation for chefs. Julian describes his background -- being raised in Southeast London primarily by his mother, an immigrant to England from Sierra Leone, and how he was on the lawyer path until his early twenties, when he became curious in media production. He started out at IMG Studios, followed by an in-house editing role at Discovery. He wrote and co-produced a short film which won anaward and he also founded a digital magazine, The Maior Magazine, which went on to win an award. He's worked with some of the most renowned figures in the hospitality industry and forged a reputation as a highly respected food photographer and videographer.Throughout his career, he has consistently worked two concurrent jobs -- usually the one day job to pay the bills, and the added job to explore his newest passion. Even when the passion

Patrice Poltzer is the founder of Patrice Poltzer Creative, a boutique video production company, and she also runs successful video storytelling bootcamps and teaches masterclasses on similar topics. As a self-described “late bloomer,” Patrice shares her story with us, in which she has consistently taken risks, and each risk (whether it ‘succeeded’ or ‘failed’) catapulted her into the next phase of her career. “Get comfortable taking risks,” she says.She also talks about how an element of success is a numbers game, about how stagnancy is the death of creativity. She busts the myth that someone is “born to be an entrepreneur” and she shares practical, useful techniques to jump start your own initiative. Ever heard that motherhood is the end to your career in media? Well, Patrice is proof that not only is that completely false, but she shares how being a parent launched the best things that have happened in her professional life.I’ve known Patrice for years now and it’s been a joy to see her journey first-

Jen Phanomrat is an on-camera food personality -- one half of the food & lifestyle video company Just Eat Life. You may recognize Jen from her work with Tastemade, including her hit show Just Jen. She also won an episode on Food Network's Chopped! (She and I competed against each other on that episode ... and she totally deserved that win!)Jen's a dear friend of mine, and I've wanted her have her on the podcast for so long. I'm thrilled to bring you all this conversation because there are so many gems about life as a creative entrepreneur in here. Jen's path is one of courage and persistence, and I hope you find it as inspirational as I do.Follow her: @jeneatslife on Instagram, and on YouTube --> https://www.youtube.com/user/JustEatLifeTVFollow the host @qkatie on instagram, and to follow the podcast it’s @keepitquirkypodcastSubscribe to the monthly QKatie e-newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dNtAx2 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Oneika Raymond is the woman behind “Oneika the Traveller” -- the blog and Instagram platform -- and she’s also a video host personality and international speaker.This episode was originally posted in 2017 when Oneika and I had just finished shooting a video series together in the USA. It was episode #2 of this podcast!! I LOVE this episode, and am reposting it to give it new life now, as it is just as relevant right now as it was then. If you enjoy this podcast, you will LOVE this episode. Relistening to it made me feel inspired and in awe of my amazing friend Oneika all over again. In this conversation, we talk about travel (of course) and how it’s important for Oneika, as a Jamaican-Canadian, to represent diversity in the travel sector, she doesn’t see much of other people who look like her. We talk about being your own brand, the importance of being open to hard discussions online, and maintaining grace. She reminds us to operate from a position of “can” rather than “can’t.”ONEIKA RAYMOND@oneikatravel

Kirby Broadnax has years of experience as a mediator, conflict coach, community-builder and facilitator. She has her Masters degree in Conflict Transformation -- which is a field of study similar to Conflict Resolution, but is a bit more all-encompassing and holistic in solving the issues at hand. Kirby is one of my dearest friends, we go way back, and over the years she has opened my eyes on many occasions by sharing her experiences as a black woman in America. It sounds trite to say, but she truly is wise beyond her years. She’s had an enormous impact on my life.The first part of this conversation focuses on the scope of Conflict Transformation and how she was drawn to that field of study and work. We discuss appreciative inquiry and creative ways to address conflict, AND generating excitement around things that are possible. The second part of the conversation is a discussion more specifically around this moment we’re living in, in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and how we can make a difference

Dina Begum is a British Bangladeshi cook and writer. She’s the author of “The Brick Lane” cookbook, a member of the Guild of Food Writers, and she’s hosted Bangladeshi pop ups at Darjeeling Express, as part of their #WomenInFood series. In this episode, we talk about how she found her groove in the food world and the events that led up to her being one of the foremost spokespeople for Bangladeshi cuisine. “This is my time to cook my way out of grief,” she says. We also talk about the importance of distinguishing Bangladeshi cuisine rather than lumping it in with all other SouthEast Asian cuisines as “Indian food.” “I think it’s about embracing everything,” she says, when she describes how she adores both Bangladeshi food and British cuisine, “I LOVE baking, and there’s nothing more British than that!”Dina came on my YouTube channel previously and showed us how to make lentil fritters, or dhaler bora: https://youtu.be/VuHEQCBKwMoShe’s got a wonderful story and she’s full of so much passion and hope,

Ned Palmer is author of the book A Cheesemonger’s History of the British Isles, and he's the man behind The Cheese Tasting Company. Ned describes himself as a freelance cheesemonger; his passion for cheese is only equalled with his passion for jazz, philosophy, and theater--which are all fields he has also worked in! The convergence of these things led to a very interesting conversation about cheese, which looks at the foodstuff in ways you've probably never considered!Ned is fascinating, and his passion for cheese and life are palpable. Enjoy the show!NED PALMER:@cheesetastingcocheesetastingco.ukA Cheesemonger’s History of the British IslesKATIE QUINN/KEEP IT QUIRKY PODCAST:@qkatieyoutube.com/TheQKatie@keepitquirkypodcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ravneet Gill is a London pastry chef who is behind the wildly popular pop-up Puff Bakery (with her partner Nicola Lamb), she started the technology company CounterTalk to be a community for people in the hospitality industry, and just released a cookbook called "The Pastry Chef's Guide." She's worked as pastry chef in restaurants as impressive as Michelin-starred St. John Restaurant ... the head chef there, Fergus Henderson has said that she's not only incredibly talented, but is exceptional at nurturing a positive environment in any place she works.Her bio says it well: "Ravneet Gill is a bonafide badass and her drive to cut through the crap and not take the accepted norms of the food world lying down is being applauded throughout the industry."We talk about how she gets cheeky with her desserts, the pros and cons of going to culinary (cookery) school, what inspired her to start CounterTalk in the first place, how she got her book deal, and starting an inspired cookie revolution during quarantine.Rav says, "

I've wanted to have my mom as a guest on the podcast ever since I first had the idea to do it, and I'm thrilled to say that today's the day!!My mom, Susan Quinn, is so many amazing things rolled into one. She's just retired from a very successful career as an optometrist (yes, she's the original Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman!), but also throws herself into organizations to better our world. She is a passionate gardener and bread baker, and I knew we'd have a fun conversation for all of you to be a part of, too.We talk about how she began her entrepreneurial career (partners in small business with my dad), and investing ourselves in the world in a way that makes us feel proud to be a part of our communities. We talk about that to-do list that's looming over so many of us in COVID isolation and how to deal with it, and we even get a special guest appearance from my 95-year-old grandma :) Three generation on the podcast at once!Happy Mother's Day (in the US) -- to my mom and all the moms out there. <3 <3 <3