New Year’s is a great time to consider a new hobby! We start the year off with professional musician, composer, and instrument maker John C.L. Jansen. We hear about the craft of building unusual instruments like daxophones and custom guitars, and how Jansen incorporates his built instruments into his music compositions. Jansen is also a classical guitarist and university music educator based in Washington, D.C.

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Resources in the episode:

• “Journey through the Dark Forest” by John C.L. Jansen
• “Fields of Jade” by John C.L. Jansen
• “A Very Brief Fable” by John C.L. Jansen
• Musical Instrument Design by Bart Hopkin

You can learn more about our guest at:

http://jljinstruments.com/

IG: @jcljansen

This week’s interview is for those who prefer to go big or go home. We talk with hobbyist chef Masid Cader about his experience fast-tracking his interest in gourmet cooking, including training with a Michelin-starred restaurant during the weekends, all while working full-time in investment banking.

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Resources mentioned in the episode:

• International Culinary Institute, New York City
• “Thomas Keller Teaches Cooking Techniques” on Masterclass
• Daniel Humm, owner and chef of 21 Madison Park
• The Food Lab, by J. Kenji López-Alt
• L’Artusi restaurant, NYC

You can learn more about our guest at:

IG @masidcader

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we interview Maryam Jillani about her journey as a food journalist and her experience writing the groundbreaking cookbook PAKISTAN. In our conversation, we learn about how Maryam’s background in public policy, education, and international development gave her a unique perspective on food writing while bringing her cookbook project to life.

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Resources mentioned in the episode:

• PAKISTAN by Maryam Jillani, published by Hardie Grant
• Pakistan Eats food blog (www.pakistaneats.com/)

You can learn more about our guest at:

https://www.maryamjillani.com/

IG: @maryamxjillani