This week on Dinner Last Night, we sit down with radiant mama Cat Seixas, author of The Wild Craft, bioregionalist, folk herbalist, photographer, gardener, forager, and mother. Cat lives in a hand-built stone cottage in the hills of Western Iberia, Portugal. Cat’s life and work are rooted in a deep connection to the land. She weaves together food, medicine, and craft using ingredients and elements she grows, harvests, and collects from her own sheep. In this conversation, she invites us to slow down, reconnect to our surroundings, and remember that the most meaningful creations—whether a home, a meal, or a life—take time.

We cover:

• How Cat and her partner built their home from scratch (and went ten years without a fridge)
• Cat’s simple, grounding ritual for making dinner
• The difference between a decoction and an infusion when it comes to tea
• How to connect deeply with a place, wherever you are
• Food and language in a multicultural home
• Redefining “success” through nourishment, creativity, and presence

Cat’s story is a gentle, inspiring reminder that there is another way to live. One that prioritizes integrity, creativity, and care for the rhythms of the natural world.

Giveaway:
We’re giving away a copy of Cat’s The Wild Craft and Emma’s Seasonal Family Almanac! For a chance to win, enter your email in this form.

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• Substack: subscribe to our newsletter
• Instagram: @dinnerlastnightpod
• Website: dinnerlastnightpod.com

Credits

• Produced: Dinner Last Night & REP Studio
• Edited: REP Studio
• Music by: ⁣Emerson ‘Longstory’ Bartlett, lyricist/songwriter/philosophizer
• Saxophone: Drew Martin

This week on Dinner Last Night, we’re chatting with the incredible Sarah Copeland—chef, food blogger, photographer, best-selling cookbook author, gardener, and all-around powerhouse. In this episode, we talk about our families' cultural traditions and roots, what it's like to live abroad with kids, and how to make a simple meal restaurant-worthy. From her Hudson Valley kitchen to her family’s Hungarian roots, Sarah shares her passion for food, family, and living a life full of flavor.

We cover:

• Sarah’s “low lift, high impact” cooking philosophy
• Peer influence as a way to get kids to try new foods
• The beauty of cucina povera and how Sarah weaves it into her kitchen
• Her family’s Hungarian roots and her semester abroad with her kids
• Favorite recipes from her books Instant Family Meals and Everyday is Saturday (both staples in our homes!)
• Emma's nut and seed bread recipe (a must-try!)

Plus, get a sneak peek into Sarah’s philosophy on parenting, cooking for kids, and building family connection around food.

Giveaway:
One lucky listener will win a copy of Instant Family Meals: Delicious Dishes from your Slow Cooker, Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot! To enter, leave a comment on this post with your thoughts, what you had for dinner last night, or just say hi!

Listen + Subscribe:

Never miss an episode: Follow Dinner Last Night and subscribe to our newsletter. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review, tap “like”, and share it with a friend! It helps more people discover the show. 💛

Follow Us:

• Substack: subscribe to our newsletter
• Instagram: @dinnerlastnightpod
• Website: dinnerlastnightpod.com

Credits

• Produced: Dinner Last Night & REP Studio
• Edited: REP Studio
• Music by: ⁣Emerson ‘Longstory’ Bartlett, lyricist/songwriter/philosophizer
• Saxophone: Drew Martin

This week on Dinner Last Night, we welcome a very special guest—our big sister, Rony Duncan, all the way from Melbourne, Australia!

Rony’s our big sister from the same mister, but a different mom (shout-out to our Australian matriarch, Nonna Susi!). What makes our relationship even wilder? Rony grew up knowing all about her American family, but we didn’t learn about her until we were 10. When we finally met as teens, it was instant love, connection, and endless laughter (plus discovering we all share the same sausage toes 🥖👣).

Though we live oceans apart, that distance has only deepened our bond. Rony brings so much wisdom to our lives—not just as a sister, but also as a seasoned psychologist and mother of two incredible boys.

This conversation is full of gems about parenting, family rhythms, and ditching guilt at the dinner table (and in life).

We also talk about:

• Supporting ADHD kids at the table (and beyond)
• How to make parenting more playful and effective
• Designing your weekly flow (including meal planning) to keep sanity in a busy household
• Division of labor at home + leaning into your partner’s strengths (we reference the Fair Play card game)
• Helping moms release guilt and focus on repair
• The 1-degree turn mindset shift that changes everything

Subscribe below for a chance to win a signed copy of Eve Rodsky's book, Fair Play, and the card game.

This one is close to our hearts, and we’re SO excited to share it with you.

Listen + Subscribe:

Never miss an episode: Follow Dinner Last Night and subscribe to our newsletter. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review, tap “like”, and share it with a friend! It helps more people discover the show. 💛

Follow Us:

• Substack: subscribe to our newsletter
• Instagram: @dinnerlastnightpod
• Website: dinnerlastnightpod.com

Credits

• Produced: Dinner Last Night & REP Studio
• Edited: REP Studio
• Music by: ⁣Emerson ‘Longstory’ Bartlett, lyricist/songwriter/philosophizer
• Saxophone: Drew Martin

We sit down with Anand Wilder—musician, songwriter, former Yeasayer frontman, and devoted dad—to explore how his bicultural Indian-American upbringing, family life, and passion for music intertwine in the kitchen, at home, and in his community. Anand talks about being joyfully unconcerned with “authenticity” in cuisine, raising kids who are proud of their heritage (and skilled at counting the chili peppers in their meal), and the influence of his mother, a former culinary instructor who shaped his love for cooking. He reflects on how his approach to food mirrors his eclectic musical career and shares what it’s like to juggle life as the primary parent while rebuilding his artistry. He offers a perspective that’s unpretentious, upbeat, and refreshingly candid.

We also talk about:

• Anand’s NEW Solo Album: Psychic Lessons
• Masala Lab by Krish Ashok - Anand’s recommended primer on learning to cook Indian food at home
• Delicate Steve – the genre-bending guitarist Anand first “discovered”
• Dosa My Honey – Zazie’s track (Anand’s daughter): listen here!

Listen + Subscribe:

Never miss an episode: Follow Dinner Last Night and subscribe to our newsletter. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review, tap “like”, and share it with a friend! It helps more people discover the show. 💛

Follow Us:

• Substack: subscribe to our newsletter
• Instagram: @dinnerlastnightpod
• Website: dinnerlastnightpod.com

Credits

• Produced: Dinner Last Night & REP Studio
• Edited: REP Studio
• Music by: ⁣Emerson ‘Longstory’ Bartlett, lyricist/songwriter/philosophizer
• Saxophone: Drew Martin

What happens when a homeschool mom and curriculum creator hands over the kitchen—and the classroom—to her husband? In this episode, Rachel Tidd of Wild Learning shares how she restructured family life to grow her business, let go of doing it all, and embraced a new kind of balance. We talk about the mental load of motherhood, “default parenting,” outdoor education, the bedtime carrot, and raising older (hungrier!) kids—with a dash of herbalism on the side.

Subscribe to our newsletter at www.dinnerlastnightpodcom where you’ll be entered to win a copy of Rachel’s book Wild Learning: Practical Ideas to Bring Teaching Outdoors, a gem for parents and educators!

📚 Learn More About Rachel:

Rachel Tidd is a former special education teacher, homeschooling mom, and the creator of Wild Learning, including the Wild Math® and Wild Reading® curricula. With a dual master’s from Bank Street College of Education and a background in environmental science, Rachel is passionate about helping children learn through outdoor, nature-based experiences. She’s also currently pursuing her doctorate in educational sustainability.

• Wild Learning Curriculum
• Instagram: @discoverwildlearning

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

• The Fair Play Deck: A Couples Conversation Deck for Prioritizing What’s Important, by Eve Rodsky (on rebalancing domestic labor)

Listen + Subscribe:

Never miss an episode: Follow Dinner Last Night and subscribe to our newsletter. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review, tap “like”, and share it with a friend! It helps more people discover the show. 💛

Follow Us:

• Substack: subscribe to our newsletter
• Instagram: @dinnerlastnightpod
• Website: dinnerlastnightpod.com

Credits

• Produced: Dinner Last Night & REP Studio
• Edited: REP Studio
• Music by: ⁣Emerson ‘Longstory’ Bartlett, lyricist/songwriter/philosophizer
• Saxophone: Drew Martin

From Navy chef to farmer, food justice educator and advocate, TEDx speaker, and health-at-every-size nutritionist, Liesha McKinley brings a powerful, multifaceted lens to how we feed our families and ourselves. In this episode, she talks with Emma and Dimity about raising kids with autonomy in the kitchen, navigating “picky” eating with empathy, and the deep impact of food access—especially in communities affected by food apartheid.

Liesha shares stories from the garden, classroom, and her own experience raising and feeding her children, reminding us that food can be a joyful tool for connection, healing, and justice. We cover her work with programs like The Edible Schoolyard Project, after-school snacks, growing your own food, and why “yucky” isn’t a fair word at the table. You’ll walk away inspired to rethink how food connects us all.

Learn more about Liesha:

• TikTok: @ChefLiesha
• Instagram: @theoaklandgirl
• Substack: The Oakland Girl

Listen + Subscribe:

Never miss an episode: Follow Dinner Last Night and subscribe to our newsletter. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review, tap “like”, and share it with a friend! It helps more people discover the show. 💛

Follow Us:

• Substack: subscribe to our newsletter
• Instagram: @dinnerlastnightpod
• Website: dinnerlastnightpod.com

Credits

• Produced: Dinner Last Night & REP Studio
• Edited: REP Studio
• Music by: ⁣Emerson ‘Longstory’ Bartlett, lyricist/songwriter/philosophizer
• Saxophone: Drew Martin

What does it look like to raise kids with radical love and cultural curiosity? In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, we talk with Danielle of Openly Committed about parenting abroad, navigating food traditions across continents, and raising children who think critically about the world around them–which in this case, led her son to choosing a vegetarian diet. From trying to find ingredients in the UK for a classic Southern American cornbread, to rethinking what love and commitment look like in her 15-year ethically non-monogamous marriage, Danielle shares stories full of humor, honesty, and insight. We explore the logistics and emotional work of co-parenting, the impact of travel and re-urbanization on kids’ eating habits, and what it means to hold multiple truths in family life and relationships.

📚 Learn more about Danielle:

• TikTok: @OpenlyCommitted
• Instagram: @OpenlyCommitted
• Substack: Beyond Boundaries

Listen + Subscribe:

Never miss an episode: Follow Dinner Last Night and subscribe to our newsletter. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review, tap “like”, and share it with a friend! It helps more people discover the show. 💛

Follow Us:

• Substack: subscribe to our newsletter
• Instagram: @dinnerlastnightpod
• Website: dinnerlastnightpod.com

Credits

• Produced: Dinner Last Night & REP Studio
• Edited: REP Studio
• Music by: ⁣Emerson ‘Longstory’ Bartlett, lyricist/songwriter/philosophizer
• Saxophone: Drew Martin

What does an Italian mom and cookbook author really make for dinner? Tuscan chef and food writer, Giulia Scarpaleggia, joins us from her countryside home to talk about seasonal cooking, her refreshing approach to “picky” eating, frozen veggie hacks, and family food rituals. We chat about her upbringing, debunk Italian food myths, and learn how she balances motherhood, business, and tradition—one simple dinner at a time.

Subscribe to our newsletter at emmafrisch.substack.com/subscribe where you’ll be entered to win a copy of Giulia’s cookbook, Cucina Povera, and a paid subscription to her newsletter, Letters From Tuscany!

Learn more about Giulia:

• Cookbooks: Cucina Povera and From the Markets of Tuscany // View all on Amazon
• Food blog: Jul’s Kitchen has over 700 recipes and information about her hands-on cooking classes in her home in Tuscany
• Substack newsletter: Letters From Tuscany includes delicious, authentic recipes that work and beautiful stories
• Instagram: @julskitchen

Listen + Subscribe:

Never miss an episode: Follow Dinner Last Night and subscribe to our newsletter. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review, tap “like”, and share it with a friend! It helps more people discover the show. 💛

Follow Us:

• Substack: subscribe to our newsletter
• Instagram: @dinnerlastnightpod
• Website: dinnerlastnightpod.com

Credits

• Produced: Dinner Last Night & REP Studio
• Edited: REP Studio
• Music by: ⁣Emerson ‘Longstory’ Bartlett, lyricist/songwriter/philosophizer
• Saxophone: Drew Martin