Meredith Leigh is a mother. A farmer in Asheville, North Carolina. She’s a butcher and a chef. Over the past two decades, she’s worked as a teacher and a non-profit director. She has also shared her expertise in two published works: "The Ethical Meat Handbook," and "Pure Charcuterie: The Craft and Poetry of Curing Meats at Home."
Her mission? Discover and share pragmatic solutions related to sustainable, ethical, real food.
On this week’s podcast, we talk face-to-face with Leigh about some of the tough questions facing our food system including elitism in the food movement, food justice, women in butchery and the role of empathy in farming and raising livestock. We also discuss multiple topics tackled in her books, including the rationale behind -- and the skill needed -- to make delicious charcuterie at home. Along the way, Leigh shares stories about her food journey, from humble beginnings in urban America to years spent living a vegetarian lifestyle and her subsequent decision to take on farming, butchery and food advocacy.
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Got an idea for a topic we should consider for FoodCrush? Want to offer feedback on our latest episode? Email me at lori@staff.onmilwaukee.com. You can also give @FoodCrushPod a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
