ChopChop Podcast

Do you like soup? We like eating it, but we love making it even more. In this episode, Stella and Harry imagine their perfect soup recipe. Plus, we hear from listener Kai about his favorite type of soup: Ramen.If you want to see full recipes and more, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Kitchen” by The Marian Circle Drum Brigade, “Kerplunk” by Mr. Smith, and “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Wyatt and Kai for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

If you were President, would you ban the foods you don’t like from the White House? This week Harry and Stella speak with Eddie Gehman Kohan. Eddie is a photographer and writer who worked closely with the Obama Administration studying all things food. Plus, we learn about Presidential likes and dislikes, from the founding fathers to modern Presidents.If you want to see full recipes and more, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Kerplunk" by Mr. Smith and “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Lola for adding your voice to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we’re celebrating by imagining an entirely red dinner menu. Then Nidhi joins Stella and Harry to tell us why some foods have a deep red color, and what that means for their nutritional content.If you want to see the full recipes, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Wyatt for adding your voice to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

What would you do if you got snowed in? In this episode, Stella and Harry explore their kitchen pantries to see what kinds of meals they could make. Plus, they share their favorite pantry snacks, and Stella recommends ”The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats.If you want to see the full recipes, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Trapped in the Upside Down” by Jim Hall, “Into Toast Squares” by Mole, and “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Wyatt and Frank for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This week we’re talking Lasagna. Stella and Harry discuss their favorite ways to eat this comfort food and try pulling cheese to see which types are the stretchiest.If you want to see the full recipes, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Kitchen” by The Marian Circle Drum Brigade as well as “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Frank and Lola for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This week we’re talking all about Chili. Chili is a great cold-weather stew that’s very flexible: you can make it more or less spicy, combine meats or leave them out entirely, or switch up the beans. We also discuss how we plan recipes, and play a round of our “Mystery Sound” game. If you want to see the full recipes, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Strange Italian Song” by Juanitos, as well as “Cheesy Radio Ballad” and “Jazzy Inquisitors” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Frank for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

Happy New Year! It’s the last dinner of 2025, so we’re planning a nice set of recipes. We’ve got Risotto, Roasted Broccoli, and Garlic Bread. Along the way, we learn some kitchen science about Maillard reactions. Finally, we go through a writing exercise where we talk about the best ways to teach a skill to someone else.If you want to see the full recipes, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer and “Kerplunk” by Mr. Smith.Thank you to Lucy, Reuben, Emilia, and Nizhoni for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is all about a bread called Matzo. Also spelled Matza, Matzoh, Matzot, or Matze, it’s often eaten around this time of year in Matzo Ball Soup. Harry and Sally discuss the history of this dish and their favorite ways to prepare it. We also hear from Stella and her sister, Lola, who tried a mindfulness exercise with one of our all-time favorite ingredients: eggs.If you want to see the full recipes for Matzo and Matzo Ball Soup, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer and “Horizons” by Beat Mekanik.Thank you to Lola, Emilia and Audrey for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at ChopChop! To celebrate, Harry and Sally chat with Stella and Matt about our holiday traditions, favorite foods, and what we're thankful for this year. We also talk with author Jenny Shea Rawn and her daughter, Lexi, who have co-written the New England Kids Cookbook, which will come out next Fall. Together we learn about Cranberries and some of their favorite holiday recipes. Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" by Lisa Hammer and "Kerplunk" by Mr. Smith.Thank you to Hope, Lexi, Alastair, Maddie, and Reuben for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This week we finish out our series about pumpkins with the Great Glass Pumpkin patch which takes place at MIT. Every year the students make and sell more than 1800 pumpkins to fund the glass laboratory. Plus, Nidhi is here to tell us about pumpkins and nutrition, and we have a recipe for all those pumpkin seeds you’re bound to have when carving pumpkins. Salt and Pepper Pumpkin SeedsHere are two different ways to make a scrumptious snack: one starts with seeds with the shells on, right out of a fresh pumpkin; the other uses raw green pumpkin seeds without their shells, also called "pepitas" which you can buy at the store.Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 45 minutesMakes 1 cup (4 servings)Ingredients:1 cup raw, unshelled pumpkin seeds3⁄4 teaspoon olive or canola oil1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper or chili powderInstructions:Turn the oven on and set the heat to 325 degrees.Put the pumpkin seeds on the baking sheet in a single layer and add the oil, salt and if you like spicy, the chili powder. Mix everything together.Once the oven temperature has reached 325 degrees, put the sheet in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 30-45 minutes.Use the wooden spoon or spatula to stir them every 10 minutes or so. Set aside to cool. Serve right away or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" by Lisa Hammer, "Strange Italian Song" by Juanitos, and an excerpt of "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt Kickers.Thank you to Frank and Reuben for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This week we talk about Halloween and how it has different meanings to different people. Sally shares a story from her childhood and Harry and Sally talk about Pie! Does your family have a food that you only eat at certain holidays or specific times of the year? Write to us at [email protected] to let us know!Our featured "Check It Out" books are Amara’s Farm by JaNay Brown-Wood and How to Be a Person by Catherine Newman Follow us on Instagram for your chance to win Lois Ellen Frank's book Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad", "Kerplunk" by Mr. Smith, and "Into Toast Squares" by Mole.Thank you to Hope, Frank, Reuben, Alistair and Maddie for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This week we speak with Pumpkin Professional George Nickolopolous who is in charge of the Roger Williams Park Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular. He has great tips for us about how to carve and get the most from your pumpkins this Halloween season. You can learn more at rwzoo.org. Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Frank and Reuben for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

Have you ever considered what it takes to grow a giant pumpkin! In this episode we hear from Ron Wallace of Wallacewow.com who grows champion giant pumpkins weighing more than 2000lbs! We fit in a few fun facts and stretch our math muscles trying to figure out what to do with all that pumpkin! Here's this week's Kitchen Math questions:Let’s say you have a 16 pound pumpkin. Generally speaking it will yield 12 cups cooked and pureed pumpkin and about 4 cups of pumpkin seeds. In two weeks we’re going to give you a recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, which uses 1 cup of pumpkin seeds. That recipe feeds 4 people. How many people will you serve if you use all the pumpkin seeds? Bonus: If you cook the pumpkin, you will have about 12 cups of pureed pumpkin. If you make pumpkin bread you would need about 2 cups of pumpkin. If you wanted to use only half the pureed pumpkin on bread, how many loaves would you be able to make?Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" by Lisa Hammer, and "Montmarte" by Jahzzar.Thank you to Frank and Emory for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This week we're sharing an episode from another podcast we think you might enjoy. Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups is a 7-part audio adventure where creators from the Kids Listen community come together to explore feelings in all their shapes and sizes. This episode covers jealousy and openness and the ChopChop Podcast has been featured in it! Each episode pairs two related emotions, sharing original clips and reflections to help kids (and grownups!) understand, name, and navigate their feelings.Visit Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups on Apple and Spotify for more details!We'll be back next week to kick off our series on Pumpkins. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

The main topic this week is Harry’s interview with Liam Cromie, a 17-year old in Rhode Island who started harvesting invasive Green Crabs when he was 12. He started a business to sell them, called Point Judith Green Crabs, and eventually worked to change the law in his state to make it easier for kids like him to harvest and sell these delicious invasives. Also, Nidhi stops by to give us a last bite about Tomatoes and nutrition! Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" by Lisa Hammer, and "Kerplunk" by Mr. Smith.Thank you to Lola and Willa for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

Finally we dig into the meat of the matter or, really, the fruit! This episode is all about cooking tomatoes. Stella shares a great recipe for Shakshouka with us and our pal Gail Arnold give us some great tips for serving tomatoes in a salad. Follow us on Instagram for your chance to win Joy Howard’s fantastic book Tomato Love. Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" by Lisa Hammer, "Montmarte" by Jahzzar, and "Strange Italian Song" by Juanitos.Thank you to Reuben and Cicely for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This month we’re learning about one of our favorite vegetables (or fruits?): tomatoes! This week we hear more from Devan Ferreira, of Russell Orchards, who was the winner of the 2024 Massachusetts commercial tomato growers competition. This episode has great facts about tomatoes, and some geography for you. Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" and "Jazzy Inquisitors" by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Frank and Reuben for adding your voice to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This month we’re learning about one of our favorite vegetables (or fruits?): tomatoes! We speak with Devan Ferreira, of Russell Orchards, who was the winner of the 2024 Massachusetts commercial tomato growers competition. She gives us some great tips about growing your own tomatoes. We also share a cool science experiment you can follow along with at home!We’ve switched the podcast from once a month to once a week, so look out for our continued exploration of tomatoes next week. We'll hear more from Devan, along with more jokes, recipes, what other kids have to say about tomatoes, and much more.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" by Lisa Hammer, "Trapped in the Upside Down" by Jim Hall, and a clip from "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Thank you to Reuben for adding your voice to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This month we’re feeling gourd-geous and heading into the garden to talk about the most bountiful, bodacious cucurbit around: zucchini! Whether you grow it yourself or find it left in your car by your neighbors this episode has something for you! We hear from a Mother/Son team growing Trombocino, hang out with Katherine Pryor, author of Zora’s Zucchini and check in with Chris Powell, one of the organizers of the annual West Stockbridge Zucchini fest. There’s also Curried soup on the menu! Watch out, listening to this episode might just have you cooking and growing your own squash. See if you can count how many times we say Zucchini… Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" and "Jazzy Inquisitors" by Lisa Hammer, "Kerplunk" by Mr. Smith, and "Fastest Man on Earth" by JahzzarThank you to Wyatt, Rye, Bowie, Lola, Reuben, Charlie, and Frank for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This month we are putting on our protective gear and heading to the hives to check in on some of Mother Nature’s hardest working insects! We talk with Sally’s local beekeeper about honey and learn all about keeping bees from Akeem, who is an 8 year old beekeeper with his Dad Kamal at Sankofa Farms in North Carolina. Plus, our friend Nidhi stops by to share some valuable information all about the nutrition side of eating honey.This month’s recipe: Nutty Oat Bars Akeem and Kamal wrote a book to help you learn more about bees, and it’s this month’s giveaway. It’s called Akeem Keeps Bees! Follow us on Instagram for your chance to win.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" and "Jazzy Inquisitors" by Lisa Hammer, "Kerplunk" by Mr. Smith, and "Fastest Man on Earth" by JahzzarThank you to Reuben, Milo, Lola, Sapair, Anya, Wyatt, Izzy, Charlie, and Jackson for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe