Melanie Lionello (nutritionist, content creator and author) - From My Little Kitchen

Melanie Lionello (nutritionist, content creator and author) - From My Little Kitchen

Author: A Deep in the Weeds Production May 4, 2026 Duration: 34:07
Melanie Lionello is a nutritionist, content creator and author of new book From My Little Kitchen, which brings achievable Italian recipes with dietary information and a practical sense of how cooking fits into people’s lives. We talk about why there are no rabbit recipes (maybe in book 2?) and how she has built her social media audience to almost 400,000 followers. https://www.instagram.com/frommylittlekitchen/ SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES, NEWS, GIVEAWAYS AND BEHIND THE SCENES https://deepintheweeds.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d33e307cf7100cf947e2e6973&id=d17d8213f5 Follow Dirty Linen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dirtylinenpodcast Follow Dani Valent https://www.instagram.com/danivalent Follow Rob Locke (Executive Producer) https://www.instagram.com/foodwinedine/ Follow Huck (Executive Producer) https://www.instagram.com/huckstergram/ LISTEN TO OUR OTHER FOOD PODCASTS https://linktr.ee/DeepintheWeedsNetwork Dirty Linen is a food podcast hosted by Australian journalist Dani Valent. A respected restaurant critic and food industry reporter in her home town of Melbourne, Dani is a keen, compassionate observer of restaurants and the people who bring them into being. Whether it’s owners, waiters, dishwashers, chefs or members of ancillary trades from tech to pottery, Dani interviews with compassion, humour and courage. Dirty Linen goes deep, both in conversations with individuals and in investigating pressing issues.  Dirty Linen is an Australian food podcast produced by the Deep in the Weeds Podcast Network.

Behind every great meal is a story, and Dirty Linen-A Food Podcast with Dani Valent pulls up a chair to hear them all. This isn't just about what's on the plate; it's about the real, often unspoken, world of hospitality. For two decades, food journalist Dani Valent has observed this universe, but here she moves from critic to confidant. Each episode goes into the spaces diners never see-the kitchens, the walk-ins, the fraught conversations after service. You'll hear from chefs, servers, owners, and producers as they share the triumphs, stresses, and secrets that define their daily lives. It's a raw look at the passion, pressure, and politics that fuel our restaurants, cafes, and bars. Produced by A Deep in the Weeds Production, this podcast offers a rare intimacy, built on Dani's deep connections and respectful curiosity. The conversations are candid, sometimes challenging, and always human. Tune in for a series that proves the most memorable flavors are often the stories we don't see on the menu.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 101

Dirty Linen - A Food Podcast with Dani Valent
Podcast Episodes
Ben Creek (Accor Hotels) - making hotel hospitality attractive [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:08
Are hotel restaurants ever going to be a go-to option in Australian cities and towns? We chat to Ben Creek, Vice President of Food & Beverage in Asia and the Pacific for Accor. From great coffee to smarter buffets to inc…
Marco Finanzio (Umberto Group) - In hard times, what matters? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:35
Returning to Dirty Linen after a huge 16 months, Umberto Group’s Marco Finanzio has changed the shape of his business, closing venues and refocusing. In hard times, what matters? Who are we accountable to? What is the mi…
Stephen Nairn (Omnia, Yugen) - Portside at Prahran [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:12
Australia imports most of its seafood, and the most commonly eaten locally produced fish is farmed salmon. Do these facts point to problems? Today’s chat is with return Dirty Linen guest Stephen Nairn (Omnia, Yugen), who…
John Laureti (Cafe Lewi, Sydney) - the lure of Lewisham [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:04
Chef John Laureti owns Cafe Lewi in Sydney’s Lewisham with his wife Isabella Leva Laureti, a pastry chef. The pair have a background in fine dining but they decided to bring their skills and experience to a daytime cafe,…
Jason M Jones (Entrecote, Melbourne) -  turning 10 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:37
When you’re busy and always thinking about the next urgent matter, it can be hard to stop to celebrate the milestones. I love it when I see a restaurant share that they’ve turned 1 or 5 or 20. It’s great to take stock, f…
Zoe Birch (Greasy Zoe’s) - consistency and change [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:19
If there’s a type of restaurant that I appreciate most intensely, it’s small independent family places where the creativity has to be as much about business structure as food on a plate. Greasy Zoe’s is one of those busi…
Emma Sheahan ( Lumen People, Fitzroy) - Illuminating Lumen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:11
We return to a favourite series on Dirty Linen: Illuminating Lumen. In this occasional catch-up, we enter the world of Lumen People, a cafe and wine bar that launched in North Melbourne in 2023, closed in 2025 and reopen…