SingleThread, Food Waste, and the Future of Farm to Table

This week on Not From Concentrate, Catherine Smart talks with Alex Fuentes, Head Chef of Special Projects at SingleThread Farm–Restaurant–Inn in Healdsburg, California.SingleThread is known for its three-Michelin-starred restaurant, five-room inn, and deeply integrated farm led by Kyle and Katina Connaughton. But this conversation goes beyond the fantasy of wine country fine dining. Catherine and Alex talk about what it means to cook at the highest level without recreating the toxic kitchen culture that has shaped so much of fine dining’s past.They also dig into the practical lessons home cooks can take from SingleThread’s philosophy: reducing food waste, preserving seasonal produce, cooking with what is local and abundant, and using Japanese ideas like kaizen — continual improvement — to build more confidence in the kitchen.For listeners interested in ADHD cooking, this episode offers a calmer, more flexible way to think about high-level technique: less perfection, more awareness, repetition, and creative problem-solving. Alex also shares what inspires his work, why collaboration matters, and how to calm kitchen chaos when your brain is moving faster than your hands.This food podcast conversation explores creativity, sustainability, seasonality, and the idea of a more compassionate kitchen — from Michelin-level restaurants to everyday home cooking.In this episode:What makes SingleThread’s farm, restaurant, and inn so uniqueHow fine dining can move forward from toxic kitchen cultureThe idea of a “compassionate kitchen”Food waste, preservation, and creative constraintsWhat home cooks can learn from Michelin-level kitchensWhy seasonality and locality still matterJapanese influences at SingleThread, including kaizen and ichigo ichieADHD creativity, collaboration, and calming chaos in the kitchenNot From Concentrate is a food podcast for busy brains from host Catherine Smart — a cook, writer, mom, and creative entrepreneur with ADHD. Tune in for conversations with chefs, authors, creators, and food lovers about sparking creativity, calming chaos, and finding joy in (and out) of the kitchen + subscribe to the Not From Concentrate newsletter on Substack