Episode # 1 - Rich Landau
The premier episode of The Making Of Things features acclaimed chef Rich Landau, co-owner of Vedge Restaurant, a vegan food hotspot in Philadelphia. As the founder of the successful Horizons restaurant, Landau had the honor of being the first chef ever to cook a vegan meal at the legendary James Beard House in New York City, proving that vegan cooking is a force to be taken seriously in food culture.
Join us as Chef Landau and host Melissa D’Elia (who also has a culinary background) dive into their experiences in the restaurant world, everything from vegan and vegetarian cooking to the “bread and (dairy-free) butter” of life as a restauranteur, to toxic masculinity in food culture and the challenges of restaurant life in COVID-era America. These ingredients show us the joys and pains of creation and prove that ultimately the juice is worth the squeeze in the Making of Things.
Episode # 2 - Scott Szegeski
Episode 2 of The Making of Things features artist, photographer, sculptor, and lifelong surfer Scott Szegeski. Joined by host Melissa D’Elia, Scott dives into his story and explains how he got hooked on gyotaku art. Combining his passions, Scott adapted the idea of traditional Japanese gyotaku fish printing to create unique and stunning gyotaku-style artwork of surfboard shapes. From Asbury Park, New Jersey, Scott’s work has been featured all over the country, from New York City to Southern California to Hawaii, and beyond in Central America.
With a lifetime of surfing all over the world and creating artwork in other mediums, Scott explains the discovery of his passion for the gyotaku art form in an unexpected place. He helps us to understand the imprint that his experiences have had on him and how his creative process morphs ideas into tangible forms. From flow to fruition is the Making of Things.
Season 2 - Episode 1 : Yoni Zilber
The SEASON 2 PREMIER of The Making of Things features world-renowned tattoo artist Yoni Zilber. He is the owner of Watermark Studio, a private tattoo studio in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. In this episode, Zilber and host Melissa D’Elia chat about owning vegan restaurants, their dedication to their crafts, work ethic, and how hard it can be to accept compliments. Zilber shares his experience and explains how he learned traditional Tibetan drawing during an apprenticeship under the revered Pema Rinzig. Defined by its sensitive line expression, rich compositions, and simplicity, he turns traditional Tibetan art into beautiful body art. Zilber shares his deep respect for the Tibetan art tradition, which began nearly a millennium ago. From flow to fruition is The Making of Things.