Culinary diplomacy is a form of cultural diplomacy. Reem Kassis, author of the Palestinian Table, shares stories of her people through their food and makes her case one delicious dish at a time. Her approach has won unlikely friends in the American-Israeli community, as well as detractors. On this episode, hear about the challenges of representing a culture, of selling a cookbook when you have no IG following nor previous experience, and of battling your own uncertainty. Want to stay up to date ...
Sep 19, 2019•41 min•Ep. 111
On this special edition of Speaking Broadly, host Dana Cowin interviews Missy Robbins and Sean Feeney, the team behind two of New York City's favorite spots, Lilia and Misi . Listen in to hear the touching story of how a burgeoning friendship between neighbors resulted in an inspiring collaboration between equals—one a "raging foodie lunatic" finance guy, and the other, a star chef. Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and he...
Sep 12, 2019•48 min•Ep. 110
At Heritage Radio Network's live podcast taping at Haven's Kitchen in New York City, Kat Johnson interviewed Dana Cowin about her media career including 20 plus years at Food & Wine magazine, and how she willingly jumped into the complete unknown, determined to set a completely new path. Listen in to hear the host of Speaking Broadly become the interviewee rather than the interviewer! Speaking Broadly is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...
Aug 21, 2019•22 min•Ep. 109
Danielle Nierenberg, co-founder of Food Tank , is a non-partisan food and ag activist—an anomaly in this hyper-divided political landscape. On this episode, Nierenberg shares the motivation for starting her business: a sense of desperation and urgency to share positive stories of agricultural development around the world. As well as a desire to get industry experts on opposing sides to talk to each other. More listening; less lecturing. Check out the pod to hear Nierenberg describe her role as s...
Aug 11, 2019•37 min•Ep. 108
Chef and rock star Cheetie Kumar embraces duality in every area of her life. Immigrant/American, musician/chef, partner/wife—Cheetie is all these and more. In one Raleigh, NC project, she and her husband, Paul Siler fuse music and food: they run a restaurant, Garland , a music venue, Kings, and a downstairs bar, Neptune’s. On this episode, Kumar shares the seeds of her passions—from singing alone as an immigrant kid in her Bronx living room to cooking as a way to connect with her family’s tragic...
Jul 31, 2019•50 min•Ep. 107
A fantastic podcast, The Lonely Hour; an upcoming, ground-breaking book on no-alcohol cocktails; a stellar writing career. These three accomplishments tell listeners something about Speaking Broadly guest, Julia Bainbridge. She is, by many measures, a huge success. But she doesn't always feel that way. "The truth is that I'm very much in the middle of it and there are lots of questions in the air. Where do I want to live? What do I want to do professionally? What do I want my relationship to alc...
Jul 24, 2019•51 min•Ep. 106
As the first-ever CEO of the culinary brand Momofuku, visionary Dave Chang chose Marguerite Mariscal , a 30 year old woman who started at the company as an intern in 2011. Listen in to hear how Mariscal has helped the brand grow up, embrace change, expand and get ready for the future by fearlessly asking the big question: Why? Plus, learn about Mariscal's upbringing as the great grand daughter of Louis Zabar, founder of the retail food empire Zabar's on Manhattan's Upper West Side. It's HRN's an...
Jul 17, 2019•55 min•Ep. 105
"Executive chef Melissa Rodriguez talks in depth for the first time about what it feels like to work under the shadow of a parent company rocked by sexual assault and misconduct charges. Rodriguez is chef at Del Posto, which was founded by now-disgraced Mario Batali and his partner Joe Bastianich. Listen in to hear why Rodriguez stayed even after the allegations, how she manages her team now, and what she's learned about herself as a person and as a cook after 13 years. Want to stay up to date o...
Jul 10, 2019•54 min•Ep. 104
Kim Alter’s tasting menus at Nightbird in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley tell compelling stories, like the opening “Insight” menu that was all white until the last course, when there was a burst of color. That menu reflects the journey her mother took from descending into blindness—and seeing only blurry outlines of colors—to having an experimental surgery that allowed her to see again. Thus the bright dessert. Listen in to this episode to hear how Alter has shaped her restaurant and her team to b...
Jun 26, 2019•47 min•Ep. 103
Krystal Mack is a food artist who arrived at her calling by bike. After launching her first business, KarmaPop , Mack devoted herself to baked goods. She rode around her hometown of Baltimore delivering signature pies, attracting the attention of a developer who offered her a brick and mortar space. Mack grabbed it and then regretted it once she discovered she'd been handed a raw deal. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, Mack talks about business challenges as well as coming to terms with famil...
Jun 19, 2019•43 min•Ep. 102
Empathy is what makes Lauren Friel good at her job in the hospitality industry and it's what almost killed her. As founder of Rebel Rebel , a feminist wine bar in Boston, and a consultant on many great wine lists in Boston and beyond, Friel is sensitive to the needs of her customers and staff. This sensitivity to the needs of others is part of what kept her from leaving an abusive, suicidal partner. On episode 101 of Speaking Broadly, Friel talks about living "in a movie I wouldn't want to watch...
Jun 12, 2019•37 min•Ep. 101
With the help of tech, water farmers can listen to fish eat when they’re in the sea. A few sustainable fish farms are now branded in the same way that well-respected cattle ranches are. Host Dana Cowin learns about changes and improvements in aquaculture from expert Jen Bushman on this episode of Speaking Broadly. Bushman also shares her path to being an aqua specialist: her darkest moment seeing everything she’d worked for evaporate, her teenage son’s wisdom, and the power of serendipity. Want ...
Jun 05, 2019•55 min•Ep. 100
"If a horse is doing something contrary to what you want, likely it’s because you’re asking wrong,” explains Jackie Kecskes. Kecskes is the Equestrian Manager of The Resort at Paws Up in Greenough, Montana—she understands that honesty, patience, and flexibility are key to getting desired results. Using this powerful philosophy, Kecskes pioneered a program with adopted wild mustangs which she translates to working with people. Listen in to this episode of Speaking Broadly to hear how horses can m...
May 29, 2019•46 min•Ep. 99
"Being alive is being worthy," says Mexico City-born restaurateur Gabriela Cámara. She was raised to believe that everyone is capable, and she puts that belief into practice at her two restaurants, Contramar in Mexico City and Cala in San Francisco where she actively hires people who've been previously incarcerated. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, host Dana Cowin talks to Camara about her upbringing, her food philosophy, her new cookbook, ""My Mexico City Kitchen"" and her latest position a...
May 22, 2019•34 min•Ep. 98
An aperitif is a bitter, effervescent drink that eases the transition between daylight and dusk. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, Rebekah Peppler talks about this lovely French tradition. Peppler also shares some significant transitions in her life: from food stylist to author; from denizen of Brooklyn to Paris; from straight to queer. And she discusses her controversial, top-trending piece in the New York Times, " The Aperol Spritz is Not a Good Drink ." Peppler's lesson for cocktails: star...
May 15, 2019•55 min•Ep. 97
Newly christened Outstanding Pastry Chef in America by the James Beard Foundation, Kelly Fields of Willa Jean in New Orleans, credits a sassy, sarcastic non-cook as being her champion, her savior and her inspiration. Her grandmother, after whom her restaurant is named, supported her when she came out, and encouraged her to pursue other choices that were not popular with her Southern family. Before launching her restaurant, Fields worked with some of America's beloved chefs including Susan Spicer...
May 08, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 96
"Indian-ish," from author Priya Krishna and her mother Ruti, is the definition of an American cookbook. It chronicles the easy-to-make recipes of Krishna's upbringing as the Texas-born daughter of Indian immigrants who fell in love with their adopted state and also traveled extensively. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, Krishna describes her mother's seemingly superhuman ability to do it all, her parents' sensible and successful arranged marriage, and her own journey of self-acceptance throug...
Apr 17, 2019•54 min•Ep. 95
Thirty-seven breakfast tours in 4 countries and 8 states over 4 years. 380 international breakfast recipes in a brand new book . With this kind of exhaustive research and first hand experience, Speaking Broadly guest, Emily Miller is qualified to be called the world’s foremost expert on the first meal of the day. Listen in as creative Miller talks about the most ubiquitous breakfast (cereal—both hot and cold) and the most unusual (cured tuna and grated coconut from the Maldives). And also hear h...
Apr 03, 2019•54 min•Ep. 94
“I don’t want to feel myself explode.” After a bus carrying her and a rap group went off a cliff and crashed 40 feet below, that was Zahra Tangorra’s first thought. Now, thirteen years later, this horrible accident feels “like an opportunity.” Tangorra used her settlement to fund a career change from visual merchandiser in retail to first-time restaurant owner in Brooklyn. Her place, Brucie , was a huge success and got global attention with special events like a wacky Kimye Valentine’s Day theme...
Mar 27, 2019•57 min•Ep. 93
Nini Nguyen feels her younger brother's presence in everything she does even though he passed away tragically and swiftly at the age of 27. Growing up, Nini and her brother went shopping at farmers markets in New Orleans, made meals for their Vietnamese immigrant parents, and fantasized about the future. One of his last wishes was for Nini to pursue her dream of being on Top Chef. When she competed in on season 16, each win was for him. Listen in to hear about how Hurricane Katrina shifted Nini'...
Mar 20, 2019•45 min•Ep. 92
Jennifer McDonald is determined to provoke conversations about racism and sexism, and she's doing it in an unusual way: by making wine in Wichita, Kansas. A black child adopted by white parents, McDonald grew up in a small town in Nebraska, hyper-aware of race issues yet never daunted. She was a track star, a success in her HR job, and an award-winning home winemaker. But after her life got disrupted by her son's debilitating medical condition, she wanted to devote time to something she was pass...
Mar 13, 2019•54 min•Ep. 91
The moment that The Culinistas founder Jill Donenfeld was ready to give up, to start over and open a restaurant in Malibu, was the moment that her business was saved. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, listen in as Donenfeld explains how one networking dinner led to a game-changing partnership that reinvigorated her and allowed her to commit whole-heartedly to her business. Before that, Donenfeld got by doing things she loved—offering private chef services to families looking for healthy meals...
Mar 06, 2019•53 min•Ep. 90
After a very successful 30 year career in restaurants, Heather Carlucci lost her passion for the business. So she took a big step: she came out of the woo closet, and shared that she was a lightworker—a medical intuitive (she works with doctors on diagnoses) and psychic. For the last 7 years, she's been a full-time medium. Listen in to this episode of Speaking Broadly to hear how Heather compares her past career in hospitality with her new one (both professions require the gift of empathy and th...
Feb 27, 2019•53 min•Ep. 89
One month after opening the New York outpost of her Houston restaurant Pondicheri , Anita Jaisinghani got the horrific news that her husband had stage 4 cancer. Her daughter, Ajna Jai, dropped everything and took over the NYC restaurant's day-to-day operations. And after their immensely challenging year, Jaisinghani and Jai are looking ahead to bringing even more meaning to their work. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, host Dana Cowin interviews this fierce and loving mother-daughter duo abou...
Feb 19, 2019•58 min•Ep. 88
When she finally healed from multiple surgeries, got a life-threatening infection under control, and emerged from the haze of years of intense pain, Valerie Gordon thought of one word: Toffee. An enthusiastic baker since childhood, she wanted to create a business around this crunchy, beloved sweet. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, Gordon tells host Dana Cowin about baking her way to comfort when she was a scared latchkey kid; the illness that consumed her; and about Valerie Confections, the ...
Feb 13, 2019•56 min•Ep. 87
Bravo’s Top Chef fan favorite, cookbook author and TV host, Carla Hall is known for her vivacious personality and warmth. In her latest book, Carla Hall’s Soul Food , other aspects of this culinary star emerge: the connection to her roots in the South as well as her desire to highlight extraordinary African-American cooks and farmers. In a far-ranging conversation on Speaking Broadly, Hall discusses not only recipes of her ancestors, but how she has overcome challenges including advocating for h...
Feb 06, 2019•57 min•Ep. 86
For Nasim Alikhani, co-owner of the Iranian restaurant Sofreh in Brooklyn , cooking both allows the world outside to disappear, and to make lost worlds re-appear. It is the thread that ties together her childhood in pre-Revolution Iran, her 20s in New York when she was a student and nanny trying to make ends meet, and now her life as a restaurateur. On this uplifting episode of Speaking Broadly, Alikhani describes her gratitude for early hardship and later happiness, how optimism grows with expe...
Jan 30, 2019•53 min•Ep. 85
World-renowned author and negotiation facilitator Priya Parker grew up shuttling between her mother's Indian, liberal, incense-filled Buddhist-Hindu-New Age household and her father's American, meat-eating, conservative, climate-denying one. Not surprisingly, she never knew exactly where she belonged. Parker channeled that childhood discomfort into a powerful mission: to make people experience a sense of belonging. Parker's recent book author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matte...
Jan 23, 2019•58 min•Ep. 84
Holly Whitaker was at one time addicted to alcohol, pot, and cigarettes. She was bulimic, depressed, tried to get help. But the services that existed—the clinics and AA—weren’t right for her. Six years ago, she finally hacked her way to her own recovery. Now she’s founded a company called Tempest that is reinventing rehab for a new generation. Whitaker's plan makes recovery affordable, accessible, empowering, self-directed, and non-anonymous. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, Whitaker shares ...
Jan 16, 2019•43 min•Ep. 83
This week, we're delighted to share a bonus episode from our Heritage Radio Network sister program, Inside Julia's Kitchen . Dana was recently the guest on the show for their 2018 season finale. In this excerpt of the show's 2nd half, Dana and host Todd Schulkin discuss Dana's experiences making Speaking Broadly, and Dana shares her "Julia moment." If you like what you hear and you want to explore more great conversations, visit Inside Julia's Kitchen ( rss | web ). Speaking Broadly and Inside J...
Dec 26, 2018•25 min•Ep. 154
