British actor Lashana Lynch takes us back to the tight-knit West London community where she grew up and to her grandparents' record shop, which was the soundtrack to her childhood. She talks about the importance of bringing her Jamaican heritage to the red carpet and how she channels her mother's strength and discipline to prepare for certain roles. She also share her love for her mama's saltfish dish and why she craves Jamaican comfort food when she's on set. Your Mama’s Kitchen is a production...
Mar 11, 2025•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Queen Diva herself, Big Freedia, joins to talk about all things New Orleans. From making his aunt’s Mardi Gras popcorn balls to coming out on his 13th birthday, Big Freedia shares what it was like to grow up on Josephine Street and Music Street. He’ll also share what it was like to get that call from Beyoncé and how he brought bounce back to New Orleans after Katrina. Plus he shares how to make his mom's cornbread dressing. Your Mama’s Kitchen is a production of Higher Ground. Produced by So...
Mar 04, 2025•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Restauranteur and cookbook author Bricia Lopez takes us back to where her career in food really began -- the kitchen of the renowned, LA-based Oaxacan restaurant Guelaguetza, which her father opened in the 90's. Bricia and her siblings grew up washing dishes, bussing tables and helping their parents foster a sense of community for the Oaxacan diaspora in Los Angeles; something Bricia continues to do as one of the co-owners of the restaurant today. This conversation was recorded when record-break...
Feb 25, 2025•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian Roy Wood Jr. dishes on his Birmingham roots and how his radio personality dad and law school student mom navigated meal times with their opposing schedules. He shares the simple but delicious meals that limited his palette before he ultimately became the foodie we know and love today. Plus, we learn about the biscuits that had his cousins fighting over who gets the last one. Your Mama’s Kitchen is a production of Higher Ground. Produced by Sonia Htoon. Associate Producers are Camila Thu...
Feb 18, 2025•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast America's favorite kitchen icon Ina Garten opens up about the tumultuous relationship she had with her mama's kitchen when she was a child. She walks us through how her relationship with food evolved in later years, thanks to her husband Jeffrey and a summer spent camping across Europe on a shoestring budget. Plus, we learn how to make the one dish Ina enjoyed from childhood: Chicken Parmesan. Your Mama’s Kitchen is a production of Higher Ground. Produced by Sonia Htoon. Associate Producers are ...
Feb 11, 2025•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Multiple Grammy and Platinum Record winning artist John Legend takes us back to his roots in Springfield, Ohio, where he was an academic overachiever and a musical prodigy. John opens up about his early rocky relationship with his mother and how, over time, they came together to nurture one beautiful family. Plus, we learn how to make his mama's special mac & cheese. Your Mama’s Kitchen is a production of Higher Ground. Produced by Sonia Htoon. Associate Producers are Camila Thur de Koos and...
Feb 04, 2025•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Late Show host Stephen Colbert and his wife Evie reminisce on their romcom-worthy meet cute, which somehow happened years after they left their shared hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. We learn about what kind of food they ate while growing up in the coastal Lowcountry (hint: lots of seafood) and some of the cooking hiccups they faced as a new couple in their first shared kitchen. Plus, Stephen teaches us how to make his version of his mama’s fudge – a recipe that none of his siblings can ...
Jan 28, 2025•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to Your Mama's Kitchen, where we bring you life changing stories from the childhood kitchens of chefs, musicians, TV personalities and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 28, 2025•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Your Mama's Kitchen will officially be back next year starting January 28th! In the meantime, join Michele for a walk down memory lane in a very special episode of Your Mama's Kitchen . We'll revisit cherished holiday memories and beloved family recipes from some of our favorite past guests. You'll also get an exclusive sneak peek at some very special new voices to be featured in our upcoming run. Whether you're cooking up a feast or cozying up by the fire, this special is s...
Dec 18, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this very special solo episode, Hoda opens up about life at 60. She celebrates the decade ahead in this love letter to her personal journey. Hoda reflects on her life’s path, overcoming hardship and the lessons she’s learned along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 24, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hey Higher Ground listeners! We're sharing a preview of a new podcast called The Wonder of Stevie, from Higher Ground. You might think you know Stevie Wonder. You might think you know his music. But you’ve never heard it like this. Host Wesley Morris is taking you on a deep-dive through Stevie's Classic Period: five legendary albums back-to-back in just four years. Hear about the record deal that started it all, the technology Stevie adopted to create never-before-heard sounds, and his influence...
Oct 03, 2024•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dreamgirl, American Idol finalist and EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson joins us for the last episode of the season. She takes us back to her early years in the Southside of Chicago where she and her siblings grew up in a kitchen filled with song and where she spent precious late nights with her grandma in front of the TV. Plus, we hear about the poundcake recipe of her childhood. Jennifer Hudson is a renowned singer and actress. She’s won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony, earning her an EGOT status....
Jul 03, 2024•40 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian Pete Holmes shares the small ways his mom infused her Lithuanian heritage through food, even if she wouldn’t talk much about the home she knew before having to flee the country and become a refugee. He’ll open up about his journey confronting some dark parts of his past that helped him make better comedy. Plus, we’ll get the recipe for his mom’s apple pie that might look more like a cobbler. Pete Holmes is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer and podcaster. He gained recognitio...
Jun 26, 2024•46 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian and TikTok sensation Zarna Garg shares her incredible journey of creating the American life she imagined growing up and finding marriage on her own terms. She also reveals how she transitioned from the elaborate meals her mom cooked to simpler dishes that suit her family’s needs today. Plus, she offers some great tips for transforming steamed broccoli into something special. Zarna Garg is a stand-up comedian who pokes fun at her experiences as an Indian immigrant mom. She was name...
Jun 19, 2024•43 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast Chef, restaurateur and online food person Sohla El-Waylly shares some of her impressive food wisdom with us, taking us back to where it all began – her mother’s kitchen in the diverse suburbs of Van Nuys, California. We hear about how she was shaped by her mother’s knack for fusion and experimentation and her aunt’s love for classic, American dishes. Plus, she walks us through how to make her mother’s deliciously flaky parathas. Sohla El-Waylly is a chef and online food personality known for her...
Jun 12, 2024•36 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast Michele Norris’ family has 30+ years of precious memories driving throughout the East Coast. From celebrating birthdays on the go to weathering natural disasters, when it comes to road trips, they’ve been through. Join Michele and her nephew Carlos Fenwick as they journey down memory lane with a lot of laughs along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 06, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Award-winning screenwriter and funny person Lena Waithe takes us back to her fast-food filled childhood in the Southside of Chicago. We’ll hear about what it was like to live in a house with three generations of women and about her grandmother’s dining table, which plays a big part in an award-winning episode that Lena wrote for Master of None . Plus, we hear why Chicken and Dumplings is the ultimate comfort meal. Lena Waithe is a comedian, actor, writer and screenwriter. She was the first black...
Jun 05, 2024•45 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast Renowned American ballet dancer Misty Copeland opens up about the instability she faced in her childhood and how her natural athleticism and incredible discipline led her to shine as a dance prodigy in her teens. She talks about the evolution of her relationship to food and nutrition from growing up in various different kitchens to eating like an athlete. Plus, you’ll hear how to make one of her healthy, go-to recipes: Baked tilapia with veggies. Misty Copeland is a Principal Dancer with the Ame...
May 29, 2024•48 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist and Emmy award-winning TV host Tamron Hall talks about how her upbringing in the small, rural town of Luling, Texas paved the way for her to follow her dreams of being on TV. She praises the many mother figures she had in her life growing up and opens up about what Mother’s Day really means to her. Plus, we learn how to make her twist on a Southern classic – a Sock-it-to- Them cake. Tamron Hall is a two-time Emmy award-winning TV host of her self-titled show, which was recently ...
May 22, 2024•46 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast Cookbook author and baker extraordinaire, Dorie Greenspan, joins Michele to discuss the long, winding and unforeseen journey to Dorie’s great baking career. Dorie grew up in a household that did not cook home-cooked meals, and as a young adult, she first pursued an academic PHD. Cooking was not on her radar. But when Dorie’s perceptive husband witnessed how much Dorie loved baking, he encouraged her to pursue it; and Dorie did — with enthusiasm. Today, in addition to having been mentored by food...
May 15, 2024•39 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast Tony Award winning actor and Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson talks about finding his “tribe” in his local theater program as a kid in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He opens up about coming out to his dad three times and what it’s like for him to be a dad himself now, in real life. Plus, we learn how to make an especially southwestern dish, green (hatch) chili chicken stew. Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an American actor best known for his role on the multiple Emmy Award-winning sitcom Modern Family...
May 08, 2024•41 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast Eric Kim, staff writer and essayist for The New York Times food section, introduces us to his mother Jean’s exceptional Korean cooking, and to the suburban Atlanta kitchen he grew up in. It was there that Eric developed a love for traditional Korean cooking, and it was the same kitchen he would return to as an adult to write his debut cookbook, Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home. His mother Jean was his chief recipe taster, and his inspiration for the delicious Kimchi Jjigae found in it...
May 01, 2024•41 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist and television news personality Natalie Morales takes us back to her globetrotting childhood as a daughter in a military family. She reminisces on living in Spain during her teenage years and food she ate in her Puerto Rican and Brazilian household. Plus, she teaches us how to make the perfect flan. Natalie Morales co-hosts the Daytime Emmy award winning show, The Talk on CBS. Before this, she served over two decades at NBC News, anchoring the Today show and making appearances on Date...
Apr 24, 2024•41 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast Award-winning food writer and journalist Mark Bittman walks us through the evolution of his relationship with all things culinary, beginning with his upbringing on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Bittman describes how he first started using cookbooks, the impact of global politics on his perspective, and how his mother and grandmother influenced his cooking habits. Mark Bittman is a food writer and journalist who has authored thirty books on a variety of topics. His work discusses the pleasure...
Apr 17, 2024•35 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast Nationally renowned women’s health advocate Dr. Sharon Malone takes us back to her childhood in Mobile, Alabama where she lived through a monumental moment in civil rights history led by her sister, Vivian Malone. Dr. Malone talks about how she views cooking together with family as an act of love, and what better way to show love than baking a decadent pound cake. Dr. Sharon Malone is an OB/GYN and Certified Menopause Practitioner who has been an active advocate for reproductive rights, women’s ...
Apr 10, 2024•42 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Nicole Avant—daughter of legendary music mogul Clarence Avant—looks back at her bustling childhood kitchen, where prominent Black figures were always stopping by. She’ll tell us about her mother’s snow cookies recipe as well as reflect on the loss of her mother and share tips for consoling someone experiencing deep grief. Nicole Avant is a film producer, author, and former ambassador for the Bahamas. She wrote the critically acclaimed book Think You’ll be Happy: Moving Thr...
Apr 03, 2024•34 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Award winning, best-selling author Kristin Hannah recounts her outdoorsy childhood living in farmhouses and campsites built by her adventurous dad. We get a glimpse into what inspired Hannah to venture into historical fiction and what her mom managed to cook for her and her siblings with a wood fire stove. Plus we hear how to make her mama’s buttermilk cornbread. Kristin Hannah is an American historical fiction author. She’s written over twenty novels, many of them securing spots in the New York...
Mar 27, 2024•41 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of Your Mama’s Kitchen , we’re joined by Maria Bamford. She’s a comedian, actor, and now a New York Times bestselling author with her memoir Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult , released in late 2023. Maria talks about her Midwestern upbringing, her journey with obsessive compulsive disorder, and the delicious pot roast she still craves from childhood. Maria Bamford is an American actress and stand-up comedian. She’s the first female comic with two half-hour “Comedy Central Presents” spec...
Mar 20, 2024•37 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast Bestselling children’s book author and literary legend Judy Blume takes us back to her childhood New Jersey kitchen in the ‘40s, where she ate lamb chops and baked potato scrapings as a baby. She also shares a precious memento: her mother’s little yellow recipe box, filled with complicated, mid-century dishes her mother never made. We’ll hear about Judy’s major sweet tooth, which is perfectly captured by the recipe she chose to share with us: her mother’s sweet noodle pudding. Judy Blume ...
Mar 13, 2024•37 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast Mark Cuban — entrepreneur, fixture on the reality TV show Shark Tank, and born outsider — joins Michele this week. Mark shares how he acquired a do-what-needs-to-be-done attitude from his Jewish immigrant grandparents when he was a boy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; how he first tapped his entrepreneurial spirit by selling garbage bags to neighbors. And – ignoring the way things “should” be done – fast-forwarded his education to start achieving the financial success he’s known for today. But Mark ...
Mar 06, 2024•41 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast