Your Mama’s Kitchen

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.

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 on our culture. There will be appearances from legends like Barack and Michelle Obama, Questlove, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Babyface, Janelle Monae and more. In this episode, Wesley details how, years after signing his first recording deal with Motown Records, Stevie decides to renegotiate his contract. One of the things on the table? Complete creative freedom. What follows is the beginning of one of the greatest streak of albums in American popular music: Music of My Mind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. She currently hosts her own self-titled show where she invites celebrities, community heroes and viral sensations to bring empowering conversations to light. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 recognition as the creator and lead actor of the HBO series "Crashing," a semi-autobiographical show centered around the world of stand-up comedy. Holmes has also worked as a writer for "Saturday Night Live" and lent his voice to characters in the animated series "Animals." His stand-up specials, including "Nice Try, The Devil" and "Faces and Sounds," have received praise for their observational humor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 named Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch for 2023 and performs in comedy clubs all across the country. Her comedy special, “One in a Billion,” is available now on Amazon Prime Video. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 appearances on shows like Netflix’s The Big Brunch, the New York Times’ Youtube channel and the Binging with Babish Youtube channel. Her book, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook, is a New York Times BestSeller and a James Beard Foundation Book Award Nominee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

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 woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for her Thanksgiving episode on Netflix’s Master of None. She created The Chi, which she currently produces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 American Ballet Theatre. She made history in 2015, becoming the first African-American woman to ever be promoted to that position. She’s written several New York Times bestselling books and launched her own foundation in 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 renewed for its sixth season. Before this, she was the first black woman to host the Today Show in 2014. She’s the author of her own cookbook A Confident Cook, set to publish this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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-world icon, Julia Child, Dorie has written 14 cookbooks, won five James Beard awards, and has her very own, prized kitchen in Paris. In this episode, find out how Dorie’s story begins by mistakenly burning down her mother’s kitchen, and ends with Dorie being one of the best bakers in the business – and stay tuned for a lovely soft-shell crab recipe that Dorie loved to share with her mother, on the back steps of her childhood Brooklyn home. Dorie Greenspan was born in Brooklyn and pursued a PHD in gerontology before becoming an internationally recognized cookbook author and baker. Dorie has been a columnist for New York Times Magazine and The Washington Post. She’s written 14 cookbooks and won five James Beard awards as well as the Cookbook of the Year award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Dorie was awarded the Mérite d’Agricole – the Order of Agricultural Merit – by the French Consulate for her writings about France’s food. Today, she lives with her husband Michael in New York City, Westbrook, CT and Paris, France. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, where he played the gay lawyer, husband and father Mitchell Prichett for the entirety of the show’s 11 season run. He’s also won a Tony Award for his role on the 2022 revival of Take Me Out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 its pages. Eric Kim is a New York Times staff writer and essayist born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. His debut cookbook, Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home (Clarkson Potter, 2022), was an instant New York Times Best Seller. A former digital manager for the Food Network and contributing editor for Saveur magazine, he now hosts regular videos on NYT Cooking’s YouTube channel and writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine. He lives in New York City with his rescue dog, Q. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Dateline and the Nightly News. She has a cookbook, Cooking At Home With Natalie Morales which was published in 2018. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 pleasures of food, how to prepare it, and its impact on our bodies and on the world at large. Bittman is also known for his many appearances on the Today show and for his New York Times column “The Minimalist,” which ran for 13 years. He is the editor in chief of food publication The Bittman Project. Find the episode transcript here: https://www.audible.com/ymk/episode29 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 health and health education. She authored the book Grown Woman Talk for aging women whose healthcare needs are ignored or just less talked about. She is also the chief medical officer of Alloy Women’s Health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Through Grief with Grit, Grace, and Gratitude. She also produced the documentary The Black Godfather about her father’s illustrious music career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Times Best Seller List including The Four Winds and The Nightingale, which sold over 4.5 million copies. Her novel Firefly Lane was made into a Netflix Original Series in 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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” specials, and her critically acclaimed work includes her web series The Maria Bamford Show (featured at MOMA NY), Ask My Mom (recommended by The New Yorker), and her Netflix series Lady Dynamite (2 seasons). Bamford’s Audible Original You are (a Comedy) Special and multiple comedy albums are on all major streaming platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 is a bestselling American author of children’s, young adult, and adult fiction novels. She’s written over 25 books which have sold over 80 million copies. She’s best known for her classic—and at the time controversial—children’s books, including Tales of A Fourth Grade Nothing and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.