Cheetie Kumar is the chef/owner of Ajja, a restaurant in Raleigh’s Five Points neighborhood that draws inspiration from the diverse foodways and cultures, vibrant spices, and cooking techniques of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and beyond. Ajja opened in June 2023 and is a James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant. Ajja was also named an Esquire Best New Restaurant and Eater’s Best New Carolinas Restaurant. 

An India- and Bronx-raised Southerner and musician, Cheetie earned two James Beard Foundation Award nominations (and five semifinalist nods) for “Best Chef: Southeast” for her multi-cultural menus that blended the flavors of South Asia and the surrounding regions with local agriculture at the beloved Garland, which closed in 2022. Ajja builds on the legacy of Garland and continues telling the rich story of North Carolina’s growers, farmers and purveyors in a vibrant indoor-outdoor neighborhood restaurant.

Cheetie is active in food advocacy and serves on the board of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, the Southern Foodways Alliance and several North Carolina-based organizations. In fall 2023, Cheetie joined World Central Kitchen’s Chef Corps, a global network of culinary leaders who champion World Central Kitchen’s work providing fresh meals following crises.

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Sajani Amarasiri is the founder of Kola Goodies. She is an immigrant female founder on a mission to create a more culturally representative and equitable wellness industry, bringing together the best of her roots in Sri Lanka and life in America. Sajani was born and raised in Sri Lanka and came to the US at 18 for college, then worked in building tech supply chains at Microsoft and Amazon. She leveraged that experience with her unique insights to her culture to create the first wellness company to directly source from, and give back to the communities today's trendy ingredients and rituals originate from. She founded Kola Goodies which, directly sources from small farmer collectives in South Asia, IF you are not following her on the socials you need to because she is such a delight.

Follow Kola Goodies on IG:  @kolagoodies 

Brittany Muddamalle, known on the socials as Almost Indian Wife, has thousands of followers who check in for her daily humor and relatable content. Brittany has dedicated the last decade to helping multiracial families navigate and celebrate their diverse cultural backgrounds. Drawing from her own biracial heritage and her husband’s Indian roots, Brittany understands the unique challenges and joys of interracial relationships. Together with her husband she has 4 kids, 2 dogs, and a whole lot of chaos as they navigate two cultures!

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Sarah Nahas Hormi is my guest today!  If you are a fan of Food Network, you have seen her work. She is the queen behind the scenes on many shows as the Culinary Producer.  I met her working on Chopped during the pandemic.  She comes from a dual heritage home, and now is raising mixed culture children with her husband.  As she lives in the melting pot of NYC, she navigates culture in her home as well as in the media. I totally admire her and can’t wait for you to listen to this conversation.

IG: @saranhs

2024 AMAZING RACE WINNER!!! Cesar Aldrete  is a talented chef and food stylist with 16 years of experience. Born in Texas and raised in Mexico, Cesar now calls New York City home. His first job in NYC was at the 3 Michelin star restaurant Daniel. He has styled food for top magazines, international brands, and popular Food Network TV shows, bringing his creative touch to everything he does. Cesar has also earned awards in the Culinary Olympics in Luxembourg and competitions in New Zealand. Recently, he added a big win to his list of achievements by taking home the top prize on "The Amazing Race" alongside his boyfriend Ricky. 

Amazing Race - Watch here

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickyandcesar/

https://www.instagram.com/beardedfoodie/

https://www.instagram.com/cesarald/

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This is a fun conversation! Joel Muddamalle serves on the preaching team at Transformation Church in Indian Land, SC and is a frequent speaker for conferences and events. He just released his first book, “The Hidden Peace: Finding True Security, Strength, and Confidence Through Humility. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Joel and his wife enjoy a full house with their four children and two dogs. If he doesn’t have a theology book in hand, you can be sure he’s coaching one of his kids in a sport, or doing his best to keep up his hoops game on the basketball court.