For Chef Dean James Max, food begins with a sense of place.

Growing up on a farm along Virginia’s Eastern Shore—between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay—Dean developed an early connection to fishing, farming, fresh ingredients, and the rhythms of coastal life. Some of his most enduring memories are of catching blue crabs with his brother and gathering around an outdoor table for steamed crabs, corn, tomatoes, homemade bread, and Old Bay.

In this episode of Nom Nom, Dean joins host Dr. Elika Dadsetan-Foley to explore how those childhood experiences shaped his life as a chef and restaurateur. He reflects on the lessons he learned from his mother’s kitchen, the flavors that changed his perspective while living in Italy, and why the best cooking begins with what is fresh, seasonal, and available in the place around you.

Dean also shares the story behind his signature BLT clams, explains why genuine hospitality is something guests can feel, and discusses the responsibility that comes with harvesting, preparing, and sharing food from the land and sea.

It is a conversation about curiosity, craftsmanship, respect, and the memories that make a meal feel like home.

NomNom is the podcast of Enroot, a global storytelling movement that uses food, culture, and memory to build belonging across differences.

Learn more: https://enrootyourself.org
Follow Enroot: @eat_enroot
Follow Chef Dean James Max: @deanjamesmax

Chef Beau MacMillan has built an extraordinary culinary career but the experiences that shaped him most began long before the accolades.

In this episode of Nom Nom, Beau joins host Dr. Elika Dadsetan-Foley for a deeply personal conversation about the people, meals, and memories that taught him what hospitality truly means. He reflects on mornings in his grandmother’s kitchen, making blueberry ice cream as a child in Maine, the mentor who transformed his understanding of food, and the family table that showed him how cooking could become a love language.

Beau also shares his philosophy of creating emotional experiences through food, building restaurant cultures where people feel valued, and making every guest feel recognized, welcomed, and at home.

Because the most memorable meals are rarely just about what was served. They are about the stories shared, the relationships formed, and the feeling of knowing that you belong.

Nom Nom is the podcast of Enroot, a global storytelling movement that uses food, culture, and memory to build belonging across differences.

Learn more: https://enrootyourself.org
Follow Enroot: @eat_enroot
Follow Chef Beau MacMillan: @chefbeaumac

Paris Alston is the host of GBH News Rooted. She was previously co-host of Morning Edition and The Wake Up podcast at GBH News. She has done live coverage of Massachusetts’ elections, the unveiling of the Embrace monument to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, the 2023 national NAACP convention, where she interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris, and the 2024 Celtics Championship Parade. She also does community-based reporting for her award-winning original series "A Walk Down the Block,” and produces regular segments for the original mental health series “Wake Up Well.

Nom Nom is the podcast of Enroot, a global storytelling movement that uses food, culture, and memory to build belonging across differences. Founded and hosted by Elika Dadsetan-Foley, a global social impact leader, Persian-American immigrant, and cultural connector, Enroot brings people together in ways that are simple, human, and deeply needed right now. We believe that food is one of the oldest technologies of connection. Every dish carries a history, every spice holds a memory, and every table is a place where community can grow. 

Follow us: 

@eat_enroot

[email protected] 

enrootyourself.org 

Chef Josh Bostic, executive sous chef at Rose Mary in Chicago. 34 years old. I grew up in a small town in Indiana, which has nourished my love for farms and farmers my entire career. I love music and community and being able to create special moments with people.

https://www.rosemarychicago.com/

Nom Nom is the podcast of Enroot, a global storytelling movement that uses food, culture, and memory to build connection across differences. Founded and hosted by Elika Dadsetan-Foley, a global social impact leader, Persian-American immigrant, and cultural connector, Enroot brings people together in ways that are simple, human, and deeply needed right now.

We believe that food is one of the oldest technologies of connection. Every dish carries a history, every spice holds a memory, and every table is a place where community can grow.

Follow us: 

@eat_enroot 

[email protected]

enrootyourself.org

Reem Assil is a Palestinian/Syrian-American chef, activist, author and founder of Reem's California - a beloved bakery in the Bay Area inspired by Arab street corner bakeries and rooted in the traditions of warm, generous hospitality. Her work has been recognized by the James Beard foundation and countless food lovers across the country not only for her bold flavors, but for the way she uses food as a tool for connection, resistance, and cultural storytelling. 

Her new book Arabiyya, a cook book and memoir, is available now.

Nom Nom is the podcast of Enroot, a global storytelling movement that uses food, culture, and memory to build belonging across differences. Founded and hosted by Elika Dadsetan-Foley, a global social impact leader, Persian-American immigrant, and cultural connector, Enroot brings people together in ways that are simple, human, and deeply needed right now.

We believe that food is one of the oldest technologies of connection. Every dish carries a history, every spice holds a memory, and every table is a place where community can grow.

Follow us: 
@eat_enroot 
[email protected]
enrootyourself.org

Elizabeth Woodard is a private chef, professional food nutritionist and holistic health practitioner from Denver, Colorado. In this conversation on Nom Nom, she talks to us about how to create healthy and deeply delicious food - especially for high-performing professional athletes.

Nom Nom is the podcast of Enroot, a global storytelling movement that uses food, culture, and memory to build belonging across differences. Founded and hosted by Elika Dadsetan-Foley, a global social impact leader, Persian-American immigrant, and cultural connector, Enroot brings people together in ways that are simple, human, and deeply needed right now.

We believe that food is one of the oldest technologies of connection. Every dish carries a history, every spice holds a memory, and every table is a place where community can grow.

Follow us: 
@eat_enroot 
[email protected]
enrootyourself.org