Radio Cherry Bombe

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Maneesh Goyal are on a mission to share the rich culture, cuisine, and hospitality of India with everyone they can. Priyanka, the groundbreaking actor and UNICEF ambassador, and Maneesh, an entrepreneur and Planned Parenthood board member, joined forces last year to open Sona, a pan-Indian restaurant in New York City, but they didn’t stop there. They recently launched Sona Home, a companion luxury brand that features tabletop items and housewares. 

The two friends sat down with host Kerry Diamond to talk about Sona, Sona Home, and the intention behind each brand. Priyanka also shares a few stories about her teenage years in Iowa, while Maneesh takes us back to 1979 and the opening of his father’s restaurant, which was the very first Indian restaurant in Texas. They also help us navigate the Sona menu and reveal their must-order items. 

Radio Cherry Bombe is supported by Whole Foods and Anjali’s Cup. Discover what’s local and special at the Whole Foods nearest you.

Snag your Jubilee 2023 early bird tickets here!

Recorded by Eric Sheppard on location at Sona Restaurant in Manhattan. Radio Cherry Bombe is a production of Cherry Bombe Magazine. Our theme song is by the band Tra La La. 

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More on Priyanka: Instagram
More on Maneesh: Instagram
More on Sona: Sona Restaurant, Sona Home

What’s it like running the pastry departments at two of New York City’s buzziest fine dining restaurants? We find out when Michelle Palazzo, director of pastry operations for Le Rock and Frenchette restaurants, and Mariah Neston, Le Rock’s executive pastry chef, join us for today’s episode. The two didn’t know each other before meeting in the kitchen at the critically acclaimed Frenchette, but they quickly formed a professional partnership and support system that has served them well. Today, Mariah calls Michelle her mentor and Michelle says Mariah is her “ride or die.” The two chat with host Kerry Diamond about the journeys that led them to fine dining, how they collaborate with their teams to make some of the city’s best desserts, and what makes a great pastry chef. 

Radio Cherry Bombe is supported by Whole Foods. Discover what’s local and special at the Whole Foods nearest you. 

Our podcast is recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Our theme song is by the band Tra La La. 

Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here!

More on Mariah: Instagram, Le Rock NYC
More on Michelle: Instagram, Frenchette

When Danielle Walker was 22 years old and a newlywed, she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The autoimmune disease was debilitating, and Danielle wasn’t sure she’d achieve any of the goals or dreams she had set for herself, from having a family to working in publishing or P.R. A medical emergency abroad helped her realize there could be a connection between her illness and diet, and so began a long journey toward healing herself and helping countless people through her cookbooks, classes, and community. Her latest and fifth book, Healthy In A Hurry, is the perfect guide for those time-pressed but in search of solutions for eating well. 

Danielle joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about Healthy In A Hurry and how her life and outlook have changed from those early days. 

Radio Cherry Bombe is supported by Wild Planet, leaders in sustainable seafood. For more information, recipes, and a store locator, head to wildplanetfoods.com. 

Our podcast is recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Our theme song is by the band Tra La La.

Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here!

Snag early-bird tickets to Jubilee 2023 here!

More on Danielle: Instagram, Website

Amber Mayfield doesn’t let much get in her way. The events she worked on at her corporate job were a little stale, so she launched her own events company, To Be Hosted. She thought Black culinary creatives deserved attention year-round, not just for Black History Month, so she launched her own print and digital magazine, While Entertaining. She wanted to pay homage to her grandmother’s recipes, so she self-published a recipe journal (coming this fall), rather than go the traditional publishing route. Amber is organized, centered, and spiritual and she joins host Kerry Diamond to share her story. Don’t miss this episode!

Radio Cherry Bombe is supported by Wild Planet, leaders in sustainable seafood. For more information, recipes, and a store locator, head to wildplanetfoods.com. 

Our podcast is recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Our theme song is by the band Tra La La.

Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here!

Want to come to Jubilee 2023? Snag early-bird tickets here!

More on Amber: 
Check out her Instagram
Learn about her events company To Be Hosted
Get a copy of her magazine, While Entertaining

It’s two legends, one stage on today’s show as we dip into the Jubilee archives. Don’t miss this wise and warm conversation between Madhur Jaffrey and Padma Lakshmi from the Cherry Bombe Jubilee Conference in Brooklyn in Spring 2019. Madhur, says Padma, “is the greatest living writer on Indian food—ever.” Padma, the star of Top Chef and Taste the Nation and a best-selling author, interviewed Madhur and it was a riveting exchange that touched on a wide range of topics: protesting with Mahatma Gandhi, working with the legendary cookbook editor Judith Jones, facing discrimination as an Indian actress, and cheering on the young women championing both Indian food and representation today, including Priya Krishna and Meera Sodha. 

Introducing Madhur and Padma are Suzanne and Michelle Rousseau. The sisters and culinary superstars from Jamaica are the authors of the cookbooks Provisions and Caribbean Potluck.

Jubilee is Cherry Bombe’s annual conference and has become the largest gathering of women in the world of food & drink in the U.S. Early Bird Tickets are now available for Jubilee 2023, taking place Saturday, April 15th, at Center415 in Manhattan. 

This episode is supported by Wild Planet, leaders in sustainable seafood. For more information, recipes, and a store locator, head to wildplanetfoods.com.  

Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past Jubilee interviews and transcripts here. 

Violeta Edelman’s fascinating journey begins in the Amazon. She was a curious 20-year-old from Buenos Aires looking for the answers to life and searching for a soulmate at, of all places, an ayahuasca conference. She found her soulmate, wound up in Washington, D.C., and launched a gelato business with lots of enthusiasm but zero experience. There were lots of tears, expensive mistakes, and a contractor who ran off with their money, but they found a passionate audience for Dolcezza Gelato and things eventually turned around. Today, there are six Dolcezza locations in D.C., and their pints of gelato can be found in more than 3,000 grocery stores nationwide. 

Violeta stopped by our studio to chat with host Kerry Diamond about her unlikely path to entrepreneurship. She shares her story and some advice, and encourages everyone to trust themselves and never stop learning and growing. 

Radio Cherry Bombe is supported by Whole Foods Market and Anjali’s Cup. Learn more at wholefoodsmarket.com. 

Snag early-bird tickets to Jubilee 2023 here!

Our podcast is recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Our theme song is by the band Tra La La.

Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here!

More on Violeta: Instagram, Dolcezza

If you’ve watched the Netflix reboot of Iron Chef, you know one of the hardest jobs is held by… the judges! Sure, the chefs are under pressure to get their dishes done and to the judges’ table in record time, but someone has to eat all that food—and pass judgment on the country’s top culinary talent. Globetrotter and TV personality Nilou Motamed handled the gig with aplomb. The food and travel expert joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about the show, the comfort foods and hospitality traditions of her native Iran, and some formative experiences from her childhood. If you love the intersection of culture and cuisine, don’t miss this episode. 

Radio Cherry Bombe is supported by Whole Foods Market and Anjali’s Cup. Learn more at wholefoodsmarket.com. 

Our podcast is recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Our theme song is by the band Tra La La.

Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here!

More on Nilou: Instagram, Website

Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend  is streaming now on Netflix

If Courtney Storer’s life sounds like an episode of The Bear, it’s no surprise. She’s the culinary producer of the hit show, which was created by her brother, Christopher Storer. The restaurant world has reacted strongly to The Bear and its portrayal of kitchen culture. Courtney, for her part, was drawn to the restaurant industry as a teenager but had to lie about her age to snag her first job. She later wound up working in HR, but was encouraged to attend culinary school because of her passion for cooking. That led to a stint in Paris and senior roles at Animal and Jon & Vinny’s, the critically acclaimed Los Angeles restaurants.

Courtney joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about her culinary journey and what it was like working with the cast and crew of The Bear to accurately portray back-of-house life. She also talks about Raising Foodies, a program developed by the Alliance of Moms to teach individuals in L.A.’s foster care system how to make affordable meals for themselves and their families. 

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to catch Jeremy Allen White, the star of The Bear, on Radio Cherry Bombe. 

This episode is supported by Wild Planet, leaders in sustainable seafood. For more information, recipes, and a store locator, head to wildplanetfoods.com. This episode is also supported by Whole Foods Market and White Moustache. Learn more at wholefoodsmarket.com. 

Radio Cherry Bombe is recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Our theme song is by the band Tra La La.

Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here!

More on Courtney: Instagram, The Bear

More on Raising Foodies by the Alliance of Moms here

Years ago, when Esther Choi was working behind the scenes of Iron Chef on the Food Network, helping procure specialty groceries for the competitors, she never imagined that one day she’d be battling the country’s best chefs for the show’s top prize. But there she was, part of the star-studded lineup of the new Netflix reboot, Iron Chef: Quest For An Iron Legend. We won’t say if Esther won, but just know there are a few spoiler alerts on this week’s episode. Esther and host Kerry Diamond talk about the series; what next for Mökbar, Esther’s growing chain of Korean ramen eateries; the good and bad of hustle culture; and Esther’s Sessy sesame oil product line. 

This episode is supported by Wild Planet, leaders in sustainable seafood. For more information, recipes, and a store locator, head to wildplanetfoods.com. This episode is also supported by Whole Foods Market and La Newyorkina. Learn more at wholefoodsmarket.com. 

Radio Cherry Bombe is recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Our theme song is by the band Tra La La.

Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here!

More on Esther: Instagram, Mökbar, YouTube, Sessy

When the former community organizer Reem Assil opened Reem’s California in Oakland, she knew she wanted to do things differently. But she never could have imagined what was to come. There were protests and death threats, but also industry accolades; a heavy mix for anyone, but especially a new mom and new restaurateur. Reem joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about the early days of Reem’s, her time with La Cocina’s incubator program, and how social justice continues to permeate everything she does. They also discuss Reem’s debut cookbook, Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora, a tribute to the food at Reem’s and the Arab hospitality she grew up with and champions today.

This episode is supported by Talea Beer Co. For locations and more info, check out taleabeer.com. 

Radio Cherry Bombe is recorded at Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Our theme song is by the band Tra La La.

Subscribe to our newsletter and check out past episodes and transcripts here!

More on Reem: Instagram, Reem’s California, Arabiyya, La Cocina