Actress, producer and Living Single star, Erika Alexander opens up about her childhood home, which was at one point room in the Starlight Motel off Route 66. She shares how the foundation of poverty shaped her creative journey and resilience as an adult and how she found comfort in the flavors of a TV dinner. Plus, we learn how to make her mama's Crispy Tuna Salmon Croquettes.

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Basketball coach and podcast host Craig Robinson shares his side of the story on what went on in the childhood kitchen he shared with his sister, Michelle Obama in the South Side of Chicago. He talks about the lessons he learned at the kitchen table when his family wasn’t very well off and how his mother was always a big supporter — Even when he and his sister started a kitchen fire as kids. Plus, he tells us how to make his mama’s Fried Chicken.

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American chef and T.V. host Kardea Brown tells her family’s stories of Edisto Island and the Gullah Lowcountry in South Carolina. Kardea talks to Michele about the unique culture of the Lowcountry and how Gullah cuisine and farming has historical ties to West Africa. Plus, Kardea shares how her ancestral history continues to drive her purpose and her cooking show, as she works hard to preserve old traditions from being erased. On top of mentioning her delicious cheesecake recipe, Kardea officially shares with us her recipe for Shrimp and Grits, done Gullah style!

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Novelist and poet, Ocean Vuong, traces his family’s path from Vietnam to a refugee camp in the Philippines to a new life in Connecticut. He reflects on the beauty and the brutality of American fast food, and how long days on a tobacco farm shaped both his writing and his sense of self. Plus, he shares his family’s recipe for canh chua—a delicious Vietnamese soup that’s less time-intensive than pho!

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Actress Jurnee Smollett talks lessons in activism and creativity from her family. Being one of six children, Jurnee recounts how her mother was able to juggle care for all the kids while prioritizing their creative spark. From the Smollett's Swiss-Family-Robinson-style upbringing, to her mother befriending craft services for custom meals, Jurnee paints the picture of her childhood as a young actress to now. And she share's her mother's recipe for 7th Ward Gumbo!

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Journalist, podcast host and radio star Sam Sanders takes us back to his roots in Texas, where everyone one in his house was a cook and there was a local "rabbit" man who sold all kinds of meat from his truck; including possum. Sam opens up about a special moment he shared with his mom as she was recovering from stroke, while cooking her special Smothered Chicken Recipe.

Check out Sam's podcast The Sam Sanders Show and Vibe Check.

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Michele chats with author, journalist, and political commentator Molly Jong-Fast. Molly's new book, How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir depicts the emotionally complex relationship she had with her mother, feminist icon Erica Jong. Through sobriety at 19, to stepping out of her mother's overbearing shadow, and finally parenting her mother through dementia, Molly bares it all. Plus she shares her recipe for a decadently sweet Baked Alaska!

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Chef, cookbook author, and winner of Next Level Chef, Pyet DeSpain, shares how her Mexican and Native American roots shaped her extraordinary culinary career. Pyet talks about growing up on the Osage Reservation in Oklahoma, debunks misconceptions about Native culture and cuisine, and pulls back the curtain on what it’s really like behind the scenes of a cooking competition show. Plus, she shares her recipe for Blue Corn Strawberry Tamales with Coconut Horchata Sauce!

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Bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians, Kevin Kwan, reflects on his “Huck Finn-style” childhood in Singapore. He shares the real-life inspirations behind Crazy Rich Asians (including a memory from director Jon Chu’s own life that made it into the film) and regales Michele with some truly extraordinary family stories. Plus, he shares a delicious cross-cultural recipe for curry puffs!

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Actress, producer, best selling author, and previous MTV VJ, Lala Anthony talks about her Brooklyn upbringing. She shares how boricua food was a constant in her household, the power of her lively Puerto Rican family, and how a cross country leap landed her right into the world of tv and radio. Plus, she shares her family’s Arroz con Pollo recipe! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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