Radio Cherry Bombe

Revered Pastry Chef Claudia Fleming made her name at Gramercy Tavern, the landmark New York City restaurant, in the 1990s with her stripped-down, seasonal desserts. Her cookbook, "The Last Course," was published in 2001 and it became such a cult classic, it was reprinted in 2019. Fans could later find Claudia at the North Fork Table & Inn, which she opened with her husband Gerry Hayden in the heart of Long Island farm and wine country. She sold the inn last year. Now, Claudia is back in New York City with an exciting job: corporate pastry director of Union Square Hospitality Group. She is in charge of mentoring and hiring the next generation of pastry chefs at the organization, which includes The Modern, Maialino, Daily Provisions, and her original home, Gramercy Tavern. Claudia joins us to tell us all about her new gig, what she’s looking for in a pastry chef, the ingredients she’s loving, and her thoughts on today’s pastry scene. Don’t miss her chat with host Kerry Diamond. Thank you to Bouvet Ladub

Meet Samah Dada, the home cook who's enthusiasm for plant-based recipes earned her a food correspondent gig with The Today Show and her own show on Peacock called "#Cooking." Her debut cookbook, "Dada Eats: Love to Cook It," was just released and it's packed with modern twists on classic baked goods, family favorites, and lots of yummy vegan and vegetarian dishes, plus glimpses into Samah’s personal and professional journey. She and host Kerry Diamond talk about everything from Trader Joe’s to gluten-free pasta to their favorite plant-based restaurants in New York City. Thanks to Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wine and HOMEMADE, the podcast from the publishers of Allrecipes, for supporting today’s episode. Radio Cherry Bombe is recorded at Newsstand Studio in Rockefeller Center, New York City.

Slow down, says Alice Waters, the food-world force behind the legendary Chez Panisse restaurant and the Edible Schoolyard organization. As Alice explains in her latest book, "We Are What We Eat: A Slow Food Manifesto," the world of fast food and disposable everything is not the way forward for mankind or the planet. Alice joins us from her home in Berkeley, California, to share her point of view, reminisce about the 50th anniversary of Chez Panisse, and reveal a few details about the restaurant project she’s working on in Los Angeles. It’s not Chez 2.0, she stresses. Fanny Singer, Alice’s daughter, author of the memoir "Always Home," and co-founder of the design brand Permanent Collection, joins host Kerry Diamond for the second part of the show. Fanny talks about her lovingly written book and the project she’s curated for Absolut Art that celebrates her favorite room in any house—the kitchen. Thank you to AIX Rosé for supporting this episode!

Mariana Velásquez’s keen eye for detail has made her one of the most in-demand food stylists around, and her personal style—from her signature red lipstick to her favorite flowy aprons—has earned her a reputation as the most stylish. Her professional accomplishments are impressive. Mariana has worked on cookbook projects with the likes of First Lady Michelle Obama, was the food stylist on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s highly anticipated new film "In The Heights," and has brought her talents to magazines from Vogue to Saveur. After working on more than 20 cookbooks, Mariana finally has her own. "Colombiana" is a love letter to Mariana’s native Colombia and celebrates her country’s cuisines, women, traditions, and ingredients. There’s more! She also has her own apron line, Limonarium. Mariana joins host Kerry Diamond to talk all about her line, her book, and the conversation that changed her life. This episode was recorded at Newstand Studios at Rockefeller Center. Thank you to Loeffler Randall for supporting today’s sh

Start-ups come in all shapes and sizes, but they are similar in that they take a lot of grit and tenacity to get them off the ground. Despite all the love and hard work that goes into start-ups, about 90 percent of them fail. Still, that did not deter today’s guests, Krystle Mobayeni of BentoBox and Julia Joseph of Maple Hill Creamery. Their companies went from start-ups to success and they’re here to tell host Kerry Diamond about everything from the bumps to the triumphs. Thank you to Schmaltzy, the podcast of the Jewish Food Society, for partnering with us on this episode.

Join us for this warm and wonderful conversation between two icons, Ina Garten and Stanley Tucci. The two got together for the very first time, via Zoom, Ina from the Hamptons and Stanley from London, for a talk to kick off The Julia Jubilee, Cherry Bombe’s celebration of the life and legacy of Julia Child. Ina, star of The Barefoot Contessa and author of 12 bestselling cookbooks, and Stanley, the celebrated actor-director-writer and star of the new CNN series, Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy, talk about the making of the much-loved film Julie & Julia, their relationship with writer-director Nora Eprhon, and what they’d make if Julia Child came by for dinner. Don’t miss this special chat! Thank you to Crate & Barrel for supporting The Julia Jubilee and this episode of Radio Cherry Bombe.

Today marks the debut of a groundbreaking Netflix series based on Dr. Jessica B. Harris’s book, 'High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America.' Published 10 years ago, the book was optioned by Karis Jagger and Fabienne Toback, two friends who could see Dr. Harris’s story about African American food culture, traditions, and ingredients living beyond the printed page. The result is the four-part 'High on the Hog,' which takes viewers on an emotional and lushly visual journey from Benin in West Africa to cities and counties across the United States. Dr. Harris, a historian, retired professor, and author of more than a dozen books joins us to talk about 'High on the Hog' and what it means to see her work both transformed and celebrated. In the second half of the show, we’re joined by the executive producers of the show, Karis Jagger and Fabienne Toback of Hey Sistah.

Are you a dreamer? Overthinker? Would-be entrepreneur? This one's for you. Ellen Bennett made a name for herself in the restaurant industry as a scrappy entrepreneur with great aprons and a lot of hustle. Nine years later, as the founder and CEO of Hedley & Bennett, she’s accumulated a lot of wisdom and she shares it all in her new book, "Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking and Make it Happen." Ellen joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about her colorful new business book, the lessons she’s learned over the years, and how she and her company have evolved.

Grab your passports and get ready for Chef Deborah VanTrece’s very unique take on Southern cuisine. The owner and creative director of Atlanta’s Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours and author of 'The Twisted Soul Cookbook: Modern Soul Food with Global Flavors,' Deborah has created a cuisine that’s all her own—one that’s reflective of her life, loves, appetites, and adventures. She joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about her debut cookbook, life during the pandemic, and the secret behind her praline mac & cheese. Thank you to Talea Beer Co. of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for supporting today’s show.

Author Yasmin Khan has carved out a very specific space for herself in the world of cookbooks and produced a body of work that goes well beyond the sharing of recipes. Thanks to her intrepid nature and in-person reporting, Yasmin’s books are culinary and cultural postcards from parts of the world shaped by history, politics, and strife—but lots of humanity. Her latest book is 'Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus' and it’s a heartfelt follow-up to her first two books, 'The Saffron Tales' and 'Zaitoun.' Yasmin joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about 'Ripe Figs,' the recipes she loves from the book, and the work that went into producing it. Yasmin also discusses the recent Vogue.com article she wrote about miscarriage, and her experience with miscarriage while working on her book.

Some might know Anne Willan as the doyenne of La Varenne, the influential culinary school she ran in Paris and Burgundy, but she’s also the author of more than 30 cookbooks, including her latest, 'Women in the Kitchen,' '12 Essential Cookbook Writers who Defined the Way We Eat, from 1661 to Today.' Anne joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about everything from the early days of La Varenne to her friend Julia Child and the antiquarian cookbook collection that Anne and her husband, the late Mark Cherniavsky, donated to the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. Anne reflects on her life as an author, historian, and teacher and you don’t want to miss it. Today’s show is supported by the sponsors of The Julia Jubilee: Kerrygold, Crate&Barrel, Whole Foods Market, Le Creuset, San Pellegrino, and Kobrand Fine Wine & Spirits.

Stephanie Hersh dreamed of a job in the culinary world, but she never imagined she would have a front-row seat to the life of the biggest culinary icon around, Julia Child. Stephanie became Julia’s executive assistant in the most unlikely of ways, when a chance phone call came into the secretarial school she was attending after time at the Culinary Institute of America. The only catch? Julia wanted an office assistant, not a starry-eyed culinary school grad. Stephanie talked her way into the job and wound up becoming Julia’s right hand for almost 16 years. Today, Stephanie is a chef instructor with Oceania Cruises and is based in New Zealand. She joins host Kerry Diamond to share some of her memories, her thoughts on the film 'Julie & Julia,' and what Julia was like as a boss. Thank you to Chronicle Books, publisher of the upcoming 'Tables & Spreads,' for supporting this episode.

Thank you to Crate&Barrel and Chronicle Books, publisher of Tables & Spreads by Shelly Westerhausen, for supporting this episode. 

Molly Baz did not grow up in a foodie family. As a teen, she realized “food could be delicious,” as she describes it. For Molly, learning how to cook became a passion that took her from her own supper club to the kitchens of several restaurants, and to a job at Bon Appétit. Now, teaching others how to cook is what drives her. She’s been sharing recipes with fans via Patreon and on April 20, her debut cookbook drops. Titled 'Cook This Book,' it’s a brightly designed collection of signature Molly recipes, from roast chicken to jammy eggs to Caesar salad. Learn how the cookbook came together, why Molly moved to L.A., and whether she’ll return to YouTube any time soon. Thank you to Crate & Barrel and Sitka Salmon Shares for supporting this episode!

Thank you to Sitka Salmon Shares for supporting Radio Cherry Bombe. Visit sitkasalmonshares.com/cherry for $25 off the first month of a Premium Sitka Seafood Share.

Who would have thought that a lousy turmeric latte would lead Sana Javeri Kadri to launch a game-changing spice company that’s causing the big players in the industry to sit up and take notice? The founder and CEO of Diaspora Co. is disrupting the spice industry one product at a time and fans can’t get enough of its sustainably-sourced saffron, nutmeg, peppercorns, chilies, cacao, and more. Learn how Sana started the brand with a small tax refund, and how she’s grown the privately-held Diaspora Co. over the past four years with no outside investment. Also, learn about her recent sourcing trip to India and beyond and what new products will be launching soon. Thank you to Sitka Salmon Shares for supporting this episode.

From her Top Chef debut in 2006 to today, Padma Lakshmi has never wavered on the things that matter to her: women’s issues, immigrants’ rights, and global food and flavors. That’s why her cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, reissued last week in paperback, feels as relevant today as it did in 2007. The book is a celebration of Padma’s love for all cuisines and the people behind them, shaped by her travels around the world. Padma talks with host Kerry Diamond about favorite recipes from the book, her Hulu series Taste The Nation and what it took to get the show made, and the upcoming season of Top Chef. Thank you to Crate & Barrel and Sitka Salmon Shares for supporting this episode.

An exciting new Netflix series debuts today, starring Michelle Obama and two special creatures from the land of frozen food, Waffles and her friend Mochi, who embark on adventures across the globe. The idea for the show has traveled its own 16-year journey from the brain of co-creator Erika Thormahlen to the screen, with lots of ups and downs in between. Learn about the inspiration behind Waffles + Mochi, how Michelle Obama got involved, and how Samin Nosrat of Salt Fat Acid Heat served as the show’s North Star. Erika’s story is all about perseverance, creativity, and dreaming big! Thank you to Cypress Grove Cheese for supporting Radio Cherry Bombe.

When Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the Modern Family star, and Julie Tanous, a recipe developer and culinary school grad get together, you’re in for good eats and a great time. The two met at a dinner party they both reluctantly attended and sparks flew. Their culinary chemistry was apparent when they got in the kitchen and fast forward, now they’re the best of pals and co-authors of the new cookbook, Food Between Friends. Tune in to hear about their favorite recipes, making a turkey with Martha Stewart, Jesse’s love for Hatch chiles, and Julie’s flair with frosting and pie crust. Thank you to Crate & Barrel for supporting this episode and our upcoming Julia Jubilee conference.

Valerie Wilson of VALINC PR is a brand-building pro who has advised countless chefs, companies, corporations, and what she likes to call “culture-shifting brands” on getting their messages to the public. She has also been a champion of the Harlem hospitality scene, working with the likes of Ruby’s Vintage, Melba’s, and Fieldtrip, and on major projects including Harlem Park to Park, Harlem EatUp!, Harlem Restaurant Week, and the brand new Renaissance Pavilion, supported by Uber Eats. Stay tuned to learn about Valerie’s inspiring journey and get some of her PR advice! And don’t miss Callie Flynn, dietetic intern and graduate student at the University of Vermont, share why she thinks Tove Ohlander of Tove by design and AO Glass is the Bombe. Today’s show is supported by A Table: Recipes for Cooking and Eating the French Way, out April 6th from Chronicle Books.