Speaking Broadly

"Anyone who grew up in a family business understands that it's family business first, and then family second. It's about surviving and making it work," says Bricia Lopez, co-owner, with her siblings of Guelageutza, the Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles. The story of Bricia, her family and the restaurant are inextricably entwined, each strengthening the other even during the most challenging of times. During the 2008 recession, when their parents were ready to give it all up, Bricia and her siblings took over the place even though they were broke. They persisted and were able to build on the legacy that was recognized by the late critic Jonathan Gold as one of the "best Oaxacan restaurants in the country." As new mothers, Bricia and her sister Paulina launched an incredible podcast Super Mamas to talk about all things maternal. And when the pandemic hit, the family once again banded together, "When 2020 happened, did it shock me? One hundred percent. But was I worried? Probably not. Because I already lost ever

In this special episode of Speaking Broadly, I'm sharing a powerful discussion I had the opportunity to moderate, hosted by the New York Historical Society, titled The Journey of Chinese Food in America. My guests were two powerhouses: Jing Gao, founder of Fly By Jing, and Heather Lee, Assistant Professor of History at NYU Shanghai. Food is the entry point to both of their work. Heather puts today's anti-Asian hate crimes in a historical context: "Chinese lives were so cheap 150 years ago, to the point where their lives were expendable. And despite the sort of physical violence they experienced every day they made an effort to find a space of negotiation. And one of the most viable ones, in which Americans, white Americans in particular, started changing their attitudes towards Asians and Chinese people was through food. And this was done through what I call gastro diplomacy. They said, 'You see me as competition; You see me as disease; You see me as racial pollution. But I'm not those things. I'm respectable

Kiki Aranita, founder of Poi Dog in Philadelphia is a scholar and an entrepreneur. After closing her beloved brick and mortar restaurant because of the pandemic, she has just launched a new line of Hawaiian style sauces, including Maui Lavender Ponzu and Chile Peppah Water. On Speaking Broadly, she describes the connection between academia and starting a new business:"The Latin Greek Institute greatly informed who I am as a person, how I approach academia and how I pretty much approach anything. In the first four to five weeks, I learned the entire grammatical system of an ancient language, and then spent the following five weeks translating texts. Every single one of those days, I cried. It is the most soul destroying way of learning a language, but it is effective. So now, in order to start something new, I need to get all of the information and digest all of the materials, learn the language of whatever I'm getting into whether that's restaurants or making sauces. I need to become very fluent before I proc

Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz is a kitchen curandera living in Rio Verde, Arizona "reclaiming the healer approach to community health with Indigenous wisdom and whole food cooking". On Speaking Broadly, Ruiz shares her journey to becoming a healer through food. "Being an Indigenous person and taking a class on foraging or wild-crafting from a white person, it was really hard for me. The teacher would refer to the Indigenous tribes that were using plants in the past tense. Saying 'they used them,' as if they were no longer being used, or if the people themselves were extinct." Ruiz is now teaching workshops using her ancestors' approach: we are a part of nature. The plants are our relatives and deserve our respect. Listen in for insights on herbal medicine, Indigenizing the diet, and traveling in a food truck to the tribal nations in the Southwest to share and absorb the wisdom of the elders.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guest

There is a Madonna in a half-bath tub in a field across from the home serving as spiritual center of artist Carrie Dashow's newest practice: creating the Atina brand of Ayurvedic condiments with her Kerala-born husband, Suresh, in Catskill, NY. From a chunky ginger-turmeric finishing jam to pickles, their condiments are both grounded in an almost 5000 year old tradition and a modern sense of place. Listen in to hear the magic and wonder that fills so much of Carrie's life from meeting her husband during a cyclone to her performance piece aimed at saying hello to one million people to the unique relationship she has with deepening identity.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!Herita

From auditioning for a Dolly Parton Christmas show as a lark on their birthday, to going to a job interview, soup in hand, moments after totaling their car, to catering for Mitt Romney, V Spehar has made a lot of surprising career moves. Most recently they were head of Impact Programs for the James Beard Foundation, and are currently Executive Director of Everything Food. Listen in to hear about V's approach to changing the rules ("I learned young that having a sound argument for something and making it seem easy for other people was going to be the best way to make it through life as unscathed as possible"), dealing with trauma ("I loved being a helper, I never thought that I would love being helped"), and being a good listener, which is the key to everything.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate

Hawa Hassan, author, entrepreneur and champion of community, discusses her path from refugee to model to business owner. Says Hassan: "I really double down on being resilient, but also being soft, letting things happen to me, feeling them and then adjusting accordingly. There's something to be said for people who are able to pick themselves up and carry on. And I think that's what the American Dream used to be." Listen in to hear Hawa discuss her new cookbook "In Bibi's Kitchen" and the power of perspective.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Speaking Broadly by becoming a member!Speaking Broadly is

After working with coffee farmers in Ethiopia for NGO TechnoServe, Ariana Day Yuen came up with a unique way to harmonize agriculture production with forest conservation. She formed Forested Foods and recently launched its first product, Maryiza monofloral honeys. These honeys are from a single type of tree in a single forest in a single season. The resulting honey is distinct and divine. Listen in to learn more about how Ariana's company is not just preserving tree coverage, but is also creating a demand for biodiversity that could help the planet.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Speaking Broadly

The life of Tahiirah Habibi is the journey from the deadly streets of North Philly to homecoming queen AND president at Penn State to sommelier in Miami to founder of the Hue Society in Atlanta, a curated community that serves as a lifestyle hub to all things Black wine culture. A tribute to her smarts, magnetism, intuition and excellence, Tahiirah has created a space for her community, no assimilation necessary. Listen in to hear all she learned along the way. Image courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Speaking Broadly by becoming a member!Speaking Broadly is Powered by

Star chef Nancy Silverton of Los Angeles's Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza and Chi Spacca overcame her fears about baking to become one the greatest pastry chefs in the world. On this episode of Speaking Broadly, Silverton describes how obsession born of fear can be motivating: "I figured out how to make what I think is the perfect chocolate chip cookie, therefore, I decided I'd learn how to make the perfect baguette. That was really very stupid thinking, I'll let you know. In any case, I became obsessed out of fear from all of my failures.” Listen in to hear about Silverton's career and her most recent book, Chi Spacca, which has recipes we can all use for every part of our meal.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly a

Ellen Yin of Philadelphia's Fork, is one of America's best-loved restaurateurs who is a gifted and giving mentor, partner and boss. Listen in to hear how she has navigated the closing and moving of one of her restaurants during COVID, her relationship with the talented chef-partner who was injured in a life-changing accident, as well as the challenges and opportunities of running a business for the last two decades.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Speaking Broadly by becoming a member!Speaking Broadly is Powered by Simplecast. 

Lisa Marie Donovan struggled against poverty, sexism, insecurity, family history to achieve success on her own terms and to tell her story in the recently published book, Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger. Listen in to hear how she went from single mom to world famous baker to published first time author. Most rewarding of all, perhaps, learn about Lisa's supernova of female friendships, a model for community, love, and support. Photo Courtesy of Eric EnglandWant to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!Speaking Broadly is powered by Simplecast.

Carolina Saavedra is a chef, activist and educator who works both at Stone Barns Center in Westchester and at La Morada, her family's restaurant in the South Bronx. Every day she addresses interconnected issues that affect her underresourced community, including food apartheid, immigration reform, police brutality. Her voice is strong and filled with love, anger, hope and commitment as she talks about a life of service through feeding others. Listen in to hear her compelling story of learning from the indigenous people of San Miguel Ahuehuetitlan, the life-changing moment when a cop came to La Morada and threatened to "flip it," and her fight for justice.Image courtesy of Ben Hider.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroad

Is failure the best teacher? In this episode of Speaking Broadly, writer and Director of Finance at Sea Creatures Alex Pemoulie traces the arc of her relationship with failure. She shares her first perceived failures including dropping out of a semester abroad in Paris, cutting ties with the 'good girl' within, and staying too long with an abusive boyfriend. Pemoulie then embraces failure with ferocity while working at Momofuku with Dave Chang, who is master of the art of learning from mistakes. If you've ever doubted the power of taking responsibility for risky choices and their inconsistent outcomes, you need to hear Alex's take on the healthy and not-so-healthy ways of dealing with the F-word.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram

Preeti Mistry, chef-activist best known for their restaurant Juhu Beach Club, has been fighting injustice since a kid named Aaron pushed them too far in middle school—and they pushed back. As the food industry cracks under the strain of COVID and reimagines ways to confront systemic racism, Preeti offers a holistic view of the way forward. They share refreshing and realistic views on gentrification, reflections about their own role in pay inequity, thoughts on approaching intersectionality as a minority, and many more insights rooted in visions for a more equitable world.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all

Philadelphia Inquirer food editor Jamila Robinson learns leadership lessons from her everyday life, whether as a violinist realizing everyone needs to be "bowing in the same direction"; as a skater, remembering to stay centered to accomplish seemingly impossible feats; or as a patient, listening to her body (and ignoring her mind's get-back-to-work rhetoric) after abdominal surgery. Robinson is in tune with ideas that both bring people together and value the needs of the individual. Listen in to hear about her upbringing among musicians, activists and cooks, and also why, when she was 10, this journalist knew that she was the absolute best person to interview Michael Jackson.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and

"That love, that passion, that authenticity you have within yourself always connects with others." Those are wise words from Dominique Crenn, chef/owner of San Francisco's Atelier Crenn and author of a new book, Rebel Chef: In Search of What Matters. Known as one of the greatest chefs in the world, Crenn's gift is connecting with all humanity through her poetic cooking. It is her philosophy, not technique that brought her to the top. And it's a philosophy that's necessary at this moment of discord, mistrust, and also profound change and opportunity. Listen in to learn what inspired Crenn's pursuit of freedom over and above all else.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!In March, HRN

In a special double interview, listeners will hear how teenage dreams become a reality at Food & Finance High School, the only 4-year public high school culinary program in NYC. Executive Director of the non-profit Food Education Fund that supports culinary-focused high school programs, Eliza Loehr, shares stories of internships, externships and networking opportunities, in addition to discussing the implications of systematic racism on educational institutions. And star student Gabby Womack tells of her growing belief in herself, a confidence gained through her passion and connection to cooking at FFHS.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!HRN will be donating 10% of our member

In these so-called "unprecedented times," historian Megan Elias explains that there is in fact no such thing. Everything has a precedent. In this wide-ranging interview Elias, the Director of the Gastronomy Program at Boston University, looks at parallels between today's food voices, meat shortages, community cookbooks and past disruptions. Will the experience of COVID-19 change us? History—and Megan Elias—will tell us. Listen in for a glimpse at the future through the past.Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!Speaking Broadly is powered by Simplecast.

Photographer-philanthropist Melanie Dunea has produced some of the most iconic images of chefs in America and is always pushing herself into new territory both in images and in work. During the COVID pandemic, she launched Treats Help to bring a moment of joy in the form of sweets to exhausted hospital workers. Her enterprising spirit and relentless drive have helped her cold-call for a range of potential jobs, photo subjects and assignments. On episode 130, Dunea explains what it takes to be a photographer in today's world and shares how having a multi-track mind enriches her personally and professionally. Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in!Speaking Broadly is powered by Simplec