One Woman Kitchen

Phyllis Grant may not yet be a household name, but she will be. She is a pastry chef, a food writer, and the author of an acclaimed new book "Everything is Under Control - A Memoir with Recipes". It's not easy to promote a book in the middle of a pandemic, but this book satisfies every inch of our souls with it's authenticity and candor about cooking and motherhood, and with mouth-watering recipes anyone can make. Phyllis is a wildly popular presence on Instagram at @dashandbella, where you can see her cooking, philosophizing, and sharing personal stories from her gracious kitchen in Berkeley, CA. Phyllis joins author and chef Rozanne Gold to share her story, including how her rigorous training in modern dance led to a life in four-star kitchens, how motherhood became a major turning point in both wondrous and difficult ways, how Phylls' unique, poetic, and spare writing style has everyone talking, how her Jammy Tomato-Anchovy Sauce became a genius recipe, and why Ruth Reichl calls her recipes "completely irresistible."

Ruth Reichl has been a game-changer in the world of food since the 1970's, when she was part of a cooks' collective in Berkeley, CA.  From there she created an almost legendary career as Food Editor of The LA Times, as Restaurant Critic of The NY Times, and as Editor in Chief of Gourmet Magazine. Ruth is a beloved author, memoirist, winner of several James Beard Awards, and everything about her approach to food has been unique and inspiring. She is a thought-leader and food advocate, but ultimately she is a storyteller who cares as deeply about the people who grow our food as the people who cook it. Ruth joins author and chef Rozanne Gold, in the first remote recording for "One Woman Kitchen", to share her inspiring and endearing story. Ruth shares how she first honed her skills as a chef at only 7 years old, about how writing a cookbook at age 21 was her way through the kitchen door, how fearlessness and happiness served as her most important strength, and how nothing mattered more to her than cooking dinner for her husband and son.

Pastry chef, food writer, television personality, and cookbook author Klancy Miller has entered the culinary landscape with formidable skill and grace. She had no idea that the food world was where her passions would be realized. But, after college, Klancy went to Paris to the Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School where a whole new world opened in an almost magical way. Coming up you'll hear what it was like to cook, live, and study in France, what it means to work in a Michelin-starred restaurant as the only woman on the pastry line, how cool it is to cook for yourself and then to write a book about it ("Cooking Solo: The Fun of Cooking for Yourself"), and about a remarkable new project called "For the Culture", a glossy magazine featuring remarkable Black women in the world of food, wine and hospitality. Klancy shares her story with author and chef Rozanne Gold.

In the time of the COVID-19 crisis, we are highlighting the extraordinary women in the food world who are running "essential businesses."  One such woman is Niki Russ Federman, co-owner of the legendary Russ & Daughters.  Although Niki has always shown her customers and employees extraordinary love and care, these efforts have been ramped up so many of her employees can no longer work.  Niki struggles every day to negotiate new challenges.  This year, Russ & Daughters will host their Sixth Annual Passover Seder live on Zoom on Thursday, April 9th, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.  The proceeds of the event (featuring Rabbi Andy Bachman, the Russ family, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall and more) will go directly to support Russ & Daughters employees.  Recommended donation is $20.  There will be hundreds of people from all over the country joining in.  We are re-broadcasting Niki's inspiring story to coincide with the upcoming holidays. (link to OWK)  For more info about the seder, to to: https://bit.ly/rdsederfundraiser or info@russanddaughters.com.

Times have changed.  And that is also true for "One Woman Kitchen."  As we move from Rozanne's "studio kitchen" to her actual Brooklyn kitchen, we are taking this opportunity to re-publish an episode with Chef Nuhma Tuazon who is now on the "front lines" of feeding people. We am in awe of what she is doing and how she figured out how to cook and serve her clients while taking personal care of her employees and making sure everyone is safe and healthy.  It is no small task.  It is monumental.  Rozanne spoke to her this morning about what is means to be truly "essential" during this COVID-19 pandemic. This week's show begins with a personal intro from Rozanne.  We know you will enjoy listening to Nuhma's inspiring story for the first, or second!, time.  Please take good care. https://nuhmanyc.com You could have never predicted that a journey that started in a family business of  waffles and comfort food would end up in a world of high end food and dining. But that’s exactly where Nuhma Tuazon is. This Philippine-born chef, who is French-trained  by top masters, created and owns a prestigious, boutique, NY catering company NUHMA NY—and has become on of NY’s highly respected caterers (both on the ground — and in the air). She’s an entrepreneur who’s entirely self made, and who comes from a joyful family wherein everyone was involved with food. Nuhma share her story and a legacy recipe with author and chef Rozanne Gold, and prepares an incredible dessert that seems as if it sits on a cloud. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Claudia Fleming is one of the most beloved pastry chefs in America. She gained international acclaim as the pastry chef at the three-starred Gramercy Tavern along with Chef Tom Colicchio. Credited with blending sweet and with savory in her remarkable desserts with chocolate caramel tarts with sea salt among her most famous. Her book "The Last Course: The Desserts of The Gramercy Tavern" became a cult classic and was published to great fanfare. Claudia is also a winner of the coveted James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef Award .  Reading Nancy Silverton's book changed her life, and how to make the perfect caramel. Claudia shares her story of going from ballerina to superstar pastry chef with author and chef Rozanne Gold.

Florence Fabricant is without a doubt one of America's most important and prolific journalists. As a Food and Wine Writer for The New York Times for decades, she's considered an authority on all things food, including new products, trends, chefs, and restaurants. She is a powerhouse. Florence is also the author of 13 cookbooks, including her newest "The Lady's Village Improvement Society Cookbook". During the summers you can find her in East Hampton, where she conducts the popular program at Guild Hall called "Stirring the Pot"; she interviews the biggest names in the food world. Florence shares her journey with author and chef Rozanne Gold, who (despite knowing Florence for 40 years) did not know the stories in this interview. Funny, engaging, delightful.

Theodora Stephan, affectionately known as Theo, is the creator and owner of one of California's most important olive oil producers, Global Gardens. Just celebrating her 22nd harvest, Theo is a grower and entrepreneur whose presence, both online and off, sources mighty as the olive trees she has planted - and there are thousands of them. Recently named the California Olive Oil Guru by the Los Angeles Times, Theo's farm stand in aptly named Los Olivos in Santa Barbara County is where she writes cookbooks, teaches and educates the public about best agricultural practices. Theo grew up in Ohio, spoke Greek, ate Spanakopita and decided she would one day move to California. And she did! Theo joins author and chef Rozanne Gold to share her journey, including what it takes to produce 2,000 gallons of olive oil each year; what it's like to fulfill a dream of having a farm stand in California after a successful urban advertising career in the Midwest; how it is possible to deep fry using olive oil if the oil is of great quality with a high smoking point; and, how a childhood taste test determined the rest of her life. 

Just four years ago, Rachel Simons and two friends co-founded Seed + Mill, specializing in artisanal halva, tahini, and other sesame treats in their Chelsea Market store in New York City.  Rachel shares an extraordinary story about turning a passion into a thriving women-owned, brick and mortar business and a successful online business too. It is the only company in the USA solely dedicated to sesame seeds and sesame seed products. Rachel shares her story with author and chef Rozanne Gold, including: what it's like to start a business in New York as a mom and as an immigrant; about Rachel’s perspective on the peaks and valleys of a startup business; how Rachel’s career as a lawyer, working in Tel Aviv, London and Hong Kong, led her to working in food in New York; what it's like to start a business from scratch as a mom, and an immigrant; and the powerful statement that makeup Maven Bobbi Brown made about the health benefits of tahini. Plus, an on-mic halva tasting!

Cheryl Smith is the embodiment of soul food and Earth mother. She’s the owner and chef of one of Brooklyn's most beloved restaurants, Cheryl’s Global Soul, and she's a caterer, a singer, a photographer, and a TV personality on the Food Network. Cheryl's idea of soul food is as the ultimate comfort that touches your soul. There’s no cuisine that doesn’t have a soul food, and Cheryl has made sure New Yorkers and tourists alike get the real thing, the right way, with a touch of — well—soul. Cheryl shares her story with author and chef Rozanne Gold, including how Cheryl's success and fame started from peddling sandwiches around town; what it's like to be a woman, and a woman of color in the food industry, always having to prove yourself; how its OK to cook soul food from all over the world if you do your homework to keep it authentic; how she became an inadvertent Food Network TV star; and, the force of support from women who believe in Cheryl even more than she believed in herself.

On One Woman Kitchen we explore the vital option that food has deep historic and emotional resonance. And no one understands this better than Darra Goldstein., award-winning author, culinary scholar, Russian Literature Professor, and Founding Editor of one of the food world's most noteworthy magazines, Gastronomica, The Journal of Food and Culture. Together, we celebrate together the publication of Darra's newest book Beyond the North Wind: Russia in Recipes and Lore, and share her remarkable journey to the far northern corners of Russia, to a land of culinary riches and extraordinary history. Darra shares her story with author and chef Rozanne Gold,  including how rugelach and cabbage rolls inspired an unimagined career path, how geography and history shape a country's culinary traditions, and how food can be a tool of peace building. And, how often do we get to talk about Horseradish Vodka and Twenty-Minute Pickles, and see buckthorn berries the color of the sun?

Mariana Velasquez is one of the world's foremost food stylists, who has masterminded shoots for a dazzling array of clients---from Michelle Obama at the White House to Lin Manuel Miranda's new movie "In The Heights". Her exquisite aesthetics are apparent in everything she touches, from editorial and advertising clients to a wide range of cookbooks, including Rozanne Gold's own book, "Radically Simple". You can almost taste her food just by looking at it. Raised in Bogota, Mariana left home when she was only 18 to pursue her dream of a life in New York and making a name for herself in the food world. Mariana joins author and chef Rozanne Gold to share her journey and how food styling creates a narrative without worlds, what it's like to take a job that may contradict your own moral compass,  about Mariana's own cookbooks, and her line of stylish fashion-statement aprons that everyone will want to have. This is Mariana's beautifully engaging and exquisitely styled story.

Naturally, we talk a lot about food on One Woman Kitchen. But something that goes with great culinary experiences is, of course, a wonderful selection of well-matched cocktails and wine. The value of a skilled sommelier cannot be overstated, and Julie Van Zant, Beverage Director at Oceans, New York's fantastic and globally inspired seafood restaurant, is one. She brings her considerable knowledge and expertise literally to the table. Julie shares her journey with author and chef Rozanne Gold, including how Julie’s background as a dancer has inspired a kind of choreography in her work; how the wine world is attracting great women to work as sommeliers, wine masters, and buyers; a look at how interest in orange wine, saki, sherry, and wine from lesser known places is growing; the power and prestige of building a 550 bottle wine list; and how it is possible that pregnant women make the best sommeliers, even if they don't drink.

Sara Moulton is one of the food world’s most beloved chefs, authors and personalities, with a career spanning 4 decades and boasting more than 1,500 television episodes, as well as a tenure as executive chef for Gourmet Magazine.  Not to mention "Cooking Live" on the Food Network, "Sara’s Weeknight Meals", and "Milk Street Radio". Sara shared her journey with author and chef Rozanne Gold, including her quite unusual path to culinary school which culminated from which she graduated graduating second in her class; about her decision to choose children over the restaurant business; her unique relationship with none other than Julia Child; and why she credits her mother, her great study habits, and a love of soup as keys to her unparalleled success. This is Sara’s fantastic story.

Korsha Wilson is an up-and-coming food writer and storyteller, as well as an advocate for equity and political change in the industry.  From devouring her first food magazine at 10 years old to learning about the world of food through her mother's love of restaurants, Korsha’s destiny was obvious. She writes for impressive publications, about a wide range of topics. She also hosts the Heritage Radio Network show “A Hungry Society”. Korsha shares her story with author and chef Rozanne Gold, including why some of Korsha’s best and most inclusive experiences have been in restaurant pop ups; how her grandmothers from different parts of the world influenced her love and knowledge of food; Korsha’s mandate for self reliance; the importance to Korsha, as a woman of color, of diversity in restaurant leadership; and, the web of women who have inspired her.

We revisit this episode of One Woman Kitchen as an homage to Nasim Alikhani,  the chef and owner of the acclaimed Persian restaurant Sofreh, in Brooklyn. Nasim recently returns from Tehran visiting family and friends, says she has never seen her people in such despair, that these were truly the darkest of times. Nasim, who has lived through the revolution, the war between Iran and Iraq, the cultural revolution, and so much more, reminds us in this beautiful and poignant story that one woman's journey can illuminate a shared humanity. In this episode, originally aired May 29, 2019, Nasim connects us to happier times, and the beauty of Iran's culture through its food ways. Thank you, Nasim, for sharing your story then -- and now. This might sound like a movie pitch: A young woman leaves Iran after a revolution, comes to America to start a new life, becomes a mother, who was always cooking and more than 35 years later—with no professional training and against all odds, opens an acclaimed restaurant in New York at age 59, becoming the driver of a trendy new cuisine in Manhattan. For now, it’s not a movie. It’s the life of Nasim Alikhani, founder of Sofreh. Nasim joins Chef Rozanne Gold.

If you think of the perfect blend of generosity and philanthropy in the food world, one woman you should think of is Ann Ogden Gaffney. This chef and award winning cookbook author is also founder of the extraordinary nonprofit Cook for Your Life which brings the worlds of culinary and nutrition together. Classes and recipes (in both English and Spanish) help more than 150,000 people monthly, in a variety of communities, nourish themselves with style and grace. Ann joins author and chef Rozanne Gold to share how two cancer diagnoses transformed Ann from fashion industry star to a force of advocacy in food and wellness; why the idea of a one woman kitchen connects so strongly for her; and, how a minestrone soup her grandmother made (which she calls "jungle soup") informs almost everything she does. This is her inspiring story.

When Patricia Williams retired from her glamorous career as an accomplished  professional ballerina at just age 30, she had no clear plan for what was next.  So, she created one. She wanted to cook, and soon enough found herself in one kitchen after another, and eventually as executive chef of the four star Quilted Giraffe and ultimately other trendy New York restaurants. She’ll tell you she never got paid as much as the men she worked with, but she’s stayed true to herself in an industry dominated by men. There are very few people with the resume Patricia has accomplished, and she embodies everything there is to love about women chefs. Her process in constructing menus and meals is ironically like watching a great dancer perform. Patricia shares her amazing story with author and chef Rozanne Gold, including about her creation of lazy duck; why she has had friendships with so many great jazz musicians; why after moving from Texas to New York, she never went back; and a glimpse into her unique pop-up dining concept Ten Chairs that was created ahead of its time and is still going strong 12 years later.

It's the holidays, and what better gift than this very special conversation with the incomparable and celebrated public television host, chef, restaurateur, mother, grandmother, philanthropist, and one of the women author and chef Rozanne Gold admires most in the food world  — Lidia Bastianich ? Lidia Is also the winner of seven James Beard Awards, has been the chef for events at the UN, and has published 13 cookbooks. In addition to celebrating the holidays, Rozanne is here to celebrate the publication of Lidia's newest book Felidia: Recipes From My Flagship Restaurant. The book, which she wrote with her chef and her daughter, documents the tastes and spirit of the three star restaurant Felidia, considered one of the great Italian restaurants in America. In this conversation, Lidia shares with Rozanne her journey as a refugee from Italy to an ambassador of her culture and the ultimate teacher of her country's cuisine. This is Lidia’s incredible, inspiring, and delicious story. Happy Holidays!

Niki Russ Federman is an extraordinary ambassador for one of New York City’s most legendary food stores, Russ & Daughters. In part, that’s because she’s actually a fourth regeneration "Russ daughter". She, with her cousin Josh, runs the original store, now in its 105th year. And they are the curators of two Russ & Daughters restaurants, and the fabulous new Russ & Daughters bakery and take out shop in Brooklyn’s sprawling Navy Yard. Niki’s success is also thanks to a strong work ethic, creative strategy, and a commitment to balancing tradition with innovation. Within the NY food community Niki is already one its most prolific entrepreneurs. Niki shares with author and chef Rozanne Gold how Russ & Daughters began, how their bagels continue to share more than a century of history, and why Niki initially walked away --  then returned and never looked back. This is Niki’s inspiring, and very delicious, story.