In this week's episode, we welcome back returning guest Ji Hye Kim. Ji Hye is an award-winning chef, including a Food & Wine Best New Chef and five-time James Beard Award semi-finalist, and she is a powerful cultural voice redefining contemporary Korean cuisine in the United States. She is the chef and owner of Miss Kim and Little Kim in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where her cooking beautifully bridges time-honored Korean traditions with Midwestern seasonality and sensibility.

You may remember our conversation in Episode 39 back in 2022, where we explored her journey as a chef, the inspiration behind Miss Kim, and how she brings traditional Korean cuisine to life using local Michigan ingredients.

In this episode, we catch up on everything she has been working on — including a new restaurant, a major milestone, and how she and her team create delicious, approachable vegetarian dishes rooted in Asian American tradition.

Learn more about Ji Hye's restaurants at misskimannarbor.com and littlekimannarbor.com, and find her on Instagram at @chefjihyekim.

Podcast Show Notes: https://kitchenconfidante.com/from-miss-kim-to-little-kim-with-chef-ji-hye-kim

In her debut cookbook, Dig In! Over 100 Easy, Delicious, and Stress-Free Recipes to Make on Repeat, Erin O'Brien shares a collection of recipes inspired by family, heritage, and real life in the kitchen. Woven throughout the book are the stories of the women who influenced her cooking and the idea that feeding people can be many things at once: love, necessity, and a form of reinvention.

In this episode, we talk about the three generations of women who built a life through food, how a pandemic-era blog became a calling, and the philosophy behind a cookbook that is as much about connection as it is about cooking.

Learn more about Erin at https://erinobrien.life

Follow Erin on Instagram: @erinnobrienn

Podcast Show Notes: https://kitchenconfidante.com/dig-in-with-erin-obrien

Olive oil an essential building block of Mediterranean cooking, and I had the joy of discussing all things olive oil with Tony Kasandrinos, Co-Founder and CEO of Kasandrinos International and author of Kasandrinos Kitchen: Unlock the Power of Olive Oil with Over 100 Family Recipes. From his family’s olive groves in Greece to kitchens here in the United States, Tony shares how extra virgin olive oil connects tradition, health, and everyday cooking.

In this episode, we talk about what makes a great olive oil, how to shop for quality olive oil, and how to build meals and a lifestyle inspired by the Mediterranean Way.

Follow Tony on Instagram @tonykasandrinos.

Check out Kasandrinos Olive Oil at kasandrinos.com, and follow on Instagram at @kasandrinos.

Podcast Show Notes: https://kitchenconfidante.com/olive-oil-mediterranean-tony-kasandrinos

After graduating from the French Culinary Institute in New York, Chef Nick Wong built an impressive career with the Momofuku Restaurant Group, with additional time at Gramercy Tavern in New York City and Incanto in San Francisco, and stages at Noma in Copenhagen and Bar Tartine. When he was ready to open his own restaurant, he partnered with his longtime friend Lisa Lee, and together, they opened Agnes and Sherman in Houston, Texas. In just its first year, Agnes and Sherman earned a Michelin recommendation, was named one of the Best New Restaurants in America by both Eater and The Infatuation, and was named a James Beard Award semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant.

In this episode, we chat about Nick's winding path from UC Berkeley to culinary school, the deeply personal story behind the restaurant's name, and how Agnes and Sherman is redefining what American dining can look like through the lens of Asian American food.

Learn more about Agnes and Sherman at https://www.agnesandsherman.com and follow on Instagram at @agnesandsherman.

Follow Nick Wong on Instagram @_nickwong_

Follow Lisa Lee on Instagram @rrrlisarrr

Podcast Show Notes: https://kitchenconfidante.com/agnes-and-sherman-chef-nick-wong

Helen Goh -- esteemed baker, author, and food columnist based in the UK -- draws on her Malaysian roots and Australian upbringing in everything she makes. She is the co-author of the books Sweet and Comfort with Yotam Ottolenghi and writes food columns for The Guardian and The Observer. Her new solo cookbook, Baking & the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes, brings together her two great passions — baking and psychology — to explore the deeper meaning behind why we bake.

In this episode, we chat about her unlikely path from pharmaceutical sales to professional baker, the joy of sharing and connecting with others through baking, and the deeper meaning we find in every recipe.

Learn more about Helen at LINK and follow her on Instagram @helen_goh_bakes.

Podcast Show Notes: https://kitchenconfidante.com/baking-the-meaning-of-life-helen-goh

What if I told you some of the best sushi in the United States is in the Midwest? Chef David Utterback is a multiple-time James Beard Award finalist and the first Nebraska chef to be nominated for Best Chef Midwest. Chef Utterback is the force behind three critically acclaimed Omaha restaurants — Yoshitomo, Ota, and Koji — with two new concepts on the horizon. The Washington Post has named Ota one of the best sushi restaurants in the country.

In this episode, we chat about the transformative trip to Japan that changed everything, and why Omaha's food scene deserves a lot more attention than it gets.

Learn more about David Utterback at https://www.yoshitomo.com, https://www.omakaseota.com, and https://www.izakayakoji.com.

Follow David Utterback on Instagram: @davidyoshitomo

Podcast Show Notes: https://kitchenconfidante.com/omahas-sushi-secret-with-david-utterback

Chef, food writer, and culinary teacher Michelle Doll Olson is the Senior Manager of Culinary Development at HelloFresh, where she helps shape the chef-developed recipes that land in millions of home kitchens each week. With a background spanning pastry, savory cooking, teaching, and entrepreneurship, Michelle brings both creativity and practicality to the way people cook at home.

In this episode, we chat about her winding path to becoming Head Chef, how HelloFresh recipes are developed to balance flavor, health, and convenience, and why getting people back around the dinner table without stress or waste is at the heart of everything they do.

Learn more about Michelle at michelledollmakes.com, and follow her on Instagram @chefmichelledoll.

Learn more about HelloFresh at HelloFresh.com.

Podcast Show Notes: https://kitchenconfidante.com/michelle-doll-olson-hellofresh

You may recognize Chef Henry Awayan from his appearance on the Food Network show Bakers vs. Fakers. Those in the San Francisco Bay Area may also know him as the talent behind the award-winning bakery Whisk Cake Creations in Alameda.

Chef Awayan's new book, The Ube Baking Book, celebrates his lifelong passion for baking alongside his Filipino heritage, showcasing a wide range of recipes that highlight the beloved Filipino ingredient ube in both traditional and fusion preparations.

In this episode, we chat about how he found his way into baking, what makes ube such a meaningful and versatile ingredient, and how he hopes this book helps readers better understand and appreciate the culture behind the flavors

Learn more about Chef Henry Awayan at whiskcakecreations.com and follow on Instagram @whiskcakecreations.

Podcast Show Notes: https://kitchenconfidante.com/the-ube-baking-book-henry-awayan