When his photography studio stalled during the pandemic, Giovanni Cervantes turned back to his first love: tacos. What began as impromptu lunches and parties with friends slowly revealed itself as something more.

In this episode, I sit down with Giovanni Cervantes and Tania Apolinar, the duo behind Taqueria Ramirez in Greenpoint and Carnitas Ramirez in the East Village. We talk about growing up in Mexico, surviving New York City, and making the leap from photography to food.

Read more about what we ate!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

• “Coronea” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Marisala, (2018)
• “Background latin house. Dance music for short video. Funny reggaeton” by White_Records
• “Classic Mariachi” by Jimena Contreras
• 80x Lo-fi Jazz by SigmaMusicArt
• “Cast in Wicker” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Aeronaut, (2018)
• “Cooking Food Music” by BackgroundMusicForVideos
• “Love in Mexico” by Carmen María and Edu Espinal
• “Too Good For Punk (positive funk)” by Kulakovka
• “Periodicals” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY (2015)
• “City Limits” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY (2015)
• “Takeout at the Taco Truck” by TokyoRifft
• “Filing Away” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Crab Shack, (2018)

As a child in Addis Ababa, Hibist Legesse used to dread the impossibly large gurshas her grandmother would feed her. Years later, she came to understand just how much can be communicated in a single bite.

In this episode, I share a platter with Hibist Legesse, owner of Bati Ethiopian Kitchen in Brooklyn. We talk about her journey to the United States and the Ethiopian traditions — like gursha and mahaber — that have shaped her relationship to food, community, and caring for others.

Read more about what we ate!

----more----

EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

• “Coronea” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Marisala, (2018)
• "80x Lo-fi Jazz" by SigmaMusicArt
• "Ethiopia Groove" and "Addis Jazz" by u_98673jp944
• “Cooking Food Music” by BackgroundMusicForVideos
• “Cast in Wicker” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Aeronaut, (2018)
• Sprinkle of Trouble_Medium (Comedy) by Grand_Project
• “Periodicals” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY (2015)
• “Too Good For Punk (positive funk)” by Kulakovka
• “Upbeat Together Worldbeat Emotional World Uplifting Music” by REDproductions
• Ethiopian Worldbeat by soundoffreedom
• “City Limits” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY (2015)
• Lo-Fi Lullaby by LP-Studio-music
• Smooth Jazz Blues Groove by Tunetank
• “Lahaina” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Cloud Harbor, (2016)

When Benyam Ethiopian Cuisine first opened in Harlem, people weren’t always sure whether they’d walked into a restaurant or an art gallery. And in some ways, that was exactly how owner Beniam Asfaw and his siblings wanted it.

In this episode, I sit down with owner Beniam Asfaw to talk about his journey to New York City, berbere basics, and how food, art, and atmosphere come together to create a place meant for lingering.

Read more about what we ate!

----more----

EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

• “Addis Jazz” by u_98673jp944
• “Cooking Food Music” by BackgroundMusicForVideos
• “Too Good For Punk (positive funk)” by Kulakovka
• “Jazz Background Music” by HitsLab
• “Upbeat Together Worldbeat Emotional World Uplifting Music” by REDproductions
• “Periodicals” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY (2015)
• “City Limits” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY (2015)
• “Grey Grey Joe” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album TinyTiny Trio, (2016)