As a kid, Ayo Balogun didn’t go into the kitchen for the food—he went for the stories. The cooks had lived lives he couldn’t imagine, and he wanted one of his own.

In this episode, we sit down with Ayo Balogun of Dept of Culture and Radio Kwara. We talk about his journey from his grandmother’s kitchen in Nigeria to his James Beard–nominated restaurant in Brooklyn—and the moments that shaped him along the way.

Read more about what we ate!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

• “Fela Kuti | Afrobeat Instrumental | Burna Boy-type Beat” by Amen Music
• “Traipsing through the Country” by GregFellman
• Old School West Coast type beat x 90s hip hop instrumental 'Ridin'
• “Nigerian Party” by u_98673jp944
• “Cooking Food Music” by BackgroundMusicForVideos
• “City Limits” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY
• “Nigeria Pulse” by u_98673jp944
• “Too Good For Punk (positive funk)” by Kulakovka
• “African Background Music (Tribal Kongo Nigeria Tanzania)” by BackgroundMusicForVideos
• “Cast in Wicker” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Aeronaut
• “Ethiopian Worldbeat” by soundoffreedom
• “Funk” by The_Mountain
• “Grey Grey Joe” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album TinyTiny Trio
• “Coronea” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Marisala

When Lookman Afolayan came to the U.S., the only thing bigger than his dreams was the flavor in his goat pepper soup. He risked it all to build a Nigerian restaurant he could be proud of.

In this episode, I sit down with Lookman and Abiodun Afolayan, owners of Buka. As I sweat my way through a bowl of pepper soup, we talk about Nigerian food, family, and what it takes to build a restaurant from the ground up.

Read more about what we ate!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Music

• “Fela Kuti | Afrobeat Instrumental | Burna Boy-type Beat” by Amen Music
• “Top West African Drums for Powerful Rhythms: Explore the Best Djembes & Dununs” by African Drumming
• “Sprinkle of Trouble_Medium (Comedy)” by Grand_Project
• “Too Good For Punk (positive funk)” by Kulakovka
• “Cooking Food Music” by BackgroundMusicForVideos
• “Nigeria Pulse” by u_98673jp944
• “Funk” by The_Mountain
• Ethiopian Worldbeat by soundoffreedom
• “Watermarks” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Crab Shack, (2018)
• “City Limits” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY (2015)
• “Grey Grey joe” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album TinyTiny Trio, (2019)

Community isn’t always built in public spaces — sometimes it begins in kitchens, around simmering pots, shared stories, and the foods and traditions we carry with us.

In this episode, we gather with friends in Harlem, in Saba Hamidi’s cozy apartment, where she teaches us to make some of her favorite Persian dishes. As we cook and eat, Saba talks about her journey from Iran to the U.S. as a Bahá’í refugee — and how she’s using food to build community and give back.

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)
• “Kamancheh & Persian Instruments Harmony” by SoundBin Studio
• “Soul of Dubai” by PineAppleMusic
• “Upbeat Together Worldbeat Emotional World Uplifting Music” by REDproductions
• “Periodicals” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY (2015)
• “Cast in Wicker” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Aeronaut, (2018)
• “Cooking Food Music” by BackgroundMusicForVideos
• “Sage the Hunter” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Landsman Duets, (2018)

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!

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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!

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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)

When Fares Zedeia left Palestine as a teenager, he believed he’d return. Instead, he had to watch from afar as his homeland was torn apart. For years, he searched for his place in the world — a search that eventually led him to a food cart on a New York City sidewalk.

In this episode, I sit down with Fares “Freddy” Zedeia, the King of Falafel and Shawarma himself. Over a platter of his signature falafel, juicy shawarma, and tender kebab, we talk about his journey from cab driver to king — and how food becomes identity and a way to survive when home is far away.

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, (2017)
• “Somewhere in Punjab” by SergeQuadrado
• Cooking Food Music by BackgroundMusicForVideos
• Upbeat Together Worldbeat Emotional World Uplifting Music by REDproductions
• “Cast in Wicker” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Aeronaut, (2017)
• “Watermarks” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Crab Shack (2018)
• “City Limits” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY (2015)
• “Armenia” by SergeQuadrado

When friends John Nguyen and Chef Nhu Ton first jumped into the restaurant world, they were in over their heads. Way over. Today, they run one of the hottest Vietnamese spots in New York City.

In this episode, I sit down with John and Nhu, the team behind Manhattan’s Bánh Anh Em. Over bánh mì and bún chả, we talk about their journey from hole-in-the-wall beginnings to the Michelin Guide — and the craftsmanship that transforms simple ingredients into unforgettable dishes.

See what we ate!

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EPISODE CREDITS

Produced & Edited by Diane Bezucha

Additional editing by Christina Mitchell

Music

• “Coronea” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Marisala, (2017)
• “Cast in Wicker” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Aeronaut, (2017)
• “Periodicals” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY (2015)
• “City Limits” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY (2015)
• “Filing Away” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Crab Shack (2016)
• Cảnh Ruộng Đồng Quê Bên Bờ Đê - Vietnam Bamboo Flute by Asian_Background_Music
• Mysteries of Son Doong - Vietnam Travel by Asian_Background_Music
• Cooking Food Music by BackgroundMusicForVideos
• Luỹ Tre Xanh Ngát Đầu Làng (Guzheng) - Vietnam BGM by VPRODMUSIC_Asia_BGM