One day, towards the beginning of the Cafe au Lait cookbook project, I came across a super cool podcast! I think I listened to all the episodes - there are well over 100 - while trying recipes and editing our cookbook!
I totally connected with the host, Becky Hadeed, because she has adopted children like the family I was raised in, and she is also in love with cooking the Middle Eastern food that is part of her husband's heritage.
Her podcast is unique! Each guest shares a recipe, which Becky makes for her family and photographs. She used to be a wedding photographer, so the photos are one of the coolest parts! Becky just said a few days ago (in my own words) that she thinks we should do less drooling over fancy cake pictures, and really learn to appreciate food that actually nourishes our bodies! She does an amazing job taking everyday foods from many different cultures and really bringing out the beauty of the process of cooking.
And she's a great interviewer too! I can tell that every week she's excited for another story - whether it's about a girl growing up in a leper camp, a coffee farmer, or a couple telling the story of their hilarious mom and auntie's Christmas pudding tradition - the stories are all heartwarming! People from all around the world truly can connect through food, and I've totally enjoyed Becky's work!
And a few days into the new year of 2022, I got the chance to participate in her podcast! It was a bit out of my comfort zone, but that's fine. The internet was bad and so I sat on the roof under the stars, and you can hear dogs barking now and then and other Port au Prince noises in the recording!
I shared the recipe for making fried plantain cups with a lime squeezer. It's in the Cafe au Lait Cookbook and it's a popular cross-cultural/modern Haitian recipe. I think I first got the idea from a Haitian YouTuber that lives in Miami, but I've also been served them at a fancy wedding here in Port au Prince.
I'm sharing some of Becky's lovely pictures of this recipe here, and if you're on Instagram, you absolutely need to follow her: @thestoriedrecipe.podcast
And here’s what the host, Becky Hadeed, had to say about the episode and the highlights of our interview:
Quiara grew up in a Mennonite community in Southern Louisiana, but now lives in Port au Prince, Haiti, with her Haitian husband. Together, they are exploring how they can live out Quiara’s Mennonite values in a city currently ruled by gangs that terrorize citizens, merchants, and police. We also discuss a really genius little recipe that is SO delicious - Quiara is telling us how to make bowls from plantains – little plantain bowls which Haitians stuff with things like BBQ chicken, pineapple, or a really spicy cabbage salad called Pikliz. Finally, we talk about the cookbook Quiara recently collaborated on with 9 other women, titled “Cafe Au Lait” – after the name Haitians have for marriages like hers, where one partner is white and the other is Haitian – and how this project made her feel a sense of belonging and home. Welcome Quiara!
The experience of a being a White minority
Plantain cups
The changes in Haiti since the assassination of the President
Quiara’s experiences with gangs
“Do good without looking back”
Independence and wealth; living as a community
Her love story
Why Quiara’s husband can’t come visit her home country
Here's the link to listen to my episode of The Storied Recipe Podcast website, or you can look it up on any podcast player app.
Actually tho, be sure to listen to ALL the episodes - like I did - even if you're not bored stiff from editing a cookbook!! It's like sitting and talking to people from all over the world and learning all the little tidbits of their culture that no one talks about.
Speaking of cookbooks, thanks to everyone who bought a copy of the Cafe au Lait Cookbook. They're almost sold out already, which I didn't quite expect! I'm thinking of doing a smaller reprint but I'm not sure yet, so if you want one still, now's your chance.
I also have made a pdf copy available for sale on my website, if e-books are more your thing. You can even buy just the Haitian section by itself because it is by far the coolest part! Check them out here:
Happy cooking everyone
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