Your Mama’s Kitchen
Higher Ground
“Tell me about your mama's kitchen.” That’s the simple request which begins each episode of this Audible Original podcast from acclaimed journalist Michele Norris (NPR’s All Things Considered, The Washington Post) and Higher Ground, Barack and Michelle Obama's media company. Every week, hear guests like Michelle Obama, Conan O'Brien, Ina Garten, José Andrés, John Legend, and more explore the complexities of family life and how their earliest culinary experiences helped shape their personal and professional lives—and of course, each guest brings a recipe for a favorite dish from their youth so you can taste a bit of their story.With a delicious buffet of actors, authors, chefs, musicians, and more, the rich conversations that flow from that simple, initial prompt reveal the histories, memories, and cultures that emerge from the kitchen—the heart of the home—where we are nourished physically and spiritually. Your Mama’s Kitchen is a podcast about cuisine and culture, ingredients and identities, and the meals and memories that make us who we are.Your Mama’s Kitchen is a production of Higher Ground.Produced by Sonia Htoon.Associate Producers are Jenna Levin, Stella Hartman, Itxy Quintinilla and Camila Thur de Koos.Sound design and engineering from Andrew Eapen, Ryan Kozlowski and Roy Baum.Executive producers for Higher Ground are Mukta Mohan, Dan Fierman and Michele Norris.The show’s closing song is 504 by The Soul Rebels.Editorial and web support from Melissa Bear and Say What Media. Our talent booker is Angela Peluso.Copyright 2024 by Higher Ground Audio, LLC / Sound Recording copyright 2024 by Higher Ground Audio, LLC.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 4, 2025 • 55min
Life Is a Party and They Are The Hosts: A Conversation with Brie Larson & Courtney McBroom
Oscar-winning actress, Brie Larson, and her best friend, chef and dinner party guru Courtney McBroom, drop by to talk about their new cookbook Party People — a love letter to low-stakes, high-fun get togethers. The duo swap stories about their shared obsession with hosting (and, unexpectedly, Taco Bell!), and how Brie's mom, an over-the-top party planner, sparked her lifelong love of bringing people together. They also reminisce about working side by side on Lessons in Chemistry, where Courtney was head food consultant and Brie learned to see cooking in a whole new light. Plus, they share not one but two family recipes: Courtney’s grandma’s famous Texas sheet cake and a pistachio pie that almost didn’t make the cut.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 28, 2025 • 56min
How a Crush on a Cute Guy Kickstarted Nancy Silverton’s Culinary Empire
In this special episode, we join James Beard Award-winning chef, baker and author Nancy Silverton in her new beautiful restaurant, Osteria Mozza, in Washington DC. Nancy takes us back to her childhood kitchen in Southern California where her mama refused to take shortcuts -- swearing off "convenience cooking" and microwave meals. She reveals that her cooking journey started after a crush she had in college and talks about how she re-learns to love cooking every year in her kitchen in Italy. Plus, we learn how to make her mama's Brisket al Fomo.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 21, 2025 • 58min
Reggie Watts Has Made a Career Out of Being a Weirdo
Comic, musician, and actor Reggie Watts comes on the show to talk about his multi-faceted life. From being born in Germany to growing up in Montana with his French mother and Air Force Sergeant father, Reggie learned the power of being the oddball. Reggie showcases his accents and the works that inspire him. And him and Michele talk about why he tries not to consume sugar, and how to use a sugar alternative for his mother's Crepes Suzette recipe. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 20, 2025 • 33min
The Second Opinion: It’s Not Hysteria! ft. Dr. Karen Tang
Did you know the word hysteria comes from the Greek word hystera, meaning uterus? On this episode, Dr. Karen Tang and Dr. Sharon chat about the history and evolution of Obstetrics Gynecology, unpack different subspecialties, and discuss the myth of the "wandering womb". Plus, Dr. Tang shares experiences patients may have on the operating table, surgical options for reproductive health, and why you may want to choose a minimally invasive surgery for gynecologic conditions. Board Certified OBGYN and Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgeon, Dr. Karen Tang, reaches millions of people every month through her educational videos on TikTok and IG. With over 15 years of experience, Dr. Tang specializes in endometriosis, fibroids, chronic pelvic pain, menopause, and gender-affirming care. She is the founder of Thrive Gynecology in Philadelphia, where she provides expert care to patients nationwide. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Have questions? Submit them here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 14, 2025 • 58min
How Tig Notaro Learned to be Funny Through it All
Comedian, actress and writer Tig Notaro joins us to share some of the most valuable lessons she learned from the darkest times in her life and how she uses comedy to get through it all. She dives into the nature of Southern eccentricities and how her mother's headstrong personality shaped her own sense of humor. Plus, she shares how to make her mama's vegan gumbo.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 7, 2025 • 50min
Scott Evans' Mama: We Are Not The Kool Aid House
Access Hollywood and House Guest host Scott Evans, brings us into the Indiana houses he lived in during his early years. From a young age, Scott felt that he was destined to be in showbiz. He also shared all the different ways his mother taught him tough love — by teaching him how to make better eggs and what he should NOT gift women on Christmas. Plus, we learn how to make his mama’s Lasagna.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 30, 2025 • 1h 4min
Erika Alexander's Journey From Starlight Inn to Stardom
Actress, producer and Living Single star, Erika Alexander opens up about her childhood home, which was at one point room in the Starlight Motel off Route 66. She shares how the foundation of poverty shaped her creative journey and resilience as an adult and how she found comfort in the flavors of a TV dinner. Plus, we learn how to make her mama's Crispy Tuna Salmon Croquettes.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 23, 2025 • 58min
How Coach Craig Robinson Almost Burned His House Down
Basketball coach and podcast host Craig Robinson shares his side of the story on what went on in the childhood kitchen he shared with his sister, Michelle Obama in the South Side of Chicago. He talks about the lessons he learned at the kitchen table when his family wasn’t very well off and how his mother was always a big supporter — Even when he and his sister started a kitchen fire as kids. Plus, he tells us how to make his mama’s Fried Chicken.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sep 16, 2025 • 45min
Kardea Brown's Shrimp and Grits Starts with Bacon
Kardea Brown, an American chef and T.V. host known for her show Delicious Miss Brown, dives into the rich cultural history of Edisto Island and Gullah cuisine. She discusses how the culinary traditions of her ancestry, deeply tied to West Africa, influence her cooking today. Kardea shares family stories and the significance of her Shrimp and Grits recipe, done Gullah style. Plus, she reveals her cheesecake recipe and emphasizes the importance of sustainability in cooking, all while celebrating heritage through food.
Sep 9, 2025 • 1h
How America Revealed Itself to Ocean Vuong
Novelist and poet, Ocean Vuong, traces his family’s path from Vietnam to a refugee camp in the Philippines to a new life in Connecticut. He reflects on the beauty and the brutality of American fast food, and how long days on a tobacco farm shaped both his writing and his sense of self. Plus, he shares his family’s recipe for canh chua—a delicious Vietnamese soup that’s less time-intensive than pho! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
