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
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.
Jul 29, 2025 • 50min
Jurnee Smollett Clocks in as the Flavor Flav of the Family
Actress Jurnee Smollett talks lessons in activism and creativity from her family. Being one of six children, Jurnee recounts how her mother was able to juggle care for all the kids while prioritizing their creative spark. From the Smollett's Swiss-Family-Robinson-style upbringing, to her mother befriending craft services for custom meals, Jurnee paints the picture of her childhood as a young actress to now. And she share's her mother's recipe for 7th Ward Gumbo!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 22, 2025 • 52min
Sam Sanders on the Healing Powers of Smothered Chicken
Journalist, podcast host and radio star Sam Sanders takes us back to his roots in Texas, where everyone one in his house was a cook and there was a local "rabbit" man who sold all kinds of meat from his truck; including possum. Sam opens up about a special moment he shared with his mom as she was recovering from stroke, while cooking her special Smothered Chicken Recipe.Check out Sam's podcast The Sam Sanders Show and Vibe Check.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 15, 2025 • 49min
Molly Jong-Fast on Alcoholism, Dementia and a Mom Addicted to Fame
Michele chats with author, journalist, and political commentator Molly Jong-Fast. Molly's new book, How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir depicts the emotionally complex relationship she had with her mother, feminist icon Erica Jong. Through sobriety at 19, to stepping out of her mother's overbearing shadow, and finally parenting her mother through dementia, Molly bares it all. Plus she shares her recipe for a decadently sweet Baked Alaska!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 8, 2025 • 57min
How Pyet DeSpain Won Next Level Chef By Embracing Her Roots
Chef, cookbook author, and winner of Next Level Chef, Pyet DeSpain, shares how her Mexican and Native American roots shaped her extraordinary culinary career. Pyet talks about growing up on the Osage Reservation in Oklahoma, debunks misconceptions about Native culture and cuisine, and pulls back the curtain on what it’s really like behind the scenes of a cooking competition show. Plus, she shares her recipe for Blue Corn Strawberry Tamales with Coconut Horchata Sauce!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jul 1, 2025 • 1h 10min
Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich History
Bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians, Kevin Kwan, reflects on his “Huck Finn-style” childhood in Singapore. He shares the real-life inspirations behind Crazy Rich Asians (including a memory from director Jon Chu’s own life that made it into the film) and regales Michele with some truly extraordinary family stories. Plus, he shares a delicious cross-cultural recipe for curry puffs! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jun 24, 2025 • 55min
The Borinquen Family that Keeps Lala Anthony Grounded
Actress, producer, best selling author, and previous MTV VJ, Lala Anthony talks about her Brooklyn upbringing. She shares how boricua food was a constant in her household, the power of her lively Puerto Rican family, and how a cross country leap landed her right into the world of tv and radio. Plus, she shares her family’s Arroz con Pollo recipe! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
