Your Mama’s Kitchen

Booker Prize winner Marlon James and biographer Nicholas Boggs join Michele for their first-ever joint podcast interview. The two compare childhood kitchens: a Kingston coal stove and a D.C. family dinner table. Marlon explains why he took over the family cooking at age nine, while Nicholas explains why refusing to do the dishes was his safest act of rebellion; and both talk about writing as detective work, from Marlon’s novel The Disappearers to Nicholas’s Baldwin: A Love Story. Along the way: a very telling sprig of parsley and a life-size horse lamp. Plus, we learn how to make Marlon’s Jamaican sweet potato pudding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East and former NFL long snapper Andrew East grew up in very different kitchens. Today, they've built their Nashville home around a kitchen that serves up to 20 people on any given night. They take us through the weekly rhythms that keep their family close and explain why structure leaves more room for connection, not less. Shawn opens up about rebuilding her relationship with food after retiring from gymnastics, and the two reflect on leaving their sports behind and why no one should do it alone. Plus, we learn how to make Shawn’s mom’s pumpkin bread, a recipe Shawn insists you don't try to make healthier.

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This week, Michele is joined by Victor Glover—recently retired astronaut, naval aviator, and, most importantly, father—to talk all about how his family shaped his path and keeps him grounded while reaching the far corners of outer space. Victor recounts his early childhood memories in Pomona, California, including the coffee he would drink with his grandfather and the fire ants he would fry up in the skillet. He also discusses piloting the Artemis II mission to the dark side of the moon—and explains how the wonder he experienced out in space can be found right here on Earth.

Subscribe to the show: @YourMamasKitchenPod
Follow us on Instagram: @yourmamaskitchen
Follow us on TikTok: @yourmamaskitchen
Send us an email: YMK@gmail.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're welcoming Murray Hill to the mic - beloved NYC nightlife emcee, comic, actor and now author, of the new memoir, "Showbiz!" From a tough New England childhood to an expansive life onstage, Murray shares stories of resilience, hope and Rhode Island red strips (the best snack you've never heard of). That's showbiz, kids!

Subscribe to the show: @YourMamasKitchenPod
Follow us on Instagram: @yourmamaskitchen
Follow us on TikTok: @yourmamaskitchen
Send us an email: YMK@gmail.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chef Marcus Samuelsson joins Your Mama’s Kitchen to reflect on how his Ethiopian roots and Swedish upbringing shaped his relationship with food, culture, and home. He shares how his personal experiences inform his approach to hospitality at Red Rooster, where he’s made it his mission to ensure everyone feels welcome, represented, and like they belong at the table.

Marcus also discusses his upcoming book, Back to Green: Rediscovering a World of Delicious, Healthy Eating, arriving October 20, 2026. The book explores plant-forward cooking traditions from around the world, celebrating the ingredients, cultures, and stories that connect us through food.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.