Dreamgirl, American Idol finalist, and EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson joins us for the last episode of the season. She takes us back to her early years in the South Side of Chicago where she and her siblings grew up in a kitchen filled with song, and where she spent precious late nights with her grandma in front of the TV. Plus, we hear about the pound cake recipe of her childhood.

Jennifer Hudson is a renowned singer and actress. She’s won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony, earning her EGOT status. She currently hosts her own self-titled show where she invites celebrities, community heroes, and viral sensations to bring empowering conversations to light.

Find the episode transcript here: https://www.audible.com/ymk/episode40

Comedian Pete Holmes shares the small ways his mom infused her Lithuanian heritage through food, even though she wouldn’t talk much about the home she knew before having to flee the country and become a refugee. He opens up about his journey confronting some dark parts of his past that helped him make better comedy. Plus, we’ll get the recipe for his mom’s apple pie that might look more like a cobbler.

Pete Holmes is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and podcaster. He gained recognition as the creator and lead actor of the HBO series Crashing, a semi-autobiographical show centered around the world of stand-up comedy. Holmes has also worked as a writer for Saturday Night Live and lent his voice to characters in the animated series Animals. His stand-up specials, including Nice Try, The Devil and Faces and Sounds, have received praise for their observational humor.

Find the episode transcript here: https://www.audible.com/ymk/episode39

Comedian and TikTok sensation Zarna Garg shares her incredible journey of creating the American life she imagined growing up and finding marriage on her own terms. She also reveals how she transitioned from the elaborate meals her mom cooked to simpler dishes that suit her family’s needs today. Plus, she offers some great tips for transforming steamed broccoli into something special.

Zarna Garg is a stand-up comedian who pokes fun at her experiences as an Indian immigrant mom. She was named Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch for 2023 and performs in comedy clubs all across the country. Her comedy special, “One in a Billion,” is available now on Amazon Prime Video.

Find the episode transcript here: https://www.audible.com/ymk/episode38

Chef, restaurateur, and online food person Sohla El-Waylly shares some of her impressive food wisdom with us, taking us back to where it all began—her mother’s kitchen in the diverse suburbs of Van Nuys, California. We hear about how she was shaped by her mother’s knack for fusion and experimentation and her aunt’s love for classic American dishes. Plus, she walks us through how to make her mother’s deliciously flaky parathas.

Sohla El-Waylly is a chef and online food personality known for her appearances on shows like Netflix’s The Big Brunch, the New York Times’ YouTube channel, and the Binging with Babish YouTube channel. Her book, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook, is a New York Times bestseller and a James Beard Foundation Book Award nominee.

Find the episode transcript here: https://www.audible.com/ymk/episode37

Award-winning screenwriter and funny person Lena Waithe takes us back to her fast food-filled childhood in the South Side of Chicago. We’ll hear about what it was like to live in a house with three generations of women and about her grandmother’s dining table, which plays a big part in an award-winning episode that Lena wrote for Master of None. Plus, we hear why chicken and dumplings is the ultimate comfort meal.

Lena Waithe is a comedian, actor, writer, and screenwriter. She was the first Black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for her Thanksgiving episode of Netflix’s Master of None. She created The Chi, which she currently produces.

Find the episode transcript here: https://www.audible.com/ymk/episode36

Renowned American ballet dancer Misty Copeland opens up about the instability she faced in her childhood, and how her natural athleticism and incredible discipline led her to shine as a dance prodigy in her teens. She talks about the evolution of her relationship to food and nutrition, from growing up in various kitchens to eating like an athlete. Plus, you’ll hear how to make one of her healthy, go-to recipes: Baked tilapia with veggies.

Copeland is a Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. She made history in 2015, becoming the first African American woman to be promoted to that position. She’s written several New York Times bestselling books, and launched her own foundation in 2022.

Find the episode transcript here: https://www.audible.com/ymk/episode35

Journalist and Emmy award-winning TV host Tamron Hall talks about how her upbringing in the small, rural town of Luling, Texas, paved the way for her to follow her dreams of being on TV. She praises the many mother figures she had in her life growing up, and opens up about what Mother’s Day really means to her. Plus, we learn how to make her twist on a Southern classic —a Sock-it-to-Them cake.

Tamron Hall is a two-time Emmy award-winning TV host of her self-titled show, which was recently renewed for its sixth season. Before this, she was the first black woman to host the Today Show in 2014. She’s the author of her own cookbook, A Confident Cook, set to publish this year.

Find the episode transcript here: https://www.audible.com/ymk/episode34

Cookbook author and baker extraordinaire Dorie Greenspan joins Michele to discuss the long, winding, and unforeseen journey to Dorie’s great baking career.

Dorie grew up in a household that did not make home-cooked meals; cooking was not on her radar. But when Dorie’s perceptive husband witnessed how much Dorie loved baking, he encouraged her to pursue it, and Dorie did—with enthusiasm. In addition to having been mentored by food world icon Julia Child, Dorie has written 14 cookbooks, won five James Beard awards, and has her very own prized kitchen in Paris. In this episode, find out how Dorie’s story begins with mistakenly burning down her mother’s kitchen and ends with Dorie being one of the best bakers in the business—and stay tuned for a lovely soft-shell crab recipe Dorie loved to share with her mother on the back steps of her childhood Brooklyn home.

Dorie Greenspan was born in Brooklyn and pursued a PhD in gerontology before becoming an internationally recognized cookbook author and baker. Dorie has been a columnist for The New York Times Magazine and The Washington Post and has twice won the Cookbook of the Year award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Dorie was awarded the Mérite d’Agricole—the Order of Agricultural Merit—by the French Consulate for her writings about France’s food. Today, she lives with her husband Michael in New York City, Westbrook, CT, and Paris, France.

Find the episode transcript here: https://www.audible.com/ymk/episode33