Chef Yia Vang shares the remarkable and resilient story of his family, and his journey from being born in a refugee camp to becoming a James Beard award nominee. Yia talks passionately about the pillars of Hmong culture, why balance defines their cuisine, and the childhood initiation of learning to cook rice properly. He shares emotional stories of his desire to assimilate to American culture as a child and why he is so dedicated to celebrating and elevating his family’s culture and stories today. Yia talks about the vision behind his restaurants and how his latest establishment, Vinai, is a love letter to his parents and their strength. He shares the inspiration behind his Food Network digital series, Stoked, and why cooking over an open flame is close to his heart and crucial to the Hmong culture.
Culinary icon Andrew Zimmern talks about being a birthday week person and what he feels will define the next decade of his life. He shares why he is optimistic about the ever-evolving world and the importance of elevating others to create equity before responding to a statement about being a human food encyclopedia and why he somewhat disagrees with it. He talks through his childhood in New York City and how fear, trauma and too much freedom shaped his perspective. Andrew reminisces on memories traveling the world with his late father and the myriad of cultural experiences he owes to him. He reveals the duplicitous journey to finally pitching a show and panicking to come up with thirty episodes on the spot for Bizarre Foods. Andrew describes the personal premise of his new program, Family Dinner, and why a lifelong desire to be a part of a family drove him to create it. Andrew talks about the mythical, magical power of food to bring people together before settling the great debate - is a hotdog a sandwich?
If you're loving Food Network Obsessed, check out a new podcast from Food Network: The Pioneer Woman. Follow wherever you get your podcasts. Ree Drummond's throwing open her Oklahoma ranch for a brand-new food series with juicy slices of frontier life. There's a quintessential ranch dinner, a dawn cattle gathering with the kids and cowboys, and rookie cowgirl Ree's facing two family challenges. With Chicken Fried Steak and Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Gravy with a Marinated Tomato Salad With Herbs on the side, as well as Cowboy Breakfast Sandwiches and Sunrise Punch, it's going to be a mouthwatering feast of fabulous food and fun.
If you like Food Network Obsessed, check out a new podcast from Food Network called Girl Meets Farm with Molly Yeh. In this episode, Molly celebrates her and her husband's third wedding anniversary by making a special brunch for the family that includes Shakshuka with Feta, Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Hash, Pocket Pastries with Raspberry Jam and more.
Chef and restaurateur Lucas Sin shares his success story, starting with the first restaurant he started in his hometown of Hong Kong at just 16 years old
Writer, educator and Harvard graduate Caroline Randall Williams reveals the staggering number of cookbooks she owns and how her personal experiences and history as a Black woman shaped her vision for her show, Hungry for Answers.
Sophie Flay, daughter of culinary icon Bobby Flay, shares why she chose a journalism career over following in her dad’s footsteps and tells us her favorite types of stories to cover in the Los Angeles area.
Author and critic Simon Majumdar shares the research and process behind the scenes of his podcast that explores the rich history of food and his favorite interview so far with a Food Network star. He reveals the shocking turning point in his life and the renewed mission he set forth to pursue at 40 years old. Simon shares his journey through 31 countries in just a year and why he believes food is a healing and unifying force in a world that feels divided. He also gives his advice for how he overcomes language barriers and his most memorable meal to-date. Simon shares his personal philosophy on eating and consuming in a thoughtful way and his thoughts on food waste. He dives into his time on Guy’s Grocery Games and his honest and passionate approach to judging, his experience on the latest season of Tournament of Champions as a co-floor reporter and his thoughts on this season’s fierce winner.
Chef Fariyal Abdullahi shares her childhood memories growing up in Ethiopia and the food rituals she holds close when she is missing home. She talks about picking a sheep every Friday for their family and why these experiences deepened her connection to food and perspective. Fariyal talks about moving from Ethiopia to the states at 16 years old, her first experiences with American food, and why she decided to pivot her career to becoming a chef. She talks about graduating from the CIA and landing in the kitchen of the greatest restaurant in the world in Copenhagen and some hallmarks of Scandinavian cuisine. Fariyal shares why she decided to take a year off to rest and prioritize her mental health and leave kitchens to start consulting in the industry. She talks about her experience walking the red carpet at the Met Gala last year and what kind of kitchen culture is important to cultivate. Fariyal reveals the Food Network shows and chefs that are her favorite and why she doesn’t think her cooking style works for competition.
Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, hosts of the internet sensation Good Mythical Morning, talk about their new show Inside Eats and why it is the perfect extension of their wacky food adventures. They guess Jaymee’s Chipotle order based on her personality and how many different order combinations they uncovered in their show. Rhett and Link share where their curiosity for all things food comes from, why they went on a mission to discover why the Cheesecake Factory menu is so big, and what cheesecake flavor is their favorite. They point out who the picky eater is between the two of them and the foods they absolutely cannot stand. Rhett and Link talk about the experience of visiting Coolhaus Ice Cream and what their personal, signature flavor would be. They talk about visiting Beyond Meat, what it takes to replicate the texture and experience of meat and the surprising experiments they witnessed in their labs. Rhett and Link talk about how Good Mythical Morning started, how it has evolved over the past decade, and their friendship origin story.