In this guest episode from Loading Dock Talks with Chef Preeti Mistry, Preeti talks with Chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, the duo behind Masala y Maíz and Marigold in Mexico City. The chefs share their unique culinary backgrounds and the melding of their heritages — Mexican, South Asian, and East African — into their cuisine. They discuss the process behind their lamb barbacoa recipe, a melding of Norma's Mexican family tradition with Saqib's South Asian flavors and spices. The discussion also explores the significance of maintaining cultural integrity while innovating with traditional recipes, avoiding the pitfalls of fusion for the sake of novelty. They also discuss the broader responsibilities of chefs in society, touching on labor rights in the restaurant industry, creating a supportive work culture, and the importance of political engagement through food.

Listen to more Loading Dock Talks here or wherever you get your podcasts.

More about the Copper & Heat Radio brand refresh:

Many of you know us as Copper & Heat (the newly dubbed Copper & Heat Radio) which explores the forces that shape our meals through narrative, sound-rich podcasts.

Copper & Heat Creative is an expansion of our award-winning storytelling. As a production studio, we focus on helping brands engage food-curious audiences with unique and thoughtful content. Over the past few years, we have done work we are really proud of with some amazing brands on projects ranging from podcast production to social media strategy and in-person event activation.

At the heart of all of our work is our belief that food is a conversation. We tell stories that, like the best meals, challenge preconceived notions and delve into the forces that shape them.

You can learn more about all of our work on our newly refreshed website: Copperandheat.com

Geraldine has started not one, but two international controversies with her blog "The Everywhereist." A three-time guest on Copper & Heat, we first chatted with her 5 years ago about imposter syndrome after winning a James Beard Award for her blog post about Mario Batali's cinnamon rolls, and then again 2 years ago after her blog post about her disastrous meal at Bros in Italy went viral.

Geraldine's new book, "If You Can't Take the Heat: Tales of Food Feminism, and Fury" explores themes similar to those in her viral blog posts about the systemic challenges of being a woman working in food. In this interview, we talk about the challenges faced by women and non-binary individuals and the importance of speaking out against injustice. Geraldine shares her experiences with her viral blog post about Bros and the subsequent New York Times article, highlighting the biases and dismissive attitudes she encountered. The conversation delves into the pressure to perform a personal brand, as well as the experience of imposter syndrome.

For more from Geraldine:

Buy her new book

Her website

Her Instagram | Threads

In this episode, Katy talks with chefs Reem Assil of Reem’s California in San Francisco, and Carlo LaMagna of Magna Kusina in Portland, OR, and Magna Kubo in Beaverton. 

Reem is a Palestinian-Syrian chef and activist who was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Best Chef West award in 2018 and ‘19 and a finalist for the Outstanding Chef award in 2022. She won a 2023 IACP award for her cookbook, Arabiyya: Recipes from an Arab in Diaspora. 

Carlo’s restaurants highlight modern Filipino cuisine, and he was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2021. He was nominated for a 2022 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific.

In this episode, Katy, Reem & Carlo talk about redefining success and failure, cultural and family pressures when cooking their food, and how they take care of themselves.

We recorded this episode in collaboration with the Southern Smoke Foundation and Visit Houston. Southern Smoke exists to take care of our own. As a nonprofit founded and powered by current and past F&B workers, they’ve felt the heat of the industry firsthand. Their efforts are dedicated to creating a meaningful safety net of support that doesn’t exist for most people in our world. 

To learn more about their emergency relief and mental health programs, visit their website. 

Reem Assil

Instagram  |  Reem’s California  |  Her book, Arabiyya  | Hospitality for Humanity

Carlo Lamagna

Instagram  |  Magna Kusina  |  Magna Kubo

Southern Smoke

Instagram  |  Get Help  |  Donate

Visit Houston

Instagram  |   Website