On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington, cofounders of The Passionistas Project, a global community of women.

"It's all about elevating women who don't often get the support and attention that they need," Amy explains. It's also about helping them tell their stories.

Storytelling and food go hand-in-hand, especially in the case of the Harringtons, who have Italian and Jewish roots.

"That's really embedded in both cultures," Nancy says. "And I think that the best way to learn anything from each other is to tell stories and listen."

The sisters, who were raised in an Irish Italian Catholic family - Sunday dinners, a big pot of spaghetti and testing the pasta to make sure it was cooked - recently discovered that they were Jewish. They weren't too surprised, as they already had plenty of Jewish connections.

And then there's the food.

"There's noodle kugel and then there's the Italian pastas; there's just so much overlap," Amy says. "I always associate New York Jews with New York cheesecake, and in Italy we have pizza dolce, which is just a sweeter, less tart version." You can get the recipe at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Amy and Nancy Harrington share The Passionistas Sisterhood backstory, how they discovered their Jewish heritage, and their connections to Judaism over the years. The sisters also mention Santa Monica's Cafe Lovi owner Benedetta Jasmine Guetta and her cookbook, "Cooking Alla Giudia: A Celebration of the Jewish Food of Italy," as well as the crossover between Italians, Jews, and community.

Learn more at thepassionistaproject.com and follow @ThePassionistasProject on Facebook and Instagram. For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Lenny Rosenberg and Adaeze Nwanonyiri Rosenberg, owners of New York Bagel Deli and Bakery - aka NYBD and Bakery. The husband-and-wife team also own Bea's Bakery in the Valley, as well as star in "It's a Sweet World" on JLTV and have a cookbook by the same name.

NYBD and Bakery combines Lenny's Jewish, baking and restaurant roots with Adaeze's Nigerian culture and design (interior, exterior, presentation) expertise.

"It's a really classic bakery that's based with Jewish products, but also is multicultural," Lenny explains. "We wanted to merge cultures; that's what we're all about."

He adds, "We realized, going through all the bakery products that I've made over the years, they're all multicultural: rainbow cookies are Italian, Danish are from the Danish … almost every single recipe is from another culture."

These foods all have a story behind them, along with cultural significance. For instance, the kola nut in their red velvet cupcakes are from Adaeze's Nigerian background, and it is as significant in their rituals as breaking bread (challah) is in the Jewish culture.

Whether you are embracing different cultures or getting ready to bake, it's important to be open-minded, curious and always willing to learn.

"Our brand is It's a Sweet World," Adaeze says. "Always think positive … live, laugh and eat."

Lenny and Adaeze Rosenberg share the NYBD and Bakery backstory, as well as some of their favorite multi-cultural treats and tips for baking success. They also share their recipe for Italian rainbow cookies, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more at ItsASweetWorld.com and JLTV.com, get It's A Sweet World at your favorite book store and follow @Its_a_sweetworld and @nybdbakery on social media.

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On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Dan Raskin, the fourth-generation owner of Manny's Cafeteria & Delicatessen. The legendary Chicago institution, started by his grandfather and great uncle, has been serving classic deli fare since 1942.

"[When the deli first opened] our customers were primarily Jewish - I would say 95 or even 100 percent," Raskin says. "And now maybe 10% of our customers are Jewish."

Raskin believes that's likely common for the delis in larger cities, like Chicago and Los Angeles, and he attributes it in part to a love of old-school European, house-made food.

"I see a lot of the different cultures come in here, not just for corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, but for the short rib and the liver and onions and the dishes that are homemade that you can't get everywhere," he explains. "I think that people want to continue to have this type of food, but they want to make sure it's authentic and the highest quality."

Then there's the nostalgia factor.

"Everybody is happy when they're eating, especially when [it's] something that's nostalgic to them," Raskin says. "Whether you're eating a bowl of matzo ball soup here, or eating it at home, you think of the people that surrounded you when you ate it."

Even growing up, Raskin, one of four siblings, knew he really wanted to follow in his family's footsteps. He definitely has mustard - never ketchup - running through his veins.

Dan Raskin talks about Manny's origin story, his deli favorites, and their commitment to creating consistent quality food. He also shares his recipe for sweet kugel, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more at MannysDeli.com and follow @MannysDeli on Instagram and TikTok and @MannysChicago on Facebook.

For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Melanie Lutz, author of "Everything is Soup: Sicilian Wisdom, Nourishment and Recipes for a Delicious Life."

In the book, Lutz combines her Sicilian and Jewish roots, along with her love of storytelling.

"Soup is life," author Melanie Lutz believes. "When we make a delicious soup that we can serve, we're sharing what we love and we're showing that we care."

With more than 18 seasonal soup recipes, handwritten notes, and ancestral sayings, the mixture of food memories and wisdom is as filling as it is fulfilling.

While there is clearly a huge Sicilian component to the book, Lutz also included a nod to her Jewish roots in honor of Stuart Norman Levy, a member on her Jewish side, who passed away while she was writing the book.

"His recipe … Stu's stew is a hodgepodge of everything that you love," Lutz says. "[It] supports you and is there for you … he served it up and made it just magic for anyone who sat down and, and shared a bowl with him." Get the recipe at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Melanie Lutz talks about the origin story behind "Everything is Soup" and why she loves soup so much. She also shares the meanings behind "stirring the pot," tips for becoming more at one with soup, and more.

"The vortex of a bowl of soup and the fact that we're largely made up of water … when you stir the pot, you create this alchemical experience of opening the heart," she explains. "Any soup that you put together becomes … this way that we connect through generations of the earth's elements."

Learn more at MelsLoveLand.com and grab a copy of "Everything is Soup."

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On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Rachel Simons, author of "Sesame: Global Recipes + Stories of an Ancient Seed," co-founder of Seed+Mill, based in New York City's iconic Chelsea Market.

The book - and the conversation - talk about the seed's metaphor and connection.

"Seeds are the beginning of life; that's how everything starts: vegetables, fruits, humans, animals, ideas," says Simons, who believes the book is not just about food, but life, travel, and history."

After Simons, who has lived around the world, moved to New York, she saw an opportunity to open a business around a product - mainly Tahini - that hadn't yet had its moment to shine.

"It was an underrated, underappreciated condiment or ingredient, and we wanted to throw our energy behind, you know, doing something fresh with it," she says. "We're nearly 10 years old and we honestly had no idea that this little shop would just turn into a business which would turn into a brand and eventually now a cookbook."

"Sesame" answers is a clear, approachable guide to the world of sesame, from halva and tahini to togarashi, gomasio and furikake. Whether it's in the form of a seed, tahini (a ground sesame paste), sesame oil, or halva (a soft, fudge-like candy made from sesame paste), readers can incorporate it in 100 traditional and modern global recipes.

" I wanted to make the book feel very global, very international, and very embracing," she says. "I wanted the book to be an umbrella where everybody could see a part of their food identity."

Rachel Simons shares her backstory - and the seeds that led her where she is today - as well as her history with and the origins of tahini. She also talks about her love of food, the value of that connection, and her recipe for sesame and peach miso crumble, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more at SeedandMill.com, follow @SeedandMill on Facebook and Instagram, and get a copy of "Sesame" at your favorite bookstore. For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

Note:  Anyone who counts the correct number of times the word "seed" is said in the podcast, will get a free Tahini ice cream from Rachel at Seed + Mill in New York.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Matthew Jonas and David Foerstner, co-founders of Good Karma Chocolate. Good Karma offers small batch bean-to-bar chocolate, drinking cacao, cacao blend-ins, and plenty of positive vibes.

"Dave and I share a passion for all things dark chocolate," Jonas explains. "Most of the [bean-to-bar and cacao] brands out there are very serious, and we thought, when you get a chance to taste really good chocolate in your life, that is a moment of joy."

Jonas said that while they are serious about how they make it - and are ethical in its production - they also want people to feel good when they eat it, to really enjoy the experience.

Jonas had been seeking an alternative to drinking coffee, when, two years ago, he discovered drinking cacao. He didn't like the products that were commercially available, so Jonas bought some beans and began experimenting. Then, he reached out to Foerstner, a food scientist and founder of Food Forward Consulting, to see if he wanted to partner on making a cacao drinking product.

"I think your exact words were, 'You need to talk me out of doing this chocolate,'" Foerstner recalls. His reply, "I'm the wrong guy to talk you out of things. … I'm the guy that makes you do things or helps you do things."

Foerstner said he'd do it on one condition: "I've always wanted to make chocolate."

Matthew Jonas and David Foerstner talk about Good Karma Chocolate's origin story, their mission, and their recipe for making - and customizing - ceremonial drinking cacao, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcast. Jonas also shares the parallels he has found between the chocolate and the Jewish communities.

"This idea of … trying to make a better impact on the world, leave it better than I found it, I take that from my experience of … choosing to become active in my Judaism," he says.

For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Genna Rosenberg, founder of GennComm and a major foodie! A 30-year toy, licensing and entertainment industry executive, she focuses on the intersection of social impact, consumer products, and business strategy

"When I was a little kid, some of my earliest toys were a play tea set or a pretend kitchen or plastic food," Rosenberg shares. "Then throughout my career I've had a lot of really fun connections with food-based toys."

Her love of cooking started at a young age.

"My mother said she cooked to provide food for us, but my father used to love to cook and to really create lots of different masterpieces in the kitchen, and I really follow suit with that," Rosenberg says. "I love to explore, I love to create new recipes and bring fabulous dishes to the table."

Creativity serves her well in the kitchen and as a publicist and changemaker in the toy industry. Last month, Rosenberg was named 2025 Wonder Woman Catalyst for Change by a global empowerment organization: Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment.

Cooking is one of the best ways to be creative, though many people prefer to follow a recipe.

"I might look at a recipe or I might look at three or four or five different recipes for the same thing," Rosenberg says. "Then I make it up my own way, because there's not really one way to do things."

Rosenberg talks about her social impact backstory, toy trends and fun projects, and her cooking philosophy. She also shares her love of Jewish food and her recipe for "make it your own way matzo brei," which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more about Genna Rosenberg at Genncomm.com and connect on LinkedIn. For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Jamie Milne, founder of Everything Delish. When Milne launched 12 years ago, she had no idea she would become a viral food sensation! Her Instagram has 820,000 followers, Pinterest has 255,00+ and TikTok has 2.5 million. You get the idea.

Whether she's demonstrating quick recipes, sharing tips or partnering with brands, Milne is all about making cooking delish, accessible and fun.

"From a really young age [I knew] that food and cooking are really at the heart of the table, and they bring so many people together," she says.

Everything Delish began as a creative outlet for Milne, who was substitute teaching in Jewish schools in Toronto at the time. She was the person everyone turned to for recommendations, and instead of answering everyone personally, she started an Instagram page, called Everything Delish.

Everything Delish has changed over the years; Milne is constantly pivoting and reinventing herself as certain life events happen. And it has grown beyond anything she could have imagined.

" I constantly tell my audience, when you do what you love, you'll succeed; I wholeheartedly believe in that," Milne says. "My passion has turned into my career, and I believe that if I can do it, anyone can, and it's never too late to start."

Jamie Milne talks about the origin of her love of food, the evolution of Everything Delish, and being authentic on social media. She also shared her brisket recipe - a twist on the traditional, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more about Jamie Milne - and get recipes - at Everything-Delish.com. Follow @Everything_Delish on social media, including Instagram and TikTok, and subscribe to the Everything Delish Substack.

For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.