In this dynamic episode of Dishin’ Up Diaspora, I sit down with the trailblazing Fariyal Abdullahi—James Beard Award nominated chef, creative, philanthropist, and one of the very few Black women at the helm of some of the most high-profile kitchens in the industry.

Fariyal’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Born in Ethiopia, she shares how her immigrant experience shaped her resilience and hunger for more. We talk about how she initially pursued a degree in psychology to meet family expectations, only to later pivot and fully embrace her passion for food and hospitality. That bold leap not only transformed her life, but also positioned her as a powerful force in the culinary world—one that refuses to be boxed into a single title.

You’ve seen her as a guest judge on major cooking shows and featured in magazines like Vogue and Food & Wine, but today, Fariyal opens up in a way we rarely get to see. From the pressure of being a woman of color in high-end kitchens to the liberation that comes from defining yourself on your own terms, this conversation dives deep into what it truly means to lead with authenticity.

We explore:

• The unspoken challenges and triumphs of being an immigrant in hospitality
• How family expectations shaped (and delayed) her culinary path
• Finding the courage to pivot from psychology to the kitchen
• The weight and pride of being one of the few Black women at the top
• Why she rejects being “just” a chef—and how creativity, storytelling, and service fuel her mission
• Her philanthropic work and how she’s using her platform for impact
• How she centers wellness and self-care in an industry that glorifies burnout
• The daily rituals that keep her grounded amidst chaos
• Redefining success as a woman, as an immigrant, and as a leader

This episode is a celebration of multidimensionality—a reminder that we don’t have to choose one path, one label, or one identity. Fariyal’s story is proof that when you dare to do what’s true to you, even in an industry that rarely makes space for that kind of truth, the doors will open.

Whether you’re an aspiring chef, a fellow immigrant, or someone figuring out how to follow your passion while honoring your roots—this one’s for you.
Tune in now and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share if you’re moved by this conversation.

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Follow Fariyal Abdullahi on Instagram @fariyalabdul Follow me, Chef Emme, for updates on new episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and upcoming events @chefemme_ and @dishinupdiasporapodcast
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In this powerful solo episode of Dishin’ Up Diaspora, Chef Emme takes you on a deep and flavorful journey into the sacred world of Candomblé, the Afro-Brazilian religion where food is a divine offering—not just nourishment. This episode explores how Bahian cuisine, African spirituality, and ancestral resilience intersect in powerful, soul-stirring ways.

Rooted in West African spiritual traditions and shaped by centuries of resistance and adaptation, Candomblé is more than a religion—it’s a living archive of cultural survival. Emme breaks down how each orixá (deity) has specific foods and rituals associated with them, and how those offerings serve as acts of reverence, communication, and empowerment. Learn how ingredients like dendê oil, black-eyed peas, and banana leaves carry deep spiritual meaning and connect present-day Bahians to their African ancestors.

Through stories of sacred dishes like abará, moqueca, vatapá, and caruru, Emme illustrates how Friday meals in Bahia—often meatless and rich with ritual—reflect a complex spiritual practice that blends Catholicism, African traditional religion, and Indigenous beliefs. From honoring Oxalá with white foods to preparing spicy abará for Iansã, each dish becomes a vehicle for prayer, protection, and remembrance.

This episode invites you to rethink how you experience food—not just as sustenance, but as ceremony, memory, and resistance. Whether you're familiar with Afro-Brazilian religious practices, or just beginning to explore the spiritual dimensions of food, this episode offers insight, reverence, and connection.

✨ You’ll Learn About:

• The roots and resilience of Candomblé in Brazil
• The role of food as a sacred offering in Afro-diasporic religions
• Why Bahian dishes like moqueca and abará are spiritually significant
• The symbolism of dendê (red palm oil) in Afro-Brazilian rituals
• How Friday traditions in Bahia reflect deep spiritual syncretism

Whether you’re a chef, a cultural explorer, a spiritual seeker, or part of the African diaspora, this episode will deepen your understanding of how food sustains not just the body—but the soul.

Follow us on IG @dishinupdiasporapodcast and @chefemme_

In this episode I sit down with Danielle and Gabrielle Davenport — the sister duo behind BEM Books & More, a groundbreaking Black-owned bookstore that celebrates the intersection of Black food, literature, and diaspora stories.

We dive deep into how their family’s food traditions and storytelling shaped the vision for BEM — a space dedicated to cookbooks by Black authors, memoirs, historical texts, and fiction that honor Black culinary history and the richness of diasporic voices. Danielle and Gabrielle share how growing up in a home where food and identity were inseparable sparked their mission to amplify stories from across the African diaspora through books and community.

They take us behind the scenes of building BEM from scratch — recognizing the need for a bookstore centered on Black food literature, launching as a pop-up, rallying support through fundraising, and now preparing to open their first brick-and-mortar location. Along the way, they drop insights on entrepreneurship, community-building, and why making space for Black diaspora stories is essential for preserving culture and inspiring future generations.

If you care about food, culture, literature, or Black entrepreneurship, this conversation shows how storytelling feeds both mind and spirit — on the plate and on the page.

Tune in to hear how Danielle and Gabrielle are creating a home for Black food stories, nurturing a community, and reimagining what a Black-owned bookstore can be today.

Follow BEM on Instagram @BEMbrooklyn

Follow us on Instagram @dishinupdiasporapodcast @chefemme_

In this episode of Dishin' Up Diaspora, I’m joined by Chef Gino Garcia for a deeply personal conversation about identity, immigration, and the stories food can tell. As a first-generation American, Gino grew up torn between two worlds—navigating the tension between assimilation into American culture and preserving his family's rich Mexican heritage.

We dive into his parents’ immigration story, the sacrifices they made, and the complex choices many immigrant families face when trying to build a new life without losing their roots. Gino shares how food became a powerful bridge back to his ancestry, and how reclaiming traditional flavors and recipes helped him reconnect with his culture on his own terms.

Before his journey into the culinary world, Gino worked in social services, serving marginalized communities. He reflects on how that experience shaped his worldview and his approach to food, community, and storytelling. Today, Gino describes his work as culinary anthropology—using food as a lens to explore, preserve, and celebrate cultural identity.

We also talk about his exciting project writing The Official Disney’s Coco Cookbook, a celebration of the traditions, memories, and spirit of family that inspired the beloved film. Through it all, Gino's story reminds us that food is more than sustenance—it’s history, resistance, and love passed from one generation to the next.

In this episode, we explore:

• Growing up first-generation in America
• The battle between assimilation and cultural preservation
• Finding identity and healing through food
• His early work in social services and community advocacy
• His philosophy of culinary anthropology
• Writing The Official Disney’s Coco Cookbook and connecting food to memory
• Honoring his family's legacy while forging his own path

If you love stories about food, identity, immigration, and creative journeys, this conversation will stay with you long after you listen. Make sure you are subscribed and share with your family and freinds!

Follow Gino Garcia @mextizopnw

Follow @dishinupdiasporapodcast and @chefemme_

Tapioca is trending. From boba tea shops to gluten-free recipes, it’s everywhere. But where did it really come from? In this solo episode, Chef Emme peels back the layers of a misunderstood ingredient and traces its true roots—not to Asia as many assume, but to the Indigenous Tupi people of Brazil. Before it was chewy pearls in your drink or a side dish on your plate, tapioca was sacred knowledge passed down by Brazil’s first peoples, who learned how to extract this starch from the cassava root—a root that holds deep cultural, culinary, and historical significance.

This episode isn’t just about food—it’s about truth, memory, and the stories ingredients carry. You’ll learn what tapioca actually is (spoiler: it’s not just “those balls in bubble tea”), how it became a global ingredient, and why knowing the origin of what we eat matters more than ever. From the rainforests of Brazil to West African kitchens to Southeast Asian desserts, tapioca reveals an unexpected connection between cultures across continents. In a world that often focuses on what separates us, tapioca reminds us of what binds us.

In a time when food is constantly rebranded, repackaged, and removed from its roots, this episode challenges listeners to dig deeper and ask: Whose knowledge are we consuming? Whose hands brought this to life? And why has that story been erased or forgotten?

Whether you’re a chef, a food lover, a history nerd, or just someone who’s ever had a bubble tea and wondered where those little pearls came from—this episode is for you.

✨ What you’ll hear in this episode:
– The Indigenous Brazilian origin of tapioca and its ties to the Tupi people
– The difference between cassava and tapioca (and why it matters)
– How colonization spread cassava and tapioca across the globe
– Why boba isn’t the beginning—or the full story—of tapioca
– How one humble starch connects Brazil, West Africa, Southeast Asia, and beyond
– The importance of honoring food origins and reclaiming culinary histories

This is the debut solo episode of Dishin’ Up Diaspora, a podcast hosted by Chef Emme—Brazilian-born, Seattle-based chef and storyteller. Through food, she explores the hidden histories, migration stories, and cultural connections that shape the way we eat today. Every episode is a journey across borders, traditions, and time, centering diasporic voices and honoring ancestral knowledge.

🔊 Listen, learn, and share this episode with someone who loves food, history, or just a good story.

🌍 Because when we know where our food comes from—we start to understand where we come from.

Follow us on Instagram:
@chefemme_
@dishinupdiasporapodcast

What does soul food look like when it’s born in Seattle? And how do you build a food empire rooted in love, community, and unapologetic creativity?

In this episode of Dishin’ Up Diaspora, I sit down with the visionary Chef Kristi Brown, the force behind Seattle’s award-winning restaurant Communion and the founder of the food empire That Brown Girl Cooks!

Chef Kristi shares her inspiring journey—from starting out in catering to becoming one of the most celebrated chefs in the Pacific Northwest. We talk about the flavors and influences that shaped her unique approach to what she calls Seattle Soul, a style of cooking that blends the traditions of Black American soul food with the diverse, multicultural ingredients of the Pacific Northwest.

We also dig into the conversations around expectations and identity in food. Kristi opens up about how she deals with criticism—especially from people who come into her restaurant expecting a certain definition of soul food and are surprised to find something deeper, more nuanced, and unmistakably hers.

She talks about building a legacy, working side-by-side with her son, who is now helping take the business to new heights—and why that’s one of the most meaningful parts of her journey. And we talk about something many creatives and entrepreneurs overlook: self-care. Kristi reminds us that “the body keeps the score,” and that taking care of ourselves is vital when pouring so much into our work and our communities.

This conversation is powerful, honest, and filled with heart. Whether you’re a chef, a parent, an entrepreneur, or someone navigating your identity through food, Chef Kristi Brown’s story will resonate deeply.

🎧 Tune in now to hear how she’s redefining soul food, raising up the next generation, and protecting her peace while running one of the most talked-about restaurants in the country.

🔥 Listen to this episode of Dishin’ Up Diaspora now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts—or watch the interview on YouTube.

📲 Follow along on Instagram:
@dishinupdiasporapodcast | @chefemme_ | @thatbrowngirlcooks

💬 Tag us with your thoughts or favorite moments—we’d love to hear how this episode moves you.

What does it mean to manifest the life you want? For Chef Jaine Mackievicz, it meant dreaming beyond the Amazon rainforest, falling in love with French cuisine from afar, and teaching herself English by reading cookbooks. Today, she’s a rising star in the culinary world, known for her infectious joy, fearless ambition, and deep passion for storytelling through food.

In this episode of Dishin’ Up Diaspora, Jaine shares her extraordinary journey—how her family ended up deep in the heart of the Amazon, how she discovered her love for French cuisine (thanks to none other than Julia Child), and how she went from moving to the U.S. with no plan and no English to competing on The Julia Child Challenge on Food Network.

We also dive into a thought-provoking conversation about authenticity in food—what it really means, why Jaine rejects the term, and how food is a constantly evolving expression of culture, migration, and identity.

This is a dynamic, heartfelt, and joyful conversation about resilience, passion, and the power of food to transform lives. Jaine’s energy is truly infectious, and her story is a testament to what’s possible when you dream big and go all in.

📲 Follow us on Instagram:
@dishinupdiasporapodcast | @chefemme_ | @mackievicz

💬 Loved this episode? Screenshot & tag us—we’d love to hear your thoughts!

The restaurant industry is brutal, but what happens when the system feels like it’s set up against you? On this episode of Dishin’ Up Diaspora, we sit down with Sara Upshaw, owner of Ohsun Banchan & Bar, to talk about her unconventional journey into the food world and what it really takes to survive as a small restaurant owner. From navigating impossible regulations to carving out a space for the gluten-free community—despite not being gluten-free herself—Sara is challenging the industry in ways that few dare to.

🔥 In this episode, we cover:
✔️ The broken system that makes small restaurant ownership nearly impossible—and how Sara is fighting back
✔️ How mentorship saved her from burnout and gave her the tools to keep going
✔️ Why she refuses to wait for others to take action and is reviving Pride festivities in Pioneer Square herself
✔️ The emotional toll of caring deeply in an industry that can feel heartless
✔️ How she built a restaurant that serves the gluten-free community without being gluten-free herself
✔️ The harsh realities of rising costs, city policies, and the fight to stay afloat

If you’ve ever dreamed of opening a restaurant, struggled with feeling unsupported as a small business owner, or just love a story of resilience, this episode is for you.

✨ About Sara Upshaw & Ohsun Banchan & Bar
Sara Upshaw didn’t take the traditional path to restaurant ownership. With no formal culinary school background, she built Ohsun Banchan & Bar as a space that celebrates Korean banchan culture while making a point to be accessible for gluten-free diners. But behind the scenes, she’s been battling the unfair hurdles of small business ownership, advocating for community, and proving that care and intention can drive real change.

🔗 Connect with Us:
📍 Follow Dishin’ Up Diaspora on Instagram @dishinupdiasporapodcast
📍 Follow Chef Emme on Instagram @chefemme_
📍 Stay connected with Sara Upshaw & Ohsun Banchan & Bar on Instagram @ohsunbanchan

🎧 Hit play and get ready for a raw, eye-opening conversation. And if you love it, share this episode and tag us—we’d love to hear your thoughts!