I came across Ashley’s work at Bright Root’s Kitchen a long time ago and I particularly enjoyed a Live interview she did with her mother, Precious. So when I was looking for mother’s to interview, along with their children, Ashley was the first I thought of.
I wanted to hear more about their memories of Jamaica, Brooklyn, Queens, and there was one thing in particular that I, personally, wondered as a mother raising 4 boys who are already now searching, seeking for their own identities, apart from mine, and making their own paths, away from our family.
I wondered: is that process more painful when a 1st generation immigrant watches their child adapt and adopt a new country?
When I listened to these two discuss their memories of a chicken soup made by at least 5 generations of women, the Jamaican heritage, and the global village that gave them what they needed to thrive, I remembered that the love of a parent and child can stay strong (and even be strengthened by) the teenage years, differences in personalities, and even arriving at new, separate identities.
I’m so grateful to Ashley and Precious for this joyful, thought-provoking, uplifting, and illuminating conversation. I’m honored to welcome them to the podcast today. Enjoy.
Highlights
- The story and meaning of the name “Precious”
- Sights and sounds of Kingston, Jamaica
- Sights and sounds of NYC
- Memories of 5 generations in a Brownstone house
- Cooking for 11 people at 14 years old
- “America is not an easy place”
- The grandmother who provided for the huge extended family
- Is pumpkin grown in Jamaica?
- Navigating a mother-daughter relationship, adolescence, and changing identities as first and second generation Jamaican Americans
- Pregnancy loss and motherhood
Listen to Ashley and Precious Now
Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player
Would love to hear from you!