103 "What If We Weren't All Chicken?" With Haitian-American Kathiana LeJeune

Welcome today to Kathiana LeJeune. Kathiana, a Haitian-American who currently works for National Geographic, has recently written a book titled The Power of the Palate all about cultural diplomacy through food. In this episode, Kathiana shares how her mother, grandparents, and uncles naturally engaged in cultural diplomacy all the time, changing the lives of everyone around them - and how our local schools have an opportunity to do just this every day at lunchtime. Kathiana also shares the Haitian way to cook a turkey (you may want to try this involved method for Thanksgiving!) and Soup Joumou. Kathiane shares the powerful reason that this soup is a celebration of liberation and why every Haitian eats it on Haitian Independence Day - also New Year’s Day.

Highlights

The sacrifices of Haitian-American Kathiana’s mother and grandparents
Why Kathiana’s mom always had food for new employees
The Haitian way of cooking a turkey
Haitian Jomou soup, Haitian Independence Day and the New Year
“I feel like us first generation Americans only become proud of who we are after being knocked down
What Kathiana’s mother said when Kathiana was embarrassed by the food she brought to lunch
School lunches as our first experience of food, community, and cultural diplomacy