89 min listen
Episode 149: Helene Henderson (Malibu Farm), Emma Bengtsson (Aquavit)
Episode 149: Helene Henderson (Malibu Farm), Emma Bengtsson (Aquavit)
ratings:
Length:
90 minutes
Released:
Jan 20, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
It's Inauguration Day in the United States, and we open this week's episode with a moving conversation with Aquavit chef and Swedish native Emma Bengtsson, who became a US citizen on January 6, 2021, the day of the horrific insurrection at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Emma shares the mix of emotions she felt on that day, and where her subsequent soul-searching led her.And our feature interview this week is with Helene Henderson, another Swedish woman (we swear this is a coincidence), who founded the successful restaurant collection Malibu Farm, with outposts in California, Florida, and New York. Helene takes us through her early life in Sweden, the odd jobs she worked in New York and California, her catering and private chef career, and the evolution of Malibu Farm from a quirky pop-up to a bi-coastal enterprise. Listen to our earlier, feature interview with Emma Bengtsson.Support Aquavit restaurant!Support Malibu Farm in California, New York, and Florida!Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.
Released:
Jan 20, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Episode 9: Victoria Blamey: Victoria Blamey is a good sport. The chef of Chumley’s, the reinvigorated former speakeasy in New York City’s West Village, agreed to meet Andrew for a shift drink and interview after dinner service at the restaurant. The two got to it around midnight and talked up a storm over cocktails, while Victoria’s crew gradually wrapped up their evening all around them. The two discussed the restaurant’s already-famous burger and why Victoria won’t customize it (a philosophical disagreement she and Andrew had been arguing for months off-radio); what it was like to be a young, female chef from Chile coming up in Michelin-starred kitchens in the UK and Australia; and her stints working for chefs like Paul Liebrandt (Corton), Matt Lightner (Atera), and Justin Smillie (Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria and Upland). Victoria also shares the origins and inspirations for her distinct visual style and her thoughts about cooking as an expression of self. A personal conversation be by Andrew Talks to Chefs