Latest news with #TinfoilSwans
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alone in a New Country at 7, Hawa Hassan Turned Loss Into a Life Full of Purpose and Flavor
Welcome to Season 3, Episode 6 of Tinfoil Swans, a podcast from Food & Wine. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Listen and follow on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you Hawa Hassan was 5 years old, she was living in a refugee camp in Kenya. By seven, she was resettled in Seattle with a few other refugees from Somalia, waiting for her family to join her. Then the political climate changed, and she came to realize that they were never coming; she was on her own. The thing to know about Hassan is that she will always find the light in any situation and use it to guide the way forward for others. The author, host, entrepreneur, and chef joined Tinfoil Swans to talk about her stunning new cookbook, Setting a Place for Us, celebrating the lives of refugees; surviving as a kid far away from the world and family she'd known; how Doritos shaped her life; and the scent that transports her to her mother's kitchen. Related: 50 Years After the Fall of Saigon, a Daughter Finds Her Inheritance in the Kitchen Hawa Hassan is a James Beard Award-winning chef, TV host, entrepreneur, and author. She was born in Somalia and by the age of five, had relocated to a refugee camp in Kenya before being resettled in Seattle at the age of seven, without her immediate family. Her mission of cultural reconnection led her to create Basbaas, the first Somali line of condiments widely available in the United States, and to write the cookbook In Bibi's Kitchen, celebrating the recipes and stories of grandmothers from eight African nations. Her newest cookbook, Setting a Place for Us, continues this work, weaving her own personal narrative with the stories of displaced people from around the world, and sharing their recipes. She is the host of the shows Hawa at Home, Hawa in the Kitchen, and Spice of Life. Kat Kinsman is the executive features editor at Food & Wine, author of Hi, Anxiety: Life With a Bad Case of Nerves, host of Food & Wine's Gold Signal Award-winning podcast Tinfoil Swans, and founder of Chefs With Issues. Previously, she was the senior food & drinks editor at Extra Crispy, editor-in-chief and editor at large at Tasting Table, and the founding editor of CNN Eatocracy. She won a 2024 IACP Award for Narrative Food Writing With Recipes and a 2020 IACP Award for Personal Essay/Memoir, and has had work included in the 2020 and 2016 editions of The Best American Food Writing. She was nominated for a James Beard Broadcast Award in 2013, won a 2011 EPPY Award for Best Food Website with 1 million unique monthly visitors, and was a finalist in 2012 and 2013. She is a sought-after international keynote speaker and moderator on food culture and mental health in the hospitality industry, and is the former vice chair of the James Beard Journalism Committee. Related: How One Cambodian Refugee Started Southern California's Doughnut Empire "By five, my family was in one of the biggest and oldest refugee camps in the world. It's called Dadaab, and it's in a beach town in Mombasa. My parents were on the brink of a divorce and the night that we were leaving, the country was on the brink of a collapse. My mother had been with my father since she was 16, and she was ready to start life over so she took us to the camp and signed us up for resettlement. We had just a few suitcases of our clothes and things that my mother had deemed important. We had our own shelter and my mother immediately started to set up a goods store. She had some money from my father and used that money to buy dry goods. She really had an understanding of business and people and feelings, and she was adamant that people were not broke — they were just displaced." "Just as I have all of my life, I thought that the camp was another adventure. My mother did the same thing that she had in Mogadishu, where people would come to our house and drink tea and eat together. People were trying to figure out where to go next, how to get their kids back in school, how long we'd be there, should they move into the city of Nairobi or go abroad where their siblings were? There were ambassadors who were split from their families. The wife and the children might have been at the camp and the ambassador was in Egypt. There were a lot of conversations and a lot of tea and food being consumed at night. It was like one long sleepover." "My mother sent me to Seattle in 1993 because in the 'family' that was being sponsored, there was a space for a little girl. Originally, it was supposed to be someone else's daughter, but about a month before the interviewing process started with the United Nations Refugee Agency, the other girl's mother decided that she wasn't going to be coming. My mom said, 'My eldest daughter will go.' Her thought process at the time was, 'I'll be down one kid, I'll have four, and I'll get sponsorship for five of us.' When I got to Seattle, I was like, "Oh, any day now my family's coming, my family's coming, my family's coming, my family's coming.' Black Hawk Down happened. Sponsorship was stopped for the Somalis under the Clinton administration. My mother remarried a few years later. She sent her husband to Norway as a student, and he did family reunification for her. I was on the plane with nine other Somali people who were also being resettled with me. We were a 'family' and the father in the family dynamic was my grandfather's cousin. He came to be my father in America." "There was a lady who was living with us — like the mom of the family — who made all the same foods that we made at home. My job was really to clean up or cut vegetables or be her sidekick. After two years passed, she got married and moved away. It was me, the man who I'd come here with, and one other person in the house. That's when I was like, 'Oh, no one is coming. I'm going to eat pizza. I'm going to eat hot dogs. I'm going to get into Doritos.' That's what I did for a very long time. When I got to middle school, I rebelled a ton, and I started to assimilate. I started to play basketball. I took off my hijab. I had all sorts of after-school programming and before-school programming so that I wouldn't be at home. I was like, 'I have to make a life.' The man would give me an allowance every week, and then it was up to me how to use that allowance to buy myself food. Mr. Henry and his wife had a gas station on the corner of our block. I would walk there before school and after school, and I would get the same food every day — a hot dog link, a bag of Doritos for 25 cents, and a can of soda. I would eat that maybe twice a day, and then I would have lunch at school. I did that all through middle school." Related: How Celebrating Two Christmases Led This Refugee Family to Embrace New Life in America While Continuing Their Armenian Traditions "The smell of xawaash — a Somali spice that consists of cardamom, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and coriander toasted all together automatically makes a home smell a particular way. That was transformative, because it is exactly the same smell from all these years ago. Even in our home now, there are times where I'll wake up in the morning and I'll ask my husband, 'Do you smell that? It smells like my mom's house.' The smell of xawaash can literally center me right into my mom's home. Also, the smell of pasta sauce. There's a Somali suugo that we make with warm spices that can instantly make me feel like I'm in my mom's kitchen." "For a long time, people wanted me to do a memoir. I was like, 'No, I have to do this book about displacement first, because it's the next part of my story.' I am an African kid, but then in the world, I'm a displaced person. I'm an ex-refugee, and I want to tell that story from our perspective. I don't have any sad stories to tell. I wanted the book to be a celebration, a joy, a coming together to ask the tough questions. But also I wanted it to say, 'You decide how that conflict came to be. Use this as a gateway into doing more research — but here's some beautiful recipes. Here's some kind, smiley faces. Here are the people that you're hearing these stories about, in their own words.'" Related: Previous Episode: Romy Gill and the Slow Burn Book Food & Wine has led the conversation around food, drinks, and hospitality in America and around the world since 1978. Tinfoil Swans continues that legacy with a new series of intimate, informative, surprising, and uplifting interviews with the biggest names in the culinary industry and beyond, sharing never-before-heard stories about the successes, struggles, and fork-in-the-road moments that made these personalities who they are today. This season, you'll hear from icons and innovators like Roy Choi, Byron Gomez, Vikas Khanna, Romy Gill, Matthew Lillard, Ana and Lydia Castro, Laurie Woolever, Karen Akunowitz, Hawa Hassan, Dr. Arielle Johnson, Dr. Jessica B. Harris, Samin Nosrat, Curtis Stone, Kristen Kish, Padma Lakshmi, Ayesha Curry, Antoni Porowski, Run the Jewels, and other special guests going deep with host Kat Kinsman on their formative experiences; the dishes and meals that made them; their joys, doubts and dreams; and what's on the menu in the future. Tune in for a feast that'll feed your brain and soul — and plenty of wisdom and quotable morsels to savor. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Listen and follow on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. These interview excerpts have been edited for clarity. Download the Transcript Editor's Note: The transcript for download does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors. Read the original article on Food & Wine
Malaysian Reserve
05-05-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
5WPR Wins Gold Stevie Award for PR Campaign of the Year (New Product Launch) with BERO
NEW YORK, May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — 5WPR, one of the largest independently-owned PR and integrated communications firms in the U.S., is proud to announce that its work for BERO has won the prestigious Gold Stevie Award for PR Campaign of the Year in the New Product or Service Launch category at the 2025 American Business Awards. Launched in October 2024, the BERO PR campaign was designed to introduce Tom Holland's celebrity-founded brand into the rapidly growing non-alcoholic beverage category with authenticity, credibility, and impact. The campaign's strategy for market introduction combined top-tier media placements, thought leadership, influencer engagement and amplification of strategic partnerships, all to build momentum from day one and position BERO as long-term industry innovator. To ensure a meaningful debut, 5WPR worked under embargo leading up to launch, securing exclusive coverage in Forbes and Fast Company on day one. Post-launch, the campaign sustained strong media interest, earning additional coverage in Fox Business, CNN, and other key outlets. These efforts were made stronger through partnership with Tom Holland's personal team at Shelter PR, who complemented the product and brand narrative with a series of 1×1 broadcast interviews including Rich Roll, Food and Wine's Tinfoil Swans, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and more. Within the first month alone, the campaign generated over 2.5 billion media impressions, establishing BERO as not only a celebrity-owned brand, but a serious player in the beverage space with a premium product and thoughtful mission. 'We are beyond thrilled to receive the prestigious Gold Stevie Award for our efforts on the BERO campaign,' said Leigh Ann Ambrosi, Managing Partner & EVP, CPG & Lifestyle at 5WPR. 'This win reflects the strategic thinking, creativity, and relentless dedication our team brought to making BERO a standout success. We are proud to have helped establish such a forward-thinking brand as a leader in the non-alcoholic beverage space, and this recognition reflects our commitment to delivering outstanding results for wonderful clients.' The American Business Awards® (The Stevie Awards) are recognized as one of the most coveted global honors for business achievements, celebrating excellence in marketing, communications, and public relations across various sectors. All 2025 Public Relations Award winners can be viewed here. This recognition further solidifies 5WPR's expertise in launching new brands with cultural relevance, long-term resonance, and measurable impact. About 5WPR 5WPR is a full-service PR agency known for cutting-edge programs that engage with businesses, issues, and ideas. Founded in 2003, 5W has been named a top US and NYC PR Agency by leading industry publication O'Dwyer's, as well as awarded Agency of the Year in the 2024 American Business Awards®, and continuously brings leading businesses a resourceful, bold, and results-driven approach to communication. The agency has more than 250 professionals serving clients in B2C (Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, Nonprofit), B2B (Corporate Communications and Reputation Management), Public Affairs, Crisis Communications and Digital Marketing (Social Media, Influencer, Paid Media, SEO). In addition to its business accolades, 5W was named to the 2024 Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year list. For more information and to join our team visit 5W Careers. Media Contact Chris Bergincbergin@
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gas Station Tacos, Midnight Tortas, and More Slam-Dunk, Feel-Good Recipes From Roy Choi
When Roy Choi was named as a 2010 F&W Best New Chef, he was as shocked as anyone. He'd come up through the ranks working at hotel restaurants and owned a food truck and said on an upcoming episode of the Tinfoil Swans podcast that he found himself at a party he'd never imagined being invited to. No one else was shocked, though. From his groundbreaking Kogi truck and community-oriented fast-food chain LocoL to his smash-hit Las Vegas restaurant Best Friend and brand new health-oriented cookbook The Choi of Cooking, Roy Choi has never been afraid to bust through boundaries and preconceived notions, honor his Korean heritage, and lift up the Los Angeles street food that made him the icon he is today. Here are his recipes for oxtail ramen, gas station tacos, a condiment you'll slather on everything, and a hot dog that's one of the best recipes Food & Wine has ever published. If you loved the movie Chef, you already know this luscious, garlicky pasta. Director Jon Favreau specifically asked Choi for the recipe to re-create when his chef character, Cal, makes a batch to woo the restaurant's hostess. It's nothing fancy — just garlic, lemon, red pepper flakes, parsley, oil, and Parmesan — but it's simply perfect. Get the Recipe "People think frying chicken cutlets is simple, but it's like cooking pasta," says Choi. "It's a dish that seems remedial, but when you get it right, it changes the whole ball game. I call it the cult of katsu." What's key, he says, is working cleanly in each step so you can maximize the distinctive panko crunch. Get the Recipe Leftover rice gets new life with a pop of chopped kimchi, and a stellar sauce of dried shrimp, gochugaru, jalapeño, and aromatics. The kimchi gets sweeter when it's heated while still bringing the funk and crunch. Get the Recipe A meld of herbs, spices, orange juice, garlic, and olive oil make a mighty overnight marinade for pork shoulder that's sumptuous on its own, or a killer filler for the greatest Cubano you'll ever make. Get the Recipe Speaking of Cubanos, that mojo pork is magic when it's pressed against boiled ham, Swiss, and dill pickles on a baguette slathered with butter and plenty of mustard. Pork roast from the store is fine, too, but c'mon — you deserve the extra oomph. Get the Recipe Roy Choi had Los Angeles' late-night scene in mind when he schemed this jalapeño-spiked sandwich. In true Choi fashion, it's a brilliant mash-up of cuisines, with skillet-crisped pork belly, lime-kissed fried eggs, wilted spinach, cotija, tomatoes, and plenty of fuel to keep the party going on through dawn. Get the Recipe If you're more in a meat-free mode, this A-plus sandwich is stacked with avocados, alfalfa sprouts, and arugula, along with cucumbers, onions, herbs, tomatoes, and cheese, and dressed in an orange juice and ginger-kicked vinaigrette that you'll want to pour on everything. Get the Recipe Spend time behind the wheel of a food truck, and you're bound to become intimately acquainted with gas stations. Roy Choi has a particular appreciation for their cuisine, and honors them with these clever tacos layered with American cheese, canned bean and jalapeño cheese dips, beef jerky, pork rinds, and apple matchsticks. No pan? No problem. These come together quickly in the microwave, served with whatever hot sauce is on hand. Get the Recipe Roy Choi considers himself a lifelong connoisseur of Korean barbecue and says, "Growing up, I was the ultimate Korean barbecue champion. If you took me to an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurant, forget about it." His short ribs rest in the fridge overnight in a marinade of onion, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, orange juice, mirin, sesame oil, sugar and sesame seeds before a quick sear on a grill on in a pan. Get the Recipe In 2018, Food & Wine named Roy Choi's signature hot dogs from his Kogi truck as one of our 40 best recipes of all time. These dogs are piled high with cabbage, kimchi, cheddar cheese, and a squirt of Sriracha, and they're the stuff of legend in Los Angeles and soon to be in your house. Get the Recipe It seems as if every restaurant has a signature burger these days, but Choi's are a standout, due to a toasted sesame seed mayonnaise and the distinctive flavor of perilla leaves. Life is short; don't shortchange yourself on the second patty. Get the Recipe If you haven't yet succumbed to the siren song of Spam, now's the perfect time. 'This is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich of Hawaii,' says Choi. 'If you've been swimming, if you've been hanging on the beach, it's the perfect snack. Something about it just hits the spot. And the best place to find it is at a 7-Eleven.' Get the Recipe Tender oxtails co-star in this rich ramen recipe and pull double-duty as broth and protein alongside daikon braised in sake and ginger. For a little extra crunch, you can't beat golden-fried slivers of garlic sprinkled on top. Get the Recipe The titular $24 pasta is a wink and a nod to a specialty at Scott Conant's Scarpetta restaurant, and Choi crafts his with tomato sauce amped up by a quick mushroom broth and slow-cooked garlic. Get the Recipe Choi credits the inspiration for this light, tangy chowder to his days working at the Los Angeles country club where he was tasked with making a heftier version on Friday nights. He swaps in coconut milk and lime along with green curry paste for an extra zing of flavor. Get the Recipe Side Street is the Honolulu dive bar where Choi fell in love with fried, glazed, tangy ribs. In his homage, he deploys hoisin, black bean sauce, oyster sauce and sriracha along with orange juice (you may have noticed a theme by now) for layers upon layers of sticky, meaty bliss. Sticky Glazed Baby Back Ribs In his days at the community-centric LocoL burger chain, Roy Choi and fellow F&W Best New Chef Daniel Patterson crafted a tomato-based spicy sauce with Korean chile paste that's a pow of a pairing with everything from fries and onion rings to burgers and chicken. Get the Recipe Read the original article on Food & Wine
