Kamau sits down with chef-turned-host Kristen Kish to talk about her stepping up as host of Top Chef after the departure of Padma Lakshmi, being kind, outrage over Netflix's Roast of Kevin Hart, and being a transracial adoptee.

Kamau starts by giving Kristen her flowers for being a true natural on camera and the shoes she had to fill as a relative newcomer to television.

They talk about the surprisingly big cultural gap between Generation X and Elder Millennials.

Kamau recounts his time as a guest judge on Top Chef during a particularly sauce-heavy episode.

The conversation turns to comedy vs. cooking, leading to a discussion of the broader cultural impact of the racist jokes at the Roast of Kevin Hart.

Finally, Kristen discusses her experience of having white adoptive parents who supported her cultural background and made her feel seen and accepted.

Donate to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation at emeril.org and City Harvest at cityharvest.org

Chapters:

00:00:00 Kristen Gets Coffee and Her Flowers

00:10:14 The Generational Divide

00:18:00 Why are you so Good on TV?

00:27:07 Kamau on Top Chef

00:36:00 Cooking Is Science, Comedy Is Math, The Kevin Hart Roast

00:55:30 Comedians Doing Damage to Society

01:00:48 Shouting Out Causes

01:03:47 Being a Transracial Adoptee

Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Part of the Pushkin Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where have you been, what did you find, and who did it make you? On the new podcast Traveling Through, host David Prior, travel writer and founder of immersive travel company PRIOR, invites culture makers like Jenna Lyons, David Remnick, Deborah Needleman, and Athena Calderone to unpack the places, objects, and experiences that have changed their perspective, influenced their work, or marked a turning point in their lives. Because the best stories aren't about the destination; they're about curiosity.

Self-taught designer, cook, and creative force Athena Calderone — dubbed "the modern girl's Martha Stewart” by T magazine — joins David to trace the restless curiosity that took her from Long Island to New York's nightlife scene, and on to Ibiza, Morocco, and Rome, always finding beauty and inspiration just beyond the obvious.

Find Traveling Through on YouTube, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get podcasts. New episodes release every other Thursday.

Check out our Apple Maps Guides on Marrakech's Most Magical Riads here and Vienna’s Best Coffeehouses.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1968, in the dense jungles of Vietnam, a team of Green Berets was pinned down by an overwhelming North Vietnamese Army force. Their last hope was a young Air Force pilot named James Fleming. Despite being low on fuel and facing a wall of enemy fire, Fleming refused to turn back. The rescue mission seemed destined to fail, but a split-second decision would earn Fleming the nation’s highest military honor.

Binge the full season of Medal of Honor, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscriptions. Sign up on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at Pushkin.fm/plus and use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription.

Connect with the team!

• • Follow Pushkin on social @pushkinpods
  • Follow JR Martinez @iamjrmartinez
  • Email the team: medalofhonor@pushkin.fm

Episode resources:

“SOG Combat in Cambodia: Under the Gun at Tango Five-One” by Randy Harrison, Soldier of Fortune Magazine, August 1982

Green Hornets: The History of the U.S. Air Force 20th Special Operations Squadron by Wayne Mutza (Schiffer Military History, 2007)

Secret Green Beret Commandos In Cambodia: A Memorial History of MACVSOG's Command and Control Detachment South (CCS) And Its Air Partners, Republic of Vietnam, 1967-1972 by Fred S. Lindsey (AuthorHouse, 2012)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.