![]() That's how you instill something worthwhile for your kids. MICHELLE OBAMA: That was the power of my parents' love - that consistency, the quality of the interactions. (SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "YOUR MAMA'S KITCHEN") But what was interesting in listening to her talk about that - particularly at the end of the podcast where you can hear her getting a little emotional. And so their kitchen was basically a converted bedroom. And they raised two kids in a little apartment above their relatives. But her mother stayed at home, and her father worked in Chicago - a municipal employee. That would not be a word that they applied to themselves. NORRIS: And she says that, you know? They didn't consider themselves poor. The episode that you did with former first lady Michelle Obama, who's a friend of yours, and you can hear the warmth between the two of you - you can also hear how much her family's economic status - they did not have a lot of money, and you hear that all through her memories of her mama's kitchen. But how quickly that question gets to identity, gets to culture. ![]() It's so clear - people are talking about kitchens. OK, so I want to dive into a couple of the episodes. KELLY: That's what you were paying attention to. NORRIS: I guess, you know, that's - we're audio people, so that's what I think about. KELLY: This is so interesting because I was expecting you to tell me some memory about how it looked or how it smelled, and you're telling me, this is what it sounded like. And dance music would come on, and we would dance in the kitchen. But also, my sisters would take control and then go to the end of the dial. Interesting - she was one of the early adopter for public radio up there in Minnesota Public Radio. It had a TV, had a little radio in there. And our kitchen was also the hub of life. And so in addition to the staples that we had - you know, the red beans and rice and the mashed potatoes - she also was doing things that were not expected. NORRIS: So when Julia Child's big fat cookbook landed in America - and this is a book that comes up again and again in many of the conversations that we've had - she got the book and, in our little Minnesota kitchen, was experimenting with French food. My mom used cookbooks to explore worlds that otherwise weren't available to her. It was delicious because Betty Norris is a great cook. NORRIS: My mama's kitchen was organized because Betty Norris is organized. And before we get into a couple of the episodes that you've already dropped, I'll turn the question on you - tell me about your mom's kitchen. KELLY: Well, I'm going to take a cue from you. NORRIS: It's really great to be back here at NPR. KELLY: Welcome back to the ALL THINGS CONSIDERED studios. ![]() Well, now journalist, writer and former host of this program, Michele Norris, is exploring the significance of the family kitchen in her new podcast, "Your Mama's Kitchen." Norris talks with former first lady Michelle Obama, with CBS Mornings host Gayle King, Matthew Broderick, many others, about their mother's kitchens - what they remember, what they learned there, what it means to them. And no matter how big your house is, everyone ends up in the same place - the kitchen. You're having a party, maybe a family gathering, maybe a couple of friends for dinner.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |