transcript
show notes
Chef Mawa McQueen was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the oldest of 21 children. She was raised in Paris, trained at culinary school there, and now runs six restaurants in Aspen, Colorado, including Mawa's Kitchen, Mawita, and Crepe Therapy Café. Her strongest food memory, though, is something she wouldn't share with anyone: the once-a-year school lunch of canned sardines stuffed into a fresh baguette.
In this episode, Chef Claudia Sandoval finally gets her friend Mawa across the table. They trace her food memories back to the markets of Abidjan, where papaya, goat, and fermented fish wake up every one of your senses. They also dig into the plantains, yucca, corn, and hibiscus that connect West African and Mexican kitchens across an ocean. Mawa shares the first look at Abidjan Epicure, the first West African food and wine festival, and why she wants the world to see Africa as more than The Lion King. She also tells the story of the day Thomas Keller taught her golf with cigars and music, twenty years after she stood outside The French Laundry unable to afford a meal.
At its heart, this is a conversation about kindness. It covers razor-thin restaurant margins, the Yelpers who close small businesses, and the mentors at the very top who turn out to be the most humble people in the room.
Abidjan Epicure takes place October 14–17, 2027.
New episodes every Wednesday. You can find Mawa McQueen on Instagram @mawamcqueen
Follow along on Instagram @bitefullypod and @chefclaudiasandoval
Host & Executive Producer: Claudia Sandoval | Producer: Shei Yu I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Mike Fennessy
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