Rahanna Bisseret Martinez Transcript
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Hi, everyone. You're listening to The Future Of Food Is You, a production of The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network. I'm your host, Abena Anim-Somuah. And each week I talk to emerging talents in the food world and they share what they're up to as well as their dreams and predictions for what's ahead. As for me, I'm the founder of The Eden Place, a community that's all about gathering people intentionally around food. I love this new generation of chefs, bakers, and creatives making their way in the world of food, drink, media, and tech. Today's guest is Rahanna Bisseret Martinez. Chef, season one Top Chef Junior finalist and debut author of Flavor+Us, set to launch on May 16th. This is the second book to launch from Bryant Terry's imprint, 4 Color Books. Rahanna and I chat about her start in food media, her stints working at some of the world's best restaurants like Chez Panisse and Dominique Ansel Bakery, and of course how she weaves her Black, Haitian, and Mexican heritage throughout her book. Be sure to pre-order her book wherever books are sold.
Thank you to Kerrygold and Walmart for supporting today's show. Kerrygold is delicious, all natural butter and cheese made with milk from Irish grass-fed cows raised on small family run Irish dairy farms. Kerrygold's farming families passed their craft and knowledge from generation to generation. This traditional approach is the reason for the rich taste of Kerrygold. You can enjoy delicious sliced or shredded Kerrygold cheddar cheese available in mild or savory flavors at a retailer near you. There's also Kerrygold's classic salted butter perfect for slathering on some sourdough toast, look for it in the gold wrapper. Find your nearest store at kerrygoldusa.com.
Now let's check in with today's guest. Rahanna, thank you so much for joining us on The Future Food Is You podcast.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Thank you for having me. I'm really excited.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Can you tell us about where you grew up and how food showed up in your life?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, definitely. I grew up in the Bay Area in California and I always loved going to the farmer's market with my family. I have four siblings, so it was definitely a big house growing up and my mom would always encourage us to just pick whatever ingredient we wanted and make a recipe from it. And so I think being in the Bay Area with different types of agriculture and food and then also the diversity and food cultures as well was something that really inspired me to get into food. After a while, I auditioned for different cooking competition shows. And that was completely different from, I don't know, I feel like my very granola farmer's market upbringing. But it was definitely fun and it showed me more about food as a profession, for sure.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
What were some of the places that you liked to go to with your family?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, well, I really like the Old Oakland farmer's market. I want to say it's on Wednesday or Friday, but they always had really great... Not only produce, but they had really good tamales as well. It was one of my favorites to get the bean and jalapeno ones. And then also I think there's so many unique stores there; swan's Market has a bunch of local Oakland suppliers and businesses, and that's something that I really appreciate.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
How did you decide that cooking was going to be something professional? I was reading through your book, you mentioned that you got your first stint cooking professionally at the age of 13 years old.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
What was that first job?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
So that was at Chez Panisse.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Oh my gosh.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
I was really excited to go in. I had never really been in a restaurant professionally. I'd gone straight from cooking on competition show to being a very professional setting where everyone is there to be a chef and everything like that, but it was really cool.
Something I really love about Chez Panisse, which is Alice Waters' restaurant, Berkeley, is that everything comes from the farm. And something that I really learned from them was to value the ingredients and showcasing the vegetables and the fruits in that way instead of dressing it up and chopping it up and doing all these crazy things to it, which I love to do on occasion. But I think as a 13 year old, it was really cool to see someone completely love a fava bean for some reason.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, I mean, I feel like Chez Panisse has blessed us with so many incredible people. I know Samin Nosrat was there, David Lebovitz-
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
...they're just such awesome people. What was your particular task in the kitchen while you were there?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, so I did an internship there when I was 13, and then in my senior year of high school I started working there as a prep cook. And that was just a really amazing opportunity. I was there from early in the afternoon to late at night. And it would start with prepping, we would get all the orders of all the produce in and I would just clean vegetables all day. And also one of my biggest jobs, besides family meal, was the butchery.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Oh, wow.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, so we would get whole lambs in and I'd have to break down a lamb.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And this is when you were in high school or when you were 13?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, this is when I was in high school.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Oh, okay.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
That was definitely something that I had to learn very quickly, because when you have two lambs for 90 people and you can't really mess it up and you're alone in the prep kitchen during service, I don't know, you get to learn very quickly about how to problem solve and things like that. So I really enjoyed working there and it just was a really sweet opportunity. And I feel like Chez Panisse really treats people like family, and we always have people coming in to say hi. I know Samin has come in a few times just to check on everyone. And I don't know, it just is a really great culture there, I feel like.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Definitely. Have you had a chance to work with Alice in the kitchen?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
So she does come in and check on us. Sometimes she'll stay for our staff meals.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You mentioned briefly before that you were on television-
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
...and that's kind of your stint before you got into kitchens. Can you tell us about your experience and what show you were on?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, so I started off on Top Chef Junior, which was like a competition show. I was a finalist. I got second place. I lost. No, it was-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
No, you didn't, you still won in some way. Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
But it was a really fun experience because I was 13 and I just liked to cook. It was nothing I ever thought about doing professionally at all. And just being around so much food and creating so many recipes in the span of a few months was just a really amazing opportunity. And so I think that really changed my mindset after, which is strange to say. I was 13, I felt like I found what I really liked to do. But I do appreciate that opportunity for that reason. And then after that I went on to do different internships in restaurants, like at Chez Panisse. And from there I did different cooking competitions, like Guy's Grocery Games.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
That's a great one, yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
And that one was really fun. It was a big difference from a 14 episode series to like a one day, I don't know, super fast-paced short challenge. And so that was just a really fun experience.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
What is the audition process to go on those shows? 'Cause I feel like there are thousands of kids or food enthusiasts. Can you walk us through what the audition process looks like and then what happens when you're actually in the studio cooking through all those episodes?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, so the audition process is pretty, I wouldn't say long, but there's a lot of steps to it. It starts with the application and then they'll email you and say, "Hey, come to L.A. and get interviewed and cook a demo on camera." And I remember once we went through rounds of that, we had our bootcamp, which was basically chopping down a whole chicken and then being interviewed while doing it and making a recipe with your family. So they kind of put you in scenarios where it would be like the show, but not actually on TV. So that was very interesting. After the bootcamp scenario where they had all the people come to L.A., they called, I think it was 12 of us down to the hotel lobby where they had us all staying. And we were all standing there like, "What's going on?" And then that's when they told us, they were like, "Oh, you have been casted on Top Chef Junior, and you're going to be here for a few months. And we're going to move you guys to apartments." So it was very-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Wow. And this is during the school year?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
This is during the summer.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Oh, okay.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Thankfully.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Okay.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
But it was just crazy because you go there thinking you're going to be there for a week, and then they're like, "You might want to get more clothes." You know what I mean?
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. And you can't really tell anyone what's going on because-
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
No.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Does your family know or?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
So my mom and dad were there, but I couldn't really tell my friends and my tennis coach, I was a serious tennis player.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Oh, nice.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
So I couldn't really tell other people about what was going on. So everyone just thought I was just like, I don't know, on some long summer vacation, I guess.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And then you come back being like, "I just won second place in a popular show."
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
I guess. Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Why did you think that television was going to be a good route for you to find your passion for cooking?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, so I had always just loved to watch cooking shows growing up. And then I saw that they had kids shows and applications were open to apply. And so I definitely wanted to do something like that. Just for fun, I didn't really know what I was signing up for to be completely honest. I don't know, like that trial area, I really found what I enjoyed. And I'm just really glad that I was able to see something and apply for it.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Let's talk about your cookbook-
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yes.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
...Flavor+Us, which comes out on May 16th. Congratulations.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Thank you.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
That's so exciting. What was the inspiration behind the book?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, so the inspiration behind Flavor+Us was really not only just living in California and my family's culture, but also interning in different restaurants over the past few years. And just all those techniques that I found in there and how they've really transitioned well into my family and my friends' at-home cooking techniques. So many different cultures have such refined techniques that can really be showcased well in certain recipes, that aren't really showcased on a large platform. And I think that is something I wanted to do, and I hope that in doing that I can show other people different cultures and share with the people I love the recipes.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
That's awesome. And you grew up in a multiculture household. So you have Haitian and Mexican heritage. How are those flavor profiles showing up in the book?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, so those are definitely all over the book. I really love Haitian Mexican food, and I think growing up black in California, you get to see the different regional expressions of black food waves. But for example, I have this one recipe for concha scones, and so-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, I saw. Those looked incredible.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Exactly. I really liked it because you get to do the crunch topping from the concha, but you can just put it on a scone. And I think that technique is something that's so... I don't think it gets enough credit because we have the crackling that goes in the cream puffs, and that's a super intricate dish. And then when you think about something like concha, which you get from any bakery, you don't realize the actual artistry that all those people put into it. So I wanted to highlight that type of technique. And I think in doing so, it shares history for sure.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Let's take a quick break and we'll be right back. Today's show is brought to you by Walmart. The world's largest retailer, Walmart is committed to supporting emerging brands. We love that because these folks are the future. In 2022, Walmart sourced more than $13 billion in goods and services from over 2,600 diverse suppliers, including those led by women and those in the LGBTQ+ community. You can find some of our favorite female founded and fueled food and drink brands at Walmart, including Siete, Caulipower, Goodie Girl, Late July, Health-Ade Kombucha, Biena chickpea snacks, and Larabar.
If you're a founder of the next great brand and want to get your product in front of millions of potential customers, you need to know about Walmart's Open Call program. 2023 will be the 10th anniversary of Walmart's Open Call event. It's an exciting and unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet face-to-face with Walmart merchants at the largest sourcing event in the United States. This year's open call will be in Bentonville, Arkansas on October 24th and 25th. Registration starts this July. Future retail stars, stay tuned for more details.
And now back to our guest. I want to talk to you about the book proposal process, because there are thousands and thousands and thousands of cookbooks that come out every year. It must take a lot for a book to stand out. What was the angle that you pitched when you were going through the proposal process to make this book stand out amongst the rest?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, so during the proposal process, I really wanted to do something that was very close to me and very, I feel like, honest to my experience. Because I think as niche of a story you can get, the more relatable it can be to other people. And so I really just wanted to tell an honest story about, oh, live in California, cook in different restaurants, being on food shows. And I think hopefully that gets to relate to other people on different levels, whether that's, "Oh yeah, I also have a big family," or, "oh, I really love fine dining food, but I like to cook for myself as well." And telling something that I was really passionate about, maybe it stood out as a unique story.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Did you work with an editor or an agent as you were pitching the book? What were some of the lessons that you picked up as you were telling people about this book?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
I worked with my agent Danielle, who I'd asked two different people if they had any recommendations and she was on both of those lists, so I just knew it was meant to be. And I think the process of picking a literary agent is really... Someone told me it's like someone you really would want to go to lunch with. And I remember I called Danielle and I told her about all my ideas. I don't know, we just had a conversation that clicked really well. In the process, I pitched to two different people. And I really suggest going through a literary agent. I love self-publishing too, but I don't think I could be a good negotiator at all, yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I mean you're negotiating now. I guess maybe it's easier when an agent is working with you, if anything.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, exactly. So it was really helpful, Danielle's insight, especially since she's done a lot of different cookbooks as well. I think the process went really smoothly. And then as soon as I heard about Bryant Terry's imprint, I knew that was who I really wanted to work with because Bryant has been such an inspiration for me with all the things that he does with the cookbooks and the chef-in-residency at the MoAD in San Francisco.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
MoAD is the Museum of African Diaspora in San Francisco. It's an awesome museum. Definitely check it out. So let's get into the nitty-gritty of your book. I adored it.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Thank you.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I thought it was great. I think you have so many awesome recipes and I feel like as a fellow third culture kid, it's nice that there's a hodgepodge of things. You decide to dedicate your book to past, present, and future black and brown girls.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Why did you decide on that?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah. Well, I wanted to have a dedication that I think would not be timeless, but something that I would always look back on and really appreciate it. And I feel like growing up, for me seeing black and brown girls in media or in food was always super inspiring. I just think that our stories need to be told, and I wanted to dedicate Flavor+Us to the future of past and present black and brown girls because not only the past ones really creating this way for us, the future of them is just going to change it entirely. And I'm so excited to see 30 years from now who is going to be doing something super awesome and what they love and just sharing their own unique experience.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Do you have any current role models that you love? I know you mentioned that you're inspired by so many others.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, I feel like there's so many role models that I have. Recently I've been in school a lot, and I go to more people who in the past who have really inspired me, that there's been people like Tony Morrison. And I feel like there's a timelessness of where her work relates to now so many years later. Just the stories of people like that. Zora Neale Hurston is one of my favorite authors. I don't know, whenever I read her books I always feel like I've experienced something all over again. So I look to them and people like that a lot. I think Adrian Lipscomb is someone who I really appreciate and someone who is just a really big inspiration. She is currently in Texas, I believe. And I met her doing James Beard dinner on black food waves.
And so she's just someone who over the years I've been able to just really talk to and get advice from. And it's nice to have older black women in the food media, people who check in on you and wish you happy birthday and talk about their family. And I love food and everything like that. But I think what is really cool about food is the experience it gives you. Just being able to share those experiences with people, especially Adrian, is really awesome.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Something that's also really unique about your book, it's not just recipes. You also offer suggestions on how people can develop their palate. So you have these five questions that you ask. Why did you think that was important to incorporate that in your first cookbook?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Well, I feel like palates are such a unique thing for everyone. I feel like I could grow up eating one thing my entire life and never try anything else because that's what I love. And I think it's cool to try and explore other different flavors, and it's all about just trying things out. So I wanted to include ways to expand your palate because I feel like the more we're open to trying new things, the more we can really embrace other types of food and cooking and just enjoy cooking and food in that way.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You also talk about your passion for farmer's markets and kind of the rationale behind why you think we should shop at them. Obviously you grew up with farmer's markets, but it's also a huge privilege to be able to shop at a farmer's market.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
They're not really accessible in a lot of places, particularly in urban areas. As you were thinking about writing the book, what are alternatives for people who don't have access to farmer's markets that can still attain fresh produce?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, definitely. Something that I really wanted to put in the book, and I think I put in part of the intro was sustainability is really important, but what's most important is doing what's sustainable for you and your family. Even though everyone would love to buy great produce at a farmer's market, if it's not sustainable for you, we have to support ourselves. And I think at the end of the day, that's the most important. And making sure that humans are good.
And so I would say if you don't have access to a farmer's market, there's a lot of different opportunities, whether that's through community gardens or just finding local produce at certain stores. But I think so much of it is such a trial run with your neighborhood and your area. I know I live currently in Ithaca for school, and we have a farmer's market that's like half an hour away. It's a completely out of any-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, I've been to that farmer's market. Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
It's far out.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
It's far out. It's pretty cold.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
In that way, we have different things like food co-ops and grocery stores where you have easier access to certain food and produce, and that's definitely been helpful living in college and not having a car to drive different places and cook full meals.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You've got so many awesome stints under your belt. You've worked under pressure on a television show. If anyone's watched reality TV, it's definitely an intense environment.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You've also worked at some of the world's best restaurants. From all the techniques that you gathered from these places, how did you incorporate those into the book, and why did you think that was important?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
I kind of looked at certain techniques that I saw in fine dining restaurants, and saw how they related to different recipes from my family and my friends' recipes. I started to notice that the idea of, "Oh, this is upscale soul food," or, "this is fine dining Mexican food," those concepts were, I wouldn't say arbitrary, but I really wanted to emphasize how black food is refined already. And those techniques are already in there and we just have to highlight them.
There are so many different things where certain techniques like, oh, pan frying or doing a low fry is something that I really wanted to emphasize. Because in fine dining technique it's like, oh, if you do a small shallow fry it's a special technique where you're letting all the water remove itself from whatever you're frying and all these things. And it's super complicated and technical, but it's also something that's been historically done in Black culture for years.
And so I definitely wanted to emphasize that these techniques have always been here, and it's just up to people to recognize it and celebrate it. And that's what I really wanted Flavor+Us to do is celebrate techniques that have historically been in certain cultures for such a long time.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Who are the types of people that you want to pick up your book and really meditate on it and cook through all the recipes?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
I really want not only young people, but also anyone; groups of people, whether that's a family, post-college graduate. I think there's certain recipes that are nostalgic for a lot of different people. And so whether it's someone who really loves to cook and wants a homey recipe that's not super intense when it comes to shopping and things like that, but also someone who's just starting out and cooking and wants to experiment with different flavors.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I feel like with every cookbook there's always two or three recipes that really make it on the scene. What are those recipes that you're hoping are going to be the standouts with the cookbook? I know you have 70 in there, but y'all have to pick two. Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah. I really love all of the drink recipes, surprisingly. They're so subtle flavors and infusions that go into it. And I would say one of my favorites is a strawberry pear chamomile aguas. It was a technique I learned at a Michelin star restaurant in San Francisco called Californios, where they took a tea and they infused it into an aguas with fresh fruit. And aguas is something that I've been drinking my entire life.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Like an agua fresca.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, agua fresca. Exactly.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
And so I wanted to use the earthiness of the chamomile and infuse it with strawberry and pear, and I just think it's such a good refreshing drink. It's one of my favorites in the entire book. If anything, I would say any of the drink recipes are just so amazing. And then also, I am such a dessert person, I love to bake. And one of my favorite recipes is the oolong flan with brown sugar caramel. And it's just, I don't know, I'm all about subtle flavors when it comes to desserts and things like that, because you get to kind of savor it more. 'Cause I feel like when a dessert is super intense, you have two bites and you're like, "Oh my god, that's a lot."
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
But with the flan, you get a really nice steeped oolong flavor and then this brown sugar caramel. And my favorite thing about it is it's steamed over the stove, which is something that's-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
As opposed to a bain-marie, which is how a traditional flan was made.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Exactly.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Where you have to take the whole pan and put it into the oven and then pour water and then try not to spill it on yourself and take it out. That steaming technique is something that I found a lot in different Chinese cooking cultures and different things like that. And just simple things like that make such a difference. Because I really rather do something on the stove than do six little flans in the oven.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
I feel like it takes so much more time and energy. That's definitely one of my favorite recipes when it comes to convenience and then flavor. I love flans, one of my favorite desserts.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I'm so excited for your book to come out. I think it'll resonate with so many people.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Thank you.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And the recipes are incredible. I can't wait to start baking through. I was eyeing the billionaires bar shortbread.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Ooh, yeah, that's my favorite.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I'm a huge baker, so I feel like that's my jam. We're huge manifestors on the podcast. So I have to ask, who are your dream recipients for the cookbook?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Ooh, wait, that's such a good question. Okay. I also love playing tennis, and one of my favorite persons has been Serena Williams-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
The queen.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
...with all that she does when it came to producing a whole movie and winning tennis game pregnant and all this stuff. Just such a big inspiration for me. If she had Flavor+Us, I think that would be crazy.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Well, if there's anyone on Serena's team listening, we have a cookbook for you, so. I'm just so impressed.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Thank you.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You are just a freshman. You are wrapping up your second semester-
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
...as a freshman in college. You are at Cornell University. How's that going?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
It's going well. I don't know, I'm having a lot of fun. I enjoy my classes a lot. I'm there for hospitality, and so it's cool to see a bunch of people who are just really interested in providing service and professional and I don't know, it's just different from what I thought college would be. And I just really enjoyed the experience.
It's definitely a lot of hard work, but it's so many different kinds of people. I thought California had a lot of different people, which we do. I don't know, being in school you just meet so many different personalities and characters and... I don't know, things that you're not used to. So it's really fun and enjoyable.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I'm curious to know, you were still on the path of restaurants. Why did you decide that you want to go to college instead of maybe just staying in restaurants and freelancing and doing all that stuff?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, so I really wanted to go to college because personally I wanted to have a baseline to always refer to. I feel like school has taught me a lot so far, and I've really only finished one semester. I'm about to finish up my second one. And I don't know, I feel like something that I love about food is the kind of experience it creates for other people.
And to me that's the core of what hospitality is, is providing experience for people. I think going to hospitality school is like everything that I ever would want to do for four years. And as much as I sit through my econ class and wait for the time to go down, I really enjoy being there. And there's just a lot of fun things to do every single day.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, I'm sure it must be a treat. What are some of your favorite classes that you've had or classes that you're looking forward to?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
So far one of my favorite classes this semester has been organizational behavior. So it kind of goes a little bit into psychology and how to work in groups, of how many different types of leaders there are and what to do in certain situations. And it makes you think about certain organizations and how they behave, I guess.
So different classes like that are really fun. And then we have food and beverage lab, so it's gives me my little, I don't know, culinary school fantasy. They take us through the mother sauces and all those different things. So that's really fun as well. I like the mix that it gives us. We have a lot of analytics stuff, so I have class at 8:00 a.m. about codes on Excel. And that is-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, I mean running restaurants involves finances.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Exactly.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I mean even sorting recipes, I'm sure you could use Excel.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. Are there any dream internships or projects that you want to work on for the next three years that you'll be at Cornell?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, I definitely want to get different internships. I am not a finance girl. I don't think I'm there to go to the finance investment making track. But I do love food management. I love restaurant groups. I love food media. I think any way that I can continue to see how restaurants operate outside of the kitchen as well is really exciting. And then food media is something that I've always loved. So hopefully continuing in that way.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
With all your time in the restaurant world and all your time in food media, I think it's so awesome as a black woman. Because black women are also one of the demographics that don't get a lot of representation.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
How do you think about you and your representation in the spaces and what you hope to add to the conversation?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, I think representation is something that's really important, especially when it came to making Flavor+Us. It wasn't a struggle, but it's something that I had to put out there that we need to have some type of brown skin on the cover of the book because I think right now it's my hand reaching into the cast iron of collard greens.
And I really wanted the book to represent that. Because before, a plated recipe is great and it sells very well. And I don't know, it's a great cover. But I don't know, I feel like Flavor+Us represents black people and I wanted people to relate to it when they saw it and be able to pick that up and see themself cooking it. And so I think representation is super important. And it was definitely something I had to advocate for myself when it came to the cover of the book.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You're so great in the book. You've got your moments at the farmer's market, cooking in the kitchen. So what did the recipe development process look like?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, so the recipe development process, it started with me making the recipes, writing them down, and then I would test them. And then it would either go so well, but many times it would just not be right. And so it's a process of free testing it until I think it works out. And then I sent it to my recipe tester who's Janelle Bitker. And she is working at the SF Chronicle as an editor, which was crazy. She did so much work and also did so much work at the SF Chronicle, I don't know how she does it. But she just really was able to look at the rough recipes and refine them saying, "Hey, this was great, but it might be easier to use this tool instead of this one." And different tweaks that she added to the recipes. And then I would take that Google Doc and then I'd edit it and I'd add more and I'd send it back to her. And so it'd be a little like game of ping pong until so we finally had that perfect recipe, but something that was easy and straightforward for other people.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Do you have any advice for someone your age 18, 19 year old who's got this great big cookbook idea but doesn't know how to get to that next level?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, I definitely think start working on a proposal. I know it might be insane to think that you can pitch a book to someone, but you might as well work on something that you really love. Because I feel like then it gets recognized. I don't know, especially even if it takes a long time, it's still important to believe in what you really like to do. So I would say work on the proposal, try and pitch it to people. You don't have to get a literary agent or anything like that. And even if it's not on a grand scale of an entire book, I think pitching recipes is something that's really good for food magazines and articles and newsletter, even doing your own newsletter. As long as you get to share the recipes, 'cause I think that's something that's really important about cookbooks and it's why I really liked writing a cookbook-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
I got to share all these recipes and stories about my family and different things like that. So I think any avenue where you can share that with other people is a great way to get into it.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
That's awesome. How do you hope to see diversity improve in the next, let's say five to 10 years?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, I really hope to see diversity change a lot in the next five to 10 years. I think there's a lot to be said that I'm here speaking with you and that's really great. But I think there's also opportunities where, I don't know, it can just be a norm and it's not like, "Oh, well there's one or two people in that competition show." It's important that we have people of color in high positions, whether it's being a judge on a cooking show or being the leader of a restaurant group. Because I feel like once there's people higher up that are represented, then it reflects downward on different things like internships and things like that.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, I'm just thinking now, are there many black and brown judges and stuff that are out there right now?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
There are a few, but I think there's always space for more people. And I think it's important. I even go to class every day and I'm like, wait a second, someone's an odd one out here. My own university. So-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
...I think it's important that people are recognized everywhere.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You don't feel that sense of belonging or...
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
I think that at Cornell there's definitely a large... Well, there's a black population, I wouldn't say it's very large.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
And when we all get together, it's such a tight-knit group. I'll go to class sometimes and there's like 200 freshmen and then the hotel school. And I'll go to class and I'll maybe be the only black girl in class. I don't know. It is an interesting experience. But when I get to reconvene, because I'm in certain clubs, like national side and minorities and hospitality.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Oh, that's so cool.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, it's like fun experiences that builds community. So-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. One more question about the book. Are you going on tour? Will we be seeing you in some places?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yeah, I am going on tour once I get done with my finals, May 20th, I get to go home. So that's really good. And after that I'll be in California and then also on the East Coast and hopefully in the south a little bit as well. I don't know, I'm excited to share Flavor+Us with other people.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Amazing. So once again, Rahanna's book Flavor+Us comes out on May 16th and you can preorder it wherever books are sold.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yes, exactly.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
We are now going to do my favorite Future Of Food Is You tradition, our Future Flash Five. Are you ready?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Yes.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Okay, let's do it. The future of restaurants?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Inspired.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
The future of cookbooks.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Endless.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
The future for black chefs?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Opportunity-ful.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
The future of plant-based cooking?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Trailblazing.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And the future of reality cooking shows?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
No idea.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Rahanna, thank you so much for joining us. If you want to keep continuing to support you and follow you, where are the best places to find you?
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
The best places to find me are on Instagram. That's where I post almost everything. So that's @ Rahanna… my full name, @rahanna.bisseret.martinez. And there I'll post any type of demo or signing or any announcement that I have.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Amazing. Well, we can't wait to keep supporting you and thanks for being the future of food.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Oh thank you. This is amazing.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Before we go, our guest is going to leave a voicemail at The Future Of Food mailbox, just talking to themselves 10 years from now. You have reached The Future Of Food Is You mailbox, please leave your message after the beep.
Rahanna Bisseret Martinez:
Hey Rahanna, just calling in to check on you. At this point, 10 years have passed, which is a little more than half your current life. Congrats on getting through college. I'm sure it seems like such a long time ago, but right now it feels like forever. Don't forget to check in on your hometown college and hospitality friends and family, and try to get back on your childhood tennis courts this summer. I'm sure you've had many big ideas and they can seem daunting to start, but you have your entire life to figure it out and I'm proud of you for not only publishing Flavor+Us, but also sharing those close memories of your friends, life and family with others. Since I can remember, you've always loved working on meaningful projects, and I'm sure that's what you're doing right now, don't forget to call back your 19-year-old self. Love Rahanna.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
That's it for today's show. Do you know someone who you think is the future of food? Tell us about them. Nominate them at the link in our show notes, or leave us a rating and review and tell me about them in the review. I can't wait to read more about them. Thanks to Kerrygold and Walmart for supporting the show. The Future Of Food Is You is a production of The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network. Thanks to the team at CityVox Studios, executive producers Kerry Diamond and Catherine Baker, and associate producer Jenna Sadhu. Catch you on the future flip.