Gloria Steinem watches Dance Moms

and other favorite moments from Cherry Bombe "Jubilee"

Exactly one year ago today, I decided to splurge on a trip to New York to attend my first Jubilee, an event (largely) centered around women in food that is hosted by Cherry Bombe magazine. I was a few months into my Swedish hot dog pop-ups and fresh off of posting an Easter brunch spread I made on Instagram, so I figured it was the natural next step 😉.

I had heard about Jubilee through my women’s industry group in San Francisco “The Proof Collective”, and while I had a few acquaintances going into the weekend, I was a fish out of water. I remember leaving last year feeling inspired but I also felt very behind. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing - I like a little healthy pressure. Fast forward to now, and I’m writing this Substack from my friend Cassie’s apartment in Brooklyn while I’m running a load of laundry since I’m on the road for another week. We met through Instagram last year after I had reached out to her and her sister to do a pop-up in Denver between Hej Hej and their sausage company “Lottie’s Meats”. I also got to reconnect with new and old friends I’ve made, in addition to meeting the team behind my private cheffing agency “The Culinistas” (hej Katie and Alex!) and I also had some great discussions with business owners and influencers I follow from afar, but in real life.

Last, but certainly not least, I kicked off my “Hej Hej Hits the Road” tour in Brooklyn this past Sunday! It was such a good feeling to have something tangible to talk about at Jubilee. I also can’t believe how far I’ve come in the world of pop ups, they almost feel like second nature now. Well, until I have a mini panic 30 minutes before I start without fail…but that’s neither here nor there!

If you came out to support, whether you knew ahead of time or I invited you the day before, you are the GOAT. I’m going to do a full write-up on what it was like popping up in a city like New York next week, because it was a wild ride. All to say, just a reminder that if you keep chipping away at your goals little by little, they will start to take shape. Stick with it.

Now, for the real magic of Jubilee, the speaking line-up. Every year, Kerry Diamond and her team bring together a top-tier group of women to speak about life, family, business, and of course - food. This year, Cherry Bombe did not shy away from what is happening in our current administration and how interwoven food and politics are. It was refreshing, bold, and unapologetic.

Here are a few of my favorite moments from the weekend!

• Chrissy Tracey, a first generation Jamaican-American chef and author of Forage & Feast, opened with a beautiful solo talk on how she found purpose through pain. It grabbed my attention for so many reasons, but I was moved by the delivery and poetic arrangement of her words - not to mention her impeccable stage presence. It was great reminder of the breadth of skill and multitalented nature of people in the culinary world.

• I was elated to see Eden Grinshpan of Eden Eats standing next to my chair in the back of the auditorium at the start of her session. True to her spunky form, she kicked off her talk with a “dance through the crowd” Ellen moment. She is one of my favorite chefs and food personalities and recently released her cookbook “Tahini Baby”. I think women are scrutinized in business and encouraged to act a certain way and stave off certain behaviors to be taken seriously. Eden is her complete goofy self and has a beautiful family, all while being wildly talented and successful. Plus, she has a hot husband. IYKYK.

• This year, there was a panel dedicated to food and policy with members from “The Independent Restaurant Coalition” or the IRC. This topic is another important one, as it’s nearly impossible to survive as an independent restaurant without support from your local and federal government. We got to hear from our very own Oakland-based chef and restaurateur Stella Denning, previously of Day Trip, now of soon-to-open Day Trip Counter, about how she pivoted her restaurant to survive. The biggest takeaway was that change in the restaurant industry starts with leaders in food and it starts with action. Many of these IRC members never saw themselves sitting at a table with their local congressmen until they were actively doing it.

• Zaynab Issa, author of the newly released cookbook “Third Culture Cooking”, explained what third culture cooking means. Simply put, third culture cooking is the result of culinary inspiration from what was passed down to you in the kitchen and how you make it your own through lived experiences and environments. It’s an undeniable combination that represents personal and cultural identity through food and we’re so lucky to live it here in the U.S.

• One of two inspirational keynotes was with Indian-born British restaurateur and cookbook author Asma Khan. She owns “Darjeeling Express’, an influential restaurant in London's Soho that boasts an all-female open-air kitchen. To say her childhood was difficult is an understatement. She was meant to feel that she was never enough, wasn’t wanted, and wouldn’t amount to anything. Her response to that? - “I was put through fire and I came out glistening like gold”. Queue the 5th (?) time I had teared up by 1 pm on a Saturday. She also gave us a good laugh when she admitted she had never cooked up until later in life and she could barely boil an egg - “but I could eat!”. Another good piece of advice? Never tell your husband or partner a half baked idea. Guard it with your life, haha. She embarked on all of her culinary adventures in her 40’s and this was a very important reminder that it’s never too late to start doing what you love (and kick ass at it).

• We ended with a delightful talk with Gloria Steinem (yes, the Gloria Steinem) - a prominent feminist, activisit, and American journalist. She was such a lovely and kind human - and she had a great sense of humor. She admitted right away that she’s not much of a “foodie” and enjoys most meals standing in front of the refrigerator door. She is an avid Dance Moms TV series enthusiast (if you know me and my love of TLC, this made me happy to hear), although she’s moved on to Call The Midwife. She defended witches (yes, witches) and reminded us that they were good people who were given a bad rap, specifically because they were trying to provide medical treatments for women. Dance Moms AND pro witch? I’m in heaven. While she can’t travel and gather like she used to, she hasn’t let that stop her activist goals and regularly hosts groups of 50 or more in her living room. She mentioned that we only produce oxytocin (a love or social bonding hormone) when we are physically together. Get together, discuss, and be kind.

It’s hard to summarize such a revitalizing day, but I hope I gave you a tiny sneak peek into the magic of Jubilee. Pair all of this with tasty sips and innovative bites from some of the best women owned food brands, and you have yourself a DAY! 🍒

Did you attend this year? What were some of your favorite moments? I’d love to hear!

Thanks for reading, as always.

Amelia 🍓