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conditions apply. When

1:08

I think there's a little bit of

1:10

that expat culture, when you're living abroad,

1:13

you tend to become friends with the

1:15

community and the people around you. And

1:17

my mother was and still is always

1:19

one of those people that loves to

1:22

make friends with the neighbors. And even

1:24

if she doesn't speak the language, she

1:26

tries and and tries to learn how

1:29

to communicate as best she can. She

1:31

finds a way and sometimes the best

1:33

ways through food. Welcome

1:37

to Your Mom As Kitchen About Guess

1:40

that explores how the kitchens we grew

1:42

up in as kids shape who we

1:44

become as adults. I'm Michelle Norris Today

1:46

we're joined by journalist and Tv news

1:49

personality Natalie Morales. You might have seen

1:51

her on your television screens as the

1:53

co host of the Daytime Emmy award

1:56

winning show, The Talk on Cbs, but

1:58

even for this gig, Natalie. The

2:00

Robot career as a Tv journalist

2:02

serving over two. Decades on Nbc

2:04

News, making appearances on Dateline and

2:06

The Nightly News, and anchoring that

2:08

Today. So what you might not

2:10

have known about Natalie is that

2:13

she. Is a fantastic cooks. She

2:15

has her own cookbook cooking at Home

2:17

with Natalie Morales where she shares recipes

2:19

for. Healthy meals that she cooks up at

2:21

home. As a mother of two, the things

2:23

is. Unique about her recipes is

2:25

that she draws from the cultural

2:28

experiences of her globe trotting childhood.

2:33

As a kid in a military

2:35

families she was born in Taiwan

2:37

and throughout her childhood she lived

2:39

in Brazil, Panama, and Spain. Natalie

2:41

even experienced a medley of cultures

2:44

inside her family homes with a

2:46

reporter Reagan father and her Brazilian

2:48

mother. Natalie blended all these

2:50

backgrounds into her cookbooks and more

2:52

essentially into who she is as

2:54

a person today. Will. Hear

2:57

about how her diverse up brings shaped

2:59

her worldview and her views of the

3:01

role of the kitchen. Plus Natalie gives

3:03

us some tips on how to make

3:06

her favorite dessert a perfectly in which.

3:10

Is. Natalie.

3:15

Morales things coming in Texas and so.

3:18

That that we could do this in

3:20

person needs hill. It's so great to

3:22

finally sit across from the great Michelle

3:24

stops I read or years. Whereas two

3:26

girls who tell stories may be due

3:28

bad day, you tell some of the

3:30

best stories. Well I get still some

3:32

great stories because I ask people to

3:35

go down memory lane yes and tell

3:37

us about the citizens that. Influenced

3:39

their lives, the people that influence

3:42

their and how those spaces still.

3:44

Live in them and you had

3:46

such. An interesting

3:48

background, You have traveled all over

3:50

the world. You were born in

3:52

Taiwan, you lived in Spain for

3:55

a time. You are a multi

3:57

lingual. She speaks Portuguese, Portuguese, and

3:59

Spanish. And you are.

4:02

Fluid in terms of your skills ourselves

4:04

in have to cook books and the

4:06

cookbook seems to stop all of that

4:08

up. All those influences of so

4:10

want to begin where we always begin. Tell

4:13

me about your mother's kitchen and where do you go

4:15

in your mind when I ask about that. When.

4:18

Country which slow tell this reminder.

4:20

To I think given that my dad was in

4:22

the. Airforce and so every two to

4:24

three years we would moves pretty much

4:26

on the regular. But my

4:28

most formative years? Were Madrid, Spain when

4:30

I was twelve. To Seventeen. So when

4:33

you ask me where do you

4:35

go in your mind that six

4:37

hits and I think of our

4:39

sits in in Madrid, Spain and

4:41

that is really where I formed

4:43

my kill. An airy Tastes where

4:45

I picked up the Mediterranean way

4:47

of living and eating at then

4:49

also being able to travel we

4:51

were very fortunate to be able

4:54

to pick up and go when

4:56

you live in Europe. It's easy

4:58

to hop a trainer, take a

5:00

flight and we traveled. Quite a bit

5:02

in my Dad that's his. Still, it's

5:04

his wanderlust. You know he travels as

5:06

often as he can and my mom

5:08

tags along with and still be center.

5:11

I think if she has granted she'd

5:13

rather stay home with By Down That's

5:15

tickets and I always like to think

5:17

back to. Ancestry service and tell

5:19

me about your father was in the

5:21

military what led the same lead to.

5:24

Madrid and were you in?

5:27

Military. Housing or were you living in

5:29

civilian? Some you know, we. Were living in

5:31

civilian housing. My dad at the time

5:33

had equivalent of what was sort of

5:35

a diplomatic job and he. Was

5:37

working with a group. That

5:40

was a bunch of different

5:42

what they called the joint

5:44

Us Military groups and based

5:47

in downtown Madrid and. We

5:49

lived off base am lived

5:51

like. Teenagers living in

5:54

the middle of Madrid. And.

5:56

I was able to go to the American School in

5:58

Madrid, but it really was an international school. It,

6:00

It's incredible because I'm a lot of

6:03

I phones were Spanish speakers, Italian speakers

6:05

so I feel like I said a

6:07

lot of that cultural influence despite being

6:09

around all these different kinds of cultures

6:11

and friends with different backgrounds. So high

6:13

school was like the you when it

6:15

was a little bit. Yeah, so it's

6:17

I'm imagining that kitchen in Madrid, am

6:19

I correct in thinking that there was

6:22

probably a lot of tile. There's.

6:24

Tile everywhere die before made easier.

6:26

You know it's interesting. There were

6:28

windows that you could see out

6:30

into a courtyard because a lot

6:32

of Spanish homes, they're not big

6:34

homes. These were. Really townhomes

6:36

close. Together that everything is surrounding

6:39

you know a little courtyard in the

6:41

middle and so we to look out

6:43

on the courtyard. The. Kitchen

6:45

door would open up to the courtyard

6:47

and so I just remember my sisters

6:50

and my mom's. Your Eyes Two Sisters,

6:52

I'm the Middle. So we would always have

6:54

his own com so now we when I were later that

6:56

we would. Always sit and eat meals. all

6:58

of us cooking and being around was a

7:00

pretty small kitchens. you know there was not

7:02

a lot of you. realize it's a European,

7:05

it's enough. Yeah and you don't spend a

7:07

lot of time in the kitchen. You spend

7:09

a lot of time in the dining room

7:11

or other areas. It's different than it is

7:13

here in United since were when you have

7:16

just silvery to spend all your time and

7:18

it's it's any. They try to get everybody

7:20

outside of the kids and but people tend

7:22

to stay in the kitchen. Over there it

7:24

was more. Let's go sit at the. Living.

7:27

Room and the dining room and

7:29

hang out outside. So mean your

7:31

mother's name is Penelope. Was.

7:34

She a good food and was she trying.

7:36

To make sure that even though you realising

7:39

and distant lands. That you

7:41

were holding on to American traditions

7:43

as well. My. Mother is Brazilian

7:45

and my father's put a region

7:47

but because as a military how

7:49

space see. Moved. Around

7:51

so much see I think. picked up

7:54

a lot of. Different.

7:56

Colon airy habits and cuisines and I

7:58

think that was also. Part of

8:00

her love of wanting to assimilate and

8:02

be a part of whatever culture she

8:04

was living. And for example, when I

8:07

was born in Taiwan and when my

8:09

mom moved there with my father. My

8:11

dad was stationed in Vietnam at the

8:13

time, but they were able to. Go

8:16

there to Taiwan and my mom to

8:18

this day says it was one of

8:20

her favorite places to live. The people

8:23

are so kind, beautiful colds her wonderful

8:25

sweet. People. And see

8:27

learn to cook a lot of

8:29

Chinese food and at the times

8:31

and taiwanese different kinds of Taiwanese

8:33

delicacies and so were for see

8:35

when see tried to take that.

8:38

Send. Thing. And so to this day

8:40

she still. Does. That. But.

8:42

Of course being Brazilian there's a

8:44

lot of South America and cuisine.

8:47

We all my sister's demise we

8:49

love our empanada as we love

8:51

our social are that we love

8:53

our truck that best all the

8:55

South American Latin foods but also

8:57

my grandmother's had a strong influence

8:59

in our cooking as well like

9:01

my Porta Rican grandmother so there's

9:03

a lot of our have gone

9:05

done do less and a idea

9:07

her. And more of the

9:09

Latin side that my mother makes

9:11

as well. So again, it's wanting

9:13

to blend in. That's my mother's

9:15

way of as a military housewives.

9:17

wanting to assimilate and said an

9:20

and be a part of that

9:22

culture was that common among the

9:24

military house was. Bit as one of

9:26

the things that I've learned i don't

9:28

come from military million followers in the

9:30

military but slung left by the time

9:32

he had me and my sisters that

9:34

there's a high level of expectation or

9:36

more entertaining and military families especially. If

9:38

one of the spouses sort of moving up

9:40

to the ranks brother's family soaring that are.

9:42

Was your mother a little bit unusual in that

9:45

she was with cooking the food of a culture

9:47

that surrounded her? In I think there's

9:49

a little bit of that expat

9:51

culture when you're living abroad, you

9:53

tend to. Become friends with the.

9:55

Community in the people around you.

9:57

And my mother was. And still lose.

10:00

One of the people that loves to

10:02

make friends with the neighbors and even

10:04

if she doesn't speak the language she

10:07

tries and and tries to learn how

10:09

to communicates as best he can see,

10:11

finds a way and sometimes the best

10:14

ways through food. and she loves to

10:16

learn whether it's arts and class Source

10:18

teach me a recipe and that was

10:20

sending. living in Spain for example or

10:23

neighbor made incredible Gaspard so isn't invited

10:25

her and her sets in and said

10:27

show me how you make your guess.

10:30

But so I wanna I need to

10:32

learn how to make this and it's

10:34

It's in my cookbook for the easiest

10:36

recipes there is and so there was

10:38

always in I think that connection that

10:41

is formed around the table. I think

10:43

it's the greatest way to communicate with

10:45

people. It's as I say, when you

10:47

break bread, you break so much more

10:49

with somebody else. You're. Essentially.

10:52

Was holding hands with people across the table.

10:54

And then ask a sensitive question, but it's

10:57

something that is. Common among

10:59

military families. they have to make your

11:01

dollar gone with the farther. Oh yeah,

11:03

because the. Pay. Structure within

11:05

the military. How did that

11:08

play in your city of that? A

11:10

lot? Absolutely. My dad was the breadwinner

11:12

and he rose to the ranks as

11:15

a lieutenant colonel, but my dad is

11:17

still very savvy when it came to

11:19

putting away his money and investing and

11:22

with very good about that said but

11:24

he was a saver. He's threats that

11:26

delilah me tell ya it was painful

11:29

for those of us. A warning: Nice

11:31

clothes and having three girls wanting to

11:33

dress like our friends we didn't have

11:36

that with with. More by share

11:38

the same stores. And learned how to

11:40

put outfits together which to this day people

11:42

are is that if such a great sense

11:44

of style nights at had a credit that

11:46

with being able to go to a thrift

11:49

store and being able to put something together

11:51

you know on pretty much five dollars and

11:53

the mets and that allowed to have for

11:55

you were going by the time my mother

11:57

yes and my mother still to the still

12:00

live on a boat my dad gives her

12:02

a certain amount and this is for the

12:04

groceries this is for the houses for the

12:06

spending and he was able to retire early

12:08

though and. Said. Goes to

12:10

show you that he knew what he was

12:13

doing. Assistant the rest of us could have

12:15

learned a thing or two from him. How

12:17

does it play out when you were outside

12:19

of the house? Did that mean that you

12:21

didn't take as many family adventures that you

12:23

period? One hundred do things and know you

12:25

know we were never of money is no

12:28

we were so never for the lack of

12:30

you know which. Not like we missed out

12:32

on anything. In fact we traveled more I

12:34

would say than most people but that was

12:36

in a we would take mack flights for

12:38

ten dollars. I don't. Know. What some

12:40

marks on that flight as a military

12:43

analyst command slight Okay I like I

12:45

wouldn't know to so much with the

12:47

airline I don't know on I am

12:49

Iran's I guess is the best thing

12:51

ever. When you're in the military your

12:53

dependents can travel with new for ten

12:55

dollars. Said this is what we would

12:57

how we would travel throughout Europe instead

12:59

of hopping an American Airlines flight on

13:01

the weekends. My down to be like

13:03

let's see what if we can hop

13:05

a flight to Germany and if they're

13:07

happened to be an aircraft going to

13:09

Germany. We would get on the

13:11

parachute seats and they were actual like i

13:13

see that the on the side of on

13:15

a side of the plane and they have

13:17

like little box lunches with the whoopie pies

13:20

and the whatever cold fried chicken inside and

13:22

that's all you got that. It was so

13:24

much fun as a kid it was the

13:26

greatest experience and we traveled all over the

13:28

world doing not and you know for that

13:30

I was so lucky I don't think. I

13:33

missed out on anything that's the greatest

13:35

just I think my parents could give

13:37

me is that military. Upbringing And that.

13:40

Lifestyle. It really opened

13:42

my eyes to the world and. It.

13:44

Informed me at and such a

13:46

young age. Said. The. World is

13:49

a much bigger place and there are people out

13:51

there that you need to know when you need

13:53

to be a puts it need some and see

13:55

them and tell their stories and that's why I

13:57

became a journalist. And when he became

13:59

a journalist. As you removing constantly every couple years

14:01

setting up house and a new place setting up in

14:03

a new. School meeting, new people,

14:06

Always the new kid. Does that help

14:08

you? As a journalist, know storyteller? I

14:10

think you know the answer. That I

14:12

mean you basically have to assimilate wherever

14:14

you go and you also have to

14:16

be able to sink quickly on your

14:18

feet. You have to adjust quickly if

14:20

somebody says or sorry we've had to.

14:22

The interview right now are you can

14:24

have the dude over there. You have

14:26

this be able to go with the

14:28

flow and that was my whole upbringing

14:30

was going with the flow. Of

14:32

a professional degree. And go into. A.

14:36

It's being able to just pack a

14:38

bag and go. I mean that such

14:40

notice which you get when the family

14:43

was moving you know they would tell

14:45

us like it was always I would

14:47

say like January February my father would

14:49

say oh they're thinking about moving us

14:51

to what are you all same can

14:53

it was like hey and the only

14:56

time where there was a was was

14:58

when it was met between my junior

15:00

and senior year I we got move

15:02

from. Madrid, Spain. To

15:04

Dover, Delaware and we did at.

15:06

my Dad had two options he

15:08

was getting ready to retire in.

15:10

One of the options was a

15:13

have to go back to Delaware

15:15

or. And. The says

15:17

during the Gulf war and he was

15:19

helping with that listen to help in

15:21

that he's like or. The other

15:23

option is I go lead this

15:26

base in road us Spain and

15:28

I can bring the family you

15:30

would have to go to boarding

15:32

school and finish your. School somewhere

15:35

else anyway. And I didn't

15:37

want to be away from my

15:39

family. So the yeah, it was

15:41

hard. but you know what? Again,

15:43

you learn to survive and sacrifice

15:46

and I think. Anybody.

15:48

Who's grown up in a military knows

15:50

we're stronger for. It in the end. So

15:53

you parachuted into a high

15:55

school now in Dover, Delaware.

15:58

senior senior years What

16:00

was that? From Madrid. It was a

16:02

culture shock. Yes.

16:08

I mean, I actually... What was most shocking? You

16:10

know, I think I had lived in Delaware

16:13

before. I lived there when I was in fourth

16:15

to sixth grade. So in

16:18

my head, I was very happy and very

16:20

comfortable to go back to the States. The

16:22

idea of going back home

16:24

sounded amazing. Friday night lights,

16:26

football games, cheerleaders. What

16:28

I didn't realize was here

16:31

I am in the middle of applying

16:33

to colleges and where I was

16:36

in that process and

16:38

moving and how difficult that

16:41

would be in that process

16:43

and explaining all of that. But at

16:45

the same time, picking up

16:47

my life and making new friends, having

16:49

to carry on and starting

16:53

over at the same time. Picking

16:55

up where I left off but trying to forge

16:58

new friendships at such

17:00

a crucial time in my life where

17:02

I'm supposed to be looking ahead to

17:04

college. So I was thinking,

17:07

you know, I could have been the valedictorian of

17:09

my senior class. Instead, I have to start over.

17:11

They don't know where to put me. So it

17:14

was all learning as I went. Coming

17:17

up, how Natalie Morales figures out how to serve

17:19

up food that is healthy and

17:21

delicious. It's not always easy. I

17:31

first gave AG1 a try because members of

17:33

my family were using it. My husband uses

17:35

it. My nephew uses it. And I saw

17:38

the difference that it made in their life.

17:41

Since drinking AG1 daily, I felt that kind

17:43

of energy myself. And I know

17:45

that I'm getting the nutrients I need. I

17:48

travel a lot. I have a busy, hectic,

17:50

chock full schedule. And it's

17:52

nice to know that that

17:55

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17:57

sure that my nutrition goals are met on

17:59

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18:25

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18:31

love that every scoop also includes

18:34

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18:36

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18:38

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18:41

the stuff that supports your immune system, all

18:43

the stuff that keeps you healthy, all

18:45

the stuff that allows you to run

18:47

through the day and know that you're going to

18:50

have the energy that you need. I recommend

18:52

AG1 to all of my family and friends because

18:54

it's easy. You can get the packet that you

18:56

keep on the kitchen counter. If you travel as

18:58

much as I do, you can get the little

19:00

packs that you can just throw inside your bag.

19:02

You can keep it in your gym bag if you need to. It's

19:05

formulated based on the latest science

19:08

and it maintains high quality

19:10

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19:12

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19:14

they always tell me how energetic they

19:16

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19:19

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21:11

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21:13

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21:15

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21:22

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21:24

get in and do our thing together and

21:26

sit down and the adjoining dining room and

21:29

have a long. Ah, food,

21:31

meal and then clean up afterwards

21:33

and continue the conversation. I love

21:35

being able. to do that and air

21:37

b indeed allow that to happen and

21:39

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23:17

I've actually seen, I don't know why, but in my travels

23:19

as a journalist, I've actually seen the sample that

23:22

they give to families when they move. And there's

23:24

a lot of advice for the

23:26

spouse that's holding it down, which

23:29

is usually the woman. Yeah. Was

23:31

there any kind of official advice that they gave the

23:33

kids as you were moving into these new schools

23:36

and these new environments? Not really. I

23:38

mean, I think that's, thank goodness for my mom. I didn't

23:40

get with the program. Thank goodness, thank goodness for my mother.

23:42

I mean, my mother was that rock. She stayed

23:45

home with us and really allowed us

23:47

to always feel like she could make

23:49

home anywhere no matter where we moved

23:52

to. So no matter where you moved to,

23:54

what was dinner on a Tuesday night

23:56

like? It could be anything. I mean,

23:58

it could be... Usually it was

24:01

some form of. Chicken.

24:03

Or steak or and

24:06

been either black beans,

24:08

rice, I. Would say black beans

24:10

and rice a very popular said my family.

24:13

You know just being Brazilian but

24:16

also put Reagan's We Love Beans

24:18

and Rice is a simple but

24:20

typically my mother always has away

24:22

with making something out of nothing.

24:25

And there's a lot of leftovers that she would. Make.

24:28

Incredibly into a whole new meal

24:30

the next day or two days

24:33

later aren't. Lasagna is a favorite

24:35

of hers as well. So my

24:37

mom's lasagna pretty famous in fact,

24:39

I remember living in Spain and

24:41

my parents having a lasagna party

24:44

where everybody came with their best

24:46

lasagna and my mom used to

24:48

a store bought Sands sauce and

24:50

ended up still winning the competence

24:53

of all the lasagna as yes,

24:55

my house or lasagna was pretty

24:57

darn good. As someone

24:59

who is porta Rican and Brazilian and

25:01

American. What? Was your. Identity

25:04

to relax. People. Always

25:06

ask where are you from like were

25:08

what do you consider yourselves and it

25:11

was always and it still is a

25:13

difficult question. For me to answer

25:15

when people ask where's home. When

25:18

I was younger was interesting people. Even

25:20

asking the question, where were you born

25:23

and I remember struggling. With that because

25:25

I was born in Taiwan and a lot

25:27

of people are like where where where were

25:29

you born I didn't know where that was

25:32

a remote I sense I mean young kids

25:34

not really understanding and having to explain and

25:36

why? why are you find their that so

25:38

weird. Say. I remember just to

25:40

make things easier, telling people. I'm

25:42

from Los Angeles. See them are you

25:44

will run the searching. Making it out

25:47

is making it up. I was like

25:49

you know what, I'm just gonna make

25:51

life easy but yeah, I had a

25:53

hard time with that and I think

25:55

it's interesting now that I live here

25:57

Now he could say oh yeah, that's

25:59

why I'm. Some and my kids say

26:01

that now even though they were both born

26:03

and raised in Hoboken, New Jersey for the

26:05

longest time. So yeah, but now I think

26:08

we all identify with Alan. He said, you

26:10

had a hard time with it, Is it

26:12

Se. A case for you. Had a hard time with it for

26:14

that. Was. It a case where people had

26:16

a hard time figuring out what category or

26:18

what box to put us issues and Reagan

26:20

as she brazil. And and to see

26:22

Latina Se Asia and she was born

26:24

and I were. That's I mean I

26:27

had so many job interviews where because

26:29

I've and trilingual and I speak fluent.

26:31

Portuguese both my part of his to each

26:33

other at home to this. Day I speak

26:36

Spanish. been living in Spain and my

26:38

grandparents thing and Porto Rico in all

26:40

my family for the recall and many

26:42

summers there and I think people would

26:44

look at me and say we you

26:46

very European so we you know yes

26:48

they couldn't. Put. Me on

26:50

a box. I think that's the struggle

26:53

that a lot of us seal though.

26:55

Who are you? Look at us and

26:57

we may maybe don't look like what

26:59

you picture a stereotype to look like

27:02

the witches. I've tried to educate people

27:04

on this so much I mean in

27:06

I was once told by a boss

27:09

believe it or not we need more

27:11

more. Hour plus model was on the

27:13

this was just see around the really

27:15

as a as the Iverson I now

27:18

but it's day disgusted and it day.

27:20

And I could tell you what

27:22

that it because exactly it was

27:24

inconceivable what we're supposed to do.

27:26

That point yeah no I you

27:29

know there's no trying to be

27:31

something other than who I am.

27:33

And it's interesting because they think

27:35

as journalists we love to explore

27:38

identity so much more. I think

27:40

because there are a lot of

27:42

us to see this problem in

27:44

America where people don't identify with

27:46

as certain category or check that

27:49

box and. I think that's been.

27:51

A. Constant occupation for a lot

27:53

of us. As why. Why?

27:56

Do we have to sit into that molds? Buy

27:58

a box of six. The reason

28:00

I asked you that question is because you said you struggle

28:02

with it. And it seems that many times

28:04

it's not the individual that struggles with it. It's all the

28:07

people that are around them that struggle with trying

28:09

to figure out, where do you fit?

28:11

Right. What are you supposed to

28:13

be? And having to explain to people, like, why

28:15

do I have to explain that to you? When

28:22

did you discover a love of

28:25

cooking? Because I have

28:27

your cookbook here with me and people who are listening should

28:29

grab this. At home with Natalie, there's

28:31

a beautiful picture. Do you see E on all she dresses like this

28:33

when you cook, do you? Uh, no. Okay.

28:36

Because, you know, you're looking very elegant. You're

28:38

looking very elegant. And good on you if you do, but...

28:42

There'd be splatter of oil and grease

28:44

all over that bright yellow shirt. But

28:46

it's clear from the book how much

28:48

you love cooking and how comfortable you

28:51

are in the kitchen. Were you

28:53

always comfortable in the kitchen? I think

28:55

that came with just growing up and always

28:57

helping my mother out in the kitchen. My

29:00

sisters, as I said, you know, I'm the middle. Every

29:03

holiday is a family affair

29:05

of food. And now my whole family lives in Florida.

29:08

So unfortunately, I don't get to be there

29:10

for the holiday festivities as much as I

29:12

used to. But it was always, okay,

29:14

you're going to make this. You're going

29:16

to bring the turkey. You're going to bring

29:18

the sides. You're going to bring the flan.

29:20

You're going to bring the whatever it was.

29:22

And everybody contributed. But growing up, it was helping

29:24

my mother in the kitchen. It

29:27

was never a solo thing for her. We always

29:29

pitched in and helped out. And

29:32

just through osmosis, I was

29:34

able to pick up on

29:37

recipes and learn how to make the right

29:39

flavor combinations. And

29:41

I never realized that I was actually good at

29:43

it. I think until I

29:45

moved into my own apartment in New York City for

29:48

the first time and started having dinner parties

29:50

with people and having friends over. And

29:53

people were like, Natalie is the best cook. Let's

29:56

go to Natalie's place. There's nothing that happens when you

29:58

do that, when your friends figure out. chicken

30:00

cooks, we're just gonna hang out at her house all the time.

30:02

It was always, oh, we're coming to your place, and

30:04

she always has more wine, so let's go to Natalie's

30:06

place. I still, to

30:08

this day, love to host. Do you

30:10

let people in the kitchen with you, or are you

30:12

one of those people who, your kitchen is a no-fly zone?

30:14

No, I love, I love when anybody comes

30:16

in and steps in and wants to help

30:18

out, that's great. The only thing is when

30:21

my husband steps into the kitchen, I'm like,

30:23

okay, he does his thing. Is he a

30:25

cook also? He's not, so I have to

30:27

sometimes. Does he get in the way? Yeah,

30:30

a little bit, and I have to oversee a

30:32

little bit too, and make sure that he's doing

30:35

it my way, which, I mean,

30:37

as long as he's doing it, it's great, and

30:40

wanting to step in. I mean, I give him

30:42

salad duty most nights. So

30:44

I'm trying to figure out how you had time to

30:46

cook, because you worked for Court TV, you worked

30:49

at NBC for a very long time, you now

30:51

have a talk show, which requires a lot of

30:53

your time and attention. How did

30:55

you find time to cook? And

30:57

your kids are now young adults, so

31:01

you were juggling quite a lot, and then

31:03

it sounds like you still found time to

31:05

stand at the stove. I prefer, actually,

31:07

I think it's faster

31:10

to stay home and cook than it is sometimes to have

31:13

to get dressed up, go out to dinner with

31:15

the kids, take everybody out. I

31:17

mean, yes, we'll order in on occasion,

31:19

but even then, it's never as good.

31:21

Your view of takeout? Takeout in LA,

31:23

it's not as good. I mean, in

31:25

New York, takeout was fantastic, but here,

31:27

we struggle with finding good places. I

31:29

mean, we have like two or three,

31:31

and that's about it. Yeah, takeout in

31:33

New York, can we just say a word about

31:35

that? Takeout in New York City. I've never lived in New

31:38

York City, but that's been a long time there. And it

31:41

is an art. It is. I mean, if

31:43

you order, I don't know if they zip on some zip lines

31:45

straight to your apartment or something like that, but if

31:47

you order, and it's like there in a minute,

31:49

and they figure out the packaging. Yes. So

31:52

everything is just as it should be

31:54

without getting soggy, and it stays warm,

31:56

and yes, it's incredible.

31:58

Yeah. If you've ever done

32:00

takeout, it's just a different thing. Right, right. And

32:02

everyone else seems to struggle with it. So

32:05

for me, the answer is it's easier to

32:07

be home and it's easier to cook.

32:09

And actually, our family is all,

32:11

we're all very healthy people. My

32:14

kids love to work out, they're boys, they

32:16

wanna be fit and trim, so they want

32:18

a lot of protein and a lot of

32:20

clean carbs. So I'm more limited in what

32:22

I can make them because they want things

32:24

a certain way now, but,

32:26

and same thing with my husband, but- Don't wait

32:28

your kids, they're not asking

32:30

for Twinkies and Doritos. No, no,

32:33

I don't have those kids. They don't

32:35

eat junk food. I know, it's crazy.

32:37

Clean carbs. Yes, they want whole grains

32:39

and- Farrow. Cus

32:42

cus and quinoa. You

32:46

have those kids, okay. I have those kids, yeah,

32:48

I don't know. They're LA kids, I guess, I

32:50

don't know. Do the boys friends wanna

32:52

come to your house or are they instead, I'm

32:54

gonna go to the house down the street where they have

32:56

those Doritos on them. No, we still get the pizza for

32:58

the boys. When the friends are coming

33:01

over, it's like, okay, we're gonna eat like them. We're

33:04

gonna get hamburgers and pizzas. Some

33:10

of us love the food that we grew up on, but

33:13

when we look back at the diet that

33:15

our families put together, as

33:17

much as you love it, you think, were they trying to kill me? What

33:20

were we eating? It was so good, but it

33:22

wasn't always good for us. Was

33:24

that true of the food that you grew up on?

33:27

I would say Latin food is known

33:29

to be fried, very salty,

33:33

but I would say the frying part,

33:36

lot of grease. So I actually,

33:38

in my cookbook, I make a lot

33:40

of healthy substitutions. And I, for example,

33:42

I bake my empanadas, I don't fry

33:45

them. I have a mac

33:47

and cheese where I use cauliflower and

33:49

butternut squash and less

33:51

cheese, but it still has a lot

33:53

of flavor. So I do a lot

33:55

of things where I have found ways

33:58

to, again, find ways to cook. and

34:00

good sex titudes without sacrificing

34:02

the flavor. But yeah, Latin food

34:04

is not healthy at all. So

34:07

what tastes like home to you? When you think

34:09

of a recipe that

34:12

your mom used to make or that you used

34:14

to enjoy in your momma's

34:16

kitchen, what comes to mind?

34:18

I always think, and it's still my signature

34:20

dish, and I've taught my son to make

34:22

it, and my oldest, I'm hoping

34:25

my youngest will eventually learn to make it

34:27

too, it's our flan. Everybody,

34:29

my sisters, we all make flan,

34:32

and it's fantastic, it's such

34:34

an easy recipe. I've made

34:37

this so many times, so many

34:39

variations. I've made mango flan, pumpkin

34:41

flan for the holidays. It's

34:44

a super easy recipe. And you have the variations,

34:46

coconut flan, coconut flan in your

34:48

cookbook again, it's called At Home

34:51

with Natalie. But if you've

34:53

only had flan in a restaurant, or

34:55

if you've only had it at someone's house, you

34:57

say it's easy, but it doesn't read easy. You

35:00

might think, how do I get this consistency?

35:02

How do I get that perfect layer of

35:04

caramelization on the top, and just enough of

35:07

that little bit of liquid? And what kind

35:09

of device am I supposed to cook this

35:11

in? So walk us through this quickly about

35:13

how easy it actually is, and where the

35:15

trip points are. Yes, I mean, I

35:17

would say the most difficult part is the

35:19

caramelization, and that really is, I

35:22

think the best tool for that is

35:24

a double boiler, which is a pan

35:26

within a pan insert. The

35:28

bottom pan has just a little bit of water,

35:31

and then you put the insert inside. Now

35:34

you can get the same with

35:36

what they call, we call it bano

35:38

maria in Spanish, or Portuguese

35:41

also. And that is just

35:43

a flat pan in the oven, filled

35:46

with a little bit of water, and you can use what

35:49

is a pie tray. And

35:52

you can put your flan and caramelize

35:54

your sugar in that inside

35:56

the oven at a low temperature. I

35:59

think it's hard. to get that

36:02

the right way. I think it's harder to get

36:04

the caramelization just perfect that way. Double

36:06

boilers are very easy to find on

36:08

Amazon. I found mine many times and

36:11

my mom gave me one when I remember

36:13

when I got my first apartment in New

36:15

York and I still have it. It was

36:17

the best gift. The double

36:19

boiler. And

36:21

I love an individual dessert. I mean I like

36:24

pie and I like cake and I like other things

36:26

that are communal that you cut up but I love

36:28

like a flan or a creme brulee. It's all yours.

36:30

You don't have charity with anybody. It just comes in.

36:32

It's all yours. So small glass

36:34

ramekins. Little ramekins. Small glass dish or

36:37

porcelain. And you can get that same

36:39

again with the little ramekins. You just

36:41

put the sugar on the bottom, put

36:43

it in the oven

36:45

with a tray of water underneath

36:48

and let the caramelization happen first

36:50

and then you pour

36:53

the mixture. It's basically evaporated

36:55

milk, condensed milk, eggs,

36:57

vanilla and that's pretty much

37:00

it. When you serve it how do you

37:02

garnish it? This is the best. You know if you

37:04

want to really wow. I

37:08

always like to leave it

37:10

in whatever container it's in

37:13

and then I do my flip the flan right

37:15

in front of the egg. One more time you do

37:17

your what? Flip my flan. You

37:21

ready to flip the flan? And

37:23

so you take the tray or the

37:25

plate, the individual plate depending on how

37:27

you're serving it, you

37:29

put it on the top of the

37:31

ramekin or the flan portion and

37:34

then you just hold it tightly

37:36

and you literally flip and it should

37:39

just pop right out with the caramel

37:41

flowing right on top. Don't

37:43

be gingerly about it. You're gonna flip and

37:46

flip and flop. You flip and flop. You

37:48

flip and flop it and it'll come right

37:50

out. It should just pour right out after

37:53

it's cooled. I mean it has to cool

37:55

and I would say let it be

37:57

in the refrigerator for about half a day

37:59

or so. just to get make sure it's solid. Anything

38:02

berries, mint sprigs, anything on it.

38:04

Oh it's so beautiful. If you add berries,

38:07

it's beautiful on the side, just like a

38:09

creme brulee like you would garnish, however you

38:11

would like to garnish. I noted

38:13

that you do have slightly healthier

38:15

versions. You can use low-fat

38:17

condensed milk instead. Yes, that's

38:19

my trick. Does the

38:22

consistency change or the flavor? Does that

38:24

have an impact on that? I have

38:26

not found it changes anything. Now the

38:29

Fland purists out there may

38:31

say they disagree, but my

38:33

mom uses various 2% evaporated

38:35

milk and there's low-fat sweetened

38:38

condensed milk and I've done it that

38:40

way. I've also used full-fat versions and

38:42

I don't think I could tell the

38:44

difference. Fland is popular in

38:47

several cultures. Are there slight variations? Oh

38:49

yes, yes. I mean I've had it

38:51

all through Latin and South America. I've

38:53

had it in Spain. Of course in

38:56

Spain it's very much a

38:58

delicacy. It's their dessert as well.

39:00

I would say the

39:03

Fland in Spain is perhaps less

39:05

custardy and creamy and I

39:08

think our Fland in Brazil and

39:10

Puerto Rico has a little bit

39:13

more of that sweetened condensed milk

39:15

texture. Yeah, I don't know why. I've

39:17

never delved into

39:19

what the ingredients are that make

39:21

it different though in Spain versus

39:25

the Fland that we make. I road

39:27

test all the recipes at home and I look

39:29

forward to doing this one. I've never made Fland.

39:32

Oh, I've had creme brulee. I've made creme brulee with a

39:35

little blowtorch, but I've never

39:37

made Fland. So I hope yours will

39:39

be the first one. Okay, knock on

39:41

wood. Knock on wood. It goes well. Okay, and if

39:43

I don't get the flip right, I'm going to be

39:46

calling you. She

39:48

said she made it sound so easy.

39:50

This has been fun. Thanks so much

39:52

for coming into the studio. Thank you

39:54

so much. It's been amazing. Thank

39:57

you so much and thanks for letting me go down

39:59

memory lane. Natalie's

40:06

story reminds us of how food and

40:09

cooking are so closely tied to identity.

40:12

Even though she's had a rather unusual upbringing

40:14

globe-trotting around the world, I think

40:16

we all can relate to feeling more

40:18

connected to our cultural identities through food.

40:21

She said something in our conversation that I want

40:23

to spotlight. When you break bread

40:25

with people, you're holding hands with them

40:27

across the table. You're sharing part of

40:29

your identity with them, or you're learning

40:31

more about theirs. Even as

40:34

people around her struggle to put her in

40:36

a box of their own perceptions, Natalie knew

40:38

who she was through all of that. If

40:40

you want to learn how to make Natalie's

40:42

perfect swan, and I bet you do, you

40:45

can find it on my Instagram page at

40:47

Michelle underscore underscore Norris, that's two underscores.

40:49

And you can also find the recipe

40:52

at our website, yourmama'skitchen.com. And

40:54

before we go, a reminder, we want

40:56

to hear from you. We're opening up our

40:58

inbox for you to record yourself and tell

41:00

us about your mama's recipes, some memories from

41:03

your kitchen growing up or your thoughts

41:05

on some of the stories you've heard on this

41:07

podcast. Make sure to send

41:09

us a voice memo at YMK

41:11

at higher ground productions.com for a chance

41:14

for your voice and your story to

41:16

be featured in a future episode. Thanks

41:19

so much again to Natalie for coming into our

41:21

studios at higher ground and to all of

41:23

you for joining me today. Make sure to come

41:25

back again next week, because you know us, we're

41:27

always serving up something special. Until

41:30

then, stay Or

42:00

Nick might look to my last dance

42:02

here. Men and me, me so nervous

42:05

executive. Producers for Audible er nicht The

42:07

Angelo and An Upper Men The

42:09

shows closing science is bible for

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say what? Media's talent booker. Angela

42:17

Police so she. Content Officer

42:19

Rates of the Answer And that's

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it is I Everybody Copyright: Twenty

42:23

Twenty Four By Higher Ground Audio,

42:26

Llc. Sound Recording Copyright: Twenty Twenty

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Fourth. By higher ground audio. Higher

42:47

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