Local food influencers on their impact, social media, and their communities

This week on Seasoned, we talk with content creators in the food space. Kat Ashmore is the chef (and "Hungry Lady") behind Kat Can Cook on Instagram and TikTok. We’ll talk with her about her first cookbook, just out! Big Bites: Wholesome, Comforting Recipes That Are Big on Flavor, Nourishment, and Fun.

And if you're a #ctfoodie, you likely follow David Milton's @thedamgram and @thedamtok for new restaurant alerts and to get David's picks for "the best" everything from empanadas to chicken sandwiches to mochi donuts and ice cream. (We appreciate his "3 Meals for under $20 series, too).

David makes videos on-site that make people hungry and he uses his platforms to uplift the people and places making delicious things all over our state. Producer Katrice Claudio talks with David about how and why he shines his light (literally) on the mom-and-pops we love and shares the videos with his thousands of fans and followers.

Plus, producer Tagan Engel visits a brand new coffee shop in New Haven called MOTW Coffee and Pastries. Its larger organization, Muslims of the World, began on Instagram with a mission around illuminating "the lives of Muslim individuals through their own stories. This digital space blossomed into a haven, celebrating resilience, faith, and the shared humanity that binds us all." Tagan speaks with the sibling co-owners about the shop and their specialty: traditional Yemeni chai.

1 of 8  — February 9, 2024 - MOTW Coffee

Usama Aslam talks to customers at MOTW (Muslims of the World) Coffee and Pastries in downtown New Haven. (Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public)

Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public

2 of 8  — February 9, 2024 - MOTW Coffee

A mural of a truck, ubiquitous in Pakistan, as well as a chaiwala—a tea seller—looks over customers at MOTW (Muslims of the World) Coffee and Pastries. The mural is “. . .a representation of us,” Zainab Aslam explained. “We wanted to bring some of our roots into our shop to show who we are.” This chaiwala is painted wearing a scarf that the Aslam siblings' late grandfather used to wear, imbuing the mural with even more meaning.

Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public

3 of 8  — February 9, 2024 - MOTW Coffee

Zainab Aslam works on a batch of traditional Yemeni chai, one of the most popular drinks at MOTW (Muslims of the World) Coffee and Pastries in New Haven, Conn. (Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public)

Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public

4 of 8  — February 9, 2024 - MOTW Coffee

A tray of bird’s nest pastries at MOTW (Muslims of the World) Coffee and Pastries in New Haven, Conn. (Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public)

Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public

5 of 8  — February 9, 2024 - MOTW Coffee

Barista Angel Bermudez hands a cup of chai to a customer at MOTW (Muslims of the World) Coffee and Pastries in New Haven, Connecticut.(Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public)

Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public

6 of 8  — February 9, 2024 - MOTW Coffee

Usama Aslam drizzles honey on the honeycomb pastry — which he described as a Middle-eastern style dough filled with cream cheese. Aslam runs MOTW (Muslims of the World) Coffee and Pastries in downtown New Haven with his three siblings. (Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public)

Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public

7 of 8  — February 9, 2024 - MOTW Coffee

Customers at MOTW (Muslims of the World) Coffee and Pastries in New Haven, Conn. Kimberly Marchesi (right), says it was her first time at the cafe. (Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public)

Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public

8 of 8  — February 9, 2024 - MOTW Coffee

Siblings Bilal Aslam, Zainab Aslam and Usama Aslam stand for a portrait in MOTW (Muslims of the World) Coffee and Pastries - a coffee shop in New Haven that opened together with their sibling Ijlal Aslam, not pictured. (Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public)

Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public

GUESTS:

• Kat Ashmore: author of Big Bites: Wholesome, Comforting Recipes That Are Big on Flavor, Nourishment, and Fun (@katcancook) (Kat on TikTok)
• David Milton: Content creator behind @thedamgram and @thedamtok.
• Usama Aslam, Bilal Aslam and Zainab Aslam: Sibling co-owners of MOTW Coffee and Pastries in New Haven, Conn. (@MOTW.Coffee)
  

Featured Recipes:
Chimichurri Meatballs
Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Salted Maple Frosting
Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

This show was produced by Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Meg Dalton, Katrice Claudio, Tagan Engel, Stephanie Stender and Meg Fitzgerald. Scout Raimondo is our intern. Sabrina Herrera, Francesca Fontanez and Shanice Rhule are our Social team.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email: seasoned@ctpublic.org.

Seasoned is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.