I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE NOTICED THIS, BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST
CAMPAIGN ISSUES THIS YEAR IS IMMIGRATION, AND IT'S
UNDERSTANDABLE THAT SOME VOTERS ARE NERVOUS.
THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN A NEW GROUP COMES TO AMERICA, AND
RUINS THINGS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY HERE.
(LAUGHTER) BUT WE ARE ALL DESCENDED FROM
IMMIGRANTS, SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND SOME COMMON GROUND, THAT
WE DON'T IMMEDIATELY BUILD A WALL AROUND.
AND THAT'S THE GOAL OF AN ORGANIZATION CALLED LEAGUE OF
KITCHENS.
THEY HELP BRIDGE CULTURES BY OFFERING CULINARY WORKSHOPS WITH
IMMIGRANTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF BEING EXPOSED TO IMMIGRANT CUISINE,
BECAUSE, FOR MY WHOLE LIFE, I'VE ONLY EATEN AMERICAN FOOD LIKE
TACO BELL AND PANDA EXPRESS.
(LAUGHTER) SO HERE TO TELL US MORE ABOUT
THE LEAGUE OF KITCHENS, PLEASE WELCOME THE FOUNDER LISA GROSS.
LISA, THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) >> Stephen: I FOUND OUT ABOUT
LEAGUE OF KITCHENS FROM OUR MUTUAL FRIEND DAVID PLOT.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: AND HE SAID GOING TO COOK WITH THE IMMIGRANTS IS
THE MOST FUN HE'S EVER HAD IN NEW YORK AND KIND OF ONE OF THE
MOST NEW YORK THINGS YOU CAN DO BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE
FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND CULTURES SPEAKING DIFFERENT
LANGUAGES IN NEW YORK THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> Stephen: WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CREATE LEAGUE OF KITCHENS?
>> MY EXPERIENCE, MY MOM IS KOREAN AND MY GRANDMOTHER LIVED
WITH US AND COOKED ALL THIS AMAZING KOREAN FOOD.
>> Stephen: DID YOU COOK WITH HER?
>> NO, SHE WOULD SHOO ME OUT OF THE KITCHEN AND SENT ME TO STUDY
BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT STUDYING WAS MORE IMPORTANT AND SHE DIDN'T
VALUE HER COOKING SKILLS.
WHEN I WANTED TO COOK KOREAN FOOD LATER, I HAD TO WHRERN IT
FROM THE INTERNET AND COURSES, AND NOTHING TASTED LIKE MY
GRANDMOTHER.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE SHE HAD A SECRET SAUCE.
>> YES, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO LEARN THOSE THINGS FROM A
GRANDMA AND CAN'T LEARN IT FROM A COOKBOOK.
I THOUGHT, I WISH THERE WAS ANOTHER GRANDMOTHER TO COOK
WITH.
I THOUGHT WOULDN'T IT BE AMAZING TO FIND GRORMTS ALL OVER
NEW YORK CITY AND LEARN HOW TO COOK.
>> Stephen: WHAT WOULD AN AVERAGE DAY BE?
>> I WORKED UP A FIVE AND A HALF HOURS.
THEY START WITH A HOME MADE LUNCH, THREE AND A HALF HOURS OF
HANDS ON INSTRUCTION AND A HUGE MEAL AT THE END.
>> Stephen: START WITH A MEAL, END WITH A MEAL.
VERY AMERICAN OF THEM.
(LAUGHTER) WELL, I DID THIS WITH A
WONDERFUL WOMAN NAMED YAMINI JOSHI.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHO IS AN INDIAN-AMERICAN IMMIGRANT,
CITIZEN NOW.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AND WE FILMED IT, AND LET'S TAKE A LOOK: TO FIND
OUT ABOUT THE LEAGUE OF KITCHENS I TRAVELED TO THE GARDENS TO
FIND YAMINI JOSHI.
WE HAD A MEAL.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME INTO YOUR HOME FOR A TRADITIONAL
INDIAN MEAL.
THIS IS FANTASTIC.
I'M HONORED.
>> I'M HONORED, TOO.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A INDIAN FOOD?
ALL I KNOW IS IT'S SPICEY AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO EAT COW.
IS THAT TRUE, YOU STILL CAN'T EAT COW?
>> YEAH.
BECAUSE COW IS A MOTHER SO WE CANNOT KILL OUR MOTHER AND EAT
IT, RIGHT?
>> Stephen: NO, THAT'S FROWNED ON EVEN OVER HERE.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: SO MY DOCTOR SAYS I HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION WHERE
I FIND MEAT DELICIOUS.
WHAT'S THE CLOSEST TO MEAT I'LL BE EATING TODAY?
>> NOTHING, I DON'T THINK, ANYTHING IS MEAT.
>> Stephen: NO BEEF?
NO BEEF.
>> Stephen: NO PORK, CHICKEN, SHRIMP.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: NO LOBSTER.
NO LOBSTER.
>> Stephen: NO SLIM JIM?
NO.
>> Stephen: DO YOU KNOW WHAT SLIM JIMS ARE?
>> WHAT'S A SLIM JIM.
>> Stephen: NO ONE KNOWS.
THEY CLAIM IT TO BE MEAT.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: OR IT COULD BE OIL AND HAIR STUFFED IN A TUBE BUT
THEY'RE SO GOOD.
>> MM-HMM.
>> Stephen: DO THEY DEEP-FAT FRY THINGS IN INDIA?
BECAUSE IN AMERICA WE'LL DEEP FRY ANYTHING.
>> THIS IS DEEP FRIED.
>> Stephen: THIS IS.
YEAH.
THE DEEP FRIED IS MAYBE MORE DELICIOUS.
>> Stephen: ALL FOOD DEEP FRAYE --DEEP FRIED IS THE BEST.
YEAH, THAT IS HOW REBRIDGE CULTURES.
RIGHT?
BREAD IT AND DEEP FAT FRY IT.
EVERYONE CAN AGREE ON THAT.
>> Stephen: THIS EATING WAS MAKING ME HUNGRY.
I COULDN'T WAIT TO COOK WITH YAMINI JOSHI.
I HAD TO LEARN THE SPICES.
TUMERIC -- ARE ALL THEM NAMED FOR GAME CHARACTERS?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: I HEARD SOMETHING CALLED GEE.
>> YES, GEE IS OUR MAIN INGREAT OF INDIAN COOKING, IT IS A
PURIFIED BUTTER.
>> Stephen: THIS IS OUR FIRST INGREDIENT.
IT IS ONE POUND OF BUTTER.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU EVER MET PAULA DEEN, THE CHEF?
THIS IS HER FIRST INGREDIENT IN EVERYTHING, TOO.
>> OH, THE FAT LADY, PAULA DEEN.
(LAUGHTER) YEAH, I SAW HER.
>> Stephen: SHE IS SO SORRY.
SHE IS SO SORRY.
OKAY.
GEE IS DIFFERENT THAN BUTTER, RIGHT?
BECAUSE MY DOCTOR SAID IF I EAT ANY MORE BUTTER, I COULD DIE.
BUT GEE IS FINE, RIGHT?
>> IT'S FINE, YEAH.
IT'S FINE.
>> Stephen: IT ISN'T BUTTER, IT'S JUST MADE ENTIRELY OF
BUTTER.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: OKAY, GOOD.
WHAT ARE THE PLIERS FOR?
IS IT CUSTOMARY TO EAT INDIAN FOOT AFTER YOU'VE PULLED YOUR
TEETH OUT?
>> YOU NEED THEM TO HANDLE IT.
>> Stephen: THIS IS INGENIOUS.
I SEE YOU HAVE A LOT OF REFRIGERATOR MAGNETS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: THIS IS FROM CABO SAN LUCAS, WHERE IN INDIA IS
THAT?
>> IN MEXICO, I THINK.
>> Stephen: DID YOU SEE SAMMY HAGAR?
>> NO (STEPHEN SINGING)
DO YOU SING?
>> I DO.
>> Stephen: AT WHAT POINT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BREAK OUT INTO
THE DANCE OR IS THAT JUST THE MOVIES?
IT'S A HAPPY OCCASION.
>> HAPPY.
>> Stephen: VERY HAPPY.
(SINGING) >> Stephen: WE'LL BE RIGHT
BACK!
♪ (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)