Michael Twitty explores the links between food, cultural identity and ancestry in his award-winning book, The Cooking Gene, which documents his own genealogical search from the USA to Africa. A scholar on both Judaic and Afro-American culture and heritage, Twitty writes the food blog, Afroculinaria. After two decades working in hospitality and experiencing marginalization, Lia Jones founded Diversity in Food & Beverage to advocate for better diversity, equality and inclusion within the industry.

The Connected Table Live Radio Show is broadcast live at 2pm ET Wednesdays on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). This podcast is also available on Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com).