She's My Cherry Pie

Today’s guest is Lauren Tran, the owner and pastry chef behind Bánh by Lauren, the popular Vietnamese-American and French-inspired bakery in New York City’s Chinatown. Lauren’s menu is a love letter to tradition, family, and flavor with delicious treats like lychee raspberry macarons, steamed rice cakes, and pandan coconut chiffon cake. 

Lauren joins host Jessie Sheehan to share how she turned a pandemic pop-up into one of the city'...

We’re airing one of our favorite episodes—host Jessie Sheehan’s interview with pastry chef and pie expert Maya-Camille Broussard. Maya-Camille is the force behind Justice of the Pies bakery in Chicago and the “Justice of the Pies” baking book. She’s also part of the “squad” on “Bake Squad,” the Christina Tosi-hosted Netflix show.  

Maya-Camille joins Jessie to talk about all things pie—from cold countertops to using your fingers to ...

Today, we’re airing a Radio Cherry Bombe episode with amateur baker and Google UX expert Elisa Sunga, the founder of Cake Picnic. She was hoping 15 folks would attend the very first Cake Picnic; more than 300 folks RSVP’d. The first rule of Cake Picnic is simple: “No cake, no entry.” 

Today, people are DM’ing and emailing her from around the world, asking for Elisa to bring Cake Picnic to their town. She already has a 7,000-person w...

Today’s guest is Lisa Donovan, the award-winning writer, pastry chef, and food columnist for The New York Times. Lisa’s culinary career has redefined what it means to be a Southern baker and her acclaimed memoir, “Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger,” is a must-read.

She joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her childhood as an “Army brat” traveling around Europe and the U.S. and how she fell in love with food from a young age. She discu...

Today’s guest is Rebecca Firkser—a Brooklyn-based recipe developer, writer, and food stylist. Rebecca’s debut cookbook, “Galette!: Sweet and Savory Recipes as Easy as Pie,” was just released and it’s an ode to the endlessly adaptable, always impressive pastry she calls the most “riffable” of all. 

Rebecca joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her path through the food world, her first galette (a plum beauty), and the special role ...

Today’s guest is Melanie Johnson, a baker, photographer, and food writer based in London. She’s also a columnist at Country Life magazine and the author of “Bundt: From Everyday Bakes to Fabulous Celebration Cakes.” 

Melanie joins host Jessie Sheehan to chat about her lifelong love of bundt cakes and why they’re the perfect baked good for beginner bakers. Then, the duo walk through Melanie’s Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Bundt with Mil...

Today, we welcome back award-winning pastry chef, cookbook author, and restaurateur Joanne Chang to the show! Joanne is the force behind the beloved Flour Bakery & Cafe, which now boasts 10 locations across the Boston/Cambridge area, and the co-owner of Myers + Chang, a celebrated Asian fusion restaurant in Boston’s South End.

Joanne joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her path from a childhood with few sweets to becoming one of...

Today’s guest is Renato Poliafito, the creative force behind Ciao, Gloria, the beloved bakery and café in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, and Pasta Night, its cozy pasta-slinging counterpart right across the street. A two-time James Beard Award nominee and co-author of multiple cookbooks, Renato released his first solo book, “Dolci!: American Baking with an Italian Accent,” last year as a tribute to his Italian American roots and his d...

Today’s guest is Susan Sarich, founder and CEO of SusieCakes, the nostalgic bakery known for its made-from-scratch Americana desserts. Since opening the first SusieCakes’ location in 2006, Susan has expanded the brand across the U.S. with over 30 locations in California, Texas, and Tennessee. 

Susan joins host Jessie Sheehan to share the heartfelt story of how her two grandmothers inspired her baking career and her business. Then, t...

Today’s guest is Bobbie Lloyd, the CEO and Chief Baking Officer of the legendary Magnolia Bakery in New York City. Bobbie is also a cookbook author, and her latest book, “The Magnolia Bakery Handbook Vol. 2: Icebox Desserts,” was released earlier this year.  

Bobbie joins host Jessie Sheehan to share the origin story of the bakery and how it became a global dessert empire, including how the show “Sex and the City” turned it from a l...

Today’s guest is entrepreneur and ice cream queen Pooja Bavishi of Malai Ice Cream, a Brooklyn-based brand redefining frozen desserts with bold South Asian flavors. She’s also the author of the new cookbook “Malai: Frozen Desserts Inspired by South Asian flavors.” 

Pooja joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her chai-inspired “hybrid identity,” her passion for experimenting with unconventional flavor pairings, and the ginger and s...

Today’s guest is Nicole Rucker, the award-winning pastry chef and owner of L.A.’s cult-favorite bakery Fat + Flour. Nicole is also the author of the new cookbook, “Fat + Flour: The Art of a Simple Bake.” 

Nicole joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about falling out of love with baking during the pandemic and how her new book helped her rediscover the joy in it. She breaks down her revolutionary “cold butter method” for foolproof pie d...

Today’s guest is Apollonia Poilâne, the third-generation baker and CEO of the legendary Parisian boulangerie Poilâne. Apollonia joins host Jessie Sheehan to share her extraordinary journey—from taking over the family bakery at just 18 years old to honoring and evolving a legacy that dates back to 1932. 

The duo dive into her life growing up between French and American cultures, the creative influence of her parents, and the secrets ...

We’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes today—host Jessie Sheehan’s interview with baker and cookbook author Benjamina Ebuehi. Benjamina was a finalist on “The Great British Bake Off,” where she stood out for her approachable and creative recipes. Since then, she’s written three baking books, including her latest, “I’ll Bring Dessert,” which celebrates shareable recipes and simple treats perfect for entertaining.

Benjamina tel...

We’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes today—host Jessie Sheehan’s interview with cookbook author and blogger Abi Balingit of The Dusky Kitchen. Abi is known for her flavorful, fun desserts, inspired by her American upbringing and Filipino heritage. She channeled all of this in her debut cookbook, “Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed,” which won the James Beard Award for Emerging Voice. Abi was also featured on the co...

We’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes today—host Jessie Sheehan’s interview with Paola Velez, pastry chef and co-founder of Bakers Against Racism, the global bake sale that raised over $2.5 million for social justice causes. She’s also the author of “Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store.”

Paola joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk all about her book, which she describes as a love letter to bot...

We’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes today—host Jessie Sheehan’s interview with self-taught pastry chef, community activist, and Cherry Bombe Magazine cover star Natasha Pickowicz. Natasha is known for her unique take on cake baking and decorating, and she’s built a cult following for her minimalist creations with maximum flavor. Natasha tells Jessie about her cake-making approach, which she outlines in her book, “More Tha...

Today’s guest is Stacey Mei Yan Fong, a home baker and the author of “50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the United States Through Pie.” While Stacey moved from Asia to the U.S., she found comfort in baking and launched a heartfelt project to create a pie for every state.

Stacey joins host Jessie Sheehan to share how this endeavor provided a creative outlet, pivoted her career from fashion to food, and resulted in a c...

Today’s guest is Melissa Weller, the chemical engineer-turned-baker and author of “Very Good Bread.” Melissa is a James Beard-nominated baker and the former head baker at Per Se and Roberta’s in New York City. She returns to the show to share her expertise on this iconic French bread.

Melissa joins host Jessie Sheehan to explore what it means to be a baker versus a pastry chef, her love for Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking with Julia,” and...