Mad Scientist Cooking, Family Food Cultures & Latkes with Joshua Silverstein

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Joshua Silverstein, an award-winning actor, comic, writer, allergy-culture advocate and food lover.    Silverstein’s creativity clearly lends itself well to the kitchen, especially since he needs to work around his many allergies.    “My relationship with food has been challenging, it's been exciting, it's led to a lot of interesting stories,” he explains. The executive director of Cazadero performing arts camp, he is also a staple writer-performer at The Braid Jewish Theater Company. Silverstein’s The Braid’s shows include “True Colors,” “What A Surprise” and the upcoming “Hold Me, Heal Me,” as well as a solo show.    “Because I'm a father with a multicultural family that leaves room for a lot of experimentation [especially since] my children also have allergies,” he says.   Silverstein explains how he gets to be a “mad scientist” in the kitchen. Combine the mindset of exploration with being inclusive.    “The kitchen should be a place of play and fun, and that's a privilege,” he believes. “Keep trying new things [and] keep being curious about what's on the other side of people's palates.”   Joshua Silverstein talks about his upbringing, creativity in the kitchen, and how everything his family eats is a community project. He also shares about his grandmother’s latke recipe, which you can get at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. There are also shout outs to Natasha Feldman, NoshwithTash.com,  author of “The Dinner Party Project.”   Learn more at JoshuaSilverstein.com and CazFamilyCamp.org. For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.