With five Michelin stars, a James Beard Award, and two world-class restaurants under his belt, Chef Curtis Duffy's culinary genius is undeniable. I sit down with the acclaimed Chicago chef to talk about the heartbreaking, harrowing, and ultimately healing story behind the food. From surviving the murder-suicide of his parents at age 19 to building his dream restaurant Ever, Chef Duffy opens up about how grief, resilience, and relentless ambition shaped every dish—and every chapter of his life.

The conversation dives into his new memoir Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef, a brutally honest look at a childhood shaped by abuse, abandonment, and redemption. Curtis shares how he found his calling in the kitchen, the mentors who helped save him, and the lessons he’s still learning as a father, husband, and restaurateur. With deep emotion and surprising humor, this episode goes far beyond food—it’s about breaking cycles, finding purpose, and refusing to let your past define you.

• Writing His Way Through the Pain: Curtis shares how his memoir Fireproof helped him process decades of trauma—and why writing was the most powerful form of therapy he’s ever experienced. (2:31)
• Telling His Kids the Truth—Before the World Could: Curtis talks about sitting down with his children to share his story before they heard it from a stranger, and how his book became a legacy of honesty and healing. (6:04)
• The Complicated Love for the Parents Who Hurt Him: Despite a violent, abusive past, Curtis opens up about finding his way back to love and forgiveness for both his parents. (11:43)
• The Stepmom Who Became Everything: Curtis reflects on the strength of Jan, the 15-year-old girl who raised him as her own—and why he still calls her his real mother. (13:11)
• Why He’ll Never Reconnect With His Birth Mother: In an emotional moment, Curtis explains why he’s at peace with keeping distance from the woman who gave birth to him but never raised him. (25:56)
• Losing His Dream Restaurant—and Starting Over: Curtis recounts the heartbreak of losing Grace, the award-winning restaurant he helped build, and how that painful experience led to something even greater. (36:52)
• Designing a World-Class Dining Experience—Down to the Menu Paper: From velvet tables to “milk paper” menus, Curtis explains why every detail at Ever is part of the guest’s emotional journey. (44:37)
• Vegetables Over Meat—Every Time: A lifelong vegetable lover (with one major exception), Curtis shares why his dishes often revolve around produce, and how carrots beat steak any day. (41:28)
• How Dharma, Metal, and Milk Paper All Show Up in His Work: From Hindu philosophy to Black Sabbath concerts to textured menus, Curtis reveals the unexpected influences that keep him creatively grounded. (48:09)

Connect with Chef Curtis Duffy:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Bluesky
• X
• Chef Curtis Duffy- Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef
• Ever Restaurant

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.

Sonita Alizadeh is an award-winning Afghan rapper, activist, and now published author who’s using her voice—through rap and writing—to fight one of the world’s most overlooked human rights issues: child marriage. In this unforgettable episode, Ami sits down with Sonita to talk about her extraordinary journey from nearly being sold into marriage twice to becoming a globally recognized artist and advocate whose music and message are transforming lives.

With humility and quiet intensity, Sonita opens up about what it was like growing up as an undocumented refugee in Iran, where she wasn’t allowed to attend school or even ask for basic rights. She shares how she discovered rap—thanks to Eminem—and how it gave her a way to tell the truth no one else was saying. Her breakout song, Daughters for Sale, was more than viral—it was revolutionary. It not only saved her from marriage but inspired other girls to fight for their freedom too.

From the pain of being separated from loved ones, to the slow transformation of her mother—from someone trying to arrange her marriage to someone who now supports her music—Sonita's story is both heartbreaking and full of hope. They also talk about Sonita’s new memoir Sonita, her Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, and her plans to work in immigration and refugee advocacy to create long-term change.

From half-bruised faces in music videos to dreams of one day performing in Afghanistan, this episode is a powerful reminder of the resilience it takes to rewrite your destiny—and how one voice can ignite a movement.

• Reunited in Canada: Sonita shares what it’s like living in Toronto with her family, including reflections on Afghan birth records, her sister’s undocumented age, and how being together again brings healing. (2:09)
• Escaping the Taliban—And Losing Her Rights in Iran: Sonita recalls fleeing Afghanistan only to face discrimination and exclusion in Iran as an undocumented refugee, including being denied access to education. (5:17)
• Why Her Mother Tried to Sell Her: Sonita explains her mother’s heartbreaking reasoning for arranging her marriage—how generational trauma, poverty, and cultural norms shaped that decision. (8:14)
• How Her Family Learned to Love Her Music: From secret recordings to hearing her rap on Afghan national TV, Sonita shares how her family slowly began supporting her artistry—culminating in her mother asking her to write a song for a murdered woman named Farkhunda. (11:00)
• Discovering Rap in a Gym—and Why She Chose It Over Pop: Inspired by Eminem’s rage-filled lyrics, Sonita explains why rap gave her the emotional outlet she needed to tell stories of child labor, child marriage, and injustice. (15:29)
• Going Viral, Getting Out: Her song Daughters for Sale went viral—terrifying and liberating her. It caught the attention of a U.S. NGO, which helped her secure a scholarship to study in America. (18:31)
• Freedom, Isolation, and Cheeseburgers: Sonita recounts her first experiences in the U.S.—from language barriers and loneliness to bike rides, fast food, and studio time that finally gave her space to heal. (22:03)
• From Rap to Rhodes: Her Education Journey: Sonita talks about graduating from Bard College with a double major in music and human rights, and her next chapter: studying forced migration at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. (25:04)
• Why She Wrote Her Memoir—And What’s Inside: She shares how her memoir Sonita was born out of a classroom assignment, why she includes music and photos, and how it tells not just her story, but the story of millions of Afghan girls. (26:50)
• Q&A With Kids—and a Dream to Return Home: In a heartwarming moment, Ami’s daughters ask Sonita about her biggest inspiration, her future goals, and her biggest pet peeve (“Telling her story again and again—and seeing no change”). (32:21)

Connect with Sonita Alizadeh:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• X

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media

William Dalrymple is a bestselling historian, award-winning broadcaster, and one of the world’s most dynamic voices on colonial history. In this episode, Ami chats with the legendary India-based Scottish writer about his latest book, The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World, which argues that India’s intellectual and spiritual contributions have been foundational to the global world we live in today—and yet remain widely unacknowledged in the West.

With warmth, humor, and piercing insight, William shares what it was like growing up the youngest of four brothers in an eccentric aristocratic family, how his radical Scottish nanny shaped his worldview, and why he believes India’s greatest export isn’t Bollywood or curry—but the number zero. Ami and William discuss how Indian ideas influenced everything from mathematics to religion, why Western education omits these facts, and how colonization played a role in that erasure.

From buffets in Delhi to dancing in Goa, DJing at farmhouse parties to dinner with Aamir Khan, this episode blends deep history with cultural stories and unforgettable banter.

• From Shrubs to Shrines: William recounts a surreal night in Dallas giving a lecture at a house decorated with statues of Reagan, Thatcher, and Churchill. (2:52)
• Growing Up the Youngest: Why being the “love-bombed” youngest of four shaped William’s personality—and how he finally made peace with his brother who beat him up. (5:27)
• Nerd Forever: William describes his lifelong love of history, how he made a career from a teenage obsession, and the unusual accessories he wore to study ancient churches. (10:17)
• History Through Two Lenses: The surprising influence of William’s radical nanny and how it fueled his nuanced take on colonialism and the British Empire. (14:00)
• Why The Golden Road Matters: A crash course on how Indian mathematics, philosophy, and spirituality transformed Eurasia—and why Westerners still don’t know it. (18:15)
• India’s PR Problem: On WhatsApp uncles, Hindu helicopters, and why ancient India’s brilliance was downplayed for colonial reasons (and cringed at by younger generations). (24:34)
• Religion Without Conquest: William explains how Hinduism and Buddhism spread across Asia through persuasion, not power. (28:46)
• Tuckered Out and Booked Out: Why William is more exhausted than ever thanks to his podcast Empire, his book tour, and a lifelong habit of overworking in gardens. (37:42)

Connect with William Dalrymple:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• X

Let’s talk Connect:

• Instagram

This podcast is produced by Ginni Media.