Episode 149: Helene Henderson (Malibu Farm), Emma Bengtsson (Aquavit)

It's Inauguration Day in the United States, and we open this week's episode with a moving conversation with Aquavit chef and Swedish native Emma Bengtsson, who became a US citizen on January 6, 2021, the day of the horrific insurrection at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Emma shares the mix of emotions she felt on that day, and where her subsequent soul-searching led her.And our feature interview this week is with Helene Henderson, another Swedish woman (we swear this is a coincidence), who founded the successful restaurant collection Malibu Farm, with outposts in California, Florida, and New York. Helene takes us through her early life in Sweden, the odd jobs she worked in New York and California, her catering and private chef career, and the evolution of Malibu Farm from a quirky pop-up to a bi-coastal enterprise. Listen to our earlier, feature interview with Emma Bengtsson.Support Aquavit restaurant!Support Malibu Farm in California, New York, and Florida!Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information. THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!