I like to think that Mama Issa had breakfast at her favorite place this morning—right on the edge of the Mediterranean. Imagine the soft clatter of dishes, waves gently splashing against the thick rock wall separating Mama Issa from that turquoise water. She sips that good, strong Lebanese coffee and breathes in the scent of warm manouche bread mingling with the faint salt from the sea.

Maybe the electricity went out last night, maybe there will be strikes in the city this month. It doesn’t bother Mama Issa; she’s at peace. She’s been through worse, and after all, her life’s work is an unmitigated success.

Her phone buzzes on the table beside her. Maybe she doesn’t even hear it at first, as a large wave hits the wall and mist swirls around her, kissing her face. But as the wave recedes, she picks up the phone and sees it’s her daughter, Fatema, today’s guest.

Decades ago, not far from this very spot, Mama Issa cradled Fatema close at Beirut airport, guiding her other children as missiles exploded around. She was leaving her home, her heart language, her husband, her community, and her friends.

They escaped the war, but life didn’t get easier. However, with the support of her own mother and siblings, and driven by a vision for her children, she persevered. She gave them a life, a future, hope, education, worldly success—and more than anything, she gave them the lifeline she had received: an unbreakable bond with family.

Today, Fatema works with her brother, a restaurateur, at their newest venture in Washington, DC—Vera Cucina, a restaurant that celebrates a fusion of Lebanese and Mexican cuisines. The cultures share values of family and warm hospitality, a similar vibrancy in art and beauty, and the merging of their cuisines began with a wave of Lebanese immigration to Mexico in the late 19th century.

Fatema’s recipe is a prime example of this fusion, developed side by side in the kitchen with Mama Issa and the chef of Vera Cucina. And in that collaboration, you see Mama Issa’s dream fulfilled: her children working together, staying close, honoring their heritage, and creating something meaningful that carries their family forward.

So I imagine Mama Issa smiling as Fatema shares how guests are coming far and wide, asking for her lamb chops, tasting them, experiencing home—Mama Issa’s home—and above all, family.

• Eat at Fatema's Restaurant Vera Cucina in Washington D.C.

The Storied Recipe is a community that believes food is a universal love language. Join for episode & recipe updates every Friday mornings. (And occasional free gifts!)

Please leave a 5-star review for the podcast right here!

This link will give all review options available on your device. Simply choose any option, click, and leave a review. Thank you!

Typically, I introduce episodes with a nostalgic story, inviting you all on an emotional journey with me - but I’ve opted out of that today as it doesn’t quite fit. Today’s episode isn’t about the past or the bittersweet memories of loved ones lost -

Rather, it celebrates a friendship rooted in mutual respect and action - action to preserve the skills, wisdom, and cuisine of past generations.

Today, Hank Shaw, owner of the world's biggest wild food site, is sharing a recipe made by his great friend, Patricio Wise. Patricio is a former finance professional, successful serial restaurateur, and immigrant from the Nuevo León region of Mexico to Sacramento, California—and the spontaneous creator of today's recipe: the Deathbed Tacos, so named because Hank would choose them for his last meal and “die happy”.

As for our guest, Hank - well, Patricio himself shared these words about Hank in an introduction to Hank's latest book, Borderlands:

Hank used to work as a political reporter, underpaid by his own accounts, and would for years live off the fish and seafood he could catch himself. He has since become, in my not-so-humble opinion, the foremost authority on wild food in the United States. His blog won a James Beard Award in 2013 and if you've ever heard him talk about foraging, fishing, or hunting, you know the man doesn't just read about things—he does them….

But what really sets Hank apart isn't just the encyclopedic knowledge—it's the storytelling. He has this way of weaving personal experience with fact, of grounding hard research in soft dirt. And nowhere is that clearer than in Borderlands. One of the things that struck me most is how he managed to capture the spirit of the people who live in this liminal space between the U.S. and Mexico. People like me, who grew up in Monterrey with Sunday carne asadas… People who know that food isn't just about sustenance—it's about identity. Culture and story. Hank gets that. He gets us.

Now, having heard from Patricio about Hank, we welcome Hank to tell us more about Patricio and these birthday tacos that Patricio invented one sweltering night in Sacramento.

• Hank's website Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
• Order Hank's new cookbook Borderlands
• Listen to Hank's podcast episode with Chef Patricio Wise as they talk all about Mexican Cuisine.

The Storied Recipe is a community that believes food is a universal love language. Join for episode & recipe updates every Friday mornings. (And occasional free gifts!)

Please leave a 5-star review for the podcast right here!

This link will give all review options available on your device. Simply choose any option, click, and leave a review. Thank you!