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Food with Mark Bittman: Mavis-Jay Sanders and … Mark Bittman

Community Kitchen, part two.

Published September 17, 2025

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Photo courtesy Community Kitchen

For today’s episode, which is part two of our little Community Kitchen miniseries (part one, with our executive director, Rae Gomes, is here), Kate interviewed me and our chef, Mavis-Jay Sanders (who was on the podcast more than a year ago, pre-Community Kitchen).

Listen to Mavis-Jay Sanders and me on Food with Mark Bittman

Mavis-Jay is a brilliant chef, a food justice activist, a great person. Three or four years ago, when I was very early on in figuring out what would become Community Kitchen, I had breakfast with Mavis-Jay and told her about the project (and that I had no idea what I was doing). I suggested that maybe she’d want to be the chef. She responded with something like, “Sure. Let me know when it’s happening.”

Fast forward: Our search for a chef did not take long, because Mavis-Jay was our first and almost only choice—and that is a choice that will certainly prove to be a good one. Community Kitchen opens in two days—September 19! Sign up for updates and/or donate right here—and please enjoy this very special episode.

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