Jen Shoemaker turned a passion for cheese into a business to help her survive the pandemic Easy Cook Bear

Artist and activist Jen Shoemaker started Krewe de Fromage, a cheese and charcuterie board and box delivery service in New York City, after she lost her union bartending job at a hotel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jen shares her story of growing up in New Orleans with Midwestern and Jamaican parents, leaving New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and trying to find her way in New York. In her journey, she made it to the top 10 in one of Chrissy Teigen's food art contests and also appeared on CNN to advocate for hospitality workers who have lost their jobs in the pandemic.  

Easy Cook Bear is a food and culture show about how we cook, connect, and create. Host Lee-Sean Huang and guests share stories, swap recipes, and explore the creative processes of people who make art, culture, food, music, and more.

Links to people and things mentioned in the episode:

Krewe de Fromage: https://www.instagram.com/krewedefromage/

Theodore Roosevelt quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/theodore_roosevelt_100965

The Roosevelt Hotel in New York Closes: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/roosevelt-hotel-new-york-closing-trnd/index.html

Transcript of Jen’s interview with Poppy Harlow on CNN: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2003/20/cnr.02.html

Tony Chachere’s Red Beans and Rice: https://www.tonychachere.com/Red-Beans-and-Rice-P197.aspx

Basin Street Records: https://www.basinstreetrecords.com/

What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton: https://amzn.to/3mGueXj


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/easycookbear/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/easycookbear/support