Warm, gracious, and enthusiastic—Kathy Wakile takes the word “host” to a whole new level as she gives her listeners an earful of the real, intimate conversations that take place at her table and in her most significant relationships.
This former Real Housewives of New Jersey star of seasons three through seven began podcasting in August of 2019 with her show Eat, Live, Love, Indulge With Kathy Wakile, “where food, family, and friends come together to make the best recipe for life.” With the intention of leveraging her huge fan base from the Bravo TV show as well as her Instagram followers, Kathy shared how the idea of the podcast came about:
“People want to know what I’m cooking, and they want to come to dinner. And we always have the best times around the table in my kitchen. So, I thought, how can I create something that’s an extension of my Instagram? Where it’s really me speaking, not sitting there and having to type things in and, you know, explain myself. I thought it would be a lot more appealing if people could listen to my voice and hear my family and I interact with each other. The podcast listener gets a chance to really interact with me and whomever I have sitting around my table.”
When choosing subjects to cover on her show, Kathy looks to those that reflect what is going on in her own life in the moment. For example, heart health was a topic that came up in the “Podcasting In Our Pajamas” episode that aired on February 18, because February is Heart
Health Month. Kathy and her husband Richie, who’s a staple on the show, both had their heart health assessed.
Because she cooks with the freshest ingredients in season, she likes to live her life accordingly. As snowbirds, she and Richie traveled to Florida for one show and talked about Miami, their favorite spots to eat in South Florida, and their daughter’s recent engagement.
Her recommendations are solid, too! I found Kathy’s show right before Thanksgiving, and after listening to her interview with New York City restauranteur Anthony Vitollo of Emilo’s Ballato, ended up there for my pre-Thanksgiving dinner with one of my oldest friends.
Regarding the show’s topics, Kathy says:
“Occasionally, I throw out questions on my social media for my followers and ask my friends on social media to ask questions about our life that they want to know about. I was a hairdresser before. So I love relationships, and I love to interact with people. I love knowing what’s going on with someone else—his or her story. So that’s how I choose my content.”
Recording from her kitchen table for most episodes, Kathy’s now looking into the possibility of adding live video of her cooking up a storm for her family and friends as an extension of the show.
Does she have something special planned for Mother’s Day?
You bet!
“I’ve always had Mother’s Day at my house. It’s my treat to have everybody I love around me. I love to love family… so I invite everyone to my house. I don’t really need a conventional ‘Mother’s Day off.’ I take time for myself throughout the year when I need to be pampered. But on Mother’s Day, I just feel blessed to have so many people around me. I welcome the company. I like to create a beautiful place for my family… for my sisters in law. I celebrate my children—my daughter who will be a mother, hopefully, one day. Because of them, I’m a mother. And a mother nurtures.”
Kathy hasn’t set her Mother’s Day menu yet, because she likes to see what the weather is going to be like—if it’s nice, they might barbeque. Regardless of the weather, though, the day’s meal will include traditional Italian Sunday dinner foods, including a pasta dish, freshly sautéed veggies, and a main course the guests can linger over.
That lost art of lingering over a meal is important to Kathy, who says:
“Everyone is in such a rush these days. And when they are together, they’re often preoccupied by phones and other outside stimulation instead of really enjoying lingering meals around the table and the conversations that come out of it. And to me, those are the best things! That’s how my podcast was born. That’s why, in the visual of my podcast, you see me sitting on the table. I wanted the table to be the focus—where everyone feels welcome and knows they always have a seat. I want people to gather around and enjoy being a vicarious part of great conversations and great food. Let’s talk about life together! That is the premise of my podcast.”
A role model for building deeper relationships and making connections with those at her table—her family, those she interviews, and podcast listeners alike—Kathy sets a beautiful table for the feast.
May 2020 Issue
