Hey, it's Francis. You know, I have always loved and admired La Cousina, a nonprofit in the San Francisco Bay Area that serves women who are burgeoning food business owners.

And a few years ago, its longtime executive director, Caleb Ziegas, took me around, meet some of the women they've worked with,

and it was just an incredible day of delicious food and amazing stories. So here's a show we put

together a while back based on that day. And I should say, before we get into it, that since then,

Caleb has moved on, and I'm so thrilled to see how La Cuisina thrives

under its new director, Debbie Alvarez-Rogiguez.

Anyway, have a listen.

I'm Frances Lamb, and this is The Splendid Table

from APM, American Public Media,

the show for curious cooks and eaters.

Thank you. and eaters. In San Francisco's Mission District, in a pleasant but unassuming gray building, women are,

probably right at this moment, making tamales, frying chicken, and blending hummus.

Outside, the sign says La Cucina,

which means the kitchen in Spanish. And La Cosaina is, for starters, that. It's a non-profit

licensed commercial kitchen. It was built so that low-income women, who were making food

at home and selling it informally in their communities, could have a legit place to work.

But La Cosaena realized that's not enough. So they developed a program that also helps these street vendors and chefs

work on their business plans, their marketing, logos, get legal help,

and everything else they need to know to turn their passion or their side hustle

or their, what else am I

going to do, gig, into real sustainable careers.

And for the past decade and a half, Lacosina has helped well over 100 women launch their own

...