Roman Pasta & Real Talk With Chef Hillary Sterling Of Ci Siamo And “Ammazza!”

Radio Cherry Bombe

The Cherry Bombe Podcast Network

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4.6 • 592 Ratings

🗓️ 11 May 2026

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Chef Hillary Sterling of NYC’s Ci Siamo finally has a cookbook to call her own. “AMMAZZA! Culinary Adventures from New York to Italy and Back Again” is out tomorrow and showcases everything Hillary loves to make, from Roman pastas to Mexican food to Jewish classics with a twist. And the title? Ammazza is Italian for “you killed it,” “you slayed,” or good old “wow!” Hillary joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about the long road to “AMMAZZA!” and what the cookbook process taught her about herself and her cooking. She shares stories from her New York restaurant career, from working for Bobby Flay at Mesa Grill to cooking with Missy Robbins at A Voce, and opens up about the painful zero-star review she received at The Beatrice Inn, and how it ultimately helped her find her footing. They also dive into life at Ci Siamo, the women leading kitchens across Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, and their exciting plans to bring Ci Siamo to Boston. Plus, Hillary talks pasta, vegetables, vinaigrettes, rainbow cookies, and why she doesn’t have measuring cups at home. You can find Hillary’s Grilled Asparagus with Ramps & Mint Vinaigrette recipe from “AMMAZZA!” on our Substack. Thank you to Davines and Jackson Family Wines’ La Crema for their support. The Blue Heron California Farm This Is A Curl Binding Serum from Davines Sign up for our free Radio Cherry Bombe newsletters at cherrybombe.substack.com More on Hillary: Instagram, Ci Siamo, “AMMAZZA!” cookbook More on Kerry: Instagram, “So You Want To Open A Restaurant” Substack series

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, everybody. You're listening to Radio Cherry Bomb, and I'm your host, Carrie Diamond.
0:09.6	Today's guest is one of my faves. It's Hillary Sterling, the culinary forest behind New York City's
0:15.3	beloved Chisiyamo, soon to open in Boston as well, and first-time cookbook author.
0:21.0	Hillary is known for her bold, soulful Italian cooking,
0:24.1	which she showcases beautifully in her debut cookbook,
0:27.1	Amazza, culinary adventures from New York to Italy and back again.
0:31.8	The book is out tomorrow, and the title, Amazza, is Roman slang,
0:36.2	for you killed it or you slayed.
0:38.5	Hillary has a long history on the New York restaurant scene.
0:41.8	She worked for Bobby Flay back in the day when he was a restaurant chef before he became a TV star.
0:46.9	She still considers him a mentor.
0:48.9	She worked for Missy Robbins at a Voce, and she was the chef of the Beatrice Inn when it got zero stars,
0:55.5	ouch, from the New York Times.
0:57.7	Hillary and I talk about that period in her life and how the review, as painful as it was,
1:02.7	helped get her on the right track.
1:04.8	Today, Hillary is part of Danny Myers' Union Square Hospitality group, which has so many
1:09.4	incredible women leading its restaurant kitchens, from Chisiyamo to Union Square Cafe group, which has so many incredible women leading its restaurant kitchens,
1:11.9	from Chisiyamo to Union Square Cafe and beyond. It's great to see, and we talk about that too.
1:18.3	Hillary is incredibly proud of her cookbook, as you're about to learn, a matza was a long time in the
1:23.1	making, and the process taught her a great deal about herself and her cooking.
1:33.6	And of course, we talk about food, pasta, pasta, vegetables, vinegrets, and her popular rainbow cookies.
1:34.9	Stay tuned for my chat with Hillary Sterling and check out our Substack for a recipe from
	...

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