♪ GASTOR ALMONTE: I got on my phone, I called the Applebee's in Fresh Meadows.

"Hi, this is Stephanie from Applebee's."

"Hi, Stephanie.

"My name is Gastor Almonte, and I mean business."

(laughter) CLAIRE CHENEY: And at the same time, I hear somebody shout my name-- "Claire!"

And then the doors close.

And I stand there in shock.

At this point, I look around, and everyone is smiling back at me.

Something's working, or everyone's just drunk.

(laughter) THERESA OKOKON: Tonight's theme is "Sugar and Spice."

ANNOUNCER: This program is made possible in part by contributions from viewers like you.

Thank you.

Food plays such a pivotal role in all of our lives that when we have easy access to it, it can become really easy to start to take it for granted.

And sometimes you're halfway across the globe in some stranger's kitchen and you get a taste of your parents' signature dish, and all of a sudden, you're filled with memories of home.

That is what food does for us.

ALMONTE: My name is Gastor Almonte.

I'm a comedian and a storyteller out of East New York, Brooklyn.

Been doing standup for about seven years now, been doing storytelling for about five.

I'm married, got two kids, and they pretty much are the reason I do this.

So is there a particular freedom that you feel in storytelling in a different way, or what is it that makes storytelling different for you?

The main thing that I keep in mind, when I'm doing standup, you're learning about how I think.

And when you're... when I'm doing a story, you're seeing the moments that led to me thinking that way.

So what kind of stories do you like to tell the most?

I like to tell stories that reflect on my neighborhood and my upbringing.

I want to make sure that more and more people get familiar with people that look like me.

- Mm-hmm.

- In general, I've come to find the actual hurdles that people are overcoming are all the same.

You know, once you get over the fact that I'm in a dangerous neighborhood in East New York, Brooklyn, what I'm talking about in general is something that anybody can relate to, you know?

OKOKON: Right.

ALMONTE: From Wisconsin, Idaho, wherever you may be, I guarantee you that once you get over the fact that, oh, this might have took place on the J train in Brooklyn, the overall theme of the story is something you relate to.

What's the most you ever paid for dessert?

Five dollars, $10, $20?

I spent $390 once.

Best decision I ever made in my life.

(laughter) You've got to understand-- I was 24 years old.

Me and my girl were expecting our first kid.

We were strapped for cash.

I was working part time loading trucks in Brooklyn.

And after work, I would go play cards in underground poker games for extra money.

So clearly I had my life in order.

(laughter) Despite this, my dad decided to bestow some wisdom on me.

He said, "Gastor, if you want to be a good husband "and a good father, it's real simple.

"You've got to do three things.

"Heavy, high, and fall.

"Something's heavy, you pick it up.

"Something's high, you reach for it.

And if something's fall, you go get it."

(laughter) (cheers and applause) I was excited.

My wife was pregnant.

Figured she was going to have cravings, I'm going to get a chance to put this into action.

(laughter) Unfortunately, she only had one craving-- Applebee's maple butter blondie.

(laughter) For those of you that haven't had it, it's magical.

(laughter) Scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a warm blondie, walnut chunks, caramel, and maple butter syrup sprinkled on top-- it's fantastic.

(laughter) If you're over the age of 30 and you haven't had one, I have to question your life choices.

(laughter) Problem was I worked evenings loading the trucks.

I would get out 9:30, 10:00 most days.

All the Applebee's in Brooklyn closed at 10:00.

Kitchen closed at 9:30.

So if my wife had this craving, I couldn't do anything about it until the weekends.

All her friends knew about this, too.

So when a new Applebee's opened in Fresh Meadows, Queens, and they closed at 11:00, I got seven text messages from my friends.

(laughter) All telling me, "Gastor, next time she wants this, you can make it happen."

I was armed with power now.

(laughter) Excited, because the next week I had my chance.

I got a text message.

As soon as I walk out the building from work, I see it on my phone-- "Gastor, I had a rough day.

But you know what can make it better?"

(laughter) "Walnut chunks and maple butter syrup."

I went into action.

(laughter) I got on my phone, I called the Applebee's in Fresh Meadows.

"Hi, this is Stephanie from Applebee's."

"Hi, Stephanie.

My name is Gastor Almonte, and I mean business."

(laughter) "I need a maple butter blondie.

I'm going to be there in 15 minutes."

She said, "Cool."

She hung up the phone.

Applebee's is 20 minutes away, so needless to say, my driving was inspired.

(laughter) Show up to the Applebee's, she has my maple butter blondie ready.

Maple butter blondie is $5.99.

New York tax is a ripoff, but it's $6.53.

I give her ten dollars even to cover the tip.

I'm out the door.

I'm inside the car, I'm looking at the time, I'm like, "Yo, this is easy."

Now I'm on the Jackie Robinson Parkway in Brooklyn.

I'm doing 80 on a 45.

I get pulled over by the cops.

(audience groans) Cop comes out the car, he comes over.

"What's the emergency, man?

What's going on?"

I'm like, "Man, my wife had a craving, she's pregnant.

I'm trying to make dreams come true."

(laughter and applause) He's like, "I hear you, man.

Well, license and registration."

(laughter) Goes to the car, comes back, gives me a ticket.

And he's like, "Listen, man.

"You see all those guys on the side over there?

"They're doing construction work.

"They're going to shut down this highway in a half hour.

"You're making it hard for them to get ready.

"And more importantly, you're putting your own life in danger."

He gives me a $110 ticket and tells me to "Have a good night, sir."

As if those two things go together.

(laughter) But whatever.

I get to the house, open the door, and I give Gabi the maple butter blondie and she's ecstatic.

She gives me a huge hug, she kisses me on the cheek.

She's like, "Gastor, honey, you have a good night at poker."

Which I've never heard before.

(laughter) Feeling great, I get to the car.

I pull off.

Five minutes into the ride to the card game, I get a call.

Gabi's hysterical on the phone, she's crying.

I'm like, "Baby, what's happening?"

"Gastor, I put the blondie in the microwave to warm it up.

"I thought I hit 30 seconds.

I hit three minutes.

It's the pregnancy brain.

I burnt the blondie."

(audience laughs) I don't know what pregnancy brain is, but it seems like a big deal.

(laughter) Now I've got a decision to make.

Should I go play cards, or should I be a good husband?

Heavy, high, and far.

I go into action.

(laughter) It's 10:30 now.

I call up the Applebee's at Fresh Meadows.

"Stephanie, you might remember me.

"My name is Gastor Almonte.

(laughter) I still mean business."

(laughter) "How can I help you?"

"Stephanie, I need another maple butter blondie."

She's like, "Gastor, I'm sorry-- the kitchen's already closed.

You can still come in for drinks."

I'm like, "No, Stephanie, you don't understand.

I'm trying to make dreams happen here."

(laughter) "I gave you $10 to cover the maple butter blondie, "tax, and tip.

"I will give you that $10 and an additional $20 if you can get me another maple butter blondie."

She said, "Gastor, I'm going to make it happen."

(laughter) I said, "Stephanie, you a team player."

(laughter) I get in the car, I'm driving off.

I'm doing 80 in a 45 on the Jackie Robinson.

I get pulled over a second time.

(laughter) I see the cop come out the car, it's the same cop.

(laughter) First time he was courteous, you know?

He asked me what was the emergency.

This time he was angry.

Before I could even say anything, he's like, "License and registration."

Gives me my second $110 ticket, and tells me to "Have a good night, sir."

I get to the Applebee's, it's 11:10, they're closed.

I call inside, I'm like, "Yo, what's going on?"

They're like, "Sorry, we're closed, sir."

I'm like, "Stephanie."

(laughter) "The maple butter blondie's already done.

"I will give you an additional $20 if you can just walk this out the door, Stephanie."

(laughter) She said, "I got you."

(laughter) I get back in my car, drive on the Jackie Robinson.

I'm doing 80 in a 45 for the third time.

(laughter) And for the third time, cop pulls me over.

And it's the same cop.

He looks at me, and he's like, "Is this really happening?"

(laughter) He's not even asking me.

He's asking God, because he's questioning himself.

(laughter) "License and registration."

Goes, gives me my third ticket.

Comes back to the car, hands me the ticket.

And I start to shake, because everything's gone wrong.

And he said, "What's going on, man?"

I said, "I'm not lying to you, boss."

"I've been trying to get this dessert to my wife.

"She's having a baby.

"This is the first time that she's had cravings and I can make it happen."

He said, "What do you got there?"

"A maple butter blondie."

And he's like, "That's the one with the walnut chunks?"

(laughter) I'm like, "Yeah, man."

And he's like, "You've got to get that home."

The vanilla ice cream's going to melt."

(laughter) I'm like, "I know, but I can't get through here.

You keep giving me tickets."

(laughter) He's like, "That ain't even the problem-- the highway's closed-- they started construction."

So I'm like, "Damn, I don't know what I'm going to do."

And he's like, "I got you, boss."

(laughter) He gets in his car, turns on the sirens and escorts me through the construction site.

Rolls down his window when we get to the end of the highway, looks at me, shouts out through his car window, "Hey, boss, you be safe out there-- you have a good night, sir."

Lets me drive to the house.

I open up the door, Gabi sees me holding a new bag.

And tears start falling down her eyes.

She gives me a huge hug, and for the first time I feel like I can provide safety and security to my wife and kids.

Because I'll do anything for them-- heavy, high, or fall.

Thank you.

(cheers and applause) ♪ CHENEY: My name is Claire Cheney.

I live in Arlington, Massachusetts, and I own a spice business, which I started about three years ago in my garage.

But it's grown from there, and now we have a retail store, and I have employees, so it's going really well.

You've really traveled the world looking for different kinds of spices.

So what would you say are some of the destinations spots for a spice lover?

Well, I love Southeast Asia, because that's where I did a big chunk of my spice research.

So Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia.

One of my favorite places in the world is Sri Lanka.

It's a very beautiful, small island.

Why is the story that you're telling us tonight important and special for you?

It's important because it marks a time in my life that signified when I transitioned to really dedicating myself to spices.

And they always say, you know, just do what you love and, you know, the rest will follow.

And I think that kind of applies to my story, because I just pursued my passion, and that's when I also found love.

I've loved traveling ever since I was 18 and I went to Ghana.

It was there that I met a very special tree.

I didn't know what kind of tree it was at first.

I just admired its green leaves and its smooth bark.

And then I stopped and inhaled.

And I realized, "Oh!

It's cinnamon!"

And it was like meeting somebody for the first time, but, like, you'd known them your whole life.

It felt like falling in love.

But even though I really did love this cinnamon tree, I knew I couldn't marry a cinnamon tree.

So while it did spark a lifelong love and passion for spices, all this time that I've been sourcing spices and traveling the world, I've also been hunting for love.

So about six years ago I was dating this guy named Jared who loved to travel.

He was an international business student, read the Wall Street Journal every morning.

And we were very excited about traveling the world together, he doing international business, me sourcing spices.

It was perfect.

So I'm headed over to his apartment one cold January night to plan our first international trip together.

But when I get there and sit down on the couch, the first thing he tells me is, "Claire, I don't want to go to Europe with you."

It was clear he didn't want to go anywhere with me.

He was ending it.

Devastated, I got up to leave, but I had to put my giant snow boots back on, which took an embarrassingly long time, and made me feel even more pathetic than a freshly dumped girlfriend.

But I ran out to my car and sat in the freezing cold and cried.

This was a really difficult time.

I was almost 30 years old, and this breakup felt like just another checked box in a list of failed relationships I'd had throughout my 20s.

What was wrong with me?

Why couldn't I just get on with my life and have somebody to share it with?

So even though I fell into a bit of a depression, I decided that this was a time when maybe I didn't need a guy in my life, and that I would travel across the world by myself and dig deeper into my passion for spices.

So I decided to move to Asia, and visit spice farms and producers.

But, of course, life is never simple.

So around this same time, a friend of mine set me up on a blind date.

And never mind that it was with her ex-boyfriend.

(laughter) Just try to ignore that.

But I went out on a date with this guy named Mark.

And it turned out he was really awesome.

He also really liked to travel.

He had been to places like Azerbaijan and New Hampshire.

(laughter) And we just really hit it off.

We really liked a lot of the same music, and food, and it was going really well.

But I told him, "Hey, I don't want to mislead you.

"I'm planning to move to Thailand in a couple months "to start some spice research, and so I'm not really that available."

And he said, "Well, that's cool-- maybe I'll come visit."

So after the date, I found myself thinking a lot about Mark.

He was just really different from every other guy I'd met, and he also felt like someone I'd known for a really long time.

And he lacked the kind of cocky arrogance that Jared had.

But I was still really fragile and vulnerable from a pattern of broken relationships, and I didn't want to just fall in love again and have my heart broken again.

So I continued on with my plan.

I quit my job, I moved of my apartment, and I flew to Bangkok.

I was finally digging into my passion and researching spices.

I was visiting spice farms in Sri Lanka, learning to peel cinnamon and dig turmeric.

I was in Cambodia tasting rare peppercorns that tasted like jasmine and eucalyptus.

I was in my element.

But Mark and I stayed in touch.

We Skyped almost every day.

And I got to know that Skype ringtone really well, and looked forward to it.

(imitates ringtone) So about four months go by, and Mark calls me up one day and says, "Hey, I'd really like to come visit."

And I said, "That's awesome-- let's do it."

So next thing you know, he flies over to Bangkok, and we decide to go to Bali for a couple days.

So this one morning we're hiking up the side of a volcano, like you do.

(laughter) And I realize that I was so far away from that cold winter in Boston when I felt so alone and empty and sad.

Here I was in this beautiful, spicy land with this guy I was crazy about.

And we get to the top of the volcano, and we're looking out over the landscape, and Mark pulls out a ring and proposes.

I burst into tears-- you can tell I'm a big crier-- and I said yes.

We'd only been dating for about eight months, four of them long distance, but it just felt really right.

Then we had to head back to Bangkok for a couple days.

He was going home in a couple days to Boston, and I had to figure out how to wrap up my trip in Asia.

So we're out shopping this one afternoon, and decide to go home, because it was really hot out.

So we head to the train.

And it's the Skytrain, so you have to go up the stairs.

So we're headed up the stairs, and we hear the train approaching.

So we start to rush to try and catch it.

And as we get to the platform, we hear that warning beep right before the doors close.

And at the same time, I hear somebody shout my name-- "Claire!"

And then the doors close.

And I stand there in shock, staring at my ex-boyfriend Jared inside the train while my fiancé of two days stands next to me.

(laughter) So we're staring at each other for a long three seconds, and a flood of memories comes back to me from Boston and that cold winter.

It was over 8,000 miles away, but it just raced through my mind.

And then as the train pulled away with my old boyfriend inside it, I stood on the platform, and I realized this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

I know what I want to do with my life, and I've found the person to share it with.

I have found my cinnamon tree.

Thank you.

(cheers and applause) ♪ JUAN PEDROSA: My name's Juan Pedrosa.

I grew up in Waltham, Massachusetts.

And I'm an executive chef in the city of Boston.

I currently oversee a couple of different restaurants.

And it's my first time telling this story.

Ah-- how are you feeling about that?

Nervous, nervous.

But I think it's a good one.

What role does storytelling play in your job?

I'm finding out that it plays a much larger role than I would have ever thought.

When I create a dish for a menu, there always has to be some sort of topic, you know, that I'm thinking, or ingredient.

I kind of research that ingredient a little bit, find a little bit of inspiration, and start formulating a dish.

And those dishes oftentimes have several components.

Sort of like details to the story.

And as those kind of come together to create the dish, the story kind of comes to life.

I'm 20 years old.

I'm living in a five-bedroom, three story duplex with six other guys.

This place is massive.

But unfortunately for us, we're broke.

I mean, we can't afford it.

We struggled getting a security deposit together.

Had a hard time paying utilities.

We had to come up with a creative way to make some money.

We decided we'd throw these over-the-top keggers and charge for cups, right?

And it was after a couple of these parties where my roommate Rasheed comes up to me and says, "Hey, I need your help."

See, Rasheed had been chasing a really pretty girl.

He was in love, but he quite couldn't seal the deal.

So I'm like, "Okay, Rasheed, what do you need?"

He's like, "I need help hosting a special dinner for Rebecca."

And I think, "Awesome, but here?

Like, in our place?"

He's like, "Yeah."

Our place is a disaster.

There's trash bags inside that never made it outside.

There's empty beer cans, dirty plates in the sink, and there's cake-- cake on the floor from our last attempt at collecting rent.

But I didn't want to say no to him.

After all, I wasn't the girl he was chasing, right?

And right at this moment of doubt, our other roommate, Dee, jumps in and says, "We'll just host it in our bedroom."

(laughter) And I think to the guys, "Guys, because that's not creepy."

Invite two girls over for a romantic dinner in your bedroom.

(laughter) Now, Dee and Rasheed, they're childhood best friends.

And Dee, he's really smooth with the ladies, very mellow when he talks.

He's almost like listening to a track of Boyz II Men on repeat, right?

And Rasheed, he's charming, but he's not a charmer.

He's like the guy that wants to be really good friends with your dad.

(laughter) And don't let me forget the strange arrangements they had.

For one, Rasheed owned a waterbed the size of Sea World, okay?

And Dee, a mattress on the floor.

Don't get me wrong-- they kept it really well decorated with dirty socks, piles of clothes, Chinese food from weeks before.

And, somehow, in this room is where we were going to have this romantic dinner, right?

(laughter) I think nothing's impossible, so I say, "Hey, guys, let's do it."

So we go through the house and we pick up every junky, mismatched piece of furniture we could put together as to make a table.

And I recall Dee pulling his mattress right to the edge of that table, as to say, "Guys, chairs."

(laughter) So I think about dinner.

And I realize the guys had approached me because, well, I had some experience.

I was cooking, for one.

And if you consider about six years at a pizza place some experience, then you're bound to get something unique, and that's what he wanted.

So I think no romantic dinner can happen without some wine, right?

All I know about wine at this point in my life is that red is red and white is white.

Right, so I'm out shopping at our local Star Market, and I think, "What pairs well with wine?"

(laughter) And right when I asked myself that question, I look up, and there's a big sign that reads, "Cheese."

Thank you, right?

(laughter) So I grab some cheese, I look at the label, and it reads, "Fancy."

Easy enough-- fancy cheese, right?

Second course, I opt for some pasta.

But I buy store-bought, because what 20-year-old knows how to make pasta by hand?

Third course, I figure, dessert, right?

The most romantic, decadent banana bread ever.

And the guys and I, we had a debate about it, because I don't think I made banana bread, but they insisted I did.

So on to the special night, and I'm feeling pretty good, because we've cleaned up, and the guys, they look pretty dapper, right?

We're excited, a little nervous.

And right at that moment, we hear a knock.

Our stomachs drop.

Dee runs over, and we're like, "Hey, hey, hey, dude, let us catch our breath," you know?

He opens the door, the girls walk in, we lock eyes and give an awkward hello.

And right there and then, Rasheed runs upstairs with the girls.

And I turn around, and I think, "What a creep."

I realized we hadn't cleaned our living room.

So everyone settles in, and I pop open this big bottle of wine, and run up the cheese plate.

And there's a sense of relief, because everyone is looking pretty good, right?

So we move on to the pasta course.

And it hits the table.

And at this point, I look around, and everyone, just like you are, is smiling back at me.

So I'm, like, "Awesome."

Something's working, or everyone's just drunk.

(laughter) All right, so we finish the dinner with the most romantic banana bread.

(laughter) So I walk out, downstairs, make my way towards the kitchen.

And I stop, and I think, "Wow, I did it.

I put out my first real menu."

You know, there I was, a young, driven, hungry cook who just wanted to really make people enjoy his food.

Ten years later, I'm happy to say that Rebecca and Rasheed, they married.

(cheers and applause) And for me, I became an executive chef in the city of Boston.

And... (cheers and applause) Thank you.

But I haven't forgotten that moment.

And I know it sounds cliché to say, but I really think that experience pushed me to pursue my dream.

A few other things have changed.

The cheese we use today, we source that locally and throughout the country.

And as for wine, I might have a hard time deciding between a California Cab or a French Syrah.

Thank you.

(cheers and applause) ANNOUNCER: This program is made possible in part by contributions from viewers like you.

Thank you.

♪