For the trio behind it, one of 'The Bear's' best episodes was also an 'act of kindness'

When I tell Liza Colón-Zayas that I cooked asopao de pollo , a traditional Puerto Rican stew, in preparation for our interview, her eyes light up. The dish, similar to one she makes as beleaguered line cook Tina Marrero in “The Bear’s” Emmy-nominated Season 3 episode “Napkins,” brings back deeply comforting memories for the Puerto Rican actress, 53, who was raised in the Bronx. (She tells me she even consulted on which ingredients to use for authenticity.)

“You come home, and it smells like Mom was cooking for you,” Colón-Zayas says of the favorite Latin American meals she grew up with. “It’s like, ‘Ahhh . ’ My habits have improved. My knives are better. But I still want my go-tos.”

“Napkins,” which earned Colón-Zayas’ co-star Ayo Edebiri an Emmy nomination for her first-ever d