Good Food

Celebrate the Persian new year with fresh herbs and new recipes Known to his followers as the Caspian Chef, Omid Roustaei prepares to celebrate Nowruz.  Economist Betty Resnick lays out the reasons behind the US's agricultural trade deficit. Alissa Timoshkina ventures beyond cabbage in a new cookbook dedicated to vegetables in Eastern European cuisines. Whales that get caught in Dungeness crab fishing gear have left fishermen and environmentalists scrambling for a solution. Don't forget to sign up for the Good Food newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 14 March 2025

The story behind the famous orange chicken at Panda Express and more! Dora Herrera remembers her mother, Socorro, who took orders at Yuca's in Los Feliz for nearly 50 years. Tejal Rao visits the renovated Panda Inn, where a precursor to orange chicken took flight. Honor May Eldridge follows our obsession with the Hass avocado, which was developed right here, in Southern California. In his new cookbook, Tu David Phu reconciles his family's trauma with his perceptions of what ingredients are deemed worthy. In shades of pinks and greens, farmers market chicories are favored by chefs for creating balance in dishes.  Check out Good Food's newsletter and don't forget to subscribe!

Transcribed - Published: 7 March 2025

Karen E. Fisher shares stories of Ramadan at Zaatari, the world's largest Syrian refugee camp located in Jordan. Helena Bottemiller Evich introduces the new administration's appointments charged to “Make America Healthy Again.” Dr. Christopher Gardener drops some wisdom about seed oil. Caroline Eden reflects on her travels through Central Asia and Eastern Europe and considers how the kitchen is a unique space to tell human stories.

Transcribed - Published: 28 February 2025

Eat Thai street food and maple tofu sticks while sipping makgeolli. Designer-turned-food-writer Kristina Cho celebrates her Chinese heritage with delicious and approachable recipes Bill Addison dives into pad see ew and other iconic Bangkok street food dishes at Holy Basil Chef Govind Armstrong cracks into spiny lobster while celebrating a popular Santa Monica Pier restaurant's 25th anniversary Dakota Kim embraces the modern boom in an ancient Korean drink — makgeolli. Monique King mourns the loss of Fox's, a family restaurant in Altadena, while trying to support her staff Pastry chef Sasha Piligian uses olive oil and farmers market citrus in a cake destined for a charity bake sale Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date with all things Good Food! 

Transcribed - Published: 21 February 2025

From chocolate grown in a petri dish to the latest updates on bird flu, this is a sciencey episode along with a few beans, lemons and eggs. Gabriela Glueck puts lab grown chocolate under the microscope. Apoorva Mandavilli reports on the bird flu crisis and what items to avoid when you're shopping. Genevieve Ko offers alternatives for recipes that involve eggs. Steve Sando and Julia Newberry of Rancho Gordo share their ideas for using 50 varieties of beans. Bethany Harris puts the squeeze on farmers market citrus. Find all the recipes and sign up for our weekly newsletter on the Good Food site!

Transcribed - Published: 14 February 2025

We explore candied fruit, small-batch cookies, how to make maple syrup and an ancient fruit — the date. Rawaan Alkhatib takes us on a hot date, offering a global perspective on the ancient superfood. Chewy and gooey, small batch bakes are perfect when you want just a little sweetness — and Edd Kimber knows how to mix them up. Camilla Wynne shows us how to make stunning candied fruit. Peter Gregg pursues happiness via maple syrup. Baker and chocolatier Valerie Gordon explains how she sugars rose petals for her bestselling petits fours. Subscribe to our newsletter at kcrw.com/goodfood

Transcribed - Published: 7 February 2025

An Altadena bar owner works to be a good neighbor while a cooking school taps home chefs from around the globe. After the Eaton Fire, Randy Clement, who owns Good Neighbor Bar, used wine delivery software to canvas Altadena, informing neighbors whether or not their homes had survived. Sergio Olmos reports on the recent immigration raids in Kern County. Lisa Kyung Gross founded the League of Kitchens Cooking School, where women from around the world act as instructors; now, they've compiled their recipes into a cookbook. Mother and daughter Patricia Tanumihardja and Juliana Evari Suparman share recipes from their Indonesian kitchen. Finally, Good Food looks back on a conversation with Slanted Door chef Charles Phan, who died unexpectedly last week. More at KCRW.com/GoodFood. And sign up for our newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 31 January 2025

New York Times reporter Rukmini Callimachi follows a Haviland pattern of china that has set the table for five generations of women. LA transplant Vanessa Anderson, aka The Grocery Goblin on Tiktok, documents the city by visiting its markets. Julia Van Soelen Kim shares advice for gardeners concerned about how ash from the Palisades and Eaton fires might impact their crops. Mother and daughter Hsiao-Ching Chou and Meilee Riddle prepare for the Lunar New Year with recipes from their new cookbook. Chef Travis Hayden lost his home in the Palisades Fire but is finding time to feed first responders and other fire victims.

Transcribed - Published: 24 January 2025

We all saw it unfold in real time, some of us from our phones, others witnessing the devastation firsthand. Our beautiful, complicated, and geographically vast Los Angeles has been brought to its knees. Our heart goes out to everyone who finds themselves struggling and unmoored through all the types of loss, whether it be family, a home or a neighborhood. As the days have passed, one aspect of this tragedy has kept us going — the extraordinary kindness and generosity of the citizens of Los Angeles. This week, we speak with those affected by the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, and those who have selflessly stepped up to help. Wendy Escobedo of World Central Kitchen explains how the organization mobilizes — with a little help from chefs and restaurateurs like Roy Choi, Kim Prince, and Greg Dulan — to feed evacuees and first responders. Christine Moore, owner of Little Flower in Pasadena, fought flames in her neighborhood and is now feeding the community while navigating her own displacement. Dina Samson offers perspective on how the fires are impacting LA's already struggling hospitality industry. Teddy and Andy Leonard, owners of The Reel Inn in Malibu, look back on their restaurant, which succumbed to fire after 36 years of selling seafood on the Pacific Coast Highway.

Transcribed - Published: 17 January 2025

Julia Child reporting fellow Gabriela Glueck heads to Humboldt to speak with a community of seaweed evangelists. Brant Cox plays soothsayer and predicts what's on trend for restaurants in 2025. Joe Yonan proves that plant-based cooking is anything but boring. Heidi Pickman outlines the new licensing steps for home cooks who want to legally prepare foods to sell. "What if we slowed down and savored flavors, smells, and textures?" asks Betsy Andrews while considering the science behind pacing ourselves.  

Transcribed - Published: 10 January 2025

In this excerpt from The Treatment, chef René Redzepi unpacks the complicated history of global ingredients in "Omnivore," an eight-part series for Apple+. Known for his examination of nature on the plate, Michael Pollan alters consciousness in this clip from Life Examined.

Transcribed - Published: 3 January 2025

The Good Food team — host Evan Kleiman and producers Gillian Ferguson, Laryl Garcia, and Elina Shatkin — choose their favorite segments of the year. Nicola Twilley takes a cold plunge into the history of refrigeration. Chef Fadi Kattan is on a mission to document and share Palestinian foods, traditions, and the work of home cooks. Filmmaker Peter Byck casts a lens on the maverick farmers and scientists working to solve the climate crisis. In her latest docuseries, Pati Jinich showcases the politics, culture, and cuisine of the US/Mexico borderlands.

Transcribed - Published: 27 December 2024

Restaurant critic Bill Addison recruited Jenn Harris to help him divide and conquer as they determined LA's best restaurants. Culinary historian Jessica B. Harris lays out the symbolism and traditions of Kwanzaa. Adeena Sussman continues her mother's tradition of Shabbat and shares a recipe for her grandmother's potato kugel. Chef Brian Polcyn knows his way around a meat pie. Rose Levy Beranbaum preaches the glory of cake.

Transcribed - Published: 20 December 2024

Food scholar Darra Goldstein traces the lineage of early fermented beverages, which were offered to deities and used in rituals. Sociologist Nicola Nice takes a look at how women brought the cocktail home. Lesley Jacobs Solmonson explains how liqueurs went from the hands of the apothecary to those of the mixologist. Balo Orozco shops the farmers' markets to make seasonal shrubs.

Transcribed - Published: 13 December 2024

Reporter Jessica Roy delivers the bad news about those plastic kitchen utensils. Anne Byrn composes an exhaustive guide on Southern baking. Chef Ashleigh Shanti goes beyond cast iron fried chicken and cornbread in exploring Black influences on Southern foodways. Local cooking instructor and food writer Sonoko Sakai explains the deep meaning of "Japanese in style" cuisine. Celia Sack of Omnivore Books reveals her favorite cookbooks of the year for everyone on your list.

Transcribed - Published: 6 December 2024

Director Tran Anh Hung and actress Juliette Binoche discuss the recipe for subtle seduction in The Taste of Things. On the 20th anniversary of Sideways, Hitching Post owner Frank Ostini reflects on changes in the Santa Ynez Valley. Filmmaker Jason Wise joins Vahe Keushguerian in a conversation about making wine from Iranian grapes for the first time in half a century. Zimbabwean winemaker Tinashe Nyamoduka strives to demystify the vine and promote inclusivity. Nathan Park talks about the link between the Academy Award-winning film Parasite and fried chicken.

Transcribed - Published: 29 November 2024

Evan Kleiman taps flavor scientist Arielle Johnson to co-host Good Food's annual Thanksgiving episode. Food science writer Harold McGee breaks down brining, spice, and the best way to prep that giant Thanksgiving bird. Khushbu Shah forgoes the turkey for squash filled with biryani, a tikka masala-inspired mac and cheese, and Mexican food. Homemade cranberry sauce is all about the crackle and pop for Harold McGee. Sommelier Ian Krupp goes beyond Beaujolais in his Thanksgiving wine pairings. Arielle Johnson opts for two types of cardamom in her pumpkin pie recipe. Brian Polcyn assembles the perfect pot pie with turkey leftovers.

Transcribed - Published: 22 November 2024

Austin-based chef Jesse Griffiths is on the hunt for the majestic wild turkey. Pastry chef Nicola Lamb sifts through the essential ingredients of baking — flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. Memo Torres runs down his top five tacos in Los Angeles. Having eaten his way around China, Michael Zee recreates breakfast favorites at home. Courtney Storer of The Bear joins Gillian Ferguson at the farmers market to shine a light on winter squash.

Transcribed - Published: 15 November 2024

Food writer and recipe developer Ben Mims scours the world for great cookie recipes. Former professional basketball player Laurent Correa is turning out some of LA's best croissants. Dr. Naa Oyo Kwate unveils the insidious relationship between fast food and the African American community. Lindsey Beatrice explores the creative ways millennials are acquiring land they can farm. Food Access LA raises funds to keep two farmers' markets afloat, and Nick Fisher of Fluffy McCloud's is drawn to fuyu persimmons for their shape.

Transcribed - Published: 8 November 2024

Anthropologist Susan Greenhalgh describes how soda companies have influenced the science around sugary drinks. Health and nutrition reporter Alice Callahan breaks down "ultra-processed foods," a newish term to describe the evil that lurks on supermarket shelves. National Park guide Joseph C. Ward explains how a Cheetos bag altered the ecosystem in a New Mexico cavern. Physician and journalist Bryce Y. Lee reveals how scientists are using the food dye found in Doritos to make see-through mice. Breadmaster Jim Lahey reminisces on the 15th anniversary of his revolutionary no-knead bread-making book. Chef Aric Attebery shares tips for incorporating seasonal farmers market ingredients into the bowls we make at home.

Transcribed - Published: 1 November 2024

Hetal Vasavada prepares for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, by baking gorgeous, colorful sweets. The intersection of Gothic novels and food offers a rich, spooky tradition for literary scholar Dr. Alessandra Pino and food writer Ella Buchan. Food scholar Darra Goldstein shows us how to make candied pumpkin, a creative autumn treat. In the docuseries La Frontera, Pati Jinich showcases the politics, culture, and cuisine of the US/Mexico borderlands. From Sonoran tacos to Hawaiian short ribs, Memo Torres returns with five great places to eat this month.

Transcribed - Published: 25 October 2024

Pastry chef Victoria Granof relishes the diverse, and often misunderstood, sweets of Sicily. Essayist and poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil explains the laborious process of cultivating vanilla and the fragile state of its existence. Rowan Jacobsen travels deep into the Bolivian Amazon to uncover the chocolate's origins. Molecular biologist Raven Hanna shows us how to produce tree-to-bar chocolate. At the farmer's market, Klementine Song reminisces about the jujubes her parents grew while farmer Terry Kashima shares the fruit's health benefits.

Transcribed - Published: 18 October 2024

Ben Blount and Bryan Kett created a chocolate bar to explain why our congressional districts have such weird shapes (hint: gerrymandering). Left, Right and Center host David Greene discusses how gerrymandering impacts our elections. Lola Milholland discusses how community living can help us develop life skills and flex our generosity muscle. LA Times restaurant critic Bill Addison finds a magical and civilized weeknight wine bar on Melrose. Chemist and baker Kat Cermelj conquers recipes without gluten, dairy, or eggs. Tommy Brockert started making pizza as a way to bring people together during the pandemic. Now, he has two LaSorted's locations.

Transcribed - Published: 12 October 2024

To tell the stories of Syrians living in the world's largest refugee camp, Karen Fisher collected their recipes. For Kim-Joy, one of The Great British Bake Off's most memorable contestants, baking isn't just about flavor or cuteness — it's also about mental health. Julie Guthman critiques tech entrepreneurs whose proposed food system "fixes" ignore the underlying problems they claim to address. Alvaro Bautista recovers more than half of his date harvest, which perished in last year's rain, while Companion, a new restaurant in Venice, opens with a Quarter Sheets alum.

Transcribed - Published: 4 October 2024

From nopales and horchata to matzoh balls and Manischewitz, Ilan Stavans and Margaret Boyle merge Mexican and Jewish foods. Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey celebrate the unique and diverse food history of Jewish South Carolina. Hannah Dreier reports on child labor in the poultry broiler belt. Brigit Binns reflects on her dysfunctional LA childhood and how it delivered her to the kitchen and writing. 

Transcribed - Published: 27 September 2024

An audio folk story examining the tradition of Black watermelon long-haulers, who drive to farms in the South for watermelon and sell them in Black neighborhoods around the US. This is a special bonus edition from KCRW's Lost Notes. 

Transcribed - Published: 27 September 2024

Sylvio Martins gives us a glimpse into The Infatuation's blind taste test to determine the 10 best croissants in Los Angeles. Yotam Ottolenghi and Verena Lochmuller craft globally-inspired comfort food in a new cookbook. Seeking Turkish cuisine, LA Times restaurant critic Bill Addison finally finds it in a Santa Monica coffee shop. Chef Juan Ferriero creates inspired salads for his menu at Great White.  

Transcribed - Published: 21 September 2024

Jim Meehan asked some of the best bartenders on the planet for their favorite cocktail recipes — and put them in a book. Archaeologist Tate Paulette explores ancient beers. Market correspondent Gillian Ferguson explores how California farmers handled the latest heat wave. Investigative journalist Sharon Lerner unpacks how 3M lied to its employees — and by extension the American people — about the dangers of PFAS and PFOS. New York Times correspondent Kim Severson reports on the attempts to replace plastics in the grocery store.

Transcribed - Published: 13 September 2024

On the 20th anniversary of Sideways, Hitching Post owner Frank Ostini reflects on changes in the Santa Ynez Valley. Filmmaker Jason Wise joins Vahe Keushguerian in a conversation about making wine from Iranian grapes for the first time in half a century. Maanvi Singh reports on corporations buying up water rights, often in drought-stricken areas, and selling them to other communities, sometimes hundreds of miles away. Growing up in Northern California with a Kenyan mother and Nigerian father, Kiano Moju celebrates her family's AfriCali cuisine. At the farmers market, chef Dan Barber visits with Alex Weiser who is growing a new allium — garleek.

Transcribed - Published: 6 September 2024

Kristyn Leach and a network of farmers work to preserve cultural heritage through seed saving. LA Times restaurant critic Bill Addison visits Perilla in Echo Park for Korean banchan and dosirak. Photographer Lucy Schaeffer captures the nostalgia and personal memories behind school lunch. Peter Miller pens an ode to the midday meal. Politics professor Aaron Bobrow-Strain looks at the history of white bread in America and how it became so popular and industrialized. Wax Paper in LA pays homage to NPR personalities with their sandwiches, and co-owner Peter Lemos explains what goes into an “Ira Glass.”  

Transcribed - Published: 30 August 2024

Georgina Hayden makes her family's Greek-Cypriot recipes more achievable. Amber Guinness entices the palate with coastal Italian snacks and seaside refreshments. Rosa Jackson goes beyond Salad Niçoise to embrace the rustic cuisine of France's fifth largest city. Inspired by her family's beloved bundt cake recipe, Daphane DeLone is whipping up whoopie pies at Connie & Ted's. The owners of Koda Farms, who grow rice in Merced County, decide to retire their grandfather's legacy.

Transcribed - Published: 23 August 2024

Reporter Adam Iscoe exposes the auctioneers and private clubs making a profit on restaurant reservations. Behind most kitchen doors, restaurants are hemorrhaging money. Heather Sperling documented every dollar her restaurant spent over the course of a month. Stephanie Breijo spent months talking to chefs and restaurateurs about operating in crisis mode. Daniel Hernandez and the Food section team at the LA Times canvassed the city to find its best tacos. Aaron Lindell from Quarter Sheets uses summer melons from Weiser Family Farms in playful ways.

Transcribed - Published: 9 August 2024

Diane Kochilas reveals the secrets of Ikaria, a Greek island known for the longevity of its inhabitants. Margie Mason and Robin McDowell uncover an unlikely source of labor in our food chain — maximum security prisons. Podcast host and food historian Jessica Gingrich shares the story of Robert King, a member of the Angola 3, who survived 31 years in prison where he cut sugarcane. Memo Torres shares his latest recommendations of where to eat across Los Angeles. Pastry chef Sam Robinson of All Day Baby bakes up sweet summer corn cakes with peach preserves.  

Transcribed - Published: 2 August 2024

Dan Hong considers the role food has played in diplomacy and politics. Ruth Reichl weaves art and fashion into The Paris Novel, in which her heroine finds herself through food. Sara B. Franklin pays tribute to Judith Jones, the editor responsible for bringing Julia Child and Edna Lewis to American kitchens. At the farmers market, chef Daniel Cutler puts tomatoes and peaches to work at two different restaurants.

Transcribed - Published: 26 July 2024

Mary Beth Sheridan details how drug cartels in Mexico have begun extorting tortilla vendors. Stef Ferrari raises a glass to stuzzichini, Italian bites served during aperitivo. LA Times restaurant critic Bill Addison reviews Baroo, which he recently named Restaurant of the Year. Julia Sarreal pores over yerba mate, an iconic South American beverage that has been revered and vilified. Catherine Roberts reports on pesticide residues lurking in 59 common fruits and vegetables.

Transcribed - Published: 19 July 2024

Alexandra Stafford shares her easy techniques for making pizza at home — no kneading or stand mixers required. Alyse Whitney dives into summer with riffs on crowd-pleasing dips that are perfect for communal dunking. Want to make a smooth, creamy queso? Swetha Sivakumar reaches into the medicine cabinet. When Jeff Horwitz wanted to get rid of his allergic reaction to poison oak, he started consuming it. Summer tomatoes have arrived at farmers markets!

Transcribed - Published: 12 July 2024

It's Good Food's 2024 James Beard Award winners show! More than three decades after her father passed away, Hetty Liu McKinnon honors him with a tender cookbook about his legacy and her love of vegetables. Abi Balingit, a self-described "dork who baked," turned her passion into a cookbook of Filipino desserts. Becoming a chef wasn't in Jason Hammel's plan but he now operates Chicago's Lula Cafe, a leader in the hospitality industry. Sohla El-Waylly teaches us the "why" behind kitchen techniques. Bill Addison reviews Filipino favorite Kuya Lord, which started as a garage pop-up and now has a brick-and-mortar spot in Melrose Hill.

Transcribed - Published: 5 July 2024

Nicola Twilley takes a cold plunge into the history of refrigeration. Lucas Sin explains how to use the freezer to improve cooking. Adrienne Borlongan jettisoned a career in nursing to explore ice cream production. For two decades, Michael Buch has watched Silver Lake change around his shop, Pazzo Gelato. At the farmer's market, Elaine Marumoto-Perez and her brother use apricots to make ice cream and donate portions of each pint to charity.

Transcribed - Published: 28 June 2024

Food writer Khushbu Shah reflects on how Bisquick and Cream of Wheat fit into the Indian American diaspora. Michelle T. King recounts the life of Fu Pei-mei, a culinary star who taught generations of Taiwanese women how to cook.

Transcribed - Published: 21 June 2024

Chef and culinary activist Lelani Lewis returns to her Caribbean roots with classic recipes. Steve Hoffman dreamed of moving his family to France… until he moved them to the wrong town in France.

Transcribed - Published: 14 June 2024

In a new cookbook filled with Lebanese recipes, Hana El-Hibri invokes the spirit of "mayylu," an invitation for visitors to pop in. Jo Flashman pairs Southern California hikes with microbreweries.

Transcribed - Published: 7 June 2024

Franco-Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan is on a mission to document and share Palestinian foods, traditions, and the work of home cooks. Filmmaker Peter Byck casts a lens on the maverick farmers and scientists working to solve the...

Transcribed - Published: 31 May 2024

Author and illustrator Mark Kurlansky peels back the cultural, historical, and gastronomical layers of the onion. Jonathan Kauffman explains how "hippie food" went mainstream.

Transcribed - Published: 24 May 2024

Memo Torres uncovers hidden gems and family-run businesses across Los Angeles. Adam Reiner takes a closer look at the products behind the tongue-in-cheek labels on the shelves of Trader Joe's.

Transcribed - Published: 17 May 2024

We think you'll enjoy this episode of Life Examined, a KCRW podcast that explores science, philosophy, and finding meaning in the modern world. You're probably already familiar with Michael Pollan's writing on food and psychedelics.

Transcribed - Published: 14 May 2024

After she became a mom, journalist Angela Garbes shifted her focus from food to the invisible, unpaid labor that goes into raising children.

Transcribed - Published: 10 May 2024

Historian Hadley Meares looks at how Hollywood sips cocktails on the big screen. From Prohibition bourbon to dolce vita amaro, journalist Aaron Goldfarb follows collectors hunting for vintage spirits.

Transcribed - Published: 3 May 2024

Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard think the worldwide appeal of K-pop and Korean cinema has boosted modern Korean food. Operating out of a gas station, how does Arezou Appel make some of LA's best cookies?

Transcribed - Published: 26 April 2024

With only a week left until PieFest, baker Nicole Rucker shows us how to make a scrumptrilescent apple pie. From Baghdad and Buenos Aires to Montreal and Mexico City, Naama Shefi taps the Jewish diaspora to fill her holiday table.

Transcribed - Published: 19 April 2024

Journalist, activist, and founder of the blog Gaza Mom, Laila El-Haddad discusses how she keeps the cuisine of Gaza alive as she tries to find solace during Ramadan.

Transcribed - Published: 12 April 2024