Good Food

It's a cookbook bonanza! Celia Sack of Omnivore Books on Food shares a roundup of the year's best cookbooks, including graphic novel memoirs and one of the only Cambodian cookbooks written in English. Bee Wilson explores how quotidian kitchen items become powerful symbols, representing friendship, grief, love, superstition, safety, and even political resistance. Design curator and writer Corinne Mynatt became fascinated with culinary objects she found at flea markets and began researching their history and function. New York Times reporter Rukmini Callimachi follows a Haviland china set that has graced the table of five generations of women. Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.  

Transcribed - Published: 28 November 2025

All the best food with people you actually like? We're in! We kickstart Thanksgiving with Nashville chef Arnold Myint, author of Family Thai, who joins Evan Kleiman to co-host a special Thanksgiving episode about chosen family. Although Minneapolis chef Yia Vang cooks Hmong food that's rooted in his family's refugee story, he treats tradition as something living and adaptable. Atlanta chef Deborah VanTrece, who has been transforming narratives about soul food, brings us a bunch of killer sides. Bar expert and cocktail consultant John deBary has just the thing for keeping your holiday libations fun, festive, and nonalcoholic. What better way to complete the Thanksgiving meal than a few unapologetically sweet desserts from pastry chef Justin Burke? Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack. 

Transcribed - Published: 21 November 2025

Raw fish reaches its apex on a stretch of Ventura Blvd. that's home to the highest concentration of sushi restaurants in the US.  Brant Cox of The Infatuation surveys the sushi restaurants of Ventura Boulevard. Chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern imparts lessons from his time on the water to set up home cooks for seafood success. Ixta Belfrage creates recipes that embrace her multicultural lens and Brazil's layered cuisine. For nearly two decades Aldo Sohm has poured wine at Le Bernardin in New York City, creating harmony between what's in the glass and on the plate. Chef Michael Fiorelli of Fiorelli Pizza pairs Brussels sprouts with persimmons and pomegranates in a salad that screams autumn. Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.  

Transcribed - Published: 14 November 2025

Pull out that package of ramen and get ready to dress it up! Instant ramen is most frequently associated with tired clichés about quick dorm room eats but Peter J. Kim wants us to rethink the dried noodles. Beloved baker Dorie Greenspan takes the cake in a new collection of recipes. LA Times restaurant critic Bill Addison pays a visit to Cafe 2001. Fighting our food confusion with science, journalist Julia Belluz and scientist Dr. Kevin Hall attempt to answer, "Why do we eat the way we eat?" Chef Harry Posner of Tomat explores farmers market pomegranates. Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.

Transcribed - Published: 7 November 2025

Exploring African flavors, Japanese fermentation, and a Paris farmers market. Ruby Tandoh traces how our culinary tastes have transformed in our 24/7 food obsession. Yasmin Khan manages stew recipes without meat. Kenji Morimoto was tasked with making pickles in his family's kitchen and that assignment blossomed into a love of fermentation and putting his DIY projects to use. Born in a refugee camp in Somalia, Meymuna Hussein-Cattan ended up launching a celebrated refugee aid organization as well Flavors from Afar, which earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand. For the Market Report, Gillian Ferguson heads to Paris where she catches up with chef David Lebovitz at the Marche d'Aligre. Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.

Transcribed - Published: 31 October 2025

Hosting a Halloween party, veganizing Korean cuisine at home, and the horrors of labor throughout the food system: Elvira, Mistress of the Dark AKA Cassandra Peterson IRL dons her towering black beehive and blood-red lipstick for a collection of hair-raising recipes just in time for Halloween. When we last talked to her, three years ago, Rosie Grant had already gone TikTok viral for prowling cemeteries to find the tastiest gravestone recipes. Now, she has an entire book devoted to these dishes as well as interviews with the families of the dearly departed. Joanne Lee Molinaro AKA the Korean Vegan shares her love of tofu and a recipe for a Kimchi Queso Mac and Cheese in her newest cookbook.  Underpaid, undervalued, and unsafe — that’s the trifecta of problems plaguing food system workers, according to Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern and Teresa M. Mares, who chronicle labor across our food chain. Memo Torres delivers an update on the fallout of ICE raids in the hospitality industry. Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.  

Transcribed - Published: 24 October 2025

Celebrating Diwali, Thai roots meet Nashville soul, a soju party, yaupon as a potential coffee alternative, and green satsumas: Khushbu Shah shares how she celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, growing up in the Midwest, and this year's plans. Chef Arnold Myint, who grew up at his family’s beloved International Market & Restaurant, which introduced Thai food to Nashville, has a new book, Family Thai, that's both a primer on Thai cooking and a tribute to the flavors he inherited from his mother. At Orion Bar in Brooklyn, Irene Yoo and her husband, Nick, get playful with soju and upend Korean alcohol traditions. How expensive does coffee need to get before we start looking for alternatives? Writer KC Hysmith considers yaupon, the only caffeinated plant grown in North America, for its potential as a coffee alternative. Chef Miles Thompson shops for green satsumas at the farmers market. Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.

Transcribed - Published: 17 October 2025

Samin Nosrat discovers "Good Things"; a bar devoted to women's sports; winter squash at the farmers market. Samin Nosrat chats about the pressure she felt following the success of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, relinquishing perfectionism, and the importance of ritual in connecting with others and yourself. Married couple Janie Trinh and Stephanie Ellingwood founded Silver Lake's Untamed Spirits, a bar devoted to women's sports. Gillian Ferguson takes us to the farmers market to meet Ben Norton, the chef behind Darling, Sean Brock's grill house and hi-fi lounge in West Hollywood. Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.

Transcribed - Published: 10 October 2025

How do you fix a food system that isn't simply broken but has been captured, top to bottom, in the name of profit? Our food system isn't simply broken, it has been captured, top to bottom, in the name of profit. Austin Frerick shares the stories of seven agricultural titans, their rise to power, and the consequences for the rest of us. For almost a decade, renowned Mexican chef Enrique Olvera veered away from serving tacos at Pujol, his Michelin-starred Mexico City restaurant. Now, he celebrates them with taco omakase at the bar. Oaxacans claim if you eat chapulínes (grasshoppers), you will return to Oaxaca. Anthropologist Jeffrey H. Cohen looks at the consumption of these insects and the women who make a living selling them. Travel and food writer Caroline Eden hiked between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, discovering recipes along the way. Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.  

Transcribed - Published: 3 October 2025

Passionfruit, overlapping food crises, and what federal spending cuts mean for local food banks Seven years after chef Jeremy Fox released On Vegetables, he offers a cookbook with a different focus, On Meat. Michael Flood of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank explains what the massive cuts to SNAP, USAID, and DOGE mean for local food assistance programs. Dr. Stuart Gillespie analyzes the cascade of overlapping crises impacting our food system — and he proposes solutions. At the farmers market, passionfruit from Carpinteria goes into an LA mole. Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.

Transcribed - Published: 26 September 2025

The real story behind "no tax on tips" and the best vegan cheese Eyal Press reports on the fight to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers Animal and food activist Miyoko Schinner prides herself on making dairy-free butters, creams, and cheeses Chloe Sorvino exposes the hidden corruption and corporate greed within the meat industry Mike Cirone travels from See Canyon near San Luis Obispo to share his apples with farmers market shoppers. Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.

Transcribed - Published: 19 September 2025

Going garden-to-table and how immigration raids are impacting LA's restaurant workers Canning evangelist Kevin West puts his home garden to work in the kitchen Journalist Andrew Lopez reports on how ICE raids are impacting Boyle Heights Rudy Espinoza shares how Inclusive Action supports communities affected by the immigration raids Journalist Kim Severson explores the creation of the perfect peanut Vannak Tan serves Cambodian-style seafood at A&J Seafood from a shack in San Pedro Alvaro Bautista brings dates from Mecca to the farmers market in Santa Monica Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.

Transcribed - Published: 12 September 2025

Is America any healthier, yet? Mother and son Jyoti and Auyon Mukharji stay rooted in their Indian heritage while living in the Midwest. Journalist Lisa Held sorts through the details of the recently leaked draft of the MAHA strategy report, a year after Make America Healthy Again debuted. Public health advocate Marion Nestle was cautiously optimistic in the early days of MAHA. What's her perspective now? Lior Lev Sercarz explores the many varieties of peppercorns. The weekly market report features chef Zach Pollack's use of sweet peppers. Sign up for our weekly Good Food newsletter and connect with host Evan Kleiman on Substack.

Transcribed - Published: 5 September 2025

Elizabeth Mateo expands her family's 40-year-old paletas business. Filmmaker Eddie Schmidt weaves together scenes of the men and women who drive ice cream trucks from in his documentary, Popsicle Culture. Adrienne Borlongan of Wanderlust Creamery makes ice cream inspired by travel and adventure. On a stroll, David Owen uncovered the remnants of Berkshire Ice Company, a century-old business which shipped ice around the world. His curiosity sent him on a journey investigating the history of refrigeration and cooling technologies, which along with convenience, harbor harsh impacts on the environment. Bee Wilson embraces room temp dishes while acclimatizing food temperatures to the weather. Connect with host Evan Kleiman by subscribing to KCRW's Good Food on Substack.

Transcribed - Published: 29 August 2025

The protein powder boom, anchovies, ancient Roman recipes, and more! Whey, the liquid byproduct of cheese making, was once considered waste. It's now a key ingredient in the protein powders that dieters and weightlifters are downing in ever-greater amounts — and that means big changes for the dairy industry, reports Kevin Draper. Horror film producer turned food historian Christopher Beckman chronicles the anchovy's place in the European cooking canon. Sally Grainger reinterprets Roman recipes taken from Latin texts. As students head back to school, we catch up with Jack Bobo, Executive Director of the UCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies. Sign up for our weekly Good Food newsletter and connect with host Evan Kleiman on Substack.  

Transcribed - Published: 22 August 2025

Grocery store feasts, eggplant, the Jonathan Gold menu project and more! Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules shares family stories and recipes passed down through four generations Tien Nguyen opens the LA Public Library's archives to explore vintage restaurant menus and remembers Jonathan Gold's crucial essay about eating on Pico Blvd Vanessa Anderson — aka the Grocery Goblin — profiles grocery stores where you can grab a great meal Meera Sodha has low-effort, high-reward dinner ideas that use summer vegetables When eggplant hits farmers markets, chef Evan Algorri knows what to do with it Sign up for our weekly Good Food newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 15 August 2025

You better bee-lieve it, we're talking about honeybee headaches. Former beekeeper Adam Novicki explains the causes of this year's historic honeybee die-off Sawdust covered floors, free peanuts, and stiff martinis are hallmarks of Chez Jay, which celebrates 66 years along Route 66 Jenny Linford explores cooking, eating, and drinking through objects in the British Museum's collection Chef Katie Reicher of legendary San Francisco restaurant Greens shares vegetarian recipes from her repertoire Baker Nicole Rucker adopts a fruit tree and sets her sights on a glazed peach pie Sign up for Good Food's weekly newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 8 August 2025

When everything falls apart, food is sometimes all we can cling to. Michael Shaikh looks to those who are preserving their food and culinary traditions in the aftermath of war, displacement, and global violence Lee Svitak Dean and Linda Svitak are Minnesota sisters who collaborated on a book that highlights people from vastly different circumstances all over the globe Toni Tipton-Martin showcases the creativity of women who bring soul to Southern cuisine In his new novel, Mark Kurlansky explores how an ancient cheesecake recipe and a conniving landlord change one Manhattan block forever Get happy, it's tomato season at the farmers market! Sign up for our weekly Good Food newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 1 August 2025

Although Good Food loves pie, we're also Team Galette! Podcaster Ben Naddaff-Hafrey dives into the legal tussle hidden in the nooks and crannies of Thomas' English muffins Artist and cook Linda Dangoor leaves a trail of recipes from Baghdad and Beirut to Ibiza and Paris Fátima Juárez and Conrado Rivera of Komal explain that the secret to great masa starts with great corn It's peak summer fruit season, which means it's time for recipe developer and stylist Rebecca Firkser to explore the art of the galette With all the recent closures of classic LA restaurants, reporter Jennifer Swann explains why crowds are lining up around the block to get one last taste of the past At Lucia, chef Adrian Forte shares how he uses shado beni (aka culantro, not to be confused with culantro) in his Caribbean dishes Sign up for our weekly Good Food newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 25 July 2025

A message you need to hear, from the team at Good Food.

Transcribed - Published: 24 July 2025

Good Food explores the Golden State! LA Times restaurant critic Bill Addison drove up and down the state to determine California's 101 best places to eat Chef Scott Clark left the pressure cooker of Michelin-starred restaurants to cook in a train caboose on the side of Highway 1 Chef and fisherman Conner Mitchell says "yes" to locally caught bluefin tuna Bernadette Berterretche Helton preserves Basque food and traditions at Centro Basco in Chino Coming from a family of dairy operators, Vivian Straus honors Northern California's agricultural roots with the Cheese Trail Sign up for Good Food's weekly newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 18 July 2025

How one man's fruity side hustle became a cash cow There are many ways to look at the Louvre but writer Elaine Sciolino invites us to view the largest museum in the world through the lens of food  Journalist Lisa Held documents the power and influence of the pesticide industry Since stress for farmers is deeply intertwined with the land, social worker Kaila Anderson developed a tool to treat depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues among farmers Omar Vaid didn't set out to be one of Southern California's most prolific mango dealers — he had greatness thrust upon him At SoCal farmers markets, no one has better or more interesting melons than Alex Weiser Sign up for our weekly Good Food newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 11 July 2025

Three cheers for these James Beard winners! LA Times restaurant critic Bill Addison visits Kato in its new location at the Row DTLA Pastry chef Nicola Lamb sifts through the essential ingredients of baking — flour, sugar, eggs, and butter Chef Ashleigh Shanti goes beyond fried chicken and cornbread to reconsider Southern cuisine Bartender Jim Meehan considers cocktails from a culinary perspective Adam Reiner takes a closer look at the products behind the tongue-in-cheek labels on Trader Joe's shelves Sign up for Good Food's weekly newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 4 July 2025

Three cheers for these James Beard winners! LA Times restaurant critic Bill Addison visits Kato in its new location at the Row DTLA Pastry chef Nicola Lamb sifts through the essential ingredients of baking — flour, sugar, eggs, and butter Chef Ashleigh Shanti goes beyond fried chicken and cornbread to reconsider Southern cuisine Bartender Jim Meehan considers cocktails from a culinary perspective Adam Reiner takes a closer look at the products behind the tongue-in-cheek labels on Trader Joe's shelves Sign up for Good Food's weekly newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 4 July 2025

Bottoms up for vino? Between declining alcohol consumption and increasing tariffs, Esther Mobley updates us on how California's wine industry is meeting this moment Olivia Haver loves cheese so much, she has devoted her career to babysitting it Exploring her roots, recipe developer Noor Murad dives into the food of Bahrain At RVR in Venice, chefs Travis Lett and Ian Robinson blend Japanese influences with Southern California produce Sign up for Good Food's weekly newsletter.

Transcribed - Published: 27 June 2025

From the latest on ICE raids in Los Angeles to the legacy of Creole cuisine: Memo Torres reports on how immigration raids are impacting local food businesses Hawa Hassan, who escaped civil war in Mogadishu, shares stories of displacement in eight other regions of the world Nina Compton makes a case for New Orleans and the Caribbean sharing a similar "self of being" Journalist Christina Cooke visits Patrick Brown on his farm in North Carolina, where he is reclaiming his family's history and land Sign up for our weekly Good Food newsletter.

Transcribed - Published: 20 June 2025

When the going gets tough, the tough go for pozole. Tony Ramirez dusts off the barbecue for summer grilling and adds Filipino flair to live fire TikTok darling Claire Dinhut has a thing for condiments and finds creative ways to use them Casey Elsass helps you decide what to bring to the party based on what type of guest you are Memo Torres discovers a pozole palace in the San Fernando Valley Charlotte Biltekoff explores how the public's mistrust of processed foods and the food industry's misunderstanding of these concerns Sign up for our weekly Good Food newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 13 June 2025

This week, we take physical and historical journeys to East Africa and South America. John Birdsall traces the evolution of queer food through the 20th century In her new series Panamericana, Pati Jinich travels the roads and highways linking North and South America, connecting with people along the way As a child of East African immigrants, Zaynab Issa uses her suburban childhood to create a cooking style all her own Humberto Raygoza took his family's chorizo recipe and built a business, one link at a time At the farmers market, chef Ed Cornell prepares for summer with apricots and soft serve Sign up for Good Food's weekly newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 6 June 2025

It's time to get grlling! And sipping! Men of barbeque loom large in America but Toni Tipton Martin and Morgan Bolling remind us that women also know their way around the pit Cathy Park rounds up the best matcha lattes in Los Angeles. Zach Mangan of Kettl in Los Feliz considers the downside to the matcha boom Lila Seidman reports on the tricky process of removing rare steelhead trout from the Palisades Fire burn area At the farmers market, chef Viktoriya Campos gets an early start, stalking seasonal asparagus. Sign up for our weekly Good Food newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 30 May 2025

Bottoms up! We're all about the tipple this week. Historian Hadley Meares looks at how Hollywood sips cocktails on the big screen Aaron Goldfarb follows collectors hunting for vintage spirits 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 Evan Rail plays detective, looking back on an absinthe enthusiast who became a con artist Don't forget to sign up for Good Food's weekly newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 23 May 2025

The joy of cooking with Roy Choi... Kogi king Roy Choi has health on his mind in a new collection of recipes How do you become a restaurant critic? Besha Rodell explains in her memoir Marie Mitchell shares dishes from the Caribbean and its diaspora It's cherry season at the farmers market and which means the lines are long at the Murray Family Farm stand Sign up for our newsletter and catch up on all Good Food episodes!

Transcribed - Published: 16 May 2025

It's Mother's Day weekend and we head to the sea Sarah Ahn's viral food videos of her mom have captivated millions of viewers with their behind-the-scenes look at Korean cooking and multigenerational life Environmental photographer Arati Kumar-Rao goes night fishing alongside dolphins on the Brahmaputra River Tyler Harper dons a wetsuit, often during storms, and heads out into the turbulent surf to fish for striped bass in the secretive and dangerous sport known as "wetsuiting" Ari Kolender of Found Oyster and Queen St. Raw Bar & Grill has tips for cooking fish and shellfish with confidence The Santa Monica Farmers Market says goodbye to longtime vendor Kandarian Organic Farms Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter.

Transcribed - Published: 10 May 2025

It's a perfect party trifecta of tequila, margaritas, and salsa. Plus, we dig into the latest on food dyes. Ted Genoways considers José Cuervo's colorful history, from eluding Pancho Villa's death threats to bringing tequila north of the Mexican border Caroline Pardilla serves up 60 recipes for your next batch of margaritas Rick Martinez chops, blends, and crushes more than tomatoes for endless variations of salsa Dr. Jessica Knurick deciphers fact from fiction in the MAHA agenda. Although they're available year-round, blueberries actually have a season and they're ripe for the picking. Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 2 May 2025

What baking beliefs can you do without? Nicole Rucker rekindled her love for baking by tinkering with her favorite recipes and eliminating the fuss Gabriela Glueck visits the "Torture Orchard," where California's nut trees are pushed to the brink so they can withstand the curveballs thrown by climate change Nasim Alikhani spent decades working various jobs before realizing her calling — opening a restaurant to showcase the food of Iran Evan Kleiman recalls the crazy ride of the 1980s LA restaurant scene with Francis Lam, host of The Splendid Table Often overlooked among springtime greens, chef Dashiell Nathanson is anything but sorry to use sorrel in his cafe dishes Sign up for our weekly Good Food newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

What do we buy? And what does that say about us? Emily Mester examines what happens when consumption begins to consume you Journalist Ada Tseng visits Costco twice a week for gas, deals, and hidden Asian treasures Benjamin Lorr explores how the sliding doors at American grocery stores stay open Patty Civalleri tells us about the man who created Trader Joe's, which started in Pasadena in 1967 Gustavo Arellano recalls the legacy of Frieda Caplan, who introduced Angelenos to all sorts of exotic produce LA transplant Vanessa Anderson, aka The Grocery Goblin on Tiktok, documents the city by visiting its markets. Sign up for the weekly Good Food newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2025

Passover and Easter are here — and we have food ideas for both holidays. Hèléne Jawhara Piñer unravels the thread connecting the Spanish Inquisition to modern Jewish food practices In a new memoir, Joan Nathan reflects on her life through the lens of food Jeff Chu abandoned his career as a journalist to work the land and attend seminary, tilling up life lessons as well as a sense of calm Great British Bake Off alum Giuseppe dell-Anno celebrates a sweet Easter with Italian desserts Chef Nestor Silva plucks leaves from the fava plant for a new dish at French Japanese bistro Camélia You can listen to every Good Food episode here. And don't forget to sign up for our newsletter.

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2025

From takeout boxes to feeling boxed in, growing up as a "restaurant kid" is a unique experience. Curtis Chin and Rachel Phan share memories of growing up in their parents' Chinese restaurants Cookbook author Irina Georgescu finds inspiration east of the Danube River in Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria Jeremy Salamon reconnects with his Hungarian Jewish heritage and the charming childhood created by his grandmother Chef Harry Posner takes advantage of the short window for green almonds Here are all the SoCal James Beard finalists. And don't forget to sign up for the weekly Good Food newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2025

Explore the spiritual side of food and modern Ghanaian recipes. Jody Eddy spent two years visiting sacred spaces and meeting the people who cook in them Inspired by childhood visits to Ghana, Eric Adjepong debuts his first collection of recipes Andrea Nguyen questions the accuracy of those Prop 65 warning labels on many foods Evan Rail plays detective, looking back on an absinthe enthusiast who became a con artist Restaurant critic Tom Sietsema blows his cover in the CIA dining room Listen to all the episodes and be sure to sign up for the weekly Good Food newsletter.

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

A Black chef and cookbook author finally gets her due! Deb Freeman traces the life of Edna Lewis, author of "The Taste of Country Cooking," in a new documentary. While some people spent the pandemic starting sourdough, Jesse Valenciana got busy perfecting his birria. Memo Torres visits an Inglewood backyard, where three generations of the Sandoval family make birria using an abuela's recipe. Carolyn Kormann shares alarming facts about how microplastics have made their way into our bodies. Chef Caroline Leff of Stir Crazy turns up at the farmers market for a favorite root vegetable. Don't forget to sign up for the Good Food newsletter!

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2025

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