Good Food

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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! 

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!

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

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!

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.  

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.

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.

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.”