Podcast appearances and mentions of Fuchsia Dunlop

AudioFile Editor Robin Whitten and host Jo Reed shine a spotlight on three delicious audiobooks all about the rich history of Chinese cuisine. For the youngest listeners, A BANQUET FOR CECILIA by Julie Leung and read by Cindy Kay tells the story of restaurateur Cecilia Chiang. For middle-grade listeners, Grace Lin's CHINESE MENU, read by Lisa Ling, shares tales of iconic dishes and dragons, monks, emperors, and other heroes. And for grown-ups, the mouthwatering INVITATION TO A BANQUET, written and read by Fuchsia Dunlop, takes listeners on a tour of China and regional foods. Don't listen hungry! Read our reviews of the audiobook at our website:  A BANQUET FOR CECILIA INVITATION TO A BANQUET CHINESE MENU Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is it. Today we present you a massive special episode full of wisdom, which answers your final pressing questions. Listeners wrote in from around the world — from Perth to Virginia to Prague — asking about music, cooking, careers, home, fashion and how to live a good life. Lilah invites her colleagues and friends on to explore them. And now, all there is left to say is a big, loud, wholehearted, vigorous thank you.-------Please keep in touch – Lilah loves hearing from you and will still be posting about culture, food, art and more on Instagram @lilahrap. Email her at lilahrap@ft.com.You can read Globetrotter at ft.com/globetrotter and follow along @ftglobetrotter on Instagram.-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Tim Harford's podcast is called Cautionary Tales, and his column is The Undercover Economist. He references Adam Gopnik and Oliver Burkeman, and if you want to lead a better life by spending less time on the internet, he recommends Cal Newport's book Digital Minimalism.– Here are the cookbooks Harriet Fitch Little and Lilah mentioned: Fuchsia Dunlop's The Food of Sichuan, Fadi Kattan's Bethlehem, Maria Bradford's Sweet Salone, and Pati Jinich's Treasures of the Mexican Table. Harriet is on Instagram at @hufffffle.– Isabel Berwick's Working It newsletter is here, and her book is called The Future-Proof Career.– Eric Platt, at the time of recording, was wearing a heather gray turtleneck and navy corduroys from Officine Générale and black Prada combat boots. If you're interested in corporate finance, he's on X and Bluesky @EricGPlatt.– Ludovic Hunter-Tilney mentions Gang Starr's 1994 song “Mostly tha Voice”, A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy's first album Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987), and Migos. One of his most listened to songs of 2024 was “Bande organisée”, by Marseille rap group 13'Organisé. Here's another episode we love with Ludo, on Taylor Swift (Apple, Spotify).– Enuma Okoro is an FT Weekend columnist. Here's her most recent column, on new ways to think about the new year.-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art listeners are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Music credits: Jive Records, Chrysalis and EMI Records, Quality Control MusicRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this programme Ruth Alexander learns about ‘forever' foods, stocks, soups and sourdough starters that can be replenished again and again and used for weeks, months or even years. Ruth hears about a beef soup in Bangkok that has been maintained for fifty years, and she bakes a loaf of sourdough bread using a 69 year old starter that's been kept going by Hobbs House Bakery in the South West of England. Cookbook writer Fuchsia Dunlop in London, UK talks about the tradition of cooking with an ‘everlasting' broth in Chinese cuisine. Annie Ruewerda in New York in the US was charmed by the idea of a perpetual stew, she kept hers going for two months and it became an online hit – bringing hundreds of strangers to her local park to try the stew and add ingredients. Lee-Ann Jaykus, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and food microbiologist at North Carolina State University in the US explains the food safety rules you need to know if you want to try a perpetual dish at home. Martha Carlin, Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the US helps unravel the claimed historical origins of perpetual stew. And our thanks to World Service listeners David Shirley and Mark Wood for telling us about the oldest dishes they've eaten. Produced by Rumella Dasgupta and Beatrice Pickup Additional reporting by the BBC's Ryn Jirenuwat in Bangkok, Thailand. (Image: beef soup in a huge pot that has been added to over fifty years at a restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand. Credit: David Shirley/BBC)

This week, we've been invited to a Chinese Banquet with the word on Chinese food, Fuchsia Dunlop.Her multi award winning book, Invitation to a Banquet is a huge and deep dive into Chinese life through the prism of food. After 30 years of writing about Chinese food culture, she has a seat at the table most of us can have no idea about. Click here to head over to Gilly's Substack for Extra Bites of Fuchsia's China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James 'Foodie' Fairweather, Stroud, Hampshire resident talks to Noni Needs about his love of Sichuan cooking. One of Foodie's favourite writers is Fuchsia Dunlop, along with her Chairman Mao's red-braised pork recipe. A real treat if you haven't cooked Sichuan before from her book Shark's Fin & Sichuan Pepper. Picture creator is Creator: Kirk KSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate! To kick off the year of the dragon, we have the one and only Fuchsia Dunlop on our podcast this week. She discusses her recent book, 'Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food.' This episode is hosted by Lijia Zhang. Thank you for your interest in our bimonthly, independent podcast. To support our editorial goals and help us keep producing podcast episodes, please consider donating through our Paypal page or becoming a Patreon member. We encourage listeners to send us feedback, questions, and connect with our podcast team at nuvoices@protonmail.com. 

Chinese food is popular and successful around the world. But is it afforded the respect it deserves? In some countries Chinese food has been seen as something tasty, but ultimately cheap and not very healthy, despite it being a cuisine with a focus on health, seasonality and gastronomic skill for centuries. In this programme Ruth Alexander meets Fuchsia Dunlop, a British food writer who has spent a career studying Chinese cuisine. She argues that the food has long been undervalued in the West, and it's time for that to change. Ruth also meets chef Andrew Wong, whose restaurant A.Wong in London holds two Michelin stars, the first Chinese restaurant outside of Asia to receive that accolade. A.Wong operates on the same site as Andrew's parents' Chinese restaurant in the 1980s and he talks about how the business, and Chinese food in the UK, has evolved. And she hears from Rica Leon, CEO of ‘Chifa', a restaurant in LA that celebrates her family's Chinese and Peruvian heritage. Rica explains how Chinese flavours and ingredients have influenced Peruvian food. If you'd like to contact the programme, you can email the foodchain@bbc.co.uk Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: A table of tofu dishes prepared by Fuchsia Dunlop, including mapo tofu, smoked tofu salad, shredded tofu leather, silken tofu with avocado, an imitation roast duck dish made from layers of tofu, and deep fried tofu served in a soup. Credit: Fuchsia Dunlop/BBC)

Grab your chopsticks and get ready for a delectable performance by Fuchsia Dunlop. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile's Robin Whitten discuss Dunlop's tales of epicurean adventures around China, and the history of Chinese food. Dunlop's narration imparts wisdom and reverence for Chinese culture and China's diverse cuisine. Her Mandarin accent and satiny voice add to the lyrical descriptions and intricate history of mouthwatering dishes like steamed reeves shad and places like Dragon Well Village. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile's website. Published by HighBridge Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com This episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. From the author of The Last Mona Lisa comes a thrilling story of masterpieces, masterminds, and mystery. Alternating between a perilous search and the history of stolen art and lives, listen at audible.com/TheLostVanGogh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fuchsia Dunlop distills the history of Chinese food through a menu of 30 dishes. Kevin and Jeffrey Pang cook up some father-son bonding over plates of Mongolian beef and General Tso's chicken. Marc Rose and Med Abrous prepare for Christmas Eve, the busiest night of the year at Chinese restaurant Genghis Cohen. Using their respective lenses as an anthropologist and a historian, mother and son Merry White and Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft examine the way the world eats.

Have you ever had one of those meals that you just can't get out of your head? Do you keep dreaming of returning to that one restaurant? Did you recently discover a recipe that you can't stop cooking on repeat, because it's just that good?This week, we're wrapping up 2023 by reflecting on our most memorable dishes – these are the foods that inspired us, connected us to friends, or added a new dish to our repertoire. We're exploring what makes a meal stand out: is it the ingredients, the recipe, the ambiance, the company? All of it?! We're sharing the dishes we want to return to again and again, whether it's traveling back to an amazing eatery or recreating a dish in our home kitchens.Before we step into the new year, we're taking a short break over the next few weeks, but we can't wait to reconnect in 2024. We wish you all a peaceful, wonderful holiday season and a new year ahead full of food, friends, and memorable meals!***Links to from this week's show:Buck & Johnny's in Beaux Bridge, LAChef Josephine LaCosta's Elbows Catering in Portland, ORLa Merenda farm heirloom beans Kenji Lopez-Alt's Crispy Bar-Style Pizza via Serious EatsMonical's Pizza in Illinois Rusa PDX and Sonya's article about Chef Sasanna and her foodTamaliza Cafe in Sedona, AZHow to make tepache at home by Mely Martinez/Mexico in my kitchen Instant pot congee by Maggie Zhu/Ominvore's CookbookStovetop congee by Fuchsia Dunlop via the NY TimesFind out more about Chef Minh Phan of Porridge and Puffs, and Phenakite***We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @foodfriendspod, or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com! Order Sonya's debut cookbook Braids

Fuchsia Dunlop è una scrittrice e cuoca inglese, divenuta famosa grazie alla sua attività di divulgazione della cucina cinese - in particolare delle specialità del Sichuan.Scrive ricette e articoli di cultura culinaria per The Guardian, ed è autrice di diversi libri: l'ultimo pubblicato a oggi è Invitation to a Banquet - Story of Chinese Food (2023).Fuchsia Dunlop a VeneziaDunlop è stata ospite dell'evento Stories come to Matter: Water, Food, and other Entanglements, co-organizzato dal Dipartimento di studi linguistici e culturali comparati di Ca' Foscari e dal New Institute Center for Environmental Humanities (NICHE) in collaborazione con PhD in Modern Languages, Cultures and Societies and Linguistics, Melilf - Migration and Everyday Life in Iberian Literature and Film, Institut Ramon Llull, Instituto Cervantes di Milano.Con l'occasione, l'abbiamo incontrata e abbiamo fatto due chiacchiere con lei a proposito del suo approccio al cibo e alla volonta di scoprire - tramite esso - nuovi orizzonti culturali.

In her third appearance on the show, Chinese food expert Fuchsia Dunlop joins Tyler and a group of special guests to celebrate the release of Invitation to a Banquet, her new book exploring the history, philosophy, and techniques of Chinese culinary culture. As with her previous appearance, this conversation was held over a banquet meal at Mama Chang and was hosted by Lydia Chang. As they dined, the group discussed why the diversity in Chinese cuisine is still only just being appreciated in the West, how far back our understanding of it goes, how it's represented in the Caribbean and Ireland, whether technique trumps quality of ingredients, why certain cuisines can spread internationally with higher fidelity, what we can learn from the different styles in Indian and Chinese cooking, why several dishes on the table featured Amish ingredients, the most likely mistake people will make when making a stir fry, what Lydia has learned managing an empire of Chinese restaurants, Fuchsia's trick for getting unstuck while writing, and more. Joining Tyler, Fuchsia, and Lydia around the table were Dan Wang, Rasheed Griffith, Fergus McCollough, and Sam Enright. Special thanks to Chef Peter Chang, Lydia, and all the staff at Mama Chang for the wonderful meal. Donate to Conversations with Tyler and help us keep the conversations going. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links. Recorded November 9th, 2023. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Fuchsia on X Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Photo Credit: Anna Bergkvist

This week on Special Sauce, we'll hear about Fuchsia Dunlop's journey from her first Chinese cooking classes to the researching and writing of her 7th book, Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food. We'll find out what she's learned about the country's history and culture in her many years of exploring Chinese cuisine, and why she says she'll never get bored of eating and writing about Chinese food.

We welcome Chef Gerald Gutierrez of Otium Grill & Greens and Altitude Sky Lounge at the Astra Hotel in Seattle // Michael Pinckney also known as the Cookie Monster is here to talk about his delicious hand-crafted gourmet cookie business // Melany Kahn is here to celebrate her book Mason Goes Mushrooming and to talk about all things mushroom foraging // Loretta Douglas will be leading her “Shortcut or Scratch” segment // We get inspired discussing “Festive Holiday Appetizers” // Part 2 of our conversation with Fuchsia Dunlop getting into the details of her newbook - Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food

Today I spoke with the James Beard Award-winning  Fuchsia Dunlop about her 7th book, “Invitation To A Banquet. The Story of Chinese Food.”   Based in London, she speaks, reads, and writes Chinese and has traveled, often writing down recipes, for 30 years all around China. Rather than another cookbook, “Invitation to a Banquet” is an exploration of the history, techniques, and philosophies of Chinese cuisine. She presents this through a "menu" of thirty dishes from different parts of the country including Mapo tofu, drunken crabs and stir-fried greens.  TUNE IN for what many non-Chinese people most misunderstand about Chinese food along with a glimpse into Fuchsia Dunlop's adventures as the first westerner to train at the influential Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in mainland China.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/booktalk-diana-korte/message

Fuchsia Dunlop has written some of the best known English-language books on Chinese cooking, spending years at a time immersing herself in different regions of China in order to learn the area's dialect and culinary specialties. But as she tells Dan, that wasn't her original plan. She moved to Chengdu in her 20s because she wanted to live abroad and knew the food there would be great. Still, she says it took years before she stopped eating “like a European.” Her latest book, Invitation to a Banquet, tells a sweeping story of Chinese food through dishes like sweet-and-sour pork balls (an English takeaway standby) and fire-exploded kidney flowers (one of her favorite dishes of Chengdu).The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, Jared O'Connell, and Julia Russo, with production this week by Johanna Mayer.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Pamela Hinkley, Executive Director of Pike Market Senior Center & Food Bank joins us to discuss the organization’s invaluable work // Lara Hamilton, owner of the fabulous Book Larder cookbook store, shares some of her new favorites - just in time for the holidays // We talk with Fuchsia Dunlop about her new book Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food // We explore enhancing dishes with compound butter // Loretta Douglas will be challenging us with her “Shortcut or Scratch” segment // Carey Jones & John McCarthy share holiday tips and their new book Every Cocktail Has a Twist: Master 25 Classic Drinks and Craft More than 200 Variations!

Fuchsia Dunlop is a master cook, celebrated food writer, and accredited chef of Chinese cuisines. She was the first Westerner to train as a chef at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine and has spent much of the last two decades exploring China and its food. She is the author of several award-winning books, and a contributor to the Financial Times, the New Yorker, and other publications Her latest book is Invitation to a Banquet – The Story of Chinese Food, a fascinating 400-page read on the history and culture of Chinese cuisie, of which The New York Times wrote: 'This book will not only entertain and instruct you — it might make you go mad with longing.'In this episode, Fuchsia talks about the joyfulness and adventurous approach many Chinese have towards food, about the 'most terrible misunderstanding' surrounding Chinese food in the West, and about how Chinese cuisine holds the secret to eating less meat, without feeling you're missing out.Last year, Fuchsia talked about the flavors of Sichuan at an Asia Society Switzerland event in Zurich. Watch the video here.STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.Join us for the State of Asia Address, delivered by Singaporean diplomatic veteran Bilahari Kausikan on Nov 21 in Zurich. More info here.Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.-STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.  Season 5, episode 5 - Published: November 14, 2023Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society SwitzerlandEditor/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Chinese was the earliest truly global cuisine. When the first Chinese labourers began to sojourn and settle abroad, restaurants appeared in their wake. Yet Chinese food has the curious distinction of being both one of the world's best-loved culinary traditions and one of the least understood. For more than a century, the overwhelming dominance of a simplified form of Cantonese cooking ensured that few foreigners experienced anything of its richness and sophistication - but today that is beginning to change. In Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food (Norton, 2023), the James Beard Award-winning cook and writer Fuchsia Dunlop explores the history, philosophy and techniques of China's rich and ancient culinary culture. Each chapter examines a classic dish, from mapo tofu to Dongpo pork, knife-scraped noodles to braised pomelo pith, to reveal a singular aspect of Chinese gastronomy, whether it's the importance of the soybean, the lure of exotic ingredients or the history of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Meeting local food producers, chefs, gourmets and home cooks as she tastes her way across the country, Fuchsia invites readers to join her on an unforgettable journey into Chinese food as it is made, cooked, eaten and considered in its homeland. Weaving together historical scholarship, mouth-watering descriptions of food and on-the-ground research conducted over the course of three decades, Invitation to a Banquet is a lively, landmark tribute to the pleasures and mysteries of Chinese cuisine. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose forthcoming book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Chinese was the earliest truly global cuisine. When the first Chinese labourers began to sojourn and settle abroad, restaurants appeared in their wake. Yet Chinese food has the curious distinction of being both one of the world's best-loved culinary traditions and one of the least understood. For more than a century, the overwhelming dominance of a simplified form of Cantonese cooking ensured that few foreigners experienced anything of its richness and sophistication - but today that is beginning to change. In Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food (Norton, 2023), the James Beard Award-winning cook and writer Fuchsia Dunlop explores the history, philosophy and techniques of China's rich and ancient culinary culture. Each chapter examines a classic dish, from mapo tofu to Dongpo pork, knife-scraped noodles to braised pomelo pith, to reveal a singular aspect of Chinese gastronomy, whether it's the importance of the soybean, the lure of exotic ingredients or the history of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Meeting local food producers, chefs, gourmets and home cooks as she tastes her way across the country, Fuchsia invites readers to join her on an unforgettable journey into Chinese food as it is made, cooked, eaten and considered in its homeland. Weaving together historical scholarship, mouth-watering descriptions of food and on-the-ground research conducted over the course of three decades, Invitation to a Banquet is a lively, landmark tribute to the pleasures and mysteries of Chinese cuisine. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose forthcoming book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Chinese was the earliest truly global cuisine. When the first Chinese labourers began to sojourn and settle abroad, restaurants appeared in their wake. Yet Chinese food has the curious distinction of being both one of the world's best-loved culinary traditions and one of the least understood. For more than a century, the overwhelming dominance of a simplified form of Cantonese cooking ensured that few foreigners experienced anything of its richness and sophistication - but today that is beginning to change. In Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food (Norton, 2023), the James Beard Award-winning cook and writer Fuchsia Dunlop explores the history, philosophy and techniques of China's rich and ancient culinary culture. Each chapter examines a classic dish, from mapo tofu to Dongpo pork, knife-scraped noodles to braised pomelo pith, to reveal a singular aspect of Chinese gastronomy, whether it's the importance of the soybean, the lure of exotic ingredients or the history of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Meeting local food producers, chefs, gourmets and home cooks as she tastes her way across the country, Fuchsia invites readers to join her on an unforgettable journey into Chinese food as it is made, cooked, eaten and considered in its homeland. Weaving together historical scholarship, mouth-watering descriptions of food and on-the-ground research conducted over the course of three decades, Invitation to a Banquet is a lively, landmark tribute to the pleasures and mysteries of Chinese cuisine. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose forthcoming book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

Chinese was the earliest truly global cuisine. When the first Chinese labourers began to sojourn and settle abroad, restaurants appeared in their wake. Yet Chinese food has the curious distinction of being both one of the world's best-loved culinary traditions and one of the least understood. For more than a century, the overwhelming dominance of a simplified form of Cantonese cooking ensured that few foreigners experienced anything of its richness and sophistication - but today that is beginning to change. In Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food (Norton, 2023), the James Beard Award-winning cook and writer Fuchsia Dunlop explores the history, philosophy and techniques of China's rich and ancient culinary culture. Each chapter examines a classic dish, from mapo tofu to Dongpo pork, knife-scraped noodles to braised pomelo pith, to reveal a singular aspect of Chinese gastronomy, whether it's the importance of the soybean, the lure of exotic ingredients or the history of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Meeting local food producers, chefs, gourmets and home cooks as she tastes her way across the country, Fuchsia invites readers to join her on an unforgettable journey into Chinese food as it is made, cooked, eaten and considered in its homeland. Weaving together historical scholarship, mouth-watering descriptions of food and on-the-ground research conducted over the course of three decades, Invitation to a Banquet is a lively, landmark tribute to the pleasures and mysteries of Chinese cuisine. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose forthcoming book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/food

Chinese was the earliest truly global cuisine. When the first Chinese labourers began to sojourn and settle abroad, restaurants appeared in their wake. Yet Chinese food has the curious distinction of being both one of the world's best-loved culinary traditions and one of the least understood. For more than a century, the overwhelming dominance of a simplified form of Cantonese cooking ensured that few foreigners experienced anything of its richness and sophistication - but today that is beginning to change. In Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food (Norton, 2023), the James Beard Award-winning cook and writer Fuchsia Dunlop explores the history, philosophy and techniques of China's rich and ancient culinary culture. Each chapter examines a classic dish, from mapo tofu to Dongpo pork, knife-scraped noodles to braised pomelo pith, to reveal a singular aspect of Chinese gastronomy, whether it's the importance of the soybean, the lure of exotic ingredients or the history of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Meeting local food producers, chefs, gourmets and home cooks as she tastes her way across the country, Fuchsia invites readers to join her on an unforgettable journey into Chinese food as it is made, cooked, eaten and considered in its homeland. Weaving together historical scholarship, mouth-watering descriptions of food and on-the-ground research conducted over the course of three decades, Invitation to a Banquet is a lively, landmark tribute to the pleasures and mysteries of Chinese cuisine. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose forthcoming book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies

Chinese was the earliest truly global cuisine. When the first Chinese labourers began to sojourn and settle abroad, restaurants appeared in their wake. Yet Chinese food has the curious distinction of being both one of the world's best-loved culinary traditions and one of the least understood. For more than a century, the overwhelming dominance of a simplified form of Cantonese cooking ensured that few foreigners experienced anything of its richness and sophistication - but today that is beginning to change. In Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food (Norton, 2023), the James Beard Award-winning cook and writer Fuchsia Dunlop explores the history, philosophy and techniques of China's rich and ancient culinary culture. Each chapter examines a classic dish, from mapo tofu to Dongpo pork, knife-scraped noodles to braised pomelo pith, to reveal a singular aspect of Chinese gastronomy, whether it's the importance of the soybean, the lure of exotic ingredients or the history of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Meeting local food producers, chefs, gourmets and home cooks as she tastes her way across the country, Fuchsia invites readers to join her on an unforgettable journey into Chinese food as it is made, cooked, eaten and considered in its homeland. Weaving together historical scholarship, mouth-watering descriptions of food and on-the-ground research conducted over the course of three decades, Invitation to a Banquet is a lively, landmark tribute to the pleasures and mysteries of Chinese cuisine. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose forthcoming book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

All cultures care about their cuisine, but the Chinese must have one of the most food-obsessed cultures in the world. You may have come across the classic Chinese takeaway with dishes like sweet and sour pork, or you may like Cantonese dim sum, and some of you may be big fans of Sichuanese cooking. But China has so much more to offer than what has made across into the West's Chinese restaurants. Thankfully, that's changing and quite fast. Part of the education campaign to bring more of the diversity and richness of Chinese cuisine to the West is the work of people like Fuchsia Dunlop. She trained to cook in Chengdu and is one of the most engaging and thoughtful writers on Chinese cuisine in the English language. Fuchsia Dunlop joins Cindy Yu on the podcast today, to mark the publication of her new book, Invitation to a Banquet, which is all about the history, meaning and diversity of Chinese cuisine.

All cultures care about their cuisine, but the Chinese must have one of the most food-obsessed cultures in the world. It may be because we have the best food... Those listeners of Chinese Whispers who've been to China will know exactly what I'm talking about. For those of you who haven't, you may have come across the classic Chinese takeaway with dishes like sweet and sour pork, or you may like Cantonese dim sum, and some of you may be big fans of Sichuanese cooking. But China has so much more to offer than what has made across into the West's Chinese restaurants. Thankfully, that's changing and quite fast. Part of the education campaign to bring more of the diversity and richness of Chinese cuisine to the West is the work of people like Fuchsia Dunlop. She trained to cook in Chengdu and is one of the most engaging and thoughtful writers on Chinese cuisine in the English language. I'm delighted to be joined by her on the podcast today, to mark the publication of her new book, Invitation to a Banquet, which is all about the history, meaning and diversity of Chinese cuisine.

Thais, Indiaas en Chinees, Jesse draait er zijn hand niet voor om en heeft bij elk gerecht ook nog een tip zodat de gerechten meer beter worden. Vanaf deze week ook maar drie gerechten die allemaal top zijn. Want meer is niet altijd beter.Het menu van deze weekPad thai met garnalenKidneybonenstoof van PaulamiGong Bao's kip met pindaBestellen Kan Altijd Nog is een productie van Wat Schaft de Podcast. Muziek van Mell & Vintage Future. Adverteren? adverteren@watschaftdepodcast.nlZie het privacybeleid op https://art19.com/privacy en de privacyverklaring van Californië op https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we explore Chinese cuisine with cook and food writer Fuchsia Dunlop. In the west, misconceptions and prejudices surround Chinese food: that it's unhealthy, or oily, or simple. In reality, it's a cuisine with ancient roots, that Fuchsia strongly believes is “endlessly thrilling”, and among the best and most sophisticated in the world. Fuchsia is the author of six books on Chinese food, including her newest, Invitation to a Banquet. She tells Lilah there's a lot the west can learn from how people in China approach food.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We're on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – Fuschia's book is called Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food– Our episode with Fuschia on the noodles of Shanxi on Apple, Spotify and our website– The FT's review of Fuchsia's book: https://www.ft.com/content/29a158e8-6b30-494e-91d4-d6348a12cfde A few relevant pieces we love published in the FT by Fuchsia: – “Tofu is a cornucopia of taste. No, really” https://www.ft.com/content/ea3d24e8-fd27-42e8-8f9d-805da91769d1 – ”The west hasn't got a clue about bamboo”: https://www.ft.com/content/aea65ab3-f6c0-402b-83fa-e27f8262af3f– ”How to cook with lettuce — a Fuchsia Dunlop recipe”: https://www.ft.com/content/1cfbee9f-b92a-444e-a468-aaeea3f0e605 –Fuchsia is on Instagram at @fuchsiadunlop-------Join us at the FT Weekend festival, on Saturday September 2 at Kenwood House in London. It'll be a day of debates, tastings, Q&As and more. For £20 off your festival pass, use promo code FTWeekendPod here: http://ft.com/festivalSpecial FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fuchsia Dunlop is a cook and food writer specialising in Chinese cuisine. She was the first Westerner to train as a chef at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine, and has spent much of the last two decades exploring China and its food. In her latest book, Invitation to a Banquet, Fuchsia explores the history, philosophy and techniques of China's rich and ancient culinary culture. Each chapter examines a classic dish, from mapo tofu to Dongpo pork, knife-scraped noodles to braised pomelo pith, to reveal a singular aspect of Chinese gastronomy, whether it's the importance of the soybean, the lure of exotic ingredients or the history of Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. In this podcast episode, Fuchsia joins host Ben to dive deep into the history, culture and techniques behind Chinese cuisine. From the ancient origins of steaming to the finer points of knife skills and texture, Fuchsia provides fascinating insights into what makes Chinese food so unique.  We talk about our origin food dishes: “there's one dish that is very dear to me that sort of expresses partly why I fell in love with Sichuanese food. And that's fish fragrant aubergine or eggplant. I think when I went to live in Sichuan in 1994, what was so impressive was that the local food was unlike anything I'd had in England. It was all very fresh and healthy and all these seasonal vegetables and amazing flavors. That's the thing about Sichuanese cuisine that it's all about the art of mixing flavors. So this particular dish for me just represents the sort of-- I mean, it's made with pickled red chilies, ginger, garlic, spring onion, and a bit of sweet and sour. Then you have the sumptuous kind of golden butter-ness of the aubergines. So it's a really homely dish with cheap ingredients and it's sensational. Sichuan everyone thinks [numbing and hot], lots of chilli and Sichuan pepper. But actually, it has this kind of melodious heat with a hint of sweetness and it's just conjuring up this complex flavor from a few limited palette of seasonings. I think that's one of the things that I fell in love with Sichuanese food” Fuchsia debunks common myths and misperceptions about Chinese food in the West, from the idea that it's unhealthy to the notion that exotic ingredients are eaten only out of poverty. She traces how historical circumstances led Chinese cuisine to be seen as cheap and lowbrow in the West compared to French or Japanese food. Delving into the cultural exchange around food, Fuchsia offers a nuanced take on debates over cultural appropriation and argues that an openness to different cultures can be "life enhancing." She shares colorful anecdotes from her research and travel in China that bring dishes like Pomelo Pith and Shanghainese "Western food" to life. We chat about: Steaming and its importance as a cooking technique. The importance of bland food, and how my mother needs to eat rice regularly How to understand mouthfeel and the joy of texture in Chinese cuisine Knife skills and the skills of the wok Fuchsia's writing process  On mouthfeel and texture: “if you want to be able to experience it all and to eat on a kind of equal basis of appreciation with Chinese friends, then you really need to open your mind and palate to texture because it's so important. But the interesting thing is-- because I've written about this and talked about it a lot because I find it fascinating. It's also really funny because so many of the words we use in English to describe these textures sound really disgusting.” Transcript and links available here.

Crispy duck, chow mein, and sweet & sour pork. Many of us have a narrow understanding of Chinese food, its rich history, and the sophisticated culinary culture surrounding it. Chef and author Fuchsia Dunlop is on a quest to show us that there's so much more to Chinese food than our usual Friday night takeaway, and that there's immense joy (and health) to be drawn from it too. Fuchsia tells us about how her love of Chinese cookery began, her experience as the first westerner to train as a chef at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine and her recommendations for how to order in a restaurant. And can she really salvage Ed's doomed tofu cookery?GuestFuchsia Dunlop, Chef and Author (@fuchsiadunlop)More informationPre-order a copy of Invitation to a Banquet: The story of Chinese food here, published by Particular Books on 31st August Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Balık kokulu patlıcan” yemeğine ne dersiniz? Dünyada patlıcan yolculuğunda bu sefer Japonya'dan Çin'e geçiyoruz. Sezuan (Sichuan) bölgesinde bu yemek çok seviliyor. Çin yemekleri uzmanı Fuchsia Dunlop bu yemeği evinde bize özel olarak yapmıştı, önce biraz korkmuştum balık gibi kokacak, diye ama tam tersi balık pişirirken kullanılan, hatta balık kokusunu gideren malzemeler, soslar kullanıldığı için öyle demişler. Sonradan Fuchsia röportajlarında bu yemeği “Patlıcanı bin bir türlü pişiren Türk arkadaşlarıma Sichuan usulü Fish Fragnant Aubergine” yemeğini yaptım, bayıldılar!” diye anlatmıştı. Gerçekten de bayıldık, o zaman küçük olan kızım bütün tabağı süpürdü. Bize yaptığı gibi tarif kayıtta.

“Balık kokulu patlıcan” yemeğine ne dersiniz? Dünyada patlıcan yolculuğunda bu sefer Japonya'dan Çin'e geçiyoruz. Sezuan (Sichuan) bölgesinde bu yemek çok seviliyor. Çin yemekleri uzmanı Fuchsia Dunlop bu yemeği evinde bize özel olarak yapmıştı, önce biraz korkmuştum balık gibi kokacak, diye ama tam tersi balık pişirirken kullanılan, hatta balık kokusunu gideren malzemeler, soslar kullanıldığı için öyle demişler. Sonradan Fuchsia röportajlarında bu yemeği “Patlıcanı bin bir türlü pişiren Türk arkadaşlarıma Sichuan usulü Fish Fragnant Aubergine” yemeğini yaptım, bayıldılar!” diye anlatmıştı. Gerçekten de bayıldık, o zaman küçük olan kızım bütün tabağı süpürdü. Bize yaptığı gibi tarif kayıtta.  

Aylin Öney Tan bugün şifalı çorbalardan tavuk suyuna çorbayı anlatıyor, ama Çin usulü tarifle. Önce tavuğu şoklamak gerekiyor. Mutfağımızdaki suyu bol sulu yemeklerden ve haşlama gibi örneklerden ve dünya mutfaklarındaki örneklere geçtik ama şifalı tavuk suyundan yeterince bahsedemedik. Bütün dünyada tavuk suyu ve tavuk suyuna yapılan çorbalar şifalı kabul edilir. Elbette tavuk suyu tavuğu haşlarken içine konan malzemeler, ot ve baharatlarla bambaşka lezzetler kazanır. Bu kez Çinlilerin tavuk suyunu hazırlama şekline bakalım. Yöntem Çin yemekleri uzmanı arkadaşım İngiliz yazar Fuchsia Dunlop'tan öğrendiğim bir yöntem. Temel malzemeler taze soğan, taze zencefil ve sarımsak, baharat olarak bulabilirseniz yıldız anason. Püf noktaları ise kayıtta…

Bu hafta konumuz Anadolu'nun kadim bakliyatı mercimek. Bu toprakların en eski yiyeceklerinden biri, çok önemli bir protein kaynağı, çağlar boyunca Anadolu'da hüküm sürmüş tüm uygarlıklarca yenmiş ve yetiştirilmiş. Bizim hikayemiz geçen hafta Çin mutfağından bahsederken andığım İngiliz yemek yazarı Fuchsia Dunlop ile Ankara'da önce Ankara Palas'ta, sonra da Polatlı Gordion'da bir mercimek kazanı başında tanışmamızla başlıyor. İngiltere'den Channel 4 adına bir belgesel yapımı için gelen ekibe eşlik etmiş ve danışmanlık yapmıştım. Belgeselin konusu Gordion'da Kral Midas'ın cenaze töreni yemeğini canlandırmaktı. Ziyafetin ana yemeği mercimekli bir yahniydi. İşte bu yemeği birlikte yeniden canlandırdık. Hikâye 1950'lerde arkeolog Rodney Young ile başlıyor. Yıllara yayılan bu serüvenin inanılmaz öyküsü kayıtta.

Çin'in Sezuan eyaleti (Sichuan) biberiyle meşhur olduğu kadar edebiyat ve tiyatro dünyasında Bertolt Brecht'in “Sezuan'ın İyi İnsanı” oyunuyla da anılıyor. Sezuan biberi bildiğimiz biberlere hiç benzemiyor. Sumak tanesi gibi, biraz acı ama acılıktan çok ağzı ve dudakları uyuşturan tuhaf bir özelliği var. Ve hoş bir kokusu var. Çin yemekleri uzmanı İngiliz yazar Fuchsia Dunlop'un, Türkiye'ye geldiğinde getirdiği Sezuan biberiyle bir Türk lokumu denemesi yapmıştık. O zaman lokumu bizim için Yonca Erol aile dükkanında yaptırmıştı. Fuchsia özellikle de Sezuan bölgesi yemekleri üzerine yaptığı “Sichuan Cookery” kitabıyla da tanınıyor. Sezuan mutfağı Çin'in gastronomi açısından önde gelen bölgelerinden biri, özellikle de baharatlı acı yemekleriyle tanınıyor. Çin mutfağında pek çok yemeğin üzerine gezdirilen, özellikle de bizim mantı, börek gibi lezzetlerine eşlik eden bir 'kırmızı yağ' var. Fuchsia kitabında, bunu Türk biberleriyle de yapabilirsiniz, diye tavsiye etmiş. Tarifi kayıtta. İyi dinlemeler, Aylin Öney Tan'la bir tutam tarih biraz da tarif

又到了每个月阅读总结的时间。这一期我们一起聊一聊六月份读过的书以及有什么可以推荐的书。大家六月读了什么呢？欢迎给我们留言。 时间节点： 05:55 White Smoke, by Tiffany D. Jackson 08:47 When No One Is Watching, by Alyssa Cole 15:22 短篇《伊尔的维纳斯铜像》，[法] 梅里美 18:30 《爱，死亡和机器人 1》 20:34 《裂隙之外》，[英] 阿拉斯泰尔·雷诺兹 23:52 Saint Sebastian's Abyss, by Mark Haber 28:30 《我要活下去》，金琸桓 31:50 Sister Outsider, by Audre Lorde 36:26 I Like To Watch, by Emily Nussbaum 38:47 Shit, Actually, by Lindy West 43:41 《白发阿娥及其他》，西西 47:55 《鱼翅与花椒》，[英] 扶霞·邓洛普 52:58 免费短篇小说在线阅读：tor.com 53:41 Brimstone And Marmalade, by Aaron Corwin 54:48 Bakkhai, by Euripides & Anne Carson 57:52 Nox, by Anne Carson 59:32 Whereas, by Layli Long Soldier 1:01:07 Postcolonial Love Poem, by Natalie Diaz 1:02:15 可以从以下网站订阅每日一首诗歌：Poetry Daily, Poetry Foundation 1:02:56 Open Water, by Caleb Azumah Nelson 1:05:00 《在自己的世界闪闪发光》，[日] 津津井 提到的书或短篇： 《邪屋》，《摸彩》，《她只说“是的”》，雪莉·杰克逊； 《素人之乱》，松本哉； 《2666》，[智利] 罗贝托·波拉尼奥； Woman, Eating, by Claire Kohda； Every Grain of Rice, by Fuchsia Dunlop; As Good As New, by Charlie Jane Anders; The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere, by John Chu; Antigonick, by Anne Carson; 《偶像失格》，《くるまの娘》，[日] 宇佐见铃。 提到的影音及其他： 电影或电视剧集：逃出绝命镇，爱、死亡和机器人，吸血鬼猎人巴菲，黑道家族，欲望都市，女孩们，吉尔莫女孩，侦探，了不起的麦瑟尔夫人，真爱至上，哈利波特系列，月光男孩。

For this episode we're back to one of our all-time favorite topics - Chinese food – and we're discussing it with world-famous Chinese food writer and chef, Fuchsia Dunlop. Fuchsia's love with Chinese food traces back to Chengdu in 1992, where she was studying full-time, spending her free hours dipping into the kitchens of willing local restaurants, and eventually invited to train as a chef at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine, the first westerner to do so. Today, Fuchsia has published six books (and counting) on Chinese cooking and culture. During the chat, Mei and Fuchsia journey through the history and development of food and cooking in Chinese culture and daily life, covering famous dishes, entrepreneurs, influencers, and those paving a new path for authentic Chinese dishes abroad. ----- For a more detailed write-up on this episode, including links to resources mentioned, please visit our website: wildchina.com

If you've ever dabbled in the cuisine of China's Sichuan province, you'll likely be familiar with "the chilli burn". As one of the world's leading experts in the region's cuisine, Fuchsia Dunlop knows it well.

Plus, Colin Bisset on the duo who created a better alternative for those serving ice-cream.

Wondered about Wordle? Charlotte explains it all to a very confused Steve! We celebrate Chinese New Year on 01 February by focusing our attention on the wonderful cookbook Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking by Fuchsia Dunlop. Steve is keen to delve into the fifth taste, Umami whilst Charlotte has a fascinating way of nurturing amaryllis. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/voyagearoundmyaga/message

This weekend, we talk about food and home. Lilah has lunch with restaurateur Danny Meyer, chief executive of Union Square Hospitality Group, known for the likes of Gramercy Tavern and the $3bn Shake Shack empire. They eat at his favourite classic New York restaurant, Sparks Steakhouse, where Meyer found an unlikely mentor in his early years. What makes a restaurant an institution? We also visit the historic province of Shanxi, China, to learn about its legendary noodle arts. Listener Zhiwei Guo and award-winning FT food writer Fuchsia Dunlop take us there.Links from the episode: —Fuchsia Dunlop on the noodles of Shanxi: https://www.ft.com/content/86e7d353-27dc-4ce3-a60d-6304fc339571 —Fuchsia's culinary tour of North Korea: https://www.ft.com/content/1f9bbfc0-9d93-11e7-9a86-4d5a475ba4c5 —Danny Meyer's essay on Sparks: https://blog.resy.com/2021/09/the-most-amazing-things-can-happen-after-a-meal-at-sparks/ —More about Resy's classics collaborations: https://blog.resy.com/2021/09/the-classics-remix-presented-by-american-express/Want to say hi? Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We're on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. If you want a great discount on an FT subscription or a $1/£1/€1 month-long trial, we've got you: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor music. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We all want to be the best at what we do. But how do we get there? We look at some of the best to learn their secrets.Chinese medicine and Chinese martial arts—like shaolin kung fu, ba gua zhang, xing yi chuan—are all known for their sages and their masters. Many of us dream of being able to study with someone who is truly a master. Unfortunately, traditional apprenticeship has been on the decline during the 20th and 21st centuries. What can we learn by looking at great masters in music, medicine, cuisine, and more? How can we understand more about ourselves, our trades, and our arts by looking at them?Like what you're hearing?

There's more to food than just calories and macros. Figure out how to pick the best diet for you, and how to get ahead of the next big thing.There are a lot of factors that go into understanding the perfect diet! From social to geographical, economic to cultural, join Dr. James Mohebali as he explores some of these considerations, and helps you understand how to sift through all the contradictory information that's out there about diet. On the way, we take a look at why Italians love tomatoes, how to deal with damp, muggy climates, and whether or not Mexicans are immune to hot chili peppers. Using Feng Shui, terroir, and cultural archeology, we look at some popular diets, like the ketogenic diet, and try to understand what role they can play in healing our chronic diseases and proactively maintaining our health.Like what you're hearing?

China has been engulfed by a controversy that strikes at the very heart of the nation—forget the South China Sea, rampant human rights abuses, even a looming economic crash. Last month food critic Chua Lam, otherwise known as the Food God, called for the end to the PRC’s most beloved dining craze: hot pot. The backlash has been immense, with enraged Weibo users calling for Chua Lam’s abolition. To discuss whether hotpot is indeed an uncultured blight on China’s rich culinary landscape, cookbook author extraordinaire Fuchsia Dunlop joins Louisa and Graeme. Also there's a chance to win a Little Red Podcast mug in our first ever competition. Snap a pic of the dish you'd like to disappear and send it to us on Twitter or Facebook to be a contender. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the great reconciliation story which never happened -- Andrew Hosken in Libya on a homecoming which didn't take place. Nigel Wilson tells us of the dangers involved in trying to provide a taste of home to Syrians stuck in Jordan. Marie Keyworth on the Portuguese struggling to get by as the long recession continues. In Croatia, Mick Webb finds many enthusiastic about joining the EU - the country's set to become a full member next month. And who's for some red-braised wallaby tail with native fruits? Not many Australians apparently. Fuchsia Dunlop says there's a reluctance to tuck in to some of the local wildlife. Tony Grant produces From Our Own Correspondent.

Reporters worldwide provide context to the week's news. Today: South Africa's ANC at the crossroads? As the party prepares for conference, its figurehead Nelson Mandela in fragile health, Andrew Harding reads the political runes at a critical time for the country. Allan Little is in the Polish city of Wroclaw observing how old allegiances and old identities are emerging in the new Europe. Now what's the attraction of the 'mitten' or 'hairy' crab? At this time of year in eastern China they're much in demand and Fuchsia Dunlop's been finding out why. Not many of our correspondents have got to meet the president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang. Stephen Sackur has though and asked him questions the president thought impertinent and malicious. And is getting dementia really the end of the world? The Dutch authorities have created a village for dementia sufferers which is pioneering a new sort of care.

All of Europe is watching the Greek elections. Chris Morris says they could have a profound effect on the Euro and on the future of the European Union. The child stone breakers of Madagascar. They toil all day every day. It earns them just a few coins. And, as Luke Freeman finds out, there's no question of them ever going to school. He was one of Cuba's revolutionary heroes. The funeral of boxer Teofilo Stevenson has just taken place in Havana. Sarah Rainsford was there and later talked to some of the Cuban athletes trying to emulate his Olympic success at this year's Games in London. Jackie Bird has been to Korea with some of the Britons who fought in the war there sixty years ago. It's a conflict which few in Britain commemmorate. But there, the soldiers were applauded and thanked. Fuchsia Dunlop dons her dancing shoes and heads out into Shanghai to get a glimpse of what this Chinese city must have been like during the glittering, decadent pre-war years.

Kevin Connolly's in Luxor wondering if the military, which has controlled proceedings in Egypt since 1952, really will hand over power to civilians once the elections, starting next week, are over. Jonathan Head in Turkey notes that talks about joining the European Union have started up again. But does Turkey really need to join an EU worrying about economic catastrophe? David Belton's been to a remote part of New York state where the Amish religious sect has taken the question: can God really be wrong, to a court for judgement. Fuchsia Dunlop's been to one part of China where they don't find cheese alien and revolting And Mary Harper's been mingling with the Somali population in Dubai. And taking a drive, in some style, around the gleaming emirate.

We are going through an unprecedented change in how we eat. Developing countries are moving away from traditional diets, and all over the world new types of foodstuffs are edging out foods that have been consumed for centuries. Is this a change for the better, what is driving this change, and how well do we understand what the implications are?Two influential thinkers - Michael Pollan in the USA and Joanna Blythman in Britain - have written books that, at a time when food choices and dietary advice seem ever more complicated, offer a cry for simplicity. The most populous nation on the planet - China - is undergoing its own rapid transition. Could the glamour of the western diet really threaten such an ancient and unique food culture?Sheila talks to Michael, Joanna and the food writer and expert on Chinese food, Fuchsia Dunlop, about the food that we eat.Producer: Rich Ward.

A dark portrait is painted by our correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes of millions of Russian lives lost in alcohol and despair; there are reflections on the death of a deeply troubled German hero from Eleanor Oldroyd; Will Ross explores the divisions that may be just about to split Sudan in half; A Chinese gourmet is introduced to fine Italian food by Fuchsia Dunlop in Turin and we know that the super spy, James Bond didn't like the Cold War Russians....but what, Kevin Connolly wonders, did he make of the Americans?