It's strange to think that the wine industry can have prejudices. One would think the industry would be above that be and be more sophisticated and color blind. Yet it's not. There's a shocking amount of prejudice against people of color in every aspect , from sommelier to grower to reviewer. Hopefully, with the world rapidly changing it will be a thing of a past era.
Eric Asimov, who writes The Pour, the New York Times Food section's weekly wine review, wrote about this blatant but very rarely discussed racism. He interviewed African-Americans in from all aspects of the wine industry. All had the same experiences which should never exist - not in the 21st Century, yet are still alive sadly enough. Mr. Asimov spoke with T.J. Douglas owner of The Urban Grape in Boston. He and his wife, Hadley, have this shop and also the business online. A white internet customer came into the store, walked by Mr. Douglas and went to a white sales rep, assuming he was the owner. Then there is Julia Coney, a Houston, wine writer and educator who regularly leads tasting and teaches wine education. yet as a consumer, wine merchants feel they have to tell her how to hold a wine glass and why she has to swirl it. They also steer her towards cheaper and sweeter wines, based on stereotypes.Growing tired of tokenism, she has created Black Wine Professionals, a database for African American wine growers and sellers. Stephen Satterfield , publisher of the quarterly food magazine, Whetstone. He was a sommelier but left due to the rampant racism.
Perhaps the most obvious is with Ntisiki Biyela, a South African wine marker. The industry has been white for the last four centuries, no surprise because the country suffered from apartheid since the early 1990's. Ms. Biyela was the first female black winemaker and in 2016 established her own company, Aslina Wines. Hers was the toughest battle (although all their battles were the toughest). She could not speak Afrikaans ,an offshoot of the Dutch accent and her fellow students asked why she was even there. "You're not welcome here." was really its' undercurrent. Then as she moved into her career , growers didn't want to deal with her along with building an audience. Black South Africans are not versed in European wine speak. Ms. Biyela had to explain it in terms they would understand. Instead of a wine smelling like truffles she would tell them it smells like amasi a sort of fermented milk. Others , from Carlton McCoy Junior, a master sommelier and Madeline Maldonado, a beverage distributor at Greenwich Village's Da Toscano have experienced white people's ignorance and stupidity.It is the same for wine server Andre Hueston Mack and Zwann Grays, the wine director at Olmsted. Yet it is Tammie Teclemriam, a Brooklyn freelance food and drinks writer who fired a good shot at Bon Appetit's editor-in-chief and his insensitivity towards African-Americans, and appearing in black face.He had to resign because of it.
The wine industry, like the food industry should be free of prejudice and open to everyone. It's stupid and 19th Century to think that whites are better sommeliers and winemakers. Luckily it's the writers and publishers who will be shattering these old concepts.
Thursday, July 2, 2020
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
The New Barbecue
Even a deadly virus can't stop a summer get together. We can still have our barbecues but with new rules. We can still have friends and family over but with strict guidelines.One thing that will not change will be delicious food over a grill. Thankfully that will be the same.
Melissa Clark tackled this all important issue in today's New York Times Food section, She , her husband and their daughter were not satisfied with the Zoom meetings with their circle.There was a feeling of disconnect. They longed for the time when they could entertain again, socially distanced face to face.A July 4th barbecue is the perfect way of reconnecting and catching up. Yes, there will be rules which we should all follow. Even though most of the experts agree that catching Covid 19 from touching surfaces is low, under ideal conditions the virus can last three days with ideal conditions.Quarantine items, especially those wrapped in plastic for three days and then unpacking them with gloved hands lowers the risk considerably. Nix the bowls of pretzels and potato chips. Offer everyone individual bags of snacks and wrapped cans of seltzer. Ask about the bathroom in the evites. One person at a time should be allowed in your house. He or she should wear a mask and close the lid before flushing. Make sure there are plenty of paper towels and hand sanitizer along with disinfecting wipes and a spray bottle filled with seventy percent isopropyl alcohol for wiping down door knobs and handles.
As for the actual serving, take the food directly from the grill and onto your guests' plates or have them do it themselves with their own utensils. What food would work with this? Ms. Clark suggests gingery grilled chicken thighs with charred peaches,They don''t need to be handled after cooking. Other suitable choices are hamburgers, hot dogs and fish fillets. There's no need for salads or extras.As for condiments, either have bottles of ketchup and mustard along with salt and pepper packets for guests. You could also have the condiments in ramekins however that would require anywhere from fifteen to twenty. A better choice would be bathroom cups which can be thrown out afterwards. If you want to make any prepared food, again follow the three day quarantine rule. Ms. Clark and her husband made a log of jalapeno -feta butter which would go with their grilled corn but it can also work with any grilled veggie from eggplant to peppers, mushrooms and zucchini. Dessert is no bake butterscotch custards served in individual ramekins. They're a mix of creme fraiche and heavy cream, cooked with dark brown sugar and unsulphured molasses. As much as you want, s'mores will have to be put off til next year.
Yes we can have barbecues again. They will have to be small and we'll have to sit six feet apart. yet we can still enjoy good food and good company.
Melissa Clark tackled this all important issue in today's New York Times Food section, She , her husband and their daughter were not satisfied with the Zoom meetings with their circle.There was a feeling of disconnect. They longed for the time when they could entertain again, socially distanced face to face.A July 4th barbecue is the perfect way of reconnecting and catching up. Yes, there will be rules which we should all follow. Even though most of the experts agree that catching Covid 19 from touching surfaces is low, under ideal conditions the virus can last three days with ideal conditions.Quarantine items, especially those wrapped in plastic for three days and then unpacking them with gloved hands lowers the risk considerably. Nix the bowls of pretzels and potato chips. Offer everyone individual bags of snacks and wrapped cans of seltzer. Ask about the bathroom in the evites. One person at a time should be allowed in your house. He or she should wear a mask and close the lid before flushing. Make sure there are plenty of paper towels and hand sanitizer along with disinfecting wipes and a spray bottle filled with seventy percent isopropyl alcohol for wiping down door knobs and handles.
As for the actual serving, take the food directly from the grill and onto your guests' plates or have them do it themselves with their own utensils. What food would work with this? Ms. Clark suggests gingery grilled chicken thighs with charred peaches,They don''t need to be handled after cooking. Other suitable choices are hamburgers, hot dogs and fish fillets. There's no need for salads or extras.As for condiments, either have bottles of ketchup and mustard along with salt and pepper packets for guests. You could also have the condiments in ramekins however that would require anywhere from fifteen to twenty. A better choice would be bathroom cups which can be thrown out afterwards. If you want to make any prepared food, again follow the three day quarantine rule. Ms. Clark and her husband made a log of jalapeno -feta butter which would go with their grilled corn but it can also work with any grilled veggie from eggplant to peppers, mushrooms and zucchini. Dessert is no bake butterscotch custards served in individual ramekins. They're a mix of creme fraiche and heavy cream, cooked with dark brown sugar and unsulphured molasses. As much as you want, s'mores will have to be put off til next year.
Yes we can have barbecues again. They will have to be small and we'll have to sit six feet apart. yet we can still enjoy good food and good company.
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Refreshing Ades
The temps are up. The humidity is crushing. It's time to make refreshing thirst quenching ades that cool you down. They're easy to recreate and wonderful to sip, especially on a hot night.
One of the most refreshing and popular is agua fresca. This can be made with any fresh fruit and even veggies such as cucumber. It goes back to Aztec times when it was made to appease the gods' thirst. Now it can satisfy ours.It's simply fresh chopped fruit, water, and sugar. They can be made in a blender or using an immersion blender. A fun one is the watermelon flavored, made with about four cups of watermelon chunks , muddled with three cups of water, two tablespoons of sugar and the juice of one lime. It's a quick blitz and then serve over ice. Another fun and tropical twist is using pineapple. You may not need as much sugar for this one. For a truly refreshing agua fresca, think cucumbers. You will need more sugar - about half a cup for two cucumbers and one half cup of lime juice.Mint leaves can be added for more refreshment.Another great cooler from Mexico is horchata. Again, this is another easy mix. It's taking long grained white rice that's been cooked, along with almonds and cinnamon sticks and blitzing them in a blender or with an immersion blender.It;'s then adding water and vanilla. Milk is added when it's ready to be chilled for a few hours.
Ades are an old fashioned way to quench your thirst when the temps go high. One of the most popular is lemonade. Keep in mind that the recipe starts with simple syrup and not sugar tossed in. Sugar will sink to the pitcher's bottom and you'll be left with a sour drink. Simple syrup is just that, a cooked syrup made with only a cup of sugar and a cup of water boiled together. It;s then stirring them together over a low flame until a syrup is created. You can add fresh lemon juice if you want a more lemony flavor. It's then adding one cup of fresh or bottled lemon juice and two to three cups of ice cold water. Mix and chill. You can add a few to a 1/3 cup crushed fresh mint leaves if you want.Limeade is another refreshing summer cooler. It takes seven large limes and five cups of water. Add simple syrup to sweeten it and served, iced with sliced limes. You can also do the same with oranges for a refreshing hot afternoon treat. You'll need seven to eight medium sized oranges along with a third of a cup of lemon juice to balance the flavor. Again use about a half cup of the simple syrup to sweeten the drink.
This is the time of year for thirst quenching drinks. Make up an icy pitcher of any of them to cool off.They're the perfect sip for a hot , steamy day.
One of the most refreshing and popular is agua fresca. This can be made with any fresh fruit and even veggies such as cucumber. It goes back to Aztec times when it was made to appease the gods' thirst. Now it can satisfy ours.It's simply fresh chopped fruit, water, and sugar. They can be made in a blender or using an immersion blender. A fun one is the watermelon flavored, made with about four cups of watermelon chunks , muddled with three cups of water, two tablespoons of sugar and the juice of one lime. It's a quick blitz and then serve over ice. Another fun and tropical twist is using pineapple. You may not need as much sugar for this one. For a truly refreshing agua fresca, think cucumbers. You will need more sugar - about half a cup for two cucumbers and one half cup of lime juice.Mint leaves can be added for more refreshment.Another great cooler from Mexico is horchata. Again, this is another easy mix. It's taking long grained white rice that's been cooked, along with almonds and cinnamon sticks and blitzing them in a blender or with an immersion blender.It;'s then adding water and vanilla. Milk is added when it's ready to be chilled for a few hours.
Ades are an old fashioned way to quench your thirst when the temps go high. One of the most popular is lemonade. Keep in mind that the recipe starts with simple syrup and not sugar tossed in. Sugar will sink to the pitcher's bottom and you'll be left with a sour drink. Simple syrup is just that, a cooked syrup made with only a cup of sugar and a cup of water boiled together. It;s then stirring them together over a low flame until a syrup is created. You can add fresh lemon juice if you want a more lemony flavor. It's then adding one cup of fresh or bottled lemon juice and two to three cups of ice cold water. Mix and chill. You can add a few to a 1/3 cup crushed fresh mint leaves if you want.Limeade is another refreshing summer cooler. It takes seven large limes and five cups of water. Add simple syrup to sweeten it and served, iced with sliced limes. You can also do the same with oranges for a refreshing hot afternoon treat. You'll need seven to eight medium sized oranges along with a third of a cup of lemon juice to balance the flavor. Again use about a half cup of the simple syrup to sweeten the drink.
This is the time of year for thirst quenching drinks. Make up an icy pitcher of any of them to cool off.They're the perfect sip for a hot , steamy day.
Monday, June 29, 2020
Cool Cooking On Hot Days
Hardly anyone will want to be in a hot kitchen after being in one for three months. Then it's summer - when roasting or sauteing anything can be a chore. The best bet? Cool dishes for a hot summer. These are lifesavers and just make lunch and dinner easier.
One of the chillest and tastiest is gazpacho. This Spanish classic is an easy make, especially if you follow Susan Lewis Solamont's, the former Ambassador to Spain's wife recipe for it. It's blitzing a cucumber, tomatoes, onions and garlic with olive oil and red wine vinegar. It's a wonderful dinner , especially when served with crusty sliced boules drizzled with olive oil.It's also good leftover for lunch the next day. Vichyssoise is another example of a chill soup. This is a creamy leek and potato soup introduced in 1917 at the Ritz-Carlton to cool off diners. You can make chef Louis Diat's original recipe that calls for Yukon Gold potatoes, leeks and onions. It can be made vegan with subbing in vegetable broth for chicken and almond milk and coconut cream for regular milk and whole cream. If you don't want soup, then think salad. Salad Nicoise is a lush salad with sliced hard boiled eggs, tuna, green beans and tomatoes along with black olives on a bed of Boston lettuce . You can add radishes for crunch and bite and the traditional Dijon mustard based vinaigrette too. Another crowd pleaser is Cobb salad, rich with bacon, avocado slices and chicken breasts.along with a variety of different greens like Boston lettuce, watercress and frisee.
Pasta may not be what you want on a hot afternoon but a pasta salad is another thing. Try an Italian style one with precooked pasta.Barilla brands has a wide variety of noodles that have been already boiled. Just open a packet and mix with slices of summer sausage and sliced cherry tomatoes. Throw in some chopped black olives and parsley for a hearty but cool dinner. Precooked pasta with salsa cruda is another temperature cooling dish on a hot night. The sauce is easy to make. It's just cut ripe tomatoes mixed with olive oil, thyme and basil. Some recipes call for a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar but you can also use red wine if you want to. Add some sliced Italian bread to sop up the sauce. Veggie tacos made with an array of fresh produce is a great week night meal. Sliced tomatoes along with julienned peppers and carrots make the filling. You can also add celery and any kind of lettuce for crunch and color. Top with salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream for extra richness. Hummus is an easy no cook dip that works well as a meal with pita wedges. Put in some hot pepper flakes or black olives for more flavor.
It's summer and it's time for cool,tasty meals. Don't go crazy cooking hot food in a hot kitchen. You've been doing such for months. Chill with chill meals.
One of the chillest and tastiest is gazpacho. This Spanish classic is an easy make, especially if you follow Susan Lewis Solamont's, the former Ambassador to Spain's wife recipe for it. It's blitzing a cucumber, tomatoes, onions and garlic with olive oil and red wine vinegar. It's a wonderful dinner , especially when served with crusty sliced boules drizzled with olive oil.It's also good leftover for lunch the next day. Vichyssoise is another example of a chill soup. This is a creamy leek and potato soup introduced in 1917 at the Ritz-Carlton to cool off diners. You can make chef Louis Diat's original recipe that calls for Yukon Gold potatoes, leeks and onions. It can be made vegan with subbing in vegetable broth for chicken and almond milk and coconut cream for regular milk and whole cream. If you don't want soup, then think salad. Salad Nicoise is a lush salad with sliced hard boiled eggs, tuna, green beans and tomatoes along with black olives on a bed of Boston lettuce . You can add radishes for crunch and bite and the traditional Dijon mustard based vinaigrette too. Another crowd pleaser is Cobb salad, rich with bacon, avocado slices and chicken breasts.along with a variety of different greens like Boston lettuce, watercress and frisee.
Pasta may not be what you want on a hot afternoon but a pasta salad is another thing. Try an Italian style one with precooked pasta.Barilla brands has a wide variety of noodles that have been already boiled. Just open a packet and mix with slices of summer sausage and sliced cherry tomatoes. Throw in some chopped black olives and parsley for a hearty but cool dinner. Precooked pasta with salsa cruda is another temperature cooling dish on a hot night. The sauce is easy to make. It's just cut ripe tomatoes mixed with olive oil, thyme and basil. Some recipes call for a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar but you can also use red wine if you want to. Add some sliced Italian bread to sop up the sauce. Veggie tacos made with an array of fresh produce is a great week night meal. Sliced tomatoes along with julienned peppers and carrots make the filling. You can also add celery and any kind of lettuce for crunch and color. Top with salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream for extra richness. Hummus is an easy no cook dip that works well as a meal with pita wedges. Put in some hot pepper flakes or black olives for more flavor.
It's summer and it's time for cool,tasty meals. Don't go crazy cooking hot food in a hot kitchen. You've been doing such for months. Chill with chill meals.
Saturday, June 27, 2020
The State Of Food Now
It's been a little over three months that our lives, and our eating habits have been changed. Not only that our shopping has also been altered. Have we adapted? It's an interesting question.
The Corona virus has upset everything and definitely changed the whole modern food chain, from how our food is grown and caught to how we eat. The New York Times Food section this past Wednesday ran an article about the salmon industry and how the virus impacted it. Julia O'Malley wrote about how out of staters come to the Naknek area for the work. They either work fishing or processing. The businesses have to be shut down meaning there's no work and no products going out to the stories and buyers. It has hit hard for Brian Nicolson, a Brooklyn winemaker who returns to his family business in this Alaskan outback. Farms across the country are also affected.Some will prosper. Some will not. Thanks to the restaurants closing down or limiting their services, many farms have suffered. Many crops have had to be destroyed. Now with bans being lifted, the farms can make a comeback. It's just a matter of keeping the workers safe, despite the bad workplace conditions and the lack of medical benefits for them.
Thankfully the shortages have more or less stopped. It was bad, with farmers killing off livestock because they couldn't sell the meat. It seemed they were more catering to the restaurants because home chefs were stockpiling every kind from frozen nuggets to fresh hams.The flour shortage due to people going wild for home baking is also over. We realize that we have the capacity to be hoarders, especially when it comes to such essentials as milk , bread, eggs and cold cuts. Yet we also have the hidden capacity to be fearless home chefs and bakers. Being quarantined has retaught us to read through cookbooks that have been collecting dust for years and use such gadgets as corers and ravioli cutters that have been sitting idle in kitchen drawers. There has also a down side. As people binged watched their favorite shows and movies they also binged ate. Snack sales went up tremendously. People wanted comfort foods, from Oreos, and their counterparts (try the Acme's Tuxedo brand of sandwich cookies) to potato chips and pork rinds. Home bakers indulged on frosting rich cakes and butter laden cookies. Hopefully this is over and we can appreciate the fresh fruit and veggies of the season for a quick bite.
How have we adapted? How has our country adapted? The answer varies depending on who you talk to or what you read. We did relearn to cook and bake which is always good. Yet we also discovered our dark side when it came to hoarding and binging.
The Corona virus has upset everything and definitely changed the whole modern food chain, from how our food is grown and caught to how we eat. The New York Times Food section this past Wednesday ran an article about the salmon industry and how the virus impacted it. Julia O'Malley wrote about how out of staters come to the Naknek area for the work. They either work fishing or processing. The businesses have to be shut down meaning there's no work and no products going out to the stories and buyers. It has hit hard for Brian Nicolson, a Brooklyn winemaker who returns to his family business in this Alaskan outback. Farms across the country are also affected.Some will prosper. Some will not. Thanks to the restaurants closing down or limiting their services, many farms have suffered. Many crops have had to be destroyed. Now with bans being lifted, the farms can make a comeback. It's just a matter of keeping the workers safe, despite the bad workplace conditions and the lack of medical benefits for them.
Thankfully the shortages have more or less stopped. It was bad, with farmers killing off livestock because they couldn't sell the meat. It seemed they were more catering to the restaurants because home chefs were stockpiling every kind from frozen nuggets to fresh hams.The flour shortage due to people going wild for home baking is also over. We realize that we have the capacity to be hoarders, especially when it comes to such essentials as milk , bread, eggs and cold cuts. Yet we also have the hidden capacity to be fearless home chefs and bakers. Being quarantined has retaught us to read through cookbooks that have been collecting dust for years and use such gadgets as corers and ravioli cutters that have been sitting idle in kitchen drawers. There has also a down side. As people binged watched their favorite shows and movies they also binged ate. Snack sales went up tremendously. People wanted comfort foods, from Oreos, and their counterparts (try the Acme's Tuxedo brand of sandwich cookies) to potato chips and pork rinds. Home bakers indulged on frosting rich cakes and butter laden cookies. Hopefully this is over and we can appreciate the fresh fruit and veggies of the season for a quick bite.
How have we adapted? How has our country adapted? The answer varies depending on who you talk to or what you read. We did relearn to cook and bake which is always good. Yet we also discovered our dark side when it came to hoarding and binging.
Friday, June 26, 2020
The Ultimate Fish Cookbook
It's summer and that means one thing - seafood!. what would it be without sweet lobster or fried cod? Now there's a new cookbook that celebrates both freshwater and saltwater bounties. It is one of the best comprehensive seafood ones out there and definitely worth adding to the home library.
America's Test Kitchen Foolproof Fish, Modern Recipes For Everyone, Everywhere (American Test Kitchen 2020) is a compilation of the best fish and seafood recipes. There is no one author. The brilliant editorial staff has create a gorgeous coffee table type book with plenty of interesting recipes and beautiful pictures. The recipes are well tested and thought out which are the hallmarks of the long running PBS show. What is great about it is the guide to fish and seafood. There is a full dictionary on everything from Arctic char to tuna.It explains all sorts of aspects from and taste - important for those trying such fish as monkfish or tilapia for the first time. The book also explains how you will find them in the store or fish market along with cooking methods and even substitutions.Another plus is that they educate the reader about buying. There are helpful hints about purchasing whole and frozen fish along with buying fish for sushi and sustainable as well as buying seafood in season. There is a page devoted to the different cooking methods as well. The book isn't just about seafood. Relish and such classic sauce recipes as tartar sauce are also included. You could make a meal out of these alone.
I love how the recipes are divided. One section is Everyday Essentials that has such recipes as pan seared swordfish steaks and crunchy oven fried fish sticks, sure to be a family favorite. Soups, stews and chowders have such crowd pleasers as the classic Provencale bouillabaisse along with everyone's favorite two clam chowders, New England and Manhattan. There is also the Portuguese cioppino along with seafood and chorizo stew. Gumbo is also here as well as lobster and corn chowder.Beach goers who miss those classic seafood shack favorites as New England lobster rolls ,crab cakes and shrimp tacos can find them here. Twists are present as well as seen in the Salad Nicoise with smoked salmon and Mediterranean Couscous salad with smoked trout. Grillers will love the different recipes that feature blackened red snapper and the popular tuna steaks flavored with vinaigrette For the fun loving barbecuers there are grilled Caribbean shrimp ones and grilled red chile and ginger shrimp.For those home chefs who revel in small plates there are such tasty recipes as baked crabbed dish and Provencal style anchovy dish, perfect for a small gathering. Other small bite ones are gravlax, and bacon rolled scallop bites along with popcorn shrimp and salt cod fritters.
America's Test Kitchen Foolproof Fish : Modern Recipes For Everyone Everywhere is the perfect seafood recipe book for those all fish lovers. It's a comprehensive look with delicious recipes that can please everyone. It's great for summer cooking and for cooking all year round.
America's Test Kitchen Foolproof Fish, Modern Recipes For Everyone, Everywhere (American Test Kitchen 2020) is a compilation of the best fish and seafood recipes. There is no one author. The brilliant editorial staff has create a gorgeous coffee table type book with plenty of interesting recipes and beautiful pictures. The recipes are well tested and thought out which are the hallmarks of the long running PBS show. What is great about it is the guide to fish and seafood. There is a full dictionary on everything from Arctic char to tuna.It explains all sorts of aspects from and taste - important for those trying such fish as monkfish or tilapia for the first time. The book also explains how you will find them in the store or fish market along with cooking methods and even substitutions.Another plus is that they educate the reader about buying. There are helpful hints about purchasing whole and frozen fish along with buying fish for sushi and sustainable as well as buying seafood in season. There is a page devoted to the different cooking methods as well. The book isn't just about seafood. Relish and such classic sauce recipes as tartar sauce are also included. You could make a meal out of these alone.
I love how the recipes are divided. One section is Everyday Essentials that has such recipes as pan seared swordfish steaks and crunchy oven fried fish sticks, sure to be a family favorite. Soups, stews and chowders have such crowd pleasers as the classic Provencale bouillabaisse along with everyone's favorite two clam chowders, New England and Manhattan. There is also the Portuguese cioppino along with seafood and chorizo stew. Gumbo is also here as well as lobster and corn chowder.Beach goers who miss those classic seafood shack favorites as New England lobster rolls ,crab cakes and shrimp tacos can find them here. Twists are present as well as seen in the Salad Nicoise with smoked salmon and Mediterranean Couscous salad with smoked trout. Grillers will love the different recipes that feature blackened red snapper and the popular tuna steaks flavored with vinaigrette For the fun loving barbecuers there are grilled Caribbean shrimp ones and grilled red chile and ginger shrimp.For those home chefs who revel in small plates there are such tasty recipes as baked crabbed dish and Provencal style anchovy dish, perfect for a small gathering. Other small bite ones are gravlax, and bacon rolled scallop bites along with popcorn shrimp and salt cod fritters.
America's Test Kitchen Foolproof Fish : Modern Recipes For Everyone Everywhere is the perfect seafood recipe book for those all fish lovers. It's a comprehensive look with delicious recipes that can please everyone. It's great for summer cooking and for cooking all year round.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Padma Lakshmi's Mission
From top model to Top Chef Padma Lakshmi is known for her beauty as well as for her cooking. Yet she is also a fervent supporter of human right and women's rights along with being an ambassador for American Civil Liberties Union. her new show is about food but it's so much more.
Tejal Rao wrote about this remarkable person in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Ms. Lakshmi has a new food oriented series on Hulu, Taste The Nation. she is no stranger to TV, having been the host and executive producer on the wildly popular Top Chef. This show is different. There's no competition. It's simply a show celebrating the food cultures of Indigenous peoples, immigrant communities and the descendants of the enslaved. Unlike the white male food and travel hosts before her Ms. Lakshmi is keenly aware she is a guest in the homes she visits. The food may be delicious but she doesn't fetishize the dishes she's served. It's not really taste the nation, a word play on CBS's long running Sunday morning show, it's more a way to dig into history and understand how specific communities as they live now.Not many food shows explore how the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 shaped restaurant culture.
Like other food and travel shows there are delicious foods to try. There is hot gumbo soothed down with okra, , fire grilled kebabs, beef simmered in a coconut rich curry and puffy corn tortillas wrapped around beans and scrambled eggs. Yet unlike those other food and travel shows there is a definite edge. Ms. Lakshmi stop in front of a shuttered Iranian travel agency noting how a travel ban has thrown people's lives into a disturbance. (this was done before the pandemic: between summer and fall 2019). when she eats the Indigenous fry bread in Phoenix, her companion clarifies its' origins, from the genocide of the natives to their displacement on reservations. Another episode centers around the Gullah Geechee community of coastal Carolinas whose West African enslaved ancestors cultivated the rice fields and whose forced labor built the region's economy. Their food culture was hard won and now it's being threatened by climate change. Then there's the first episode which is takes place in El Paso. She's looking for the history of the burrito but also talks about how workers have to cross the border from Mexico for their jobs.
Taste The Nation is the food show that goes beyond food. It shows the reality of America's culinary history and the politics behind it. It is definitely a show to watch and digest.
Tejal Rao wrote about this remarkable person in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Ms. Lakshmi has a new food oriented series on Hulu, Taste The Nation. she is no stranger to TV, having been the host and executive producer on the wildly popular Top Chef. This show is different. There's no competition. It's simply a show celebrating the food cultures of Indigenous peoples, immigrant communities and the descendants of the enslaved. Unlike the white male food and travel hosts before her Ms. Lakshmi is keenly aware she is a guest in the homes she visits. The food may be delicious but she doesn't fetishize the dishes she's served. It's not really taste the nation, a word play on CBS's long running Sunday morning show, it's more a way to dig into history and understand how specific communities as they live now.Not many food shows explore how the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 shaped restaurant culture.
Like other food and travel shows there are delicious foods to try. There is hot gumbo soothed down with okra, , fire grilled kebabs, beef simmered in a coconut rich curry and puffy corn tortillas wrapped around beans and scrambled eggs. Yet unlike those other food and travel shows there is a definite edge. Ms. Lakshmi stop in front of a shuttered Iranian travel agency noting how a travel ban has thrown people's lives into a disturbance. (this was done before the pandemic: between summer and fall 2019). when she eats the Indigenous fry bread in Phoenix, her companion clarifies its' origins, from the genocide of the natives to their displacement on reservations. Another episode centers around the Gullah Geechee community of coastal Carolinas whose West African enslaved ancestors cultivated the rice fields and whose forced labor built the region's economy. Their food culture was hard won and now it's being threatened by climate change. Then there's the first episode which is takes place in El Paso. She's looking for the history of the burrito but also talks about how workers have to cross the border from Mexico for their jobs.
Taste The Nation is the food show that goes beyond food. It shows the reality of America's culinary history and the politics behind it. It is definitely a show to watch and digest.
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