Good Food

KCRW

4.6 (1K)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
UPDATED WEEKLY

Everything you wanted to know about good cooking and good eating from LA chef, author, radio host and restaurateur Evan Kleiman.

4 DAYS AGO

League of Kitchens, immigration raids, Indonesian cooking

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!

59 min
JAN 24

Post-fire soil safety, Lunar New Year, fine China

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.

1 hr
JAN 17

Eaton and Palisades Fires: Wildfire aid and the road to recovery

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.

1 hr
JAN 10

Seaweed, dining predictions, plant-forward cooking

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.

1 hr
JAN 3

René Redzepi and Michael Pollan

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.

59 min
12/27/2024

The Best of Good Food – 2024

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.

1 hr
12/20/2024

Kwanzaa, Shabbat, meat pies, cake

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.

1 hr
12/13/2024

Aged eggnog, women and cocktails, liqueurs

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.

48 min

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Evan Kleiman

Host

4.6

out of 5

1,028 Ratings

Michaelyn

Jan 25

Vegas Jillie

Evan, I ate at Angeli and had black ink pasta it seems like a 100 years ago. We were foodies back then but now we are living on social security and trying to stay healthy and positive. I absolutely loved the segment about fine China. I could have listened for hours. I have my grandmothers ( if alive she would be 140). She was a widow in Ohio and worked as a welder during WW2 but somehow had this set of China soup tureen and all. I never realized the importance of this and now I treasure them more. Thank you a million times. It’s funny because politically I know we are on opposite sides of issues but what does it really matter? It’s stories and memories and your squid ink pasta that really count. Thank you and may God Bless you and your family. Michaelyn Sutherland
An excellent exploration of all things related to food

08/07/2024

AlisonEugene

I don’t live in LA - I’ve actually never lived in LA - but I love listening to this podcast. I read, listen and watch a lot of food related media but this podcast stands out because of its scope. With a friendly, sincere and knowledgeable air, Evan Kleiman delves into all sorts of stories related to food, some which are generally ignored, such as how prison labor is used in food processing and how a registered nurse from the Philippines started a restaurant that doesn’t charge doctors, nurses, clergy and others who work to help people. It’s got breadth and depth and does it all with a light touch.
Outstanding Show + Podcast!

01/26/2024

Definitely Nicole

Evan’s expansive interests in all things food, including how and where it’s grown and cultivated, as well as the environmental, cultural, political, religious, and economic factors surrounding food offer us an informative, entertaining, and thought-provoking experience. Frankly, I’d love Evan to run for Congress and help re-set our priorities, as well as bring both sides to a table filled with nourishing, good food and reconcile our differences.
Life Antidote

10/19/2023

Classical NPR

This uplifting podcast is my favorite antidote for today’s anxious media. The voices are authentic, practical, and thoughtful. The focus on quality content rather than ads, music, or sound effects is a huge gift. Thank you for this heartwarming, informative public podcast related to a raison d’etre - good food!