All Of It with Alison Stewart

Recently, both Nnenna Freelon and her son, Pierce Freelon, were nominated for a Grammy for their respective projects. Nnenna's project, Time Traveler, is a love letter to her late husband, Philip Freelon, who passed away in 2019. Pierce's project, Black to the Future, is a children's album featuring the voices of over four generations of his family. They both speak with us about the music, their careers, and their relationship.

2021 was a great year for books! Arianna Rebolini, author of the newsletter "Reading Habits" joins us to talk about some of her favorite books of the year. Plus, we'll take calls from listeners about their best read of the year.

Chris Cheung's new cookbook, Damn Good Chinese Food: Dumplings, Egg Rolls, Bao Buns, Sesame Noodles, Roast Duck, Fried Rice, and More, takes inspiration from the place Cheung grew up living, eating, and working in: New York City's Chinatown. Cheung, chef and owner of East Wind Snack Shop, explores the food of Chinatown, which is often overlooked or under appreciated in the renaissance of Chinese cooking, and takes readers through his favorite dishes. He joins us to discuss the new cookbook.

Wonton Noodle Soup

MAKES 6 BOWLS | PREP TIME: 3½ HOURS | COOKING TIME: 10 MINUTES

There are times when you have to accept hard truths that life throws right in your face. You can’t make a good wonton soup without MSG. It is a necessary flavor that—when combined with plump fat dumplings, pork broth, some scallions, and white pepper—magically transports you to a magnificent noodle dream, where you're holding a weird big white spoon and slurping up silky clouds of goodness. Reconfigure your brain waves through each spoon of broth with a savoriness that coats your tongue and takes you to a happy place that only a few dishes in this world can do. That’s a good wonton noodle soup.

There is something comforting about a hot bowl of Cantonese wonton noodle soup that makes everyone warm and fuzzy. This truly great dish has transcended time. It has gone from a humble Chinese classic to an iconic Chinese American bowl of awesome.

INGREDIENTSFor the Broth:2 pounds pork bones (or 2 pork bouillon)1 pound fish bones (or 1 shrimp bouillon)1 cup shrimp shells1 gallon water2 pieces star anise1 cup Shaoxing wine*¼ cup soy2 tablespoons Chinese sugar3 tablespoons MSG1 tablespoon white pepper

For the Filling:¼ pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, andcoarsely chopped½ pound pork, coarsely ground2 tablespoons oyster sauce3 tablespoons soy sauce1 tablespoon MSG1 tablespoon kosher salt1 teaspoon pepper½ cup sliced scallion1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger½ cup minced water chestnuts

For the Wontons:1 cup water24 wonton wrappersFinishing Touches2 pounds thin wonton noodles*12 bok choy leaves6 scallions, sliced6 cilantro leaves, chopped* Can be purchased online or at most Chinese supermarkets.COOKING PROCEDUREFor the Broth:Combine all broth ingredients in a stockpot and simmer for 3 hours. Skim the fat off the top of the broth and then strain the broth.Making the Filling:Place the shrimp, pork, oyster sauce, soy sauce, MSG, salt, pepper, scallion, ginger, and water chestnuts in a large bowl and mix until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.Assembling the Dumplings:Rub water around the perimeter of the wonton wrapper. Place ¾ tablespoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper, fold up, squeeze air out, and seal. Transfer your wontons to a parchment-paperlined sheet pan brushed with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.Cooking:Heat your blanching water to a boil. In separate pot, heat your broth in a pot to a simmer. Place 12 wontons in the blanching water for 3 to 4 minutes and transfer to bowls; repeat for 12 remaining wontons. If the noodles are fresh, cook for 2 to 3 minutes. For dry noodles, follow the instructions on the package. Transfer to bowls. Add bok choy to the blanching water for 1 minute and transfer to bowls. Ladle the broth into the bowls. Garnish with scallions and cilantro. Get warm and fuzzy with 5 friends.

Reprinted from 'Damn Good Chinese Food: Dumplings, Egg Rolls, Bao Buns, Sesame Noodles, Roast Duck, Fried Rice, and More' by Chris Cheung. Photography by Alan Battman. Published by Skyhorse Publishing.

In the US, Jews have eaten Chinese takeout on Christmas for over 100 years. This tradition became popular especially among Jewish New Yorkers in the 20th century. Chop Suey author Andrew Coe joins us to talk about Jewish American Chinese restaurant patronage. We take calls from listeners about their favorite Chinese restaurant. 

WNYC's John Schaefer brings us the sounds of Christmas from around the world, from regional adaptations of Western jingles and carols, to the sounds that suggest "Christmas" to global audiences, the way warm strings and crooners do for American audiences.

Here are John's picks, in order of appearance: Grupo Vocal Sampling - "We Wish You a Merry Christmas/Rumba Navidene"New Birth Brass Band - "Santa's Second Line"Bela Fleck and Huun Huur Tu - "Jingle Bells"Concord Nkabinde - "Sizalelwe Indodana"Joseph Spence - "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"Hania Rani, Dobrawa Czocher - "Jezus Malusieńki"Ensemble Choral Du Bout Du Monde – "Nedeleg"Baraban - "La Santa Dell'oriente"

[REBROADCAST FROM September 21, 2021] Jessica Mallare-Best, director of educational equity at the Center for Equity and Inclusion in Portland, Oregon, and former Portland Public School High School teacher, discusses Critical Race Theory, what it is, and teaching it to high school students.

Lets go into the WNYC archives to hear what the holidays sounded like in New York City back in the day! We take a listen to clips of old broadcasts from interviews with Santa Claus, the sounds of carols and strolling down 5th avenue, and of course…kids saying what they wanted for Christmas.

Vocalist Kat Edmonson has proved herself to be a skillful interpreter of the Great American Songbook, as well as a writer of timeless and old-fashioned originals. But, surprisingly, she has never released a holiday album, until now. Holiday Swingin! (A Kat Edmonson Christmas Vol 1) is her first collection of songs for the season. Edmonson joins us for a Listening Party.

[REBROADCAST FROM September 21, 2021] Veronica Chambers, New York Times editor and author of a new book, Call and Response: The Story of Black Lives Matter, discusses her book designed for younger readers to understand the history of the movement.

The 1619 Project from The New York Times was first published in 2019, four hundred years after the first slave ship landed on the shores of the United States. The project aims to create a new framework for how to understand the legacy and present consequences of slavery in the U.S, and was received with high praise or sharp criticism, depending on who you ask. Now, a new book, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, expands upon the original published version with new essays and reporting. Creator Nikole Hannah-Jones and New York Times Magazine editor in chief Jake Silverstein are with us to discuss the project.