Extra Spicy

Tipped workers, like servers and bartenders, can be paid as low as $2.13 per hour in some states. Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips trace the origin of America’s tipping culture back to slavery, and how minimum wage politics mostly impact Black and female livelihoods. Plus: how the fight to raise the federal pay floor goes beyond the restaurant industry.

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There are 1.5 million children harvesting cocoa in West Africa. Major chocolate companies now face child slavery lawsuits, marking the first time a class action of this kind has been made against the cocoa industry in the United States. Simran Sethi, professor and freelance journalist, joins Soleil Ho to discuss the problems within the industry and what consumers can do about it.

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Hosts Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips have a frank conversation about the tensions between Asian and Black communities, the dangers of a widening rift, and the media’s role in perpetuating misunderstanding.

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So this week, we were planning to publish an open conversation between Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips about crimes against Asian people, from the March 16 Atlanta shootings, to high profile violent incidents in the Bay Area captured on video that often showed Black aggressors. And we’re going to be honest: we weren’t quite sure how to put our feelings into words. We had recorded one version of this episode, but we realized we needed more time to process so we’re going to take another week.

So in the meantime, we would love to hear from you: What do you make of all this — and how do we end it? You can send us your responses by sending us a voice recording to [email protected], or you can also leave us a voicemail at 415-777-6156. We really hope to hear from you, and we look forward to including your thoughts on next week’s episode.

For now, we want to leave you with a longer version of one of our favorite episodes from Season 1. Gabriela Alemán of the Mission Meals Coalition and Ashley Rahimi Syed of SF Community Fridge teamed up to bring a fridge stocked with fresh food to San Francisco’s Mission District amid the pandemic. They talk about protecting the dignity of those they serve, and mitigating the “performative” aspect of some of the giving.

Read a transcript of our conversation with Gabriela and Ashley, and send us your questions about food, life and everything you're obsessed with at sfchronicle.com/spicy. | Get full Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

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What is the culinary equivalent to sweatpants? Katherine Spiers, the woman behind the food history podcast and newsletter Smart Mouth, joins hosts Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips to discuss the pandemic effect, food access issues and whether this past year has helped facilitate more empathy. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

Send us your questions about food, life and everything you’re obsessed with at sfchronicle.com/spicy .

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Julia Turshen – a bestselling cookbook author, food writer and food equity advocate – joins Justin and Soleil to discuss all the considerations of recipe making. From pitch to publication, Turshen shares the steps of making her latest cookbook, “Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food.” Plus, hosts Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips take on the headnotes debate.

Send us your questions about food, life and everything you’re obsessed with at sfchronicle.com/spicy. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

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Reem Assil, chef and founder of Reem’s California, talks about the struggle and necessity of transforming her Arab bakery shop in Oakland into a worker-owned operation amid the coronavirus pandemic. Assil’s restaurant models subvert and redefine the traditional definition of what a restaurant can and should be: Her team has been hard at work making meals for frontline workers, unhoused people and low-income community members while also cooking meal kits for customers. Plus: Hosts Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips talk about capitalism and how the way we shape narratives can unintentionally perpetuate and reinforce it’s agenda.

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The child of Iranian-Armenian refugees, writer and journalist Liana Aghajanian shares stories of growing up in the United States, the role that places like Chuck E. Cheese, Sizzler and IKEA have in teaching immigrant communities how to be American, and how she approaches writing about immigrant experiences in a way that embraces their nuances. Her multimedia project, Dining in Diaspora, documents the Armenian experience in America through food.

Related: Read Liana Aghajanian’s piece about Ferrero Rocher at Thrillist.com.

Send us your questions about food, life and everything you’re obsessed with at sfchronicle.com/spicy. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

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Alexis Nikole Nelson – @blackforager on TikTok and Instagram – talks about the racial history of foraging laws in the United States and what it’s like to teach people how to identify and cook wild foods. Send us your questions about food, life and everything you’re obsessed with at sfchronicle.com/spicy. |  Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

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The 2021 Lunar New Year marks a full year of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on San Francisco’s Chinatown. Well before the Bay Area shut down, America’s oldest Chinatown experienced reduced business and xenophobia. With thousands living in single-room-occupancy hotels and legacy businesses on the brink of closure, the neighborhood is fighting to survive.

Related: Fifth & Mission podcast: Chinatown's Endangered Banquet Halls: pod.fo/e/b68e0

Send us your questions about food, life and everything you’re obsessed with at sfchronicle.com/spicy. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

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