Good Food

Good Food looks to a new year full of hope and wonder — from the soil beneath our feet, the trees growing toward the sky, and the marvel of the last wild foods on Earth. Dr. Rattan Lal has devoted his work to the land and describes the connections between soil and terrestrial life. Woodland biologist Artur Cisar-Erlach details his fascination with wood and the flavor it adds to food production. Gina Rae La Cerva traveled the world in search of untamed, wild foods. Plus, a children’s reading about seeds.

The Best of 2020 reads like the ultimate oxymoron. In a year that may be the worst for many of us, Good Food looks back on some highlights. Benjamin Wurgaft looks to the future of food and the use of meat alternatives in the lab. Angeleno Pascal Baudar preserves all that is good after a forage with master fermentation techniques. Jay Singh lets Good Food ride shotgun on his long haul journeys delivering produce and groceries to supermarkets across the U.S. Helen Rosner reads from her piece in The New Yorker, a metaphor for how a few bad apples spoil the bunch. Food scholar Adrian Miller reflects on how food has been weaponized. Finally, Justin Pichetrungsi gave up a career in art direction and concept design to keep his father’s dream alive.

A note from Evan Kleiman: I am devoting this show to something that has sustained me this year — the power of giving. No matter how comfortable our circumstances may or may not be, we are all looking for ways to help. For me, the combination of feeling powerless in isolation has made the impulse to give stronger than ever. So for this show, I want to highlight those who are giving their all, whether it’s fighting to save a community of restaurants, or urging city councils to adopt better policy. Every single person on this show made an impact this year, and I want to invite you, the Good Food community, to support them in their work.

What happens to a place when restaurants disappear? There’s something deeper than just the exchange of the food that’s lacking. Small interactions in so-called third spaces that add up to give eaters a sense of identity within their own city. The spaces, rooms, great effort and expense that go into the counters, tables, curtains, wallpaper, plateware — it’s all the great and fragile theater of dining. Restaurants provide an incalculable amount of culture, texture and humanity.

In this week’s edition of “In the Weeds,” Daniel Navarro shares the story of his family’s restaurant, El Cochinito, in Silver Lake. Next, Leah Koenig explores different ways to celebrate Hanukkah through a global lens. Pastry chefs Sally Camacho Mueller and Charles Olalia describe Christmas in the Philippines and seasonal sweets. Chris Smith celebrates collards and their significance in Southern cuisines. Chef and television host Maneet Chauhan introduces snacks found along Indian railways.

As Los Angeles heads into another lockdown, Good Food checks in with Celia Sack of Omnivore Books in San Francisco for ideas on which cookbooks to give your friends/family (or yourself). Two of Sack’s picks are “Flavor” by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage and “Red Sands” by Caroline Eden. Evan Kleiman talks recipes and wanderlust with them. Ken Concepcion of Now Serving and Simon Davies of Somekind Press share their collaboration on the Take Away Los Angeles series of books benefitting LA restaurants. Ari Kolander describes the constant pivoting in order to keep the doors open at his year-old seafood restaurant, Found Oyster, in East Hollywood. Finally, market correspondent Gillian Ferguson heads down to the Torrance Farmers’ Market to talk Japanese shave ice and macadamia nuts.

Good Food explores the two edible art forms that best feature leftovers — the sandwich and taco. Politics professor Aaron Bobrow-Strain looks at the history of white bread in America and how it became so popular and industrialized. Cheese authority Laura Werlin discusses the origin and variations of grilled cheese. Tyler Kord offers riffs on the traditional sub. Wax Paper in LA pays homage to NPR personalities with their sandwiches, and co-owner Peter Lemos explains what goes into an “Ira Glass.” Gustavo Arellano speaks with Jorge Gaviria about the role of masa in some of Southern California’s best tortillas, and José R. Ralat takes eaters on a journey of America’s regional tacos.

Chef David Chang takes a seat at the table to co-host the Good Food annual Thanksgiving show with Evan Kleiman. Nokx Majozi of London’s celebrated Pie Room shares recipes for traditional savory and individual pies that can transform this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. Mark Pasternak of Devil’s Gulch Ranch suggests alternative turkey proteins for the holiday centerpiece. Cheryl Day reveals her twists on classic Thanksgiving desserts. Andrea Ngyuen has a plan for leftovers with an Asian spin. Plus, pomegranates have found their way to the farmer’s market.

As the nation heads down a road of recovery, Good Food looks at healing, which is at the center of the new film, “Gather.” Director Sanjay Rawal opens the film with a quote from Crazy Horse of the Oglala Lakota Nation: “The Red Nation shall rise again and it shall be a blessing for a sick world, a world filled with broken promises, selfishness and separations, a world longing for light again.” Rawal discusses a growing movement of Native Americans working to reconnect with their spiritual and cultural identity. Somali chef Hawa Hassan pays homage to the matriarchal cooking of eight African nations. Lisa Held reports on how policy changes under the Trump administration has reshaped farming and food. Rashida Holmes is serving Caribbean cuisine in the Arts District. Plus, jujubes are in season and at the farmer’s market.

The U.S. has been under a global microscope all week. Time and waiting are very important variables, according to fermenting revivilaist Sandor Katz. He discusses the challenges and delayed gratification of fermentation and how it is a metaphor for daily life. Chef Marcus Samuelsson discusses the Black experience and the pillars of Black food in modern American cuisine. Andy Ricker shares his thoughts on the decision to end the 15-year run of his Pok Pok restaurant group. Bali-style bungkus pops up in a driveway. Finally, persimmons are back at the farmer’s market.

Good Food celebrates Halloween and the creature comforts that come with fall. Ben Mims explains how to make two of his favorite commercial candy bars at home. Polina Chesnakova has all the ooey, gooey, melty dishes that incorporate hot cheese. Julia...