Good Food

Food historian Jessica Harris shares stories from her memoir and Christina Arokiasamy gives us a primer on Malaysian food. Mark Furstenberg explains his decision to open a bakery at age 76 and Jami Curl pivots from baked goods to candy at QUIN. Plus: Jonathan Gold reviews Cosa Buona and Laura Avery shops for peaches at the market.

Gustavo Arellano examines a case of cultural appropriation in breakfast burritos, and Samin Nosrat explains why salt, fat, heat and acid are the elements of good cooking. Plus: Josephine Caminos Orìa schools us on dulce de leche, Jonathan Gold reviews Rossoblu and Laura Avery gets a pitch for raw milk at the market.

Joann Lo and Jose Oliva discuss their work with the Food Chain Workers Alliance, and Simran Sethi files a field report from Slow Food Nations in Denver. Nguyen Tran shares more “Adventures in Starry Kitchen,” and Matt Goulding travels to Spain with chef José Andrés, barnacle hunters and cider makers. Plus, summer squash at the market, and Jonathan Gold dines at Michael’s in Santa Monica.

We taste the latest vegan beef poseur on the market at Crossroads Kitchen, sample fancy salts with n/naka pastry chef Leslie Bilderback and learn about the history of butter-making from Elaine Khosrova. Plus: Jonathan Gold braves the lines at Pizzana in Brentwood, while Laura Avery shops for spirulina at the farmers market.

Whether you summer by the sea or indulge in a plate of sushi or ceviche now and then, we are far more dependent upon what lies beneath the ocean waves than we think. So we devote this week’s show to the complex ecosystems that live in the briny deep, inhabited by cod, branzino, oysters, mussels, sea vegetables and much more.

Gustavo Arellano takes a stand against the Santa Ana City Council proposal to regulate street vendors. Lesley Balla reports on the cherry pie, coffee and donuts in “Twin Peaks.” Cara Tannenbaum and Andrea Tutunjian talk up their favorite nuts and seeds. Bob Holmes discusses how taste and smell affect flavor. Plus: A beef pho recipe and what to eat at Mas’ Chinese Islamic Restaurant.

Bill Esparza reveals the inspiration behind “LA Mexicano,” and Simran Sethi sends us a report and Korean makjeok recipe from Camp Bacon. John T. Edge explores race, identity and class through the lens of Southern food in “The Potlikker Papers,” and Jonathan Gold waxes poetic about Hainan chicken rice at Side Chick. Plus: The significance of the US win at the Bocuse d’Or, and Laura Avery shops for Genoese basil at the market.

Charles Dedlow, of Roan Mills, talks bread-making with heritage grains. Tatler Editor John Haney explains how the British "sarnie" came to be, and No. 7 Chef Tyler Kord shares a spirited patty melt recipe. Plus: a pastrami sandwich crawl through Boyle Heights with Lara Rabinovitch, and Jonathan Gold stops in for a bite at the Everson Royce Bar. We first ran this show in October but believed it beared repeating.

Peggy Lowe explains why Trump’s pick for USDA Secretary is rattling rural America. Dario Cecchini talks future plans for Chianti ramen, and Richard Turner shares cuts from “PRIME: The Beef Cookbook.” Writer Matthew Sedacca looks at the controversy behind liquid smoke. Jonathan Gold tries Chengdu-style dishes, and Elisabeth Prueitt of Tartine fills us in on the latest. Plus, chef Michael Beckman shares a recipe for cactus confit.

Sarah Lohman talks about the murder and historic recipes that form the backbone of her new book, “Ohio 1910,” and Rachel Khong shares highlights from Lucky Peach’s last cookbook, “All About Eggs.” Michelle Mckenzie tells us how to cook oft-forgotten fruits, veggies and herbs, and Jonathan Gold reviews AR Cucina in Culver City. Plus: raspberries at the market and a special guest DJ set from Alton Brown.