As this year comes to a merciful end, we take a look back at the year in food culture, recapping the big stories, and sharing some stories and features that we didn't get a chance to talk about on the show. There is, of course, our annual clip montage at the end - some of my favorite moments of My Life as a Foodie in 2011.

episode 89 :: 2011 year in review

Arts

Literature

Performing Arts

Design

Food

Fashion & Beauty

Visual Arts

Today we’re discussing Ugly Delicious, a Netflix show hosted by David Chang. Each episode of the show highlights a single dish, explores how it’s made, and how to tell if what you’re getting in your neck of the woods is authentic or a total fugazi. Ugly Delicious digs deep to explore the cultural, sociological, and culinary history of each popular dish.

episode 120 :: ugly delicious

Vegetarians had it right all along. Then, vegans came along and spoiled everything by being attention whores. The idea: If it comes from the ground, eat it. If it comes from an animal, don’t. Everyone has their reasons for excluding meat from their diet. Today, I explore the possibilities and the reasons why people make this radical change in their dietary lifestyle.

episode 119 :: a meat free diet

My brother Chuck joins the show to discuss all things coffee as he launches his new coffee roasting company Elevated Roast. Like most artisans, his passion for roasting coffee started as a hobby over a decade ago and it didn't take long for that passion to turn into a profession. Chuck knows practically everything there is to know about what makes the difference between an acceptable roast and an exceptional roast. I can tell you with great certainty that his beans are the latter. Visit elevatedroast.com to order fresh roasted beans that will change your perspective on coffee.

episode 118 :: elevated roast

He has lived in the shadow of his brother most of his life, and now he is building an empire of his own. For decades, when people thought of El Bulli, it was synonymous with Ferran Adria. But those who knew the inner workings of that project were well aware that it was Albert who was responsible for its success all along.

episode 117 :: albert adria

Outside of the LeBron era, being a sports fan in Cleveland has been as enjoyable as a root canal. Thankfully, there's a great mustard war going on that makes an otherwise dreadful ballpark hot dog relatively gameworthy. Still reeling from Bourdain's death, I discuss some recent revelations that shed light on his possible motives for suicide. My brother will be my guest on the next episode, and we're talking really good coffee. I mean, REALLY GOOD COFFEE.

episode 89 :: 2011 year in review

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