Extra Spicy

Latest Episodes:

Redefining Food Criticism Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

British restaurant critic Jimi Famurewa talks about how he became the U.K.’s first Black food critic at London’s Evening Standard — a journey co-host and Chronicle restaurant critic Soleil Ho is all too familiar with. This is the last of two episodes that go into the many differences between U.S. and U.K. food criticism. Plus: Why Jimi and Soleil are excited about writing bad reviews again. Plus: Why Jimi and Soleil are excited about writing bad reviews again.

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Becoming the Food Critic Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

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You’re White and Own an Asian Restaurant: Let’s Talk Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

Irene Li, chef and co-founder of Mei Mei restaurant in Boston, wrote about 8 Totally Achievable Ways to Show Up for Racial Justice… When You’re White and Own an Asian Restaurant! Li breaks downs each item on her list, the difference between appreciation and appropriation, and how white chefs can use their power to work toward racial equity.

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Are Alternative Foods the Future? Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Will future generations only know meatless burgers and other food alternatives? It sounds dystopian, but that is a legitimate possibility if Silicon Valley gets their way. Hosts Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips talk with author and journalist Larissa Zimberoff about her latest book, “Technically Food: Inside Silicon Valley’s Mission to Change What We Eat” and whether demand for “alternative” foods will overcome California’s farm-to-table culture.

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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ICYMI: America’s Minimum Wage Debate Is Tipping Over May 31, 2021

Show notes

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. This episode first aired in April.

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Food as Love Language May 24, 2021

Show notes

During this crazy, difficult and strange pandemic year, cooking and eating has helped many of us take care of ourselves and each other. So we’re devoting this week's episode to talking all about food as a love language. You’ll hear from Danny Lavery and Chronicle reporter Annie Vainshtein, who have found joy, comfort, and sometimes even anxiety at the thought of having to prepare a meal. And we’ll get to know Susanna Zaraysky, a San Jose woman who prepares and delivers elaborate meal packages as a way to stay connected with her father, who lives in a nursing home.

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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How a Podcaster Designed a New Pasta May 17, 2021

Show notes

Cascatelli, a new pasta shape created by Dan Pashman, host of The Sporkful podcast, is making waves. Pashman joins Extra Spicy hosts Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips to discuss his multi-year creation process with the company Sfoglini, plus the criteria — ‘forkability,’ ‘sauceability’ and ‘toothsinkability’ — that led to the world’s newest pasta shape.

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 Doctor’s Orders May 10, 2021

Show notes

Doctor Linda Shiue had a revelation: her prescription pad could motivate patients towards better eating habits. First, she wrote a prescription for kale chips; now her new cookbook, "Spicebox Kitchen," bridges her medical expertise with the joy of cooking healthy, plant-forward meals. She talks to hosts Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips about her journey from doctor to chef and the ancient tradition of food as medicine.

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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Crying in H Mart May 03, 2021

Show notes

Singer-songwriter Michelle Zauner, known by the moniker, “Japanese Breakfast,” discusses her memoir, “Crying in H Mart.” The book explores Zauner’s complicated relationship with her late mother, Korean identity and processing grief. At the time of the interview, the topic was abstract for host Soleil Ho – until her own grandfather got sick. Extra Spicy dives into the complexities of food, family and finding solace through storytelling.

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Cooking REAL Hawai’ian Food Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

Sheldon Simeon, chef and owner of Tin Roof restaurants and two-time "Top Chef" finalist, talks all about Hawaiian food: what it is, what it isn’t, and how you can learn to cook it through his new cookbook, “Cook Real Hawai’i.” Sheldon addresses the relationship between tourism and the mainland’s image of the islands’ cuisine and how chefs like him are on a quest to reclaim the cuisine for his fellow Hawai’ians — to really capture the multicultural nuances of what people actually eat there.

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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