Good Food
The Future of Street Food; Vegan Twinkies; Date History
Sidewalk food vendors are a mainstay in Los Angeles, but their operations are illegal. Now vendors are fighting to legalize and legitimize real street food.
By Evan Kleiman • • 57m ListenWhen was the last time you ordered a taco or a pupusa from a sidewalk stand? Did you know that that cart is illegal? KCRW's Saul Gonzalez reports on why Los Angeles is the only large metropolitan city in the US to ban sidewalk vending. Hostess Brands announced last week that the company is going out of business, but Twinkie fans don't despair, blogger Jennifer McCann says you can make Twinkies at home (and they're vegan too!). Iraqi native Nawal Nasrallah guides us through the history of the date, and Dave Ritchie educates us on the Parker House roll. Portland chef Greg Higgins shares his experience making sausage in Mongolia, where per capita meat consumption is a whopping 200 pounds per year. Noted cookbook author and pastry chef Alice Medrich has some sweet ideas for homemade ice cream toppings. Plus, Jonathan Gold discovers a Chinese restaurant menu that is as massive and impressive as the September issue of Vogue.
Banner image: A Los Angeles street vendor's pupusas cook on a portable griddle. Photo by Saul Gonzalez
