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    Back to Good Food

    Good Food

    Fish sauce, tamales, Latin American food, stinging nettle

    Fish sauce is the backbone of South Asian cooking. Chef Diep Tran is using Red Boat Fish Sauce in everything from a breakfast banh mi to pasta marinara. Journalist Gab Chabran has his picks for the top holiday tamales across the city.

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    By Evan Kleiman • Dec 18, 2021 • 57m Listen

    Fish sauce is the backbone of South Asian cooking. Chef Diep Tran is using Red Boat Fish Sauce in everything from a breakfast banh mi to pasta marinara. Journalist Gab Chabran has his picks for the top holiday tamales across the city. Food writer Bill Esparza discusses the wave of Mexico City restaurants opening in Los Angeles. Latin American cuisine is a story of global fusion that spans centuries, and Peruvian chef Virgilio Martínez compiled a compendium of recipes from Chile to Mexico. Matt Biancaniello swaps spinach for stinging nettles and shares a beautiful winter cocktail. Finally, Melissa Acedera is combating food injustice with a mobile pantry that travels the Southland.

    In this episode

    6 stories
    1. 0:00

      Fish sauce: One man’s equivalent to a midlife crisis Maserati

      With a simple mission to provide his mom with good fish sauce for her cooking, Cuong Pham purchased a 16 barrel sauce facility in Vietnam. His children thought he was having a midlife crisis.

      Read the story
      11 min
    2. 11:09

      Deck the halls with corn husks and masa this tamales season

      What makes the last several weeks of the year tamales season? Long Beach-based journalist Gab Chabran says it's because tamales are a communal food made with friends and family and another thing to unwrap.

      Read the story
      12 min
    3. 22:46

      Visiting Mexico City cuisine in LA with Bill Esparza

      Food writer Bill Esparza knows his tacos.

      Read the story
      9 min
    4. 32:05

      Evolution of Latin American cuisine is focus of new cookbook

      The expanse of Latin America reaches from the tip of Chile to north of Mexico, from Rio Grande to Cape Horn. With the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, coral reefs, tropical forests, and wetlands, the region encompasses 50% of the world’s biodiversity.

      Read the story
      7 min
    5. 39:12

      Eating your drink at the farmer’s market with Matt Biancanello

      With the last market report of the year, correspondent Gillian Ferguson is joined by Matt Biancaniello , who is making a gin cocktail of stinging nettles with satsuma juice, and adding allspice and cacao.

      Read the story
      7 min
    6. 46:35

      Polo’s Pantry: Firing up activism to combat food injustice

      Homelessness is an issue that persists in Los Angeles. While many avert their eyes, others roll up their sleeves to help, like Melissa Acedera.

      Read the story
      11 min
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Evan Kleiman

      host 'Good Food'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Laryl Garcia

      Senior Director, Good Food

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Gillian Ferguson

      Supervising Producer, Good Food

      CultureFood & Drink

    In this episode

    6 stories
    1. 0:0011 min

      Fish sauce: One man’s equivalent to a midlife crisis Maserati

    2. 11:0912 min

      Deck the halls with corn husks and masa this tamales season

    3. 22:469 min

      Visiting Mexico City cuisine in LA with Bill Esparza

    4. 32:057 min

      Evolution of Latin American cuisine is focus of new cookbook

    5. 39:127 min

      Eating your drink at the farmer’s market with Matt Biancanello

    6. 46:3511 min

      Polo’s Pantry: Firing up activism to combat food injustice

    Back to Good Food