Good Food
Cajun cooking, tacos, salmon
We explore American traditions in cooking: Cajun cuisine in the bayou of Louisiana, dairy restaurants of New York, tacos in Texas and California.
By Evan Kleiman • • 56m ListenWe explore American traditions in cooking: Cajun cuisine in the bayou of Louisiana, dairy restaurants of New York, tacos in Texas and California. Also, after a long battle over decriminalization, street vendors are facing new challenges with the pandemic. Finally, it’s salmon season, and fishermen are expected to have a surplus of fish, but with restaurants closed, there are concerns how to get the products onto consumer tables.
In this episode
7 storiesLouisiana native Melissa Martin on the shrinking bayou and Cajun cuisine
Chef Melissa Martin grew up in South Louisiana among fishing villages, which are shrinking at an alarming rate due to coastal erosion and environmental disasters.
Read the story12 minHow dairy restaurants proliferated — then disappeared
Jewish dietary law requires the separation of meat and dairy, and so came the birth of delis and dairy restaurants. Cartoonist Ben Katchor illustrates the complicated story of religion influencing how we eat.
Read the story8 minBeloved restaurant Noriega Hotel shuts down after 89 years in Bakersfield
Basque food is simple, humble, and synonymous with family. It’s part of the fabric of Kern County. Bakersfield has a higher concentration of Basque restaurants than any other city in the United States.
Read the story7 minWhy Jonathan Gold loved visiting Noriega Hotel
We revisit Jonathan Gold’s 2011 visit to the recently shuttered 89-year-old Noriega Hotel. Basque favorites like sliced pickled tongue and a salad of cottage cheese with mayonnaise were on the menu.
Read the story5 minAmerica’s regional tacos, from Cajun to crispy hardshell
José R. Ralat is the Taco Editor of Texas Monthly. His coveted job is to eat as many tacos as he can get his hands on. He discusses different variations across the country, including versions of the dominant crispy taco.
Read the story8 minStreet vending in LA was finally decriminalized, then COVID-19 hit
There are an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 street vendors hawking their food and wares across LA. After a victory in a lengthy battle for legalization, street vendors were ordered to close because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the story8 minForecasting salmon season on the West Coast
Market correspondent Gillian Ferguson catches up with fisherman Ben Hyman of Wild Local Seafood Co. He talks about the sought-after king salmon and the “ocean abundance forecast,” which predicts how much fish will be harvested this season.
Read the story8 min
