Good Food
Gail Simmons; Soul Food; the Flavors of Trinidad
"Top Chef" judge Gail Simmons talks about the food of her native Canada. Plus, a documentary filmmaker looks at the relationship between Soul Food and health.
By Evan Kleiman • • 57m ListenSoul food is deeply rooted in Southern black culture, but is it killing the African American community? Filmmaker Byron Hurt explores the relationship between Soul food and health. Gail Simmons of Top Chef fame discusses the food of her native Canada and Tennessee-born Abby Maharaj explains how she came to know the flavors of Trinidad. Jonathan Gold returns to Rose Avenue’s restaurant row for a meal at Hostaria del Piccolo. Plus, Aarti Sequeira describes how birthdays are celebrated around the world and Dr. Scott Stringer spells out why we lose our taste buds as we get older. At the market Laura Averytalks to Monica Ford about the fennel root at Fairview Gardens’ farm stand and chef Dan Mattern of Cooks County reminds us not to fear turnips.
In this episode
7 storiesMarket Report
Monica Ford is the market coordinator for Fairview Gardens . This week she's selling fennel root at the market. When the fennel bulbs are very small the fennel roots are tender and taste quite similar to carrots.
Read the story7 minSoul Food Junkies
Byron Hurt is an award winning documentary filmmaker. His latest documentary, Soul Food Junkies , explores the history of soul food and its relationship to health in the African American community. You can watch the film on the Good Food blog .
Read the story8 minGail Simmons on Canadian Cuisine
Gail Simmons is best known as a judge on Bravo's hit reality show Top Chef . She's also the special projects director at Food & Wine magazine and the author of a recent memoir Talking with My Mouth Full . She discusses growing up in a food-centric home, what it was like to work for Jeffrey Steingarten and the food of her native Canada.
Read the story12 minRustic Italian Finds a Home in Venice
Jonathan Gold returns to the rapidly growing Rose Avenue restaurant row in Venice. This week he visits Hostaria del Piccolo , the latest restaurant from the owners of Piccolo and the identical Hostaria del Piccolo in Santa Monica.
Read the story7 minHow Birthdays Are Celebrated around the World
Aarti Sequeira is the host of a new series on Cooking Channel called Taste in Translation . She talks to Evan about how birthdays are celebrated in different countries around the world.
Read the story8 minDo We Lose Taste Buds as We Grow Older?
Dr. Scott Stringer is the director of the Otolaryngology Department at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He explains that we start to lose our sense of smell and our taste buds as we age. However, he points out that age is not the only cause. Environmental factors such as pollution and cigarette smoke also are factors.
Read the story7 minThe Flavors of Trinidad
Tennessee native Abby Maharaj learned about the flavors of Trinidad when she married a Trinidadian. The island cuisine melds African, Chinese, Indian and Spanish flavors. Find a recipe for her Dhalpurie on the Good Food blog .
Read the story8 min
