This Week on Good Food: Alcohol, Caffeine and the Death of the Microwave

Besha Rodell talks about her award-winning article on the cultural significance of the 40 oz, and we hear about Blue Bottle Coffee’s acquisition of Handsome Coffee Roasters. Plus, is the microwave era over?

1. 40 Oz To Freedom–L.A. Weekly Food Critic Besha Rodell won a James Beard Award for her article 40 oz to Freedom in the online magazine Punch. She writes that this one bottle taught an entire generation how to drink and how not to drink.

2. Are Placebo Cocktails Enough to Get a Buzz?–Adam Rogers is the author of the new book Proof: The Science of Booze. In the book he documents a University of Washington study that examined the placebo effect when it comes to drinking.

3. How Big is Too Big for Artisanal Coffee Chains?–Michael Phillips is one of the founders of Handsome Coffee Roasters, a Downtown LA coffee outfit that was recently purchased by Oakland based Blue Bottle Coffee. Phillips, who is now part of the Blue Bottle team, joins us to speak to the challenges of big versus small coffee and the future of boutique coffee in America.

4. Jonathan Gold Reviews Faith & Flower–Jonathan Gold is the Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer for the Los Angeles Times. This week he reviews Faith & Flower, a new restaurant in downtown that specializes in cocktails inspired by 19th century mixology and has a great steak tartare to boot.

Faith & Flower

705 W 9th St

Downtown

(213) 239-0642

Find all of Jonathan Gold’s restaurant recommendations on the Good Food restaurant map.

5. Market Report

Laura Avery talks to Chef Oliver Lorenz of Josie talks about his love of fresh corn and how he’s using it at the restaurant.

We’ve got a recipe for Josie’s Grilled Corn with Jalapeño butter and ricotta here.

Captain Ben Hymen of Wild Local Seafood sells at the Saturday Pico Market, the Sunday Mar Vista Market and the Wednesday Long Beach Market. He focuses on sustainable seafood from California. This week he brought in wild salmon and white sea bass from California.

6. Death on the Farm–Max Kutnerwrote an article for Newsweek titled Death on the Farm. He describes the proliferation of suicide on farms in America and abroad.

7. Is the Microwave Era Over?–Roberto Ferdman is a reporter for Quartz. He recently penned an article on the slow death of the microwave.