Good Food

Laura Avery gets a primer on blackberries from University of Arkansas horticulture professor John Clark and 2 Peas in a Pod farmer Lori Heal. Then, our favorite food critic, Jonathan Gold, eats stuffed platha, ginger salad and Kachin-style salmon belly at Daw Yee Myanmar Corner. We close out the show with Emeril Lagasse discussing his new series on Amazon, Eat the World. BAM!

This week, we are all about the butcher shop. We visit LA’s newest artisanal meat and seafood markets — Cape Providence, Gwen and The Cannibal — and the more established Belcampo and LA Fresh Poultry. Then it's off to The Herbivorous Butcher in the Heartland and "The Vegetable Butcher," a.k.a. Cara Mangini, in New York. Plus, Jonathan Gold dines at The Cannibal and we learn how the hogs at Peads and Barnetts are raised.

Journalists Martha Mendoza and Paul Greenberg discuss slavery and sustainability in the shrimp supply chain. Then we sip savory cocktails with Matt Biancaniello and discuss rosé with Lou Amdur. Also on the show, Robb Walsh gives us the rundown on the Lone Star State's many styles of BBQ.

Phillip Vowles talks about growing armchair-sized vegetables in Wales, then Christian Schwarz gives us a primer on California mushrooms and reporter David Jackson discusses his investigation into the hog business in Illinois. We also get tips for cooking and growing tomatoes from The Bazaar's Holly Jivin and Pernille Carpenter of Coastal Organics. Plus, Jonathan Gold's favorite Asian fried chicken spots and Sonoko Sakai's recipe for bacon and scrambled egg onigiri.

We head to Chinatown to make isamadas with Chef Isa Fabro before tasting kinilaw and pancit with Jonathan Gold at LASA. The Grape Whisperer, Ruben Solorzano, updates us on the harvest along California’s Central Coast. The author of Devoured, Sophie Egan, discusses the factors that define our eating habits. Plus: Moruno’s baby eggplant rescoldo recipe and the final installment of Burned.

At the Hollywood Farmers Market, Simbal chef Shawn Pham schools us on what to do with cilantro roots. Jonathan Gold shares his favorite dishes at Salazar and chef Esdras Ochoa instructs us on how to craft the perfect taco. Plus, the next installment of Burned, a Q&A with the director of Unbroken Ground and the New Republic's Ted Genoways clues us in on a vegan mayo scandal.

Ahead of our October 2 pie contest, here's the first installment of KCRW's 2016 Good Food PieCast. It's a podcast about pie, a piecast -- get it?! -- dedicated to our love of pie. We're going to take you on a delicious journey in three parts to meet pie lovers, pie eaters and expert pie makers across the country. 

Food writer Fuchsia Dunlop explains how Sichuan cuisine is changing in Chengdu. Investigative reporter Karen Foshay unveils disturbing findings about restaurants in LA. The Reverend Shawn Amos is striving to keep the blues alive in kitchens around town, one gig at a time. Plus, how grass-fed beef is raised at Rancho San Julian and what to try at Kali in Hollywood, per Jonathan Gold.

Marion Nestle explains what's in the GMO labeling bill on President Obama's desk. Simran Sethi examines her loss of taste from taking antidepressants. Dianne Jacob gives tips on how to write about food and the Ans discuss their latest venture, a cookbook. Plus: pickling pointers from Little Dom's and a new hot chicken spot to try, per Jonathan Gold.

LA Magazine food critic Patric Kuh gives us a history lesson on artisanal food and beekeeper Jodi Helmer reports on hive heists in almond groves. Then we discuss the revival of regional grain production with food writer Amy Halloran and Nan Kohler of Grist & Toll. Plus, a watermelon gazpacho recipe to beat the heat from 1212 chef Walter Greenwood and a recommendation for bulgogi, Gangnam-style, per Jonathan Gold.

Cultural documentarian Candacy Taylor explains the importance of preserving Green Book sites. EP & LP Chef Louis Tikaram gives us a primer on Fijian cuisine and jackfruit. The Atlantic’s Olga Khazan schools us on a synthetic shrimp start-up. Plus: Shishito peppers hit the market and Jonathan Gold eats popcorn ice cream at Paley.

Chuck Reece gets to the heart of our love affair with the cast iron skillet. Peggy Lowe discusses the perilous work in slaughterhouses. We talk Azerbaijani cuisine with Feride Buyuran and fermented ice cream with Tyler Malek. Plus: French and Vietnamese spots to try and corn at the market.

City University London’s Tim Lang gives his take on the impact of Brexit on the UK food system and Michael Pollan looks back at what’s changed in food in the last decade. Pascale Beale shares recipes for savory dishes that use fresh fruit. Then we shop for edible flowers at the market and get a hangover cure from Jonathan Gold before Nigella Lawson takes over the KCRW turntables.

We wrap our Food on the Screen series with Sandra Aamodt weighing in on “The Biggest Loser.” Then Adeline Grattard takes us behind the scenes of “Chef’s Table” in Paris. Next it’s onto squash blossoms at the market and tofu balls with Jonathan Gold at Button Mash. Plus: Tacolandia judge Gustavo Arellano eats 31 tacos and Zach Brooks highlights the best of the best at Smorgasburg LA.

This week, we continue our conversation about food on the screen closer to home, in Los Angeles. Chef Niki Nakayama discusses how life has changed since being featured on the first season of Chef's Table on Netflix. Also on the show: how the pluot was born, Sichuan food in the SGV, the Lone Star State's many styles of BBQ, taking over the tap at LA Beer Week and vegan baking tips from a teen.