Hi y’all! It’s another installment of our weekly roundup of food and wine news we think is worth your time. Each week we read, listen, and watch podcasts, books, essays, movies and more. Then we share the stories we find most interesting with you. Think we missed something special? Want to fan-girl and boy with us? Let us know in the comments!

How to Eat a Soup Dumpling

Y’all, dumplings are the food of the gods. The soup dumpling is the king of the food of the gods. The only problem is how do you eat them without getting scalding hot soup all over yourself?

PS: The Martin Yan video in the article is a gem! 

Learn how at The Takeout.

Samin Nosrat Builds a Better Burger

One of my favorite food educators of all time is Samin Nosrat. In her latest article for the New York Times, she tells the story of her relationship with American food. She tells this story through the most American of food items, the burger. While at the same time giving us all a delicious new spin on a burger that I am just dying to try!

Read all about it on New York Times Cooking

Are Steakhouses the Last Bastion of Misogyny?

D Magazine food critic Eve Hill-Magnus just finished up this year’s edition of the best Dallas steakhouses. She got to enjoy some of the best steaks this city has to offer. She also got a side of microaggressions and sexism. Her article opens up the conversation about what excellent service means in the modern age. I for one hope the restaurants in this city take notice and change their ways.

Read her essay at D Magazine.

David Chang on the Loss of Jonathan Gold

I enjoy the openness and honesty Dave Chang is showing on his podcast. His honesty about his struggle with depression in the wake of Anthony Bourdain’s suicide was beautiful and painful and so honorable. He brings this same spirit to his opening of this week’s podcast. In which he laments not mending fences before Jonathan Gold’s passing. It’s honest and heart-wrenching and beautiful. I hope you will give it a listen.

Everything You Need to Know for a Successful Wine Tasting

If you’ve never been to a tasting room, it can be a bit intimidating. What do you do? What’s appropriate? Am I really supposed to spit? VinePair breaks it all down for you. Just keep these simple rules of thumb in mind, and you will enjoy your tasting experience all the more!

Read about it on VinePair

What’s the Deal with Natural Wine?

Are you wondering what the heck natural wine is?  This article gives a fun and detailed breakdown of all the different opinions. I love natural wines, but then again I might be the world’s oldest hipster!

Real all about it on GrubStreet

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Hi y’all! It’s another installment of our weekly roundup of food and wine news we think is worth your time. Each week we read, listen, and watch podcasts, books, essays, movies and more. Then we share the stories we find most interesting with you. Think we missed something special? Want to fan-girl and boy with us? Let us know in the comments!

In the Age of the Celebrity Chef, These Chefs Aren’t Interested in Fame

You would think that a chef who has held a three Michelin stars for ten years would be a household name. Not so with Chef Chan Yan-tak of Hong Kong’s Lung King Heen.

Read his story on Time.

Telling the Story of Appalachia Through Food

Chef Mike Costello preserves and revives traditional foods during his Lost Farms Dinners. His dinners may bring up memories of shame and lack but always transforms them into moments of pride in the resilience of the people of the Appalachians.

Read all about it  on Bitter Southerner.

The Other California Wine Country

There is more to California wine than Napa and Sonoma. Find out about the underappreciated wines of Mendocino County.

Read all about it on San Francisco Chronicle

The Long Road to Recognition for African American Bakers

Recently, Dolester Miles won “Best Pastry Chef” from the James Beard Foundation. Chef and food writer Therese Nelson was inspired by her to dig into the history of baking in the South and the US. African-American chefs and cooks shaped the traditional foods of this country, yet we don’t know their names or even acknowledge their contributions.

Read about some of these little recognized but hugely influential chefs on The Taste.

Vegan Mexican Food is a Hot New Trend

And No, it’s Not Hipsters Driving This Trend!

I first noticed this when a vegan Mexican restaurant opened up here in my working-class neighborhood in Dallas. It’s now happening all over the country.

Find out what is driving this trend on NPR’s The Salt

Remembering Jonathan Gold

Journalists, writers, food professionals, and food lovers from across the country are mourning the loss of one of the most influential food critics in the nation.

The New York Times

The LA Times

Ruth Reichl

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Hi Y’all! It’s the second installment of our weekly roundup of food and wine-related media we think is worth your time. Each week we read, listen and watch the podcasts, books, essays, movies and more and let you know what we liked and why. Think we missed something or that we got it wrong? Want to fan-girl and boy with us? Let us know in the comments!

A Few Genius Twists on Hummus

Ok, if you have only ever bought your hummus at the store, it is now time to up your hummus game. You can learn from no better person than Yottam Ottolenghi, author of many beautiful cookbooks including Plenty, Plenty More, and Jerusalem. This week he has three gorgeous and unique hummus recipes for you to try. Personally, I can’t wait to make the mushroom one!

Read it at the Guardian 

The New Wine Rules

Does wine intimidate you? Not sure what to drink or what to try? Do you think that wine snobs and waiters are silently judging you wine choices? Jon Bonne is here to relieve you of all of your wine woes. His book “The New Wine Rules.” is designed to simplify wine and bring everything back to basics. The book is so good, Tim is mad that he didn’t write it! Check out his thoughts on wine and how to approach it in this excellent interview on the Good Food Podcast. The conversation starts at min: 32:16 if you want to jump right to it.

San Antonio Celebrates its Spanish Roots!

American culture is formed and shaped but all the places we came from. This year San Antonio celebrates their 300 year birthday with a grand party and a look back at the Spanish influences that helped create the cultural heart of San Antonio.

Read all about it at NY Times.

Not Sure What to Drink this Summer? May We Suggest Gamay Noir?
I know, I know, everyone wants rosé wine when it’s 100-and-hell outside. I’m with you, I love rosé, but sometimes you want to mix things up and try something new. Patrick Comiskey of the LA Times makes a really great case for why Gamay Noir is your summertime red, plus a few suggestions on bottles to start with.

Read it at LA TImes

It’s Time to Make Some Jam!

It’s summer so I know you think I mean fruit… but actually, lets jump in on some savory jams. It might seem intimidating, but the folks over at Tasting Table break it all down for you. It’s time to experiments with onion jams and pepper jellies. Are you ready?

Find out how to make savory jam at Tasting Table

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Hi y’all! This is in very first in our weekly roundup of food and wine-related media we think is worth your time! Each week we will read, listen and watch the podcasts, books, essays, movies and more and let you know what we liked and why. Think we missed something or that we got it wrong? Want to fan-girl and boy with us? Let us know in the comments! 

Somebody Feed Phil Season 2 Starts Tomorrow!

You guys, Phil is me. Phil is every food lover who just wants the world to know how amazing that street taco in Mexico city is. His wide-eyed joy makes me laugh. I hope we can all approach the world this way, with love, curiosity and most of all JOY. If you haven’t seen season one. Please, I can’t encourage you enough to do so. There may be some among you who are jaded and acerbic and want to tell us all the reasons why this show isn’t for you…that’s fine. Those are probably the very reasons I love this show so much. Oh yeah, and his parents are the cutest.

PS: Also check out “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having” the PBS version that is remarkably like this new show, except on PBS.

What to look forward to:

Guests: Al Roker, Tracy Morgan, Elaine May, Dom Lombardoza and his wife, Monica

Locales: Italy, Denmark, Ireland, Africa — and Phil’s hometown, New York City

Where to Find it: Netflix 

Catfish Dream

Sometimes we can never know what could have been. This is not one of those times. This episode of the Southern Foodways Alliance Podcast “Gravy” tells the story of Ed Scott an aspiring catfish farmer in Mississippi in the 1980’s. Ed Scott’s story is more than that. It is about perseverance in the face of adversity, it is about hatred and privilege, and it paints a picture of systemic racism that is hard to deny.

What to look forward to:

Inspiration: While Ed Scott’s struggle is not one most of us would seek out, I found his character, strength, and perseverance inspiring and ultimately I believe he represents the best of us and is a hero we are long overdue acknowledging.

Where to find it: Itunes, Stitcher and the Southern Foodways Alliance Website

Adult Comics about Wine

Ok, graphic novels are getting so deeply niche that now there is even a genre for me! Check out this story from France’s Associated Press about wine-related graphic novels. I am now on the hunt for all of them!

Read the article here

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