Extra Spicy

Jun 27 2022 74 ep. 311
Extra Spicy Podcast artwork

Join host Soleil Ho as they attempt to decipher the bizarro happenings of the food world alongside a mix of fascinating folks. They dismantle diet culture and angry chefs, cover the restaurant apocalypse and pandemic pivots, and dish out advice you didn't know you needed. Extra Spicy will stimulate your mind and your appetite.

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Eat MSG with Me: With Goop Power, Comes Goop Responsibility

Jun 27 2022 29 mins  
Jenny Yang is waiting on an RSVP from the “Goop” goddess and L.A. queen of clean eating, Gwenyth Paltrow. Why? To have a fact-based conversation about MSG. A seasoning and flavor enhancement, monosodium glutamate has a bad rap stemming from racist and xenophobic rhetoric. On the Season 3 finale of the Extra Spicy podcast, Yang talks to Extra Spicy host and Chronicle food critic

Can a Bake Sale Fight Racism?

Jun 20 2022 31 mins  
In early 2020, Paola Velez was inspired to bring Bakers Against Racism to life. It's an organization she co-founded with chef Rob Rubba, to fundraise for causes they care about, like their latest fundraiser in support of Ukraine during the Russian invasion. They've also baked for Black artists and Haitian refugees, raising over $2.5 million in the process. Host Soleil Ho speaks wit

The Seattle Chef Building a Platform for Secret Cookies

Jun 13 2022 30 mins  
Chef and newly minted tech entrepreneur Eric Rivera has done everything in the food world from running his own restaurant, to cooking 12-course tastings in people's homes, to publishing e-books and selling Puerto Rican seasonings online. Rivera speaks with host Soleil Ho about his latest project, Beet, which is a foray into the tech industry. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronic

Introducing Fixing Our City

Jun 10 2022 1 mins  
New Chronicle podcast: Host Laura Wenus and producer Cintia Lopez are on a quest to find out why one of the wealthiest and best-educated cities in America, one where most people belong to the same political party and subscribe to the same basic values, has so many intractable problems. And more importantly: Can they be fixed? Join us as we find out, one San Francisco story at a tim

Optimism Warning: Diversifying the Coffee Industry Might Be Working

Jun 06 2022 29 mins  
High-pressure, super-structured coffee competitions consist of baristas making coffee for a panel of judges who scrutinize everything from how many times a cup is tapped to the color of someone's pants. These events prompt the question: who determines what is "professional" and who can access this field? On this episode of the Extra Spicy podcast, host and restaurant critic Soleil

Hella Good Mold: A Couple Gets Creative with Koji

May 31 2022 25 mins  
On this episode of the Extra Spicy podcast, host and restaurant critic Soleil Ho speaks to Shared Cultures founders Eleana Hsu and Kevin Gondo about their use of local, seasonal ingredients in products like miso and soy sauce. Koji is the star microbe popping up at restaurants all over the Bay Area, made by artisans who have taken up traditional fermentation methods with deep roots

The Youth Movement Behind Starbucks Organizing

May 23 2022 32 mins  
At Starbucks locations across the country, workers are unionizing. Dozens of stores have joined the union, and many more are scheduled to vote soon. One of those is in Mill Valley, California, where high school junior Ella Clark is leading the efforts to organize. Ella joins host Soleil Ho to talk about holding Starbucks accountable to its values, then UC Berkeley Center for Labor

Are Mushrooms Socialist? Inside the Mania on TikTok and Beyond

May 16 2022 41 mins  
On this Extra Spicy episode recorded in front of a live audience, TikTok mycologist Dr. Gordon Walker (@FascinatedbyFungi) joins host Soleil Ho to discuss what’s behind the mushroom mania. From gatekeeping in the foraging community to mycophobia and why fungi can be considered socialist, they dive into all the magic of mushrooms. Plus: stay tuned for an after-show special sponsor

Taxing the Rich at the Dinner Table

May 09 2022 24 mins  
“High-quality meals for those who aren't expecting it.” That’s the idea behind Community Kitchens, an Oakland organization that provides restaurant meals to community members in need. During the pandemic, co-founder Maria Alderete leveraged her restaurant-industry colleagues to cook for their most vulnerable neighbors and add a 1% surcharge to their bills to subsidize the mea

The Masa Evangelist Finds His Roots

May 02 2022 22 mins  
Emmanuel Galvan didn't set out to become San Francisco’s “masa guy.” But after starting to experiment with nixtamalization, he felt an obligation to share what he was learning with others. Now his company Bolita Masa is introducing Bay Area customers to the wonders of fresh masa, connecting him with his culinary heritage and creating a community of maiz geeks. | Unlimited Chr