Power Dining

Where we dine and where we invest our time and money is often influenced by what we see in the media. And what we see in the media is chosen by reporters, producers, editors — gatekeepers essentially. But it’s not just about what stories get covered, it’s also about who GETS to be the ones to cover these stories. Diverse voices — voices from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives — are necessary for any healthy discourse. But too often, those voices can get squeezed out for a variety of reasons, including low freelancer rates, the cost of traveling and eating, and the expenses incurred to attend conferences and networking events, a necessary way to connect with editors and others in charge of assigning stories and projects. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on what it’s like working in Food Media — why we pursue this privileged passion, its influence over the food and hospitality industry, the challenges that we as well as other professionals in the field have to navigate, and how to move forward in a more equitable and inclusive way. This was a live panel discussion from this past May that I did in partnership with the Broad Street Review. I was joined by Margaret Eby of the Inquirer and Alisha Miranda, a freelance food writer who has bylines in the Inquirer, Eater, Billy Penn, Philly Mag, Edible Philly and more. The panel was so graciously moderated by Broad Street Review’s own Kyle V. Hiller. The Power Dining Podcast digs into the power structures, power moves, and power dynamics in the world of food. Every other week a new guest joins host, Kae Lani Palmisano, in a conversation about how the complex relationships we have with food, its impact on us and the world, and the unexplainable beliefs about food we just can’t seem to shake.For more subscribe to Power Dining on Substack. Paid subscribers will get access to extended interviews, bonus episodes, and more. You can watch each episode on YouTube.Broad Street ReviewWebsite: https://www.broadstreetreview.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/broadstreviewInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/broadstreview/Alisha MirandaWebsite: https://www.alishainthe.biz/Twitter: https://twitter.com/alishainthebizInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/alishainthebiz/Margaret EbyTwitter: https://twitter.com/margaretebyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/margareteby/ Kae Lani PalmisanoSubstack: powerdining.substack.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kaelanisaysInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaelanisays/Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaeLaniSaysYouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxfNwsFbKTnxUd23yEeSfvNv2Or4c8Yq_ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaelanisays.substack.com

Food feeds us in many ways. It feeds our bodies, it feeds our souls, and sometimes, it can feed our egos. Culinary travel is an excellent way to learn and experience the world. In some cases, the economic impact helps to sustain industries that empower communities around the world. But when food becomes a status symbol, when its perceived “prestige value” is used as a merit badge that proves that we’ve “been there, eaten that,” the impact of culinary travel can take a dark turn. This week on Power Dining I chat with my good friend Matt Hershberger. He’s an author, stay-at-home dad, and the writer/podcaster behind Better Strangers here on Substack. We actually met while we were both working as travel editors and have seen firsthand the impact media has on influencing culinary travel and the power the industry has on communities around the world. In this episode, we talked about lessons we learned on our own travels and over the course of our careers, what happens when food becomes a status symbol, and how media and social media can fuel a phenomenon that’s called “prestige value.” The Power Dining Podcast digs into the power structures, power moves, and power dynamics in the world of food. Every other week a new guest joins host, Kae Lani Palmisano, in a conversation about how the complex relationships we have with food, its impact on us and the world, and the unexplainable beliefs about food we just can’t seem to shake.For more subscribe to Power Dining on Substack. Paid subscribers will get access to extended interviews, bonus episodes, and more. You can watch each episode on YouTube.Matt HershbergerBetter Strangers Substack: betterstrangers.substack.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@betterstrangersbooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthershberger/Kae Lani PalmisanoSubstack: powerdining.substack.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kaelanisays Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaelanisays/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaeLaniSaysYouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxfNwsFbKTnxUd23yEeSfvNv2Or4c8Yq_ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaelanisays.substack.com

When most of us think of fermented foods, we think of pickles. Maybe, for some of us, beer, wine and other distilled beverages or sourdough bread come to mind, but for the most part, our minds wander to all of the things we could possibly pickle, like in that “WE CAN PICKLE THAT” sketch from Portlandia.But to Julia Skinner, food historian, fermentation specialist, teacher and social science researcher, ferments are a time capsule that not only preserves time and place, but also culture. Her latest book, Our Fermented Lives A History: How Fermented Foods Have Shaped Cultures & Communities, explores humanity’s history of wrangling up bacteria to feed communities, preserve foods, provide nutrition and how generations of cultures around the world have been able to maintain their culinary traditions through “cultivating culture” (both biologically and anthropologically). Follow Julia Skinner on Substack over at Root Kitchens, @RootKitchens on Instagram and @BookishJulia on Twitter. And be sure to follow me, Kae Lani Palmisano at @KaeLaniSays on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram.The Power Dining Podcast digs into the power structures, power moves, and power dynamics in the world of food. Every other week a new guest joins host, Kae Lani Palmisano, in a conversation about how the complex relationships we have with food, its impact on us and the world, and the unexplainable beliefs about food we just can’t seem to shake.For more subscribe to Power Dining on Substack. Paid subscribers will get access to extended interviews, bonus episodes, and more. You can watch each episode here on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaelanisays.substack.com

“Snacks are joyful! They’re the ultimate comfort food. They’re familiar, they’re quick, they’re casual.” This week, Doug Mack, the researcher and writer behind Snack Stack, takes us on a reflective voyage to learn about what snacks say about us - historically, culturally, socially, and economically. Who knew that when you stare deeply into the snack abyss, the snack stares back?The Power Dining Podcast digs into the power structures, power moves, and power dynamics in the world of food. Every other week a new guest joins host, Kae Lani Palmisano, in a conversation about how the complex relationships we have with food, its impact on us and the world, and the unexplainable beliefs about food we just can’t seem to shake. For more subscribe to Power Dining on Substack. Paid subscribers will get access to extended interviews, bonus episodes, and more. You can watch each episode here on YouTube. Follow Doug Mack on Substack over at Snack Stack and on Twitter @douglasmack. And be sure to follow Kae Lani Palmisano at @KaeLaniSays on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaelanisays.substack.com

Have you ever wondered how jello went from a fancy meal to a reviled dessert? Or thought about the socioeconomic implications of snacking? Power Dining goes deep into food culture and history to examine the many ways (some of which we hardly think about) that food shapes the world and our personal lives. Join host Kae Lani Palmisano (Emmy Award-winning host of Check, Please! Philly on WHYY and Delishtory on PBS Food) as she chats with guest chefs, experts and food lovers to ponder the power structures, power moves and power dynamics in the world of food. Check back here May 24, 2023 for the first episode! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaelanisays.substack.com