Becoming the Food Critic

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 Soleil Ho about the world of wellness, who decides what is “clean” in “clean eating,” plus the importance of cultural representation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 with Velez about how she got started in the industry and her goal to remain a "good person" throughout her career. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 time. Coming June 21 from the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFNext project. Follow Fixing Our City on your favorite app. Got a tip, question, comment? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Ho speaks to Veronica Grimm, founder of Glitter Cat Barista, a non-profit organization reimagining the coffee industry by providing support, resources, and mentorship for marginalized hospitality professionals. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 in Japan, Korea and China. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Research and Education chair Ken Jacobs explains why the wave of Starbucks unionization is spreading — and why it’s unlikely to end anytime soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 sponsored by Alaska Airlines with “Your Korean Dad,” Nick Cho. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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 meals. Now a question lingers: Can pandemic solidarity outlast COVID? | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices