This is the first of a two-part series on mental health. Soleil sits down with author Hannah Howard and chef Casey Rebecca Nunes, who both open up about their own mental health struggles in the food industry. In the first part of the episode, Howard describes a scene from her new memoir “Feast: True Love in and Out of the Kitchen,” and talks about grappling with an eating disorder while working at a fine dining restaurant. Nunes then explains how she balances the pressures of being a chef with self-care routines.

Produced by Juan Ramirez. Music by AF the Naysayer and Blue Dot Sessions.

We're in Detroit for our 50th episode! And we're talking about the city's enduring food legacy. While a lot of food media often likens Detroit's food scene to a "Renaissance" of sorts, led predominantly by white chefs from the suburbs, the truth is it never went anywhere. People of color have been on the ground from day one, continuing to build upon generations of black and brown entrepreneurship, farming and food activism. And those Detroiters have been the ones who've refused to give up on Detroit – even when it seemed the rest of the world had. In this narrated piece, Zahir sits down with three Detroit food icons: Devita Davison, executive director of FoodLab Detroit; Malik Yakini, founder of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network; and Serena Maria Daniels, esteemed food writer who launched Tostada Magazine. 

We've only just scratched the surface, but now that Zahir lives in Michigan, you can count on many more episodes out of Detroit. We can't wait! 

Produced by Stephanie Kuo. Music by AF the Naysayer, Blue Dot Sessions and Loyalty Freak Music.