For this episode, we welcome back producer Stephanie Kuo as guest host. She’s setting out on a journey to unpack the culinary legacy of her home state: Texas! And today, she sits down with Dan Dao, a NYC-based food writer who also hails from the Lone Star State. She’s from Dallas; he’s from Houston. And even though they grew up with very different Asian-American experiences, they agree that H-town is America’s next great food frontier. Yeehaw? First, though, they talk about the visibility of marginalized Asian communities, especially in the South, and how the lack thereof deprives them of support they may need. This was especially true for Cambodian spinach farmers outside Houston after Hurricane Harvey devastated their small town and their crop.
Produced by Stephanie Kuo. Music by AF the Naysayer and Blue Dot Sessions.
On this bonus episode, you’ll hear the next installment of poetry and prose that Soleil recorded when she stopped by the Kundiman writer's retreat at Fordham University this summer. Each year, Kundiman brings upcoming Asian American writers together for a week of mentorship, workshops, and master classes. Today, we bring you the works of Kenji C. Liu, Jess Rizkallah, Paul Asta and Marie Avetria.
Produced by Stephanie Kuo. Music by AF the Naysayer, Blue Dot Sessions, Kaela Drew and Lee Rosevere. Photo by JESS x SNOW.
Guest interviewer Roxanne Scott chats with chef and television fixture Darnell Ferguson about what it means to be the only Black executive chef in Louisville, Kentucky. In this frank interview, Ferguson reveals his approach to mentorship and the work it takes to ensure his message of positivity gets to the people who need it.
This summer, Soleil stopped by the Kundiman writer’s retreat at Fordham University to record snippets of poetry and prose from this year’s writing fellows. Each year, Kundiman brings upcoming Asian American writers together for a week of mentorship, workshops, and master classes. On this bonus episode, you’ll hear the first of the 16 recordings she made, featuring Aurora Masum-Javed, Doreen Wang, Matthew Olzmann, and Janine Joseph.
Produced by Juan Ramirez. Music by Lobo Loco, Les Cartes Postables Sonores and Rushmo.
In today’s episode, Zahir interviews Lillian Li, the author of the critically acclaimed novel “Number One Chinese Restaurant.” Lillian discusses her relationship to the food she grew up eating, what she learned working at a Chinese restaurant and how she's trying to challenge the way we think about and tell immigrant stories in America. Plus: she reveals how her mother – who worked at a Chinese restaurant for many years – reacted to her novel.
Produced by Stephanie Kuo. Music by AF the Naysayer and Blue Dot Sessions.