Juan catches up with Karla T. Vasquez, a food justice advocate by day and a food historian by night, on a journey to preserve Salvadoran culture one recipe at a time with SalviSoul. When a Google search turns up just two existing cookbooks and just as few narratives, Vasquez says "documentation is power." Vasquez is currently researching and writing a Salvadoran cookbook, highlighting the stories of Salvadoran women. She and Juan talk about learning from her mother, the power of cookbooks to pass on stories and the obstacles she’s faced trying to get her book published. But first, Stephanie and Juan discuss the state of subway policing and what that means for food vendors.

Produced by Juan Ramirez and Stephanie Kuo. Music by Brad Turner and Blue Dot Sessions. Photo by Marisa Sarto Photography.

This week, Racist Sandwich is going international. Juan interviews Dany, who’s cooking up spectacular meals from inside his prison cell in France. He makes everything from Moroccan tagine to tiramisu with nothing more than a small induction burner and a few items from the prison commissary (and sometimes a little something extra smuggled in from the outside). They talk about Dany’s passion for cooking, how his Instagram page went viral, the politics of prison life and his plans to start a career in food when he gets out. But first, Juan and Stephanie discuss the state of podcasting and check some jerks on the Internet.

Produced by Stephanie Kuo and Juan Ramirez. Music by Brad Turner and Blue Dot Sessions.