This week has been rough y'all. But we're finding small comfort in this conversation with Candice Fortman, a Detroit-based journalist (Outlier Media, MuckRock) and founder of Ladies Who Pizza – a social group for women to have fun, be vulnerable, be free and, as the name suggests, eat pizza. The concept sounds simple, but Candice says the stories and experiences that have come out of it have made an indelible mark on their lives, especially in a world where women are often made to bear the brunt of the burden at home, at work, etc. This is a safe space, free from the "male gaze," for women – most of whom are strangers – to find community. Stephanie and Candice talked about a lot – from Detroit's resilience in the face of crisis to increasing media transparency for people who lack access – and it all came back to the importance of community.

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

This week, we sat down with The Glutster a.k.a. Javier Cabral — Editor-in-Chief of the LA Taco, co-author of Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, and associate producer of Netflix's Taco Chronicles — to talk about code-switching, food writing, and the diversity of Mexican food in Los Angeles. Javier tells us how his rebellious teenage years and eating disorder lead him to write about food and why he decided to focus on Oaxacan food, in particular. He also gives us a brief Mexican migration history into Los Angeles and how that helped shaped Cal Mex food in the area. But first, Stephanie and Juan discuss COVID-19 and its ramifications on Asian communities across the U.S. and the West: how xenophobia surrounding the virus has affected small Asian-American businesses and how we respond to the virus says a lot about divisions in social class and privilege.

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