Comfort food: newsletters, podcasts and videos
A small upside of the pandemic is some of the generous resources created by chefs and food writers around the globe. These newsletters, podcasts and videos are a great opportunity to extend your repertoire, be inspired and entertained.
If you love any of these offerings, consider buying their books, merch or donate to their Patreon account.
Newsletters
Anna Jones – UK cook, writer and stylist, known for her vegetarian recipes in The Guardian. On top of her generously resourced website with recipes, videos and blogs, her regular newsletters are a real treat. They’re beautifully written and also include short links to interesting articles.
Alison Roman – New York Times columnist, cook and writer became “internet famous” for her chickpea stew. I fell in love with her from watching the video of the aforementioned stew. She never intended to create a regular newsletter but it’s another happy accident of lockdown. Currently she’s sending out a new recipe each week (from cabbage salad, to pork chops), but it’s the stories crafted around them that make this such a delightful newsletter. “Newsletter #6” opened with, “In the before times, my friends and I formed such intense connections with restaurants that we thought of them as sentient beings belonging to our friend group.” Do yourself a favour and subscribe to a little happiness in your inbox every week.
Vittles – another Covid-19 inspired newsletter, sharing food writing from a variety of largely UK based, contributors. While there are some recipes, the content is far ranging from how the pandemic is impacting different aspects of the food industry to personal pieces, including one on how lockdown can impact eating disorders.
Podcasts
If you loved Samin Nosrat’s book and Netflix series “Salt Fat Acid Heat” you’ll adore this irreverent rambling lockdown inspired podcast with Hrishikesh Hirway. Focusing on what to cook with whatever you have at home, the premise is to answer listeners’ questions – usually about how to put together disparate ingredients to create delicious food. But it’s so much more with that. The duo have now released 7 episodes of their “4 part podcast series”, that frequently has me laughing out loud. It’s an upbeat, resourceful and deliciously meandering piece of foodie-tainment during these unusual times.
While, not a pandemic newbie, I’ve resubscribed to KCRW’s Good Food podcast. Evan Kleinman’s sensitive interviews with restaurateurs and food producers in LA are especially poignant through this time.
Likewise, dialing in every week to Eat It with 3RRRFM stalwart and recent MFWF legends Cam Smith, is as good as ever.
Videos
Did you know Amy is married to a chef? The Food Network has commissioned two seasons of the show, loosely based on Chris Fischer attempts to teach Amy to cook during lockdown. Funny and informative with cameos from their baby Gene, nanny and dog.
You must have been living in a social media blackout during lockdown to have missed Nat’s delightfully sweary war on packaged food. Despite the recipes being pretty meaty, I still love watching the show. It’s compulsory viewing for those learning to cook, or if you like a little death metal with your stroganoff.
Have you found a new (to you) food writer, chef or cook?
Similar Posts:
