Episodes

  • Eat MSG with Me: With Goop Power, Comes Goop Responsibility

    Eat MSG with Me: With Goop Power, Comes Goop Responsibility
    Jun 27 2022
    Jenny Yang is waiting on an RSVP from the “Goop” goddess and L.A. queen of clean eating, Gwenyth Paltrow. Why? To have a fact-based conversation about MSG. A seasoning and flavor enhancement, monosodium glutamate has a bad rap stemming from racist and xenophobic rhetoric. On the Season 3 finale of the Extra Spicy podcast, Yang talks to Extra Spicy host and Chronicle food critic Soleil Ho about the world of wellness, who decides what is “clean” in “clean eating,” plus the importance of cultural representation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • Can a Bake Sale Fight Racism?

    Can a Bake Sale Fight Racism?
    Jun 20 2022
    In early 2020, Paola Velez was inspired to bring Bakers Against Racism to life. It's an organization she co-founded with chef Rob Rubba, to fundraise for causes they care about, like their latest fundraiser in support of Ukraine during the Russian invasion. They've also baked for Black artists and Haitian refugees, raising over $2.5 million in the process. Host Soleil Ho speaks with Velez about how she got started in the industry and her goal to remain a "good person" throughout her career. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • The Seattle Chef Building a Platform for Secret Cookies

    The Seattle Chef Building a Platform for Secret Cookies
    Jun 13 2022
    Chef and newly minted tech entrepreneur Eric Rivera has done everything in the food world from running his own restaurant, to cooking 12-course tastings in people's homes, to publishing e-books and selling Puerto Rican seasonings online. Rivera speaks with host Soleil Ho about his latest project, Beet, which is a foray into the tech industry. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • Introducing Fixing Our City

    Introducing Fixing Our City
    Jun 10 2022
    New Chronicle podcast: Host Laura Wenus and producer Cintia Lopez are on a quest to find out why one of the wealthiest and best-educated cities in America, one where most people belong to the same political party and subscribe to the same basic values, has so many intractable problems. And more importantly: Can they be fixed? Join us as we find out, one San Francisco story at a time. Coming June 21 from the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFNext project. Follow Fixing Our City on your favorite app. Got a tip, question, comment? Email us at sfnext@sfchronicle.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 mins
  • Optimism Warning: Diversifying the Coffee Industry Might Be Working

    Optimism Warning: Diversifying the Coffee Industry Might Be Working
    Jun 6 2022
    High-pressure, super-structured coffee competitions consist of baristas making coffee for a panel of judges who scrutinize everything from how many times a cup is tapped to the color of someone's pants. These events prompt the question: who determines what is "professional" and who can access this field? On this episode of the Extra Spicy podcast, host and restaurant critic Soleil Ho speaks to Veronica Grimm, founder of Glitter Cat Barista, a non-profit organization reimagining the coffee industry by providing support, resources, and mentorship for marginalized hospitality professionals. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • Hella Good Mold: A Couple Gets Creative with Koji

    Hella Good Mold: A Couple Gets Creative with Koji
    May 31 2022
    On this episode of the Extra Spicy podcast, host and restaurant critic Soleil Ho speaks to Shared Cultures founders Eleana Hsu and Kevin Gondo about their use of local, seasonal ingredients in products like miso and soy sauce. Koji is the star microbe popping up at restaurants all over the Bay Area, made by artisans who have taken up traditional fermentation methods with deep roots in Japan, Korea and China. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 mins
  • The Youth Movement Behind Starbucks Organizing

    The Youth Movement Behind Starbucks Organizing
    May 23 2022
    At Starbucks locations across the country, workers are unionizing. Dozens of stores have joined the union, and many more are scheduled to vote soon. One of those is in Mill Valley, California, where high school junior Ella Clark is leading the efforts to organize. Ella joins host Soleil Ho to talk about holding Starbucks accountable to its values, then UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education chair Ken Jacobs explains why the wave of Starbucks unionization is spreading — and why it’s unlikely to end anytime soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • Are Mushrooms Socialist? Inside the Mania on TikTok and Beyond

    Are Mushrooms Socialist? Inside the Mania on TikTok and Beyond
    May 16 2022
    On this Extra Spicy episode recorded in front of a live audience, TikTok mycologist Dr. Gordon Walker (@FascinatedbyFungi) joins host Soleil Ho to discuss what’s behind the mushroom mania. From gatekeeping in the foraging community to mycophobia and why fungi can be considered socialist, they dive into all the magic of mushrooms. Plus: stay tuned for an after-show special sponsored by Alaska Airlines with “Your Korean Dad,” Nick Cho. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 mins