Thanksgiving, Part 2: Umami and Me (with Tracy Clayton and our families)
Nov 24, 2020
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Tracy Clayton, known for her controversial Thanksgiving opinion, joins the hosts to discuss differing views on cornbread and Thanksgiving traditions. They also share memories of Thanksgiving and Persian New Year celebrations, explore the art of homemade stuffing, and talk about the importance of condiments like cranberry sauce. Plus, they discuss the making of mango pie as a Thanksgiving dessert that combines American and Indian traditions.
The origin and significance of mango pie in Rishi's family's Thanksgiving traditions and the alternative vegetarian options for gelatin.
Tracy Clayton's dislike for cornbread and the cultural differences in taste preferences.
The hosts' personal Thanksgiving traditions, including hiking and creative uses for leftovers.
Deep dives
The Origin Story of Mango Pie
The podcast discussion about the origin of mango pie and its significance in Rishi's family's Thanksgiving traditions. The pie is a hybrid of American and Indian flavors, made with a Kiebler crust, Cool Whip, Philadelphia cream cheese, mango puree, and gelatin. Rishi recalls how he introduced Samin to the pie and how she later shared a fancier version on the New York Times. Vegan and vegetarian alternatives to gelatin in the pie are also discussed.
Cornbread Controversy
Tracy Clayton confesses her dislike for cornbread and discusses the cultural differences in taste preferences. Rishi shares his love for sweet cornbread and Samin suggests using agar agar as a vegetarian alternative to gelatin in mango pie.
Thanksgiving Traditions and Leftovers
The hosts discuss their personal Thanksgiving traditions, including hiking and post-Thanksgiving leftovers. They reminisce about making pies and the story behind Rishi's failed chocolate cream pie. They also talk about the joy of leftovers and creative uses for them.
Celebrity Food Game and Cookies
The hosts play a version of the celebrity game, but with famous foods instead of people. They also announce an upcoming cookie-themed episode and invite listeners to send in their cooking-related questions.
The Unmarked Graveyard
Introduction and promotion of 'The Unmarked Graveyard,' a new series from the Radio Diaries podcast that tells the stories of people buried in the mass graves of Heart Island near New York City. Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to Radio Diaries to hear these stories.
Happy Thanksgiving! Our special family guests this week include Samin’s younger brothers Pasha & Bahador, Hrishi’s dad Dr Sumesh Hirway, and Hrishi’s niece Asha. Plus, the wonderful Tracy Clayton (@brokeymcpoverty) tells us about the Thanksgiving opinion that could get her excommunicated from her old Kentucky home.
This episode is dedicated to Kanta Hirway, Hrishi’s mom. Without her incredible home cooking and mischievous sense of humor, this podcast (and Hrishi) would have never been. Her Thanksgiving mango pie was the connection point for Samin and Hrishi’s first collaboration, and we hope you’ll try making it in her honor. Words cannot express how much she will be missed, but she expressed her love through food, anyway—so eat well and take care of each other