Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg (by Food Tank) 518. Grace Young And U.S. Congressman Daniel S. Goldman On The Future Of Food Policy And Advocacy
Sep 27, 2025
Grace Young, a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and Chinatown advocate, shares her journey of embracing her Cantonese heritage and the significance of seasonal eating for sustainability. She highlights the wok's role in cultural storytelling and health. Meanwhile, U.S. Congressman Daniel S. Goldman discusses the impact of SNAP cuts and rising food prices in New York. He shares stories from constituents and emphasizes the importance of grassroots advocacy in shaping future food policy and reimagining food assistance.
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Food As Family Medicine
- Grace Young describes growing up in a Cantonese-American household where food was presented as medicine at every meal.
- She recounts soups, ginseng, and nightly balances of stir-fry, steam dishes, rice, and soups taught to fortify health.
Seasonal Eating Is Climate-Smart
- Grace Young explains seasonal eating is a core Chinese culinary principle tied to health and frugality.
- She connects eating in season to lower refrigeration and transport impacts, making it climate-smart.
Cooking To Conserve Fuel
- Grace Young recalls seeing rural Chinese hearth stoves using tiny amounts of dried rice stalks for stir-frying.
- She shares Florence Lin's story of cooking multiple dishes by steaming them together over rice to conserve fuel.
