
Good Food
Everything you wanted to know about good cooking and good eating from LA chef, author, radio host and restaurateur Evan Kleiman.
Latest episodes

May 16, 2025 • 49min
Roy Choi, Caribbean flavors, cherries
The joy of cooking with Roy Choi...
Kogi king Roy Choi has health on his mind in a new collection of recipes
How do you become a restaurant critic? Besha Rodell explains in her memoir
Marie Mitchell shares dishes from the Caribbean and its diaspora
It's cherry season at the farmers market and which means the lines are long at the Murray Family Farm stand
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May 10, 2025 • 60min
The multigenerational Korean kitchen, night fishing, cooking seafood
It's Mother's Day weekend and we head to the sea
Sarah Ahn's viral food videos of her mom have captivated millions of viewers with their behind-the-scenes look at Korean cooking and multigenerational life
Environmental photographer Arati Kumar-Rao goes night fishing alongside dolphins on the Brahmaputra River
Tyler Harper dons a wetsuit, often during storms, and heads out into the turbulent surf to fish for striped bass in the secretive and dangerous sport known as "wetsuiting"
Ari Kolender of Found Oyster and Queen St. Raw Bar & Grill has tips for cooking fish and shellfish with confidence
The Santa Monica Farmers Market says goodbye to longtime vendor Kandarian Organic Farms
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May 2, 2025 • 60min
Tequila, margaritas, salsa, and food dyes
It's a perfect party trifecta of tequila, margaritas, and salsa. Plus, we dig into the latest on food dyes.
Ted Genoways considers José Cuervo's colorful history, from eluding Pancho Villa's death threats to bringing tequila north of the Mexican border
Caroline Pardilla serves up 60 recipes for your next batch of margaritas
Rick Martinez chops, blends, and crushes more than tomatoes for endless variations of salsa
Dr. Jessica Knurick deciphers fact from fiction in the MAHA agenda.
Although they're available year-round, blueberries actually have a season and they're ripe for the picking.
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Apr 25, 2025 • 60min
Baking basics, Torture Orchard, Iranian food, sorrel
What baking beliefs can you do without?
Nicole Rucker rekindled her love for baking by tinkering with her favorite recipes and eliminating the fuss
Gabriela Glueck visits the "Torture Orchard," where California's nut trees are pushed to the brink so they can withstand the curveballs thrown by climate change
Nasim Alikhani spent decades working various jobs before realizing her calling — opening a restaurant to showcase the food of Iran
Evan Kleiman recalls the crazy ride of the 1980s LA restaurant scene with Francis Lam, host of The Splendid Table
Often overlooked among springtime greens, chef Dashiell Nathanson is anything but sorry to use sorrel in his cafe dishes
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Apr 18, 2025 • 60min
Buying in bulk, Trader Joe's, Costco
In this engaging discussion, journalist Ada Tseng explores the cultural significance of Costco and its Asian offerings. Benjamin Lorr dives into the grocery supply chain and how supermarkets shape consumer identity. Patty Civalleri reflects on Joe Coulombe's vision behind Trader Joe's and its impact on modern shopping. TikTok sensation Vanessa Anderson shares her insights on grocery stores as cultural landmarks. Together, they reveal how our shopping habits reflect our stories and communities.

Apr 11, 2025 • 60min
Matzo, Joan Nathan, Italian Easter desserts
Passover and Easter are here — and we have food ideas for both holidays.
Hèléne Jawhara Piñer unravels the thread connecting the Spanish Inquisition to modern Jewish food practices
In a new memoir, Joan Nathan reflects on her life through the lens of food
Jeff Chu abandoned his career as a journalist to work the land and attend seminary, tilling up life lessons as well as a sense of calm
Great British Bake Off alum Giuseppe dell-Anno celebrates a sweet Easter with Italian desserts
Chef Nestor Silva plucks leaves from the fava plant for a new dish at French Japanese bistro Camélia
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Apr 4, 2025 • 60min
Restaurant kids, Balkan & Hungarian recipes, green almonds
From takeout boxes to feeling boxed in, growing up as a "restaurant kid" is a unique experience.
Curtis Chin and Rachel Phan share memories of growing up in their parents' Chinese restaurants
Cookbook author Irina Georgescu finds inspiration east of the Danube River in Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria
Jeremy Salamon reconnects with his Hungarian Jewish heritage and the charming childhood created by his grandmother
Chef Harry Posner takes advantage of the short window for green almonds
Here are all the SoCal James Beard finalists. And don't forget to sign up for the weekly Good Food newsletter!

Mar 28, 2025 • 58min
Sacred meals, absinthe, undercover dining at the CIA
Explore the spiritual side of food and modern Ghanaian recipes.
Jody Eddy spent two years visiting sacred spaces and meeting the people who cook in them
Inspired by childhood visits to Ghana, Eric Adjepong debuts his first collection of recipes
Andrea Nguyen questions the accuracy of those Prop 65 warning labels on many foods
Evan Rail plays detective, looking back on an absinthe enthusiast who became a con artist
Restaurant critic Tom Sietsema blows his cover in the CIA dining room
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Mar 21, 2025 • 60min
The legacy of Edna Lewis, birria, microplastics
A Black chef and cookbook author finally gets her due!
Deb Freeman traces the life of Edna Lewis, author of "The Taste of Country Cooking," in a new documentary.
While some people spent the pandemic starting sourdough, Jesse Valenciana got busy perfecting his birria.
Memo Torres visits an Inglewood backyard, where three generations of the Sandoval family make birria using an abuela's recipe.
Carolyn Kormann shares alarming facts about how microplastics have made their way into our bodies.
Chef Caroline Leff of Stir Crazy turns up at the farmers market for a favorite root vegetable.
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4 snips
Mar 14, 2025 • 60min
Nowruz, cabbage, agricultural policy, whales vs. crabs
In this discussion, Omid Roustaei, known as the Caspian Chef, shares vibrant stories about celebrating Nowruz with traditional Persian dishes, emphasizing the importance of fresh herbs. Betty Resnick, an agricultural economist, dives into the complexities behind the U.S. agricultural trade deficit, discussing how policies impact farmers and consumers. They also touch on environmental challenges, particularly the entanglement of whales in fishing gear and the ongoing efforts for sustainable seafood practices. It's a delicious blend of culture, economics, and environmental awareness!