Super enjoyed this, your snob-check button is a favorite! I started following your work because woven into everything was a voice that gives a shit- indelibly - and I so respect and appreciate how you’ve maintained that voice as your platform and audience grows. Like a witty little greeter at the food culture forest gesturing us down the path of accountability and becoming curious about doing better via rants with receipts written w a whole bunch of love for what we are and who we can be if we can find a way to care about each other a little more in everything we do. Thank you.
I am ALWAYS here for the rant! :) And I can't wait to read about organic farming and white supremacy. I'm especially keen on the calling out of who has power here: vegans/natural wine/winemakers OR freakin' agribusiness and the government? I'm always stunned when folks defend corporations like they are their best friends. Off topic, but I'd love to know if you watched the Puerto Rico episode of Padma Lakshmi's "Taste the Nation" and what you thought of it. Also: I kept expecting to see you there!
I do feel I must give my readers at least one good rant per season! My duty. And yes, it's a really interesting right-wing tactic to misplace or miscast who has actual power, but in food, it's something that "progressives" tend to latch onto. It's an interesting dynamic.
I did watch that episode and I find it to be a solid introduction to the issues for those who haven't previously engaged with Puerto Rico's colonial and agriculture problems, but I also find the necessity toward optimism that these shows are structured with to be problematic. Small farmers need real support; the Supreme Court recently made a very colonial ruling around the amount of power la junta has over local governance and economics... there is a lot of good people power, sure, but it's an uphill battle against very strong structures.
I loved this! I am always here for a rant against misguided snobbery (and a supporter of snobbery for the right reasons, lol).
I also can relate so much to feeling a bit less overwhelmed in the kitchen during the week if I allow myself to pass some things off to Jeff (he now makes pizza dough to ferment so that it's ready on Friday, a day I'm often too tired to think of anything to make). What a concept!
As an ex-drinker and quasi-vegan who’s had it with hate-filled socials (but evidently a believer in the dash as the most important punctuation mark?) I was like, nah. Not gonna read this. But I did and it was terrific, as always, and thank you.
PS: my kingdom for a husband who cooks alongside me even if I, too, am a control freak.
Spot on. There's a very lauded natural wine bar where I live that I went to with friends, and as a vegan had to eat plain bread (not too bothered, honestly, this is my food of choice), because even items that seemed nominally vegan or could easily be made vegan were definitively not, per our server. Oh well, still enjoyed the wine (and bread).
I very much enjoyed your rant...and anyone who can rant like that deserves to be supported through a paid subscription - I'm looking forward to following all of your work (future rants included)... 😊
Well-said! I first tried finding natural wines when I was diagnosed celiac and had sensitivities to eggs. I had no idea before then that eggs or salmon had anything to do with wine. I rarely drink any wine because it gives me a headache but I would like to try natural wine.
omg I am so excited they chose your ‘Restriction as possibility; lifestyle as politics’ essay for best food writing - I had recommended that essay to them/Bittman (unsolicited! it was just them asking for recs, and am sure I could not have been the only one), it was so wonderfully brilliant, but quite different from so much ‘food writing’ did not know what they would make of it
and then today’s newsletter - so much to love in it, but Denise and Kalilah said everything but better than I could have, so I’ll just defer to their great comments
oh my god, it was you?!?!?! When I sent a couple of pieces to Silvia, she said someone had sent that piece—and I was so heartened it was chosen. THANK YOU!!! so much for all of the constant support!!! It means so much to me.
Super enjoyed this, your snob-check button is a favorite! I started following your work because woven into everything was a voice that gives a shit- indelibly - and I so respect and appreciate how you’ve maintained that voice as your platform and audience grows. Like a witty little greeter at the food culture forest gesturing us down the path of accountability and becoming curious about doing better via rants with receipts written w a whole bunch of love for what we are and who we can be if we can find a way to care about each other a little more in everything we do. Thank you.
This is the kindest, most generous comment!!! Thank you for reading me in this way (which is how I hope to be read!)
I am ALWAYS here for the rant! :) And I can't wait to read about organic farming and white supremacy. I'm especially keen on the calling out of who has power here: vegans/natural wine/winemakers OR freakin' agribusiness and the government? I'm always stunned when folks defend corporations like they are their best friends. Off topic, but I'd love to know if you watched the Puerto Rico episode of Padma Lakshmi's "Taste the Nation" and what you thought of it. Also: I kept expecting to see you there!
I do feel I must give my readers at least one good rant per season! My duty. And yes, it's a really interesting right-wing tactic to misplace or miscast who has actual power, but in food, it's something that "progressives" tend to latch onto. It's an interesting dynamic.
I did watch that episode and I find it to be a solid introduction to the issues for those who haven't previously engaged with Puerto Rico's colonial and agriculture problems, but I also find the necessity toward optimism that these shows are structured with to be problematic. Small farmers need real support; the Supreme Court recently made a very colonial ruling around the amount of power la junta has over local governance and economics... there is a lot of good people power, sure, but it's an uphill battle against very strong structures.
Thanks for this. The "necessity toward optimism" makes these shows challenging for me to watch as well; nicely put.
“That’s not really the basis of sound argument.”
Hear, hear!
Also, congratulations on the best American food writing! 🙌
Thank you!
Love this piece. We need to stop rarefying food and wine that are made as they ought to.
Indeed. Thank you!
I loved this! I am always here for a rant against misguided snobbery (and a supporter of snobbery for the right reasons, lol).
I also can relate so much to feeling a bit less overwhelmed in the kitchen during the week if I allow myself to pass some things off to Jeff (he now makes pizza dough to ferment so that it's ready on Friday, a day I'm often too tired to think of anything to make). What a concept!
Truly, so life-changing and so simple 😂
Congratulations! Finally not just a honorable mention!
As an ex-drinker and quasi-vegan who’s had it with hate-filled socials (but evidently a believer in the dash as the most important punctuation mark?) I was like, nah. Not gonna read this. But I did and it was terrific, as always, and thank you.
PS: my kingdom for a husband who cooks alongside me even if I, too, am a control freak.
Spot on. There's a very lauded natural wine bar where I live that I went to with friends, and as a vegan had to eat plain bread (not too bothered, honestly, this is my food of choice), because even items that seemed nominally vegan or could easily be made vegan were definitively not, per our server. Oh well, still enjoyed the wine (and bread).
It’s funny how that is so common. If you’re ever in NYC, please go to Ruffian! They’re a natural wine spot that’s all vegetarian!
I very much enjoyed your rant...and anyone who can rant like that deserves to be supported through a paid subscription - I'm looking forward to following all of your work (future rants included)... 😊
Much appreciated! 🙏🏼
Well-said! I first tried finding natural wines when I was diagnosed celiac and had sensitivities to eggs. I had no idea before then that eggs or salmon had anything to do with wine. I rarely drink any wine because it gives me a headache but I would like to try natural wine.
omg I am so excited they chose your ‘Restriction as possibility; lifestyle as politics’ essay for best food writing - I had recommended that essay to them/Bittman (unsolicited! it was just them asking for recs, and am sure I could not have been the only one), it was so wonderfully brilliant, but quite different from so much ‘food writing’ did not know what they would make of it
and then today’s newsletter - so much to love in it, but Denise and Kalilah said everything but better than I could have, so I’ll just defer to their great comments
oh my god, it was you?!?!?! When I sent a couple of pieces to Silvia, she said someone had sent that piece—and I was so heartened it was chosen. THANK YOU!!! so much for all of the constant support!!! It means so much to me.
Thank you for this article. The anti-articles have been exhausting to say the least.