Worst Quality Crab

Episode 29: Stollen with Eli Beutel

On this post-election one we present our first ever disliked dish, because apparently there are no rules anymore. This was meant to be a revenge episode with Eli Beutel, but instead of raging against this German Christmas dish, stollen, they were the consummate food and alcohol historian—and still funny! 

We talk about the history of this dish, why they hate it, and why it’s still important to share family recipes, even not so great ones.

Plus flavor profiles as identity, accidentally becoming an expert in Hittite bee law, and a dip into tiki culture.

• Eli recommends their mentor Dawn Bohulano Mabalon's book Little Manila Is in the Heart: The Making of the Filipina/o American Community in Stockton, California
• If you're curious about stollen, Eli recommends trying it first before diving into making your own loaf. Here's a couple places you can purchase it:
  • World Market
  • Dresden Stollen Bakers (this year's batch is sold out but you can sign up for a reminder to buy next year's)

Episode 28: Potstickers with Curtis Chinn of the InfatuAsian Podcast

On this episode we’re talking to fellow podcaster Curtis Chinn, host of the InfatuAsian podcast. His podcast is dedicated to Asian American creators and the culture we all know and love, so naturally we had a lot to talk about. Curtis brings a non-recipe recipe in the form of potstickers, which for him were less family recipe and more college party trick. 

We talk about being a multi-generation Chinese American and San Franciscan, and what that means for identity and the road away from and back to Chinese and Asian culture. Plus we take a quick detour into parenting around ethnicity and culture (fellow parents, listen and weigh in please!!)

We also go on a mini food history journey and it’s very possible that we’ve started a new podcast (eek!).

Episode 27: Chinese Enough by Kristina Cho

There’s no recipe on this episode, instead we talk about a whole dang cookbook! We could not be more thrilled to have guest Kristina Cho, James Beard Award winner, creator of EatChoFood, author of a New York Times Top 10 Best Cookbooks of 2022 Mooncakes and Milk Bread and forthcoming cookbook Chinese Enough! 

We talk with Kristina about how Chinese Enough came to be, some of her favorite recipes (in the moment) from the book, and what it means to be Chinese enough. She also talks about growing up in a restaurant family, the best non-dinner party dinner parties, and how her Midwestern upbringing manifests now in her California life.

Plus we talk about the enduring importance of fresh fruit for dessert, weirdly specific (and false!) book reviews, and of course, Costco. Freesia gushes the whole time. 

Chinese Enough is available for pre-order wherever you get your books. Freesia insists you go order it now so you can hug it later.

Episode 26: Tomato Beef with Alisa Wong

We’re back! (Whoops, life!) On this episode we get a little San Francisco-y with native San Franciscan Alisa Wong and her dad’s tomato beef over rice. We talk about the impalpable specificity of being an ABC San Franciscan and try as we might, we never land on what exactly makes us feel that way. (We’re open to your thoughts on that, friends!)

Given the saucy nature of tomato beef, we of course talk about being Sauce On Rice Kids, and ponder the generational nature of the sauce rice preference. Will we age out of this some day??? 

Plus Alisa shares her all-time fave Disney wink to the culture and that one time she got in an altercation that started with cutting a line and ended with not being Chinese enough. Yeah, stuff goes down in these Disneylands apparently.

Episode 25: Tod Mun Pla with Nina Meechoonuk

On this episode it’s another blast from high school past with our first Thai guest Nina Meechoonuk, talking about her childhood fave, tod mun pla, aka Thai fishcake. For Nina, this one has had staying power into adulthood and even into her kid’s Thai food rotation.

While Freesia and Nina have been friends since high school, they never really talked about Nina’s experience of being Thai–until now! Hear what it was like for Nina to grow up Thai but without a large Thai community to learn from, and what that means for feeling Thai enough, even as an adult.

Plus we talk about high school lunches, Thai spicy vs other types of spicy (lookin at you wasabi and Indian food) and we dream up the grandparent cooking show.