Episodes

  • Yellow Cake, Biscuits, and the Legacy of Black Baking
    May 10 2022

    For the season finale of Setting the Table, Deb explores one of her favorite topics, Black bakers and baking. From biscuits to yellow cake, baking has always been a huge part of Black foodways. On this episode, Baker and cookbook author Cheryl Day shares her thoughts on the legacy of Black bakers and preserving recipes, then chef, baker, and TV personality Carla Hall joins us to share her thoughts on biscuits, and representing Black baking in media.

    Setting the Table is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Setting the Table here.

    Find show notes here.

    And transcript here.

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    29 mins
  • Black Women in Activism and Food
    May 3 2022

    During the civil rights era, Black women to used their skills as chefs and cooks to support social movements in this country. On this episode, Deb is joined by scholar and writer Suzanne Cope to explores the legacies of two such heroes, Aylene Quin, who helped feed and support the Civil Rights movement in Mississippi, and Cleo Silvers, who helped create the Black Panther Party's Free Breakfast for Children program. Deb also checks in with Arley Bell, a millenial baker who believes she can make a difference in food and activism though her beautifully decorated cakes and pastries.

    Setting the Table is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Setting the Table here.

    Find show notes here.

    And transcript here.

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    31 mins
  • Barbeque Legacies in Los Angeles
    Apr 26 2022

    One of the lasting effects of the Great Migration is the movement of Black foodways, and one of the best examples of this movement is barbecue. On this episode, Deb explores the legacy of Black barbeque in Los Angeles with food journalist Mona Holmes and BBQ pitmaster Lonnie Edwards.

    Setting the Table is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Setting the Table here.

    Find show notes here.

    And transcript here.

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    26 mins
  • Virginia: The Birthplace of Barbeque
    Apr 20 2022

    On this episode, we take a deeper dive into the time-honored American tradition of Barbeque and its beginnings in Virginia by exploring the history of early pitmasters and the barbecue traditions that spread throughout the South and beyond with food historians Adrian Miller and Joshua Fitzwater.

    Setting the Table is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Setting the Table here.

    Find show notes here.

    And transcript here.

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    27 mins
  • The Future of Black Food
    Apr 13 2022

    Where does Black food go from here? How are today’s chefs pushing the narrative of Black food forward? This episode takes a look forward be talking to prominent chefs on the cutting edge of African American cuisine. Food influencer Scotty Scott and chef Adrienne Cheatham share their influences and visions for what Black food can be, with a foreword from Washington Post food writer Aaron Hutcherson.

    Setting the Table is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Setting the Table here.

    Find show notes here.

    And transcript here.

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    33 mins
  • The Complicated Stories of Soul Food
    Apr 6 2022

    Down home cooking, also known as soul food, is African American cuisine stemming from the days of enslavement, spread throughout the country through the Great Migration, and enjoyed everywhere as comfort food. This episode explores the complicated relationship between Black chefs and soul food. Chef & culinary historian Therese Nelson shares her thoughts on soul food as a concept, and then chefs Chris Scott and Mashama Bailey share their individual experiences with making soul food.

    Setting the Table is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Setting the Table here.

    Find show notes here.

    And transcript here.

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    32 mins
  • Let's Talk about Black Brewing & Distilling
    Mar 29 2022

    African American foodways have not only influenced the way that Americans eat, but also how we drink as well. This episode will explore the stories and legacies of Black brewers and distillers. Mount Vernon's Steve Bashore shares the history of the enslaved-distillers who made George Washington's Whiskey, Historian Theresa McCulla recounts the story of Patsy Young, a runaway slave who was also a brewer, Victoria Eady Butler of Unlcle Nearest shares her experiences carrying on the legacy of her Great-Great-Grandfather Nearest Green, and Kim Harris of Harlem Hops tells us how she and her team are supporting diversity to the craft brewing industry.

    Setting the Table is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Setting the Table here.

    Find show notes here.

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    31 mins
  • The Resurgence of Black Farming
    Mar 22 2022

    It’s been a few generations since the Great Migration, and we starting to see a resurgence of African-Americans deciding to return to agriculture and take up farming. On this episode, Deb speaks to current farmers about the reasons they farm, and how they are working to change the difficult relationship between Black Americans and farming. We hear from Ashlee Johnson-Geisse of Brown Girl Farms about why she decided to start a farm in the middle of the 2020 lockdown, Kamal Bell of Sankofa Farms about how his farm's youth programs support his community, and finally Olivia Watkins of the Black Farmer Fund about how she's helping Black farmers become financially sustainable.

    Setting the Table is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Setting the Table here.

    Find show notes here.

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    33 mins