Off The Menu

Today's show is a bit shorter due to updates on the COVID-19 outbreak.  And Dara is trying to bring information on this pandemic from a more local perspective.  Author and nutrition expert Pilar Gerasimo talks about the physical and mental effects that we can improve during the stress of a crisis.  Blue Plate Restaurant Group CEO/founder Stephanie Shimp explains how this outbreak has effected attendance at her establishments.

Willard's chef Eric Harcey tells us why he left the Twin Cities to open his own place in the much more intimate community of Cambridge.  Parkway Theater bartender Mike Byrne explains his process of making cocktails based on some of our favorite Cult Classic movies.  Plus, is there a style of cornbread that's more unique to the Upper Midwest?

Have you ever heard of rage baking?  Dara gets a primer on this style from Katherine Alford and Kathy Gunst, co-authors of the new book Rage Baking: The Transformative Power of Flour, Fury, and Women's Voices.  Then, chef Yia Vang discusses the traditions of Hmong cooking.  He also tells us about his interpretation of it that's being shown through his food truck (Union Kitchen) and his upcoming restaurant (Bahn Vee-nai).

This is an episode that goes beyond the process of cooking and enjoying food.  Dara looks at stories of food with political circumstances.  She chats with journalist/author Mara Hvistendahl (The Scientist and the Spy: A True Story of China, the FBI, and Industrial Espionage) about how corn played a large role in an international scandal.  Klecko, the Poet Baker of St. Paul (Hitman-Baker-Casketmaker) explains his latest offerings after his former bakery's encounter with ICE.  Author Ronnie Cummins (Grassroots Rising) tells us his thoughts on climate change and the effects on America's farming industry.

El Burrito Murcado CEO Milissa Silva Diaz takes us behind the scenes of this Twin Cities institution.  Plus, how is the restaurant evolving alongisde the city of St. Paul?  Artisan Plaza and Fall's Landing chef JD Fratzke explains the art of cooking in the southern part of the state, as well as some of the trends coming back into the industry.