Communal Table

In what feels like a different lifetime, The Final Table star and vaunted chef Timothy Hollingsworth sat down in the Food & Wine studio to talk about his path from dishwasher to chef de cuisine at The French Laundry to striking out on his own as a restaurateur (Otium LA, CJ Boyd's, and Freeplay LA)—as well as using food to connect with a parent who has dementia. So much has shifted since then as a result of the pandemic, but while circumstances may be vastly different, some lessons remain the same: work hard, learn your craft, listen to your gut, and take time out to connect with your loved ones because things can change in an instant. Learn more about Timothy Hollingsworth https://www.timothyhollingsworth.com/ Food & Wine Pro https://www.foodandwine.com/fwpro

Before COVID-19 brought life as we know it to a halt and people started hunkering down at home, stirring up comforting stews, Joe Yonan stopped by Food & Wine headquarters to talk about his gorgeous—and prescient—new cookbook, Cool Beans. The Washington Post food editor opened up about his decision to eliminate meat from his diet, how he decides what and whose stories to tell, and the effect that testing a bean cookbook has on a marriage. Buy Cool Beans https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Beans-Ultimate-Versatile-Plant-Based-ebook/dp/B07RLRS57C?ots=1&tag=foodandwine06-20&linkCode=w50 Wait, There's Actually No Need to Soak Your Beans https://www.foodandwine.com/beans-legumes/do-beans-need-to-be-soaked-before-cooking Food & Wine Pro https://www.foodandwine.com/fwpro

In July 2019, which seems like a lifetime ago, beverage pros from around the world converged on New Orleans for the annual Tales of the Cocktail conference—an annual event highlighting and celebrating the best of bar culture past, present, and future. Veteran bartenders Dale DeGroff and Julie Reiner have had something to do with every step of that, and together are a walking library of modern bar culture. As DeGroff's classic book is being reissued some 18 years after its original publishing date, it seemed like a perfect time to revisit Food & Wine's conversation with these two cocktail icons—recorded in a room at the Royal Sonesta—on the topics of the late '90s and early '00s cocktail boom, what it truly means to choose a life in hospitality, and how bartenders can stick around for the long haul. Learn more about Dale: http://www.kingcocktail.com/ Follow Julie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mixtressnyc/ Buy The New Craft of the Cocktail: https://www.amazon.com/New-Craft-Cocktail-Everything-Mixologi

For years, people had been poking at Kelly Fields to write a cookbook, but she resisted. She'd been perfecting her craft as a pastry chef in some of New Orleans' most lauded restaurants, and expanded her scope into the savory realm at the wildly successful Willa Jean, winning a James Beard Award in the process. But she still doubted herself, wondering what worth her voice and expertise had in the world—especially since so many restaurant kitchens notoriously devalue the work of women. It's taken a lot of unlearning, but Fields is now making her own wellbeing and confidence a priority, and that includes the difficult work of letting other people take care of her when she needs it. The newly-minted co-author (with F&W alum Kate Heddings) of The Good Book of Southern Baking joined Food & Wine for a very generous conversation about vulnerability, healing, and really good biscuits.   Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Book-Southern-Baking-Cornbread/dp/1984856227/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=fwp

When COVID-19 sent the hospitality industry into a tailspin, Eric Rivera had already charted a course to the next destination. His restaurant, Addo, has always been a venue for innovations both cultural and culinary, so a sudden shutdown of indoor dining was a chance to explore new ways of serving their customers and their community. First items on the menu: caring for the wellbeing of workers, and making sure the most vulnerable people are fed. Rivera joined Food & Wine from Seattle to talk about how he structured Addo like a business rather than a restaurant, offering a mail-order alternative to Goya products, and what a more equitable and sustainable industry might look like. Follow Eric on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericriveracooks Learn more about Eric and Addo: https://www.ericriveracooks.com/ Order spices, hot sauces and pantry staples: https://www.ericriveracooks.com/pantry Buy a plant: https://www.ericriveracooks.com/plant-shop Food & Wine Pro: https://www.foodandwine.com/fwpro

When Erick Williams began working in restaurants, it was a means to an end. The Chicago native believed the best way he could serve his community would be through rehabbing neglected buildings in his neighborhood, and he was just looking for a way to fund that. But over the next two and a half decades, Williams came to realize he had the skills, temperament, and vision to build a foundation for a better, more equitable industry for all. Williams joined Food & Wine for an unfiltered and inspiring conversation about mentorship, guiding a team through the challenges of COVID-19, and how to make people feel like they are truly welcome. Virtue Restaurant https://www.virtuerestaurant.com/ Food & Wine Pro https://www.foodandwine.com/fwpro Communal Table https://www.foodandwine.com/fwpro/communal-table-podcast

When Jenny Dorsey was working in the fashion world at the start of her career she found herself looking at the people above her and realizing it wasn't the life she wanted for herself. Subsequent culinary and business school taught her a lot about what she really valued—and also where she felt welcome and included. Since then, she's used food as a means to explore vulnerability, identity, and connection, and also a way to have some necessary and often uncomfortable conversations. Dorsey joined Communal Table remotely from Los Angeles to discuss how she's using her platform to empower people to have practical and effective conversations about tokenization, appropriation, privilege, and identity, and envision a more equitable food world for everyone. Studio ATAO https://www.studioatao.org/ Jenny Dorsey https://www.jennydorsey.co/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/chefjennydorsey/ What Will Happen to Food Influencers After COVID-19? https://www.foodandwine.com/news/what-will-happen-to-food-influencers-after-co

It feels like a lifetime ago that restaurant lawyer Jasmine Moy sat for a conversation about what people need to know before they open a restaurant. Public life has changed in almost unfathomable ways since that podcast in May, 2019, with the spread of COVID-19 and the overdue national reckoning on police brutality and systemic racism that was sparked by the murder of George Floyd. Restaurants owners and their employees have weathered a catastrophic loss of income, convoluted governmental support systems, a broad spectrum of behavior from diners when it comes to wearing masks, ever-changing guidance from state and federal officials, increased hygiene protocols for the protection of both staff and customers, and a host of other complications.As restaurants around the country began to reopen in fits and starts, we called on Moy once again to share insights from what her clients are facing, and where she sees opportunities for a better future.Note: This conversation was recorded on June 19, 2020. Read: Don't Reo

Justin Burke is renowned for his "modern gramma" style of baking, but is perhaps just as appreciated for the inclusive spaces and community he creates wherever he goes. In the weeks before the pandemic shut down the world, Burke—who makes his home in North Carolina—sat down at Food & Wine HQ to talk about finding his home in restaurants, teaching his grandmother's recipes to his young son, and why it's so important to represent all kinds of families on the pages and covers of cookbooks. Justin Burke on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justinbsamson/ Food & Wine Pro https://www.foodandwine.com/fwpro

In her work as the Executive Director for FoodLab Detroit, Devita Davison has been laser-focused on making sure that residents of her beloved city have access to and equity in the systems that bring healthy food to their tables. In the era of COVID-19, with Black and brown people bearing the brunt of the illness, this public scrutiny and solution seeking is more important than ever. Davison took the time to sit down with Food & Wine Senior Editor Kat Kinsman to talk about why she uses the term "food apartheid" rather than "food desert," reclaiming farming in the Black community, and why a life of service is in her blood. Note: This was recorded several days before the George Floyd protests began which is why the conversation does not explicitly address them.  FoodLab Detroit https://foodlabdetroit.com/ Follow Devita Davison @devitadavison The F&W Pro Guide to Coronavirus: What Restaurants Should Know https://www.foodandwine.com/news/coronavirus-restaurant-guide-fwpro The F&W Pro Newsletter https://www.foodand

Romy Gill was getting ready to sell her jewelry to finance her first restaurant. As an immigrant to England from India—and a woman—she was finding it very difficult to get a bank loan, but they didn't know Romy Gill. After a BBC feature, she not only got the loan to open Romy's Kitchen, but went on to become a frequent and beloved presence on the radio and TV throughout the UK, write a stunning new cookbook, Zaika, on vegan Indian cooking, and become a mentor to people in the industry who have long been marginalized. While she was in New York City in mid-February, before COVID-19 lockdowns, Gill sat down with her friend Food & Wine Senior Editor Kat Kinsman to talk about her journey, how cooking has helped her cope after her mother's death, and her dreams to the show she dreams of doing with her dad. (edited)  Buy Zaika  https://www.amazon.com/Turmeric-Romy-Gill/dp/1841883050/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=fwpodcastromygillzaika0520-20&linkId=6592d85bb29598be2a8aea04e2fb0076&language=en_US The F&W P

Paola Velez was listening to the James Beard Award finalist announcements hoping for the chance to cheer on some friends and colleagues. She was gobsmacked to hear her own name called out in the Rising Star Pastry Chef category. No one else was surprised. The Kith/Kin dessert master is revered and adored not just for her culinary chops, but also for her thoughtful, forward-thinking, and generous leadership—every day, but especially in times of crisis. Velez spoke with Food & Wine Senior Editor Kat Kinsman about opening up the kitchen doors to more people of color, dealing with anxiety, and what it really means to serve your community.Learn more about Paola https://www.instagram.com/smallorchids/Upgrade your chocolate chip cookies https://www.foodandwine.com/cooking-techniques/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-upgrades The F&W Pro Guide to Coronavirus: What Restaurants Should Know https://www.foodandwine.com/news/coronavirus-restaurant-guide-fwpro The F&W Pro Newsletter https://www.foodandwine.com/newsletter-sign-u

For months, Food & Wine's Restaurant Editor Khushbu Shah spent every waking (and sleeping) second scouting out restaurants across the United States and Puerto Rico to assemble the 2020 class of Best New Chefs. Just a very short time after her final flight, restaurants all over the country closed their doors—some temporarily and some permanently—as social distancing regulations set in and the coronavirus pandemic threatened the lives and livelihood of millions of hospitality workers. On the day before the BNC 2020 class was announced, Shah spoke with Senior Editor Kat Kinsman to explain what went into her extremely rigorous decision making process, and why she believes that this group of chefs holds the future of restaurants in their very capable hands.Meet Food & Wine's Best New Chefs 2020 https://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/food-wine-best-new-chefs-2020The F&W Pro Newsletter https://www.foodandwine.com/newsletter-sign-up

There's a good chance that The Joy of Cooking is somewhere in your orbit, whether it's a vintage edition handed down through your family, a copy bestowed upon you when you moved away from home, or even the newest version that came out at the end of 2019. What many people may not realize is that JOY has been a family enterprise since Irma Rombauer published the first edition in 1931. Now, with more people cooking at home than ever before, it's the perfect time to get to know Rombauer's great-grandson John Becker and his wife and co-author Megan Scott, who spent years stewarding the family's legacy into the modern era. Food & Wine Senior Editor Kat Kinsman sat down with the couple in a hotel room in Santa Fe, New Mexico while they were still working on the book to talk about the pressures of expectations, their methods for testing and updating thousands of recipes, how they decided what to keep and what to leave to the past, and how they made it look like the America of today.Ode to Joy https://www.foodandwine.

When it became evident that the COVID-19 pandemic was going to hit New York, Trigg Brown had some tough decisions to make. As the chef-partner of Win-Son and Win-Son Bakery in Brooklyn, he was listening closely for guidance from authorities, but it was slow in coming and he did what he thought was best for his team—including setting up a fund to protect people who were ineligible for help from the government. Brown took time from his intense schedule of prepping for delivery service and being the parent of a newborn to talk with Food & Wine Senior Editor Kat Kinsman about valuing the people who do the toughest jobs in a restaurant, getting sick himself, and how he distributed the cash to people in an equitable way.  Win-Son Worker Fund https://venmo.com/Win-SonMore about Win-Son https://www.foodandwine.com/fwpro/undocumented-restaurant-workers-win-son-coronavirusThe F&W Pro Guide to Coronavirus: What Restaurants Should Know https://www.foodandwine.com/news/coronavirus-restaurant-guide-fwproThe F&W Pro Newslet

Even before COVID-19 laid waste to the industry, mental health and addiction were issues that disproportionately affected hospitality workers. Now with a staggering segment of the population laid off and most people isolated from the routine and people they relied on, things are more dire than ever before. After the overdose of one of her employees soon after the pandemic struck, Ellen Yin of the High Street Hospitality Group joined forces with Gia Vecchio of Foxglove Communications and A Better Life Therapy to offer free Mental Health Series for the Hospitality Industry webinars geared toward the particular needs of people who work in service. Food & Wine Senior Editor Kat Kinsman spoke with Yin and Vecchio about the decision to do this, and how they're taking care of themselves and others during this difficult time.You can register for the complimentary webinars at the link below, and they will be held on Mondays at 12 ET through May 18. Please follow @forkrestaurant and @abetterlifetherapy on Instagram for

Some people are just called to a life of service, and Rachael Ray gratefully counts herself among them. When the coronavirus pandemic swept the nation, she didn't have to think twice. She built charity into her business from the very beginning so that her brand would financially support the care and feeding of the people who need it most—as well as the animals who are keeping so many of us from capsizing right now. Food & Wine Senior Editor Kat Kinsman spoke with Ray about how her non-profit The Yum-o! Organization combined efforts with The Rachael Ray Foundation for a collective $4 million dollar donation for COVID-19 relief efforts, why politicians should take their turn working in restaurants, and how people can look for joy in these uncertain times. The Yum-o! Organization https://www.yum-o.org/ The Rachael Ray Foundation https://www.rachaelrayfoundation.org/ The F&W Pro Guide to Coronavirus: What Restaurants Should Know https://www.foodandwine.com/news/coronavirus-restaurant-guide-fwpro The F&W Pro News

On a recent press call with the Independent Restaurant Coalition, Bronx-raised chef Kwame Onwuachi pointed out the painful truth that a tiger at the Bronx Zoo was able to get a COVID-19 test, and yet the human beings in his home borough don't have access to that care and are getting sick and dying at a rate much higher than those in Manhattan. The 2019 Best New Chef spoke with Food & Wine Senior Editor Kat Kinsman about the work the IRC is doing to save restaurants, what he is doing to stay afloat, and why communities of color are being so disproportionately affected by this pandemic. The Independent Restaurant Coalition  https://www.saverestaurants.com/ Kith/Kin Staff Support Fund https://www.gofundme.com/f/kithkin-staff-support 

John Winterman got fired from his first restaurant job in 1986, and he's been in love with the industry ever since. He honed his appetite for fine dining under the stewardship of Charlie Trotter and Gary Danko, ascended the ranks in Daniel Boulud's empire to become maitre d' at the flagship Daniel, then joined forces with Drew Nieporent's Myriad Restaurant Group to open the 2015 James Beard Best New Restaurant Award-winning Batard as managing partner. Francie—Winterman's first independent venture with chef Chris Cipollone—was set to open its doors in mid-May of this year when the COVID-19 pandemic brought the entire industry to a screeching halt. Food & Wine Senior Editor Kat Kinsman got on a call with her longtime friend to talk about the unseen workers who power our whole food system, what needs to change to support them, and if there's still a future for white tablecloth dining.

Louisville-based chef Edward Lee is the kind of person who sees a community in crisis and doesn't think twice—he steps in and figures out a way to keep people fed. When the government furloughed workers, he rallied the people around him to make meals for those who were suddenly without a paycheck. Through his charity, The LEE Initiative, he's set up mentorship and education programs for women and young people interested in the culinary arts. Now with the coronavirus pandemic shuttering restaurants across the country, with the help of Maker's Mark, Lee quickly pivoted to turn his restaurant 610 Magnolia—and restaurants across the country—into relief centers for laid-off hospitality workers. Running on very little sleep, Lee spoke with Food & Wine senior editor Kat Kinsman about what that looks like on the ground, and his hope for the future of restaurants. Save Local Restaurants Affected by COVID: https://www.saverestaurants.co/ The Lee Initiative: https://leeinitiative.org/ The F&W Pro Guide to Coronavirus: