KQED Food
@kqedfood.bsky.social
🥘 Bay Area stories + guides from KQED
🍲 Home of Check, Please! Bay Area with Leslie Sbrocco
🍛 Check out No Crumbs with Josh Decolongon on Thursdays
🍝 Sign up for our newsletter: KQED.org/thesauce
🍲 Home of Check, Please! Bay Area with Leslie Sbrocco
🍛 Check out No Crumbs with Josh Decolongon on Thursdays
🍝 Sign up for our newsletter: KQED.org/thesauce
Did you miss MAMA Oakland on Check, Please! Bay Area last month? Former Mythbuster Adam Savage, recent NPR Tiny Desk contest winner Ruby Ibarra, and co-creator and host of Snap Judgment Glynn Washington weigh in. 😋
🔗 Head here for the full episode: bit.ly/WatchCPBA2011
🔗 Head here for the full episode: bit.ly/WatchCPBA2011
December 15, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Did you miss MAMA Oakland on Check, Please! Bay Area last month? Former Mythbuster Adam Savage, recent NPR Tiny Desk contest winner Ruby Ibarra, and co-creator and host of Snap Judgment Glynn Washington weigh in. 😋
🔗 Head here for the full episode: bit.ly/WatchCPBA2011
🔗 Head here for the full episode: bit.ly/WatchCPBA2011
On a corner in Richmond, California, there’s a business that has celebrated the city’s Black history and Southern roots for 30 years. The building is bright white with a hand-painted, red sign: “CJ’s BBQ and Fish.”
Richmond's 'Minister of Food' Serves the Bay Area Southern BBQ, California Style | KQED
For 30 years, Charles Evans has served the community Southern-style home cooking that pays homage to the city’s roots.
www.kqed.org
December 15, 2025 at 7:15 PM
On a corner in Richmond, California, there’s a business that has celebrated the city’s Black history and Southern roots for 30 years. The building is bright white with a hand-painted, red sign: “CJ’s BBQ and Fish.”
Filipino adobo flavors like bay leaves and peppercorns take center stage as KQED Food’s Josh Decolongon (@sommeligay.bsky.social) dives into Abi Balingit’s cookbook "Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed." 🍪
I Made the Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookies From the Filipino Cookbook "Mayumu" | KQED
How do chocolate chip cookies infused with Filipino flavors turn out? Josh Decolongon bakes a recipe from “Mayumu” to find the answer.
www.kqed.org
December 14, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Filipino adobo flavors like bay leaves and peppercorns take center stage as KQED Food’s Josh Decolongon (@sommeligay.bsky.social) dives into Abi Balingit’s cookbook "Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed." 🍪
Hungry? NPR is here to serve you just a few of our favorite cookbooks from 2025, recommended by NPR staffers and food writer T. Susan Chang. (via @npr.org)
Feast Your Eyes on These 10 Cookbooks From 2025
Whether you're craving something sweet, savory, spicy, we've got you covered.
www.kqed.org
December 12, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Hungry? NPR is here to serve you just a few of our favorite cookbooks from 2025, recommended by NPR staffers and food writer T. Susan Chang. (via @npr.org)
Known for their selection of eighteen different egg tart flavors, San José–based bakery pop-up A&M Pâtisserie will be at this weekend's SJ Made Winter Wonder Market. Details:
This San José Pop-Up Bakery Sells 18 Different Varieties of Egg Tarts | KQED
A&M Pâtisserie's pastries draw inspiration from Cuban guava strudels and Korean cheese corn.
www.kqed.org
December 12, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Known for their selection of eighteen different egg tart flavors, San José–based bakery pop-up A&M Pâtisserie will be at this weekend's SJ Made Winter Wonder Market. Details:
What makes Hong Kong’s pineapple bun so iconic? Its rich, tangled history spans multiple countries and culinary traditions. Beyond the Menu traces the bun’s journey with guidance from James Beard Award–winning baker Kristina Cho.
Hong Kong’s Most Popular Treat Has A Surprising Backstory | KQED
You can’t tell the full story of Hong Kong without the iconic pineapple bun, yet how it appeared on the scene in the first place remains a mystery. One of the city’s oldest bakeries has been serving i...
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December 11, 2025 at 8:22 PM
What makes Hong Kong’s pineapple bun so iconic? Its rich, tangled history spans multiple countries and culinary traditions. Beyond the Menu traces the bun’s journey with guidance from James Beard Award–winning baker Kristina Cho.
Bay Area masa maker Emmanuel Galvan of Bolita Masa prepares thousands of handmade tamales for the holiday season, offering savory and sweet options and sharing tips for hosting a festive tamalada.
Handmade Tamales From Bolita Masa Highlight Culture and Family This Season | KQED
Bay Area masa maker Emmanuel Galvan of Bolita Masa in Berkeley prepares thousands of handmade tamales for the holiday season, offering savory and sweet options and sharing tips for hosting a festive t...
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December 11, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Bay Area masa maker Emmanuel Galvan of Bolita Masa prepares thousands of handmade tamales for the holiday season, offering savory and sweet options and sharing tips for hosting a festive tamalada.
Love a Bay Area restaurant you can’t stop recommending? Check, Please! Bay Area is seeking new guests to share their go-to spots with host Leslie Sbrocco. Apply here:
Apply to be a Guest | KQED
The Check, Please! Bay Area team is looking for new guests to share the restaurants — and dishes — they can’t get enough of! Have a go-to local eatery in the Bay Area? Now’s your opportunity to wow th...
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December 10, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Love a Bay Area restaurant you can’t stop recommending? Check, Please! Bay Area is seeking new guests to share their go-to spots with host Leslie Sbrocco. Apply here:
“I would not be alive today if I didn’t keep pushing,” she said. “I’ve known my whole life since I was 12, when you walk out that door you may not come back. So I’ve always lived my life appreciating the day. And that’s how I’ve chosen to battle this disease.” (via @sfgate.com)
She's one of the Bay Area's favorite TV hosts. 5 years of hell won't stop her.
"She was like a welcoming hug for everyone who was on the show."
www.sfgate.com
December 10, 2025 at 9:47 PM
“I would not be alive today if I didn’t keep pushing,” she said. “I’ve known my whole life since I was 12, when you walk out that door you may not come back. So I’ve always lived my life appreciating the day. And that’s how I’ve chosen to battle this disease.” (via @sfgate.com)
Need a quick shellfish fix? Jacques Pépin has an easy method for microwaving oysters and clams alongside a rich butter sauce. Watch the episode:
Tricks and Tips for Cooking Oysters and Clams | Jacques Pépin Cooking at Home | KQED
YouTube video by KQED
www.youtube.com
December 9, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Need a quick shellfish fix? Jacques Pépin has an easy method for microwaving oysters and clams alongside a rich butter sauce. Watch the episode:
Who needs butter boards when you can give your butter a Jacques Pépin upgrade? 🧈✨
Ditch the Party Dip and Try This Compound Butter Instead 🧈 | Jacques Pépin Cooking at Home
YouTube video by KQED
www.youtube.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Who needs butter boards when you can give your butter a Jacques Pépin upgrade? 🧈✨
Castro Village Bowl in Castro Valley is one of the region’s last remaining independent bowling alleys, with a snack bar inside that doubles as one of the finest Laotian and Thai restaurants in the East Bay.
The East Bay’s Best Late-Night Lao Restaurant Is Inside a Bowling Alley | KQED
As it turns out, Lao sausages and crispy rice ball salad are the tastiest bowling snacks.
www.kqed.org
December 8, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Castro Village Bowl in Castro Valley is one of the region’s last remaining independent bowling alleys, with a snack bar inside that doubles as one of the finest Laotian and Thai restaurants in the East Bay.
As Dubai chocolate’s popularity soars, so has the demand for this unassuming nut that for decades has quietly thrived in the heat of the Central Valley and provided a livelihood to generations of rural and immigrant communities.
Pistachios and Climate Change: Inside Dubai Chocolate Is a Very California Story | KQED
Pistachios, a key ingredient in Dubai chocolate, thrives in California’s Central Valley. But climate change could change it all.
www.kqed.org
December 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
As Dubai chocolate’s popularity soars, so has the demand for this unassuming nut that for decades has quietly thrived in the heat of the Central Valley and provided a livelihood to generations of rural and immigrant communities.
In Petaluma, Brigitte Bistro channels the flavors of Southern France through Chef Nick Ronan’s childhood memories — think soupe à l’oignon and steak tartare, all infused with a spirit of love and joie de vivre.
For the full Check, Please! Bay Area episode, head here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0HS...
For the full Check, Please! Bay Area episode, head here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0HS...
December 6, 2025 at 8:25 PM
In Petaluma, Brigitte Bistro channels the flavors of Southern France through Chef Nick Ronan’s childhood memories — think soupe à l’oignon and steak tartare, all infused with a spirit of love and joie de vivre.
For the full Check, Please! Bay Area episode, head here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0HS...
For the full Check, Please! Bay Area episode, head here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0HS...
Jacques Pépin shows how simple it can be to create elegant holiday treats at home. These chocolate cups are filled with nuts, dried fruit, and fresh berries — an easy, festive dessert sure to impress. Watch here:
Chocolate treats with nuts & berries | Jacques Pépin Cooking At Home | KQED
YouTube video by KQED
www.youtube.com
December 6, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Jacques Pépin shows how simple it can be to create elegant holiday treats at home. These chocolate cups are filled with nuts, dried fruit, and fresh berries — an easy, festive dessert sure to impress. Watch here:
Chicken and waffles didn’t become an American comfort food icon overnight. In this episode of Beyond the Menu, Chef Geoff Davis of Burdell Soul Food in Oakland shares his delicious take on the dish while we uncover how chicken and waffles stood the test of time.
Chicken and Waffles Didn't Start in Harlem? | Beyond the Menu
YouTube video by KQED Food
www.youtube.com
December 5, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Chicken and waffles didn’t become an American comfort food icon overnight. In this episode of Beyond the Menu, Chef Geoff Davis of Burdell Soul Food in Oakland shares his delicious take on the dish while we uncover how chicken and waffles stood the test of time.
In an elaborate and provocative experiment, scientists doled out joints and free drinks to see whether this idea — sometimes described as “California sober” — survived scientific scrutiny. (via @npr.org)
Can Weed Help You Drink Less? Scientists Study How Well 'California Sober' Works | KQED
It's trendy in some circles to replace drinking with consuming cannabis. But can it help people with a drinking problem cut back? Scientists set up a bar in the lab to find out.
www.kqed.org
December 4, 2025 at 8:14 PM
In an elaborate and provocative experiment, scientists doled out joints and free drinks to see whether this idea — sometimes described as “California sober” — survived scientific scrutiny. (via @npr.org)
For 20 years, the Emmy- and James Beard-award winning show “Check, Please! Bay Area” has brought together local diners to kibbitz about their favorite restaurants. Watch the @kqedforum.bsky.social segment with host Leslie Sbrocco and series producer Lori Halloran.
‘Check, Please!,’ the Bay Area’s Longest Running Dinner Party, Turns 20 | KQED Forum
YouTube video by KQED News
www.youtube.com
December 4, 2025 at 6:19 PM
For 20 years, the Emmy- and James Beard-award winning show “Check, Please! Bay Area” has brought together local diners to kibbitz about their favorite restaurants. Watch the @kqedforum.bsky.social segment with host Leslie Sbrocco and series producer Lori Halloran.
For KQED Arts & Culture food editor @theluketsai.bsky.social, 2025 was all about finding new favorites — from his favorite Peking duck house to a Lao restaurant inside a bowling alley.
The Best Dishes I Ate in 2025
A year of spicy raw crab, mindblowing Peking duck and bowling alley Lao food.
www.kqed.org
December 3, 2025 at 6:29 PM
For KQED Arts & Culture food editor @theluketsai.bsky.social, 2025 was all about finding new favorites — from his favorite Peking duck house to a Lao restaurant inside a bowling alley.
Not much in your pantry? Jacques Pépin’s two-ingredient meringue cookies are the perfect treat! Watch here:
Jacques Pépin's Meringue Cookie Recipe - Only Needs 2 Ingredients! | Cooking at Home | KQED
YouTube video by KQED
www.youtube.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Not much in your pantry? Jacques Pépin’s two-ingredient meringue cookies are the perfect treat! Watch here:
Tucked away in an unassuming suburban neighborhood in San Leandro, Dao Artisan Noodle serves steamers full of juicy soup dumplings and piping-hot bowls of hand-pulled noodles — an enticing offer as our fall evenings grow chillier.
An East Bay Newcomer Slings Hand-Pulled Noodles and XLB Until Midnight
Dao Artisan Noodle brings Lanzhou-style noodles to San Leandro.
www.kqed.org
December 3, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Tucked away in an unassuming suburban neighborhood in San Leandro, Dao Artisan Noodle serves steamers full of juicy soup dumplings and piping-hot bowls of hand-pulled noodles — an enticing offer as our fall evenings grow chillier.
The Lion Plaza shopping center is in many ways San José’s original Little Saigon. And since August, there’s been an exciting new addition: Bột Chiên, a stall specializing in its namesake dish — Vietnamese omelettes topped with fried rice cakes.
A New San José Food Stall Specializes in Vietnamese Rice Cake Omelettes | KQED
Bot Chien is an exciting new addition to Lion Plaza.
www.kqed.org
December 2, 2025 at 10:16 PM
The Lion Plaza shopping center is in many ways San José’s original Little Saigon. And since August, there’s been an exciting new addition: Bột Chiên, a stall specializing in its namesake dish — Vietnamese omelettes topped with fried rice cakes.
San Francisco rapper and entrepreneur Stunnaman02 belongs to a new wave of hip hop artists pushing a different kind of aspirational lifestyle — one that’s focused on açaí bowls, organic vegetables and physical fitness.
Meet the Bay Area Rappers Who Want You to Eat a Salad
Some of the most popular rappers in the Bay are building their personal brand around orange juice, turmeric and leafy greens.
www.kqed.org
November 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
San Francisco rapper and entrepreneur Stunnaman02 belongs to a new wave of hip hop artists pushing a different kind of aspirational lifestyle — one that’s focused on açaí bowls, organic vegetables and physical fitness.
America has a food waste problem. In a country famed for its large portion sizes, Americans toss out some 30-40% of the food produced. (via @npr.org)
The U.S. Produces a Lot of Food Waste. This Place Wants to Address It | KQED
Even amid rising grocery prices and increased sensitivity to environmental issues, Americans still trash once-edible food at alarming rates.
www.kqed.org
November 30, 2025 at 5:59 PM
America has a food waste problem. In a country famed for its large portion sizes, Americans toss out some 30-40% of the food produced. (via @npr.org)
Airport meals aren’t usually known for being your best dining experience in a city. But as one of the busiest airports in the country, SFO has an array of diverse restaurants to visit before your flight — including the outposts of several popular restaurants in the city.
Top Things to Do on a San Francisco (SFO) Layover | KQED
Make the most of your layover at SFO with nearby attractions like the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, and local eateries. Explore the city in just a few hours.
www.kqed.org
November 29, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Airport meals aren’t usually known for being your best dining experience in a city. But as one of the busiest airports in the country, SFO has an array of diverse restaurants to visit before your flight — including the outposts of several popular restaurants in the city.