Coercive prison labor programs (modern slavery), food as punishment, and the companies who really benefit from it all Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez/Getty Images The phrase “a well-deserved meal” isn’t just a platitude, it is an acknowledgement of the relationship between work and reward. The irony of our American food culture, though, is that many of the people most deserving of a good meal are the least likely to get it. Perhaps the clearest example of this fact is the forced labor programs in our prisons, many of which involve agriculture. Prisons run labor programs throughout the c ..read more

Photo: Ryan Carter I knew I wanted to talk to Chantha Nguon as soon as I got a copy of –and read some of – her memoir, ​Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes​, which she wrote with the writer Kim Green. To be honest, though, I was really nervous. How to talk to someone who has been through so much, someone who has persevered the way Chantha has, someone who essentially embodies the word “inspirational”? Listen to Chantha Nguon on Food with Mark Bittman Five years before the start of the Cambodian genocide, when Chantha was nine years old, she fled h ..read more

Plus, Chantha Nguon is this week’s guest on Food with Mark Bittman​ Photo: Mark Bittman I knew I wanted to talk to Chantha Nguon as soon as I got a copy of –and read some of – her memoir, ​Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes​, which she wrote with the writer Kim Green. To be honest, though, I was really nervous. How to talk to someone who has been through so much, someone who has persevered the way Chantha has, someone who essentially embodies the word “inspirational”? Listen to Chantha Nguon on Food with Mark Bittman Five years before the start of the Cambodian ..read more

And should absolutely not require a visit to the grocery store Photo: Britt Gaiser/Unsplash I don’t care how much you love to cook – sometimes, you’re just having a crazy week and even a box of Kraft Dinner starts to look good. Many people make homemade pizzas and that certainly works, too. I even know strange people who eat only volumes of popcorn on nights they don’t want to cook. Popcorn. But for my husband and me? Indoor Picnic Night is what happens when we’re lazy and don’t feel like cooking. I bring out a baguette, some creamy French brie, a jar of olives, a can of sardines, or smoked oy ..read more

Is there truly an ethical way to eat? Photo: Instagram/​@veganpowerco Nina Guilbeault is by trade a sociologist, but she writes as well. We were interested in her just-published new book, ​The Good Eater: A Vegan’s Search for the Future of Food​, because her goal was clearly to determine whether there is a truly ethical (and practical) way for people to eat, a common goal among those of us who have the time and resources to eat pretty much any way we choose. Nina is a vegan, but not a militant one; she understands that the food system – and individuals’ eating – is a complicated thing, and loo ..read more

What can make you more susceptible to food addiction? Photo courtesy Ashley Gearhardt About six weeks ago, there was a Wall Street Journal piece by Andrea Peterson headlined “​The New Science of What Ultra-Processed Food Does to Your Brain.​” As someone who’s been following the effects of junk food on our bodies for maybe 30 years, I had to read it. And indeed, the piece affirmed what many of us have suspected and reported about for a while: ultra-processed food triggers many of the same brain receptors as opiates, cocaine and other drugs. Listen to Dr. Ashley Gearhardt on Food with Mark Bitt ..read more

Or, you know, things you can buy for yourself I actually got it together this year to do our Mother’s Day gift guide ahead of time – you know, so there’s actually a bit of time to shop. As a mother of a soon-to-be eight-year-old, I feel uniquely positioned to suggest things that will bring joy to parents, no matter the age. And please excuse me for not including only things food-related – I love the kitchen, and I love to cook, but sometimes a treat comes in other forms. And, as always, my thoughts are if you can’t buy for a mom, or don’t want to buy for a mom – buy something for yourself. No ..read more

“The best is yet to come” Photo: Getty Images Today on Food with Mark Bittman, the extremely artistic food stylist Barrett Washburne returns – you’ll hear about wasted plate space, giving props to prop stylists, and the tricks to styling brown foods. This is our fifth week featuring questions for Barrett; if you missed any of the previous four weeks, I urge you to go back and listen to him talk about supergluing turkeys and how much food is thrown out on a photo shoot. So: In 2004, my dad and I took a trip just us two to Paris. I don’t remember a ton, because my memory is p ..read more

Plus, Alain Ducasse is today’s guest on ​Food with Mark Bittman A view. Photo: Mark Bittman Today on Food with Mark Bittman, the extremely artistic food stylist Barrett Washburne returns – you’ll hear about wasted plate space, giving props to prop stylists, and the tricks to styling brown foods. This is our fifth week featuring questions for Barrett; if you missed any of the previous four weeks, I urge you to go back and listen to him talk about supergluing turkeys and how much food is thrown out on a photo shoot. So: In 2004, my dad and I took a trip just us two to Paris ..read more

Make yourself a believer with a vegan whole-grain casserole and two amazing, gluten-free baked party snacks Sweet or Savory Quinoa Pecan Sandies. All photos: Kerri Conan As the years have gone by, I’ve come to appreciate ​Bob’s Red Mill​ more and more for many reasons, but especially these two: One, they’re getting what were once difficult-to-find whole grains, legumes, and other ingredients (unsweetened coconut, for example), into mainstream American markets. The other has been their willingness to respond to trends in food and to create or find new and innovative products, like well-performi ..read more