Lecker

​​This month Lecker is re-releasing some older episodes: here’s Kitchens, a six part series from 2021 about the most important room in the home. Aspirational kitchens are an integral part of our food media, but where did they come from? And what does it mean for those who can never attain a beautiful, cookbook-worthy kitchen? Design historian Professor Deborah Sugg Ryan explores what came before the fitted kitchen, and how the room itself has shape-shifted drastically over the 20th century. And food writer and author Ruby Tandoh considers the aspirational kitchen in food writing. You can find a full transcript for this episode on the Lecker website. Lecker is written and produced by Lucy Dearlove. Thanks to the contributors on this episode, Professor Deborah Sugg Ryan and Ruby Tandoh. There’s also a print zine featuring original essays and illustrations about kitchens released alongside this audio series. Buy a copy now at leckerpodcast.com Original theme music was composed for the series by Jeremy Warm

On this month's Lecker Book Club, a regular interview series with authors writing in or adjacent to food culture, The Jackfruit Chronicles by Shahnaz Ahsan. The Jackfruit Chronicles is a recipe book and memoir hybrid which integrates food into the text in a very specific way. In the book, Shahnaz tells the story of her family’s migration - three generations across three continents - which begins with the arrival of her grandfather Habib in Manchester from Bangladesh in the 1950s. You can still sign the open letter which Shahnaz was involved in creating and circulating, calling on Keir Starmer to take action over the Israeli government’s deliberate and systematic campaign to use starvation as a weapon of war against the Palestinian people of Gaza. Link here. Lecker is now part of Heritage Radio Network! Find out more about this independent podcast network dedicated to food, beverages and the culinary world and discover their many fantastic shows at heritageradionetwork.org. You can find a transcript for th

On this month's Lecker Book Club, a regular interview series with authors writing in or adjacent to food culture, Katie Goh's Foreign Fruit. Foreign Fruit is a memoir which explores Katie’s experience growing up and existing as a mixed heritage person in the north of Ireland, but also documents alongside this personal narrative a history of the orange; how the fruit moved from East to West, gaining and shedding symbolic meaning along the way. You can find the previous Lecker episode about citrus, Oranges and Lemons, linked here. Lecker is now part of Heritage Radio Network! Find out more about this independent podcast network dedicated to food, beverages and the culinary world and discover their many fantastic shows at heritageradionetwork.org. You can find a transcript for this episode at leckerpodcast.com. Foreign Fruit is out now. Find all of the Lecker Book Club reads on my Bookshop.org list. [aff link] Support Lecker by becoming a paid subscriber on Patreon, Apple Podcasts and now on Substack. Mus

On Book Club this month: Heather Parry's Carrion Crow, a novel about a woman in the attic which encompasses class consciousness, turtle soup and Mrs Beeton. You can find a transcript for this episode at leckerpodcast.com. An A-Z of Chinese Food is out now. Find all of the Lecker Book Club reads on my Bookshop.org list. [aff link] Support Lecker by becoming a paid subscriber on Patreon, Apple Podcasts and now on Substack. Music is by Blue Dot Sessions.

On Book Club this month: Jenny Lau's An A-Z of Chinese Food, an 'anti-glossary' offering a unique breadth of knowledge and insight into the Chinese diaspora and its food culture. You can find a transcript for this episode at leckerpodcast.com. An A-Z of Chinese Food is out now. Find all of the Lecker Book Club reads on my Bookshop.org list. [aff link] Support Lecker by becoming a paid subscriber on Patreon, Apple Podcasts and now on Substack. Music is by Blue Dot Sessions.

Down a little alley in the centre of Hastings you can find Crêperie by the Sea serving traditional French buckwheat crêpes and galettes. Owner and chef Penelope Foster explains the fundaments of a good crêperie, and what it takes to spin perfect pancakes. Find Crêperie by the Sea on Instagram. You can find a transcript for this episode at leckerpodcast.com. Support Lecker by becoming a paid subscriber on Patreon, Apple Podcasts and now on Substack. Music is by Blue Dot Sessions.

Introducing....The Lost Food of Soho, a new audio piece commissioned and published by Vittles and written, narrated and produced by me (Lucy Dearlove). This is just a very small taster, you can listen to the whole thing for free on Vittles itself, or on all good podcast platforms. https://www.vittlesmagazine.com/p/the-lost-food-of-soho With big thanks to Jonathan Nunn and Adam Coghlan who I worked closely with through the production of this piece, and to the other Vittles editors who provided crucial feedback. Cast Hilary Armstrong – writer, worked in Andrew Edmunds Marcus Harris – DJ/promoter Russell Davies – creator of eggbaconchipsandbeans Jeremy Lee – chef proprietor of Quo Vadis Christine Yau – former owner of Y Ming Darren Coffield – artist and author of Tales From The Colony Room: Soho’s Lost Bohemia Iain Sinclair – author Polly – sex work and organiser with SWARM Megan Macedo – writer and former Sister Ray employee

On Book Club this month: Anna Sulan Masing's Chinese and Any Other Asian, an eye-opening and moving book about East and South East Asian identity in Britain. You can find a transcript for this episode at leckerpodcast.com. Chinese and Any Other Asian is out now. Find all of the Lecker Book Club reads on my Bookshop.org list. [aff link] Support Lecker by becoming a paid subscriber on Patreon, Apple Podcasts and now on Substack. Music is by Blue Dot Sessions.

In the final episode of To Be Delicious, Anna considers the future of MSG in the UK. Drinks culture has an inherent playfulness and creativity that makes it the perfect experimentation lab for seeking out where MSG might go next. She meets two key figures in London (and the world!)'s bar scene to understand how they're using it as an ingredient, and how umami as a flavour presents itself in drinks. Ryan Chetiyawardana, whose goes by the moniker Mr Lyan, has bars that have reshaped cocktail culture in the UK and around the world, shares how his approach to bartending and recipe development within drinks makes space for savoury and umami flavours. And Cyan Wong, bartender and Schweppes brand ambassador, mixes a unique savoury cocktail for Anna and Lucy. Watch Ryan’s new TV show, Mr Lyan’s Taste Trips, where he travels the world exploring flavour through drinks on YouTube https://youtube.com/@mrlyanstastetrips?si=fyLXUMDnv8H2_8eS In To Be Delicious, Dr Anna Sulan Masing explores MSG - and more broadly umami -

On umami in diaspora, from chicken salt to bay leaves. Dr Johnny Drain explains how garum is the root of many of our umami based sauces. Author and cook Kate Young prepares a classic Australian English mince on toast, with essential MSG. Chef Dara Klein reflects on how she's learned to find home everywhere, via the kitchen. Noby Leong considers adaptation and evolution in his family cooking. Plus chefs SongSoo Kim and Tim Anderson on some of the gastronomic and linguistic nuances of umami. In To Be Delicious, Dr Anna Sulan Masing explores MSG - and more broadly umami - through the lens of East and South East Asian food heritage and diaspora food culture in the UK. From fritters to instant ramen, fermentation to takeaways, these five episodes open out the conversation around MSG and find a breadth of new ways for us to think about its usage within cooking, and its importance within cultural heritage. Credits: Hosted by @annasulan Produced by @dearlovelucy & @annasulan Original theme music by @midorijae

Chinese takeaways are a national institution in the UK, and have also - for many years now - been the frontline where public understanding of MSG comes to a head. Angela Hui, whose book Takeaway has shone a light on life growing up behind the counter, and her mum, Jin Tian, spend a day with Lucy and Anna; showing them around their home town in South Wales, then Jin Tian's garden and home kitchen, while considering and dispelling the prevalent stereotypes around British Chinese takeaway food. Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter is out now in paperback, available from all good book shops. In To Be Delicious, Dr Anna Sulan Masing explores MSG - and more broadly umami - through the lens of East and South East Asian food heritage and diaspora food culture in the UK. From fritters to instant ramen, fermentation to takeaways, these five episodes open out the conversation around MSG and find a breadth of new ways for us to think about its usage within cooking, and its importance within cultural h

AKA infinite ways with a packet of instant noodles. Georgina Quach, a journalist and archivist, makes her personalised ramen for Anna and Lucy, and considers the importance of comfort in the food she makes, as well as how her Vietnamese heritage informs the savoury flavours she uses in her cooking. Chef and Chinese food creator Chin Taylor reflects on assumptions of how takeaway food is made and how they affect people's perceptions of the work that goes into it – and how MSG fits into this. Chef and author Tim Anderson talks about dashi, and fermentation expert and food scientist Dr Johnny Drain goes deeper on the science behind why umami is so important in a water-based cuisine like Japan's. And SongSoo Kim, head of sourcing and development at the restaurant group Super 8, talks about the complexity of umami. In To Be Delicious, Dr Anna Sulan Masing explores MSG - and more broadly umami - through the lens of East and South East Asian food heritage and diaspora food culture in the UK. From fritters to in

MiMi Aye, a Burmese chef and cookbook author, has used MSG in her cooking for as long as she can remember. While preparing a meal for Anna and Lucy, she reflects on her processes in the kitchen, and how a misinformed narrative around the ingredient has impacted her personally. Also featuring insight into umami from Dr Kumiko Ninomiya of the Umami Information Center, and reflections on MSG 20 years on from his original Observer Food Monthly article about it from investigative journalist Alex Renton. In To Be Delicious, Dr Anna Sulan Masing explores MSG - and more broadly umami - through the lens of East and South East Asian food heritage and diaspora food culture in the UK. From fritters to instant ramen, fermentation to takeaways, these five episodes open out the conversation around MSG and find a breadth of new ways for us to think about its usage within cooking, and its importance within cultural heritage. Credits: Hosted by @annasulan Produced by @dearlovelucy & @annasulan Original theme music by @

The brand new Lecker mini series launches Friday 31st January. In To Be Delicious, Dr Anna Sulan Masing explores MSG - and more broadly umami - through the lens of East and South East Asian food heritage and diaspora food culture in the UK. From fritters to instant ramen, fermentation to takeaways, these five episodes open out the conversation around MSG and find a breadth of new ways for us to think about its usage within cooking, and its importance within cultural heritage. Credits: Hosted by @annasulan Produced by @dearlovelucy & @annasulan Original theme music by @midorijaeger Podcast artwork by @npl_illustration The series is completely editorially independent and was made possible, along with Anna's wider research, by support from the European Committee for Umami and Ajinomoto.

This month: Kin by Marie Mitchell. I met Marie in the days before the book was published in June and we reflected on grief, demanding more from attitudes to Caribbean food in the UK and the importance of flavours at the heart of her recipes. Welcome back to the Lecker Book Club. Every month I’ll pick a newly released food related book and talk to the author about the process of writing it. I’ll also be writing about it on Substack and Patreon. Join me there as well! You can listen to the previous episode i made with Marie here. You can find a transcript for this episode at leckerpodcast.com. Kin is out now. Find all of the Lecker Book Club reads on my Bookshop.org list. Support Lecker by becoming a paid subscriber on Patreon, Apple Podcasts and now on Substack. Music is by Blue Dot Sessions.

Welcome back to the Lecker Book Club. Every month I’ll pick a newly released food related book and talk to the author about the process of writing it. I’ll also be writing about it on Substack and Patreon. Join me there as well! This month: London Feeds Itself, edited by Jonathan Nunn. This episode features Kurdish chef and writer, Melek Erdal, one of the contributors to the book, reflecting on the essay she wrote, The Warehouse, and on London and Kurdish food in general. You can find a transcript for this episode at leckerpodcast.com. The second edition of London Feeds Itself is out now, published by Open City and Fitzcarraldo. Find all of the Lecker Book Club reads on my Bookshop.org list. Support Lecker by becoming a paid subscriber on Patreon, Apple Podcasts and now on Substack. Music is by Blue Dot Sessions.

A meandering exploration of what surrounds our food: its packaging, history and meaning for our world. Featuring Hugo Lynch, Sustainability Lead at Abel and Cole, Alice Kain, curator at Museum of Brands, Renée and Anshu, founders of Dabba Drop and Sohini Banerjee, chef and founder of Smoke and Lime supper clubs. Dabba Drop are offering 50% off the first order for Lecker listeners in London zones 1-3! Enter LECKER50 to use this excellent offer. You can find a transcript for this episode at leckerpodcast.com. This episode features excerpts from longer conversations published for paid subscribers on Substack and Patreon. Support Lecker by becoming a paid subscriber on Patreon, Apple Podcasts and now on Substack. You can buy zines on BigCartel. You can also order print-on-demand merch at Teemill. Music is by Blue Dot Sessions.

Welcome back to the Lecker Book Club. Every month I’ll pick a newly released food related book and talk to the author about the process of writing it. This month: Namesake: Reflections on a Warrior Woman by N.S. Nuseibeh. Namesake is a collection of essays exploring what it means to be a young, secular Muslim woman today, told through the lens of stories of the author's ancestor, Nusaybah, the only woman warrior to have fought alongside the Prophet. N. S. Nuseibeh is a British Palestinian writer and researcher, born and raised in East Jerusalem. In Namesake, she weaves her own experiences of anxiety, of racism, of joy, of illness, of cooking in shared houses, of aubergines, with the myths and legends told of her ancestor. All of this makes this a book that I think should be required reading for everyone. You can find a transcript for this episode at leckerpodcast.com. Namesake is out now, published by Canongate. Find all of the Lecker Book Club reads on my Bookshop.org list. This month, all the revenue

A reflection on learning – and teaching – the fermented arts at the School of Artisan Food. You can find a transcript for this episode at leckerpodcast.com. Support Lecker by becoming a paid subscriber on Patreon, Apple Podcasts and now on Substack. You can buy zines on BigCartel. You can also order print-on-demand merch at Teemill. Music is by Blue Dot Sessions. This ep isn't sponsored but I was invited to attend the school for free at the press day Thanks to the School of Artisan Food for hosting us. Special thanks to Martha Brown, Sally Ann Hunt and Kevan Roberts for the mini workshops (and the lunch) and to Alison Swan Parente for being part of this episode. Thanks to Emily Leary for all her work in getting us all there.

Welcome back to the Lecker Book Club. Every month I’ll pick a newly released food related book and talk to the author about the process of writing it. I’ll also be writing about it on Substack and Patreon. Join me there as well! This month: Piglet by Lottie Hazell. I first came across Lottie’s writing when she contributed to the first Lecker zine I curated and published in 2019: Plum Jam, a piece of short fiction about a funeral, an underset blancmange and a broken tooth. I still remember how the piece unsettled me, placing complicated family relationships alongside difficult or reluctant pleasure derived from feeding others; or being fed by others. Her debut novel, Piglet, came out earlier this year and its writing is deeply rooted in what food can mean to us: physically, emotionally and socially. I loved talking to Lottie about Piglet so much! As you’ll hear me tell her in the episode, it was such an interesting experience to encounter such luscious, detailed writing about food in a fictional setting, pa