Among professionals, I think the ratio of sleazy hacks to honest, principled food writers is as good as ever.
The press didn’t cut Simone or the Tartine Manufactory much slack.
I agree. Her article added nothing other than “I believe her” about Angela Dimayuga. We’re just supposed to take the author’s word although she has no details to offer. Don’t want to get all political, but just like we were supposed to take the word of Tara Reid about Joe Biden because, after all, a woman would never lie about anything. Maybe Angela Dimayuga is credible, maybe she’s not, but the linked article doesn’t help me in any way to come to a reasoned informed judgment. And while she linked to Angela Dimayuga’s Instagram statement, Instagram doesn’t allow you to read an entire post on a PC (because I guess you are a dinosaur if you deign to peruse the Internet on a PC), but I got as far as “The ivory towers, at the hands of white, cis gender hetero men in the food world in America, are burning.” So I got the general concept that white cis gender hetero men are bad, although then the author goes on to attack non-white cis gender men. So I’m not sure if it is a cis gender thing or not.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think the dialogue has deteriorated.
No, I’m referring to people who directly worked w/ her since I don’t bother w/ social media (IG and Twitter), which was pretty clear from my post post.
How many chefs who have worked for her have now come out against her?
And how many chefs who have worked for her have come to her defense?
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The article is relevant to sqirl in that it speaks to the broader issues of why the chefs and cooks at sqirl are so upset—the allegations from her employees that koslow created a toxic culture of mistreatment including but not limited to an environment of moldy potentially dangerous working conditions, culture of appropriation… and how media ignores or willing to turn a blind eye to these issues to still bestow in her recognition for best chef. Is she best chef if she can’t cook or mistreats her staff? That’s what these complaints from her staff are driving at.
The validity or lack of Dimayugas claim at mission Chinese or the authors is important, but is for another thread.
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Her article is simply a deep dive into the intersectionality of economics, and media/restaurant culture and how latter two are feeding into each other without critically assessing the situation they’ve created and ultimately driven by the need for profit. Angela Dimayuga’s past is just one of many symptoms of the said problem.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BNuMwvih5UG/?igshid=etqw4t5n7crd
Ditto… something in the way peeps talked about its hyper-hamster-elite nuttiness was off-putting, but I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it. 
But I hate to break it to you guys - and to myself a little because I thought the new generation practiced better habits - the scraping moldy jam thing is and old bakery trick. It’s one of the reasons we have the rating system now. In the 90’s when one of the networks (can’t remember which now, CBS maybe?) went undercover in L.A. restaurant kitchens to film how nasty they were, a lot of the old-school delis & bakeries like Canter’s and Beverlywood Bakery were temporarily shutdown due to the most disgusting health violations. What was one of the main offenses? Buckets of fruit fillings used to make pastries & cookies covered with mold and fly larvae. I lived in Beverlywood at the time and ate a lot of BB’s fruit filled cookies. 
Health inspectors were also filmed being paid-off. They laid-low for a while then got caught selling A ratings. It’s why a friend of mine refuses to eat at a restaurant with a B. “I don’t wanna’ eat anyplace that can’t afford to buy themselves an A.”
This exposé is also shedding light on organizations like James Beard. They sound like lightweights. But, honestly, we all support the big chef ego. I get more geeked out seeing the chef of a favorite restaurant than I do seeing a movie star. Most recent geek moment? I bought yams at Underwood Farms’ booth at Culver City Farmers Market because I spotted Walter Manzke buying them… they were f-ing delicious.
Happy Eating Not At Sqirl!
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Would you elaborate on this @Dommy? I am not sure I am getting your point here (you usually write so very clearly) and I am endlessly fascinated by our critics, food writers and their underlying motivations.
TIA
CB
You’re a mold scientist. When you open your refrigerator and something is a little fuzzy, what do you do?
Because I study this stuff, and I’ve seen some of the really bad effects of different toxins, I don’t really take chances with it. That being said, fungal-fermented foods are some of my favorite foods — I just don’t trust it happening spontaneously.
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Yeah, I’m not an expert but I came across an interesting article about mold on food. One of the things that stuck with me was not to assume mold is only on the surface - that bit of mold on your bread crust, for instance, has most likely spread throughout the loaf even if you can’t see it.
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Yep, I’ve never seen mold on my Smucker’s or Bonne Maman. I’m going to make myself a PB&J, right now.
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But is very little sugar and no extra pectin added? 
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I bought and ate moldy beef jerky from Trader Joe’s–don’t want to get into the details of why I ate it. Be assured it was not intentional. When I returned to the bag to TJ, the store manager told me mold wasn’t necessarily bad to eat since it’s found in some foods. Yeah, okay. How about you focus on why your store sells moldy food?
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If you’d ever like to have a conversation about this you’re always welcome to email me. I do believe we try our best to report evenly, and I’m convinced we break more restaurant news than any outlet in LA. If you have a chance to see the reported piece on Sqirl today, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Reach out to me via DM and I can give you my contact.
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Longer reporting takes a lot time with editing, corroboration, and fact checking. We published a piece today on some of the questions you had, and I’d love to hear your thoughts/feedback.
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Pre-pandemic, we would do a day trip couple times a year to Oak Glen to walk around the Wildlands Conservancy, check out the shops and load up on some apple cider and apple varieties not easily found elsewhere. One of our favorite stops is
Wonderful jams, jellies, preserves and fruit butters, including a lot of sugar free versions. They offer tastes of all their products. No junk in them and the QPR is ridiculous. Cheaper than commercial products for higher quality. We usually got a half dozen or more assorted jars.
They do ship and you can order online. I’m hoping they survive. Always friendly and welcoming, happy to discuss and answer questions on how they make.
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Haha you guys receive more crap than you deserve on this board. While not perfect, it’s my first foodie site I check out everyday.
Anyway my 2 cents on the article, while I appreciate all the focus on the social issues etc. I am more concerned about the health risk posed by JK intentionally serving spoiled jam! WTF???!
Imagine the risk for immuno-compromised clientele (elderly, children, chronic medical conditions etc) thinking they’re paying beacoup bucks for a healthy alternative when in fact the fucking kitchen is sending out spoilt food. And besides that, it’s clearly apparent she did this intentionally and tried to come up with some BS excuse that it was an acceptable practice. This is just a blatant disregard for food safety. IMO the restaurant should be shut down temporarily for this reason alone by the health authorities.
Are there any additional skeletons hidden in the closet (figuratively & literally) on their food prep protocols?
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Mom’s is legit! We loved our visit to the store and the products they offer.
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