KQED Food

YouTube video by KQED Tricks and Tips for Cooking Oysters and Clams | Jacques Pépin Cooking at Home | KQED

Need a quick shellfish fix? Jacques Pépin has an easy method for microwaving oysters and clams alongside a rich butter sauce. Watch the episode:

YouTube video by KQED Ditch the Party Dip and Try This Compound Butter Instead 🧈 | Jacques Pépin Cooking at Home

Who needs butter boards when you can give your butter a Jacques Pépin upgrade? 🧈✨

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.

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.

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.

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...

YouTube video by KQED Chocolate treats with nuts & berries | Jacques Pépin Cooking At Home | KQED

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:

YouTube video by KQED Food Chicken and Waffles Didn't Start in Harlem? | Beyond the Menu

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.

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.

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)

YouTube video by KQED News ‘Check, Please!,’ the Bay Area’s Longest Running Dinner Party, Turns 20 | KQED Forum

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.

The Best Dishes I Ate in 2025 A year of spicy raw crab, mindblowing Peking duck and bowling alley Lao food.

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.

YouTube video by KQED Jacques Pépin's Meringue Cookie Recipe - Only Needs 2 Ingredients! | Cooking at Home | KQED

Not much in your pantry? Jacques Pépin’s two-ingredient meringue cookies are the perfect treat! Watch here:

An East Bay Newcomer Slings Hand-Pulled Noodles and XLB Until Midnight Dao Artisan Noodle brings Lanzhou-style noodles to San Leandro.

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.

A New San José Food Stall Specializes in Vietnamese Rice Cake Omelettes | KQED Bot Chien is an exciting new addition to Lion Plaza.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

San Francisco’s Only Free Grocery Store Is Featured in a New PBS Special | KQED Lidia Bastianich shines a spotlight on Bayview's D10 Market, the first government-funded free grocery store in the U.S.

The D10 Market opened in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood in 2024. Funded by the city through the San Francisco Human Services Agency, the store is considered the first of its kind in the nation.

We Recreated an It's-It Ice Cream Sandwich at Home — With an Oakland Twist. | KQED It’s-It ice cream sandwiches: they’re easy to eat and easy to love, but are they easy to make? KQED's Josh Decolongon finds out.

Few desserts say “San Francisco” like the It’s-It. In this No Crumbs feature, Josh Decolongon recreates the beloved ice cream sandwich from scratch, adding an Oakland touch with homemade rocky road ice cream.

YouTube video by KQED Food What Are Pineapple Buns? | Beyond the Menu

The pineapple bun is a Hong Kong classic but its journey spans continents, cultures, and nearly a century of culinary evolution! Watch Beyond the Menu explore how this beloved pastry came to life:

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...

If you have a Bay Area restaurant you can't get enough of, we want to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on Check, Please! Bay Area and join Leslie Sbrocco in the KQED studio to share your favorite dishes and hidden gems.

Apply here: www.kqed.org/checkplease/...

The food science behind what makes leftovers tasty (or not) Here’s some science you can keep in mind when you’re finishing off the leftovers in your fridge, plus a few tips for safer cooking and eating.

Here’s some science you can keep in mind when you’re finishing off the leftovers in your fridge, plus a few tips for safer cooking and eating. (from 2022) https://to.pbs.org/3WFepSV

Gather ’round the Table — It’s Time for a ‘Family Feast!’ In a new book, Big Ma dashes off commands, uncles shoot the breeze and little ones beg to lick the bowl.

In "Family Feast!," the day begins early for Big Ma and Pops, who spend the morning peeling fruit for a pie and dressing the fish to fry. (via @npr.org)

YouTube video by KQED Food DACHA Kitchen & Bar, Pizzeria da Laura, Brigitte Bistro | Check, Please! Bay Area

Did you miss Check, Please! Bay Area's last brand-new episode of 2025? Cozy up to Eastern European comforts in San Francisco, award-winning pizza in Berkeley, and classic French fare in Petaluma. ✨

Cooking for just a few? Thanksgiving dinner in one pan Having an intimate Thanksgiving? Leanne Brown, the author of ‘Good and Cheap,’ developed a recipe for anyone who is cooking for just a few people this holiday and wants to keep the meal simple and inexpensive.

"If you’re just cooking for a few, consider simplifying so you have more time to visit and enjoy one another," writes author Leanne Brown. https://to.pbs.org/3X7aEXq

Where to Find Free Thanksgiving 2025 Meals in the Bay Area | KQED Organizations from the East to the South Bay will provide free, warm meals to those in need on Thanksgiving and the days leading up to the holiday.

While CalFresh benefits have finally been restored, many local families remain food insecure as Thanksgiving approaches. Organizations around the Bay Area are getting ready to provide meals to people who need them this holiday season, from hot food to distribution boxes for use at home.

How Tiny Chef captured the internet’s heart He’s a little guy with a huge following online. Tiny Chef, the Instagram sensation who also happens to be animated, has gained millions of fans of all ages while whipping up vegetarian meals with a si...

Tiny Chef, the internet sensation who also happens to be animated, has gained millions of fans of all ages while whipping up vegetarian meals with a side of heart. https://to.pbs.org/3V1pHCs

The West Coast’s First Naval Base Is Now A Whiskey Distillery | KQED In Redwood Empire Whiskey’s new Mare Island space, you can sip California bourbon where the Navy once built ships and submarines.

Kunjan Joshi, Redwood Empire’s general manager, said that everyone who visits asks the same thing: “What was this place? What significance does it have?”

The short answer: it was the first Naval base on the West Coast, opened in 1854.

Friendsgiving 101: A History of the Holiday and How to Celebrate it The word's definition may be obvious, but Friendsgiving can mean different things to different people.

The concept of Friendsgiving has long permeated pop culture, from "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" to "Friends." But the proper noun only came along relatively recently. (via @npr.org)

YouTube video by KQED Roast Turkey, Gravy, and Stuffing | Jacques Pépin Cooking At Home | KQED

First Thanksgiving cooking alone? Don’t panic. Jacques Pépin shows how to make a moist roast turkey with stuffing and gravy, step by step. Watch:

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.

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.