A Nalepka Noir Novelette. By Wes Eichenwald. A veteran journalist interviews people he's interested in interviewing, because he wanted to and they said yes. You must be logged in to post a comment. Pogoer 2. Skip to content. Posted on January 6, 1 comment. Search for:. Create a free website or blog at WordPress. Writer Way Karen G. If they want to. That is the key. The problem is the way the network demands they represent themselves: as singular. As one-trick ponies bound by ethnic heritage.
That was it! No additional explanation, no discussion of what drives her or who else she might be. But it still leaves me asking: if these are to be stars — true experts in food — is it a good idea to restrict them to a single category, and when is it a problem for that category to be determined by ethnicity?
None of these elements that make up her experience were represented in the show. Just her status as a Latina. While Susie Jimenez is soldered to Mexican food and Aarti Sequeira remains all but closed within her spice cabinet, Giada makes Greek food, modern California cuisine, and original-sounding comfort food.
Yes, she often infuses whatever she makes with Italian flair, but she also transcends her roots even while promoting them. Rachael Ray, on the other hand, makes any kind of food, served in enormous portions with as many pun-riddled names as she can invent.
She insists on calling that one delectable nutty chalky variety of cheese Parrrmijano-Reggiano even though she pronounces everything else in a slightly-New-York-tinged American accent. But she talks about her Italian roots all the time. Why has she been permitted to step out from the umbrella of her heritage? Jeff Mauro makes sandwiches of all kinds, not just panini. Why are they not cooking the foods their distant country of origin says they should be?
The answer, I think, is that these chefs read as white in a way Susie and Aarti do not. Indian and Mexican identities, however, remain considered non-white. Of course, there are African American hosts on Food Network too, but they seem to be released from the mandate to display racial identity in their food the same way the white hosts are.
It is curious that when members of ethnic groups that are neither black nor white are represented on food programs, they are represented on the basis of their heritage.
But the fact remains that chefs with visibly non-white and non-black identities are being pigeon-holed—perhaps because network executives believe it will be easier to market them that way. At least, until they have been safely commoditized. I want to find out. Her talent lies in her brain and her heart and her fingertips, not only in her ethnic, national, or racial identity.
Aarti now, similar to her blog, has recipes like fish tacos on her Food Network profile. As Malcolm made his first presentation to the judges, he explained exactly what I am trying to capture here, and his response confused the judges. This is, given the way the show seems to like entrapping hosts within a single strict category, something to watch out for in future episodes.
Will Malcolm be allowed to continue to cook the way he wants to, or will the judges try to shift him toward the category of Soul Food to which he does not want to be restricted?
Chelsea, thanks so much for this extremely thoughtful piece. It is interesting how this seems to be an issue for cooks whose identities fall outside the primary black-white racial binary.
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