Loading Dock Talks with Chef Preeti Mistry – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Chef Preeti Mistry talks with Chef Tu David Phu live on the podcast stage at the first-ever Cookbook Fest in Napa, California. Tu is the author of the forthcoming cookbook 'Memory of Taste,' that is a "tribute to the enduring spirit of my matriarchs, the rich heritage of Vietnamese cuisine, food insecurity, and the stories that food can tell." 

In this podcast, Tu and Preeti discuss Tu's upbringing in Oakland, the profound influence of his mother, and the deep connection between food and memory. Tu shares the stories behind his mother's banana bread pudding recipe, the impact of food insecurity on his life, and his efforts in advocating for universal school meals. They also delve into the meanings of authenticity in cooking, cultural appropriation, and sustainability within the food industry. 

For more from Tu: 

Order his book!

His Instagram

His website

His documentary, Bloodline

Subscribe to Preeti's Substack to get behind-the-scenes content, to cook the recipes, and to get extended versions of the interviews. 

In this episode, Chef Preeti talks with Chef Debra VanTrece about her recipe for Baby Back Ribs with Sweet Tea BBQ Sauce. Chef Deborah shares her family's rich barbecue traditions and roots in Kansas City and how they influenced the development of her rib recipe (including the potentially controversial addition of sweet tea). Deborah recounts her pivot from a flight attendant to a chef and the prevalence of racism and sexism as she worked her way up in catering. They delve into the meaning of soul food and the importance of blending global inspirations into cooking, specifically in a world where "fusion" is used frequently. 

More about them: 

Deborah's Website

Deborah's Instagram

Her Restaurants: Oreatha's at the Point  |   Twisted Soul Cookhouse and Pours

Subscribe to Preeti's Substack to get behind-the-scenes content, to cook the recipes, and to get extended versions of the interviews. 

The new season of Loading Dock Talks is coming on January 18th. 

This season, Chef Preeti asked some of their chef friends to send them a recipe, whether it was a family recipe or something they grew up eating. They wanted to see a recipe that meant something to the guests. Preeti cooked these recipes so that they could dig into the ingredients, techniques, and stories behind them.

This season on Loading Dock Talks, the guests and their family recipes include: 

• Reem Assil's Sayadiyah
• Rahanna Bisserett Martinez's Shrimp & Grits 
• Hetal Vasavada's Seero
• Leah Scurto's Picadillo
• Fernay McPherson's Mac & Cheese
• Telly Justice's Cream Pie
• Jacqui Sinclair's Cottage Pie
• Saqib Keval & Norma Listman's Barbacoa
• and Deborah Vantrece's BBQ Ribs 

If you want to cook along, get the recipes, extra content, extended editions of the interviews, and additional recipes from Preeti, subscribe to their Substack, launching January 12th with their recipe for Handvo Madeleines. 

Subscribe to Preeti's Substack to get behind-the-scenes content, to cook the recipes, and to get extended versions of the interviews. 

Preeti and Devita talk about growing up in an empowering black space, why she founded FoodLab Detroit coming out of the economic crisis of 2008, and the favorite dish that she will never be able to eat again, breakfast at her grandma’s house. 

For more from Devita:

Instagram: @devita_davison

Twitter: @DevitaDavison

FoodLab Detroit

Website   |   Instagram   |   More About

You can find Preeti:

Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Website

Produced by 

Copper & Heat

Subscribe to Preeti's Substack to get behind-the-scenes content, to cook the recipes, and to get extended versions of the interviews. 

Preeti’s guest this week is Vinny Eng, celebrated sommelier and community activist. Their conversation revolves around safety; feeling safe as immigrants in the U.S., feeling unsafe as queer folks in college, and creating a truly hospitable restaurant by prioritizing the safety of your staff. 

For more from Vinny:

Instagram: @engvinny

Twitter: @vinnyeng

Safer Together SF Bay Area

Website   |   Twitter 

You can find Preeti:

Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Website

Produced by 

Copper & Heat

Subscribe to Preeti's Substack to get behind-the-scenes content, to cook the recipes, and to get extended versions of the interviews. 

Preeti and Chef Mavis-Jay talk about discovering their chefiness as kids doctoring up boxed mac and cheese, why they decided to go to culinary school at CIA at Hyde Park, and how they left fine dining restaurants to work in restaurant industry activism.  

For more from Mavis-Jay:

Instagram: @chefmavisjay

Twitter: @ChefMavisJay

Drive Change

Website   |   Instagram   |   Twitter   |   Facebook

You can find Preeti:

Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Website

Produced by 

Copper & Heat

Subscribe to Preeti's Substack to get behind-the-scenes content, to cook the recipes, and to get extended versions of the interviews. 

Preeti’s guest this week is Chef Jenny Dorsey - chef and founder of the community think tank, Studio ATAO. Jenny talks about growing up questioning bias in the system, creating real change in the restaurant industry, and Preeti & Jenny debate the merits of Morton’s Coarse versus Diamond Crystal kosher salt. 

For more from Jenny:

Instagram: @chefjennydorsey

Twitter: @chefjennydorsey

Studio ATAO

Website   |   Instagram   |   Twitter   |   Facebook

You can find Preeti:

Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Website

Produced by 

Copper & Heat

Subscribe to Preeti's Substack to get behind-the-scenes content, to cook the recipes, and to get extended versions of the interviews. 

Preeti talks with Brenda Buenviaje - chef and owner of Brenda’s French Soul Food and Brenda’s Meat & Three in the Bay Area - about growing up fishing, foraging, and cooking in Louisiana, starting her career in restaurants as a lesbian in the south, and navigating the spotlight as “The Brenda.” 

For more from Brenda:

Instagram: @chefbuenviaje

YouTube Channel: Cook Like Brenda

Brenda’s Restaurants:

Brenda’s French Soul Food

Instagram |  Website

Brenda’s Meat & Three

Instagram  |  Website

You can find Preeti:

Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Website

Produced by 

Copper & Heat

Subscribe to Preeti's Substack to get behind-the-scenes content, to cook the recipes, and to get extended versions of the interviews. 

Preeti talks with Ashtin Berry - bartender, hospitality activist, and equity educator & consultant - about being raised empowered to speak her truth, chef heroes, and white saviorism in the hospitality industry.

For more from Ashtin:

Instagram: @thecollectress

Twitter: @AshtinBerry

Radical Xchange

Website   |   Instagram   |   Twitter

You can find Preeti:

Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Website

Produced by 

Copper & Heat

Subscribe to Preeti's Substack to get behind-the-scenes content, to cook the recipes, and to get extended versions of the interviews. 

Preeti talks with Zoe Adjonyoh - chef, activist, and author - about connecting to her ancestral Ghanaian roots and building community through food, being a queer black woman in the industry, and about some of her favorite West African spices and ingredients.

For more from Zoe:

Her website

Her spices (and other fun things)

Her cookbook

Twitter: @ZoeAdjonyoh

Instagram: @zoeadjonyoh @ghanakitchen

Black Book:  Website   |   Instagram

You can find Preeti:

Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Website

Produced by 

Copper & Heat

Subscribe to Preeti's Substack to get behind-the-scenes content, to cook the recipes, and to get extended versions of the interviews.