let them eat cake

The 'let them eat cake' Substack explores the intersection of food, cultural authenticity, and the value of culinary labor. It critically examines food systems, dining experiences, and cooking practices while challenging economic and traditional frameworks within the culinary world. Recurrent themes include the appreciation of underrated cooking techniques and the critique of modern dining trends.

Culinary Culture and Practices Economic and Social Aspects of Food Dining Experiences and Food Authenticity Culinary Labor and Value Innovative and Traditional Cooking Techniques

The hottest Substack posts of let them eat cake

And their main takeaways

the product

99 implied HN points • 08 Mar 23
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurants Customers Workshops Commerce Menu
  1. In the restaurant industry, the customers are considered the product, not the food.
  2. There is a trend of new restaurants having similar setups and menus, which can make the customer experience less unique.
  3. The analogy of customers as 'workpieces' in workshops questions what happens when all establishments start to look the same.

renewals

179 implied HN points • 01 Sep 22
🍲 Food & Drink Baking Cooking Philosophy Memory Trust
  1. Baking involves a mix of physical skills, organization, timing, and care rituals.
  2. Trusting yourself in cooking is crucial for the cook's joy and success.
  3. The feeling of knowing and trusting yourself is essential in baking and cooking.

a very american thing to say

199 implied HN points • 06 Jul 22
🎭️ Culture Food & Drink
  1. Americans use 'peanut-buttering' as slang for spreading attention and effort too wide, suggesting being stretched thin.
  2. Peanut butter is seen as a quick, slapdash choice, while buttercream represents intentional effort with greater ambitions.
  3. Comparing 'peanut-buttering' to 'buttercreaming' can reflect perceptions of being overextended versus being a serious and intentional worker.

no. 62: milieu

139 implied HN points • 08 Nov 22
🍲 Food & Drink Cookbooks Culinary History Traditional dishes Cultural cuisine
  1. The compilation cookbooks from 'Female' magazine in Singapore showcased diverse and sometimes unusual recipes, catering to a broad range of reader interests.
  2. The cookbooks from 'Female' magazine reflected a mix of 'continental cuisine' with western influences like cheese, alongside traditional Singaporean dishes like 'nasi ulam' and 'ayam buah keluak'.
  3. The culinary evolution captured in the cookbooks, from the fading traditional hawker foods to the merging of different culinary influences, reflected the changing tastes and lifestyles of the readers, highlighting the nostalgia and complexity of the culinary landscape.

solstice

119 implied HN points • 21 Dec 22
🍲 Food & Drink Cuisine Traditions
  1. The winter solstice is a day where Han Chinese traditionally eat tangyuan, a dish symbolizing family unity.
  2. Tangyuan dumplings can be simple, like 'ee' without filling, representing values and family cohesion.
  3. Other important days for food rituals in the Chinese calendar include the 15th day of the lunar new year, the Dragon Boat festival with zongzi, and the Mid-Autumn festival with mooncakes.
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ferocious joy

179 implied HN points • 15 Jun 22
🍲 Food & Drink Cooking Emotions Art Science
  1. Abstract concepts like joy can be interpreted in concrete ways that may differ from person to person.
  2. People may show directionality in their expressions of emotions or concepts through activities like playing the piano or practicing aikido.
  3. Biomechanical changes in the body may occur when individuals are asked to infuse activities or creations with certain emotions, even if they are not consciously aware of it.

mountain whales

159 implied HN points • 27 Jul 22
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurants Cuisine Atmosphere Staffing
  1. Favorite restaurants like Prairie Whale and L'Epicerie de Dienne offer unadorned, delicious food in a genial atmosphere created by clean air and open skies.
  2. Difference in scale between American and French restaurants: larger American establishments may need to be bigger to work efficiently, while quaint French eateries can run with just a 1-2 person team.
  3. The personal connection and authentic experience at smaller eateries like in Dienne can be more appealing than larger, bustling establishments like Prairie Whale.

fourth slice

59 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Cooking Food Writing
  1. The essay emphasizes the importance of practice and learning through experimentation.
  2. The process of making a dish like pâté-croûte involves a combination of following a recipe and incorporating tacit knowledge.
  3. Kitchen vocabulary grows through hands-on experience like making sausage or pie, helping in understanding more complex dishes like pâté-croûte.

factory food

79 implied HN points • 01 Feb 23
🍲 Food & Drink Cuisine Food production
  1. Hawker food quality may be declining over time, with pre-made components from central kitchens often used in preparation.
  2. Mass production isn't inherently negative and is essential for modern life, similar to sewers.
  3. Technological advancements are impressive, but there's a lack of incentive to develop new processes and machines.

donkeys, emperors, burgers

59 implied HN points • 12 Apr 23
🍲 Food & Drink Cuisine Culinary History Sustainability Marketing
  1. Demand for obscure ingredients like ejiao has reshaped economies and ecosystems on multiple continents.
  2. Ejiao is now considered a marketing phenomenon, creating demand where there was none before.
  3. The desire to eat luxurious foods like emperors can impact the planet, but moralizing doesn't work as well as marketing.

everyday pie

139 implied HN points • 13 Jul 22
🍲 Food & Drink Cooking Recipes Baking Food history Newsletter
  1. The author reflects on the joy and significance of making and eating pies regularly, emphasizing the value of repetition in learning and creating a continuous narrative.
  2. Repetition in cooking allows for skill-building and a deepening connection to the food, turning each pie into a meaningful chapter in a personal culinary history.
  3. The author suggests two other newsletters for readers interested in similar content, highlighting the admiration for the scholarship in one and the comforting nature of the content in the other.

no. 64: dislocation

79 implied HN points • 13 Jan 23
🍲 Food & Drink Cooking Cuisine Recipes French cuisine
  1. Pâté-crôute is a versatile dish, similar to pizza, where creativity in both recipe and execution is key.
  2. Recipes for pâté-crôute often feature traditional French ingredients like cognac, armagnac, foie gras, and AOC game.
  3. Success in making pâté-crôute is not just about winning, but about honestly embracing the process and the outcome.

market day

99 implied HN points • 26 Oct 22
🍲 Food & Drink Markets Supply Chain Competition Small businesses
  1. Wet markets in Singapore are seen as an inefficiency on a very efficient island, yet they continue to exist despite competition.
  2. Wet markets operate as highly efficient endpoints of a parallelized supply chain, with thousands of distributors and wholesalers servicing stallholders, promoting almost perfect competition and minimal overhead costs.
  3. The wet market system in Singapore is underpinned by government price controls on food and rent, creating a situation where stallholders function more as quasi-public servants than traditional business owners.

no. 49: cynical hometown flavor

179 implied HN points • 29 Jan 22
🍲 Food & Drink Culinary culture Cultural Appropriation Restaurant Industry
  1. Being mindful of how traditional dishes are recreated in different cultural contexts is important to avoid misrepresentation.
  2. Ownership and representation of traditional dishes in public spaces raise complex questions of cultural appropriation and intellectual property.
  3. Rather than focusing on ownership, emphasizing stewardship and respect for culinary heritage can lead to a more meaningful and respectful approach to cultural cuisines.

staples

79 implied HN points • 22 Nov 22
🍲 Food & Drink Baking Bread Pastry Food System
  1. Every artisanal bakery relies on ingredients from industrial-scale operations to meet consumer demand.
  2. Artisan mills needed a market of bakeries to sell to in order to become more common.
  3. Companionship is worth celebrating during Thanksgiving, despite the holiday's controversial origins.

no. 57: the sound of bells

99 implied HN points • 30 Jul 22
🍲 Food & Drink Wine Culture Business Romance Legacy
  1. Selecting wines based on a personal 'bell' moment is a unique and intuitive approach that embraces the ineffable nature of taste.
  2. The story behind a wine, including the winemaker's journey and the vineyard's history, can add depth to the wine-drinking experience, regardless of scientific accuracy.
  3. Romance and mystery play a significant role in the allure of wine, transforming personal experiences and stories into tangible aspects of wine production.

no. 59: third wave

79 implied HN points • 14 Sep 22
🍲 Food & Drink Cuisine French cuisine
  1. The post discusses a meal experience at Michel Guerard's place in southern France, highlighting his reputation as one of the last chefs of the Nouvelle Cuisine movement.
  2. Michel Guerard, at 89 years old, is recognized for his contributions to the culinary industry, including creating a line of frozen foods for Nestle.
  3. Readers are encouraged to subscribe to let them eat cake to access more content and enjoy a 7-day free trial.

no. 51: not written down

119 implied HN points • 23 Mar 22
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurants Supply Chain Food System Sustainability
  1. Andy's story highlights challenges in the food supply chain, like labor shortages, logistical issues, and the impact on small suppliers.
  2. Restaurants face pressures from both the supply side and consumer demands, leading to compromises in sourcing and menu offerings.
  3. There is a tension between the ideal of sustainable, ethically sourced food and the practical constraints faced by restaurants in meeting diners' expectations.

no. 58: all dressed

79 implied HN points • 21 Aug 22
🍲 Food & Drink Food culture
  1. Food has become a significant cultural element in cities, replacing the role that music used to hold in drawing people out of their homes.
  2. The distinction between food as culture and food as commodity is determined by its ubiquity and the values it aligns with.
  3. The food industry has evolved to sell itself like fashion brands, focusing on values, viral hits, and product differentiation rather than traditional criteria like quantity or price.

no. 50: a never ending grind

119 implied HN points • 10 Feb 22
🎭️ Culture Art Food History
  1. The post reflects on mortar and pestle, innovation, and modernity in Asia.
  2. The author recommends an organization called the Prepared for those interested in how things are built.
  3. The writer shares a personal experience working with an antique kueh mould from Penang.

trying too hard

99 implied HN points • 27 Apr 22
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Food Industry Baking
  1. Making canelé can be challenging, with a high failure rate due to various factors. Even professional kitchens face similar struggles.
  2. Troubleshooting with different methods like batter consistency and resting time may not always work. Sometimes a simple change like adjusting the oven temperature can make a big difference.
  3. Persistence and experimentation are key in overcoming cooking challenges. Trying new approaches, even if they seem unconventional, can lead to success.

no. 55: color block concrete

79 implied HN points • 01 Jun 22
🏝 Travel Cultural Food Personal
  1. The author experiences a complex mix of emotions when returning home to Singapore, feeling a blend of homesickness and discomfort.
  2. The newsletter explores the author's culinary adventures in Singapore, particularly enjoying visits to hawker centers.
  3. The author reflects on their journey to separate feelings of homesickness from feelings of discomfort in their home country.

meaning silk, or rags

379 implied HN points • 02 Aug 19
🍲 Food & Drink Bakery Ingredients History Culture
  1. Chiffon cake was a new and innovative creation in the 20th century, incorporating baking powder and vegetable oil unlike traditional foam cakes.
  2. Pandan chiffon cakes are popular in a certain age group in Singapore for being less sweet and light due to their airy texture.
  3. Neighborhood bakeries selling pandan chiffon often maintain a traditional, artisanal approach, using industrial mix but employing handcrafting techniques.

best of breed

59 implied HN points • 08 Sep 22
🍲 Food & Drink Food culture
  1. In France, the concept of a kitchen garden can be misleading as it may not provide all the food served, leading to bigger questions about sourcing.
  2. Portion sizes in modern bistros seem to be increasing, possibly indicating changes in the market for larger meat servings.
  3. The French preference for traditional coffee may have hindered the growth of third wave coffee culture there, as they believe they already have the best.

portage

79 implied HN points • 11 May 22
🍲 Food & Drink Food culture Sustainability
  1. Bringing your own containers for takeout food is a common practice in some cultures, reducing waste and promoting sustainability.
  2. Different regions have unique approaches to takeout packaging, with some prioritizing reusable and precious containers over resource-intensive options.
  3. Some restaurants are transitioning to supposedly reusable takeout containers, but lack of social contracts and infrastructure may lead to challenges in ensuring they are used as intended.

Organic, local, and slow

379 implied HN points • 13 Jun 19
🍲 Food & Drink Food Systems Local
  1. Organic, local, and slow are different answers to distinct questions in the food system
  2. Organic addresses chemicals in food, local counters industrialization, and slow combats commercialization
  3. Conflating organic, local, and slow can hinder thoughtful trade-offs in the food system and overlook the diversity of needs in a global population

fifth slice

19 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food culture Travel
  1. The author has been to France and Singapore, mentioning an experience with pâté-crôute in both places.
  2. There is an upcoming event in Montreal for the North American qualifiers related to pâté-crôute.
  3. Readers can access the full post and archives with a 7-day free trial of the publication.

Target practice

279 implied HN points • 16 Aug 19
🍲 Food & Drink Economics Sustainability Pricing
  1. Consider the importance of paying restaurant staff enough to sustain a long-term career, not just a job.
  2. Running a regenerative restaurant that prioritizes staff, community, and environment over purely financial gains is a tantalizing idea with economic and social implications.
  3. The analysis of a hypothetical NYC restaurant suggests that to pay staff fair wages, pricing might need to increase, possibly by at least 20%, to sustain the business model.

no. 52: sounds in the forest

59 implied HN points • 20 Apr 22
🍲 Food & Drink Home Cooking Economic Impact
  1. In the US, there are various informal food businesses like hawkers who cook at home and sell their food in unique ways, showcasing an unacknowledged hawker culture in the country.
  2. Informal economies like hawking often thrive on unwritten social contracts and interdependency between buyers and sellers, emphasizing the importance of humanity and goodwill.
  3. The emergence of 'home chef platforms' highlights a shift in the food industry, raising concerns about parasitic practices, gig economy rhetoric, and additional layers of surveillance compared to traditional hawker operations.

the right word for the pastry we have

219 implied HN points • 27 Sep 19
🍲 Food & Drink Food Systems Baking French cuisine
  1. Kouign amann, a butter cake in Breizh, is a significant pastry in Brittany, France.
  2. Galletes, buckwheat crepes cooked on griddle, signify a simpler yet delicious dish in Brittany's gastronomic culture.
  3. The experience of enjoying pastries like kouign amann made with Breton butter can be a magical and memorable culinary adventure.

no. 45: please duck soup responsibly

79 implied HN points • 29 Sep 21
🍲 Food & Drink Cuisine Cooking Cultural perspectives Traditional dishes
  1. Traditional dishes like kiam chye arh reflect a certain perspective on food that needs to be shared by both the cook and the diner.
  2. In the context of ethnic cuisines, the voices of the cooks are crucial for the true understanding and appreciation of the food.
  3. Certain dishes, like kiam chye arh, have an internal logic and history that can only be fully appreciated when both the cook and the diner understand and value its traditions.

third slice

19 implied HN points • 10 Mar 23
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Cooking
  1. The post discusses the preparation of a rich, deep stock with varying textures based on ingredients used, like pork knuckles, and how it's used to enhance flavor in cooking.
  2. The author offers a 7-day free trial for readers to subscribe and access more content on the site.
  3. There is a section for existing paid subscribers to sign in and access exclusive content.

quattordicine

139 implied HN points • 22 Sep 20
🍲 Food & Drink Cuisine Vegetarianism Quality Cooking
  1. The author shares their experience living in a hotel during the pandemic, receiving interesting meals that range from nasi lemak to tofu dishes.
  2. The transition to a vegetarian meal plan at the hotel results in various Chinese Vegetarian meals, some with unique combinations like steamed rice, broccoli, and peppers.
  3. The culinary journey continues with detailed descriptions of each meal, including noodle consistency, sauce flavors, and the overall dining experience.

the meaning of doors to nowhere

139 implied HN points • 16 Sep 20
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurant Food Systems
  1. The experience of dining out during the pandemic has shifted, revealing transparency in the power dynamics between diners and restaurant staff.
  2. Questions about the cultural appropriation of food, the meaning of restaurant work, and equitable wages are being raised more prominently as a result of current circumstances.
  3. The value assigned to restaurant work and the dining experience extends beyond just the monetary compensation, spurring reflection on the significance of meals, meaning, and societal perceptions.

no. 44: internet portals

79 implied HN points • 12 Sep 21
🎭️ Culture Food & Drink Internet Content creation Media influence
  1. Restaurants on the internet gain exposure to a wider audience than just their physical visitors, influencing people's choices and behaviors.
  2. The content surrounding restaurants online is often created by sources outside of the restaurants themselves, such as food media and influencers.
  3. The online presence and conversations about restaurants contribute to their significance as creative influencers, tying physical businesses to the digital content economy.

winning at the internet

159 implied HN points • 14 May 20
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurants Marketing Food Systems Food culture
  1. In the age of the internet, some argue that restaurants should transform into content creators to stay afloat, shifting focus away from creating food.
  2. Becoming successful independent restaurants used to involve creating a strong online presence as a marketing strategy, shifting focus from food and hospitality to internet competitiveness.
  3. For many restaurants, adapting to the challenges of the current landscape, like offering takeout, may not be enough to ensure profitability, and finding new ways to make food at a profit is crucial.

fried rice cyborgs

19 implied HN points • 27 Feb 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food
  1. The author often writes about food and how things are made, like fried rice and farm equipment.
  2. The post mentions a piece in Scope of Work regarding industrial aspects.
  3. Readers can access more content by subscribing and getting a 7-day free trial on the website.

recipes

119 implied HN points • 29 Oct 20
🍲 Food & Drink Recipes Culinary culture Cooking techniques Food Systems Culinary History
  1. The recipe for Pandan Chiffon Cake involves unique techniques like making fresh pandan extract and coconut milk for a refined flavor and texture.
  2. Fiona's Pandan Chiffon Cake recipe uses less flour and substitutes oil with coconut milk for richness, setting it apart from traditional chiffon cake recipes.
  3. The 'Brandy Chicken' recipe showcases a simple yet flavorful way of cooking with minimal ingredients, emphasizing the importance of quality ingredients like good brandy for marinades.

no. 40 knowing how it feels

99 implied HN points • 07 Feb 21
🍲 Food & Drink Culinary Traditions Cooking techniques Food culture
  1. Culinary traditions are being preserved through detailed cookbooks for various cuisines around the world, even those not typically documented in America.
  2. There is a debate about the best way to record recipes - detailed gram measurements can sometimes overshadow the intuitive 'feel' that experienced cooks rely on.
  3. Recipes serve as static records of dynamic dishes, capturing a moment in time but unable to fully encapsulate the evolving nature of traditional cooking styles.

Strong-backed millenials

199 implied HN points • 05 Jul 19
🍲 Food & Drink Food Systems Bakery
  1. Biddeford, Maine transformed from mill town to a vibrant community with new economy ventures like art studios, microbrewery, and funky eateries.
  2. Kim and Alec, the founders of Rover Bagel, moved to Biddeford for affordable space and opportunity to start their business, customizing bagels that stand out for their unique crust and flavor.
  3. Despite success, challenges lie in the growth of Rover Bagel due to limitations in space and resources, reflecting the reality of entrepreneurship requiring more than hard work and creativity.