The week of April 13, 2024 was an ode to one of our favorite sandwiches; eating the flat croissant; and the great L.A. taco bracket.

The Mash-Up Americans:

Did you know that April is National Minority Health Month (and April 11-17 is Black Maternal Health week!)? We didn’t until just recently, but we’re thrilled to see it — especially since we’re huge advocates of caring for our mental health, leaning into the traditional medical practices of our cultures, and of course, eating delicious, nutritious food. Let’s take care of ourselves!

Mash-Ups In The News:

Moving Past Pierogi: The New Face of Polish Cuisine
SAVEUR

We love a pierogi and a cabbage roll, but it seems people outside of Poland are the main ones still enjoying these traditional foods on the reg. Veggie-forward and infused with global influences, modern Polish cuisine is where it’s at.

Hawaii Is “On the Verge of Catastrophe,” Locals Say, as Water Crisis Continues
CBS NEWS

The cruel irony of an island, surrounded by endless ocean, suffering an acute shortage of freshwater is not lost on us. And while tourism isn’t the main cause of their water troubles, it’s certainly not helping.

Coaching Great Dawn Staley Defends Trans Athletes
THE NATION

This makes the heart swell. “I’m of the opinion of, if you’re a woman, you should play. If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports or vice versa, you should be able to play.” Hell yes, coach.

The Best Cookbooks for Spring 2024
LOS ANGELES TIMES

Including the first Salvadoran cookbook from a major publisher! In 2024! It’s about damn time. Not totally certain we need The Mythical Kitchen on this roundup (let us know if you agree or not!), but that’s why we created our own lists.

Why These New Yorkers’ Favorite Soccer Team Is in Denmark: They Own It.
THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Some people splurge on vacations, fancy shoes and motorcycles. A group of dozens of friends, neighbors and co-workers decided to try something better (or maybe worse).”

Mega Drive-Throughs Explain Everything Wrong With American Cities
VOX

They paved paradise (minority-owned businesses) and put up a double-wide drive-through restaurant. It’s a move that contradicts the U.S.’s goal to make cities more less dependent on cars — and erases any sense of community.

‘Shōgun’ Is the Best and Most Human Show on TV
DEFECTOR

Oh snap, did this week’s episode just take Shōgun to Game of Thrones–heights? Defector thinks so, and we’re inclined to agree. The thematic storytelling, in addition to the righting of the POV away from the white character, is A+.

In the Kitchen With the Grande Dame of Jewish Cooking
THE NEW YORKER

Joan Nathan, whose cookbooks are near ubiquitous in Jewish American households, spends the day with one lucky writer in this mini profile. Also lucky: us, since we got to host her on the pod a while back! A delight, truly.

A Biased Test Kept Thousands of Black People From Getting a Kidney Transplant. It’s Finally Changing.
AP NEWS

More than 14,000 Black kidney transplant candidates so far have been given credit for lost waiting time to remedy the damage done by a race-based testing formula. We suppose it’s better late than never? But still, this hurts.

When Geopolitics Play Out in a Potato Salad Contest
THE NEW YORK TIMES

In this 13-minute “Op-Doc” video, one journalist travels to a small Czech border town to witness a potato salad competition between Polish and Czech nationals while their countries battle over a coal mine. The result is so heart warming, so adorable.

They Were Desperate to Get Pregnant. Then IVF Gave Them Extra Embryos
THE WASHINGTON POST

Deciding what to do with unused frozen embryos is hard enough for many families; with the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are people (and that discarding them is like killing unborn children), it’s so much more complicated.