Beans and Rice

Vivian reclaims root vegetables as comfort food icons. With nutritionist Christine Byrne, she browses Walmart’s produce aisle, exploring roots’ colors and health benefits. She visits a lab where chef Jenny Brûlé develops instant sweet potatoes, then heads to her church kitchen to elevate hummus with raw beet relish and wow meat lovers with a decadent multi-root gratin.

Vivian reclaims root vegetables as comfort food icons. With nutritionist Christine Byrne, she browses Walmart’s produce aisle, exploring roots’ colors and health benefits. She visits a lab where chef Jenny Brûlé develops instant sweet potatoes, then heads to her church kitchen to elevate hummus with raw beet relish and wow meat lovers with a decadent multi-root gratin.

Vivian explores fat’s misunderstood role in the kitchen, from saved bacon grease to salad toast with olive oil. At the grocery store with Christine, she breaks down cooking oils, storage tips and fat myths. In California, a visit to Corto reveals what makes great olive oil and how olives compare to other crops amid climate change. Back home, Vivian fries fish in peanut oil with a bold mayo smear.