PRK On The Air: OMG Red Velvet

Photo: Flickr/gsz

Radio Boston talks to two local chefs, Flour’s Joanne Chang and Will Gilson of Garden at the Cellar, about red velvet, the racy culinary trendlet.  Earlier, I spoke to Angie Mosier, board member of the Southern Foodways Alliance and a food stylist in Atlanta about the history of red velvet cake.

“I consider the red velvet cake to be the Dolly Parton of cakes. It’s a little bit tacky but you love her anyway.”
– Angie Mosier

“I’ve read things that said that the Waldorf Astoria in New York laid claim to the practice of putting red food coloring in a cake but being from the south, I think that it’s a southern woman that probably got the bright idea to put a whole bottle of food coloring in some cake batter to make it fancy,” said Mosier.  “And I consider the red velvet cake to be the Dolly Parton of cakes.   It’s a little bit tacky but you love her anyway.”

Joanne Chang and Will Gilson are lending their talents this evening to OMG Red Velvet, a benefit at Flour in Ft. Point Channel that will benefit the Brookline food rescue organization, Lovin’ Spoonfuls.

While the benefit is sold out, you can still make some of these red velvet creations in your own kitchen (see recipes below) and you can help some of the efforts we mention on the air.

Recipes:

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About

Associate Producer, Here & Now Most recently, Jessica worked as an associate producer at WBUR's daily local program, Radio Boston. Jessica moved to Boston in 2008 and has lived many places since leaving her native Texas. After graduating from college, Jessica worked as a federal employee, documentary film festival producer, oral historian, university teaching assistant, traveling saleswoman and klezmer musician. Her work and projects have appeared in The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, Bust, Barnard Magazine, National Public Radio, Public Radio International (PRI), and the BBC. Jessica's freelance radio work has received various awards including accolades from the Religion Newswriters Association and the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. As a Fulbright Scholar in El Salvador, Jessica collected and studied oral histories from the Jewish Community based in San Salvador. Jessica received her B.A. in political science from Columbia University’s Barnard College and her M.A. in history from Indiana University. She learned how to make radio from the phenomenal folks at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Jessica lives in Somerville with her husband, twin son and daughter, and two cats. To learn more about Jessica’s projects, both current and past, please visit www.jessicaalpert.com.

3 thoughts on “PRK On The Air: OMG Red Velvet”

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  3. A Plum By Any Other Name

    I absolutely love that you posted these recipes. I heard about the event, but can’t go; the red velvet fried chicken caught my attention … and who doesn’t love Joanne Chang? Now I can recreate in the comfort of my own home. Thank you!