#ba test kitchen
This might be the end of Gourmet Makes, but it’s not the end of new Claire content for us! Can’t wait to see what all she’s working on!
Well.
The past few days really have been a whirlwind of reckoning for Bon Appétit, and it’s long overdue. What started with Adam Rapoport’s awful photo (one that he apparently felt proud enough of to keep a framed copy of it on his desk) then led to the reveal of Alex Delany’s awful cake (absolutely no excuse for making that cake – South Carolina’s state fruit is the peach, the opportunity is right there) which then led to the resurfacing of Matt Duckor’s awful tweets (those were just bile made out of letters that he felt proud enough of to say out loud).
Now we have Adam doubling-down about his photo in a way that speaks volumes as to how he’s interacted with BIPOC in the past. He finds it impossible to admit wrongdoing without arguing semantics in some sort of desperate grasping-at-straws. His behavior in this email exchange exemplifies why his departure was necessary for things to change at BA.
Now we have Ryan Walker-Hartshorn revealing exactly how awful it was to work as Adam’s assistant. She deserves to be compensated for her work, especially when Adam would ask her to do things well outside her job. She deserves to be able to make her rent. She deserves to be treated with respect.
Now we have Hawa Hassan revealing she was only paid $400 per video. That’s disgusting. Condé Nast could have afforded to pay her ten times that (and they should’ve, at minimum). And since she won’t be coming back, they’ve lost out on her talent forever.
Something’s rotten in the Test Kitchen.
And finally we have Bon Appétit issuing their own statement on things. It sounds nice on paper, but I’ll believe it when I see it. They say they’ve “been complicit in a culture” that they “don’t agree with” – but I reckon they agree with it more than they’d be willing to admit, considering how long things had been allowed to continue (and, let’s be honest, things would still be continuing that way if Sohla hadn’t bravely spoken up).
Do better, Bon Appétit. Do better, Condé Nast.
Y’all have probably seen the news by now that Adam Rapoport is no longer the EIC at BA. Y’all have also probably read Sohla’s unmasking of the unequal treatment of BIPO, especially in regards to being on-camera personalities for BA’s YouTube channel. She took a huge risk by sharing her experiences so candidly. Her bravery is admirable. It pains me that something that brings me so much joy has brought so much pain for the people involved in making it.
We need to support Sohla. We need to support Priya, Andy, Rick, Christina, and Gaby. We need to support Joseph Hernandez and Alex Lau. We need to listen to them.
Adam resigning is a good first step, but it can’t be the last step. There’s no excuse for the failings of BA. Talented chefs like Sohla and Priya deserve to be paid in accordance to their skill and experience. BIPOC members of staff, not just the chefs, deserve to feel supported and heard and compensated properly. There needs to be diversity in the magazine with their recipes and restaurant reviews and diversity in front of the cameras for their channel. Personally, I’d love to see Sohla have her own show where she does more things like the dessert cabonara.
When you love something, you want it to be the best it can be. I love Bon Appétit’s videos, and I really want the magazine behind them to be better. I think it can be if they listen to their staff and make genuine changes.
Black Lives Matter.
In the wake of everything happening this past week, it hasn’t felt right to get on here and post photos of Claire like everything is fine when everything is not fine. There needs to be justice for George Floyd. There needs to be justice for Breonna Taylor. We need to rebuild our societal structures from the ground up to root out the systemic racism that permeates them. We need to direct funding to education and mental health rather than arming police. When BIPOC speak about the harsh realities they face, we need to listen to them and support them and work towards equality. We need to commit to be better. We need to commit to change.
In keeping with this blog’s theme, if y’all are interested in supporting the organizations that members of the Test Kitchen are donating to, here’s a list:
Sohla, Andy, Brad, Rick, and Delany:NAACP – donate here
Delany:Philadelphia Black Giving Circle – donate here
Claire:Brooklyn Community Bail Fund – donate here
Chris and Gaby:ACLU – donate here
Priya and Amiel:Campaign Zero – donate here
Priya:The Bail Project – donate here
Molly:NAMI’s Black/African American focus – donate here
Christina:Make the Road New York – donate here
I know things are rough for a lot of folks financially, so if y’all aren’t able to monetarily support, then please pass this post around! Donations keep organizations like these, and so many others, able to do their good work. In these times, that work is especially vital.
Update! Brooklyn Community Bail Fund is no longer taking donations and is asking people to donate to other resources. Check out this list of bail funds to donate to, organized by location.
