The Monday Media Diet with Abena Anim-Somuah

On Monocle's Globalist, Produce Parties, and Corner app

Abena Anim-Somuah is a James Beard Award–winning writer and writes the Substack, Your Friend in Food. Have a great week. -CJN

Tell us about yourself.

I’m Abena Anim-Somuah—your friend in food! I grew up on three continents before I turned 18, so I proudly consider myself a third-culture kid. I’ve always been fascinated by how food brings people together and helps us make sense of different cultures.

I’m a James Beard Award–winning writer and cultural commentator. By day, I work at Daly, a communications firm that supports brands rooted in culture and community. In the past, I’ve hosted a podcast highlighting emerging women in food, started a company that connected people over meals, and written for places like Vogue Mexico and Synonym Magazine. I also share stories and conversations on my Substack, Your Friend in Food.

Describe your media diet.

To put it into food terms, 80% well-balanced meals (beautifully written and culturally relevant material, 20% junk food that leaves you with just a little sugar high. I’m trying to get that IG screen time down so I’ve been carving out time for Pinterest joyscrolling, where I put together mood boards based on inspiration, style, and vibe. A few of my boards are of third spaces that I love, people drinking Guinness, and a bunch of memes describing the “vibe I’d bring to the function.”

A typical morning starts with the podcast trifecta of NPR’s Up First, The New York Times’ The Daily, and then The Monocle Globalist or The Monocle Daily. I’ll probably scroll Instagram too while these hum in the background. Then, depending on what work I have going on that day, I will have a few podcasts on. I’m subscribed to a lot of them, but the ones I find myself gravitating towards are:

• This is TASTE

• Bloomberg’s Odd Lots

• Cannonball with Wesley Morris

• New Yorker’s Critics at Large

• Tennis IQ Podcast

• Good Hang with Amy Poehler

• Harvard Business Review’s Cold Call.

For the news and other cultural bits and bops, I scroll through The New York Times, Globe and Mail, FT, or WSJ mobile apps to see what’s up and maybe read something engaging. When I want something less high-brow, I go to Reddit! I also love the Substack app, I’m subscribed to over 200 (eep!) of them, so love to dive into those as well. A few folks who are delivering bangers (including this one) are:

• Ochuko Akpovobovbo’s As Seen On

• Daly’s Cherry on Top

• Katie Stone’s Plant Based

• Alexis Benevinste’s Extra Credit

• Rose Anderson’s The Rose Period

• Jalil Johnson’s Consider Yourself Cultured

I’m also a big proponent of print and I’m so happy with the love the medium is getting. I always look forward to my monthly Monocle magazine and have been loving community-produced zines like Synonym and Produce Parties. I also love to give time to Substacks and can spend hours catching up on my inbox or scrolling through notes to find a fun read.

As much as I love reading and listening, I also love television!! I think it’s because I didn’t get to watch a lot as a kid, so maybe as an adult I’m catching up. Sunday HBO shows are my safe space. (Where are my fellow The Gilded Age homies at?) I also love a YouTube rabbit hole or catching up on tennis highlights during the peak of the season.

What’s the last great book you read?

I Regret Everything by Keith McNally. I was already a fan of the restaurants, but I was so engrossed in the book and came away just gaining a lot of respect and admiration for the iconic Brit restaurateur. He’s brutally honest, devastatingly hilarious, and an exceptional writer, and I love how he is able to reflect on his life and admit his wrongdoings, which is an act of bravery for a privileged white man. Also, I think he’s going to show editors that we need the restaurant world, not need to publish more cookbooks, but rather more food memoirs.

What are you reading now?

Maybe it’s my undiagnosed ADD, maybe it’s just the different moods that I’m in, but I’m currently reading three books. I’m working on a roundup of non-cookbook food books that everyone should pick up, so I’ve been reading Tart, the debut memoir of Slutty Chef, the London-based anonymous IG cook. One of the best parts of the gig is getting sneak peeks of books before they drop!

Trying to read more fiction, I’m making my way through Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s newest novel, Dream Point, which is intense and vulnerable, and I can’t help but well up with tears as I move through the vignettes.

I love having a tome on tape, so I’m listening to Robert Caro’s The Power Broker via audiobook. I’ve been taking my time, and I’m proud to say I’m about 84% done, to be exact. Looking forward to casually dropping references on Robert Moses’ flaws and questionable triumphs in building the city’s infrastructure at future dinner parties and park shenanigans.

What’s your reading strategy when you pick up a print copy of your favorite publication?

Save it for a weekend morning, make a lovely breakfast with a big cuppa of tea, plop down in a chair, soak it in, and probably take notes on the people or fun things in there.

Who should everyone be reading that they’re not?

Anu Alturu of Working Theorys. Her work reminds me of that smart friend in college who you would have late-night chats with about the meaning of life and finding thrulines across different facets of culture. Her essays are brilliant, beautifully written, and they encourage you to reflect and ponder on the reality of your life and what could change. Two standouts are her pieces on making something heavy and encore anxiety.

What is the best non-famous app you love on your phone?

Okay, I want this app to be stupid famous, but it’s Corner! My friend Eliza started it, and it’s a really fun way to keep track of the places you’ve been and the places you want to go. It’s more dynamic than Google Maps, and I love the social element because you’re relying on recommendations from real people. I feel like the second I leave an establishment, I have to tap in and log my experience.

Plane or train?

Both. My family is spread across three continents, so I’m no stranger to hopping on a long-haul flight for some quality fam time. But I’m obsessed with transportation systems, so whenever I’m in a place with serious train infrastructure, trust that I will be in a window seat, admiring the rolling countryside and small towns that whiz by.

What is one place everyone should visit?

Hondaribbia, Spain. It’s a charming border town in the Basque Country. Two summers ago, I did a road trip from Paris to Madrid, and most of the French leg was done via train. When we got to the last French station in Hendaye, my travelling companion and I had to negotiate with a taxi driver to drive us to the Spanish border, and Hondarribia was the first town.

These are fun third spaces in the Basque Country

The afternoon I spent there is one I think of fondly and often. We had lunch at this seafood spot that was housed in the old fishermen's guild building from the 1600s. We got there right when lunch service was closing up, but the sweet waitress took pity on us and basically brought out all their greatest hits.

We then stopped by the tourist center (which I highly recommend doing anytime you visit a new place), and another lovely soul recommended this mini-train tour, which took us through the rolling hills and gave us breathtaking views of the beaches. It’s also a chill introductory point into authentic Basque culture before you get into the bustle of San Sebastian.

Tell us the story of a rabbit hole you fell deep into.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been obsessed with the Gilded Age. Julian Fellowes is bringing us into the world of one of America’s pivotal eras. There are robber barons, intersectional suffragettes, dollar princesses, and rags-to-riches success stories. This has inspired me to go deep on three social facets I’m particularly curious about: the fashion, the gastronomy, and the third spaces that served as a breeding ground for socializing. It’s fascinating to see which elements of that are still around today and especially living in New York City. I want to go on a tour to spot these places or admire artefacts from that era. (AAS)