As separate as the origin of the word actually is from America’s racist past, Elizabeth Wellington argued in The Philadelphia Inquirer that it is worth keeping in mind the association between the two. We don’t necessarily have to stop saying picnic, but the history of the association shouldn’t be passed over either. Letting just anyone show you how to cook can be a recipe for a mediocre meal. With the rising popularity of YouTube cooking channels, it pays to be choosy—so allow us.
While a mysterious Japanese chef cooks a variety of popular Japanese dishes (smooth silken tofu, steamed buns, summer somen noodles), a Yoda-like gray poodle named Francis sits calmly next to her and “narrates” the recipes in English for an oddly soothing and wonderfully weird experience. And though poor Francis was, unfortunately, part of the string of celebrity deaths that cursed 2016, his memory lives on in the form of a framed picture his devoted owner keeps propped up on the kitchen counter.
