Sunday, February 12, 2017

NPR News: Galentine's Day: Celebrating Women, Waffles, And, OK, More Waffles

Galentine's Day: Celebrating Women, Waffles, And, OK, More Waffles
Monday's the day to celebrate the best unofficial holiday made just for women: Galentine's Day. And for that, we thank our lady of Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope.

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NPR News: Cheap Eats, Cheap Labor: The Hidden Human Costs Of Those Lists

Cheap Eats, Cheap Labor: The Hidden Human Costs Of Those Lists
Those all-too-common lists of cheap places to eat are part of a broader restaurant culture that devalues immigrant labor and ignores the consequences, says commentator and restaurateur Diep Tran.

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Saturday, February 11, 2017

NPR News: Saving The Planet, One Burger At A Time: This Juicy Patty Is Meat-Free

Saving The Planet, One Burger At A Time: This Juicy Patty Is Meat-Free
Pat Brown was a renowned biomedical researcher. But he left that to tackle what he saw as the biggest problem facing Earth: animal agriculture. His solution: a veggie burger so beef-like it bleeds.

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Friday, February 10, 2017

NPR News: Frederick Douglass On How Slave Owners Used Food As A Weapon Of Control

Frederick Douglass On How Slave Owners Used Food As A Weapon Of Control
Hunger was Douglass' constant companion as a boy. As a young man, he escaped slavery and became a heroic abolitionist who revealed how food was a key tool in the immoral mechanics of slavery.

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NPR News: 1,000 Years Ago, Corn Made This Society Big. Then, A Changing Climate Destroyed Them

1,000 Years Ago, Corn Made This Society Big. Then, A Changing Climate Destroyed Them
The Mississippian American Indian culture rose to power after 900 A.D. by farming corn. Now, new evidence suggests a dramatic change in climate might have led to the culture's collapse in the 1300s.

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Thursday, February 9, 2017

NPR News: A Forgotten Group Of Grains Might Help Indian Farmers – And Improve Diets, Too

A Forgotten Group Of Grains Might Help Indian Farmers – And Improve Diets, Too
Once a staple in India, millets have fallen out of fashion in recent years. Now, faced with water shortages, one Indian state is re-introducing these drought tolerant cereals to people's diets.

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NPR News: In Studying Sick Fish, Scientists Trace History Of Fevers

In Studying Sick Fish, Scientists Trace History Of Fevers
Carp are a major food source, but they've been plagued by viruses. Scientists now say they have a simple solution. And along the way, they hit on an ancient commonality between fish and people.

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NPR News: When Man's Best Friend Is The Worst At Truffle Hunting

When Man's Best Friend Is The Worst At Truffle Hunting
Truffles are a culinary delicacy that sell for big bucks — and some dogs have long been bred specifically to sniff them out. But could any old dog be trained to pick up this lucrative new trick?

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Wednesday, February 8, 2017

NPR News: Amid Travel Ban Debate, Chefs And Food Brands Take a Stand On Immigration

Amid Travel Ban Debate, Chefs And Food Brands Take a Stand On Immigration
From pledges to hire refugees to fundraisers for the ACLU, food businesses large and small are getting vocal about their support for immigrants in the wake of President Trump's new policies.

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NPR News: Ketchup In The Fridge Or The Pantry? It's A Cold War

Ketchup In The Fridge Or The Pantry? It's A Cold War
By refrigerating some of its ketchup, the British grocer ASDA just wanted to "give everyone what they want." Instead, it stoked the flames of a long-simmering argument: where to keep the ketchup.

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NPR News: Don't Call It Wheat: An Environmentally Friendly Grain Takes Root

Don't Call It Wheat: An Environmentally Friendly Grain Takes Root
Researchers have developed a new wheat-like species called Salish Blue that grows back year after year, which not only cuts down on work for farmers, but helps prevent erosion and agricultural waste.

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Tuesday, February 7, 2017

NPR News: It Was The Best Of Fries, It Was The Worst Of Fries: Charles Dickens, Food Scribe

It Was The Best Of Fries, It Was The Worst Of Fries: Charles Dickens, Food Scribe
Charles Dickens, born Feb. 7, 1812, was likely inspired by his own hunger to write some of the finest descriptions of Victorian food and cooking that have ever been recorded in literature.

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NPR News: Scientists Get Down And Dirty With DNA To Track Wild Pigs

Scientists Get Down And Dirty With DNA To Track Wild Pigs
Wild hogs inflict $1.5 billion in damage on U.S. property each year. But biologists can now track the elusive animals via tiny bits of DNA the swine leave behind in puddles and ponds.

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Monday, February 6, 2017

NPR News: This Detroit Pop-Up Dinner Series Protests Trump's Travel Ban One Dish At A Time

This Detroit Pop-Up Dinner Series Protests Trump's Travel Ban One Dish At A Time
Peace Meal Kitchen began as a way to use food to dispel misconceptions about Iran, an oft-misunderstood region. In the wake of new immigration restrictions, its mission has morphed.

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NPR News: Are We Eating Our Fleece Jackets? Microfibers Are Migrating Into Field And Food

Are We Eating Our Fleece Jackets? Microfibers Are Migrating Into Field And Food
Fleece jackets and pullovers have transformed our experience of the outdoors. But the little, tiny synthetic fibers that fleece is made of could also be ending up in our diets.

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Saturday, February 4, 2017

NPR News: Chasing A Dream Built On Dairy, This Emperor Of Milk Came Home

Chasing A Dream Built On Dairy, This Emperor Of Milk Came Home
For one of the biggest and most successful dairymen in America, success was based in part on crossing cultural boundaries. Now, he has returned home to continue building his empire of milk.

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Friday, February 3, 2017

NPR News: Budweiser's Super Bowl Ad About Immigration Reverberates In More Ways Than One

Budweiser's Super Bowl Ad About Immigration Reverberates In More Ways Than One
There's lots of factual errors in Bud's new ad about its founder. But it gets one thing right: the hostility toward new immigrants – an issue that reverberates just as much today as it did back then.

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NPR News: Mayans Have Farmed The Same Way For Millennia. Climate Change Means They Can't

Mayans Have Farmed The Same Way For Millennia. Climate Change Means They Can't
Climate change has brought erratic rainfall and poor harvests to Mexico's Yucatán peninsula, forcing local Mayan farmers to modernize their centuries-old farming practices.

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NPR News: Let This Spirit Moo-ve You: Make Way For The World's First Milk Vodka

Let This Spirit Moo-ve You: Make Way For The World's First Milk Vodka
A dairy farmer in Dorset, England, is distilling the sweet, high-fat milk of cows into a creamy and versatile beverage that is attracting the attention of both consumers and industry experts.

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Thursday, February 2, 2017

NPR News: New York City Bodegas Strike In Protest Of Trump's Travel Ban

New York City Bodegas Strike In Protest Of Trump's Travel Ban
Yemeni-owned shops shut their doors for eight hours across the five boroughs. Organizers say many owners were personally affected by the ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations.

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NPR News: The Long, Slow Trek To Get Americans To Eat Camel Meat

The Long, Slow Trek To Get Americans To Eat Camel Meat
In Somalia, camels are prized for their nutritious milk and meat. In Australia, they're environmental pests. So more Somali-American chefs are offering meat sourced from the Outback on their menus.

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Wednesday, February 1, 2017

NPR News: Why The Arctic Apple Means You May Be Seeing More GMOs At The Store

Why The Arctic Apple Means You May Be Seeing More GMOs At The Store
The fruit is one of the first GMOs to be marketed directly to consumers, not at farmers. It's headed to test markets this month. And it's a sign of how the science of genetic engineering is evolving.

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NPR News: Bunny Chow: South Africa's Sweet-Sounding Dish Has A Not-So-Sweet Past

Bunny Chow: South Africa's Sweet-Sounding Dish Has A Not-So-Sweet Past
The country's street-food staple is a fusion meal that has nothing to do with rabbits, and everything to do with the rise of immigrant Indian workers in the 19th century and the era of apartheid.

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