food

Arts

A Taste Of The Future Of Food

7:43am August 11, 2013

This week, the first lab-grown meat was cooked and eaten. The scientific experiment cost more than $300,000 — a bit more than a Big Mac. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with food futurologist Morgaine Gaye about what food of the future may be.

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A pen at a feedlot in central Kansas that houses 30,000 cattle. Feedlots are where cattle are "finished" before slaughter, often with the use of growth-promoting drugs like zilpaterol.

National

Did Tyson Ban Doping Cows With Zilmax To Boost Foreign Sales?

6:36pm August 09, 2013

by Peggy Lowe

Tyson Foods said it will stop using the controversial drug, which fattens cattle, because of potential animal welfare issues. But many in the beef industry say the company is just interested in boosting exports to countries like China and the European Union, where growth-promoting drugs for meat production are banned.

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Donta Jackson's snack of choice is a bag of Skittles.

Health & Safety

Do Parents Really Know What Their Kids Are Eating?

4:09pm August 08, 2013

by Chantell Williams

Most parents think that their kids eat healthfully. But in reality, they may not know much about their kids' eating habits, especially as their children get older. Many kids don't talk to their parents about what they eat, and sneak unhealthy snacks after school.

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Ted Andrews, CEO of HerbCo International, says the H-2A agricultural guest worker program needs improvements.

After Immigration Bust, Herb Grower Tries A New Path

10:58pm August 07, 2013

by Liz Jones

One of the nation's largest herb producers once relied heavily on undocumented labor, but has learned some hard lessons since an immigration crackdown. He says transitioning to a legal workforce was well worth it, but that navigating a cumbersome foreign worker program has been challenging.

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Fox Ranch, outside Yuma County, Colo., is a 14,000-acre nature preserve and working commercial cattle ranch. The ranch is used by the Nature Conservancy to put into practice its panned grazing technique.

Environment

Ecologists Turn To Planned Grazing To Revive Grassland Soil

4:24pm August 07, 2013

by Luke Runyon

The world's soil is in trouble. Ecologists say without dramatic changes to how we manage land, vast swathes of grassland are at risk of turning into hard-packed desert. To make sure that doesn't happen, researchers are testing out innovative ways to keep moisture in the soil.

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People following a 5-2 diet would eat lean protein and non-starchy vegetables two days a week.

Two-Day Diets: How Mini Fasts Can Help Maximize Weight Loss

9:34am August 07, 2013

by Allison Aubrey

The idea of intermittent mini-fasting seems to be gaining traction. The appeal: Dieters have to restrict calories for only two days a week. Research suggests this approach is more effective than trying to cut back on calories 24/7.

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Study: Sleep Deprivation Leads To Poor Food Choices

6:58am August 07, 2013

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found the part of the brain that enables good decisions gets hazy after an all-nighter. The part that craves rewards is revved up for more.

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Mike Odette, chef and co-owner of Sycamore Restaurant, finds beets and turnips that will make tasty refrigerator pickles at the Columbia, Mo., farmers market.

Arts

Pickling Up Your Next Summer Picnic

5:55pm August 03, 2013

by Abbie Fentress Swanson

Heat is no friend to mayonnaise. The perfect way to preserve produce for hot summer picnics is by pickling — not just cucumbers, but cherries, green tomatoes, okra, kohlrabi — all kinds of seasonal produce.

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The Martha's Vineyard beach where Heidi Feldman collects saltwater to make sea salt.

National

Massachusetts Revives The Lost Art Of Making Sea Salt

11:08am August 02, 2013

by Katherine Perry

Farmers are mining the sea for salt on the same shore where the salt industry boomed 170 years ago. Fans of local food are buying up the favorite condiment collected close to home.

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Zwetschgendatschi is the Bavarian word for plum cake. The dessert uses Damson plums, which are only in season for a few weeks each year.

Arts

Zwetschgendatschi, A Mouthful That Captures The Perfect Plum

5:48pm August 01, 2013

by NPR Staff

Bavarian plum cake reminds Gesine Bullock-Prado of her mother and childhood split between Germany and the U.S. The dessert uses Damson plums, which are only in season for a short time each summer.

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