History of the Toothpick; Moby; Tasting Wine; In-N-Out; Cranberry Harvest

Guest Interview

Market Report ()

Suzanne Griswold is one half of Chicks with Knives.  They are hosting a pop up pickle shop called Perishable on Thursday, December 2 from 7:30-9 pm at 8500 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA.  A recipe for pickled crab apples is here.

Alex of Adam's Olive Ranch has fresh olives for sale at the Santa Monica Farmers Market.  

Guest Interview

Cranberry Harvest ()

Dawn Gates Allen is a third generation cranberry farmer in Cape Cod, MA.  Southeastern Massachusetts has over 14,000 acres of cranberry bogs.  The fruit is harvested in two ways: dry and wet harvest.  Only ten percent of cranberries are dry harvested.  The wet method is better for cranberry products like juice, dried cranberries and sauce.  Fresh berries are dry harvested.

In the wet harvest method, the field is flooded.  Every acre needs about 10 feet of water.  Flooding the cranberry plants is a way of protecting the bogs from winter cold and wind.  It's also done to prevent pests.

Music Break: Last Tango In Turrell by Impala

Guest Interview

Moby Doesn't Eat Meat ()

A songwriter and DJ, Moby has been a vegan for over 20 years.  His new book, which he edited with Minyun Park, is Gristle: From Factory Farms to Food Safety (Thinking Twice About the Meat We Eat).

Music Break: Taxman by Bozo Allegro

Guest Interview

Notes from a Professional Wine Taster ()

Ernie Whalley is a wine, food and travel writer living in Dublin.  His blog isFork n' Cork.  He writes a column for The Sunday Independent and The Evening Herald.  

Ernie currently likes Semillon.  He writes that Semillon "doesn't have the anaemic quality of Pinot Grigio, nor the acid-in-your-face attack of Sauvignon Blanc. It's delicate yet it has loads of flavour - lime, lemon, apple, a hint of white peach." He likes Mount Horrocks Semillon from Clare Valley.

Portugal also excites Ernie for their reds.  He likes Luis Pato's wine, specifically the "Baga" variety.

Music Break: The Brush Off by Dick Schory's Percussion Pops Orchestra

Guest Interview

Movie Theater Etiquette ()

Helena Echlin writes the Table Manners column for Chow.com.  She sometimes brings her own food into movie theaters, but argues that it's important to pay attention to the noise and aromas.  Too much of both can turn off the audience.

Music Break: This Is The Thing by Fink

Guest Interview

Earlez Grille ()

LA Weekly columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold samples the best hot dogs in South Los Angeles at Earlez Grill. He recommends the beef jumbo dog and beef-chili thriller, as well as Earlez banana pudding.

Earlez Grill
3630 Crenshaw Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90016
323-299-2867

All of Jonathan Gold's restaurant suggestions are on the Good Food Restaurant Map.

Music break: Another Peter Gunn by Hirose Kenjiro

Guest Interview

In-N-Out Secrets ()

Stacy Perman is the author of In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules.  

The first In-N-Out Burger was opened in Baldwin Park in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder.  It was the first restaurant to use a two-way speaker box so that customers could order from their cars.  In-N-Out is still run by the Snyder family and they have no plans to take the company public.

The "official" secret (or not-so-secret) menu can be found here.  

This unofficial menu includes Animal Style Fries, a Neopolitan Shake and the Flying Dutchman.

Music Break: Work Song by Alan Randall

Guest Interview

History of the Toothpick ()

Professor Henry Petroski pays homage to the toothpick, one of the oldest, yet simplest tools, in his book, The Toothpick: Technology and Culture. Petroski teaches civil engineering and history at Duke University.

Guest Interview

Glass Shapes and Wine ()

Georg Riedel, who creates glassware that enhances the experience of drinking wine and other fine spirits, stresses the importance of glass shape and decanters. He is a 10th generation producer of the Riedel glass dynasty, which originated in Austria.