The Psychology and Joy of Eating
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When Americans sit down to Thanksgiving feasts, many of us eat until we're long past the point of full. Why do we eat what we eat? How do we stop eating too much and start enjoying more of the foods that are good for us? And how do the joys of cooking and sharing meals shape our memories and sense of family? On Reporter's Notebook, what did the Pilgrims really wear? Did they eat anything on Thanksgiving Day?
Banner image: Cakes decorated with a turkey are set out for desert during Thanksgiving diner. Photo: Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Iamges
Making News
No Holiday Cheer for Unemployed at Thanksgiving ()
The Federal Reserve has predicted that unemployment will still be at 8% in 2012, and this Christmas could be especially tough for some two million people if the Congress fails to meet a deadline next Tuesday. It’s the last day to extend jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed. David Lightman reports from Washington for the McClatchy Newspapers.
Guests:
- David Lightman: National Correspondent, McClatchy Newspapers, @LightmanDavid
Main Topic
The Perils and Pleasures of Eating ()
Thanksgiving is America's day to eat and talk about food: why we eat what we eat, why we eat so many bad things and how we can learn to enjoy more of the good things. Food preparation is not rocket science, it's brain science. We learn how food companies mix salt, sugar and fat to make combinations you just can't resist. We also hear how government subsidies favor processed food and how you can get in on what constitutes a promising food revolution. Finally, we talk about the joy of eating and how food shapes our memories of people and places, of childhood and family.
Guests:
- David Kessler: Former Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, @DavidAKesslerMD
- Marion Nestle: Professor of Food Studies, New York University, @marionnestle
- Deborah Madison: Food writer and advocate of eating local food
- Scott Peacock: Cookbook author and chef
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Reporter's Notebook
Don't Know Much about Thanksgiving? ()
Popular legend says all the passengers on the Mayflower were pilgrims who always wore black clothes with silver buckles and who celebrated the first Thanksgiving on American shores. Kenneth C. Davis, author of Don't Know Much about History and America's Hidden History, joins us for our Thanksgiving reality check.
Guests:
- Kenneth Davis: author, 'Don't Know Much about History' series
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