Meat + Three

As the incomparable bell hooks wrote in 2016, ‘To truly be free, we must choose beyond simply surviving adversity, we must dare to create lives of sustained optimal wellbeing and joy.’  From creating equitable opportunities in the dairy industry, to telling the quiet parts loudly about kitchen life during American slavery, this week we round off Black History Month and head into Women’s History Month with a love letter to Black women in food who are embodying this ethos. Further Reading:Pre-order your copy of “For the Culture” by Klancy Miller to celebrate the amazing contributions of Black women and femmes to American culinary history and hospitality.Learn more about Leni Sorensen’s culinary research in her full interview on Inside Julia’s Kitchen here. You can find out more about Therese Nelson and Black Culinary History here. Listen to the full Cutting the Curd episode featuring Cheese Culture Coalition here. Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

This week on Meat and Three, we’re breaking out our magnifying glass to explore the smallest corners of the food world. We start with the microbial and scale our way up from there, but only by a bit. From the tiniest of farmers to deceptive industrial practices, we set out to prove that the most interesting of stories can come in the smallest packages. If you’re fascinated by the prospect of cultivating microbes at home, we have just the event for you. On Wednesday, March 8th, Harry and HRN will be hosting “Fermentation Never Sleeps” at Farm to People in Bushwick, Brooklyn. It’s a panel discussion and tasting, and it’s all about inviting microbes into your personal culinary canon by approaching fermentation in a way that works for you. Click here to learn more and reserve your tickets. Further Reading:Subscribe to Fields now to be the first to know when they launch their new season this Spring. (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS). Marti Buckley is a writer based in San Sebastián, Spain. Marti writes e

Pressure is inescapable. Especially in the kitchen. It breaks down our beans, keeps our spritzes spritzy, and extracts our espresso. Pressure can also break down our spirits, and kitchens have a reputation for being exceptionally stressful scenes. This week we’re investigating pressure in a variety of contexts, from ubiquitous appliances to non-indigenous species. Further Reading:Thanks to Armen Hammer for the cold open music. Click here for more.Mallika Rao is a writer based in New York City. You can check out her work here. For more foraging tips visit Meadows and More. Want to become an invasivore? Check out Eat the Invaders for recipes and guidelines.  You  can hear Lalo Angeles on Agave Road Trip here.Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

As the seasons come and go, we bear witness to the growth and decay that happens in the environment around us. And currently in the Northern Hemisphere, the leaves have fallen, and the days are shorter and colder as Winter Solstice approaches. This week on Meat and Three, we’re examining the many processes of decay, from the natural decay within landfills and compost, to the manufactured decay of infrastructure and industry.Further Reading:For more on Scott Kellogg’s work, check out Episode 13 of Fields.  If you would like to hear the full episode behind Matthew Martin’s story, head to Episode 49 of the Big Food Question. Learn more about The Oakland Institute's research on Episode 361 of What Doesn’t Kill You. Find the unabridged conversation between Jenna Liut and Ev Crunden in Episode 157 of Eating Matters.Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

While the 2022 World Cup is in full swing, we at Meat and Three are taking on the challenge of investigating the relationship between food and sports. From the missing drink that’s dominating world cup discourse to the one available in plenty at Wimbledon, learn about the foods we associate with sports and how they affect our personal and national identities. Then, take a trip to the cooking competitions of the medieval Arab World and learn about how sailors prepare their kitchens for competitions that last days and even weeks. Further Reading:To learn more about the construction of this year’s World Cup, read Pete Pattisson’s work. Explore Tony Collins’ historical work on sports and society and Sarah Gee’s work "Sport, Alcohol and Social Inquiry: A Global Cocktail."Check out Nawal Nasrallah’s cookbook, "Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and History of the Iraqi Cuisine."Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by S

In this bonus episode, Matt speaks with April Jones and Darin Bresnitz about the newest HRN series, The Culinary Call Sheet. They discuss how they both entered the world of food & television, shout-out mentors who inspired them, and talk about the current state of the culinary media industry. Then we present the first half of their episode with Clifford Endo of Vice Media. Want to hear the rest of this episode, and more? Subscribe now to get the episodes as they launch! (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS).About the Series:Whether you want to be in front of the camera, behind the camera, or just entertained- each episode of The Culinary Call Sheet lifts the apron to reveal the adventurous and often unexpected secrets to how the sausage (aka a food show) gets made. In conversation with a variety of epicurean icons, culinary production veterans, April Jones and Darin Bresnitz, give an insider's view into personal stories from the field and provide an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into some of the

From the challenges of cooking with minimal dorm appliances to the nostalgia for a home-cooked meal, this week’s Meat and Three takes us to the college campus dining hall. We will learn how to make a delicious meal out of one’s favorite mug and microwave and the lengths one will go to for a beloved family meal. We will also explore the difficulty of finding culturally relevant food on campus, as well as the often unspoken reality of food insecurity for students and one man’s mission to end hunger around the world. Further Reading:You can hear all about the College of the Ozarks’ Experiential Culinary Education program on Episode 35 of Eat Your Heartland Out.Learn more about Dr. Amy Bentley’s research here. Listen to Joelle’s full appearance on My Family Recipe and read her original essay on Food 52. For more of Candace Davison’s dorm cooking expertise, check out The Easy College Cookbook and The Collegiate Cook. Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

What’s an age-old tradition used to enhance and flavor food? The condiment. Across the world condiments are added into and on top of dishes as a purveyor of a specific flavor. In the United States, ketchup and mustard are refrigerator essentials, while many Koreans have an entire fridge to ferment kimchi. While condiments are characteristically a side dish to the main show, this week we’re putting them in the spotlight. From hot sauce to pasta sauce, learn about the importance and variety of classic flavor enhancers. Plus, hear more about a climate-change induced condiment shortage and the craze of a cult classic sauce brought to life. Further Reading:Follow Claire’s daily condiment adventures on Tiktok.Read Lindsey’s work from Paris here.Check out the many dijon mustards Eric creates with Brassica Mustard.  Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

From hush-hush recipes that are fiercely protected, to untold bits of family history, this week’s Meat and Three uncovers some of the closely guarded secrets that encompass the food we eat, drink, and cook. We will consider what makes a recipe confidential and the lengths that businesses go to legally protect their trade secrets. We will also explore how food can be a powerful vehicle for secrets across time and borders. Finally, experts in the food industry will reveal some of their top-secret kitchen tricks that may transform your own cooking. Further Reading:There’s no confirmation that driving backwards through the drive thru will get you a free shake, but according to In-N-Out, many of their off-menu items are an open secret.Learn more about the work that attorney Jason Foscolo does at the Food Law Firm here.Lauren Handel is an attorney at Handel Food Law Firm. You can check out their work here. Additional music in Aviva Futornick’s story by Gregor Quendel.Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Me

In need of an end of summer refresh? Us too. Join us as we dive into the cool waters of history, which we’ve spiked with rum for the occasion. We’ll explore the surprising chronicle of the Mojito through the past lives of its ingredients and their vital mixture. Cheers!Further Reading:Discover Rob’s comprehensive guide to rum at Rob’s Rum Guide.Learn about Tristan Donovan’s work on Fizz and more here. Find Ian Williams’s book, Rum: A Social and Sociable History of the Real Spirit of 1776 here.For more cocktail content check out Greg Benson on Back Bar or The Speakeasy.Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

Explore sustainability below the surface! While seafood production and consumption continue to increase, the ocean’s finite supply is vulnerable to overfishing and environmental degradation. We look at what it means to sustainably farm, manage and capture seafood. We’ll examine the environmental benefits of the leafy greens living in the ocean and learn how Indigenous people have historically managed oyster fisheries. Plus, we meet a company redesigning the lobster trap to protect surrounding sea life and get to know activists protecting their local ecosystems from industrial expansion. Further Reading:Check out Daybreak Seaweed’s products and mission here.Learn more about the long history of sustainable oyster fisheries by reading the Nature article published by Dr. Reeder Meyer and her colleagues.Read about the lobster trapping/right whale controversy through this article by Sara Besky: Lobsters, Whales, and Traps: The Politics of Endangerment in the Gulf of MaineLearn more about Crystal Canney’s work at Pr

Coming clean. Opening up. Seeing right through. Today, we’re talking all things transparent in the food world. From restaurateurs shaking things up with radical financial disclosure, to an enchanting clear dessert, our stories today explore the many meanings of transparency. What can we learn when we’ve got nothing to hide?Further Reading and Listening:You can learn more about Irene Li’s latest venture, Prepshift, which aims to improve transparency around restaurant hiring, training, and regulatory compliance here! You can also find more information there about bringing open book management to restaurants. And there’s always Mei Mei Dumplings.Listen to What Doesn’t Kill You episode 194: What Is Really In That Packaging? Mike Schade Reviews the State of Food Packaging and How It Affects Our Health and the Environment.Find out how your favorite retailers rank on the toxic chemical Report Card on the Safer Chemicals Happy Families Website. To learn more about raindrop cakes and their history here  or here …or  h

Have you ever walked down a street in New York City and been in awe of the diversity of flavors, tastes, and smells you have encountered? Have you then been compelled to explore the roots of the feasts and the people that cook them? This week on Meat and Three, we celebrate the lives and feats of the immigrants who have and continue to enrich the culinary landscape of the concrete jungle. We look at the legacy of immigrants from the Arabic-speaking world, eat some Filipino fast food with a side of nostalgia, and meet the makers behind Mexican food trucks in The Bronx. Plus, we take a hard look at the access issues that affect some of our city’s newest residents.Further Reading:You can learn more about Dr. Matthew J. Stiffler’s work on Arab and Muslim American studies here. Read A Mexican State of Mind: New York City and the New Borderlands of Culture by Dr. Melissa Castillo-Planas.See how Jollibee and Filipino-ness are intertwined through this brief history of the brand Get involved with Mixteca here, and lea

Delve into the wider worlds of seed preservation, Indigenous seed rights, and farmer-managed seed systems. Whether you’re a professional farmer, avid gardener or your relationship with seeds simply involves snacking on them - we’ll introduce you to chefs, activists, and plant scientists who are changing the ways seeds are saved and shared. We’ll pay a visit to urban farms, seed banks, and kitchens to shed light on the cultural, environmental, culinary significance of these small but mighty pods, that carry with them millennia of history as well as hope for the future. Further Reading:Learn more about the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa and their work on resilient seed systems here.Visit the Zambia Alliance for Agroecology’s website and the Seed and Knowledge Initiative’s page to read about their efforts to protect small farmers in southern Africa.Learn more about chef Sean Sherman and the Sioux chef here, Dream of Wild Health here and the Seed Savers Exchange here. Support Owamni and donate to NATIFS

Frankfurter, wiener, glizzy, hot dog - whatever you call it - the food is a global staple and has become an American icon. It’s time to celebrate National Hot Dog Month on Meat and Three! While the tubed food is pervasive throughout the rest of the world, it is a multi-billion dollar industry in America. Whether hot dogs are kosher or vegan, hailing from Coney Island or Chicago, we’ll take a look at their history and how they are made and consumed today. Travel back all the way to the stone age, get an education from Hot Dog University, and even take a trip to a hot dog factory floor!Further Reading:Bruce Kraig is an emeritus professor of history at Roosevelt University in Chicago and the author of two books on hot dog history: Hot Dog: A Global History, and Man Bites Dog: Hot Dog Culture in America.Read Frederick Kaufman’s book, A Short History of the American Stomach and his wonderful articles: The Secret Ingredient about kosher food and Fat of the Land about hot dogs. John Carruthers is a journalist, cook,

What can a nascent fruit tree tell us about camaraderie? How can increasing investments alert us to the challenges of capitalism? Meat and Three explores what HRN’s shows are saying about growth. We’ll nurture curiosity in the garden, weigh the pros and cons of the fake meat industry, and consider the role of restaurants in gentrifying neighborhoods. Further Reading and Listening:Learn more about starting your garden journey on Feast Yr Ears episode 202: Garden Now!Enjoy our episode about peaches on our podcast for kids: Time for Lunch episode 7: Peaches!Dive deeper into ideas about combating gentrification through intentional hospitality on Tech Bites episode 250: Put the Giving Into Thanksgiving With the Neighborhood’s Table. Find The Neighborhood’s Table Community Survey Results here.Listen to the full episode of Tech Bites episode 248: The Age of Unprecedented Investment in Food Tech with Rachel Konrad to hear more on investment in food tech. You can read more of Alicia Kennedy’s writing on her blog, “Fro

Exclusivity and inclusion can greatly influence our relationships with food, and even create fanatic communities around certain food brands. But we’ve been wondering, what’s the line between what’s trendy and cult-y? We take a hard look at that question and how it plays out in our consumption today. Plus we discover some surprising connections between familiar food brands and fringe religious groups and far-fetched beliefs about health, wellness, and nutrition. Further Reading and Listening:Interested in learning more about the Rancho Gordo Bean Club? Check out their website.Carlnita Greene, Tina Sikka and Leighann Chaffee all contributed chapters to Food Cults: How Fads, Dogma, and Doctrine Influence Diets (2016), a book edited by Dr. Kima Cargill, a professor of psychology at University of Washington whose research focuses on nutrition and overeating.Learn more about the psychology of eating from Chaffee’s most recent book, co-authored with Stephanie p. da Silva and released in January 2022.And, read more f

For the past two years, the news has been stark and at times, downright terrifying. War, disease, supply shortages – but these matters do not exist in a vacuum. These global concerns have trickle-down effects on industries across the board, including the food world. From food recalls to fast food worker strikes to global shortages, we look to shows across our network to uncover the history, legislation, and key issues behind headline news and how it relates to what we eat. Further Reading and Listening: Learn more about the founding of the FDA on A Taste of the Past episode 346: Poison Squad: Founding of the FDA and about the FDA’s present short-comings on What Doesn’t Kill You: episode: 364: Explosive Report on How the FDA is Failing Our Food System. You can read Deborah Blum’s book Poison Squad here or watch the film about it here.Dig deeper into the history of, and current controversies surrounding OSHA on What Doesn’t Kill You Episode 316: Where is OSHA in meatpacking?Listen to the full episode of What Do

We’ll introduce you to incredible organizations combatting hunger and homelessness in the LGBTQ+ community and take stock of queer culinary spaces that are safe, joyful, and liberating. Join us for an episode all about Pride as we dig into the rich intersection between food, drink, and the LGBTQ community.Further Reading:Learn more about the work that the Brave Space Alliance does here. To learn more about the Los Angeles LGBT Center Culinary Program and find out how you might enroll in it, visit this website, visit the Liberation Coffee House and their Anita May Rosenstein campus or contact them here.For more on Ginger’s check out their instagram page. For more information on the work being done by the Lesbian Bar Project to document and support lesbian bars across the country, click here. HAGS will be opening on July 20th! Keep an eye on their website to get your reservation and follow their restaurant’s journey on Instagram. Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionet

Laugh out loud as we explore the world of comedy through food. We discuss what makes food fights funny, jump on the imposter cakes bandwagon, and devour some truly absurd meals before sitting down at the dinner table for hilarious punchlines.Further Reading and Listening:Hear more jokes on Time For Lunch.Dr. Robert King is a film historian and professor of media at Columbia University. To learn more about his work, go here. The Netflix series, Is It Cake? will blow your mind. Here is also the kettle imposter cake that HRN’s intern Kiara Thomas was so shocked by. Giselle also mentions the #everythingiscake on TikTok, go down that rabbit hole - you won’t be disappointed.Dennis Lee is a staff writer at the take out. Check out his writing here. And explore his blog “Food is Stupid” here. To listen to the full episode featuring Katie Workman on My Family Recipe, go here. Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.