Search Results

Why We Cook - Episode 56 - The Fabulous Niblets
First Aired - 08/31/2010 06:30PM

This week on Why We Cook Erica celebrates the last moments of summer with that sweet yellow star of the summer harvets: corn. Learn about the surprisingly racy names for the myriad types of corn and why the husk is a handy package to be removed at your peril. Tune in for a sneak peek at Erica's upcoming NPR appearance, plus a terrifying description of one of the worst, most starch-laden meals Chef Erica has ever been served by a student. This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

Photo: Sweet Corn

Whole Episode:
You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Sponsored by Wfm
Hosted By Erica-correct

Segments:

Why We Cook Introduction: The Last Week of Summer (10:49)

You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Tags:
Erica Wides, Heritage Radio Network, Why We Cook, Whole Foods Market, www.wholefoodsmarket.com, it's the last week of summer, Fire Island, it stays hot in NYC well into September, Erica was a guest on All Things Considered on NPR!, the show will air Friday, last chance foods, peaches, peppers, Summer Sweetcorn Sendoff Spectacular!, the corn has been great this year, blanche it, throw it on the grill for a few minutes, Mexican grilled corn, sweet corn is an iconic summer food, it's only good when it's really good, sugar and butter corn,

All About Corn (9:17)

You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Tags:
varieties of sweet corn, America is a corn fed nation, Food Inc, King Corn, Fast Food Nation, Michael Pollan, field corn is what animals get fed and what is used for industrial foods, it's a natural mutation, field corn was eaten by the Iroquois, sweet corn is better, picked when its fresh and soft, the milk stage, store it in a perforated plastic bag, use it within a day or two of cooking, don't husk it until you're ready to use it, the husk protects it, sweet corn is better for you when its cooked, it contains ferulic acid, high antioxidant,

The Second Worst Plate Ever (9:59)

You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Tags:
search for the Worst Plate Ever episode on iTunes!, Erica has just encountered her second worst plate ever, practical exam hall of fame, organic chicken, difference between breast and thigh meat, here's the plate:, toasted banquette, 1/4 thick layer of polenta as a spread, the polenta wasn't really cooked, mixed with liquid and cooked briefly, it was the consistency of wet cement that hadn't set yet, on top of that was a patty made of diced up chicken breast mixed up with ground up bread and eggs, the leg was sort of barbecued, cauliflower was boiled and on the plate, corn starch thickened sauce,

To comment on this episode click here. There are currently Comments

Why We Cook - Episode 55 - Know Your Fruit
First Aired - 08/24/2010 06:30PM

This week on Why We Cook its Back to School week! Join Chef Erica for a quiz on all things fruit. Learn how to find the best watermelons, the difference between ripening and maturing, and what the single most sold item at Wal-Mart is. Tune in for this extremely helpful fruit-picking-primer. This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods.

Photo: How did you do on the quiz?

Whole Episode:
You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Sponsored by Wfm
Hosted By Erica-correct

Segments:

Why We Cook Introduction: Quiz Time! (10:51)

You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Tags:
Why We Wook, Erica Wides, Heritage Radio Network, Whole Foods Market, www.wholefoodsmarket.com, LA Story, back to school season, Why We Cook quiz!, do peaches continue to ripen after they are picked?, how do you define ripeness?, Erica says yes they do continue to ripen, a peach farmer says no, they just get softer, California Tree Fruit Agreement, maturity happens on the tree and ripening happens off the tree, perceived sweetness changes as acid levels drop,

Know Your Fruits (10:26)

You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Tags:
melons, which melon is the only type that continues to ripen off the vine?, cantaloupe and musk melon family, background color should be yellow not green, when melons are ripe they detach themselves from their vines, smell your fruit!, shopping by smell, fruit is a game of chance and randomness, taste before you commit, melons should feel heavy, what does wall mart sell more of than anything else?, bananas!,

Closing Questions (8:02)

You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Tags:
back to school week, which classic American fragrant flower is the first cousin of many of our favorite fruits, the rose, roses produce a fruit, the rose hip, there were many rose bushes planted along the West Side Highway, vitamin C often comes from rose hips, pectin makes fruit thicken, it's watermelon season now, it should be heavy for its size, it should feel substantial, it should not sound hollow, you're looking for a resounding thud, it should have a yellowy whitish brown patch, the longer it ripened the bigger it would be, watermelon starts to taste better after a few days in the refrigerator, it seems to get sweeter, what's the most commonly eaten in the whole world, mangos!,

To comment on this episode click here. There are currently Comments

Why We Cook - Episode 54 - Fig Out
First Aired - 08/17/2010 06:30PM

This week on Why We Cook Erica goes on a quest for local peaches that do not suck, and ponders the morality and practicality of returning fruit from the store whence it came. This week is also a look at figs, and the figs' delicious step-sister, apricots. Tune in to get a firm grasp on the last few weeks of summer and the juicy ripe fruit therein. This episode was sponsored by Edwards of Surry Virginia.

Photo 1: "showing the fig", Photo 2: a good(?) apricot

Whole Episode:
You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Sponsored by Edw116_150x150_042910sm
Hosted By Erica-correct

Segments:

Why We Cook Introduction: Sucky Local Peaches (10:54)

You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Tags:
Why We Cook, Erica Wides, Heritage Radio Network, Edwards Ham, www.surryfarms.com, picking out the best fruit, fruit has such a huge risk attached to it!, who takes fruit back?, Kramer on Seinfeld, we should all start returning our fruit, fruit revolution, nectarines, A&P, local peaches, local doesn't always mean good, we need a fruit money back guarantee!, the last half of August is full of good fruit, Erica will be a guest on NPR's All Things Considered on August 26th, Last Chance Foods,

The Eternal Quest For Apricot Nirvana (9:43)

You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Tags:
apricot nirvana, the apricot is often sucky, Santa Monica Farmers Market, fruit nirvana, don't believe the free samples they give you, seasonality, where are the exceptional apricots?, share your ideas with Erica, leave comments or find her on facebook, the iconic fig, ancient fruit of the Greeks and Romans, first clothing source for humans, Erica recently had a transformative fig experience,

All About Figs (10:38)

You must enable JavaScript and install the Flash plugin to view this player
Tags:
ham & figs, deep dark crimson interior of a fig, wine-like flavor, Italian fig tree traditions, Erica has always had fig tree envy of old Italian guys, figs are for adventurous fruit eaters, Wall Mart sells more bananas than any other item in the store, figs are not purely vegetarian fruits, they are slightly carnivorous, smyrna fig, mission fig, figs aren't really a true fruit, fig wasps, pollination cycle of the fig, figs have been seen as a metaphor for femininity, showing the fig, offensive gesture,

To comment on this episode click here. There are currently Comments