Is it safe to eat horse meat? HRN's Sari Kamin is here to set the record straight with Vickery Eckhoff, journalist and horse meat expert. Tune into this episode to learn more about the recent horse meat controversy, and why transparency is at the core of this issue. Learn more about slaughter practices, and how methods for beef slaughter cannot be applied to horses. Vickery brings some dangerous horse drugs into the studio to explain their uses, and how they can endanger human health through the consumption of horse meat. If you were thinking about trying a horse steak, you should listen to this segment first; get the scoop from Sari and Vickery in this HRN Community Session! Thanks to our sponsor, Heritage Foods USA.

"Most people think that horses are raised organically without any drugs... there are a lot of misconceptions about the food safety aspect of horse meat." [21:30]

Dine at 'the end of the line' and learn about olive oil on this week's episode of The Main Course. Patrick Martins is joined in the studio by Bonnie Pipkin and Tania Ryalls, founders of the blog End of the Line Dining. Hear about Bonnie and Tania's idea to eat at restaurants at the end of New York City's subway in order to explore neighborhoods and different cuisines. What neighborhoods have they explored thus far, and how have they been received as neighborhood outsiders? Find out where Bonnie and Tania are headed next, and hear about Bonnie's last day as a waitress at Roberta's! Later, Patrick invites Steve Jenkins of Fairway Market to talk about his history in the food world. Find out how Steve initially became fascinated with foreign cheeses and meats, and why he has become disillusioned with the FDA's stance on importing cheeses. Steve talks to Patrick about the three criterion necessary for choosing a quality olive oil for your kitchen, so make sure you tune in to this week's episode of The Main Course! Thanks to our sponsor, Cain Vineyard & Winery. Thanks to Obey City for today's music.

"I would write down the name of the cheeses from the labels when I was in Paris, because nobody over here knew any of those cheeses or charcuterie- and then I went and did that in Milano!" [24:45]

"How can I operate as a master cheesemonger when 45% of the cheeses that I want, I'm not allowed to get from the idiot FDA?" [29:00]

"You're not going to find a bottle of olive oil at a supermarket in this country that is worthy of your kitchen." [37:15]

-- Steve Jenkins on The Main Course

Fredrik Berselius cooks from memory. On this week's episode of The Main Course, Patrick Martins invites Fredrik into the studio to talk about Swedish and other Scandinavian food culture. Tune into this episode to hear Fredrik and Patrick talk about traditional Scandinavian fare, and how Fredrik intends to recall these flavors using seasonal ingredients. Cured meats, smoked fish, and fermented vegetables- how do these flavors evoke a place for Fredrik? Later, Patrick calls up Sam Edwards of S. Wallace Edwards & Sons to talk about aging and curing hams. How does Sam recreate a Virginia climate year-round at his curing facility! How do humidity and temperature affect curing processes? Find out on this week's episode of The Main Course! This program has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch, and music has been provided by Plexophonic.

"We base a lot of the flavors on memories of growing up in Sweden, or growing up in Scandinavia. A lot of times, moving forward means looking back on where you came from." [12:25]

-- Fredrik Berselius on The Main Course