This week on Why We Cook Erica takes a look at that timeless Turkey Day tradition: eating a bird. She recounts a recent visit to Vietnam to point out some differences between US and Vietnamese food, including the expense of a chicken egg relative to other birds eggs and the relative cheapness of quails in Vietnam. She also discusses the myriad of birds we consider OK to eat, including guinea hens and squaws (aka pigeons).

Whole Free-Range Poussin

McKenzie and her fiance Jamie have been trying to start a farm for three years, but due to troublesome landlords, Canada Thistle, ravenous deer, and lack of money, it's taken time to realize the things they don’t know about agriculture. But they haven’t given up, and this past July they finally landed on a beautiful place in Finksburg, Maryland that they are returning a working farm. They have six sheep, two alpacas, bees, chickens, and 25 acres to transform. Things are taking shape quickly, but they’re going easy this time around because they know how much work being a farmer really is. Jamie works at a local CSA called Breezy Willow, and the family who runs it has been endlessly helpful in teaching them the ropes. McKenzie works at a Montessori preschool and gets to spend her days teaching children how to plant veggies, tend to chickens, and treat each other with empathy. It's basically her dream job, so she has lots of energy when she comes home to play “Farmer Brown."

This week, Bernie Wides is joined by Carol A. Butler, author of Do Hummingbirds Hum? They discuss the pollination techniques of the hummingbird and share some interesting facts about the tiny bird.