Pig Pickin' - 5/28

Dominique Haller

We tested out three of James Villas pork rib recipes from his cookbook Pig: King of the Southern Table, and invited WPR staff to taste and grade them. The Arkansas Black Barbecued Back Ribs clearly came out on top, closely followed by the Cajun Dry-Rub Barbecued Spareribs. Most people weren't too hot for the Roasted Back Ribs with Rum Barbecue Sauce, which couldn't hold up with its more fiery competitors.

Check out videos of the tastings below!

Arkansas Black Barbecued Back Ribs:



Roasted Back Ribs with Rum Barbecue Sauce:



Final decision:

Into the Monkey Cage.... 5/27

Carly Yuenger

On today's show we talk with Vanessa Woods, writer and bonobo researcher, about the many personal and scientific lessons we can learn when paying good attention to our great ape cousins.

To prepare for the show, Lori Skelton--sitting in for Jean this week--took a day trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo which houses a national rehabilitation and research center for bonobos.

Ever wanted to go behind the scenes at the zoo? Here's your chance! In the video below, the bonobos wait to meet the newest member of their group. They'll spend part of the day in the holding area getting used to the new bonobo's smell. Then, one by one, starting with Lodi (the bonobo group's caretaker and friendly alpha male), the bonobos will head out into the open air to mingle with their new roommate.

Spilt (Raw) Milk 5/25

Carly Yuenger

We had an enormous response to our Tuesday show on the topic of raw milk. Our two guests spoke in favor of reducing restrictions and about raw milk and cheese traditions here and in Europe. Below are some of the responses we received.

As many of you know, the dangers and benefits of raw milk have been a hot topic of debate in Wisconsin lately. Other states have had similar public discussions and attitudes toward raw milk often differ by region, culture, and nation--just the kind of diversity we love to hear about! Please help fill in our map--leave a comment saying where you're from and how you view raw milk.

See more photos from the Cornucopia Institute photo gallery here.

From Nora in Gerber, WI:
"In the 70's and 80"s our family was lucky enough to buy raw milk from a neighboring farmer, so our children grew up drinking raw milk. I used it in cooking and baking and made butter from the cream. I am extremely frustrated that Gov. Doyle chose to not sign the raw milk bill, effectively taking away the choice of informed consumers to purchase a superior product. Yes, pasteurization is necessary for shelf life so people in cities can have a safe product. But to deprive those of us who are willing to pay extra to get milk with all its enzymes intact is, in my opinion, too much government interference."

From Andrea in Illinois:
"When my daughter was 12 months old, she broke out with eczema, head to toe, and we eventually discovered this was triggered by over 20 food allergies. We had to put her on a very strict diet, or she would scratch herself bloody, scream and cry and wouldn't be able to sleep at night. She also stopped speaking. It was a nightmarish ordeal for our family, and doctors seemed unable to help her.

When she was 4 years old, we tried feeding her raw goat's milk, and within 2 weeks, we discovered she had been healed of her allergies. When she became exposed to one of her trigger foods which happened very often, she didn't react. She could eat almost all the foods she used to be extremely allergic to (except nuts.)

It is my belief that raw milk can have healing properties. People should be free to choose for themselves."

From Mary in Eau Claire:
"I have purchased raw milk from a farm in Arkansaw, Wisconsin, several times. The milk tastes delicious and I have never had a problem. However, several years ago, I was one of those people who got E. coli from spinach. It was a very painful attack, and I was horribly ill and was in the hospital for a day. I am a LOT more worried about faceless corporate agriculture that cuts corners and takes chances with my health than I am about the small farmers I can talk to face-to-face and who stand behind their products!"

From Lee:
"Could the raw milk be sold under the marketing label of "homogenize it yourself" or "DIY homogenization" milk with directions of how long to boil the milk -- more or less like the selling of raw hamburger?
If a person chooses to eat raw hamburger, nobody feels sorry for them when they get sick -- why not the same with milk? That way, people could still drink raw milk at their own risk."

From Keith (a dairy veterinarian):
You need an expert in public health and food safety to respond to the opinions of your guest. His comments are not correct.
Cattle normally shed potentially harmful bacteria in their milk without any overt clinical signs of disease in cattle. These pathogens include E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella species. This is not dependent on diet.

From Ken in Oconto Falls:
I have conflicted thoughts regarding the issue of the recent attempt in Wisconsin to authorize limited sale of raw milk in the state. So I was looking forward to the program aired today on raw milk consumption, expecting a balanced presentation of factual and research based information on the issue. Boy was I surprised and disappointed. Enough so that I felt I had to respond.
I felt today's program did a disservice to listeners who depend on public radio programming to present balanced discussion of controversial issues to help in forming informed opinions. The guests presented information that was primarily opinion not very well based on data or research. For example, Willie, the cheesemakers' comment that the state boy who died of E. Coli may have survived if his parents had fed him raw milk. Or Mr Castell asserting that it
was the powerful commercial dairy interests in the state that convinced the Governor to veto the raw milk bill. He did not mention that the medical and food safety establishment in the state also objected vehemently. While some consumers may have been led to be suspicious of the dairy industry's motives, those groups' concerns should cause any rational person to seriously consider the use of raw milk. I was further disturbed by his "blowing off" of the caller who works in food safety as an agent of big dairy/food industries.
To me the whole concept of "food culture" speaks to a rather elitist and privileged audience. If that was the target audience for this program I would say the target was hit. Food security is a concern for a much larger and growing segment of the population of our state and country. I hope that Wisconsin Public Radio would also have
concern for and be ready to help educate that greater audience about the commercial dairy industry that provides all of us with nutritious, high quality, and safe dairy products from dairy farms and dairy processing plants small and large. By the way, commercial producers along with skilled and creative cheese makers use that milk to produce world class cheeses as demonstrated by the records of national and international cheese competitions.
Today's two guests are definitely committed and have a right to their opinions, but when dealing with the topic of safety of such everyday foods as milk and dairy products I think it is dangerous to carry their opinions and arguments without challenge.
So I hope to see soon, a follow up program that presents an honest and non-judgmental portrayal of the commercial dairy industry, its standards and practices, and the record of protecting the safety of consumers of dairy products; and the food safety and medical community's scientific rationale for their recommendations on consumption of raw milk.

From Julie in Mindoro (a dairy farmer):
"On Tuesday, I heard Mark Kastel, representing the Cornucopia Institute, making generalizations about dairy farms and dairy producers which simply do not hold water, or milk for that matter. We do not graze our cattle, nor do we produce a certified organic product; that being said, it is incorrect of Mr. Kastel to say we therefore could not be of the mindset nor accomplishment of producing a high quality product, nor doing so with the utmost quality of health in mind for our cattle. Successful Wisconsin dairy producers such as ourselves pay attention to forage quality and ration balancing to maintain animal health first and foremost, because healthy cows with healthy rumen flora produce milk most efficiently and stay in our herds. In this day and age, there is nothing romantic about old red barns and cattle on pasture. Taste of milk from cows fed on pasture, bought on farm, tastes good because it is fresh, not because it is raw milk. Allowing the sale of raw milk, against the best advice of people in the fields of food safety, veterinary medicine, and human medicine would be foolish. The potential of disease from foodborne bacteria is real and significant, and has little to do with the categories of grazier or organic producer vs. the category misrepresented by Mr. Kastel: “conventional” dairy producer. Come look me and my husband and our three hundred cows “in the eye”, as one caller described her buying relationship with local food providers, and you will see years of experience, education, and concern for our cows as well as our consumers. Our state needs to continue licensing the production of food which is safe to consume, and not cave in to what “feels” healthy but simply is not so. Mr. Kastel said the Governor ignored public voice—I don’t think so. He listened to the voice of reason, spoken by dairy producers, food scientists, veterinarians, and doctors!
Do you want to drink raw milk? Then buy a cow or a goat, house her, feed her, get her bred, and milk her yourself!"

This Year’s Miss USA is an Arab Muslim American

Saideh Jamshidi

Rima Fakih, the 24-year-old Arab-American immigrant of Dearborn, Michigan, won the pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. She was titled the Miss USA 2010 this week.

Fakih is the first Arab Muslim American to win the national title, although, in her interviews, she said that her family observes both Islam and Christianity. She moved with her family from Lebanon to the United States when she was 7 years old and graduated from the University of Michigan - Dearborn with a degree in economics and business in 2003.



Reaction to Fakih’s victory among Arab Americans has been enormous. Warren David is the publisher of arabdetroit.com. He said that more than 90 percent of the comments they have received on their website are favorable to Fakih’s victory. “We have had more than one million hits on our website during the last 2 days,“ David said.

Detroit is the hub of Arab Americans. Southeast Michigan is home of a very big population of Arab American residents in the United States; in Dearborn, about one-third of the people have roots in the Arab world.

The victory of Fakih is considered good news according to David. After September 11, “Arab Muslims were equated with terrorism. One can find negative images in books and all kinds of literature,” David said, “but this is a congratulatory position when you see a woman of Arab heritage who has been identified with such a main stream title.”

Although the Muslim communities celebrated Fakih’s victory, some people have raised their eyebrows over her performances at the “stripper 101” contest – not nude – as the pole dancer on the stage. Fakih won the contest in an all-female audience sponsored by a local radio station.

“People may have different positions [over Fakih’s victory],” Imad Hamad, Regional Director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, or ADC, said. “But I think it is simple: if you like it, solute it, enjoy it; if you don’t like it simply say good luck. If you don’t’ want to say good luck, say tough luck and turn your back. We, as Americans, enjoy the freedom of choice and expression in this country,” Hamad said.

Hamad believes that the biggest challenge of the Arab American communities, after the September 11 tragedy, has been to defend themselves and to prove that they are “truly Americans.” Hamad said, “Having Rima taking the challenge is itself a statement.” He added, “This is the challenge President Obama took when he said Yes We Can. And as for Rima, her victory is a simple reflection of the Yes We Can mantra by showing that Arab and Muslim Americans can achieve big dreams in this country.”

Fakih is booked to conduct more than 30 national interviews within the next week. There have been more than 18 million “google” searches of her name. Although the controversy over the pole dancing still exist, Fakih’s victory is mostly being celebrated by young people of Middle Eastern heritage.

Searching for the Soul of Health Care 5/19

Carly Yuenger

Thomas Moore broadens the discussion of health care on today's show. His 1992 book, Care of the Soul, was a New York Times bestseller and his new book, Care of the Soul in Medicine, couldn't be better timed.

What dimensions of health care won't be changed by government reform? Is our culture lacking a belief system to cope with illness? What cultures and beliefs can we use to fill the gap? Have you experienced illness as a right of passage?

Share your thoughts and experiences of soulful and soulless health care by leaving a comment below, or leave us a voicemail at 1-877-GLOBE-07

The Craft Series Visits Haiti 5/17

Carly Yuenger

Today we take our ongoing series on crafts and crafting to Haiti where a long tradition of unique metal, stone, and wood crafts are offering a ray of hope to many in the aftermath of January's earthquake.

Check out today's show here, and leave a comment below about your experience of Haitian crafts or other places where crafts are providing much needed economic and personal support.

Then, check out the rest of the series:

"Bead for Life"
"Saving the Coral Reefs One Stitch at a Time"
"Soap is Power"
"Haiti's Artisans"

White linens, Northwoods... 5/14

Carly Yuenger

Jean and I take this week's Food Friday to Bayfield, WI and the shores of Lake Superior. We'll talk to Jerry Phillips of the Rittenhouse Inn and Jim Webster, chef at Wild Rice Restaurant, about what they're doing with the freshest--and wild-picked--spring ingredients: fiddleheads, wild leeks, morels, and, of course, asparagus.

Here's one recipe from Chef Webster at the Wild Rice Restaurant, the finest dining tables in the middle of the woods. As always, be sure to share your favorite spring recipes by adding a comment below.

Chilled Asparagus Soup:
(Yield about 1 quart or 6-8 servings)

1# fresh medium asparagus, about 1 1/2 - 2 inches of hard stem end discarded, the rest sliced into 1 inch pieces. Remove 2 inches of tip end from 9 spears and reserve for garnish.

1/4 cup chopped leeks, white part only

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Quart light chicken stock (canned broth may be used, but adjust for salt)

1/2-ounce fresh basil leaves

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Sauté leeks in olive oil over medium heat until softened (about 4-5 minutes), being careful not to brown. Add broth and bring to boil. Add sliced asparagus and cook for 6 minutes. Stir in basil, allow to cook for about 10 seconds and remove from heat. Immediately add contents to blender and finely puree. Chill quickly in large stainless bowl over ice to preserve bright green color. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and refrigerate until serving. In another saucepan boil the reserved asparagus tips for 2 minutes, cool in ice water and slice in half lengthwise. Keep refrigerated.

Crab salad (approximately 6 2-oz. servings)
8 ounces lump crabmeat (canned blue crab)
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch of curry powder
2-3 small fresh mint leaves chopped finely
2 tablespoons créme fraîche
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate.

Garnish
2 - inch round crisp (very thin baked parmesan crisp, miniature fried papadrum or Thai spring roll wrappers cut in rounds, buttered and baked for about 3 - 4 minutes) This garnish is optional if you feel it is too time consuming - but it does add a nice touch to the dish. If you can substitute another crispy thing which is fairly neutral in flavor that would be fine also.

Micro green mix or other small greenery

Créme fraîche thinned with a little cream

Basil oil (optional)

Assembly
Place a molded 2-oz. portion of crab salad (an ice cream disher will work fine) in each bowl and surround with 4-5 ounces of soup. Place 3 halved asparagus spears aournd soup and dot with créme fraîche and basil oil, if using Top crab salad with crisp and garnish with micro greens. Serve.

Jean's Pick of the Week for May 7th

Dominique Haller

With the preparing of our Food Friday show in Bayfield, WI this Friday, we have been awfully busy around here - which explains why the Pick of the Week Video for the Week of May 7th is only posted now! Before the show 2 Photographers: Berlin Portfolio & Mementi Mori with Alan Luft and Paul Baker Prindle, Jean had a very good gut feeling about the show - and she turned out to be right! Here's what she has to say:

Talking about Immigration

Carly Yuenger

With a name like "Here on Earth: Radio Without Borders", it's probably not surprising that we tend to talk about (and across) borders fairly frequently!

Immigration is back in the spotlight in the United States and elsewhere. As such, we thought we should collect some of our past shows on the topic. They, and you, are part of this ongoing conversation.

Have a listen and leave your thoughts and comments below, or, tell us what you'd like us to focus on in our next show about borders.

5/10/10 -- "The Hidden Lives of Vermont's Mexican Immigrants"
4/26/10 -- " The Virgin of Guadalupe in New York"
4/6/10 -- "Mixing the Races"
11/24/09 -- "Becoming Americans"
8/13/09 -- "Muslims in Europe: Immigration, Islam, and the West"

The Hidden Lives of Vermont's Mexican Immigrants - 05/10

Dominique Haller

On today's show, we'll talk to B. Amore, an Italian-American artist, writer and educator. After having worked on a multi-media traveling exhibit on Ellis Island in which she used artefacts from her own family going back seven generations, she asked undocumented immigrants from Mexico to make dioramas out of objects that have been handed down in their own family.


What has been passed down to you in your family? What stories do those artefacts tell? Who are the people who may be living hidden lives in your community? Have you ever reached out to them? Share your story on the air or at our voicemail by calling 1877-GLOBE-07 or by leaving a comment below.

Expo 2010 5/4

Carly Yuenger

On today's show we discuss the newly opened Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Do World Fairs still possess the power to capture our imaginations and make us into global citizens? Or, are they wasteful public relations campaigns that destroy a city's character?

The Turkish pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo. You can check out more photos of Expo pavilions from the Christian Science Monitor's photo gallery, here.

Have you attended a World Fair (or "Expo," as they're called in the rest of the world)? What impression did it leave? Did it inspire you to be a global citizen? Share your thoughts on the up and downsides of Expos by leaving a comment below or by leaving a message on our hotline: 1-877-GLOBE-07.

The Secret World of Doing Nothing - 5/3

Dominique Haller

Our guest on today's show, Orvar Löfgren, is Professor of European Ethnology at the University of Lund, Sweden. He has done research on what people really do when they "do nothing" - and as it turns out, daydreaming is the essence of doing nothing. But in a world that keeps getting faster and louder, daydreaming is arguably something of an endangered activity.

Do you consciously take the time to daydream, or do you avoid "doing nothing"? Do you see any value in it? Do your daydreams ever guide you for real life? Do they materialize into projects that you actually take on? Share your story on the air or at our voicemail by calling 1877-GLOBE-07 or by leaving a comment below.