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FORBIDDEN FOOD

Program 07-04-08-A

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Every day you pick up the paper and there's another report about something you either should be eating or shouldn't. Omega 3-fatty acids, soy milk, broccoli - good. Trans fats, soda, fast food - bad. What if instead we just ate what made us happy? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the things people eat for pleasure -- from quintuple espresso cheesecake brownies to putrefied shark meat.

SEGMENT 1:

Andrew Zimmern, former chef and food writer, hosts "Bizarre Foods" on the Travel Channel. We hear clips from his show, and he tells Anne Strainchamps about some of the weird foods he's eaten and why he does it. Also, Barry Glassner is the author of "The Gospel of Food." He tells Steve Paulson that Americans seem to think the value of a meal lies principally in what it lacks - no sugar, fat, carbs, calories, etc. He explores the myths that make us the food police.

SEGMENT 2:

Journalist Christa Weil is the author of "Fierce Food: The Intrepid Diner's Guide to the Unusual, Exotic, and Downright Bizarre." She tells Jim Fleming about eating national dishes like putrefied shark meat and her curious experience eating blow fish in Japan.

SEGMENT 3:

Mort Rosenblum has been a war correspondent and chief international correspondent for AP. He's also a chocolate fanatic and the author of "Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light." He tells Jim Fleming about his search for the perfect chocolate. Also, Dorie Greenspan loves to bake. Her new book is called "From My Home to Yours." She tells Anne Strainchamps what's hot in haute baking circles, and what she cranks out for her neighbors and the elevator operators in her building in New York.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 07-04-08-A.

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Books:

Barry Glassner, The Gospel of Food (HarperCollins)
Dorie Greenspan, Baking: From My Home to Yours (Houghton Mifflin)
Christa Weil, Fierce Food (Plume)

Music:

• "Food". The Turtles, on "The Turtles Present The Battle of the Bands."
  
• "Great Green Greasy Gopher Guts" found on-line: http://tsc.kidsmusicweb.com/songs/great-green-gobs.html
  
• "Butter", Megon McDonough, on the album "One Meatball: Christine Lavin presents…" (Appleseed Recordings)
  
• "Hallucinations," Ellis Marsalis, on "Piano in E". (Rounder)
  
• "Root Beer for Breakfast," Vance Gilbert, on the album "One Meatball."
  
• "Green Onions," Booker T. and the MG's, on the album "Rock Instrumental Classics, vol.4: Soul" (Rhino)
  
• "Fudge," Robin Hopper, on the album "One Meatball"
  
• "Yummy, Yummy," 1910 Fruitgum Company on "The Best of the 1910 Fruitgum Company: Simon Says"
  
• Music montage: "Pie," Debbi Smith and Doc Watson; "Tomato Puddin'", Jeff Daniels; "Fudge", Robin Hopper; "Orange Cocoa Cake," "Food," the Turtles; Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer; -- with the exception of the Turtles tune, all of these are on the wonderful "One Meatball" album, which even comes with a cook booklet.
  
  

Distribution dates: week of 03/30/2008 - hour 2 week of 04/08/2007 - hour 2

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

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