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January 14, 2013 From the dark days of slavery through the civil rights era, soul food like fried chicken and sweet potato pie nourished the African-American community and became a touchstone of cultural identity. But a new documentary asks: Is this greasy goodness doing more harm than good?

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On Tell Me MorePlaylist

January 14, 2013 College students and 20-somethings are drinking less soda these days but more coffee. That means they are getting more caffeine and likely less sleep, which may lead to academic and even health problems down the road.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

January 14, 2013 For her new book, Gran Cocina Latina, chef Maricel Presilla visited homes and restaurants across Latin America to document their food. But one dish familiar to Americans, the sauce often served with Cuban-style yuca fries, has a surprising origin — Presilla herself.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

January 11, 2013 The way bartenders shake their cocktails has practically evolved into their signature beats. Some shake hard, some shake over the shoulder, some shake in front. Most bartenders say the shake is essential to a perfect drink — but is it all style or is there some substance to the claim?

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January 11, 2013 We know we need to eat more whole grains like whole-wheat bread, but white bread crust gives off chemicals that smell better to most of us. To combat this, manufacturers add sugar to whole-wheat foods, but this can make them less healthy.

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January 11, 2013 The biggest attraction at the annual Farm Show in Harrisburg, Pa., is always a giant, 1,000-pound sculpture crafted from butter. Once this year's show wraps up, all that beautiful butter will go right into a manure pit to become methane gas.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

January 10, 2013 It's taken a few months for official reports to confirm what local Moroccan farmers predicted months ago: This year's date harvest was well above average. The reasons for this year's impressive haul, though, are harder to pin down.

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January 10, 2013 Hoping people will think more about where their meat comes from, art graduate student Sarah Hallacher has visualized the U.S. beef industry with a series of steaks (actually, clay) sculpted into the shape of states and packaged in Styrofoam and shrink wrap.

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January 9, 2013 When scientists scoured lists of the city's community gardens, they discovered they didn't tell the whole story of where food was being grown. Satellite images instead show the city's food-producing gardens tucked away in backyards, on roofs and thriving in vacant lots.

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January 9, 2013 Kids who play "advergames", created by food manufacturers to market their products, may eat more, and eat more junk food. In a study by Dutch researchers, the kids chose junk food even when the game featured fruit or other healthful choices.

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January 9, 2013 Who says you need a smoothie to feel great? Food writer Eve Turow says she'd rather gnaw than swish her way back to health after the indulgent holidays. Ingredients like ginger, tamarind and coconut are good for much more than so-called "detox" drinks.

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January 8, 2013 Congress expanded the scope of the Americans With Disabilities Act a few years ago to include food allergies. Now the Justice Department is making institutions accommodate students by providing "safe" food and special meal plans.

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January 8, 2013 Payments to farmers survived in the latest extension of the farm bill. But not all of the groups that argued for the end of the subsidies see this as a loss. They've just been given nine more months to make their case to Congress.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist