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Monday, November 26, 2012

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

It's Time To End The Turkey-Tofurky Thanksgiving Food Fight

A vegan Thanksgiving feast, featuring Tofurky

November 26, 2012 Do vegetarians and vegans think they are better than everyone else? Do omnivores wrongly think they are being judged by their meatless friends and relatives? Commentator Tania Lombrozo says that, while some on both sides are just self-righteous and annoying, many people are ready to put aside their misconceptions and sit down at the table to feast as equals.

Summary

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Two-Way

Happy Thanksgiving, Or When Turkeys Strike Back

November 21, 2012 From all of us at The Two-Way, here are two funny videos to help you kick off your holiday weekend.

Summary

The Two-Way

How Did Thanksgiving End Up On The Fourth Thursday?

President Roosevelt celebrating Thanksgiving with polio patients at the Warm Springs Foundation for Infantile Paralysis Sufferers the Friday after the national holiday in 1938.

November 21, 2012 Why not on a Friday? And why not the last Thursday? There is an explanation. But you have to go back to things decreed by presidents Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt (FDR, that is).

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It's All Politics

Will Your Family Squabble About Politics This Thanksgiving?

Families generally offer homogenous groupings when it comes to politics — but there's always that outlier brother-in-law or great-aunt.

November 21, 2012 "People who have any brains" will avoid dredging up politics during the holidays, says one psychologist. But in our highly polarized era, family gatherings offer the chance for rare encounters with people who don't already share our partisan leanings.

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Monday, November 19, 2012

The Salt

Could Nate Silver Predict How Good Your Pumpkin Pie Will Be?

All out of nutmeg? The same algorithms that predicts your friends on Facebook can also figure out ingredient substitutions for your pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving.

November 19, 2012 Scientists have come up with an algorithm to guess how many stars a recipe will receive online. By building "social networks" for ingredients, the algorithms also reveal how we mix and match spices, make dishes more healthful and customize flavor profiles.

Summary

Thursday, November 15, 2012

The Salt

A Dash Of Latin Flavor On The Thanksgiving Table

Chef Jose Garces' quinoa soup.

November 15, 2012 Chef Jose Garces' parents are immigrants, and while they embraced some traditional American Thanksgiving dishes, they also served Ecuadorean food, like humitas and quinoa soup.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The Salt

Storm-Battered Food Banks Struggle To Help The Hungry

After Superstorm Sandy, the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties in Neptune, N.J., is filled with water bottles, canned food and other goods. But these supplies are going out almost as fast as they come in.

November 13, 2012 Some charitable organizations that were in the path of Superstorm Sandy were left in as bad shape as their clients. With Thanksgiving around the corner, they wonder how they will feed the storm's victims and the poor.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Sunday, November 11, 2012

The Salt

Wild Turkeys Gobble Their Way To A Comeback

European settlers almost wiped out North America's native wild turkey. But conservation efforts have proved successful. There are now nearly 7 million birds found across 49 states.

November 11, 2012 They run. They fly. They block traffic. Wild turkeys, which have become a nuisance in some places, bear little resemblance to the supermarket varieties that grace most Thanksgiving tables.

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On Weekend Edition SundayPlaylist

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Salt

Where Turkey Is The Guest, Not The Entree

Isabella Colbdorf feeds salad to a turkey at this year's Feeding of the Turkeys ceremony in Watkins Glen, in upstate New York, on Nov. 20, 2011.

November 23, 2011 WRVOAt a farm in upstate New York, the only worry turkeys have around Thanksgiving time is which dishes they want to dig their beaks into. They're the guests of honor at a feast honoring the birds. Sponsors pay $30 to keep the turkeys happily fed and far from the slaughterhouse.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Shots - Health News

How To Avoid A Thanksgiving Trip To The ER

Watch yourself around the sharp implements this Thanksgiving.

November 23, 2011 Plumbers and emergency room doctors have plenty of business come Thanksgiving. An ER doctor has some useful tips for steering clear of her and her colleagues over the holiday.

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The Salt

Heritage Turkeys: To Save Them, We Must Eat Them

Narragansett and Standard Bronze heritage breed turkeys browse at a farm in Westport, Mass.

November 23, 2011 Heritage turkey breeds would be extinct if people didn't raise them. And farmers won't raise them if people don't eat them. Breeds like the Narragansett that were close to extinction a decade ago are making a comeback as people choose to go with the darker, gamier meat.

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The Two-Way

Obama Quotes O. Henry On 'Purely American' Nature Of Thanksgiving

President Barack Obama, with daughters Sasha and Malia, and one of the turkeys "pardoned" today — Liberty. At left is National Turkey Federation Chairman Richard Huisinga.

November 23, 2011 The short story writer once wrote that Thanksgiving is the "one day that is ours ... the one day that is purely American." President Obama this morning urged Americans to "remember what that means."

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The Salt

Oyster Ice Cream: A Thanksgiving Tradition Mark Twain Could Get Behind

Serve this for T-Day, and you'll be in sync with history.

November 23, 2011 Oyster ice cream may be more traditional fare than many of the dishes we serve for Thanksgiving, says chef José Andrés. He's showcasing American food history in his collaboration with the National Archives. But modern diners can appreciate this briny treat, too.

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On Tell Me MorePlaylist

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Top 5 Reasons To Give Thanks For Being Primate

Look at those delicate digits; they're No. 4 on our list.

November 23, 2011 With other primates, we humans share everything from a grasping hand to a propensity for cultural tradition to joyful feelings at reuniting with loved ones.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The Salt

When Thanksgiving Means Making Reservations, Not Turkey

Restaurants appeal to "activity-rich time-poor" Americans on Thanksgiving, the National Restaurant Association says.

November 22, 2011 For most people, Thanksgiving means dinner at home. But 14 million Americans eat their turkey and stuffing in restaurants. And many of them say they love the chance to relax and enjoy the company of family and friends, without having to clean the oven and stuff the bird.

Summary

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