Franktuary Is Taking It To The Streets
It was like getting hot dogs from the heavens one recent evening. I had family coming over for a cookout the next day. That next day was not just any family get-together, but July Fourth, the birthday of our meat-eating nation. My uncle requested hot dogs. I obliged before I thought it through. ... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 08/06/2010
Sipping Coffee, Considering Its Origin, Warms Up An Afternoon
These are the perfect days for coffee. Frigid, the snow's blowing, the holiday rush is past so we can slow down for a warm drink with friends. I did just that this afternoon at Pittsburgh's 21st Street Coffee and Tea. Java is an art there. The barista warmed up a glass pot, and then hand dripped... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 01/28/2010
Haitian Food Offers At Least A Little Comfort at my Home and a Restaurant
When I heard the news about Haiti, I began to think about how I could possibly offer comfort to those affected. Naturally my thoughts turned to what gives me comfort – food. I have a cousin who has a houseguest from the area. Through Pittsburgh’s Haiti Solidarity Committee, my cousin hosts studen... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 01/23/2010
Haitian Swine Reintroduction May Be Delayed By Quake
When I interviewed Michael Drohan the other day, of the Haiti Solidarity Committee, about environmental issues in Haiti before and after the quake, he mentioned what he termed the famous swine slaying incident. Drohan described it as a great act of "imperial hubris." Food history always piques my ... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 01/19/2010
Earth's Bounty 2.0: Now Taking Your Calls
I hope you've had the chance to check out our new Earth's Bounty 2.0 series with Big Burrito Chef Bill Fuller. We're taking your calls on food and the environment. Because it's a taped show airing at different times throughout western Pennsylvania, for the moment we're prescheduling listener calls... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 11/17/2009
Come on People, Michael Pollan's Not the Only Eco-Food Hero
OK, so Julia Child may not have all the qualifications many seek in an eco-food hero. There she was, played by Meryl, in the film "Julie and Julia" smoking and jetting all over the place with abandon (and frankly making those habits look quite delightful). But the woman clearly had qualities we here... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 09/03/2009
Unearthing Rubies in the Front Yard
I had the freshest of potatoes today – pulled from the soil in my front yard. How delightful to paw away at the earth to reveal the red gems. These were truly perfect, unblemished vegetables. Last fall I’d ordered a bunch of potatoes from Kretschmann organic Farms, through which I have a Communit... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 08/18/2009
USDA, Not EPA, Would Oversee Carbon Credits on Farms Under Federal Compromise
On our program this week, I talked about how no-till agriculture ties into state and federal incentives. Today, U.S. House Democrats are expecting victory on the federal Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill. A sticking point in the House Ag committee was that Democratic chairman Collin Peterson d... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 06/26/2009
Food Issues On Podcast And In Film
I got the opportunity to chat about the Earth's Bounty series on a podcast this week. You can google Talkshoe and Cookspeak to hear the 45-minute interview hosted by Pittsburgh cook Tom Totin. We talked about The Allegheny Front, my favorite cookbooks, and Tom engaged me in a word association game... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 05/07/2009
I've Finally Cleaned Up All the Sustainacake Crumbs in the Kitchen
About a month has passed since the Pittsburgh Midwife Center's Let Them Eat Cake Contest, and I realize I never gave a blog report on the event. There were a number of great "green" designs, as this year's contest had an environmental theme. Cakes were covered with icing waterfalls and windmills, ... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 05/05/2009
In Search of the Elusive Paw Paw
In recent years, I've been hearing about Paw Paws, a native fruit that tastes like one from the tropics -- along the lines of a banana. I've never held one in my hand, but in pictures, it looks like a mango. According to The Nursery at TyTy website, the trees were: "found in the United States by ea... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 04/24/2009
Spring Busy Month for Foodies
Lots happening this month. Farm to Table conference in Pittsburgh tomorrow and Saturday at the convention center. Allegheny Front volunteers and staff will be there. Saturday evening is the Midwife Center's "Let Them Eat Cake" contest at Pittsburgh's Children's Museum. Had a bad dream last night... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 04/02/2009
Eat the View? Yes they Will
One more "Yes, they did..." for the Obamas. This time the sentence ends with "plant a garden." The First Family kicked off spring by digging into the White House front lawn today. The New York Times reports that the garden will include arugula, berries, and black kale (which sounds gorgeous) in ad... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 03/20/2009
Administration Insider Says There Will Be a White House Garden
An update to two pieces we carried about a grassroots effort to turn some of the White House lawn into a food garden... CBS reports that a top adviser to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says such a plan will happen. That seems an improvement over the USDA's very modest efforts to do some plantin... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 02/26/2009
A Foodie's Fantasy Trip to Turkey
If you've got $3,000, eleven days of vacation time, and want to learn about gastronomical plants in Turkey alongside a National Public Radio personality, read on. Ketzel Levine, a longtime NPR contributor is the victim of big cuts at the network prompted by the bum economy (photo at left). But she... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 01/23/2009
Farm Show Butter Sculpture To Become Biodiesel
Butter was never so ... big! The butter sculpture at last week's Pennsylvania Farm Show featured a massive cow with a farm family being saluted by a National Guardsman -- all made out of creamy yellow butter. It takes some 10 days and 900 pounds of butter to make. And you can't even eat the stuff ... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 01/22/2009
Western Pennsylvania Chefs, Sheep Handlers, Score Well
I don't know whether I picked the right events to cover, but folks from our listening range are doing really well at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. That goes for the sheep to shawl contest, in which teams shear a sheep and weave the wool into a garment. The Westmoreland County team, the Loyalhannon S... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 01/15/2009
Holiday Gifts for Foodies or Agricultural Game Lovers
Some foodie gifts were under my tree this year that you might enjoy getting for yourself or others. One was the Anne Mendelson book “Milk,” which has nothing to do with the slain California councilman. It’s a historical cookbook with recipes such as pashka, and definitions of REAL kefir (not the s... read more
Posted by on 12/29/2008
PASA Classifieds Tempt Those with Farm Dreams
If you’re really interested in food and farming, check out Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture’s classifieds and opportunities link. It’s on the left side of their site at www.pasafarming.org. But beware, you may find yourself traveling to farms in Venezuela, buying an adorable so... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 11/13/2008
Nature Imposes Food Safety Lessons
I've long prided myself on being a good cook. But my current experience with food poisoning has humbled me. I've caught campylobacter, a bacteria carried by chickens that doesn't make the birds sick. I can't say for sure, but I think it was from a fresh chicken purchased from a farmers market. I... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 10/14/2008
Slowly Produced Notes From Slow Food Nation
It's almost a month after Slow Food Nation, and I'm realizing I'm just not going to produce some stories from the recordings I made. But I wanted to post about a few of the folks I met, ideas I heard.<br>David Mas Masumoto, a California peach farmer, and his daughter Nikiko described through ... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 09/26/2008
After the Meal: Trimming Waste In Slow Food Nation
Slow Food Nation's trying to be a zero waste event. It's a particular challenge at its food booths. It's your basic mixed ethnic festival style food setup, with Indian here, Mexican there, except that it's all super high quality. Food is served on paper plates, and compostable potato starch cutl... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 08/31/2008
Slow Food Nation or Selective Food Nation?
Will Slow Food be able to shed its reputation as an elitist organization? Or, as the New York Times' Kim Severson put it, will the group prove that it "is not just one big wine tasting with really hard to find cheeses that you weren’t invited to." That's what a lot of folks are chewing on as the fir... read more
Posted by on 08/29/2008
Slow Moments on the Way to Slow Food Nation
I'm en route to the Slow Food Nation event in San Francisco. It's a celebration of food that's sustainable, locally raised, and savored. Even though I'm taking a quick plane, two mosaics at Pittsburgh's airport stopped me in my tracks. In the train terminal, that hurried place just after security... read more
Posted by on 08/28/2008
Mark Your Calendars: Local and Slow Food Events Abound
As the summer growing season continues, many celebrations are scheduled to bring in the bounty. In Pittsburgh, the East End Food Co-op's Local Food Challenge continues with a work party at the Braddock gardens tonight, a discounted tasting at Legume Bistro tomorrow, and an End of Challenge Celebrat... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 08/05/2008
Pressure Cooking: A Cool Kitchen's Best Friend
As the next step in my lifelong cooking evolution, I turned to an invention that debuted at the 1939 World's Fair. I purchased two pressure cookers at a kind of vast permanent Saturday flea market in a Mt. Washington church (they may in fact be from the '39 fair). I never got around to using them,... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 07/10/2008
Food and Faith: Justice, Joy and Daily Bread
I just finished participating in a group that discussed essays in the book 'Food and Faith: Justice, Joy and Daily Bread.' We all shared a lot of fun food memories - my second cousin who is in her 50s told of a childhood memory of a milkman traveling by horse. And each week brought a different sea... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 06/26/2008
Pork Necks and German Chamomile
Twice recently people have given me some unusual foods. Last weekend I helped plant a garden at a group home for adults with special needs. Some of the residents joined in planting tomatoes, German chamomile, celeriac, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, and more. Mildred's Daughters farm in Lawrencevill... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 06/05/2008
The Lazy Gardeners Journal: Volunteers and Perennial Goodies
LOVE the IDEA of gardening. Don't like the part where you take care of the garden -- watering, weeding, and so on. So my favorite plants are the ones that do well without any help from me. Probably four years ago, I was given two French sorrel plants at the end of the season at a garden center. ... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 05/20/2008
It's All In The Tea AND King Corn
Several of us at The Allegheny Front won awards last night from the Western Pennsylvania Press Club (including me for the Earth’s Bounty series). So I used that as an excuse to rest on my laurels a bit by checking out the movies on Comcast On Demand. I found a great Sundance film called All In Thi... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 05/13/2008
What's Sprouting in the South Side
I finally got myself over to Mung Dynasty's steamy headquarters in the South Side and what a treat! When I buy their salads at the East End Food Co-op or Kuhn's, sometimes they've been in the cooler too long, and, well, it doesn't take much with the delicate mesclun and sprouts to get a little slim... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 05/06/2008
'Tis the Season for Wild Edibles
With food prices going up, you might want to look to your yard for dinner – even if you don’t have a garden! I’ve been picking dandelions and violets. The other day I made a crustless quiche with these and some pork breakfast sausage. And on a beautiful spring hike, I gathered up the wildly invas... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 04/29/2008
Yes, We Have Bananas, But at What Cost?
I may have bought my last bunch of bananas. Conventionally grown ones, anyway. For the last several years, when buying produce I've been faithfully following the Environmental Working Group's Shoppers Guide (http://www.foodnews.org) to avoid the most pesticide laden fruits. But the other day, The... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 04/10/2008
Oh Happy Day! An Organic Farmer Is Born!
I just got the most thrilling news. It's personal but hey, it's my blog. A cousin has announced his intention to be an organic farmer. This is a person I feel a special connection with because we were born on the same day, 16 years apart. We have no real family background in farming, that I know ... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 04/03/2008
The First Greens of Spring
The warmer temperatures of recent days are all well and good. The longer daylight is lovely. But I think what's best about spring are those first bits of green. And I'm not really interested in daffodil leaves. It's the locally grown pea shoots, the leaf lettuce, and the rosemary I bought the ot... read more
Posted by Jennifer Szweda Jordan on 03/31/2008
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Produced by:
Jennifer Szweda Jordan
I'm working on a public radio series of stories I hope will appeal to listeners on a gut level. Called Earth's Bounty, it's about food and the environment. This follows about a dozen years of work as a journalist that were preceded, and often supported, by stints in restaurants and catering businesses.
Stories in the Series:
| Air Date |
Story Title |
| 08/06/2010 |
Franktuary Is Taking It To The Streets
|
| 04/07/2010 |
County Park Serves As Farm, Possibly Garden, Too
|
| 02/03/2010 |
Earth's Bounty 2.0: Grower Wonders What Local Diners Want
|
| 01/28/2010 |
Sipping Coffee, Considering Its Origin, Warms Up An Afternoon
|
| 01/06/2010 |
Earth's Bounty 2.0: Is Local Beef Safer?
|
| 12/23/2009 |
Visiting Chatham's Garden at Eden
|
| 12/09/2009 |
Earth's Bounty 2.0: Taste, Quality, and Sustainability of Seafood
|
| 12/02/2009 |
Earth's Bounty 2.0: Holiday Party Preview and a Wine Question
|
| 11/11/2009 |
Earth's Bounty 2.0: Milk Maid Comes to Town
|
| 11/04/2009 |
Mothus Interrupus and Other Ways to Grow Fruit Organically
|
| 10/28/2009 |
Earth's Bounty 2.0: Testicles, Tongues, and Texas Sheet Cake
|
| 09/30/2009 |
Earth's Bounty 2.0: Oktoberfest And A Call from Frank Lloyd Wright Resort
|
| 09/16/2009 |
Earth's Bounty 2.0: Local Foods Get Religion and Too Many Tomatillos
|
| 09/09/2009 |
Earth's Bounty 2.0: Peaches and What's Up With Colors in Foods?
|
| 09/02/2009 |
Earth's Bounty 2.0: Call In About Food and the Environment
|
| 08/26/2009 |
Introducing Earth's Bounty 2.0
|
| 08/18/2009 |
Unearthing Rubies in the Front Yard
|
| 07/15/2009 |
Earth's Bounty: A Rare and Sacred Rest on the Farm
|
| 06/26/2009 |
USDA, Not EPA, Would Oversee Carbon Credits on Farms Under Federal Compromise
|
| 06/24/2009 |
News Analysis: No-Till Farming Oversight A Sticking Point in Climate Bill
|
| 06/17/2009 |
'If we can grow crops with less energy and less fertilizer, the world wins'
|
| 05/20/2009 |
What Tastes Like a Banana But Grows Here? The Paw Paw
|
| 05/06/2009 |
Pittsburgh Cook/Podcaster Turns Microphone on Our Reporter
|
| 04/02/2009 |
Spring Busy Month for Foodies
|
| 04/01/2009 |
Sewage Sludge on Farms: Dangerous or Just Recycling?
|
| 03/20/2009 |
Eat the View? Yes they Will
|
| 03/18/2009 |
Earth's Bounty: Contest Pits Our Baker Against Vegan
|
| 02/26/2009 |
Administration Insider Says There Will Be a White House Garden
|
| 02/25/2009 |
Earth's Bounty: A Kitchen Garden in Every Plot!
|
| 02/11/2009 |
Earth's Bounty: Farm Census Released
|
| 02/04/2009 |
Earth's Bounty: PA Foods Shine in Iron Chef Competition
|
| 01/28/2009 |
Earth's Bounty: Teams Shear Sheep, Weave Shawl in Farm Show Contest
|
| 01/23/2009 |
A Foodie's Fantasy Trip to Turkey
|
| 01/15/2009 |
Western Pennsylvania Chefs, Sheep Handlers, Score Well
|
| 12/29/2008 |
Holiday Gifts for Foodies or Agricultural Game Lovers
|
| 11/26/2008 |
Some Won't Be Cooking Turkey, or Cooking at All, this Holiday Season
|
| 11/19/2008 |
What to Expect from President-Elect Obama's Agricultural Policy
|
| 11/13/2008 |
PASA Classifieds Tempt Those with Farm Dreams
|
| 11/12/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Vacationing on the Farm
|
| 09/26/2008 |
Slowly Produced Notes From Slow Food Nation
|
| 09/24/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Religious Sister Plays Role of Farmer, Beekeeper, Vineyard Worker
|
| 09/17/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Touring A Classic Market House
|
| 09/03/2008 |
Victory Gardens: Wartime Vestige Blooms Again
|
| 08/31/2008 |
After the Meal: Trimming Waste In Slow Food Nation
|
| 08/27/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Latest Table Magazine Offers Ways to Preserve Harvest
|
| 08/13/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Yes, We Can
|
| 08/05/2008 |
Mark Your Calendars: Local and Slow Food Events Abound
|
| 07/23/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Meet Greg Boulos, New Sustainable Ag Leader
|
| 07/10/2008 |
Pressure Cooking: A Cool Kitchen's Best Friend
|
| 06/26/2008 |
Food and Faith: Justice, Joy and Daily Bread
|
| 05/28/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Young Couple Gets a Hand from Experienced Farmers
|
| 05/21/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: At Long Last 2008 Farm Bill Passes Congress
|
| 05/13/2008 |
It's All In The Tea AND King Corn
|
| 04/29/2008 |
'Tis the Season for Wild Edibles
|
| 04/23/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Rhubarb, Ramps, and Ferns On Spring Table
|
| 04/09/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Going on a Low-Carbon Diet
|
| 03/19/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Fermenting Food for Fun and Flavor
|
| 03/05/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Federal Agriculture Research Lab Slated to Be Cut
|
| 02/27/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: Food Glorious Food? What to Eat Causes Confusion
|
| 02/13/2008 |
Earth's Bounty: No Whey! And Other Standards for Naturally Raised Meats
|
| 12/19/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Holiday Table Celebrates Traditions
|
| 11/14/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: What's For Dinner? And the New Book, Food
|
| 11/07/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Senate Debates The 2007 Farm Bill
|
| 10/31/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Edible Schoolyards
|
| 10/10/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: The Splendid Table's Lynne Rossetto Kasper
|
| 08/22/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Who Knew Milk Was So Controversial?
|
| 08/08/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: America's Water Crisis and Agriculture
|
| 08/01/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: What Does the Farm Bill Do for the Environment?
|
| 07/25/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Rare Breeds on Farms
|
| 07/11/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Summer Table Includes Flowers, Heirlooms, and More
|
| 06/13/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Conservation Groups Want Piece of Farm Bill Pie
|
| 05/02/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: PB and J Campaign
|
| 04/11/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Our Daily Bread
|
| 03/28/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Eating Locally for Good Health
|
| 03/21/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Western PA Food, Culture On Glossy New Table
|
| 01/10/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Local, Organic, Fair Foods Pioneer Frances Moore Lappe'
|
| 01/03/2007 |
Earth's Bounty: Restaurants Serve Up Local Foods
|
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