food

Slow-cooked New York bear meat has been described as like beef stew, but with "a little stronger texture and a little gamier flavor."

Why The 'Invasivores' Haven't Pounced On Bear Meat

12:43pm November 17, 2014

by David Sommerstein

Bear is traditional American grub, and hunting bear for meat can help control overpopulation. But bear meat isn't going to make its way into restaurants or onto the average dinner table anytime soon.

World News

Chefs Meet In Brazil To Discuss Food Biodiversity

7:03am November 17, 2014

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Some of the world's top chefs are joining forces to incorporate biodiversity into meals. It's no coincidence the meeting is in Brazil — Latin America is one of the world's most bio-diverse places.

Queue Listen Now

A global positioning receiver on the top of a combine harvester at a farm in Warwick, Md., in June. The equipment uses sensors and computers to help drive the combine along the route where the crops were planted, judge the composition of a crop and genera

Science

Big Data Companies Agree: Farmers Should Own Their Information

6:28am November 16, 2014

by Dan Charles

Farmers depend on "Big Data" these days, but some worry the companies collecting information about their operations might misuse it. New privacy guidelines are supposed to protect farmers' interests.

True cheddar cheese can take months â even years â to age. So Claudia Lucero created a faux-cheddar that can be made in very little time.

Books
Arts

How To Make A Faux Cheddar In One Hour

3:46pm November 14, 2014

by NPR Staff

Once Claudia Lucero had mastered rapid cheese-making, she knew it was time to tackle cheddar. But cheddar takes months, even years, to age, so Lucero devised a pseudo version: the Smoky Cheater.

Queue Listen Now

These farmers grow maize, onions and other vegetables in a city in Ghana. They use groundwater to irrigate their crops.

40 Percent Of The World's Cropland Is In Or Near Cities

6:54pm November 12, 2014

by Eliza Barclay

Just how much of the world's cropland can we really call urban? That's been a big mystery until now.

Jay Ruskey grows coffee next to avocados on his farm, Good Land Organics, in Goleta, Calif. The two crops are often grown together in Central America, partly because they can share fertilizer and water.

National

Golden State Joe: California Makes A Play For Coffee's Future

3:29pm November 12, 2014

California's coffee crop is new and small, but farmers are optimistic about its potential. Scientists hope that by growing coffee here they can learn more about how to help the crop resist disease.

Fishermen Ed Stewart (left) and Tannis Goodsen mend groundfishing nets on Merrill Wharf, in Portland, Maine, last November.

Regulators Ban Cod Fishing In Gulf Of Maine As Stocks Dwindle

2:13pm November 12, 2014

by Anne Mostue

The federal government is shutting down cod fishing in the Gulf of Maine for the next six months. But fishermen, who now face an uncertain future, dispute the government's cod counts.

Queue Listen Now

Celebrity chefs (from left) Jose Andres, Carla Hall and Anthony Bourdain rev up the crowd at last year's Capital Food Fight fundraising event for DC Central Kitchen. The nonprofit's fortunes have risen alongside those of its celebrity chef fans.

Anthony Bourdain And Carla Hall Turbocharge D.C.'s Hunger Fighters

2:52pm November 11, 2014

by Allison Aubrey

Celebrity chefs haven't just made us aware of the latest noshing fashions; they have also spread the word about anti-hunger initiatives like those at the innovative DC Central Kitchen.

Volunteers pass out fresh vegetables for a Thanksgiving meal at the Alameda Food Bank in Alameda, Calif., in 2009. The percentage of Americans who report struggling to afford food has remained stubbornly near recession-era highs.

A Glimmer Of Hope In The Fight Against Hunger In America

2:15pm November 11, 2014

by Maria Godoy

The number of Americans struggling to afford food has remained stuck near recession-era highs. But a recent Gallup poll suggests things may be starting to get back on track for some.

Arts

Sandwich Monday: The Dunkin' Donuts Cronut

2:50pm November 10, 2014

by Ian Chillag

This week, we try a mass-produced version of New York City's famous Cronut, the croissant-doughnut hybrid. The real failure here is that Dunkin' Donuts didn't call it a Crunkin' Cronut.