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A collection random facts, insights, and impressions from the Lopate Show this week.

The Wall Street sign is the first object on our list that is central to both the long history of New York City and the current moment. William D. Cohan, author of Money And Power told us “You can not overstate Wall Street’s importance from either a literal or symbolic point of view. It’s not up there with the Statue of Liberty, but it’s a symbol of what America is all about. That’s why there is so much disappointment about their behavior over the last few years.”

Who knew so many of our listeners were geology enthusiasts? Or that, to use a pun Leonard would probably dream up, they really know their schist? Charles Merguerian, chairman of the Geology Department at Hofstra University, seemed surprised and then pleased that New York City bedrock made the top ten of our list. He said “People always ask: What came first the chicken or the egg? But the answer is rocks. Rocks are so fundamental and basic to us and our existence that there is a natural tendency towards wanting to know about them.”

Yesterday Melissa Clark stopped by to get us inspired about winter vegetables. Here are a few of the recipes and tips that she shared, as well as a few from callers.

It’s fitting that we kick off our countdown of the 10 objects that tell the story of New York with an object that, quite literally, lets us explore the city. Even the most savvy, life-long New Yorker ends up consulting the subway map regularly. That's probably the case because — for better or worse — a subway map is the map that explains much of the city’s geography to us.

The 84th annual Academy Awards take place on Sunday, and a number of the nominees have been guests on the Leonard Lopate Show this year. Here’s a list of interviews with directors and actors (and even one football coach) that you can listen to to learn more about their work:

New York Times reporter Anthony Shadid died on Thursday while working in Syria, reporting on the growing conflict there. He was a frequent guest on the Lopate Show, shedding light on the politics and conflict in countries across the Middle East, including Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, and Syria. He died at the age of 43. You can listen to some of Anthony Shadid's conversations with Leonard over the years:

Yesterday at the 136th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show I caught up with our recent guest, Grand Champion Willcare To Fly Under The Radar, RN, better known as Walter. The chocolate-coated Labrador Retriever and his owner-handler-breeder Sue Willumsen were in good spirits—out of the 38 Labrador Retrievers competing for Best In Breed, he was the only the dog to win the Judge’s Award of Merit, his second consecutive win.

We chatted backstage in the benching area, a crowded service ramp in the depths of Madison Square Garden, packed with hundreds of the best canine specimens in the world waiting for their turn to prove themselves in the ring. Described by some as “a cross between a hair salon and Baghdad” the benching area was buzzing with the sound of blow-dryers and electric razors, but curiously few barks from the many dogs lassoed to their grooming tables for last-minute preening. Walter, however, was relaxing. “They’re wash n’ wear” says Willumsen, “the maintenance is not as extreme as other long hair dogs.”

Back home in Kingston, NH, Willumsen plans on teaching her prize pup how to be a hunting dog, one of the many jobs Labs were bred for. But three-year-old Walter’s show career is far from over, and Willumsen hopes to return to Westminster next year for an even bigger win. “He meets the American Kennel Club description of the Labrador Retriever,” says Willumsen, “but it’s his kind spirit and nature, as well as his sense of humor, that makes him my best buddy.”

Every month, as part of the Leonard Lopate Show Book Club's e-newsletter, we're bringing an author interview from our archives. This month, listen to a rare 2002 conversation that Leonard had with Canadian writer Alice Munro. She had just published her short story collection, Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage.

The Lopate Show's week in review.

A compilation of the random, unknown, and maybe important things we at the Lopate Show learned during the week of January 30.

Fun facts and other oddities we learned this week at the Lopate Show.

The Lopate Show's week, in review.

Last night’s Golden Globe Awards honored a few recent guests on the Leonard Lopate Show.

The Leonard Lopate Show's week in review.

On Thursday, Melissa Clark was on the show to talk about what everyone should definitely have in their kitchen, and which cooking tools and gadgets we can probably do without (listen here). Here’s her list of must-haves:

The Lopate Show's Week in Review

Ruth Reichl, author of our December Leonard Lopate Show Book Club pick Comfort Me with Apples, invited the Wall Street Journal into her upstate kitchen. She spoke about her custom-designed kitchen, her favorite dishes to make for friends, and the meal that changed her life. Read the article here.

Tune in Monday at 12:30 to hear Ruth Reichl on the Leonard Lopate Show. Read the book and submit your questions!

From Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang’s book Welcome to Your Child’s Brain: How the Mind Grows from Conception to College, published by Bloomsbury. They were on Please Explain: Children's Brains on Friday, October 14, and we invited them back for Please Explain: The Teenage Brain, Friday, December 2.

 1) Which of the following is a good way to get your child to eat his spinach?

            a. Cover the spinach with melted cheese

            b. Start the meal with a few bites of dessert

            c. Feed him with soy-based formula as an infant

            d. All of the above

            e. None of the above