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The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, December 07, 2004
  • Turkey collage

    Food and Festivity

    Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, responds to listener-inspired holiday cooking concerns—from how to prepare wild turkey, to how to find a good butter babka recipe. Then, brothers Brent and Craig Renaud film the experiences of the 39th Brigade of the Arkansas National Guard as it is deployed to Iraq in their documentary series Off to War. Nick Hornby delves into his compulsive reading habit in his latest book, Polysyllabic Spree. And high-profile caterer Serena Bass recounts some of the experiences and recipes she’s shared with clients like Nathan Lane and Bernadette Peters in Serena, Food & Stories: Feeding Friends Every Hour of the Day.

Ruth Reichl

Ruth Reichl, Gourmet magazine’s editor-in-chief, answers some common—and not so common—listener questions about cooking for the holidays.

» View a list of stores and websites mentioned on the show
» Click here for cookie recipes from Gourmet

Music: Swingtime!, The Canadian Brass: "Blue Rondo a la Turk" / "I Found Love"

Brent and Craig Renaud

Brent and Craig Renaud on their documentary series, Off to War, about a real-life band of brothers and the people back home who await their return.

» More on Off to War

Music: Soundtrack to Brother’s Keeper, music by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason: "Roscoe’s Waterfall" / "Fiddler's Elbow"

Nick Hornby

Best-selling author Nick Hornby on why he can't ever read enough books: The Polysyllabic Spree.

Events: Nick Hornby reading (and speaking with Sarah Vowell):
Tuesday, December 7 at 7PM
Housing Works at 126 Crosby Street

Music: Soundtrack to Benny & Joon, music by Rachel Portman: "Snorkel Mask" / "Hubcaps"

Serena Bass

High-profile caterer Serena Bass tells how to feed friends every hour of the day: Serena, Food & Stories.

Events: Serena Bass will be doing a demo and signing books
Saturday December 11 at 2PM
Broadway Panhandler (477 Broome St)

Music: Soundtrack to Le Divorce, music by Richard Robbins: "Rollerblade"

Tributes: Jeanne-Claude

The Leonard Lopate Show

Jeanne-Claude created environmental works of art with her husband and fellow-conspirator/collaborator Christo. Together, they wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin, the Pont-Neuf in Paris, and created The Gates, with billowy orange drapes, in Central Park. Jeanne-Claude just died at the age of 74. You can hear Leonard Lopate’s last interview with them both, from July 19, 1999.

Let’s Go Swimming!

The Leonard Lopate Show

According to the Centers for Disease Control, bacterial, viral, and parasitic organisms found in recreational water in the United States sicken thousands of people every year, and even result in deaths. We’ll speak with chemist and industrial hygienist Monona Rossol about the protozoa, amoebas and other things that love to go swimming with us. Monona is also founder and President of Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety.

Frank McCourt

The Leonard Lopate Show

Frank McCourt has been a guest many times on this show over the years, starting in 1996 for the memoir, Angela’s Ashes, that would earn him a Pulitzer Prize. Fame came to him late in life, after he’d retired at the age of 65 from teaching English and creative writing at public schools here in New York. He was a sweet, eloquent man who spoke with grace and humility; he just died at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer. You can hear him speaking with Leonard Lopate for his Survival Kit in 2000, and in 2005, for his memoir, Teacher Man.

Science and Faith

The Leonard Lopate Show

Earlier this week, Pres. Obama announced that he plans to nominate geneticist Dr. Francis Collins to lead the National Institutes of Health. You can listen to Leonard’s 2006 conversation with Dr. Collins about how he reconciles his personal faith with his professional scientific knowledge.

FDA to Regulate Tobacco?

The Leonard Lopate Show

May 14, 2009
Congress is getting ready to a vote on whether to make tobacco subject to FDA regulation. You can listen to a segment we did in May about the bill and what it would mean for the cigarette companies.

Our 3-ingredient Challenge wins a James Beard Award

The Leonard Lopate Show

On May 3, the Lopate Show won its third James Beard Award for our 3-ingredient challenge. In August, we asked our listeners to call in and name 3 ingredients and then challenged New York chef and 3-ingredient expert Rozanne Gold to whip up a recipe! You can listen to the 3-ingredient challenge and get some inspiration for simple, delicious, and unexpected dishes.

Leonard is on Facebook

Now Leonard is on Facebook! We’re posting photos, status updates, links to notable interviews, and lots more. Check it out.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

Listen to President-Elect Barack Obama on the Leonard Lopate Show in November 2004. He had recently won a seat in the U.S. Senate, and only a few months before, his rousing speech during the 2004 Democratic National Convention catapulted him into the national spotlight.