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(loop oh/flickr)May the Best Cheese Win
On today's show: a cheese taste-off between France and the USA. American cheesemakers' reputations have lagged behind the French, but with a cheese renaissance happening in states like Vermont and Wisconsin, the Americans might be catching up. Then, a look at the diversity of Indian cuisine, beyond saag paneer and naan. Also, new archaeological details about Petra, which was the capital of a powerful Middle Eastern trading empire 2,000 years ago. And Robert Novak on his 50 year career covering politics in Washington, DC.
France vs. USA: May the Best Cheese Win
In the past, American cheesemakers' reputations have lagged behind the French. Now we'll do a taste test and find out whether America's cheeses have caught up. Ruth Reichl of Gourmet magazine joins cheesemongers Rob Kaufelt of Murray's cheese and Anne Saxelby of Saxelby's Cheese.
Here are the cheeses we're tasting on-air today:
French
Valencay (goats' cheese)
Pyrenee Brebis (raw sheep's milk from the Pyrenees)
Chatelain Camembert
Persille de Malzieu
Mimolette (cows' milk, from Flanders and other parts of northern France)
American
Twig Farm Square Cheese (raw goats' milk, West Cornwall, VT)
Jasper Hill Farm Constant Bliss (raw cows' milk, Greensboro, VT)
Woodcock Farm Weston Wheel (raw sheeps' milk, Weston, VT)
Birchrun Hills Farm Birchrun Blue (raw cows' milk, Chester Springs, PA)
Uplands Farm Pleasant Ridge Reserve (raw cows' milk, Dodgeville, WI)
Go here to see Ruth's recipe for macaroni and cheese
Weigh in: Do you think you could tell the difference between French and American cheeses in a blind taste test?
Eating India
What most Americans know as Indian food is actually Punjabi. India's cuisine is much more diverse, and reflects generations of newcomers -- like ancient Aryan tribes, Middle Eastern Jews, Arabs, and Europeans. Culinary historian and native Bengali Chitrita Banerjee is the author of the new book Eating India.
Eating India is available for purchase at amazon.com
Weigh in: Do you have a favorite regional cuisine of India?
Reconstructing Petra
Two thousand years ago, ancient Petra was the wealthy capital of a powerful trading empire. In the 19th century, its ruins became a destination for wealthy tourists, but because the Jordanian government couldn't afford excavations, Petra's history remained largely unknown. Now archaeologists are piecing together a more complete picture of Petra in its heyday. Leonard talks to Andrew Lawler, author of the recent Smithsonian article "Reconstructing Petra"; and Christopher Tuttle, a Brown University graduate student in archeology who works on the site.
Go here for photos of Petra. Brown University's Petra excavation website also has many helpful photos and diagrams.
Robert Novak, Prince of Darkness
Robert Novak has been covering politics in Washington, DC for fifty years now. His career was in jeopardy when he revealed the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame in 2003; more recently, he told the New York Times Magazine that he thinks Scooter Libby should be pardoned for his role in the leak. His new memoir is Prince of Darkness.
Prince of Darkness is available for purchase at amazon.com
Weigh in: Do you agree with Robert Novak that Scooter Libby should be pardoned?
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