Chef Donna Prizgintas and farmer, artist Lonna Nachtigal explore their rural Midwestern food community with lively discussion and good humor. On the DonnaLonna Kitchen show, their long-running and award-winning radio production turned podcast, the ladies talk about food, farming, recipes, and also offer listeners their advice and opinions. Local and nationally known guests join Donna and Lonna around the kitchen table to discuss how farmers grow our food, what is nourishing and healthy, and ...
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Donna and Lonna visit the Dot Cafe for lunch. Farmer Rob Faux shares some good turkey tales and talks about raising birds organically on pasture.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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Recipes and inspiration from food book authors: Jennifer McLagan, Camilla Wynne, and Nigel Slater.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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Very small things and very big things. The KHOI Science Bytes guys, Mike Meetz and Sam Wormley join us to talk about microbes, pandemics, food safety, asteriods, the moons of Jupiter, comets, and daylight saving time.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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We talk about the many joys of potatoes and onions. Varieties and recipes. We talk about cooking fat, an Onion Rabbit recipe, Leek and Apple Salad, Onion jam, and Sauerkraut Tart.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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Lockwood Cafe is a local treasure on the northwest edge of Ames, Iowa - located in a repurposed grain elevator. We talk to Sharon Stewart about the Cafe's startup, how she keeps it running and the application of kindness, courtesy, and patience as a successful business model.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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We talk with farmer Nick Wallace about making the most out of a small acreage. Beef, honey and more.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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Michael Perry is an accidental New York Times bestselling author, humorist, musician and amateur snowplow driver from New Auburn, Wisconsin. His work includes Population 485, Truck: A Love Story, Coop, Montaigne in Barn Boots, and The Jesus Cow. We talk with Michael about community, food, regional humor, French philosophy and blaze orange hunting c…
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Lead found in cinnamon. Donna talks about the latest news. And we talk about apples, an applesauce poem by Ted Kooser, we consider the many kitchen variations on fruit jam, pumpkin peel research, an apple limerick, and five reasons to consider paying more for your food.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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Jacob Travesette shares his food adventures from growing up in Ames, Iowa to attending the Hoffman Institute - a highly acclaimed, Michelin starred culinary school in Barcelona, Spain. Donna and Jacob compare notes about knives, professional kitchens, Spanish ice cream flavors, shopping, and plums.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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112: Work, Okra delights, Mastication, Bitters
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Donna shares thoughts of work and household chores. Lonna makes a strange but tasty recipe: Okra Marshmallow Delights. How do we chew, taste, and digest our food? We explore mastication and the wide world of bitters.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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All things beans with Steven Cannon, geneticist and researcher for USDA and Associate Professor in the ISU department of Agronomy. Steven talks about the wide range of plants in the legume family and shares the joy of gardening and cooking with beans.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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110: Fresh Okra, Book review, Lovage Sauce
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Celebrate summer and fresh food. Donna and Lonna talk about farmer's markets, ice cream, tomatillos, eggplant. okra and lovage. Donna talks about Dicamba on our farm fields. Lonna reviews a good book: The Whole Okra by Chris Smith. And a good lovage sauce recipe to go with all your summer veggies.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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We taste a homemade Nocino (a black walnut liqueur). Tomatoes: so much to celebrate, so many varieties... seed saving, growing, harvesting, eating and processing for later. We talk about oven-candied tomatoes, gazpacho, green beans and an easy pickle recipe. Donna shares some news about PFA's. And we have fun with the list of new foods coming up at…
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108: Drinks, Carrots, Recipes and Elderberries
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Hydrate! Donna talks about herbal drinks, watermelon, infusions, syrups, and mocktails. Lonna talks about carrot cake and the history of the carrot and the color orange. And we consider the elderberry.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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Who is taking care of our water? Carolyn Raffensperger joins us to talk about the quality, quantity, and the speed with which water moves through our state. Nitrate levels are at an all time high in our rivers. Agriculture and industry are putting extreme demands on our water resources. Is anyone keeping track of the common good?…
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We take a light hearted look at backyard poultry with Cynthia McClure. Cynthia reports on her visit to the first ever Murray McMurray Chicken Festival, held in Webster City, Iowa. We talk about chickens, ducks, guinea hens and eggs. Cynthia shares her recipe for salt-preserved egg yolks.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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Kim Anderson has a way with blueberries. We talk about growing, managing and marketing at the organic, U-pick - Blueberry Bottom Farm in Brighton, Iowa. Kim talks about the challenges of local wildlife, her enthusiastic customers and the growing demand for her berries. We also talk about recipes and her PFI field day in July.…
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103: Healthy Iowa Food Systems with Kamyar Enshayan
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Knowing what to eat is a tricky business. How do we learn to eat healthy food? Donna and Lonna are joined by Kamyar Enshayan, Director of the Center for Energy & Environmental Education at University of Northern Iowa. We explore the latest cancer study data for Iowa. We discuss Ultra Processed Food and health consequences of being able to access go…
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102: Recipe Review, Banjos, Kismet Recipe Book, Garden, Lime Pie, Wild Greens
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A review of a Rhubarb Upsidedown Cake recipe, thoughts on banjos, groundhogs, gardens and Lime Pie. Donna reviews Kismet, a new recipe book... and we explore edible wild spring greens.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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101: Fire in the Kitchen, a History with Nick Land
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How did humans figure out how to cook with fire? We talk to historian and grass fed meat marketer, Nick Land about the evolution of cooking, human development, the open hearth, the invention of matches, Henry Ford and charcoal briquets. And Nick talks about grilling techniques for grass fed meat.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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A celebration of summer: garlic and other good things from the allium family, some thoughts on garage sales, and a good brownie recipe. Donna also reviews a cookbook for kids.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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099: Reliable Street, Growing a Community
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Donna and Lonna talk to Willa Colville and Maegan Bird about the Reliable Street Farmers Market in Ames, Iowa. Reliable Street is the site of many exciting community building activities: Lockwood coffee shop, a community garden, a thrift store, a community refrigerator, green space and playground. The new Farmers Market will host vendors and a free…
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098: No Mow May, Basil, Mint, Mushrooms, Nettle Soup
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We talk about spring lawn care, basil, and mint. Donna gives us the history of switchel. Lonna talks about harvesting and drying golden oyster mushrooms and we explore nettle soup recipes from Alan Bergo's book Flora.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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We start the show with Lonna's review of food and festivities at the 33rd Annual Central Iowa Scottish Spring Ball: kilts, tartans, haggis and Scotch Eggs. Jacqueline Venner Senske joins Donna and Lonna to talk about Practical Farmers of Iowa and horticultural highlights of the upcoming Field Day season.…
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Lonna talks about her visit to the Ames Repair Cafe and Ames Seed Library. Donna gives us an update on GMO corn, our health, the farm economy and our trade relationship with Mexico. We celebrate rhubarb season with growing and harvesting tips, and recipes: rhubarb orange jam, custard pie, rhubarb beet soup, chutney, syrups, and shrubs. We end with …
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095: Consolidation, Monopolies, Big Money in our Food System
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The cost of producing our food affects all of us. Farmers are at the front line of price increases as big corporations take over the production of agricultural inputs. Donna and Lonna report on a Federal Trade Commission Listening Session event held in Nevada, Iowa where FTC chair, Lina Khan heard concerns from midwest farmers about the take over o…
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Celebrating foraging and the first green things of spring: Donna and Lonna talk about motherwort, bluebells, nettles, ground ivy, linden flowers, the alder tree and dandelions. Lonna bakes some yeast brown bread from the classic cookbook by Darian Allen. We learn about how to make comfrey tea plant fertilizer. Donna talks about ramps and ramp farmi…
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092: Spring Recipes, Gingerbread, Garden, Water News
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Falling down a rabbit hole, a salute to snakes, Donna talks about eggs, Lonna talks about gingerbread, we talk about the fish kill on the Nishnabotna River in Iowa. Lonna shares some spring suggestions for the garden and a reads a poem by Mary Oliver about a bear waking up after a long winter.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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091: Workers that feed us - why we need immigrants
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Dr. Jan Flora joins us at the DonnaLonna Kitchen table to talk about immigrant workers. Dr. Flora is professor emeritus at Iowa State University in the College of Agriculture. His recent opinion piece is entitled "Immigrants Serve the Common Good, Including in Iowa: Those are the Facts". We also talk about planting onions.…
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DonnaLonna Kitchen talks to Cara Miller and Jay Goodvin from the Silos and Smokestacks organization about the upcoming Iowa Eats Food and Drink Festival. This is the second year for the event. It will be held April 6, 2024 in Waterloo. Cara Miller talks about vendors, cooking demonstrations, and a pork cook-off. Jay Goodvin shares reviews of Iowa f…
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089: Community service and good food at Mustard Seed Farm
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Good things have been happening at Mustard Seed Farm since it began in 2008. We talk with Alice McGary and Ami Adams about the MSF's commitment to community service, educational outreach and the growing of good food. Mustard Seed Farm provides food for a local medical clinic, Food at First and Romero House, in Ames. They thrive with support from vo…
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088: Donna's Food and Farm Report From New Zealand
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Donna returns from a month in New Zealand with her report on food and farming. Sometimes it's nice to see how things are going in other places besides Iowa. Lonna welcomes Donna back into the studio and hears about New Zealand's dairy and beef production, water quality, the price of groceries, rich farmers, raw milk, a visit to a cider maker and a …
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087: Talking about the elephant with Ruth McCabe
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Conservation is often the "elephant in the room" that doesn't get talked about very much. Conservation agronomist Ruth McCabe shares her insights about the state of agriculture around the globe. Ruth studied farming systems in Australia, Canada, the Chesapeake Bay, Brazil and other locations as part of an international Nuffield Scholarship. She wor…
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Much depends on breakfast. Donna and Lonna explore pancakes and biscuits and gravy at a local Ames restaurant. We talk about the history of breakfast cereals, buckwheat crepes, waffles, brioche and French toast with a small detour into Donna's love affair with pudding.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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Pesticides and herbicides are all over Iowa. These things have consequences. Donna and Lonna talk to farmer, Rob Faux about the lasting effects of pesticide drift on his farm and his work with the Pesticide Action Network to address the problem.By DonnaLonna Kitchen Show
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084: Healing Foods, Taking Care of Yourself
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Donna refuses to use the word "resolution," but we talk about good food, good habits and thoughts that are good to heal the excesses of the holidays and set the pace for a good new year. We talk about soups, collagen, miso, kefir, kitchen remedies for the common cold and a broader look at hopeful actions for earth care and people care.…
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We explore tastes and memories of many holidays past with Mike Murphy and Mike Meetz (friends from our community radio family). The discussion includes: Christmas music, the lemony taste of Yuzu, eggnog, cat ice, big snow and wet wool snowsuits, Donna's mother's oyster casserole, Lonna's winter chicken maintenance, opossum teeth, Mike Meetz's memor…
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Donna and Lonna talk to special guest, Monika Tucker about her experiences working in Antarctica. We consider (very) southern food and culture at the bottom of the world. Monika shares recipes from her German heritage: Rouladen, Rot Kohl, German Cheesecake and memories of her time spent working in a German Bakery. Monika also talks about her kitche…
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Author Joseph Geha joins us to talk about his new book: Kitchen Arabic, How My Family Came to America and the Recipes We Brought With Us. The book is a story of family, food and the story of the Geha family immigration to America from Lebanon. Delightful stories and many recipes make this a fun read and a labor of love. Joe's wife Fern Kupfer, also…
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Donna talks about make-ahead holiday ingredients: candied citrus peel, sugared cranberries and the ins and outs of her famous fudge. We explore the development of organic Christmas sprinkles. Donna gives much good advice on liquors and flavorings for cakes, candies, and traditional plum pudding. And we end with a poem about summer peaches.…
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Side dishes and pie thoughts for the holiday table. Donna and Lonna talk about fun and fancy things to do with potatoes: brown butter/sage and spiralized baked potatoes. Donna gives her recipe for candied fresh cranberries and pumpkin cobbler. Lonna talks about pie crust and reads a poem about being thankful for locally baked bread.…
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We talk turkey with farmer, Rob Faux from Genuine Faux Farm. Donna has the opportunity to show off her turkey calling skills while Rob teaches us about the ins and outs of turkeys. We talk about raising, marketing and cooking the holiday bird and learn about jakes, jennys, free range birds, and how to get turkeys into a pickup truck.…
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Donna and Lonna celebrate fall and Halloween with thoughts of sweet things. Ben Hoksch joins us to tell us about his experience making sorghum. Ben enjoys working with sweet things. He is a botanist, a beekeeper and local maker of maple syrup. Donna talks about gingerbread and taffy. Lonna shares a poem by Alice Walker for the old women, wise women…
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The Farm Bill sets priorities for our nation's farms, food systems, environment and communities. donna and Lonna talk with Aaron Lehman from the Iowa Farmers Union. The IFU has been advocating for farms and rural communities since 1915 and is a voice for conservation, education, research, and sustainable farm policy that affect us all.…
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Squash, pumpkins and the tastes of fall! Donna moves way beyond pumpkin spice mix with an exploration of cinnamons, ginger, anise and a wide variety of tasty spice mixtures. These spices are not just for pumpkin pie. Use them for cakes, cookies, stews, coffee and more. Lonna shares a poem about Weiners and a recipe for Spicy Paprika Tomato Jam. We …
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Donna and Lonna get to know some local nuts with Joe Lynch, farmer, forager, and long time partner with Lonna at Onion Creek Farm. We celebrate the joy of tree crops: black walnuts, butternuts, hickory nuts and acorns. Donna talks about her long time love of chestnuts. Joe also talks about his homemade version of an apple cider press using a garbag…
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Explore what the nose knows. Donna and Lonna discuss the book Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World's Smells by Harold McGee. We find out about the chemistry, anthropology and environmental factors that influence how we experience our world. We talk about the importance of smell in the kitchen, herbs, wine tasting and the science behind it all.…
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072: Good Frosting, Granny Smith, Jam and Jelly
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A birthday cake for Lonna and a good frosting recipe from Donna. Barry McDonald joins us at the kitchen table to talk about his life in Australia. We talk about frogs, colorful language, kangaroo meat and the history of the Granny Smith apple. It's jam and jelly season. Tips and tricks including preparing fruit, jelly bags, pectin, the joy of using…
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071: Salt! An important part of our lives
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Salt! An important part of our lives. Donna and Lonna talk about the book The Miracle of Salt by Naomi Duguid. We talk about weight, density and what constitutes 'saltiness'. We share salt harvesting stories and recipes. Also we talk about the book All the Presidents' Pastries: Twenty-Five Years in the White House by master pastry chef Roland Mesni…
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070: Food literacy: What have we learned?
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What do we know about food? We talk to Kate Gilbert from the Iowa State University Food Science department about the current state of food literacy in academia and on our plates. Kate talks about her family farm, her career and her passion for good, local food. We also explore the Iowa Food Systems Coalition, Iowa food hubs, a Local Food celebratio…
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