Eating From the Ground Up

MENUMENU
  • About
  • Recipes
    • By Category

      • Bites
      • Breads and Crackers
      • breakfast
      • drinks
      • Home Dairy
      • Mains
      • On the Side
      • Pickles and Preservation
      • salads
      • Sauces, Dressings and Spreads
      • snacks
      • soups
      • Sweets
    • By Ingredient

      • apples
      • asparagus
      • Beans
      • Beef
      • beets
      • Berries
      • Broccoli and Broccoli Raab
      • brussels sprouts
      • cabbage
      • carrots
      • cauliflower
      • celeriac
      • Cheese
      • Chick Peas
      • Chicken
      • chocolate
      • corn
      • eggs
      • Fish
      • garlic
      • Grains
      • Herbs and Flowers
      • kale
      • leeks
      • lentils
      • pasta
      • pears
      • peppers
      • Pork
      • potatoes
      • Quince
      • radishes
      • rhubarb
      • stone fruit
      • summer squash
      • Tomatoes and Tomatillos
      • winter squash
      • yogurt
  • Not Recipes
    • Family
    • Politics and Activism
    • The Writing Process
    • travels
    • Kids in the Kitchen
    • My Berkshires
    • 1st of the Month
    • The Garden
  • My Books

    • Signed copies from my local bookstore
      From Amazon
      From B&N


    • From Amazon
      From B&N
      From Powell's

    • Front cover The Homemade Pantry
      From Amazon
      From Barnes and Noble
      From Indie Bound

  • Yogurt
  • contact
  • Blog

(first of the month) stories on the radio

Tuesday, April 8, 2014 by alana

IMG_4237

Last week for Joey’s birthday, we went down to New York for the day so he could see his favorite podcast, RISK!, live and in person. That show was so good, it sparked a whole new round of us talking about it with friends who don’t listen to podcasts, retelling the stories (always ending in “Oh, I can’t do it justice- you just have to listen!), explaining how we access them, and trying to convince them that they, too, can be someone who listens to podcasts. This morning I saw that the entire RISK! show we saw (the second and last stories are my favorites, especially) was up and available for anyone to listen to, and I though it might be a good time to talk about podcasts, how we access them, and start a running list of podcasts you might want to check out.

There are as many different podcasts as there are anything else out there in the world of media. We don’t have TV, and we listen to a lot of radio, so Joey and I end up downloading mostly storytelling podcasts, and this is a big part of our weekly entertainment. I do a lot of cooking to podcasts, too. You might be familiar with The Moth, which is the the most famous of this group. There are also more podcasts that tell stories in more crafted ways, like This American Life, which I think most people have heard at some point by now.

You can access most podcasts through iTunes or through the shows’ websites, but I use a free app on my phone called Stitcher. You can look up the podcasts there, add them to a favorites list, and the program refreshes those favorites as they become available.

Here are the podcasts on my favorites list right now:

RISK!: This is a storytelling podcast, mostly culled from live shows like the one Joey and I went to. It’s totally not appropriate for kids, as some of the stories have pretty explicit sexual content. Kevin Allison, formerly of The State, is the host and curator, and the main theme of the show is “stories you never dared to share”. The result is storytelling that’s usually pretty raw, emotional, and often really funny. And live shows are every month in NYC (as well as a few other places), and tickets are cheap and easy to get. I recommend that, too.

Snap Judgement: This is a more produced story telling podcast. Some of the stories are appropriate for older kids (so you can listen in the car or in the kitchen), and Glen will let you know if something inappropriate is coming up. My favorite part of this is Glen’s own stories, which are always fantastic.

This American Life: Again, I’m assuming you’re familiar with this! But I can’t do a podcast line up without a nod to Ira.

Hot Grease: This is Nicole Taylor talking about food. I just love the way she talks about food and pretty much everything else, too, and it gives me just enough of the hip Brooklyn food scene without actually having to really experience it.

The Moth: The king of all storytelling shows. I think it’s more formulaic than RISK! or some of the more raw shows, but there are some great stories on there.

Radiolab: This is science, edited and artsy. The editing style drives some people nuts, but some of the content is really thought-provoking. And some shows are appropriate and great for kids, too.

Savage Lovecast: This is a call-in show with Dan Savage, a sex advice columnist I’ve been reading since I was a teenager. It’s totally not appropriate to listen to around kids, and can get really explicit. But Dan is so smart and thoughtful, and above all, he gives some of the best relationship advice I’ve heard. Also, whether or not your own sex life involves crazy fetishes or polyamory, I think it can be really helpful to hear people talk about the more extreme corners of what people are doing sexually. In my experience, it makes it easier to get used to talking and thinking about sex in an open and healthy way.

KCRW’s Strangers: This is a storytelling podcast with a great host. Essentially, she interviews people with a question in mind, and then reflects on what she learns from the interviews.

The Truth: Strange and often creepy radio drama!

99% invisible: This is a short and really brilliant show about architecture and design. I always love the stories, but mostly I listen because the host, Roman Mars, not only has an amazing name, but he has one of my favorite voices out there. He could talk about anything and I’d hang on every word.

For today’s first (8th) of the month, let’s talk podcasts! Anything out there you’ve discovered and  want to share? Questions about how to listen?  Or if you’re looking for something in particular, let me know that, too! I’m sure there’s a podcast out there for you.

 

 

Filed Under: 1st of the Month

« the beginning
Why I love Passover »

Comments

  1. Margo, Thrift at Home says

    Tuesday, April 8, 2014 at 5:59 pm

    fascinating. I’ve been checking books on tape out of the library because I’ve been wanting to listen to more stuff. Our public radio station has content that doesn’t interest me at all right now, except for the weekends, so I haven’t been listening to much.

    I’ve enjoyed Christine Cyr Clisset’s podcasts ThreadCult – they’re all about sewing and fibers. She interviews people and I’ve learned a lot.

  2. Mary says

    Tuesday, April 8, 2014 at 11:15 pm

    My husband and I love podcasts! Our favorites are:

    Stuff You Should Know, from HowStuffWorks.com. The podcast features two friends, Josh and Chuck, who research a wide variety of topics and spend each show talking about one particular topic. They’ve had the podcast since 2008 and have thousands of episodes. We like it because the flow is very conversational, they have a lot of dad humor (and who doesn’t love dad humor), and you learn about some pretty cool stuff. It’s pretty kid-friendly, too.

    Welcome to Nightvale. This podcast is a radio show for a fictional town. It’s absolutely absurd and hilarious.

    Bullseye with Jesse Thorn. Jesse is a public radio personality out in LA and probably my favorite interviewer that I’ve ever listened to. Bullseye mostly consists of interviews with various famous people. It’s like listening to a conversation between two friends and is often very funny and heartfelt.

    • alana says

      Friday, April 11, 2014 at 7:08 pm

      Nightvale’s getting a good shout out here! My husband’s into it, but I haven’t loved it in the same way. You all are making me think I should give it another try.

  3. Kat says

    Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 1:13 am

    We hit pretty much everything on your list plus Thrilling Adventure Hour (specifically Beyond Belief and Sparks Nevada, Marshall on Mars) and TED talks, of course.

  4. Hannah says

    Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 3:54 am

    RadioLab is such a favorite here. Also Science Fridays (we listen on the radio, but I think they have a podcast too) and Forum, which is a program from our local public radio station where they talk about politics and current events – some of it is specific to our area but often it is of national interest …

  5. Jennifer says

    Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 3:54 am

    What a good idea! I don’t do podcasts much, but I think it all has to do with not knowing what is out there. I’m looking forward to reading the comments and doing some listening.

  6. pamela says

    Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 4:01 am

    this is so great! i feel so out of the tech world that even podcasts are foreign to me. yes, how how how can i listen to them? i know how to download this american life on itunes, is that what you do, and then play from your computer? thanks for sharing.

    • alana says

      Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 1:14 pm

      Yes, Pamela- you can download all of these on iTunes. But if you have a phone or iPad, stitcher radio (link is in the post) is really great. You can just create a list of the podcasts you like, and then the app makes the newest episode available on demand.

  7. Laura @ Chaotic Domestic says

    Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 1:02 pm

    I enjoy book podcasts. I listen to Books on the Nightstand – which is actually how I originally found your book! I also listen to Literary Disco.

  8. Kim Uhuru says

    Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 4:38 pm

    I second Welcome to Nightvale, which is about a town populated by aliens, apparitions, and other weirdos. Also A Prairie Home Companion, the granddaddy of them all, about life in a small Midwestern town. Also Slate’s Political Gabfest if you are a political junkie, or if you aren’t and just want a smart, balanced take on it.

  9. Deb says

    Thursday, April 10, 2014 at 2:41 am

    I just wanted to say I enjoy reading your blog. You are so completely different from myself and I love it! I enjoy people different from me so thank you! I have never listened to a podcast and am in the computer industry. I am going to check into this when my job slows down. Thank you for being you!

    • alana says

      Friday, April 11, 2014 at 7:08 pm

      Aw, thank you Deb 🙂

  10. Kristen says

    Thursday, April 10, 2014 at 1:07 pm

    I walk a lot and some days I get so excited to go just to listen to my podcasts! My favorites include:
    Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
    Books on the Nightstand
    NPR: Books
    NPR: Food
    Fresh Air
    This American Life
    60 Minutes (we don’t have tv either, and this has turned out to be really really interesting some weeks)
    and I just started trying Louisiana Eats! which foodies might enjoy

    Also, there are some for kids out there, too. I highly recommend Storynory (my kids adored this when they were younger and my 10 year old still likes it — lots of fairy tales, fables, and myths)

    • alana says

      Friday, April 11, 2014 at 7:09 pm

      60 minutes! I never thought to look for their podcast, but I feel like I would really love that.

      And thanks for including kids’ podcasts too. I’m always on the lookout. We’ll check out Storynory for sure.

  11. Jenn says

    Thursday, April 10, 2014 at 2:19 pm

    I’ll have to check out Nightvale. I listen to all the Slate podcasts as well as Too Beautiful To Live (TBTL). TBTL isn’t for everyone, but it has an extremely dedicated core group of listeners. Right now it’s hosted by a couple of smart, 30-something males who just talk about their daily life, news and culture. However, their level of honesty makes it pretty engaging.

  12. Michelle B says

    Thursday, April 10, 2014 at 6:35 pm

    I also love Radiolab, The Moth, TAL. I also like Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me to hear news in a way that makes you laugh instead of cry. I also enjoy the Freakonomics podcast, no story telling there but lots of quirkiness that I feel helps me understand human nature so much better. A story telling one I do enjoy is WireTap, which is fictionalized reality but regardless a lot of fun.

  13. Diana says

    Friday, April 11, 2014 at 6:05 pm

    I’m so glad you gave a shout-out to the Savage Love podcast. The whole world could have a better sex life if they just listened to Dan and got brave enough to ask for what they want. My other passion is books, so I listen to the NPR Books podcast. It’s a great way to keep up with interesting new books that are being released..

    • alana says

      Friday, April 11, 2014 at 7:10 pm

      I totally agree about Savage Love. It’s great for everyone.

  14. Marisa says

    Friday, April 11, 2014 at 10:24 pm

    Thanks for the great list-I can’t wait to check some of these out! I always forget to turn on podcasts, or music, or anything while I’m cooking, but sometimes silence is nice too. When I do think to listen, I enjoy Good Food and The Splendid Table.

  15. Kendra says

    Saturday, April 12, 2014 at 10:28 am

    We listen to the culture gabfest from Slate. I especially love lining up several of them to listen to when we make the trip from Richmond, VA back home to Rhode Island for our summer vacation. It is great way to help sift through all of the amazing TV, movies, books, articles etc…

    • alana says

      Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at 11:19 am

      My husband’s a big fan of that one, so I end up listening to it when he puts it on to do the dishes.

  16. Leah says

    Saturday, April 12, 2014 at 7:47 pm

    So in love with Welcome to Night Vale, which is like a surreal Prairie Home Companion.

    • alana says

      Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at 11:19 am

      You’re not alone- that’s probably the most mentioned here in the comments! I haven’t gotten into it, but I’ll give it another try.

  17. mary says

    Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 6:22 am

    This American Life and the Splendid Table are all great podcasts. Frontline also has a podcast. However they don’t update all the time.
    If you like movies, The Movies that Weaned us, is a great podcast. Several brothers from a large family talk about movies. They are very funny and knowledgeable. They talk about old movies and newer ones. It is fun to listen to while cooking. especially if you are in need of a good laugh.

  18. Lori says

    Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 3:36 pm

    How has no-one mentioned my two favorites: Planet Money and Marc Maron’s WTF (also not suitable for kids)?

    • alana says

      Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at 11:18 am

      Oh, I have such a love/ hate relationship with Planet Money! I love to listen to it, but it always makes me feel like I’m totally screwed, and I need to go to a financial planner RIGHT NOW. Still, yes, I love it.

      • alana says

        Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at 11:32 pm

        Lori, I just realized it’s Marketplace Money that makes me feel freaked about about retirement. That’s a good one too! But Planet Money- I just have a love/ love relationship with that one 🙂

    • mary says

      Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 5:30 pm

      Marc Maron in so funny. He also has a few cooking shows on the web. He makes really good minestrone soup. Its fun to watch him cook in his tiny kitchen.

  19. Jessica says

    Monday, April 14, 2014 at 4:48 pm

    I love this! My husband and I both listen to podcasts, though he listens to more than me, and I’ve been thinking of expanding my repertoire lately. Risk! and Bullseye are both maxfun (maximumfun.org) podcasts, and I’ve come to love that network. I highly recommend you go to their website and check out more of their shows. My favorites tend to be the comedy ones, but I love Bullseye, too. I listen to My Brother My Brother and Me (not for kids, but hilarious), Jordan, Jesse, Go! (not for kids), One Bad Mother (not for kids but great for stressed out parents), and Judge John Hodgman- which is appropriate for kids 99% of the time and if there’s an episode that won’t be they warn you in the beginning. Not only does it entertain my kids, too, but despite being a comedy podcast John Hodgman always doles out really useful advice at the end that I think is great for my kids to hear. He just treats people well, and I love that. I’ve been wanting to try out Sawbones and Song Exploder, lately.

    I also love Radiolab, Freakonomics, and Science Friday, as have been mentioned here. I’ll have to try some of the others on the list! I need more kid friendly podcasts, it won’t be long before they’re out of school and I’ll have very little time to listen to anything without them around.

    • alana says

      Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at 11:17 am

      I’ve been meaning to explore the maxfun network, and I haven’t gone beyond RISK!- but you’ve inspired me. And a podcast for stressed out parents? I’m there. Thanks for the recs- there are so many that are new to me here.

  20. JenniferTobey says

    Monday, April 14, 2014 at 7:17 pm

    I listen to all the geeky podcasts!
    PotterCast was my very first podcast & I still listen when they have new ones! Hello Internet is a new favorite. The Incomparable is new to me but has been around for awhile; I love a good Star Wars chat. The Splendid Table is lovely as is The Good Life project. Welcome to NightVale is in my queue but I haven’t listened very far. New York City History: The Bowery Brothers is also great.

    • mary says

      Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 5:34 pm

      The podcast, The Movies that Weaned Us, has a great Star Wars chat.

  21. Heather M says

    Monday, April 21, 2014 at 9:20 pm

    I don’t think anyone has mentioned the New Yorker Fiction podcast or Selected Shorts! Maybe I missed it? They are SO GOOD! The New Yorker Fiction podcast is New Yorker short story writers picking their favorite short stories from the magazine, then discussing with the fiction editor. It’s wonderful, and I don’t actually get particularly excited about reading short stories in the New Yorker.

    • alana says

      Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at 6:45 pm

      Thank you, Heather- I’d forgotten New Yorker Fiction. I love that one. And yes, yes, Selected Shorts!


Welcome!

I’m Alana, and I write about food, family and the wonderful chaos that ensues when the two combine. If you’re new to the site, here are a few good places to start, or learn more about me on my about page.

Follow me on Instagram.

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Become a Sponsor

One_Alana_Ad 2016

alanachernila

The Homemade Pantry, The Homemade Kitchen, Eating From The Ground Up 🍳

Instagram post 2337331591407595410_13442450 Sending off my taxes today with intention and prayer that they will be used to support programs for the most vulnerable, and that my little contribution will join with others to help move us towards the country I know we can be. #taxmagic ✨
Instagram post 2335726864949371764_13442450 Goodies en route to @north_plain_farm today for pickup! Word about town is that LOTS of moolah was raised for BRIDGE in this little #bakersagainstracism bake sale. Thanks to North Plain Farm and @raisinporpoise for the organizing, to everyone who bought and bid, and most of all to BRIDGE for the essential work they do. (Want to learn more about BRIDGE? Head to the link in my profile.)
Instagram post 2332756427273440195_13442450 So technically you’re not supposed to send food when trying to find an agent, but I did it it. 10 years ago, my granola helped seal that deal, and he insisted I send it to publishers when we were selling The Homemade Pantry (another general publishing no no) That Landed-a woman-with-no-platform-a-book deal Granola is up for grabs in this amazing bake sale, as well as goodies by some of my very favorite bakers (@madeinghent , @raisinporpoise , and @thedooryard to name a few). Oh and maybe my favorite item in there are the magical @susanspungen ginger chocolate cookies I mentioned a few weeks back, made by Sadie herself. All of this is to support the work of @multiculturalbridge , and the order form is up in my bio. Get to it! #bakersagainstracism
Instagram post 2330317921708403058_13442450 My friend @afgoldfarb has been part of a team of people working on this vital project. The link to learn more and help out is in my profile.
Instagram post 2330131706816229761_13442450 I’ll be baking up a storm for this! Local bakers- there’s still room for more! Let @north_plain_farm know that you want IN.
Instagram post 2324845496300301430_13442450 To those who ask here? In Great Barrington? YES. In Great Barrington.
Instagram post 2324091364266290851_13442450 I know there are so many resources out there right now, but I want to share one that’s been really helpful for me in the last several months. There are many seasons of this podcast, but I recommend Season 2 on Whiteness as well is Season 4 on Democracy. #sceneonradio
Instagram post 2322615811734696638_13442450 Black lives matter.
Instagram post 2319329508599466327_13442450 I did not bake these cookies, as I am no longer the cookie baker in this house. But this is the second time that  Sadie has made @susanspungen ‘s Triple-Ginger Chocolate Chunk Cookies (and also the second time I’ve talked about a recipe Sadie has made from the #openkitchencookbook), and I think these might actually be the best cookies I have ever had. I’m often looking for the perfect ginger cookie and this is it, and I’d also choose it over a chocolate chip cookie (or let’s be honest-any other kind of cookie) any day.
Instagram post 2316311882260313364_13442450 No matter how many rulers and pizza cutters and other magical tools I use, it seems that the straight line will always elude me.
Instagram post 2314127252740427104_13442450 Living it up. 💥
Instagram post 2312088043104000827_13442450 Every day my neighbor’s yard gets prettier.
Instagram post 2311325683330503572_13442450 @paulaperlis sent us @susanspungen ‘s new book and of course the first recipe Sadie picked is marked with the *project* heading. She’s been cooking all afternoon and the house smells like ✨✨✨ (With gorgeous images by @gentlandhyers ❤️)
Instagram post 2311141543964321092_13442450 When I took on a day job a few years ago, I found that the first thing to go was all the homemade stuff I’d been making and writing about over the years. I’m still going out to work most days, but I’m finding now with a full and captive house and more downtime in general that those things I love to make are back. For me, it’s granola, yogurt, bread. Hello, old friends!
Instagram post 2308503311808232748_13442450 All the things in the house pasta: roasted cauliflower, a few sad leaves of kale, one jar of fancy tuna saved for a special occasion (how about Wednesday?), Rosemary, homemade breadcrumbs from the freezer fried in butter, crispy sage leaves, pasta water, salt, so much pepper. Success!
Instagram post 2307412630968777107_13442450 @artbywoodgy made this beautiful thing for me for Mother’s Day. All the veggies are on Velcro so I can plan to my hearts delight.
Instagram post 2306345003953662730_13442450 Happy Mother’s Day to my brave and beautiful mom, who birthed two different humans in such different times in her life. With me she was so young, and she figured it all out just as she was learning how to be an adult. This picture was taken nineteen years later, when she was pregnant again and I was almost an adult myself. Thanks for keeping at it, Mom, and for always showing up with love. ❤️
Instagram post 2304888771283579843_13442450 What we do for cake.
Instagram post 2302665269449083186_13442450 It’s a magnolia year for sure.
Instagram post 2295808104927071821_13442450 A long time ago, Joey talked about his crush on this particular alien-like flower with a good friend of ours. Months later, little bulbs arrived in the mail. We put them in the ground last fall, and now they are everywhere. If that isn’t some kind of magic, I don’t know what is. ✨ (🙏🏻 to @wildflowers1 for the cool vase, too.)
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

My books!

Signed copies from my local bookstore/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Front cover The Homemade Kitchen

Amazon /B&N /Powell's


Front cover The Homemade PantryAmazon
B&N
Powell's


Tense moments

failed cornbreadPan shattered in the oven? Jelly didn’t set? Trying to find a solution for a problem in the kitchen? Let’s get through the tense moments together, starting here.

Classes and workshops

My latest book!

Learn more about my latest book, Eating from the Ground Up. It's perfect for all you vegetable lovers out there.

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

COPYRIGHT © 2025 EATING FROM THE GROUND UP.