As We Eat
Claim This Podcastby Epicurean Creative
Podcast Overview
<p>Food enthusiasts, Kim Baker and Leigh Olson, invite you on a storytelling journey exploring food memories, family recipes, food traditions, cuisines, cookery, and food history to discover how food connects, defines, and inspires us.</p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
10/27/2020
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Recent Episodes
May 21, 2024
EP 84 Milked Dry: Tales from NYC’s Dairy Battlegrounds
<p>Milk - the quintessential wholesome beverage. But in 1930s New York City, it sparked a decade-long battle of epic proportions. Pitting dairy farmers against corporations, unions against consumers, this "Milk War" plunged the city into chaos as supplies dwindled and public safety hung in the balance over...a glass of milk? Listen in to this utterly captivating and unbelievable true story.</p><p><strong>A Milky War - When Food Turned Criminal in NYC</strong></p><p> Food & Crime - it's not a natural pairing that comes to mind. Food is sustenance, something wholesome that nourishes us. Crime, on the other hand, is the dark underbelly of society that violates laws and morals. But in the annals of New York City's history, there was a time when these two forces explosively collided over one of the most seemingly innocent food items - milk.</p><p><strong>NYC Dairy Wars - When the City Ran Dry</strong></p><p> In the 1930s, a complex web of competing business interests, farmer cooperatives, and consumer demands sparked what became known as the "Milk Wars" in New York City. At the center were three gigantic dairy corporations that controlled the lion's share of the city's fluid milk market. </p><p> The dairy companies were accused of monopolistic practices, price fixing, and pressuring farmer co-ops in their favor. Meanwhile, independent farmers felt cheated by the cooperatives and big business arrangements. Picket lines formed, milk supplies dwindled, and New Yorkers faced the prospect of their city running dry of its coveted dairy supply.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Milk Depots - An Oasis of Milk Safety </strong></p><p> However, from this sea of scandal and scarcity, innovations emerged that improved milk safety and access for the masses. Facilities funded by philanthropists like Nathan Straus distributed pasteurized milk, nutrition advice, and even affordable meals to impoverished New Yorkers.</p><p> These milk depots became beacons of dairy enlightenment in the city's war over its "liquid gold."</p><p><strong>The Dairy - A Pastoral Picnic Paradise </strong></p><p> But the most delightful outcome was an idyllic restaurant and grazing area for cows which allowed families to escape the city's chaos. As Frederick Law Olmsted envisioned, they could picnic by the brook, enjoy fresh milk and simple fare, and for a moment, be transported to a pastoral wonderland amidst the concrete jungle's dairy battles.</p><p> The NYC Dairy Wars were a tumultuous saga pitting big business versus farmers, consumers caught in the middle, and the very notion of milk as a pure, wholesome food source at stake. Yet from the greed and turmoil, innovations in safety and access emerged, ensuring that even as guns metaphorically blazed over batches of milk, the inherent goodness and idyllic imagery surrounding this fundamental food endured.</p><p> So grab a glass of milk, find a quiet patch of green, and give a listen to this utterly fascinating episode that reminds us that when it comes to food, the quest for monetary gain must never outweigh a society's core decency and values. The stakes are just too high when you're messing with something as crucial as mom's good ol' milk.</p><p><strong>Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode</strong> </p><p> The Prospect Park Dairy’s Throwback Menu - Prospect Park Alliance</p><p> The Great Milk Wars | Brooklyn History Part 1 - The Brownstoner</p><p> The Great Milk Wars | Brooklyn History Part 2 - The Brownstoner</p><p> The Great Milk Wars | Brooklyn History Part 3 - The Brownstoner</p><p> The Great Milk Wars | Brooklyn History Part 4 - The Brownstoner</p><p><strong>Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Milk: A 10,000-Year History</strong> by Mark Kurlansky</li></ul><p> Purchase: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/84555/9781632863836" rel="nofollow">Bookshop.org</a> OR <a href="https://amzn.to/4a7lmmg" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p><ul><li><strong>Milk: A Local and Global History</strong> by Deborah Valenze</li></ul><p> Purchase: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/84555/9780300188127" rel="nofollow">Bookshop.org</a> OR <a href="https://amzn.to/3y8ChaE" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </p><p> When you think of milk, what first comes to mind - a pure, wholesome beverage or a commodity ripe for corruption and greed after hearing this unbelievable saga? Share your thoughts on how this episode challenged or reinforced your perceptions of milk.</p><p>🎧 <a href="https://share.descript.com/view/S0hbkBtg26V" rel="nofollow">Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode</a> 🎧</p><br/><br/>Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations'>https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations</a>
May 7, 2024
EP 83 Curdled Trust: Death in a Jug
<p> Milk - the quintessential wholesome beverage meant to "do a body good." But what sinister secrets lie beneath the pure white surface? Listen as Kim and Leigh tell the shocking tale of a scandal that plagued 19th century New York, when corrupt dairies were essentially poisoning the city's children for profit. This diabolical saga exposes the dark underbelly of an industry gone rotten.</p><p><strong>Food & Crime: The Sinister Side of Milk</strong></p><p> Milk is held up as a paragon of purity - a wholesome, calcium-rich nectar meant to nourish children and build strong bones. Iconic marketing slogans like "Milk: It Does a Body Good" have engrained milk's virtuousness into our cultural psyche. But behind this pristine facade lies a dark history stained with greed, corruption, and what can only be described as food crime.</p><p><strong>The Swill Milk Scandal: Poisoning a City's Children</strong></p><p> In the mid-19th century, as New York City's population exploded from industrialization, an insidious operation was unfolding. Rather than providing pure, quality milk from pastoral cows, many dairies turned to abhorrent cost-cutting measures. Cows were kept in foul, unventilated sheds, fed a noxious swill of fermented brewery and distillery waste. The resulting "milk" was a thin, bluish, and potentially toxic liquid hardly fit for consumption.</p><p><strong>Corruption Shielding the Milk Murderers</strong></p><p> Despite widespread public outrage over the deadly swill milk, the powerful interests behind the corrupt dairies worked tirelessly to shield themselves. Tammany Hall alderman "Swill Milk Mike" Tuomey led rigged hearings designed to discredit critics and health authorities. Behind closed doors, he colluded with dairy owners, accepting bribes and ensuring no substantial regulations would interfere with their lucrative scheme.</p><p> It would take over a decade of fighting against entrenched corruption before any food safety laws could be enacted. </p><p><strong>The Legacy of Milk Adulteration and Food Crime</strong></p><p> While finally curtailed in the late 19th century, the swill milk scandal foreshadowed an issue that still plagues the modern food industry - adulteration for profits. </p><p> Diving deep into food's sordid criminal underworld, our latest podcast episode provides a gripping cautionary tale about the toxic consequences of unchecked corporate greed meeting feeble regulations. Stay tuned for more on this disturbing chapter of culinary history.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode</strong> </p><p> <a href="https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1858/05/13/78535562.pdf?ip=0&pdf_redirect=true" rel="nofollow">How We Poison Our Children</a>, New York Times, May 13, 1858</p><p> <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/swill-milk-scandal-new-york-city" rel="nofollow">The 19th-Century Swill Milk Scandal That Poisoned Infants With Whiskey Runoff</a>, Gastro Abscura</p><p> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSOdUY8RSYU" rel="nofollow">The Swill Milk Scandal of 1858</a> | STUFF YOU MISSED IN HISTORY CLASS</p><p> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swill_milk_scandal" rel="nofollow">Swill milk scandal</a>, Wikipedia</p><p> <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/surprisingly-intolerant-history-milk-180969056/" rel="nofollow">The Surprisingly Intolerant History of Milk</a>, Smithsonian Magazine</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading</strong></p><p>Milk: A 10,000-Year History by Mark Kurlansky</p><ul><li>Purchase: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/84555/9781632863836" rel="nofollow">Bookshop.org</a> OR <a href="https://amzn.to/4a7lmmg" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </li></ul><p><br></p><p>Milk: A Local and Global History by Deborah Valenze</p><ul><li>Purchase: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/84555/9780300188127" rel="nofollow">Bookshop.org</a> OR <a href="https://amzn.to/3y8ChaE" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> </li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Transcript</strong></p><p>🎧 <a href="https://share.descript.com/view/w6kI082KUou" rel="nofollow">Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode</a> 🎧 </p><p> Here’s our question for you: What shocks you most about the depths corporations were willing to stoop for profits during the Swill Milk Scandal - poisoning infants by adulterating milk with toxic substances, the blatant corruption shielding these practices, or society's sluggish response in enacting food safety regulations? Do you think adequate safeguards are in place today to prevent similar food crimes, or are you concerned corporate greed could still lead to public health crises from contaminated food supplies?</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Coming Up</strong></p><p>Join us in two weeks for our next episode as we dive into the chaotic and violent "Milk Wars" that gripped New York City in the 1930s, when rival milk truck driver gangs waged a turf war over the city's dairy distribution.</p><p>If you’re enjoying the podcast, we would love to have you join our supporting subscribers. Whether it’s a <a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/asweeat" rel="nofollow">one-time gift</a>, <a href="https://asweeat.substack.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow">a monthly or yearly subscription</a>, or sharing the episode/publication with a friend (or three), we appreciate your support of our work!</p><br/><br/>Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations'>https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations</a>
April 23, 2024
EP 82 Quiet Whispers: Hot Coffee & Eggless Mayo
<p>Dig into the seedy underbelly of the food world, where corporate titans wage secret wars over seemingly innocent products like eggless mayonnaise and hot coffee. From multi-million dollar legal battles to covert smear campaigns, this episode exposes the cloak-and-dagger tactics used by Big Food to protect profits - even if it means burning victims along the way. Get a tantalizing taste of the crimes and deception lurking behind your favorite eats.</p><p><strong>The Seedy Underbelly of Food & Crime</strong></p><p>You may think your innocent morning coffee or favorite sandwich spread is just that - innocent. But the food world has a dark side full of corporate espionage, legal battles, and covert smear campaigns. Get ready to explore the sinister side of your everyday eats.</p><p><strong>Eggless Mayonnaise Sparks War</strong></p><p>In 2014, an upstart vegan company dared to make a plant-based mayonnaise alternative called Just Mayo. Industry titan Unilever (maker of Hellmann's) wasn't having it, suing to prevent them representing the products as "mayo" since it contained no eggs.</p><p>But the scandal went deeper than a simple labeling dispute. The American Egg Board, a USDA-sanctioned organization, secretly hired bloggers to promote pro-egg messaging and create anti-Just Mayo online ads. Emails even discussed plans to publicly "hit" the Just Mayo founder.</p><p>This mayonnaisemelee shows how far Big Food will go to protect its turf - using underhanded tactics that seem better suited to cloak-and-dagger spies than sellers of sandwich spreads.</p><p><strong>The Hot Coffee Burning Truth</strong></p><p>In the 1990s, an elderly woman named Stella Liebeck was severely burned by McDonald's coffee that was served at a stunningly-high 180-190°F. She sued, initially asking for just $20,000 in expenses, but the case ballooned into a multi-million dollar punitive damages award.</p><p>The media painted Liebeck as merely an opportunistic litigant. But the truth reveals McDonald's knew its coffee caused serious burns. The truth of Liebeck's burns and medical costs were glossed over as the public mocked her award.</p><p>Years later, the hot coffee case demonstrates how large corporations control the narrative through selective reporting - distorting a victim's reality to protect their practices.</p><p><strong>Corporate Espionage or Savvy Business?</strong></p><p>With billions at stake, it's no surprise that major food players will go to great lengths to maintain dominance and squash threats. From funding shadowy PR campaigns to manipulating public perception, the cases of Just Mayo and McDonald's hot coffee give a glimpse into the darker side of the food industry.</p><p>But are these simply savvy business moves to protect assets and brands? Or have companies crossed ethical lines better suited to the world of spies and criminals than honest food purveyors? Decide for yourself as you hear the full fascinating story on the latest Food & Crime episode of the As We Eat Podcast.</p><p><strong>Transcript</strong></p><p>🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧</p><br/><br/>Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations'>https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations</a>
116 total episodes available
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- What is As We Eat?
<p>Food enthusiasts, Kim Baker and Leigh Olson, invite you on a storytelling journey exploring food memories, family recipes, food traditions, cuisines, cookery, and food history to discover how food connects, defines, and inspires us.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates weekly.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 10 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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