Food is about kinship. Food is about love. Food is about generosity and hospitality. Food is about cultural identity--and all of those factors were neglected when they were given macaroni.
This week's show features an interview with Dr.Elizabeth Dunn, professor of Geography and International Studies at Indiana University. Elizabeth Dunn is also a food scholar. She studies food and immigration.
In a compelling piece in the Iowa Review, called "A Gift from the American People,"
she writes about how food is so much more than a substance that keeps us alive, so much more than mere calories. She reflects on the approach of humanitarian aid organizations that often fail to understand this when providing food aid to displaced people.
Alex Chambers spoke with Elizabeth Dunn in our studio recently. He asked about her experiences working in refugee camps in The Former Soviet Republic of Georgia after ethnic conflict in the breakaway province of South Ossetia.
Learn more about the conflict in South Ossetia:
Scars linger for Georgian refugees, New York Times
Russo-Georgian War, Wikipedia
Along A Shifting Border, Georgia And Russia Maintain An Uneasy Peace, NPR
Learn more about the current global refugee crisis:
The UN High Commission On Human Rights (UNHCR) figures at a glance
The Global Refugee Crisis, Region by Region, New York Times
U.N. sounds alarm on South Sudan as Africa's biggest refugee crisis looms, Reuters
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Also this week, Susan Mintert of Indiana Home Cooks Podcast and blog shares a chocolate cake recipe with a surprising list of ingredients.
Music on this week's show:
"This Year's Kisses" by The Jazz Giants '56, from How Deep is the Ocean--The Irvin Berlin Songbook
"Waiting Itself" from Clear Language by Balmorhea
Earth Eats theme music by Erin Tobey
Stories On This Episode
Susan's Crazy Chocolate Cake
A desperation dessert is one you can throw together at the drop of a hat with ingredients you probably already have on hand. This cake fits the bill.
N.C. Hog Farm Neighbors Win $50 Million In Lawsuit
A 2014 complaint against pork producer Murphy-Brown says the company mismanaged millions of gallons of hog farm waste.
