From the challenges of cooking with minimal dorm appliances to the nostalgia for a home-cooked meal, this week’s Meat and Three takes us to the college campus dining hall. We will learn how to make a delicious meal out of one’s favorite mug and microwave and the lengths one will go to for a beloved family meal. We will also explore the difficulty of finding culturally relevant food on campus, as well as the often unspoken reality of food insecurity for students and one man’s mission to end...

What’s an age-old tradition used to enhance and flavor food? The condiment. Across the world condiments are added into and on top of dishes as a purveyor of a specific flavor. In the United States, ketchup and mustard are refrigerator essentials, while many Koreans have an entire fridge to ferment kimchi. While condiments are characteristically a side dish to the main show, this week we’re putting them in the spotlight. From hot sauce to pasta sauce, learn about the importance and variety of...

From hush-hush recipes that are fiercely protected, to untold bits of family history, this week’s Meat and Three uncovers some of the closely guarded secrets that encompass the food we eat, drink, and cook. We will consider what makes a recipe confidential and the lengths that businesses go to legally protect their trade secrets. We will also explore how food can be a powerful vehicle for secrets across time and borders. Finally, experts in the food industry will reveal some of their...

In need of an end of summer refresh? Us too. Join us as we dive into the cool waters of history, which we’ve spiked with rum for the occasion. We’ll explore the surprising chronicle of the Mojito through the past lives of its ingredients and their vital mixture. Cheers!

Explore sustainability below the surface! While seafood production and consumption continue to increase, the ocean’s finite supply is vulnerable to overfishing and environmental degradation. We look at what it means to sustainably farm, manage and capture seafood. We’ll examine the environmental benefits of the leafy greens living in the ocean and learn how Indigenous people have historically managed oyster fisheries. Plus, we meet a company redesigning the lobster trap to protect surrounding...

Coming clean. Opening up. Seeing right through. Today, we’re talking all things transparent in the food world. From restaurateurs shaking things up with radical financial disclosure, to an enchanting clear dessert, our stories today explore the many meanings of transparency. What can we learn when we’ve got nothing to hide?

Have you ever walked down a street in New York City and been in awe of the diversity of flavors, tastes, and smells you have encountered? Have you then been compelled to explore the roots of the feasts and the people that cook them? This week on Meat and Three, we celebrate the lives and feats of the immigrants who have and continue to enrich the culinary landscape of the concrete jungle. We look at the legacy of immigrants from the Arabic-speaking world, eat some Filipino fast food with a...

Delve into the wider worlds of seed preservation, Indigenous seed rights, and farmer-managed seed systems. Whether you’re a professional farmer, avid gardener or your relationship with seeds simply involves snacking on them - we’ll introduce you to chefs, activists, and plant scientists who are changing the ways seeds are saved and shared. We’ll pay a visit to urban farms, seed banks, and kitchens to shed light on the cultural, environmental, culinary significance of these small but mighty...

Frankfurter, wiener, glizzy, hot dog - whatever you call it - the food is a global staple and has become an American icon. It’s time to celebrate National Hot Dog Month on Meat and Three! While the tubed food is pervasive throughout the rest of the world, it is a multi-billion dollar industry in America. Whether hot dogs are kosher or vegan, hailing from Coney Island or Chicago, we’ll take a look at their history and how they are made and consumed today. Travel back all the way to the stone...

What can a nascent fruit tree tell us about camaraderie? How can increasing investments alert us to the challenges of capitalism? Meat and Three explores what HRN’s shows are saying about growth. We’ll nurture curiosity in the garden, weigh the pros and cons of the fake meat industry, and consider the role of restaurants in gentrifying neighborhoods.

Exclusivity and inclusion can greatly influence our relationships with food, and even create fanatic communities around certain food brands. But we’ve been wondering, what’s the line between what’s trendy and cult-y? We take a hard look at that question and how it plays out in our consumption today. Plus we discover some surprising connections between familiar food brands and fringe religious groups and far-fetched beliefs about health, wellness, and nutrition.

For the past two years, the news has been stark and at times, downright terrifying. War, disease, supply shortages – but these matters do not exist in a vacuum. These global concerns have trickle-down effects on industries across the board, including the food world. From food recalls to fast food worker strikes to global shortages, we look to shows across our network to uncover the history, legislation, and key issues behind headline news and how it relates to what we eat.

We’ll introduce you to incredible organizations combatting hunger and homelessness in the LGBTQ+ community and take stock of queer culinary spaces that are safe, joyful, and liberating. Join us for an episode all about Pride as we dig into the rich intersection between food, drink, and the LGBTQ community.

Laugh out loud as we explore the world of comedy through food. We discuss what makes food fights funny, jump on the imposter cakes bandwagon, and devour some truly absurd meals before sitting down at the dinner table for hilarious punchlines.

Celebrate and honor Juneteenth on this episode of Meat and Three! We’ll discuss the culture, food, and history of this important holiday that recognizes the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Learn about soul food with a creative twist, discover the food history behind the holiday, and be inspired by a chef giving back to his community.

There’s no question that the Southeast Asian diaspora has influenced American dining. Pad Thai has become as ubiquitous as the hamburger. But what food, flavors, and culinary traditions are yet to become mainstream? And what stories remain to be told? Influence is not exerted one way. Many Southeast Asian chefs who influence their communities are influenced by them in equal measure. Whether it’s incorporating local ingredients, feeling inspired by family heritage, or building a loyal...

How does what we eat impact who we become? This episode of Meat and Three explores what diet can tell us about the biographies of famous chefs, writers, and iconic locales. We’ll hear about how Sylvia Plath’s private recounting of her meals became a Twitter sensation. Then, we’ll talk with another writer looking to recreate some other famous literary foods. We’ll also consider how Julia Child’s life story and legacy is being re-developed for a new generation of audiences. Plus, a story about...

Come along for a food (policy) tour of HRN’s home city and state of New York. We speak to a local Queens business owner about how to-go cocktails saved his business during the pandemic and we’re introduced to an organization that’s helping street vendors bounce back from their financial losses. We hear from residents from the Big Apple who are hoping that curbside composting comes to their neighborhood. Plus, we talk with a professor at Cornell University, whose research on soil health and...

Enjoy a meal in different magical worlds this week on Meat and Three. We discuss some of the fictional foods that populate the books and movies we grew up with and ignite the curiosity of your inner child. We drop in on a dinner series inspired by literature, make the butterbeer that Hogwarts students and teachers love to sip on, and learn how to recreate edible creatures found in video games.

We examine the forces and individuals that have shaped food culture, investigate how our tastes change with age, and ponder how taste is evaluated by arbiters like the Michelin Guide and food media. Chef Val Cantu of Californios, the only two-Michelin-star Mexican restaurant in the world, addresses racist stereotypes around Mexican food. We speak with author Mayukh Sen about his recent book, Taste Makers, which tells the stories of seven immigrant women who have influenced American cuisine. A...

We report on Ukraine using food as our lens, from on the ground relief efforts to mounting concern about international food shortages. We hear from World Central Kitchen’s CEO who is stationed in Lviv helping to equip restaurants with ingredients and serve refugees hot meals. In New York City, we visit Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen where Ukrainians in the diaspora are coming together to process current events and make varenyky. Plus, we analyze the effects of the war on the “breadbasket of the...

Food and religion collide in many ways - from fasting to feasting and through strict rules, symbolic dishes, and traditional foodways that span across centuries. Today, we look closely at this relationship, examining what holy texts and historical circumstances can tell us about how we eat today. We explore the legacy of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, look at the Impossible pork dilemma for those who abide by halal or kosher restrictions, travel to the Garden of Eden to see if there was any meat,...

It’s maple harvesting season! Find out about this Northeastern staple this week, as we take a deep dive into the delicious syrup we all know and love. We’ll visit a maple festival and pageant in Upstate New York, discover the challenges harvesters face as our climate changes, and learn about a recent conflict between Indigenous farmers and the Detroit police that had maple at its crux.

Spring is coming to the Northeastern US and this season HRN is premiering some exciting new podcasts. This episode of Meat + Three is packed with sneak peeks into our fresh-out-of-the-oven podcasts. Each show is dedicated to serving us quality food for thought that you can’t order anywhere else.

The HRN team is heading down south to South Carolina to attend the Charleston Wine + Food Festival again. In honor of HRN’s return, we’re revisiting some of our favorite moments from the 2020 festival. While two years (and a pandemic) have passed since our last trip to Charleston, these conversations about sustainability, inclusivity, and the joys of eating still resonate.