Star City Blog

Blog Talk Live: Interview with Crystal Powers, Slow Food Nebraska (with audio)

Tune in to Blog Talk Live tonight at 6pm on KZUM 89.3 FM and KZUM-HD to learn more about Slow Food Nebraska from Crystal Powers, the current president of the Slow Food Nebraska Planning Committee.  Crystal attended UNL as an undergrad and completed her Masters in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Cornell University.  She now works as an Extension Engineer at UNL to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock agriculture.

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.  Slow Food Nebraska was started in 2004 to bring together those in and around Lincoln to share good, clean, and fair food.  Their next event is the Eggstravaganza! on April 25th, with this year's theme being Time for Lunch, real food in schools.  They have great food, great people, and wonderful entertainment.  To find out more go to www.slowfoodnebraska.org or email slowfoodnebraska@gmail.com.

Audio from this program:

Part 1: Interview with Crystal Powers

Part 2: That's Why They Call Them Pirates

Dennis Kornbluh is the publisher of Star City Blog and the host of Blog Talk Live, which airs every Tuesday from 6-7pm on KZUM 89.3 FM, on the web at kzum.org, and on KZUM-HD.

Celebrate Africa with African Wine & Food at bread & cup

Woodsmoke and bread&cup have come together to put on an evening of African art, wine, and food. Sample South African boutique wines, savor continental African cuisine by Kevin Shinn (owner of bread&cup), and enjoy rare African art from Woodsmoke. This night will showcase the greatness of African creativity and our commitment to giving.

Five percent of every purchase will go towards putting our artists’ children through school.

The event will be held on February 22nd from 6 – 10 p.m. at bread&cup restaurant which is on the corner of 8th and “S” in Lincoln’s historic Haymarket. Tickets are $15 per person and are available for purchase immediately or at the door. Contact Sean Coetzee at Woodsmoke on its website or by calling (402)-617-5675 to buy your tickets today or to inquire more about the evening.

'Time for Lunch' Campaign Strives to Change the Way Students Eat Lunch

By Sarah F. Sullivan

There are many issues in this country that need to be addressed. Health care and jobs are justifiably at the forefront, but another significant issue is being brought to our attention by the grass roots organization, Slow Food USA. Their national “Time For Lunch” Campaign, focuses on changing the way children in schools eat lunch.  The campaign aims to send a message to Congress to help them understand that our underfunded school lunch programs are unacceptable. At present, schools have only one dollar per child with which to buy ingredients.

The Child Nutrition Act will be up for reauthorization in Congress in early 2010, and the “Time for Lunch” Campaign is hoping that America will help them send a message to Congress that aims to achieve the following goals:

Tickets on Sale Now for the 2010 Lincoln Wine & Food Experience

The Lincoln Wine & Food Experience returns to the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln for a second year on Friday, Feb. 26 from 4 to 8 p.m.  The event gives participants an opportunity to sample exquisite food and wines from around the world.  Proceeds from the event and associated silent auction support the Lincoln Community Playhouse.

Tickets can be purchased at the Lincoln Community Playhouse, 2500 S. 56th Street, or at any Lincoln Russ’s Market store.  General admission tickets cost $25 each and include food and wine sampling at more than 75 vendor booths as well as participation in the silent auction.

Blog Talk Live: Podcasts for December 1st Show

By Dennis Kornbluh

My guests on this evening's program were Jo Sheets, Public Relations Director for City Impact, and Elizabeth Erlandson, co-owner of Licorice International.  Thank you both for appearing on the program and enlightening our listeners about your respective organizations. 

The audio for the program is available in two parts below:

BTL_JSheets_01DEC09_Part1 27:24

BTL_EErlandson_01DEC09_Part2 28:00

“Dine Out to Help Out” Event Supports 2010 Special Olympics

The 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games will hold a “Dine Out to Help Out” event on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009. Raising Cane’s and Valentino’s will donate 10% of their sales to help sponsor the USA National Games and the athletes competing throughout the Games.

The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. at Raising Cane’s, 403 N. 48 St., and all day at Valentino’s buffet locations located at 3457 Holdrege St. and 2701 S. 70 St.

Be a fan of generosity. Everyone is encouraged to dine out on Thursday to support the 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games, which will be held in Lincoln, Neb. July 18-23, 2010. The National Games will be the largest sporting event held in the history of Nebraska.

UPDATED: Blog Talk Live: Interview with Steven McFadden, Author

by Dennis Kornbluh

Tune in to Blog Talk Live this Tuesday, November 17 at 6pm on KZUM 89.3 FM to hear Steven McFadden discuss his new book "The Call of the Land", published this month by NorLightsPress.

Globally, one in six of us is urgently hungry or starving, according to the United Nations. Yet obesity afflicts two-thirds of Americans and costs $147 billion in annual medical bills, Time Magazine reports. Industrial agriculture produces cheap food but erodes soil, poisons the environment with chemical inputs, and consumes 19% of U.S. fossil fuels. Peak oil, climate change, and wobbling economies further jeopardize our ability to feed ourselves.

“Food and farms are involved in a blitzkrieg of changes,” writes veteran journalist Steven McFadden in The Call of the Land. The book joins a growing chorus voicing a new vision for food and agriculture. Picking up where Food Inc., the recent documentary on industrial agriculture, leaves off, the volume presents dozens of creative responses to the crisis.

Craftacular Event Spotlights Local Crafty Artists

At the second annual Holiday Craftacular Sale & Cocktail Party at Zen’s Lounge on Thursday, November 12th, over a dozen local artists will show that arts and crafts need not be mutually exclusive.

“Last year's Craftacular was hugely successful,” said Jen Lukas, a local artist and designer participating in the show, “We had a great deal of support from the public. People are hungry for handmade gifts--it shows an extra level of thoughtfulness on the part of the giver.”

Sixteen artists from Lincoln and Omaha will set up booths of their work. The crafts include handmade items like T-shirts, artwork, ceramics, accessories and ornaments. Works range from $1 to $80, making Zen’s the temporary hot spot for lovingly handmade, but affordable Christmas gifts. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Lincoln Arts Council.  

'Smart Giving' Program Benefiting Food Bank of Lincoln Set to Begin November 1st

Russ’s Market and Super Saver stores are teaming up with Smart Chicken once again to generate food for the Food Bank of Lincoln this November with the help of Lincoln residents.  Through the Smart Giving program, the Food Bank of Lincoln will receive a substantial donation of nutritious Smart Chicken that will go to feed families in need in the community.
 
The 2009 Smart Giving donation will be made possible through purchases of Smart Chicken products during the month of November at Lincoln Russ’s Market and Super Saver stores.  The program will donate one pound of Smart Chicken to the Food Bank of Lincoln for every ten pounds of chicken sold. Last year, the program raised more than 7,600 pounds of Smart Chicken for the Food Bank of Lincoln.

Support African Children at the African Woodsmoke Evening Fundraiser

By DeMisty Bellinger

If you’re looking for a unique way to spend your evening, experience a night of African culture without leaving Lincoln. On Friday, November 6th, small business Woodsmoke and Chez Hay Catering will host the fundraising event, African Woodsmoke Evening. The event, which will raise money for the children of the African artists featured by Woodsmoke, will take place from 6 to 11 p.m. at Chez Hay (210 N 14th St.).

Attendees will be able to sample boutique wines from small South African vineyards, coffees from Kenya and Ethiopia, and various entrees from all over the African continent prepared by Sean Carmichael of Chez Hay.

Lead drummer Michael Opoku from the Lincoln band Ashanti will provide music. Various arts and crafts from Africa, all of which are available from Woodsmoke, will be on display.