We are shifting the focus away from celebrity chefs and big-city restaurants as we highlight the untold food stories in rural and small-town America.
Hear from cookbook author and the host of "America the Bountiful" Capri Cafaro.
She’ll discuss her travels through America’s backroads while exploring the nation’s diverse cultures, all while using food as a guide.
Guest:
- Capri Cafaro, creator/host/executive producer, America The Bountiful
Support WOSU 89.7 NPR News during our spring membership drive and you can receive an "America the Bountiful" thank you gift.
Transcript
This transcript is generated with AI. To ensure its accuracy, review the audio file.
Amy Juravich: Welcome to All Sides with Amy Juravich. This is our membership drive. More about that in just a moment. Today, we're shifting the focus away from celebrity chefs and big city restaurants as we highlight the untold food stories in rural and small town America.
"America the Bountiful" is a television series that travels through our country's back roads while exploring the nation's diverse cultures, all while using food as a guide. And joining us today is the host and executive producer of the show, "America the Bountiful," Capri Cafaro. Welcome to All Sides, Capri. Thank you so much.
Capri Cafaro: I am so excited to be here and you've left out the most important part of my bio, which is I'm from Ohio.
Juravich: Of course you are. Yes. An Ohio girl through and through. That's right. We'll talk about that throughout the hour. But I wanted to start with what made you decide to make a television show like "America the Bountiful." There's a lot of cooking shows out there, a lot travel shows. It's a competitive space. What made you want to get into this competitive scene?
Cafaro: I honestly didn't think too much about maybe the business side or the competitive nature of it until I actually started to go down this road. But I had always had this idea, this concept of the power of food as a storyteller. And that really was inspired by my time as an elected official here in Ohio as a state in northeastern Ohio for a decade.
And I was going to every Farron Festival. And if my folks that worked with me during that period of time are listening here in Columbus, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I would go to every fish fry, every festival out there. And it occurred to me that there's a story behind this food. And there's so much that we had to offer here in Ohio. In my neck of the woods, Amish country, Lake Erie, wine country.
And umpteen festivals, the ethnic festivals, Italian festivals, Greek festivals, Croatian festivals. And you have to ask yourself why? What is the story behind why some of these ethnic communities came to Ohio? You know, it's the steel mills, the coal mines, and just as my family did, you know, 100 years ago or so.
And so, putting those pieces together, along with the fact that I felt that agriculture was very much overlooked as an industry. And people needed to understand where their food was coming from. I put all those pieces together and thought to myself, let's be crazy and start a show. And that's exactly what I did. It was a long process.
And I can't think of a better home for it than public television, because it's not about competitiveness. It's not the shiniest celebrity thing, as you mentioned in your intro to this. It's about those authentic stories. It's highlighting voices of communities across this nation. And having people get a real understanding of their neighbors, their experiences, and doing it in a way that we can.
Juravich: Relate and that's through food. Well and you found a home on public television and we brought you here to public radio today because we have two wonderful thank-you gifts for our listeners. The first is a book, "America the Bountiful, A Recipe Journey." This is a heartfelt cookbook that features more than 100 recipes inspired by the TV series.
So if you're new to "America the Bountiful" on WOSU TV, it's a series that explores the stories behind food in small all across the country. And this companion cookbook, "A Recipe Journey." Brings that idea to life with more than 100 recipes and tells the stories of the people and traditions behind them.
So start a new sustainer gift right now of $10 a month or make a contribution of $120 and you can receive the book and support All Sides today. Go to wosu.org right now. The second thank you gift we have is a very unique gift box. Start a new, sustainer, gift at $20 a month or make one-time gift of $240, you'll receive the "America the Bountiful" Bountable Box.
Inside are six artisan favorites, pecans, ramp salt, grape preserves, garlic olive oil, mushroom dip mix, and bourbon aged, bourbon barrel, oh, bourban barrel aged maple syrup. You got it. I got it there. It's all inspired by stories from the TV series, "America the Bountiful." So you can get this box, this gift box right now with your gift of $20 a month at wosu.org.
Throughout this hour, we're gonna give you more details on the items in the box, but make that gift now. Support the station. Listeners across our community are stepping up to support WOSU Public Media, choosing to give monthly so this service stays strong and reliable. When you join us right now as a sustainer, you become a part of what makes this all possible. Start your monthly gift today at wosu.org. So this bountiful box and this cookbook, what made you, I can understand where the cookbook came from. I mean, everyone loves a cookbook. What made you decide to make this bautiful box?
Cafaro: Well, those two things kind of go hand in hand, but I wanted folks to have an opportunity to actually taste what's in the show, right? We have all of these different incredible small businesses, artisan food makers that are featured across the 26 episodes of "America the Bountiful" and the two seasons, and so I thought to myself, particularly for the ability to thank those that are supporting public media, what better way than to... Give them a curated box of items that actually come from folks that were on the show. So you mentioned Peacons, one of my absolute favorite episodes.
Juravich: Wait, I have to ask you, pecan or pecon?
Cafaro: Okay, so we actually talk about this in the episode. So, and so you get a little bit about that, you know, it's a pecan when it's grown and a pecon when it goes up north to, you, know, be sold. Everybody has a little of a thing. We use pecan and pecon kind of interchangeable throughout the episode, but I did ask that, you know particularly, but that was such an incredible episode for me because I joke that you came for the pecon pie recipe and you stayed for a civil rights lesson and I had an incredible opportunity.
To be able to speak with a woman who actually utilized, her organization was a civil rights organization that bought a plantation and now utilizes it to train black farmers on how to increase yields and do irrigation and do all these other things. So again, showing how food and agriculture have a much more powerful American story. But. You know, you can get those anti-accident pecans and pecans in this box and taste a little bit of Georgia, you know, if you need a snack for the road or for lunch, and each one of these things ramp salt.
Juravich: Oh, yeah, okay, you're gonna have to tell me because the word ramp comes up in one of the recipes in your cookbook, too And I was like okay, what so what tell me what? Tell me what ramp salt is.
Cafaro: I'm a little bit disappointed because I feel like Columbus and central Ohio is close enough to Appalachia to know about ramp salt. So this is really, really, really interesting. And this is one of the fun things I really enjoy. But when I research for "America the Bountiful" is I end up going down these rabbit holes because I just steer into my nerd.
Who knew that there is an ancient ocean underneath West Virginia? That was salt water. And now, J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works, that was a family-owned business, started in the 1800s, kind of was revived in the last, you know, I don't know, 20, 30 years or so. And they literally pump out the salts, the brine out of the ground, and then they dry it out on these big tables in greenhouses to evaporate, and then, they harvest the salt with this rake. And then they infuse it with ramps. Now, what are ramps?
Juravich: Yes.
Cafaro: So, ramps are forged, they're a forged plant that are a lot like, I call them a bit of like an onion, shallot, garlic hybrid. And so, it was a real incredible story of Appalachia because it's about forging, it's about making do with what you have, about resilience and that Appalachen spirit of you know, making do.
And building community in the process. And so I got a chance to forge ramps out in the hills of West Virginia. I got to eat ramp ice cream, which was not as weird or as bad as it sounds. Okay. And I went to one of the longest running Feast of the Rampson, one of longest running festivals of ramps in West Virginia so where they have all kinds and I talked to ramp experts.
We are actually coming up on ramp season in April. We actually filmed that episode two years ago in West Virginia in April, so take a little road trip, central Ohio. Go out and check out ramps in West Virginian. That's what this is all about, getting you motivated to do one of those, I don't know if we wanna take a one tank trip right now with four dollar gallon gas, but if you don't wanna do that, you can always watch that ramp episode on Passport.
Juravich: So okay, I had no idea our neighbors right there to the southeast you have all of this ramp and the ramp saw okay I so I you must have learned so much in doing these episodes Were you always like a foodie or did you just were you just very curious about food?
Cafaro: Well, I would say I've always loved to cook, and I've also believed that cooking is a unifier and a way to bring people together. I love hosting. I love baking. I was kind of notorious for bringing in baked goods, pies in particular, when I was in the Senate, particularly when we would have bipartisan victories.
A lot of times I would have a dual sponsor across the aisle, when we sort of cross a legislative hurdle getting out of committee, and then getting out the chamber, and then get, you know. I would bring in a pie and we would celebrate with pie. We would get it, we would get together.
And so, and you know, look, I'm Italian and so I grew up cooking with my grandma and it's always been a very important part to me. But I think that, you know this part, I'm really more interested in culinary history and sort of that material culture, storytelling kind of cultural anthropology aspects of things. I mean, I have a degree in American studies, interdisciplinary from Stanford and part of that was. Material culture and folk lore, you know, and folkways and those sort of things. So it's, I think, a little bit a part of me.
And I have to say one more thing, little small plug about public radio. Storytelling on public radio and driving in between my district in Northeast Ohio and Columbus through almost three hours one way and then all over my district, I spent a lot of time listening to public radio and really respecting the... Art of storytelling in that intimate way. And it's one of the things that inspired me as well.
Juravich: Oh, well thank you for that. I don't even need to read all of this. You're doing a great job of pitching for our membership drive. It's all facts. It is all facts!
You're listening to All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. This is our membership drive. We count on listeners. The most important part of our budget is you, our listeners. We rely on listener support to bring you great programs every day. Make a gift now at wosu.org or call 866-897-9678. More and more listeners are choosing to support WOSU with a monthly gift because they want to keep the service strong and dependable.
You can be a part of that right now when you start your Sustainer gift at wosu.org. With our new Sustainer Gift of $20 a month right now, you can get the "America the Bountiful" Bountful Box. Capri Gaffaro has curated six small batch foods, pecans, ramp salt, grape preserves, garlic olive oil, mushroom dip mix, and bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup.
Each one reflects the people and places that are featured in the show. Start your sustainer gift of $20 a month right now at wosu.org so you can get that "America the Bountiful" box. We also have a great cookbook for you, the "America the Bountiful, A Recipe Journey." The cookbook brings the show to your kitchen with more than 100 recipes drawn from the series, plus the stories behind them. It's just, it's all about the people and places and traditions that help shape the food.
Start a new sustainer of $10 a month. Make a one-time gift of $120 right now at wosu.org.
You're listening to All Sides every day, today is the perfect day to support the show and make a gift. We take on national issues with a central Ohio perspective. If having a talk show on the radio daily that is truly local, if that is important to you, now is the time to act. Give now and support this show by making your gift while the show is on the air.
$10 a month for the cookbook, $20 a month for the box. Give the amount that works for you at wosu.org. And this is All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. This is our membership drive. We're talking this hour about a cookbook and an amazing gift box. And we're talking about the television series "America the Bountiful," which just wrapped up its second season on WOSU TV.
You can find both seasons on WOSU Passport. And with us in the studio, we have the host of the show, Capri Cafaro. I wanted to ask you about the cookbook, because we could go through several recipes here, but I wanted start with the one from Ohio, the walleye recipe. You filmed an episode up in Cleveland. Tell me about meeting Chef Jeremy. Is it Umanski? Umansky, yeah. Tell me more about learning about his favorite dish.
Cafaro: Oh, he is such an interesting guy. I'm so glad I got a chance to know him. And again, let me just put the Ohio episode in context because I wanted the world to know that Ohio had islands. And so I kind of worked backwards from that. And so while I, you know, Port Clinton, the walleye capital of the world, all of that good stuff.
You know, I have a great affinity for my Great Lakes and walleye was that window in. And so Jeremy Umanski is a James Beard nominated. He might even be James Beard. Award-winning chef, and he is a Cleveland native. He lived in New York for a long time, came back, and he has this creative Jewish delicatessen. A lot of people probably are aware that Cleveland has a large Jewish community, and so making a walleye-based gefelte fish was a very unique way to bring those things together, our freshwater fish there in Lake Erie, and the story of the Jews.
Juravich: Jewish community in Cleveland. And then I also wanted to travel to our next door neighbor state, Pennsylvania, where you went mushroom hunting. Tell me about Uncle Fungus, basically. Yeah, because the recipe in the book is ramp ricotta stuffed mushrooms. So good. You had me at ricotta, of course, first of all, but then the name Uncle Fongus. I mean, tell me about this guy. Oh my gosh. So I.
Cafaro: I really I have to say that like I often wanted to not say fungus when I saw him and so I had to like think about what I was saying. But he was he was great. I mean folks that Forge are definitely unique characters, but he knows his mushrooms. And we had an opportunity to go out there and learn about those mushroom varieties.
So we chose mushrooms for Pennsylvania because Kennet Square, Pennsylvania is actually the capital again of the world. Something that you probably a lot of people don't know that's far far far east closer to Delaware Then it is to Ohio but if that has its own very unique story where The Pennsylvania Dutch were growing flowers.
They didn't want to do that anymore. They learned about growing mushrooms so they cultivated mushrooms then the quarries opened they and they the Italians ended up coming to work for the quarry's and then ended up taking over the mushroom industry and then Ultimately, Mexican-American and Latino immigrants came into the mushroom industry. So it's this very interesting immigrant story around commercially cultivated mushrooms. But Uncle Fungus was about the wild.
And you'll see us out there finding those mushrooms, morels in particular, because I think it was morel season and those are very unique and they look different and they taste unique as well. Again, It's what an incredible opportunity and honor to go and go side by side, learning with folks like this and bringing that to viewers like you.
Juravich: And this recipe has ramp in it again. So there's that ramp again. Forged and forged. Yeah. Am I just, did I just miss ramp? Okay. Is it just me or does everyone miss? I don't know.
Cafaro: Let's put it who knew that that Papa is like the official fruit I think of Ohio Ohio?
Juravich: Yeah. Yeah.
Cafaro: There's the Papa Festival, you know what I think a lot of folks don't think about that. But ramps, I mean it's the foraging community and those that are interested in foraging food and wild food, ramps are pretty well known. And it is somewhat of a regional delicacy. About I don't know, 10, 12 years ago ramps had a moment with hipsters as well where I remember my sister lives in New York.
I'm not cool enough for that though. No, the only reason I know this is because my sister lived in New york and I was up there visiting her. We're still in the Senate at the time. And we went to Union Square Farmers Market, like there in New York, and it was like, ramps are sold out, ramps, ramps coming in from like upstate. And it was a run on ramps. So ramps were all the rage in like 2014. Okay.
Juravich: All right, well, I appreciate this ramp education today. Who knew that's what you were signing up for today? Let's talk about another item in the bountiful box for a moment, the one that I was tripping over, bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup. It's from Runamuck. Runamock, I love that name. All right. So tell me about Runamck maple.
Cafaro: Runamak, this is the Vermont maple episode. Incredible folks there. Interesting story as well. A husband and wife couple that left their very high powered corporate jobs and decided that they wanted to move to Vermont to be farmers. They started out as vegetable farmers and then decided that maple was the way to go.
And they really innovated the way that, you know, they do the sugaring process and how they actually develop the different flavors of maple there at Runamaks. So. If you go to the Run amok website, and I'm not like giving a plug for Run amuck, this is not a Run amuk commercial, but just to say that they do mixers for craft spirits, they do glitter in some of their maple, they have barrel age, they have different infuse, they have chili, hot chili.
I mean, so they really have taken those flavor profiles to the next level. And we do have some maple recipes, like panchomeur, for example, which is a Quebecois inspired dish. For Vermont that is a very, very rich and yummy, in my opinion, maple-based dessert. And that's in the cookbook. And you can use that runamak syrup to make it.
Juravich: So if people get the Boundable Box in the box, they're going to have basically like a jar of maple syrup right from this place, right?
Cafaro: This place, right? Yeah, bottle of maple syrup, bottle maple syrup. Jar ramp salt, little bag, snack bag of pecans, pecans. Jar of the the jelly or preserves from upstate New York, Arbor Hill. What am I missing? Olive oil. And the olive oil, the garlic olive oil from Northern California.
I mean that what watched the all the olives in California episode was really a pleasure to do it. Who knew that, I mean, olives are a fruit, but we talk a lot about, one of the things we do on "America the Bountiful" as well is talk about climate, regenerative agriculture, and why certain things thrive in certain microclimates.
So in this case, olives came over from Spain with Spanish missionaries. The climate in Northern California was appropriate for it to thrive. And we talk about that as well with the microclimate with cherries in Traverse City, Michigan. So, you know, it's not just about food and culture, it is also about the environment and the economy too.
Juravich: I know how you like "America the Bountiful" makes you think of America the Beautiful obviously How did you end up landing on that word? Did you whenever you were making the name of the show?
Cafaro: I think because of Agricultural Harvest, I actually started this show as the "United Tastes of America."
Juravich: Oh, that's a good name too.
Cafaro: And well, there is actually another show that is called, or another something that is called that, I think it was a cookbook. That's actually not why I changed it. When we filmed the pilot episode in Wisconsin, Wisconsin Beer and Cheese, way back when. I, on the fly, decided that I was like, no, I actually think this is "America the Bountiful."
Because I had kind of two concepts at first. One was more sort of food-focused, foodie-focused. And the other was more agricultural-focused and we ultimately kind of blended them together. And so I said, you know what? It's "America the Bountiful" because we are talking about the food, the harvest, the agricultural processes and the people that bring our food to our table.
I ripped down a little, like, release things or the notices saying filming is here and I'm like we're gonna we're going to rename it right now and I did and so and the rest is history.
Juravich: And the rest is history.
You're listening to listener support at 89.7 NPR News. You're listening to All Sides with Amy Juravich. Support the station you depend on. This news cycle can be relentless, but you listen to WOSU to know what's going on. All Sides has been covering it all, from the affordable housing crisis to the latest bills moving through the state house.
You listen to NPR and WOSU to learn something new and to understand what's happening in the world around you. Make a gift today and support this show and this news station. And if you haven't seen "America the Bountiful" on WOSU TV, you can catch up on both seasons right now using WOSU Passport.
It's a show all about the people and traditions behind the food we eat. The companion cookbook, "A Recipe Journey," includes more than 100 recipes inspired by the stories along with the voices and places behind them in the show. So start that sustainer gift right now, $10 a month. Or make a contribution of $120 to receive this great book. Go to wosu.org.
You could also start a sustaining gift at $20 a month or give $240 and bring home the "America the Bountiful" Bountful Box. It includes six handcrafted items. We have pecans, ramp salt, grape preserves, garlic, olive oil, a mushroom dip mix and maple syrup. And it's a simple way to connect with the stories behind the food and get some food delivered right to your door.
Take the next step, become a member at wosu.org. This box is so lovely and you can keep all six items for yourself or you can share them with friends and family and spread the message of "America the Bountiful" and spread awareness of public media and being a member of the same time. So make that monthly gift right now, support our local news programming, support the conversations you rely on.
Get a great thank you gift in return. Become a sustainer at wosu.org. Capri, what I just mentioned about sharing the box or keeping it all to yourself. I mean, you're making everything sound so great. I wanna keep it all for myself. But talk to me about the idea of sharing a bountiful harvest.
Cafaro: I love that. You know, I was listening closely when you said that. I was like, that is such a great idea. And I think that it is a wonderful way to bring people together. And that consistently has been my message about food and this show. And if you can utilize the items in the bountiful box to share with your friends and neighbors and have a conversation starter, It's a great way, it's a conversation starter.
And that's part of what we wanna do. And that again is why this show is on public media because it is aiming to educate folks and inspire folks while entertaining. And so, if you didn't know about why ramps, I mean, this was a very good, very, very good camera. You educated me.
Juravich: You educated me. My ramp education is complete.
Cafaro: It's a very good excuse to talk about, you know, did you know XYZ about our neighbors in West Virginia? And so, yeah, I would say don't hog it, share it.
Juravich: So the Concord grape preserves that are in the box, they're from Arbor Hill Grapery and Winery. Tell me about that and why we're gonna call them preserves and not jelly, right?
Cafaro: Preserves usually have a bit more fruit content in them than jelly or jam. And I had a great time up there near Rochester. I'm now blanking on the exact location that we were in, but near Rochester, New York, and north of the Finger Lakes. And so the Great Lakes climate is, again, ripe, pun totally intended, for grape growing, Concord grapes very sort of specifically.
Came and were developed actually there in upstate New York. So they got nothing really to do with like Concord, New Hampshire, for example. And I felt right at home there because I represented Asheville County for a decade. I would go to the Geneva Grape Jamboree every year, very similar climate, very similar community and where you would eat grape pie and you know, grape ice cream and all these other things.
And so I got to do just that. In upstate New York, and also showed, again, we always want to show and showcase different ways in which different crops, different fruits, vegetables, whatever you harvest or bring out of the ground, we want to share different ways that it's utilized. So in this case, there's preserves, then we have the Concord grape pie, but then we spent some time at a winery.
Obviously, and went through that fermenting process there. And the Finger Lakes is well known for that as well. So we talked about that. And then we also visited with the Syrian family that had recently relocated to the region. And I got to join them for a meal in their home, learn about their experiences as immigrants to the United States while they shared their family traditions in their recipes using grape leaves.
So also waste not want not you use the whole product to use the whole plant in that and you also again get an opportunity to learn how other cultures use something that is grown right here in the United States.
Juravich: This is All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. This is our membership drive. We're talking this hour about a cookbook and an amazing gift box with the host of the TV series, "America the Bountiful," which you can find right now on WOSU Passport. With us in the studio, we have the host to the show, Capri Cafaro.
Now, I wanted to talk a little bit more about your time in the Ohio Senate. You represent Mahoning Valley, the Warren area, Trumbull County, like parts of Northeast Ohio. Do I got that right? Ohio. Do I got that right?
Cafaro: Yeah. Trumbull, Aztebula, Northeastern, Geauga.
Juravich: And you represented that district from 2007 to 2016, and you were minority leader for part of the time.
Cafaro: Yeah, for four years almost, yeah.
Juravich: Tell me about that pivot from politics to "America the Bountiful." I mean, why'd you leave politics?
Cafaro: Well, I mean, politics left me more than I left politics, in many ways. So we have term limits, as you're likely aware, in Ohio. So I did my time. And there were other possibilities, potentially, in that short term, depending on how the 2016 election had unfolded. Maybe there would have been an opening at a different federal level or something that I would have considered.
But I did what a lot of people do when they or term-limited or leave politics. And I say it's the trifecta of the retired politician teaching think tank and television. And that's exactly what I did. So I was going back and forth between Ohio and DC. I was teaching at American University and their School of Public Affairs. And I was a cable news commentator for five years.
And I also was a fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center and had a couple other visiting fellowships in other academic institutions while I was at AU. And so, you know, I really had hoped, you know, kind of I really hoped, I think maybe naively that being on, you know, being a pundit, if you will, would have allowed me to have a larger dialog about important conversations.
And that just simply was not the case. Again, why public media is so important because, you know, i'm a person, I'm substantive, I policy driven. I never really liked the political side of things. I am a nitty gritty, in the weeds, policy person aiming to, I always say I'm a public servant, not a politician.
But I talked a little bit about my time in office and being out in the field, kind of the retail politics side, if you will, of being out at the fairs and festivals, engaging in those cultural activities. And I was on the agriculture committee for, I don't know, I guess, seven of my tenure? No, probably four of my. 10, actually, because after I was minority leader, I was on the Ag Committee.
I represented a large agricultural communities in South County, Ashtabula, in Eastern Chiaga County, and in Northern Trumbull. So I had a great, I think, appreciation for the work that went into that. And all of those things came together between being on TV afterwards and then, you know, going and then.
Having kind of this background of noticing the connection of culture, food and agriculture. I always had this percolating in the back of my mind and it was an idea I actually had. I had an idea about like a culinary history thing that was percolated all the way back from 2013 and I actually thought about approaching WKSU about doing maybe a little radio thing because they had a food focused show.
And of course, I had to ask the ethics folks in the Senate and they said, no, no dice, no public TV, no public radio while you're sitting, you know, member of the Senate. So kind of it was it was there percolating. And I did a cookbook called "United We Eat" in 2020 that featured recipes from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Recipes I developed, as well as recipes from Democrats and Republicans from across the country. A bipartisan cookbook. Bipartisan cookbook, showing how we bring people together. And so it seems a little bit convoluted on its face, but to me, it actually is not as weird as it seems, maybe on the...
Juravich: Not weird at all. I'm just having so much fun talking to you. I am behind on my thank yous. Thank you to Carolyn Albright from Hilliard for making a gift today. Thank you to Mindy Wright from Columbus. Thanks for your support. We also heard from Megan Jerigan in Columbus. Thank Megan for making your gift today!
Cafaro: Thank you folks!
Juravich: Yes, you can join them right now. Support public radio at wosu.org or call 866-897-9678. You're running out of time to make a gift this hour.
If you listen to All Sides every day, then you know this show is committed to producing in-depth, focused conversations on issues important to Columbus and central Ohio. You hear from our weekly report around table every Monday morning. We have our Thursday segments called Fascinating Ohio, where we introduce you to neighbors from the Buckeye State with an interesting story to tell.
You hear facts straight from experts and newsmakers. Support this local talk show with a gift right now. A gift in any amount will help us today at wosu.org. If $20 a month works for you, or a one-time gift of $2.40, you can receive the "America the Bountiful" Bountful Box.
This includes six thoughtfully selected items, pecans, ramp salt, grape preserves, garlic olive oil, mushroom dip mix, and the bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup. They're all tied to the series and highlight small-town food traditions across America. Make that gift now.
If $10 a month fits into your budget, you can get the cookbook, "America the Bountiful, A Recipe Journey." It's a collection of more than 100 recipes inspired by the series. It has the stories of farmers and makers and communities and food. And it's an easy and fun way to stay connected to what you see on the television program.
So that's $10 month right now. And I want you to consider, if you have been a member of WOSU for a while at maybe five or $10 dollars a month, you can increase your sustaining membership right now and get one of these thank you gifts. It's a great opportunity to increase your support, show your support during this membership drive, show your for this show today, and maybe just bump up your existing gift a little bit or make an additional gift. Consider that right now at wosu.org.
So back to your politics to TV transition, would you ever run again? Are you done with politics?
Cafaro: I would say, you know, it is such a different landscape, and that is putting it very mildly. I really, really enjoy helping people. I actually still, I'm a licensed social worker here in Ohio and have been since 2014, and I actually work part time doing that.
Juravich: You have like 16 different titles.
Cafaro: I do have 16 different title. But that is, two years ago I went back to doing it, and it's just been, you know, it's been a wonderful. Way for me to continue to try to serve my community, and sort of at a micro level, at an individual level. And so I find that just really rewarding. And so, I don't know, I never say never, but at this point, I really don't see a path.
I don't see a place for me in this landscape, but who knows what the future will hold. I ain't as young as I used to be. I started in politics, in my. You know early to mid 20s and you know it's been 20 years so 22 since my first since my first run so
Juravich: Well, you know, not just national politics, but Ohio politics is a little different now. I mean, do you see a place for yourself within Ohio at the state level anymore? Because I was thinking, you ran for Congress before you were in the Ohio Senate. So obviously, Congress would be on your mind. But what about a statewide office for the Ohio level?
Cafaro: No, I mean, I think that, again, at this stage in my life, I am more focused on being able to sort of help more at a community level, do it more granularly. I'm proud of the 10 years I spent in the Ohio Senate. I'm of the accomplishments that at Medicaid reform that we did, some of which has now been repealed by the General Assembly.
I have thoughts. And the rape can't backlog law that I authored in past. I mean, there are a number of health insurance reform that we did as well, a number of things that I'm incredibly proud that I've done. And I think there's an opportunity for new people. I mean I'm in my late 40s now.
Juravich: And yeah, but but I mean there's people in there
Cafaro: Well, that's exactly the problem and the point, you know, I am blessed to have had a number of different paths in my life, all of which, as we've discussed, are intertwined. But you know I enjoy the opportunity to amplify voices that are often marginalized.
And that's what this show and shows like it do, and I enjoy having the opportunity to work with people on an individual level as they work through trying to improve their lives on a daily basis. So I don't, I actually did not anticipate having a question like that today, but it's certainly something that I've weighed off and on for the last decade and the longer it goes, the less I see a future for me in public service. Maybe when I'm 60, I'll change my mind. She's never say never here.
Juravich: So that's what I'm saying.
Cafaro: I mean, I'm close to saying never. I'm very close to say never, but I just don't know what will happen in the next decade.
Juravich: This is All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. You're running out of time to make your gift this hour. Thank you to sustaining member Martha Kuhn from Marion. Thank you for your gift of support. You can start a new sustainer gift right now of $20 a month or $240 and receive the "America the Bountiful" Bountable Box.
It includes six thoughtfully selected items, pecans or pecans, ramp salt, grape preserves, garlic olive oil, mushroom dip mix and bourbon barrel aged maple syrup. It's all tied to the series and highlights small town food traditions across America. Make your gift now at wosu.org.
Or you can get the cookbook, "A Recipe Journey." It's a collection of more than 100 recipes inspired by the series, along with the stories from the farmers, makers, and communities behind the food. It's an easy and fun way to stay connected to the program, "America the Bountiful," and you can learn some great recipes. Start that gift of $10 a month to receive the cook book.
Make a one-time gift of 120 dollars right now. We have a little more, we have about 17 minutes left in the show. I would love to hear from 10 more people before the show ends. So if you've been listening, because Capri is so fun to listen to, we want you to take a moment, take two or three minutes out of your day, and pause and make that gift. We'd love to- I'm gonna-
Cafaro: Can I yell at people that, hey, I'm not going to call you up by name, but I texted you.
Juravich: Until they're listening.
Cafaro: I'm hoping you're listening, and I know that most of my friends are already supporters of public media, but I loved your pitch to say just because you're already a supporter, maybe bump it up, because you know what, you don't have this box and this book at home. Friends, if you're listen, please, please come and call in now, get these GIFs.
And support your local public media station. It's so critically important right now. I know who you are. And if you, so I'd be listening for your name because apparently this call out thing is happening right now
Juravich: So, make that gift to wosu.org. You can call 866-897-9678. You can check the little box that says, you know, thank me on air. That's how you get that. Or you can also make a comment when you make that gift. So, $20 a month is the Bountiful Box. $10 a month, is the "Recipe Journey" cookbook.
And if you have been a sustaining member for a while, you can increase your sustainer gift from maybe $10 to $20 a month and you can pick up the Boutiful Box as your thank you gift. Or you can make an additional gift right now of $120, you can get the cookbook, and it's just a little extra support for public media to say, right now, in this moment, in this news climate, you've been relying on this station and you wanna add a little bit to your existing gift to show that what you hear on the radio every day is important to you right now.
Give at wosu.org or call us 866-897-9678. What did you learn about? American politics from doing the TV show that you didn't know before.
Cafaro: Not much. I mean, I mean in the sense that, you know, I really didn't approach it in a political manner. We never really talked about politics with any of the folks. I would say that, you know people that I met with across the country were very committed to maintaining their small businesses, being able to pass on their small family farms, and being able support their neighbors.
I mean, that was pretty, you know, consistent across the country. I filmed a ton of episodes in 2024. I spent pretty much the entire year on the road in 2024, so obviously that was a presidential election year.
Juravich: I'm sure you saw some signs.
Cafaro: I saw signs, so this is the thing. So one, and Ohio is a signed state. So I would say the one sort of, you know, qualitative analysis that I would say is I took away. What states are big sign states and when states are not big sign states, and what approach people take to their sign placement across the country, as trivial as that sounds.
But really, this is by no means fueled by politics. And I think that's one of the things that is very important, because this is something that I really hope that people could recognize that we have more in common then separates us. And that is also what this show is about. And at a time where there is so much divisiveness, where there so much discourse that isn't always civil, it gives us an opportunity to really appreciate American's perspective.
Juravich: We are about, we have about 14, 13, 13 now minutes left and we're still looking to hear from 10 more people. Call right now, 866-897-9678 or give at wosu.org. You can give in any amount to make this hour a success. But if you'd like a thank you gift, we have particular levels that go with the thank you gifts.
So "America the Bountiful," you can bring "America the Bountiful" into your own kitchen with a "Recipe Journey." It's a cookbook featuring more than 100 recipes from the series. Plus the stories that make each one meaningful. That's $10 a month or a one-time gift of $120 to receive it at wosu.org.
$20 a month, or a onetime gift of 240 dollars, you'll receive the "America the Bountiful" box, which has six artisan foods included in the box. You can keep it all for yourself, or you can share it with your friends and family. It's a collection that brings the spirit of the TV series right into your own kitchen.
So start that sustaining gift today. Help us meet our goal for this hour. You are running out of time. To make that gift, your monthly gift helps support WOSU and this show and the trusted news and the thoughtful programs and the local stories that matter to you, that you listen to every day.
It's consistent support with a real impact when you become a sustaining member. You're running out of time to take advantage of our thank you gifts. Help us meet our goal for this hour 866-897-9678 or wosu.org.
Cafaro: Can I jump in for a second since we're talking politics and government and maybe remind our listeners about the funding challenges that public media has?
Juravich: Yeah, there's been a little bit of news about that.
Cafaro: There has been a bit of a news about it, but I think some of the news recently has been slightly confusing because there was a recent court ruling that basically asserted the executive orders for cutting funding to public media were basically not allowed to make it simple.
And I think there are folks out there that think, oh, well, that just means that the funding is gonna come back to public media. That is not the case. There are two separate things going on here. One was the executive order, and really that ruling was more about, could a president do an executive order action on funding?
And it was less about does public media get the money back? And more about does the president have the power to do this? The Congress has the power of the purse as gets kicked around a lot these days of who holds what roles in federal government.
And last year they passed something called the rescission bill that really eliminated a substantial amount of funding for public media resulting in the closure of the corporation for public broadcasting. And the only reason, not the only reason, but a primary reason. Stations like WOSU TV and radio are able to continue without that federal support and the guidance from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is now no longer, is really because of the support of listeners and viewers like you.
Juravich: Listeners stepped up. Our WOSU listeners and viewers really stepped up They really helped us out and we need that to continue so that we can continue to be here because what WOSUs been saying For the past year or so we we're still here still here. We're still hear still here
Cafaro: doesn't have to go away as long as we participate.
Juravich: To support our local stations. I want to say thank you to Elaine Zajac from Westerville and Elaine writes, I like the programming it's always entertaining. Thank you Elaine for your gift. Nine more to go this hour and we have nine minutes left so that's just one a minute. Oh wait we heard from Kay Kingsley in Circleville. Thank you Kay for your gifts and support.
So eight more to meet our goal for this hour. You could be a part of that right now when you make a gift at 866-897-9678. Or go to wosu.org. We have a cookbook that we're offering at $10 a month. We have the Bountiful Box at $20 a month, but really, given whatever amount fits into your budget, show your support. It's kind of like making a vote for this hour, this program, and saying this is important to you.
866-897-9678 or wosuc.org I think we talked about just about everything in the Boutiful Box, but we did miss the mushroom. So it's a mushroom dip mix. What does that mean, a dip mix?
Cafaro: So you know if you are looking to you know make something for maybe you have a potluck coming up maybe there's going to be a backyard barbecue for you know grads and dads we're getting into that season here. It's you know one of those kind of dry mixes that you can add to things and is great with maybe a breads or chips and again it comes from Phillips Mushrooms there in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. So you'll see those folks on the show too.
Juravich: 866-897-9678 or online at wosu.org. You're running out of time to make your gift of support. Support public media this hour. Get a great thank you gift in return. Did I read correctly that you graduated from high school early, age 15?
Cafaro: Yep, I went to high school. I went to Stanford.
Juravich: That is correct. Wow. You're just brilliant.
Cafaro: No, I'm just a nerd and I went to a weird school that no longer exists and I'm not the only one in my little group of like 16 people that ended up in high school early, college early, that sort of thing. It was just a strange place in actually in a house in downtown Youngstown that was there from 1945 to like 1980, well 89 basically because the original place closed and the went to it and created their own school.
And they let you go to your own pace and so I sort of ended up where I was at 12 and that the sort of the rest is history, but
Juravich: Did you like being at Stanford young, younger than everyone else?
Cafaro: Well, you know, it never really occurred to me. This is, I guess, my point. Like it never, really, because these were my peers. Like I was listening, you don't, this is the people, I didn't just get plopped in there. These are the people I went to school with the whole time.
So, you, I was there, you listening to Nirvana and Pearl Jam and, you wear and flannel and doing everything that everybody else did. And so it really didn't, it, it never felt like that. It never, I never felt out of place. I mean, I'm still five feet tall, so it's not like I was looking younger, I was just always this short.
But I think it does speak to the fact that I have always valued education, academia, and the value of knowledge and steering into that nerd, which again is why public media has been the perfect place for "America the Bountiful" and I want to just say a few words about how public media.
Juravich: Hold that thought. Thank you to Margaret Montgomery from PAL. Margaret says that she listens to the program every day. So we have seven more to go. And we have about six minutes left in the hour. So we can meet this goal. Make that call now, 866-897-9678. Go to wosu.org. Go for it.
Cafaro: I want folks to know in the last few minutes, if you're considering investing and supporting public media, public radio, this particular show, how much work and integrity goes into the editorial process, the review process of anything that goes on public television and public media.
It is of the highest caliber. And I say that both as the producer and host of "America the Bountiful," but also as someone who has contributed as a reporter to "Inside Appalachia" from West Virginia Public Radio and "Great Lakes Now" from Detroit Public Television. So as someone who has worked with editorial staff on TV and radio and individual stations, as well as having a program on public television. This is quality.
Juravich: Content you can trust. I want to say thank you to Jamie Sutton from Worthington. Jamie writes, thank you for the excellent content. Six more to go this hour to meet our goal. 866-897-9678 or wosu.org. We have two wonderful thank-you gifts today.
First is the book "America the Bountiful, A Recipe Journey." This is a heartfelt cookbook featuring more than 100 recipes inspired by the TV series. Start a new sustainer gift of $10 a month or make a one-time contribution of $120 to receive the book at wosu.org.
The second thank you gift is a unique gift box. You can make a gift of 20 dollars a month, or a one time gift of 240 dollars. You'll receive the "America the Bountiful" box. Inside are six artisan favorites. Pecans, ramp salt, grape preserves, garlic olive oil, mushroom dip mix, and a bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup.
I personally am getting hungry. Yes, and it's all inspired by the stories on the TV series, "America the Bountiful." So get your box right now with a gift of $20 a month at wosu.org, 866-897-9678 or wosu.org. Do you have a favorite recipe in your, I mean, it's like asking you about your favorite child, I guess, but do you have favorite recipe in the book? You know, I think I already...
Cafaro: I referenced it earlier, the painchomeur, you know, that is it's okay. What's this fancy word?
Juravich: Yeah, well, it means it means basically, you know, it means unemployed bread, like specific, but really, yes, but it really it's, it's it's you know essentially like a poor man's, you know, they use like bread to make this dish, this dessert with maple. And it's great. It's just great. It's super sweet. And I love it. What region is it from?
Cafaro: Vermont. Vermont.
Juravich: Um, well, okay. What's your second favorite recipe in the book? Let's do another one. Oh, goodness. Let's do another one.
Cafaro: Like, I really have to think about this. Like, oh, what do we got? Oh, you know what is actually really good? Pheasant Marcella. Pheasants, okay. That surprised me. So that was, watch the Pheissant in South Dakota episode. Really, really interesting historic facts about pheasant and its role in feeding World War II vets, or excuse me, World War Two soldiers at the time, the 1940s. But Pheassant Marcellas and the way that it was made. Shocked me as how good it was. I was nervous about eating pheasant.
Juravich: This is All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. This is our membership drive. We're down to just about three minutes left in the hour. We're looking for your gift right now to make this hour a great success. You can make a gift in any amount, but if $10 a month fits into your budget, you can get to this great cookbook. You can learn that pheasant recipe. Go to wosu.org. And you can make it with chicken.
Cafaro: And you could make it with chicken.
Juravich: 866-897-9678, or give at wosu.org $10 for the cookbook or a one-time gift of 120. The bountiful box is $20 a month or a one-time gift of $240 right now, 866-897-9678 or wosu.org. I just randomly opened the cookbook and it opened up to a page that says buttered onions another way. I love buttered onion.
Cafaro: Oh, yes. I think that's Virginia. Is that Virginia?
Juravich: Yes, it says the episode is called "Apples in Virginia."
Cafaro: Yeah, "Apples and Virginia," because I can see that. That is so the buttered onions are, went with this incredible pork tenderloin with apples, which is literally the best pork I've ever had in my life. And that's also another incredible story. We had a historic interpreter that was there, that was in a kitchen that would have been run by enslaved people. In the plantations of Virginia at the time and so we really work with care to tell that story in Virginia using apples as our guide.
Juravich: We just heard from Donna Lever in Delaware. So five more to go. We can do it. We can meet this goal. We have about two minutes left. So if people get on the phone right now or go to the website right now, you could definitely help us and join Donna and make your gift of support.
866-897-9678. That's 866 897-967-8 or online at wosu.org. If you have been a sustaining member for a while at $10 a month, you can increase your gift right now to $20 a month. That's a great way to show your support for this show and show your for everything you hear from NPR, especially in recent weeks when the news just keeps coming, just keeps changing.
You rely on the station for up-to-date information so you can show your with an additional gift right now and you can get the "America the Bountiful," the Boundiful box. Capri Cafaro has curated six small batch foods, pecans, ramp salt, grape preserves, garlic olive oil, mushroom dip mix, and maple syrup. They're all in this box, they're all for you. Give at wosu.org or call 866-897-9678.
We have been talking this hour with the host and executive producer of "America the Bountiful." You can see both seasons on WOSU Passport. Capri Cafaro, thank you so much for joining us today.
Cafaro: Really my pleasure, thank so much and support public media.
Juravich: And it's been great to have you. We just heard from Christine Mallee in Columbus. So four more to go. Thank you, Christine. We're down to the last minute. This is listener supported WOSU FM and HD1 Columbus. We're online at wosu.org. You have a minute. You can make a Beverly Martin and Kanell Winchester. Thank you Beverly for making your gift of support. Thank you for making this hour a great success.
Just one last time, $10 a month or a one-time gift of $120 for the cookbook. $20 a month or a one-time gift of $240 for the bountiful box. Support public media today. Make this membership drive a great success. Thank you for listening. Thanks for your support. I'm Amy Juravich.