Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Air time

AM talk radio can be entertaining. While driving out of Cincinnati the other day with my Dad, we were listening to a cooking themed show. The poor hostess kept telling people to call in with Thanksgiving leftover ideas and turkey sandwich recipes but instead all but one caller had a question to ask about how to prepare one dish or another.

This seemed as good as any opportunity to find out more about cheese and apple pie. So I gave her a call. I had never called a radio show before where I was going to be on the air. It was a bit odd. The producer answered the call and asked which show I wanted to be on. Then I was put on hold, but while on hold I could hear the program. Because of that I didn’t know if it was a two way street. I’m guessing they mute my line so that while I can hear the program I cannot contribute to it until they ask for me to speak up. But I wasn’t sure, so I had Dad be very quiet and had the radio turned down really low.

The hostess, Marilyn, called on me fairly quick. Dad thinks it was because I was the only guy we had heard call in, and they wanted a bit of diversity. Whatever the reason, I was glad to go so soon. I asked her in what way does cheese enhance the flavor of apple pie. Her answer was a little roundabout but this may have been for the other listeners’ benefit. First she said that cheese and apple pie is a North Eastern tradition. The way she knows of to make it is to first make the apple pie, and then, when it is ready to be served, add a thin slice of cheddar cheese on top, in place of ice-cream. Then warm it up for a little bit to get the cheese soft. She said she’s had it this way and that while it is good she prefers ice-cream on top. The cheese brings about a salty flavor and some people like the sweet and salty combination.

As I mentioned, not many people were talking about what she wanted to, but over the next hour or so there were two other people who called in wanting to comment on the cheese and apple pie combination. I created quite a dialog. The first lady said that her husband made her call to say that his grandmother always prepared it this way and that she used the saying, “An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze.” Marilyn hadn’t heard that before and liked it. The next lady who called wanted to discuss her way of preparing it. Unfortunately, Dad and I were talking too loud at the time and only caught the tail end of it. But essentially the lady said that she bakes the apple pie with the cheese at the same time.

Between this blog and my radio appearance, I think a national movement may be started here.

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