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Politics And Pie: NC Writers Share Stories Of Food And Family During The Holidays

WUNC | By Laura Pellicer,
Frank Stasio
Published December 15, 2017 at 12:20 PM EST

For many North Carolinians, food is the anchor for friends and family to come together over the holidays. And a simple request to “pass the potatoes” can be a welcome interruption that keeps the family dynamic from spiralling downhill. So how do family traditions emerge and what determines their staying power for generations to come?

A conversation wtih modern manners expert and a columnist Steven Petrow, food writer and chef Nancie McDermott, and Randall Kenan, writer, professor and the editor of “The Carolina Table: North Carolina Writers on Food”, talk with host Frank Stasio about holiday stories and food.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with a panel of three North Carolina writers about the foundational holiday foods in their family festivities; Steven Petrow is a modern manners expert and a columnist with The Washington Post, Nancie McDermott is a food writer, cooking teacher, and chef, and Randall Kenan is a writer, professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the editor of “The Carolina Table: North Carolina Writers on Food” (Eno Publishers/2016).

Nancie McDermott
Courtesy of Nancie McDermott /
Nancie McDermott
Randall Kenan
Courtesy of Randall Kenan /
Randall Kenan
Steven Petrow
Bethany Cubino /
Steven Petrow

Copyright 2017 North Carolina Public Radio
Laura Pellicer
Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
See stories by Laura Pellicer
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio