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The opinions expressed in these blogs are solely those of the people who wrote them, and do not represent the views of WPSU or Penn State University.

Local Food Journey

Rustic Italian Fare at Harrison’s

Posted by Emily Wiley on 02/03 at 10:29 AM

In addition to the regular local menu at Harrison’s Wine Grill in State College, the restaurant is also featuring the flavors of rustic Italy during the month of February. Beginning today, sample a salad of arugula, fresh pear, and Pecorino; veal ravioli with fresh sage brown butter; seared sea scallops with whipped potatoes; and polenta with berries. Download the full menu. 

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Live Local Music

Jon Simmons to play Friday SPA Noontime Concert

Posted by Christopher Will on 02/03 at 10:00 AM

Who: John Simmons (from Balance and Composure)
When: Friday, February 3, 12PM
Where: Penn State HUB-Robeson Center, Study Lounge (above Panda Express)

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Live Local Music

Lana Del Rey’s “Born To Die” Album Review

Posted by Christopher Will on 02/02 at 06:06 PM

Grade: B+

Lana Del Rey.  If you’ve heard her music and seen her performances, then you probably have a strong opinion about her.  There really is no middle ground for the pop starlet.  She has been beset by controversy and scorn since she gracefully touched down onto the YouTube music scene last August with her single “Video Games,” which has garnered over 24 million views since.  The song and music video scored her a record deal with Interscope, the scorn and praise of millions of blogs across the Internet, and unfortunately, even lawsuits. Her transition from a bleached-blond, jazz-pop artist with a failed debut album to the retro-pop, brunette seductress surrounded by worldwide hype has also sparked rumors of plastic surgery and selling out.  Her live performance on SNL left many people completely disgusted, and her legitimacy as a musician has been questioned time and time again. Her debut album Born To Die, which dropped January 31st, has been praised as one of the most anticipated albums of 2012.  Scores of critics have been skeptical about this release, wondering if Lana Del Rey’s debut will live up to the hype and attention that’s been amassing the past few months.

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Local Food Journey

Parsnips Recipe Contest

Posted by Emily Wiley on 02/02 at 10:47 AM

Parsnips are root vegetables, similar to carrots, and are one of the few pieces of produce available locally in Pennsylvania during the winter. They are buttery and slightly spicy and get sweet when cooked. Parsnips are commonly broiled, roasted, or cooked in soups and stews. Let us know how you prepare parsnips by sharing your favorite recipe this month. Submit your recipe for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Tait Farm Foods.

Continue reading for some of our favorite parsnips recipes.

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Local Food Journey

Farming for the Future

Posted by Emily Wiley on 02/01 at 11:09 AM

The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture’s (PASA) 21st Annual Farming for the Future Conference begins today at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. Each year the conference gets bigger and better. Discover successful tomato growing techniques, take back the means of beekeeping, reclaim leftover landscapes, raise healthy chickens, and more. See the full workshop agenda and follow PASA on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the week.

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Local Food Journey

Roasted Potato Salad

Posted by Emily Wiley on 01/30 at 03:52 PM

Tomorrow is the last day to enter our potatoes recipe contest! How do you prepare Russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, and new potatoes? Share your recipe for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry.

Looking for inspiration? Continue reading for my favorite potato salad recipe.

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Live Local Music

Artist on the Rise: Kendrick Lamar

Posted by David Porter Callanan on 01/27 at 02:55 PM

Kendrick Lamar is a hard spitting lyrical wordsmith that hails from Compton, California. Although the city is known as the birthplace of “Gangster Rap,” Kendrick’s style is more insightful to everyday life and culture in Compton as opposed to just the gangsta aspect. One fan described him as having the consciousness and lyricism of Lupe Fiasco with the presence and charisma of Pusha T. I couldn’t agree more. Kendrick was signed at the age of 16 by his current record label Top Dog Entertainment (TDE). Along with label mates Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q and Ab Soul, they form the group “Black Hippy,” who have called themselves the new “Westside Connection.”

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Live Local Music

Local Bands to Know: Flashback Forward

Posted by Matt D'Ippolito on 01/26 at 05:00 PM

Student rockers Flashback Forward are tired of the same old, same old in State College. That’s why the band is trying to invigorate the local music scene with its own brand of hard rock, something members of the band say is missing here.

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Our Town

Our Town: Nanty Glo Off To A Great Start!

Posted by Whitney on 01/26 at 09:57 AM

With about 20 members of the Nanty Glo community in attendance at yesterday’s meeting, Jessica and I are thrilled to begin working on the 65th episode of “Our Town.” We heard some amazing story ideas—-many about the rich history and culture, but also about the revitalization efforts currently underway and the great work of local service organizations. With so many folks in attendance at our kick-off meeting, it’s clear to see this is a community that cares about its town and its neighbors! We cannot wait to learn more.

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Live Local Music

Local Bands To Know: Runaway Heroes

Posted by Christopher Will on 01/26 at 02:37 AM

With such a large and diverse student body, Penn State University flaunts a brilliant local music scene among students, composed of young men and women with innovative minds and exceptional talent.  However, very few acts have shown as much promise so early in the game as the indie-rock outfit Runaway Heroes. With singer/songwriter/guitarist Ryan Fox (sophomore – advertising), bassist Collin Edger-Smith (sophomore – engineer), singer/guitarist Zane Matsko (sophomore – English), singer/lead guitarist Nate Spilman (sophomore – business), and drummer Mike Hickman (freshman – economics), Runaway Heroes showcases a novel brand of alternative rock, brimming with musicality and meaning.

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Local Food Journey

Why Organic? Part 1: Introduction

Posted by James Eisenstein on 01/25 at 01:09 PM

My brother, a witty fellow indeed, never misses an opportunity to respond to my every utterance of the term “organic food” by saying that he much prefers it to inorganic food like rocks and plastic. His response follows a long tradition of cleverly tormenting his little brother, but it also revives my suspicion that many people don’t actually know what “organic food” is or why anyone would want to produce it or consume it. If this sounds like you (or even if it doesn’t), read on.

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Our Town

WPSU Brings Next Our Town Program to Nanty Glo!

Posted by Whitney on 01/23 at 12:29 PM

Jessica Peters and I have begun making contacts with people in Nanty Glo, PA as we prepare to kick off the 65th episode of the series. We’ll be traveling to the area this week to start planning some of the details of the project with some community leaders and we can sense some enthusiasm around the program. We’ll be announcing community-wide events and meetings very soon, so stay tuned for that info. This project is all about bringing the residents of the area together and we want everyone to know they’re invited to participate in the project.

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Local Food Journey

Late January Greens

Posted by Tony Ricci on 01/23 at 09:20 AM

Green Heron Farm still has a nice supply of greens this week, but order early for those items – they fly off the shelf this time of year:

Baby Arugula
Baby Spinach
Baby Chard – Green, Red and Gold
Italian and Red Rib Dandelion

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Local Food Journey

Curried Chick Pea and Red Potato Hash

Posted by Kristin Camplese on 01/20 at 10:29 AM

I love the challenge of taking very disparate items and somehow bringing them together into a coherent dish. Certainly some of the dishes turn out a lot better than others, but it is always a fun experiment. In this case, I had new potatoes, garlic scapes (the green flower shoot from the garlic), green onions, parsley, and lots of eggs. I settled on a “hash” sort of thing and I was not disappointed. I love putting a slight twist on a very traditional approach and it was a delicious vegetarian entree. I served it with sauteed snow peas and a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

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Local Food Journey

Don’t wait to make online seed orders for 2012 garden season!

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 01/18 at 06:48 PM

We are in the heart of winter, so buying garden seeds may not be the first thing on your mind. However, if you are planning on ordering seeds online (you will more choices online than you will in a store), now is the time to do so.

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