Sarah's on summer break this week, so Beth sits down with chef, culinary historian, and seventh-grade history teacher Mica Chavez to trace how food actually built the world we live in — from the Columbian Exchange and the science behind corn, to slavery, immigration, and the industrial food system we're stuck with today.

Topics discussed:
<ul>
 <li>The Columbian Exchange: how corn, chili, potatoes, and tomatoes reshaped diets on both sides of the Atlantic</li>
 <li>The science of nixtamalization — why New World corn didn't wreck teeth the way Old World wheat did</li>
 <li>How chili peppers spread across the globe via birds</li>
 <li>The Irish potato famine's surprising link to New Mexico settlement history</li>
 <li>Indigenous and Spanish foodways merging in the Southwest: acequias, sheep, and companion planting</li>
 <li>How mechanization and post-WWII food policy created the mass-produced, processed food system</li>
 <li>Precision farming, AI, and the tension between efficiency and sustainability</li>
 <li>What to cook this summer (hint: it's pie)</li>
</ul>

Speaking of good food and good company — the Minneapolis live show after party has both! Get your tickets <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pantsuit-politics-live-in-minneapolis-tickets-1984068270607?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true">here</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

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