Megan Sukys Videos

The kabocha squash looks like a small green pumpkin. It's not as popular as the acorn squash or the butternut squash. And with its warty texture, the kabocha isn't terribly inviting to the uninitiated. But the kabocha is nutritious and tasty, and it is revered as an aphrodisiac in some cultures. Jess Thomson is a Seattle food writer and recipe developer. She took on the kabocha and figured out how to make it work with a minimum of work. Megan Sukys joined Jess in her kitchen to learn the tricks.

Gourmet magazine will publish its final issue in November. Seattle chef and food writer Greg Atkinson credits the magazine with helping to shape the national reputation of Northwest cuisine. It was also a big influence on his approach to cooking and food writing. Last spring, he filmed a television show with the magazine's former editor, Ruth Reichl, where he made Northwest Salmon Chowder. And he interviewed Ruth just a week before the closure was announced. But he tells KUOW's Megan Sukys that his relationship with Gourmet goes back 30 years.

For the last half of the 20th century, apples were pretty much all the same. Red Delicious: that was the name of the variety. And, although it was red, it wasn't all that delicious. In the past several years, though, Northwest apple farmers have embraced a wide variety of apples. Many of the apples are spontaneous breeds with unique flavors and very different textures. Seattle chef, writer and culinary instructor Greg Atkinson talks with Megan Sukys about how the apple bin got so crowded.

For a few weeks in the Fall, a well trained forager can find Northwest mushrooms. The kind of mushrooms that chefs swoon over and markets sell for a lot of money. Seattle chef, writer and culinary instructor Greg Atkinson recently scoured the forest for seventeen pounds of chanterelles and porcinis. He says the experience connected him to the land. And it also gave him the opportunity to experience the unique addition that mushrooms can bring to something as simple as toast and as elegant as risotto. Greg talks with KUOW's Megan Sukys.

For most people, the days of mom making you a warm lunch or a big breakfast are long gone. If you want a home cooked meal, you're going to have to make it yourself. Jess Thomson, a Seattle based food writer and recipe developer, joins KUOW's Megan Sukys with a few make ahead recipes.

The one woman stage show is a chance for an actress to be the center of the universe. With no other actors on the stage, an excellent performer shows the audience just how powerful and riveting a single person can be. But, if the actress isn't up to the challenge, she reminds everyone of the risks when you go it alone. Misha Berson is the theatre critic for The Seattle Times. She joins KUOW's Megan Sukys with a survey of the possibilities and pitfalls three local one woman plays: The Year of Magical Thinking at Intiman Theatre, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar at The Strawberry Theatre Workshop and The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe at The Balagan Theatre.

Textbooks are one of the largest costs facing college students. But, they have not kept up with technology. While much of education has moved to digital form, textbooks are still mainly available in expensive, large print form. Glenn Fleishman talks about new ventures that may finally bring textbooks into the 21st century.

Most any technology service you buy has a contract. And, most likely, you didn't read it all that closely. Glenn Fleishman is a freelance technology reporter. And, he didn't read his contract for Comcast broadband phone. He talks with Megan Sukys about what he learned to do when it comes to technology contracts.

There are online services that can shorten hyperlinks you shares with other people. It's convenient, until that service goes out of business and the miniature URLs are rendered useless. Glenn Fleishman is a freelance technology reporter. He joins Megan Sukys with a look at the shortcomings of URL shorteners.

The Internet gives you the illusion that all information is at your fingertips. In fact, accessing information that is freely available from the government can get pretty expensive. Glenn Fleishman, a freelance technology reporter, talks about the fight going on behind the scenes to make free information truly free.

Smart phones let everyday people use the kind of technology that once only belonged to James Bond. But, if you want to have really private conversations, you'd be better off channeling The Jetsons. Glenn Fleishman is a freelance technology reporter. He tells KUOW's Megan Sukys when the online computer to computer communication of Skype could serve you better than a Blackberry.

Smart Appliances used to mean refrigerators that could surf the Internet. But soon, smart appliances will use technology to conserve energy. Glenn Fleishman is a freelance technology reporter. He joins KUOW's Megan Sukys with a look at the next generation of home appliances that are currently in development.

If you're eating locally and seasonally, the abundance of summer produce is bittersweet. For a brief time you have more tasty fruit and vegetables than you can handle. And then, it's gone until next year. Seattle chef, writer and cooking instructor Greg Atkinson suggests taking advantage of canning to hold onto the bounty for a dark winter day. He talks with KUOW's Megan Sukys about how to make canning an enjoyable hobby, rather than a steamy chore.

Twitter is a silly, shallow form of communication until it goes down. And then, you realize just how much you depend on those Tweets. Glenn Fleishman is a freelance technology reporter. He joins KUOW's Megan Sukys with a look at what the recent Twitter outage reveals about how our communication infrastructure is changing.