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11:00 am
Mon February 20, 2012

Smithsonian Sheds Light On Founding Father's Slaves

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Many Americans use Presidents' Day to reflect on the nation's core values, but the founding fathers often had complicated relationships with those ideals. A new exhibit explores that issue. "Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello" highlights the lives of slaves owned by the third U.S. president and the author of the Declaration of Independence. Host Michel Martin speaks with the exhibition's lead curators.

Studio Sessions
11:00 am
Mon February 20, 2012

Haitian Heritage In Cuba ... As Heard Through Song

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In this encore broadcast, Michel Martin hosts the Creole Choir of Cuba for a performance chat. The group is credited with introducing the world to the rhythms of the Haitian community in Cuba. The 10 members are descendants of West Africans who were enslaved on that island. They sing songs of their ancestors, infused with contemporary sounds.

The Two-Way
10:07 am
Mon February 20, 2012

Baseball's Spring Training Begins; Opening Day Is April 4

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Major League Baseball's spring training has begun, as catchers and pitchers have made their way to Florida and Arizona to prepare for the 2012 season. Games in the Grapefruit League and Cactus League won't begin until early March, when all players will report to camp.

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The Two-Way
7:53 am
Mon February 20, 2012

Stephen Colbert Set To Return Tonight, After A Delay In Taping

Credit Fernando Leon / Getty Images
Stephen Colbert, seen here in a file photo from November 2011, postponed production of his Colbert Report due to concerns about his mother's health, according to reports. The show will resume taping Monday, according to Comedy Central.
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Originally published on Mon February 20, 2012 10:17 am

The Colbert Report is set to resume production Monday, after a hiatus last week brought on by concerns over the health of Stephen Colbert's mother, according to reports. Lorna Colbert, 91, lives in Charleston, S.C., where the Comedy Central star grew up.

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The Salt
7:00 am
Mon February 20, 2012

George Washington's Ice Cream Recipe: First, Cut Ice From River

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Credit John Rose
Actress portraying Martha Washington
Credit John Rose / NPR
These large iron pots from the Mount Vernon kitchen were probably used to cook large cuts of meat like ham, beef and fowl. The metal hooks were used to pull the giant pots out of the fire.
Credit John Rose / NPR
Like other 18th-century housewives, Martha Washington would have used a still to extract essences of mint or rose petals. The essences flavored cakes and puddings.
Credit John Rose / NPR
This plate heater was filled with hot water to warm dinnerware.
Credit John Rose / NPR
One of Martha Washington's favorite desserts was ice cream, but she could make it only if the Potomac River had frozen enough to provide ice. The ice would have to be stored until spring, when the cows gave milk. Once made, the ice cream would be kept cold in this dish by putting ice on top.
Credit John Rose / NPR
After the labor of preparation, the ice cream would be served in small dishes resembling teacups with handles to keep the delicacy from melting from hands around the dish.
Credit John Rose / NPR
A plate warmer with an open back would be set in front of the fireplace at Mount Vernon and filled with plates for the evening's guests.
Credit John Rose / NPR
A French cocotte, purchased by George Washington from the French Minister in 1790, would be used to serve warm sauces and ragouts.
Credit John Rose / NPR
This ledger displays the meticulous documentation of every product at Mount Vernon, including ham, geese, ducks, butter and oysters.
Credit John Rose / NPR
Brewing coffee meant toasting the beans in front of the fire. George Washington clearly loved his joe, ordering hundreds of pounds of beans.
Credit John Rose / NPR
Fancy fruit cakes were a typical dessert served at Mount Vernon.
Credit John Rose / NPR
Martha Washington, portrayed by actor Mary Wiseman, serves modern-day guests the same dishes the First Couple enjoyed.
Credit John Rose / NPR
One of the uniforms made from fine wool, known as a livery, worn by the male slaves, along with a variety of kitchenware found in the home of George and Martha Washington as a new exhibition at Mount Vernon.
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Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 10:01 am

This year would not be a good year for ice cream. In fact, there would be none at all if we relied on the technique George Washington used at Mount Vernon, his Virginia estate that's perched on the banks of the Potomac River.

His source of ice was the frozen river. Given the warm winter we've had here in D.C. , there's no chance. Seems the weather is nothing like it was on Jan. 26, 1786, when Washington wrote in his journal:

"Renewed my Ice operation to day, employing as many hands as I conveniently could in getting it from the Maryland shore, carting and pounding it."

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