Central Standard

A local orchard owner talks about agritourism (corn mazes, pumpkin patches, the corn pit and more), a pastry chef fries up some apple pie, then KCUR's Food Critics search out the best desserts in and around KC. Guests: Frank Gieringer, Gieringer's Family Orchard & Berry FarmJessica Armstrong, pastry chef, NovelCharles Ferruzza, The Independent and Shawnee Mission PostMary Bloch, Around the BlockJenny Vergara, Feast Magazine

For the past six years, Jyoti Mukharji has opened her home kitchen to teach Kansas Citians about Indian cuisine. But to her fans, her classes are more than just about cooking. Mukharji peppers her talk with personal stories and health tips, then the class ends in a dinner party around her dining room table. Even though she has lived in Kansas City for nearly 30 years, the fragrant aromas of spices bring her back to her childhood house in Lucknow, India, where she lived with her parents and older

Don't ask Todd Sheets about the first horror film that he made. "It's godawful," he told host Gina Kaufmann on KCUR's Central Standard. "Anything I made before '93 I kind of disowned." Sheets started making horror movies in the late 1980s in Kansas City. He quickly earned a cult following; he was even dubbed the "Prince of Gore." He grew up going to movies. His first childhood memory was of seeing Night of the Living Dead on a triple bill. From that point, he was fascinated by the genre. He was

Todd Sheets started making horror movies in KC in the late 1980s. He stopped after a close friend died at the Catacombs Haunted House. A health scare — a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery — inspired him, in part, to make movies again. His latest, Dreaming Purple Neon, has its world premiere tomorrow night at Screenland Armour. Plus, a chat with musician Rachel Mallin, and an encore presentation on lizards. Guests: Todd Sheets, director, Dreaming Purple NeonRichard Glor, Associate

Story of a Song is a monthly segment on KCUR's Central Standard in which local musicians tell the story behind a song they have written or are performing. The band: Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type The song: "White Girls" The story: Last year, Kansas City singer Rachel Mallin was recovering from a failed relationship, one that she felt was hijacked by a certain kind of girl. Processing the pain, she started churning out lyrics. Around the same time, she got a job at Forever 21, working eight

There's a lot going on in the West Bottoms. The American Royal is moving out, and artists and craft beer enthusiasts are moving in. The area is also the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, which will funnel resources into creative visions. A look at how these changes will affect the West Bottoms, plus an update on the American Royal leaving the area. Guests: Megan Crigger, Director, Office of Culture and Creative Services for KCMOJulia Cole, Charlotte Street

Wuz Smith isn’t quite sure what his next step is. He recently graduated from Frontier School of Excellence in Kansas City, Missouri, but right now, he’s weighing his options. “I’m just kind of going with the flow right now,” he told host Gina Kaufmann on KCUR’s Central Standard. “Just experiencing new places and new things.” Smith’s indifference towards his future is typical among his fellow teenagers, but it feels uniquely uncharacteristic of Smith. After all, at just 17, Smith has developed

As sous chef at Café Sebastienne, Janet Ross prepares ruby trout with a root vegetable hash. As a contestant on Cutthroat Kitchen: Tournament of Terror, she uses murder weapons to prepare Halloween-themed meals like liver and brains. How does she transition between the two? Plus, a local fashion prodigy who had a luxury label before he even graduated from high school, and the tale of a long-lost film featuring an all Native American cast and the man who found it. Guests: Janet Ross, local

Lawrence writer Bryn Greenwood’s novel All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is a love story between a grade-school girl and a drug-running biker in his twenties, set on a meth-making compound in the rural Midwest. Since it was published in August, the book has drawn intensely mixed reactions from readers, some of whom are revolted by the relationship at its center and others who are moved by Greenwood's ability to write so authentically about such a difficult subject. Greenwood recently spoke with

After 122 literary agents rejected her work, Kansas novelist Bryn Greenwood finally found a publisher in August for All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. She reflects on her own experiences that lead to the complicated fictional tale of a young girl who grows up on a meth compound, and falls in love with an ex-con nearly 20 years her senior. Plus, 18th & Vine Poet Laureate Glenn North shares a few poems and reflects on his long-term and ongoing role in the changing historic district. Guests:

For the past six years, Jyoti Mukharji has opened her home kitchen to teach Kansas Citians about Indian cooking. But to her fans, her classes are more than just about learning how to cook; she shares health tips and personal stories ... such as how she defied expectations on arranged marriage and on going to med school. Guest: Jyoti Mukharji, local culinary instructor

It's not a new story: newspapers are in flux. Recently, Yael Abouhalkah, a longtime Kansas City Star journalist, was laid off; he was one of only two editorial writers at the paper. What is the significance of the newspaper editorial — especially in a time when nearly everyone can broadcast their opinion online? And how are layoffs affecting newsrooms nationwide? Plus, Question Quest sifts through the legend and superstition to find the true story behind the Black Angel in Iowa City, Iowa.

Is nature a place to unplug ... or is it a photo op for social media? (#nature #gettingoutthere)? The relationship between technology and the wilderness. Plus, a look back at how Leon Jordan and others consolidated black political power in Kansas City. Guests: Megan Coleman, KC resident, travelerCorey Arnold, National Geographic; photographer for "The Power of Parks: Can the Selfie Generation Unplug and Get Into Parks?"Matt Hodapp, producer, KCUR's Statehouse Blend Kansas and Statehouse Blend

Do you remember the man who took your tickets at the Tivoli for 17 years? With a recent photo display and theater dedication at the Tivoli, we reflect on the late Bob Smith, an international male model in his prime, who spent the end of his life in Kansas City. But first, a check-in with the superintendent and a teacher in the Hickman Mills School District, as a part of KCUR's ongoing coverage of the district. Guests: Dennis Carpenter, superintendent, Hickman Mills School DistrictMarcia Pitts,

It happens every year — in fact, maybe more often than not: people run for office with almost no shot at winning. With the 2016 Election fast approaching, we reign in a few local candidates running with "no chance in hell." Why are they still in the race? Guests: Alan LaPolice (I), running for Kansas's 1st Congressional District, against Roger MarshallJacob Turk (R), running for Missouri's 5th Congressional District, against Emanuel CleaverPatrick R. Miller, political science professor,