On the public radio program Here & Now, host Robin Young was interviewing Gabrielle Hamilton, the chef and owner of the New York City restaurant “Prune.” She wrote a memoir called “Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef,” (which chef Anthony Bourdain called “simply the best memoir by a chef - ever.”).
During the interview Young asked Hamilton about her time in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Young says, "like a lot of Americans, you thought, 'Ann Arbor, Michigan… cheese cubes.'"
You can hear Young's comment in the audio here. It's at the 6 minute mark.
That comment sparked one listener to write in. Phillip wrote:
I do hope that someone from your Michigan network of stations will contact the host of Here and Now about her comment yesterday regarding Ann Arbor; specifically, in an interview with the chef/ author of Prune, the host remarked something to the effect that "When most of us think of Ann Arbor, we think of cheese cubes..." Give me a break!
Well, we did share that comment with the producers at Here & Now and host Robin Young wrote back:
Dear Phillip OY YI YI!!!! The cheese cube kerfuffle!! We're going to address on a letters segment on air, but I've been writing the (many!) people who've written. Just to clarify.. what I said was, "YOU" (meaning the author) thought Michigan meant cheese cubes. This is what she writes in the book! Then I went on to say, but you found otherwise. I buy from Zingermans!! I don't think Ann Arbor means cheese cubes! SO sorry for leaving that impression, Best Robin Young Here and Now