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What's the oldest known dessert? According to a new book by author Michael Krondl, it's a fruitcake-like recipe from ancient Mesopotamia. India gave the world refined sugar — and doughnuts fried in sacred ghee. Krondl leads a sweet journey through the history of dessert.

From Bach on the accordion to a full-length symphony housed on a one-bit microchip, NPR Music's Tom Huizenga and Weekend All Things Considered host Guy Raz spin an eclectic assortment of new music.

Eugene Polley, the inventor of the first wireless television remote control, has died at age 96.

"In Lou Reed's world, when you were Lou's friend you knew it," his longtime publicist Bill Bentley tells Terry Gross. Fresh Air dedicates an entire hour to the transgressive and transcendent Velvet Underground co-founder, with music and commentary by original Velvets John Cale and Maureen Tucker.

Jayme Dyer didn't know what to expect when she first tried out the growing theatrical sport of women's arm wrestling. Then she started winning. This summer, Dyer donned her alter-ego, Ze Dirty Butcher, to compete with seven other women in the first national ladies arm wrestling championships.

The Oglala Sioux tribe has accused Anheuser-Busch and Pabst, among others, of illegally selling millions of cans of beer a year to the residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which is officially dry. Some argue beer makers aren't to blame and that addiction issues run deep.

Oyster ice cream may be more traditional fare than many of the dishes we serve for Thanksgiving, says chef José Andrés. He's showcasing American food history in his collaboration with the National Archives. But modern diners can appreciate this briny treat, too.

Teresa MacBain admits that when she was ordained as a minister, she had big questions. She thought they'd make her faith stronger, but instead they haunted her. Then one day, she couldn't take it anymore. In a move that's left her unemployed and nearly friendless, MacBain has come out as an atheist — and she says it's a big relief.

Khaled Hosseini's new novel, like his two earlier works, is set partly in Afghanistan — but this time, political turmoil isn't a major element of the plot. Instead, And The Mountains Echoed is a story of a family's loss that spans decades and continents.

In The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones, Jon Ronson explores the subculture of ordinary individuals who adopt superhero identities (and costumes) to patrol the streets.

In the beginning, all of the talent was black, but the UniverSoul Circus evolved into an eclectic mix of acts from around the world. Now, the circus is pushing to diversify its audience, with a show called "Us."

Pictures of Saint Honore or (Saint Honoratus) from church iconography reinforce his baker background. He's holding his wooden peel, often with a few delicious-looking loaves of crusty French bread nearby.