Title: Holiday Shows Light up the City and Sweet Potatoes Are in Season

Iru Ekpunobi: New York State bans kratom sales to under 21s, how to beat complicated feelings around the holiday, and the new NYC holiday shows you may not know, From WNYC, this is NYC Now. I'm Iru Ekpunobi, in for Janae Pierre. New York State is banning the sale of an herbal supplement called kratom to people under 21 years old. The state will require warning labels on products containing it. Kratom is derived from a plant indigenous to parts of Asia and is widely available at smoke shops and gas stations. Proponents of kratom say it increases energy and can also provide pain relief and relaxation in higher doses, but state officials say it can also be dangerous. State Health Commissioner James McDonald says kratom isn't regulated by the federal government.

James McDonald: Kratom, I still think it's a word that people aren't quite used to. You know, it acts like an opioid is what we often say, but it actually binds to the same receptor as morphine in your body, so it really is addictive.

Iru Ekpunobi: The new restrictions take effect immediately, and companies will have one year to place warning labels on products.

[bells ringing]

Iru Ekpunobi: Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas if you celebrate. The holidays are not a time for joy and relaxation for everyone. According to a recent survey by the American Psychiatric Association, one in five people say the holiday season has a negative effect on their mental health. Some cite feelings of grief, challenging family dynamics, or stress over gifts. Kim Hertz runs a therapy practice in New York City and says many clients struggle with their mental health during the holidays, especially as people's regular routines get disrupted.

Kim Hertz: Pretty much I'll stay in the house, not gringy, but just in my own little funk, being super duper introverted.

Iru Ekpunobi: Hertz says maintaining good sleep, hygiene and exercise, even while traveling, can help keep spirits high.

[classic music]

Iru Ekpunobi: When you think of holiday classics, is there any show that's as famous as the New York City Rockettes? WNYC arts and culture reporter, Hannah Frishberg, says.

Hannah Frishberg: Well, no. The Rockettes turn 100 this year.

Iru Ekpunobi: But there are a number of other newer performances that have become classics in their own right in the past few years.

Hannah Frishberg: Unsilent Night is a great one. It's been going on since 1992. Composer Phil Kline decided to create his own take on holiday caroling and wrote a 45-minute long electronic music piece.

Iru Ekpunobi: Phil Kline then gathered a few dozen of his friends, gave them boomboxes, and together, they paraded through Greenwich Village, playing that electronic music piece. Hannah says it's become a tradition in the village and spread to five continents and 175 cities in the decades since.

Another new classic, comedian Murray Hill's A Merry Good Old Christmas.

Hannah Frishberg: It's a winter variety show that's been taking place at Lincoln Center for 25 years. This year it featured a 10 piece band, celebrity cameos, and plenty of holiday cheer.

Iru Ekpunobi: Both Unsilent Night and A Merry Good Old Christmas have already happened this holiday season, but if you still want to catch a funky holiday show, Company XIV's Nutcracker Rouge is going on until January 21st.

Hannah Frishberg: It's a particularly lavish telling of The Nutcracker story that involves acrobatics and magic. It takes place at Company XIV's home, deep in the heart of Bushwick, at 383 Troutman Street. Tickets start at $89.

Iru Ekpunobi: That's WNYC's Hannah Frishberg. Up next, what's in season, comes in lots of colors, and is good for holiday eats? Find out after the break.

Iru Ekpunobi: Here at NYC Now, we like to highlight what's fresh and affordable at your local farmer's market. This week, we're spotlighting sweet potatoes.

Amelia Tarpey is Program and Publicity Manager for GrowNYC Greenmarkets. She says sweet potato is a good food for any holiday.

[MUSIC - Vic Flick: Why Not?]

Amelia Tarpey: Sweet potatoes will really last us through the winter and they're just as good now as they were in November. Sweet potatoes are not actually related to potatoes. They are part of the morning glory family, and if you ever see a sweet potato growing, you'll know why, because they have these really beautiful vining green leaves.

There's two main categories of sweet potatoes. There are orange sweet potatoes and then most of the other varieties that you see are Japanese sweet potatoes. When it comes to Japanese sweet potatoes, there are three main varieties. There are white sweet potatoes and white sweet potatoes have sort of like a tannish skin and then white flesh. There's also Japanese sweet potatoes that have a red skin and white flesh, and then there are sweet potatoes that are purple all the way through, skin and flesh, this dark purple color.

The dark purple sweet potatoes, you don't see them as often at green markets. A lot of times they sell out really quickly too, so they're a little rarer. If you see them, definitely grab them. Most Japanese sweet potatoes tend to be a little starchier and have a drier flesh than your orange sweet potatoes and have incredible depth of flavor. They're super delicious.

To roast them, you just pop them into the oven. You can wrap them in foil, pierce them with a fork, perhaps rub a little bit of oil over them, some salt, roast them at 375 until they're fork tender, tender, and then you can eat them just like that. Because they can be sweet as well, I've also seen people and experimented with eating them as a dessert. You roast the Japanese sweet potato and then once it's nice tender all the way through, take it out, slice it open. You can drizzle some burnt honey or you can make a quick little sugar sauce and then a scoop of ice cream and some black sesame seeds over top. Super delicious.

Iru Ekpunobi: Amelia Tarpey, GrowNYC Greenmarkets Program and Publicity Manager. As always, thanks for listening to NYC Now from WNYC. I'm Iru Ekpunobi. See you tomorrow.

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