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Casey Anthony Trial Continues; Possible Peace Talks Underway in Afghanistan; GOP Presidential Hopefuls Attend Conference in New Orleans; Inside Look at Aspen Food and Wine Festival With ANDREW ZIMMERN; Advice On Retirement; The Affects of Extreme Weather on Wildlife; The President and Speaker Play Golf

Aired June 18, 2011 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news unfolds live this Saturday, June 18th. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

More graphic testimony today in the trial of Casey Anthony, which at times appeared to upset the defendant. Attorneys for the young woman accused of killing her little girl called their leading experts to the stand. Renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Werner Spitz testified about the condition of the child's remains and the duct tape found on her skull.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it your opinion that the duct tape was applied to the skull after it was fully skeletonized?

DR. WERNER SPITZ, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: It is my opinion that the duct tape was stuck on there after the skin had deteriorated, after the skin was decomposed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Another expert was dismissed from the stand, and the judge is threatening sanctions. More on that in a minute.

And there is talk of a diplomatic breakthrough in Afghanistan today. Afghan president Hamid Karzai told a youth group today that the United States is involved in peace talks with the Taliban. CNN's Barbara Starr says this could be a first step to ending the nearly ten-year long conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It has long been said that Afghanistan will be solved by a political settlement with the Taliban and with the insurgents. You can't kill them all. This is not going to happen. So there will be eventually, it is hoped, some type of political settlement. What is going on is certainly the U.S. is trying to identify key insurgent leaders that they potentially could work with, that they and NATO could work with.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: The U.S. state department is now on record saying it would join any effort at, quote, "reconciling those insurgents who are willing to renounce Al Qaeda."

And some other serious discussions are taking place in an unlikely place, the golf course. President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are holding their long awaited gulf summit. The political rivals are expected to discuss several pressing issues, including the debate over the U.S. debt ceiling and NATO's operation in Libya.

And a fix to a computer problem that grounded United Airlines flights across the U.S., but the airline says passengers could still experience delays through the weekend. The airline blames a network connection malfunction for freezing up the system that schedules departures, reservations and processes passengers. The glitch left thousands of people stranded.

And another airline is dealing with a much different problem, an American eagle employee is accused of stealing another man's identity to land a job as a flight attendant.

CNN's Alison Kosik is with us now from New York.

What more can you tell us about this security breach?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is a bit troubling when you think about it, Fredricka. The details are coming in on this one. Look at who we're actually talking about, this man, Johann Porter, charged with six counts of identity theft and three counts of forgery in Miami, among other charges. American Airlines says it is cooperating with authorities and their investigation.

Now, according to CNN's affiliate in Miami, WSBN, Porter was arrested in Miami-Dade international airport on Friday. He was holding multiple forms of phony identifications, including a couple of driver's licenses and a passport. He's being held on bond for a million dollars. The federal agency tells CNN they will deport him once his criminal case is complete.

Now, how he was able to become a flight attendant, that really is the lingering question here. We're still trying to get answers from the airline on that one. So far, they have only put out a statement without answering our questions. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And so whose identity did porter allegedly steal?

KOSIK: Well, we are still once again narrowing down all the details. Through a Florida records check, it appears Porter used the name of a Bronx man as his alias, a report from "The New York Post" says that man had applied for food stamps and was denied because he was told he had a job at American Airlines. Clearly that was not the case. So the Bronx man according to the report had alerted authorities and this is what kicked off the investigation.

Now, identity theft, you to think about it, it happens all the time, every day, but the fact is that if he can board an airline and get a job on this airline, into such a sensitive area, it makes you wonder what happened here and what kind of a breach of security this really is.

WHITFIELD: It is frightening and very troubling. Thanks so much, Alison Kosik in New York. Appreciate that.

Now back to the Casey Anthony trial in Florida. Day 22 has just wrapped up. It was the third day of testimony by the defense. Our David Mattingly is at the courthouse in Orlando. Some pretty riveting testimony today, David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Hearing a lot from Werner Spitz, he is the expert, a forensic pathologist, called by the defense, to bolster their claim that Caylee Anthony died by accident, by drowning possibly in her grandparents' swimming pool and she was not murdered as drugged and suffocated with duct tape by her mother as the prosecution claims.

And the way he was able to contribute to this was saying, first of all, he felt that the autopsy that was done, he said, was shoddy. He was very critical of the fact that examiners here did not cut open the skull and examine the contents of the skull. He said if they had, they would have noticed that the body had been laid out and decomposed, what they had laying to the side, not straight up as they had apparently found it.

He goes on to further say that it is his belief that someone actually took duct tape not to suffocate Caylee, but to later attach the jaw to the skull after the body had decomposed.

Of course, the prosecution was just grilling this expert for quite some time today before letting him go. But it was very clear that they're trying very hard to maintain who has control over the story that is in front of the jury, the prosecution who says she was murdered, or the defense who says that the officials here got it wrong and that this child died by accident.

WHITFIELD: And so, David, meantime the day's first defense witness, the judge made it very clear that he wasn't exactly pleased about how things were going.

MATTINGLY: That was a very bad moment for the defense. In fact, when the expert got up there, he started to explain that he had some problems with the interpretation of what the duct tape was there for. Well, immediately the prosecution objected, the judge called everyone aside.

And they were talking about the fact that there had been a ruling, an agreement in place, that no one was supposed to bring any surprises into this courtroom. What this witness did, he started to testify about something that was not earlier put into a report, so he was catching the prosecution by surprise. That broke the rule. The judge clearly said to everybody today that you're not supposed to do that. He admonished the defense. He had the defense witness get up and leave to be deposed later and perhaps come back on Monday. The judge went even further to say that the defense attorney would possibly be considered for contempt charges when this trial is done. So the judge very clear that he did not like what happened today and he wants to make sure everyone adheres to this agreement that no surprises need to be coming up in this courtroom.

WHITFIELD: David Mattingly, thanks so much, coming to us from Orlando.

The economic crisis in Greece has other countries wondering how they can prevent similar action. We'll go live to Athens next.

And this weekend, we are honoring fathers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, daddy. It's me from Guantanamo Bay. I don't have any lizards for you to look at, but I wanted to wish you a happy father's day. I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Checking international headlines.

Renewed violence in southern Sudan. The U.N. says the situation has deteriorated in the past ten days, more than 150,000 people have fled the violence and clashes over land, oil and power. This comes just weeks before southern Sudan celebrates its independence from the north.

And five inmates are coming to the defense of Amanda Knox. She's the American college student serving a 26-year sentence in Italy for killing her roommate. So far convicted murderer and a mob boss have testified that another prisoner told them Knox had nothing to do with the murder.

And in India, check out one of the newest locations on the planet. Residents of Shrevenagr changed the name of the city to Snapdeal.com. it was a show of gratitude after the e-commerce company installed 15 hand pumps in the village.

Crushing debt, public outrage and now a new tactic to buy Greece some time as it tries to fend off a looming financial disaster. The Greek prime minister reshuffled his cabinet yesterday. Greece needs to push through more budget cuts to secure a second bailout from the IMF and European Union. Diana Magne is in Athens. Diana, set the scene for us. All right, looks like we're trying to work out some audio problems here. We'll try to re-establish that and get back to Diana from Athens momentarily.

So you may have a list of things you want to do when you retire, but will you be able to actually afford it? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Who doesn't dream about being a racecar driver? Well, I headed out to the Charlotte motor speedway with a couple of NASCAR's best, who showed me the ropes face to face. This is what happens after 170 miles per hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: OK, I'm hooked. I want to be a race car driver.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was just a warm up.

WHITFIELD: That's awesome.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was just a warm up.

WHITFIELD: That's so awesome. Wow.

(LAUGHTER)

I thought maybe I was going to close my eyes, but then I didn't want to miss anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WHITFIELD: That's so wonderful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Next week, face to face with NASCAR's Jason Leffler and Joey Logano. What is it like to be a racecar driver, go around the speedway about 200 laps at 170 miles per hour? We'll talk face to face next weekend.

When she's not walking the runway, model Petra Nemcova is helping children rebuild their lives after natural disasters. She talks about her Happy Hearts Fund in this "Impact your World."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETRA NEMCOVA, HAPPY HEARTS FUND: Hi, I'm Petra Nemcova, and you can make incredible impact on the lives of children after natural disasters. When the Indian Ocean tsunami happened in 2004, my partner and me were swept out of the bungalow. I lost my partner. My pelvis was broken four times. After I was able to walk again, I started to talk about creating foundation.

Happy Hearts focuses on helping children after first responders leave. We have rebuilt 51 schools in five years. And we have a presence in nine countries around the world.

Join the movement and impact the world. Go to CNN.com/impact.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, there are many ways to impact your world. Go to CNN.com/impact and see the various organizations that will help people out and accept your donations as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The president and the speaker of the House discuss business on the golf course, more on this Saturday outing after a look at our top stories.

An airline security shocker, police say this man stole another man's identity to work as an American Eagle flight attendant. Johann Porter faces a laundry list of charges, including six counts of identity theft and three counts of forgery. He was arrested yesterday at Miami international airport.

And to Orlando now and the latest in the Casey Anthony murder trial. Today, a forensic pathologist testified he believes the duct tape found with her daughter Caylee's remains was used to keep her jaw attached after decomposition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, duct tape. There was nothing on the duct tape that would suggest the application on the skin either. So I had some difficulty with identifying when this duct tape was placed other than to say that it is my strong feeling and opinion that this duct tape was perhaps placed there hold the large jaw in place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Again, the expert testified he believes the tape was put on the child's face after it decomposed.

After Missouri floodwaters pushed them out, residents in South Dakota are returning to their homes. They have five days to survey any damage left after a levee collapsed Thursday. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released record amounts of water into the area from the Missouri river's six dams.

And Boston Bruins fans are hitting the streets today celebrating the team's Stanley Cup win. The city estimates about a million residents cheered the champs at today's victory parade. The bruins came back from a two game deficit to win the national hockey league's championship against the Vancouver Canucks.

All right, some people are calling it the golf summit. President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker John Boehner, and Ohio Governor John Kasich teed off this morning for 18 holes of golf.

Let's bring in CNN White House correspondent Brianna Keilar.

Brianna, this is more than just a golf game, isn't it?

BRIANNA KEILAR, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, they wrapped up their round of golf at Andrews air force base, a short while ago, after about spending four hours on the golf course. That's quite a lot of time, the most time that Speaker Boehner and President Obama have spent together in an informal setting ever. We're certainly still awaiting the scores.

But we know that the president and his speaker, they rode together in a cart, so certainly there was a lot of interaction. We're going to perhaps get a sense of what they talked about. And maybe we won't. But they certainly do have a lot to talk about, a couple of main issues coming to mind, those debt ceiling negotiations that are underway between the White House and congress, Vice President Biden who is in this foursome leading the talks. But the thought is that ultimately it will come down to the speaker and the president to negotiate all of the fine print and really close a deal on that.

And then the other issue is Libya. It is so intriguing the timing of this round of golf because tomorrow is 90 days after president Obama initially notified Congress he was sending really troops into this operation in Libya. And this week, Speaker Boehner said to the president, sent him a letter saying his thought on the matter and the thought of many members of Congress was that the White House was going to be in violation of the war powers resolution for not seeking congressional authorization, something the White House said they don't feel legally that they need to do.

So some pretty important issues of national security and the economy that could have been discussed on the golf course and, again, we're still awaiting the scores and we'll bring those to you as soon as we get them, Fred. We want to see who won, of course.

WHITFIELD: Brianna Keilar, thanks so much, at the White House, appreciate that.

Sticking with politics today is the final day of the Republican leadership conference in New Orleans, the biggest GOP gathering until next year's national convention.

CNN's Peter Hamby is there.

What's going on right now, Peter?

PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Hey, Fredricka, I'm in New Orleans at the Republican leadership conference, which is a major cattle call for the Republican presidential candidates. They're down here addressing party activists, meeting with donors. So far we have seen a bumper crop of candidates speak, including Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, and Newt Gingrich.

There are two things we're keeping an eye on today. One is a straw poll that is being conducted here which will test support among the candidates to see who the activists really like for the Republican nomination. The other thing we're waiting on is a speech by Texas Governor Rick Perry, who has suddenly emerged on the presidential scene. He signaled he's now thinking about the race after months of saying no. He's here today with several of his political advisers, and we're going to be closely watching his speech to see if he drops any hints about a presidential bid or tweaks his message as he looks at the presidential field, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Peter Hamby, thanks so much, in New Orleans, appreciate that.

And for more political news, go to CNN.com/politics.

He's traveled the world and eaten the most bizarre food out there. Chef ANDREW ZIMMERN is in the newsroom later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Extreme weather this year has impacted millions of Americans, and not only is it a danger to humans but animals are suffering as well.

Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras has some simple ways to make our backyards into a welcome and safe place for the wildlife. We love this.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. It is really been a tough year with all the extreme weather. Urbanization too has just plain caused problems for animals like these and birds and reptiles and rabbits. There is some really simple things that you can do that will go a long way in helping them survive in the brutal conditions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERAS: Raging wildfires, extreme drought, intense heat, and torrents of water. They're all taking a major toll on wildlife. Officials say our furry and feathered friends need help from us, and it is easier to do than you think.

BILL HALEY, NATURALIST, THE TENNESSEE AQUARIUM: They need to provide food, they need to provide water. They need to provide shelter. They need to provide a place for animals to raise their young. And so you can do that in a very small space. I've got a very, very small yard here. But I've worked to make this animal friendly, so to speak.

JERAS: Bill Haley is a naturalist and has created a certified wildlife habitat out of his yard.

HALEY: Native plants are an important part of it. The butterfly weed and the purple cone flower are both drought tolerant, which is a very important thing with climate change right now. You want plants you're not continually having to water, that do just fine even if it gets hot and it gets dry and it looks like we'll have a hot, dry summer this year.

JERAS: Haley says the natural yard is easier to take care of than a well groomed yard. In addition to planting good pollinators, hang a bird feeder or two for food. Water is also essential.

HALEY: I've got this water feature here, which is good if -- if a chipmunk wants to come down and take a drink or squirrel or animal that lives down low. And also it stays wet up underneath there and I found out I've got a good variety of salamanders that live in this yard.

JERAS: Water can be as simple as having a bird bath or a bowl of water refreshed daily.

HALEY: By shelter you want to provide dense bushes or plantings. You want to provide things like brush piles.

JERAS: Birdhouses also give protection and offer a safe place for their young. But Haley says they need to have a removable top to clean out when the birds are done nesting so a new family can move in.

HALEY: We're losing so much habitat these days. When somebody has just a complete grassy yard, that's like a desert to wildlife. We need to do other things, add other things that make it attractive so that they can have some of the things that were lost when that house was built and that yard was put there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JERAS: Of course, researching is always a good idea before you get started. You can have an idea what kind of plants are native to your area and you can often find native plant fields at your local garden center, at your local nature center, even botanical gardens as well. If you want to certify your backyard, find out more on how to do that at www.nwf.org, the National Wildlife Foundation. It only costs you about $15 and it really is very easy. There are a couple of series of steps. In fact I found out my backyard can be certified.

WHITFIELD: That's fantastic. The message is you don't have to be in a remote area, suburban area. You can be in an urban area.

JERAS: You can. If you have a balcony, you can put hanging plants up that have flowers that will attract the bees and birds and put the bowl of water out and --

WHITFIELD: Get certified. Thanks so much, Jacqui, appreciate it.

The ongoing economic recovery has many small businesses struggling. We go inside one shop next. And we continue with our salute to fathers everywhere.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PFC. MATTHEW COOPER: I'm PFC. Matthew Cooper, Kandahar, Afghanistan. I want to give a shout out to my dad, Ed Cooper, New York. Happy Father's day. I can't wait to see you. Three more months, dad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: You may have a list of things you want to do when you retire. But do you have enough money to do them? How much cash should you stash?

Chris Cordaro is CEO of Regent Atlantic Capital and joins us now from New York. So let's talk about the retirement bucket list. What are some of the things that you say you need to ask yourself as you make this list?

CHRIS CORDARO, CEO, REGENT ATLANTIC CAPITAL: Well, Fredricka, at region Atlantic I've taken lots of people through retirement and on to their bucket list. You want to prioritize your bucket list. You might come up with a lot of different things and they might cost different amounts of money. So if you go to the movie bucket list, one of the things with skydiving, a couple hundred bucks. Riding a Harley across the Great Wall of China, that will be a couple of thousand. So put some price tags on there.

WHITFIELD: You say you really need to ask yourself a few questions, like what makes you happy, what are your interests, do you have the time and money to pursue these interests? Maybe that then narrows your list.

CORDARO: That's exactly what you want to do. You want to put price tags on it and then prioritize it. What is most important to you, what is going to make you the happiest? Maybe it is skydiving which is relatively inexpensive. Move that to the top of the list, cross it off quickly.

But for some of the bigger items, you really have to think about what you want to do, what trade-offs are you willing to make to have the Harley trip on the Great Wall of China.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about these two types of happiness that you say are involved here and how they blend for a good retirement.

CORDARO: Sure. So, you know, you want to sort of figure this out. What is going to make you the most happy? And I think having a bucket list in retirement is just an excellent idea because the worst thing you can do is retire with nothing to do. So if you have a really great bucket list and hopefully has a lot of different things on there, and things that are going to make you happy and complete your life experience, that's really the most important thing.

WHITFIELD: And you say the bottom line is you need to do some of these things that you want to do kind of more immediately as opposed to putting it off later while you're a little more youthful, but then save that money, have enough for he later years.

CORDARO: Yes, exactly. You want to make sure that you're living within your means but still having these great adventures. And if you think about it, it is all about choices. That's all planning really is just deciding what is important to you and what you're willing to trade off.

So maybe going to see the pyramids is something that is incredibly important to you, but that might cost a fair amount of money. You might have to be able to live on a little bit less through years of your retirement.

Another important concept is, you know, when you start out in retirement. Those are probably the go-go years where you have your health. As you get older into your 70s and 80s, you may be slowing down. You want to make sure you've got your health and you got enough energy to do the things you want to do when you are able to do them.

WHITFIELD: Right, think ahead, plan ahead in so many ways.

Chris Cordaro, thanks so much, CEO of Regent Atlantic Capital, appreciate it, from New York.

We're all hearing about possible light at the end of the seemingly endless recession. But for many small businesses any sign of economic growth has yet to arrive. In fact, for one Virginia business owner, it is a struggle just to stay open.

Here is CNN's Sandra Endo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At Collectible Treasures gift shop in Fairfax, Virginia, to stay afloat in these tough economic times, strategy is key.

SHELLEY JENNINGS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER: Profit margins are down because of the economy. We have to do more sales. We have to do more promos.

ENDO: Anything to get customers in?

JENNINGS: Right.

ENDO: With millions of Americans out of work, owner Shelly Jennings wishes she could hire more employees to help run her three shops. But with sluggish sales, hiring workers is just too expensive, especially for small businesses.

JENNINGS: You have to be competitive. There is a minimum wage, but you can't offer minimum wage because nobody wants to work for that. You also have to pay -- match Social Security that the employee has taken out of theirs. You have to do unemployment taxes. You have to pay federal insurance and all that other stuff. So it adds up to be quite a hefty sum.

ENDO: Which is one reason the 9.1 percent national unemployment rate isn't getting better. The latest monthly report from the national federation of independent business shows the worst hiring prospects in eight months, and a continuing decline in optimism.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We look at hiring. We look at sales, we look at desire to expand, and it wasn't good news on any of those fronts. Sales have been a challenge for small businesses for some time now. They are reluctant to hire at best, and when it comes to expansion, no, they're staying put.

ENDO: For now, Jennings is hoping to just ride out the tough times.

JENNINGS: Thank you very much. You have a great weekend. Bye- bye.

Have mercy on the small retailer because we're trying to do the best we can.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENDO: Well, last fall President Obama signed a bill designed to free up credit and give tax breaks to small businesses. And while the administration says it is committed to helping small businesses, the results are slow to come. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Sandra Endo in Washington, thanks so much for that.

And he has traveled the world and eaten the most bizarre of foods. Chef ANDREW ZIMMERN is in the newsroom next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, combine picturesque scenery, top chefs and fine wine and you get the Aspen Food and Wine Festival. CNN brings you one of the most fun chefs to watch. ANDREW ZIMMERN joins us now. He is the host of bizarre foods and bizarre world on the Travel Channel.

Good to see you, Andrew.

ANDREW ZIMMERN, HOST, TRAVEL CHANNEL'S "BIZARRE FOODS": Nice to see you too.

WHITFIELD: Well, you know, first, this aspen gig must be so boring for you. Have you scouted out anything bizarre at this festival?

ZIMMERN: You know something, it's really great kind of holiday for me. When I'm in Namibia, I eat strange foods. When I'm here in Aspen, I hang out with my chef friends, do a lot of demos for the folks here. It is one of the best food events on the planet.

WHITFIELD: OK. You're convincing me. It does sound kind of boring considering you travel the world from New York to the Caribbean to the Yucatan peninsula to Southeast Asia. So tell me, if you can, what are some of the top bizarre foods that you've loved and loathed during all those travels.

ZIMMERN: Oh, my gosh. You know, some of the fermented foods I've eaten are a little hard to swallow and you have to, like, retrain your gag reflex. Then, again, I get to eat in some of the best restaurants in the world with some of the most amazing chefs because some of the stories that are bizarre are tales about pushing the envelope in terms of food forward modernist cuisine. I think I have the best job in the food universe.

WHITFIELD: You do. I'm envious. I'm a foodie too but not as adventurous as you. I came from a trip in China where some rather peculiar things were on that lazy Susan there. I did have to eat like a duck tongue and there was that whole kind of barbecued swallow on the plate as well. So what happens? What if you are offered something you don't want to try but you don't want to offend anyone?

ZIMMERN: You just mentioned two of my favorite foods, you've got me hungry in a way I haven't been. China's one of my favorite places to eat and yet I always remind myself, especially with friends who are visiting that country, a billion Chinese grandmas can't be wrong. The reason those items are on the lazy Susan is because they taste good. You should at least try it.

Just remember that everybody there is just -- they think it is weird we eat cheese. I was in Africa a couple of years ago and a tribes person in Uganda said to me when I was eating cheddar out of my backpack, he said what are you doing, you Americans, you let milk rot into little squares and dry it and eat it. I was like, you know, cheese is just controlled spoilage. You've got a point. One man's weird is another man's wonderful.

WHITFIELD: That is really true there was no cheese anywhere in sight on that lazy Susan when I was there, but that didn't mean that there were staying away from dairy and, you know, altogether, there were rotten eggs, they like to call a thousand year old eggs. Anyway, I digress.

ZIMMERN: Those are really harsh. They taste like cheese.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

ZIMMERN: You got to like cheese to like a thousand year old egg.

WHITFIELD: They are strong smelling. Stay with us, Andrew. After the break you'll talk to us again about going from a life of drug addiction, skid row, to traveling the world with a sort of food addiction, all thanks to a second chance right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The Aspen Food and Wine Festival is under way this weekend. We're lucky to have one of most celebrated foodies out there with us, chef ANDREW ZIMMERN of "Bizarre Foods" fame on the Travel Channel.

Andrew, we talked about cheese, like, don't like, all that. Let's talk about how you got to this point from rock bottom, drug addict, as you explained in the book "Second Chances," top executives share their stories of addiction and recovery, to then getting a second chance on life and being where you are.

ZIMMERN: It is a pretty incredible sort of passion play. I grew up in New York City, got addicted to drugs and alcohol early on. The '80s were one big blurry party to me. I sobered up in January of 1992, and I've been continuously sober ever since. I remade my life in Minnesota, started a job after getting out of a halfway house, washing dishes in a restaurant and just put my life together again one baby step at a time after a very successful food and restaurant career in New York City.

And then to have this second act as both a parent and a husband and to have this amazing TV program fall into my lap, it is quite humbling. I pinch myself every single day. And my recovery in life informs my working life.

My show is all about accepting other cultures and their foods. And that recovery taught me not to practice contempt prior to investigation and to be more accepting of things. And I try to teach that on my show.

WHITFIELD: You're an inspiration on so many levels. And then you have another book out, "Bizarre World of Food, Brains, Bugs, and Blood Sausage." You're really hoping the younger audience will be inspired about being as open about food as you have been.

What is the hardcore message you want to send to young people as you prepare to be holding chopsticks like brain matter or intestines or something?

ZIMMERN: Yes. I have a lot of material that I like to push towards the younger audience. I had a father that took me all around the world, and taught me the importance of traveling mouth first. And I know there are a lot of young people out there who don't have that opportunity. I want to get them excited about the world. I want to get them excited about the power of travel and how that can challenge a human being. And I want them to get excited about trying things in other cultures.

If you can get a 14-year-old kid to try something funky and unusual in a Japanese restaurant in their hometown, they're going to be a better civilian and a better human being and I think planet earth is going to be a little better off. That sounds like a really big pipe dream, but I'm convinced that food and travel is an extreme level when it comes to cultural appreciation. And I think kids really want to hear the stories.

WHITFIELD: Fantastic. A great father's day message this weekend. Happy father's day to you, Andrew.

ZIMMERN: And thank you very much, Fredricka. Great talking to you.

WHITFIELD: Pretty great gig there. And all year round, I'd say.

CNN's coverage of the Aspen Food and Wine Festival continues next hour. I'll talk to the founder and managing editor of Eatocracy.com. Get more information about tom and the other chefs and their causes by going to CNN.com/Eatocracy.