Category Archives: Current events

Brushes with Fame

Posted on by

So you know that picnic I mentioned in the last post? It was for the birthday of Ms. Abbie Turiansky, who CNN just happened to feature in a segment on Clagett Farm’s CSA last week. It’s nothing new for me to have a friend on the news because, you know, I associate with so many local foods activists and television stars. But I thought I’d pass it on.

And this photo? I took it on that farm. Yeah–I was there, where all the magic happens, just yesterday. No biggie. Just rubbing shoulders with the news makers as always.

In Defense of Flesh

Posted on by

“Eat good meat and source it well. Acknowledge where it comes from. And respect the fact that the animal died for your dinner.”

If I were to eat meat, these principles articulated by author Scott Gold are what I would live by. Some thought-provoking books on the omnivorous lifestyle (including Gold’s) came out this spring and the WaPo did a nice job examining them.

Check it out.

Formaggio autentico

Posted on by

Parmesan and oliveCheesy, but exciting: Parmesan now has authenticity.

The European Court of Justice ruled yesterday that Parmesan cheese can join the ranks of Champagne and true Balsamic vinegar as a food that’s only legit if it comes from a certain city or region. For Parmesan, the place is Parma, Italy, where folks have been making the popular hard cheese for almost a millennium.

This was spurred not so much by Parma wanting more validity and marketability for its cheese but from resenting Germany’s use of their name and rep.

But now I wonder what will become of all those menus with chicken, eggplant, and veal Parmesan? Does the stuff covered in marinara and melted mozzarella also have to include authentic Parmanese Parmesan?

Next time you’re at an Italian food joint, why not have a little fun? Flash a fake badge from the European Union Commission on Culinary Restrictions, feign the European accent of your choice, and start interrogating them. I especially recommend this if they serve veal parm.

Thanks to Hui, photographer, designer, and blogger, for the yummy photo!

Here cow cow cow!

Posted on by

Glory be! The future is here! The FDA has said selling products from cloned animals is okay. You only have a few months before “consumer anxiety” abates and the USDA figures it’s okay, too. Pretty soon the public will be ready to munch away, oblivious of whether their burger is from a cloned animal or not, but we’re not there yet.

What’s going to win them over? Probably the heaps of compelling evidence that’s it’s all good. As you can see from the article, the FDA spent six long years tracking the safety of cloned animals. That’s like a third of the natural life span of a dairy cow and 1/12 the lifespan of a human being–plenty of time to thoroughly monitor the effects of raising and eating clones. Now that schools are doing away with the idea of natural selection, why shouldn’t food producers? It’s all part of a trend toward innovation and a new world.

Well, I guess meddling with genes has a few proven problems… and there are some problems with this specific decree, like the fact that it flies in the face of public opinion and every animal rights organization doesn’t like it and Congress has asked to wait for more studies… but I’m not deterred. We must embrace the brave new future of food.

The secret life of your rice cooker

Posted on by

We have seen the enemy, and it is… kitchen appliances!

NPR reported recently on Japan’s struggle to achieve lower carbon emissions and its effort to target the kinds of things we leave plugged in even when we don’t need them.

It seems that the reduction Japan agreed to in the Kyoto Protocol is tougher than expected. While individuals can make a difference, the government may have taken that idea too far with an ad campaign called “Team Minus 6%.” According to the NPR story,

“[One] advertisement features a conversation between a microwave oven and a rice cooker. The message: Unplug appliances when you’re not using them.”

Unfortunately, my YouTube search failed to locate a video of this undoubtedly priceless ad.

The article goes on to examine this idea more closely:

“You might think that environmentalists would applaud, but Tetsunari Lida feels like it’s a distraction. ‘It’s nonsense,’ Lida says. ”

And Lida should know. He’s the director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies in Tokyo.

While it would be great if “kitchen activism” could save the world from the big, bad carbon emissions, I don’t think that’s the key.

My message? Keep taking public transportation and cut down on air travel, use alternative energy sources, eat locally, green up your investment portfolio, and exercise your consumer sovereignty by supporting eco-friendly companies—or better yet, start one yourself.

Show some love for the veggies

Posted on by

It’s World Vegetarian Day!* On this kick-off day for Vegetarian Awareness Month, I encourage my fellow veggies to celebrate and pat yourself on the back for joining a compassionate and sustainable movement. You and your millions of vegetarian brothers and sisters around the globe are making a difference!

If you’re an omnivore, this is a good time to try indulging in more plant-based goodies and eliminating the animal-based ones… or just give a hug to your favorite vegetable lover (I am available for all your veggie-embracing needs). If you’re not ready to join the likes of Alicia Silverstone, Bill Maher, and Ghandi just yet, there’s plenty of time to prepare yourself for the Great American Meatout next March.

*Thanks, Max G., for the tip off!

We aim for epazote, not ESPN

Posted on by

Now, I have accepted that hitting a small, stitched ball with a long stick is an enviable skill. I also honestly find it impressive that people can zoom around on ice skates and manipulate a little disk with what looks like a bent spatula. I even grasp that it can be fun to watch one large man with padded shoulders and knees knock over another large man in similar dress of different colors.

But competitive eating?? What’s up with that?

How have we come to value sticking an entire hot dog down one’s throat without choking?

This is probably the first, last and only time you will see me write about sports. I am writing about it because this has to do with food—something I believe should be appreciated slowly and gently—and because I really am baffled.

When this happens, I always try my darndest to argue the other side. So here goes: I suppose we all love a hero, and we found that hero in Takeru Kobayashi–even if he earned that status by eating processed meat faster than anyone else. He also devoured matzo balls at a superlative pace at one point, so I should give a little shout out to him for his chutzpah. But just one shout. That’s it! My reticence prevails.

Now it appears that Kobayashi is having some issues. Can’t say I feel too bad for the guy. But I guess everyone wants to succeed at the thing they’ve set their mind to.

We shall see what happens next week at the annual contest.

So that’s my bit on sports. Tune in again soon for discussion of something more palatable… or maybe not quite palatable (yet) like epazote.  I really want to get into that stuff, but my first taste of it left me looking like I’d just watched the entire 12 minutes of a certain Nathan’s-sponsored stunt. We shall see, my friends.

Real life 101

Posted on by

I’ve always thought that senators and members of congress should have a required orientation when they are voted in. You know, take a month or two to live like the people they will represent. For many areas, that would mean living on minimum wage for a while, serving in the military for a week or two, and/or job hunting while raising a few kids.

Well, now someone’s gone and done it—or something close to it. It’s not the freshest news, but in case you haven’t read about it, Oregon governor Ted Kulongoski (a Dem) went for a week on what he could buy with the average ration of food stamps. If you’re registered with the NY Times, check it out.

And Connecticut state Sen. Jonathan Harris (another Dem, from West Hartford), went a full three weeks. Continue reading →