Archive for the ‘food and consumer products’ Category
Sanctuary in a Brazilian Ice Cream Store
February 28th, 2010 | 
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Our second week in Brazil was spent in Mangue Seco, a two hour drive northeast of Salvador. I will write more about this spectacular corner of Bahia, which gave us one of the most restful and remote vacations we had ever experienced. But for now, allow me to indulge in one of our favorite pastimes: a daily visit to Recanto de Dona Sula, quite possibly one of the best ice cream shops I have ever visited. (more...)Day in the Garden
I will write more later, but I have to gush over the tropical garden we got to visit that is behind the ice cream shop here in Mangue Seco. The owner's daughter gave us the private tour: several varieties of mango, star fruit, pinha, hibiscus, coconut palms, even a pomegranate tree. But the star was the pitanga--small like a cherry tomato, ridged like a minature pumpkin, and tastes exuding persimmon, tomato, mango, and even a slight, briny, astringent taste. It was heaven. I'll post photos when I return home. Do I have to return home?
Posted in International, food and consumer products | 
Tags: Brazil, Mangue Seco, pitanga, Salvador da Bahia | 
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Heaven is Mangue Seco, Brazil
Mangue Seco is about 200 km northeast of Salvador da Bahia. We'll be here for 6 days total. It's wonderful--not much to do but enjoy the mangroves, palms, endless white beaches, fresh fruit, fresh fish, and the best ice cream ever. We do not want to leave. I cannot wait to write more about it! It is hard to get here. You basically have to hire a car and then a small boat takes you to your pousada (inn). Lack of infrastructure has kept this place prestine--for the most part.
While I still have 'net connection, I do have to say that our biggest disappointment is the garbage. Trash collection is haphazard at best. The views are splendid, but the plastic bottles and bags can spoil the mood. Some of it washes ashore from elsewhere, but too much of it is because of the locals. Our innkeeper, Ives, does what he can, but it's an uphill battle.
If you're old enough to remember paper straws . . . I wonder what you have to say if I opine that we should bring them back, especially to a precious spot like Mangue Seco.
Posted in International, air - land - quality of life, food and consumer products |
Tags: Brazil, garbage, Mangue Seco, recycling, Salvador da Bahia, travel |
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The best kitchen gadget – you have two of them already!
Who can resist a good kitchen gadget? Our kitchen is full of them: the mandolin is great for slicing, the ice cream maker gets a regular workout, and the pressure cooker makes a mean pot of rice or roast beef. I wish we could get a little more use out of the Italian-made pasta machine, and sometimes the blender sits for days at a time because it's just too messy to clean up. And then there are the awesome gizmos you see on the TV, especially on infomercials. Admit it: infomercials are like that Costco-size bag of Oreos . . . you know you shouldn't indulge, but you do. The juicers, the slicers that can cut a carrot into 30 different shapes, the mini blenders, and how can you forget "set it and forget it?" (more...)
Posted in food and consumer products |
Tags: cooking, germ phobia, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, mysophobia, recipes, slow food |
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An açai berry walks into a bar . . .
The articles have slowed down a bit this month because GreenGoPost is currently in Salvador do Bahia, Brazil. Not wanting to deal with different keyboards during my trip, I did my best to pre-post ahead of time--in fact, most of the posts that I write are written, re-written, and proofread--I seldom post on the fly. So, as to not distract from Carnival and the other cultural riches of this region, I thought I'd share one of the great pleasures of Brazil, the juice bar.
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Posted in International, food and consumer products |
Tags: açai, Brazil, Brazilian fruit, Brazilian juice bars, buriti, cacau, cajú, farming, fruto-do-conde, graviola, mangaba, Rio de Janeiro, slow food |
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Save the Date: Women in Green Forum, September 1-2, 2010
Are you an engineer, fully engaged in green tech issues, and often walk into a room full of men? Are you interested in eco-fashion? Perhaps you are a graduate student wanting to enter this space. Or maybe you have a passion for electric vehicles. And you probably aware that many of the green revolution has its roots in women like Rachel Carson.Have I got the conference for you, September 1-2, in Pasadena.
Spearheaded by Jaime Nack of Three Squares Inc., The Women in Green Forum will bring together an international audience of women focused on environmental issues, including academic researchers, business experts, energy analysts, and technology developers. (more...)
Going Paleo
Next month we are going to Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, for Carnival. It will be my second time in Brazil and first in Salvador, and I am looking forward to this trip. I am a little nervous, however--the word on the street is that Brazilian immigration will not allow you in the country if you have an excess of 9% body fat, and it's too late for plastic surgery. So being in a country where the term "dress code" is probably presumptuous is a little nerve wracking. Let's just face it, Brazil is noted for its gorgeous people and sense of style and design, so how is an American guy going to fit (pardon the pun) in? Well, we're trying a diet that actually works and at many levels is sustainable: the Paleolithic Diet. (more...)Beyond the Kale
I try my best to buy fruits and vegetables when they are in season. I loved my time in Chile, but I prefer not to buy produce shipped from there. I'm staying away from salad greens, only because we got spoiled last year when we grew our own salad greens: my attempt at a winter crop was sabotaged by a posse of nut-burying squirrels. I have become smitten though by one vegetable over the past year: kale. (more...)
Posted in food and consumer products |
Tags: gardening, kale, organic, recipes, seasonal food, slow food |
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Trees are your best antiques. ~ Alexander Smith
Well, maybe not these.
My brother, who lives in Brooklyn, sent these photos through his iPhone as he was taking his dog out for a run. As much as I love New York, one image that always sticks with me are the piles of garbage that line the streets almost every evening. When he went out the other morning, garbage pickup day had a little more festive ring to it.
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Posted in air - land - quality of life, food and consumer products |
Tags: Christmas trees, holiday tips, New York |
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A Lemon to Ad-Meyer
Over the past year I have chronicled our schizophrenic relationship with food. On one had, we are finding new healthful ingredients for which we will pay a mint, yet fast and processed foods will not go away anytime soon--and in fact, the recession has been a boon to many fast food operators. So let's take a look at a fruit that is all the rage but for me, a familiar ingredient all of my life. (more...)
Posted in food and consumer products |
Tags: citrus, Meyer lemon, recipes, seasonal food, slow food |
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The Brazilian Decade?
Happy New Year and New Decade! From the "buzz" I've heard, 2010 will be a pivotal year for those involved in the sustainability movement. New technologies advancing smart grid and electric vehicles may (or may not) take off, and investment and opportunities in renewable and alternative fuels may (or may not) surge. GreenGoPost plans on also focusing on one of the world's most important nations that may (or may not) have an even greater role on the global scene: Brazil. (more...)Merry Christmas! Holiday Cards, Part 2
Finally, it's that day off to spend family and loved ones. Or, if you don't celebrate Christmas, it's a great day to indulge in all the new movies released today. Enjoy!
Here are some final holiday cards sent off here and there . . .
Halla-san, Cheju Island, Korea
Posted in art and culture, food and consumer products |
Tags: holiday cards, holiday tips |
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Holiday Cards, Part 1
It's Christmas Eve, so GreenGoPost is in Northern California visiting family.
As I mentioned on December 1, I had heaps of old post cards that were never sent. Well, they have been doctored up: enjoy!
I visited Monticello a few times. I think TJ's house looks better spruced up for the holidays.
Posted in art and culture, food and consumer products |
Tags: holiday cards, holiday tips |
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Holiday Cards, Part 0.5 – Washington, DC
One of the most beautiful cities in the world is Washington, DC. It feels like a national capital with all the huge buildings and monuments, and you can focus on them during your visit, because the city is not littered with billboards (LA, take note). If you happen to be there in winter when it snows, you are in for a treat . . . monochromatic winter tones await.DC has respectable public transportation thanks to Metro, but the best way to see the city is to put on your walking shoes and walk from Union Station, to the Capitol, along the National Mall, then up to the White House. Enjoy the neighborhoods of Northwest, starting with U Street/Cardozo, weave your way through DuPont, Adams-Morgan, and the post neighborhoods of Northwest DC. Be sure to walk up Massachusetts Avenue, then traipse through Georgetown, finally winding your way to the Lincoln Memorial. The walking tour takes about, oh, 10.5 hours but is worth it.
Seeing DC will eventually be easier once the new streetcars are up and running . . . they are currently running on time in . . . the Czech Republic. (more...)
Posted in art and culture, food and consumer products, transportation |
Tags: holiday cards, holiday tips, public transportation, Washington DC |
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A More Sustainable Spa – in Istanbul
It's the holiday week, so the topics will be light--partially out of convenience, as GreenGoPost is in Aptos, CA, visiting family for the holidays. This site has over 250 postings now, and I realize my topics have cast a rather wide net. I actually have a pretty wide definition of "sustainability" . . . to me, sustainabilty is in part holding on to some of our past ways and traditions. One of them is an experience I had earlier this year in Istanbul, a visit to the hamam, or Turkish bath. (more...)
Posted in International, art and culture, food and consumer products |
Tags: hamams, holiday cards, Istanbul, Turkey, Turkish baths |
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