Posts Tagged ‘organic’

Mention British Columbia, and you might think of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler.  There’s so much more to BC:  including more movies that used to be filmed in Hollywood, Okanagan Valley wines, salmon and timber, and yes, Sarah Palin, that long border it shares with Alaska.  But BC is also becoming a leader in a lucrative business:  organic hops.

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Everyone talks about the green economy and green jobs.  I have attended many events in Los Angeles where the “greenerati” congratulate themselves on how progressive they are and if only more of the country would follow our direction.  Here's the issue:  many already are.  I recently had a conversation with Melanie Fritz of Burlington, Iowa:  she's one of millions in the USA who endeavor making our economy a more sustainable one.  As Melanie explained, “It’s easy to recognize other green thinkers in a city where green ideas are common—it is another to feel you are an alien in a city starting from scratch to move the wheels of kindness and respect for our earth from people who are trying to scratch out a living feeling they cannot sacrifice more of life to survive.”

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I’m really glad Melissa d’Arabian won The Next Food Network Star competition, persevering in last night’s finale.  This show is one of the few reality shows I can stomach, and I had a bit of a vested interest as someone we know, Debbie Lee, was on the show.  When the season started, Melissa was a definite underdog, coming across as a (normal) person who was out of her element compared to her overconfident, self-important culinary institute-educated cronies. (more...)

Starting today, we will have a There’s a Place! segment, featuring reviews of restaurants and cafés that are—or are working on—using organic or local ingredients, as well as incorporating sustainable business practices.

Recently I spent the day with Ara as he had knee surgery and was unable to drive.  Dehydrated, hungry, and groggy, he suggested M Café de Chaya, a macrobiotic café on LA’s trendy Melrose Avenue. (more...)

Today a UK study questioning the nutritional value of organic food made the newswires, and of course, sparked debate on the radio waves.  The study involved parsing through 50 years of research papers, zoomed in on 162 papers that compared the nutritional value of organic and conventional foods, and concluded, “the Bush administration had it right all along!” (more...)

Three months ago I planted a garden and the results have been impressive. We’re inundated by tomatoes, which is hardly a bad thing. The yellow boys have been awesome, and of course the cherry and yellow pear tomatoes just explode in your mouth. I was worried about my eggplant, but they are so succulent that to create a dip or salad out of them would be heresy—pan-frying them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper are the way to go. (more...)

I don’t think we’ll see organic food on flights anytime soon.  Well, of course we don’t see food on flights period.  But if you’re in Northern California and happen to get sick, you may feel better about having a Kaiser Permanente card.  So say good-bye to those canned green beans and mysterious gelatin desserts! (more...)

Imagine my surprise when my friend, Jeannine, who I’ve known almost 20 years, send me a package.  An accomplished baker, Jeannine just has an amazing way of find that perfect little gift.  And in addition to those cookies she sent us, I’m tickled at a little book by Joanna Yarrow, 1,001 Ways to Save the Earth.

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One curious trend about the growing awareness of food is where change is occurring.  New Yorkers are gardening, Texas has revamped its school lunch menus, and Florida is putting some sting in its honey:  it’s the first state to require that any honey sold within its boundaries is 100% pure. (more...)