Remember to use organic ingredients and to substitute unhealthy choices with more nutritionally balanced ones, for the sake of ease of digestion and whole nutrition benefit for the body! Enjoy with a full & glad heart!!
Beware! These are holiday recipes (though not a few are made any time of the year), so think organic nutrition as you prepare the ingredients list for your favorite choice(s) here! And have a Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!
And an early snow forecast for this time of year!! The links for the rest of this traditional little video follow! Watch'em with the kids of all ages!
This call for action concerning state-controlled food safety regulations, is written by our own Rebecca Landis.
I have copy and pasted it here to help spread the word in order to drum up all the support we can muster to call our senators to take favorable action on this bill, and then some!
In the first person, these are Rebecca's own words: "I participated in a conference call yesterday with the organizations working to modify the federal food safety bill so that it is not such a burden on small farms and food processors. Sharon Thornberry, my co-chair on Issues and Advocacy, asked that I post a summary to this list so you’ll be ready to call your U.S. Senators next week. I’ll try to remind you on Sunday.
I know this is all both confusing and tedious, but it’s really important. Even people in Congress who say they support small farms and local agriculture are likely to vote the wrong way on this issue if they don’t get the message loud and clear that the Tester-Hagen amendments really matter to us.
Some in Congress think they have “fixed” the smaller folks’ problems with some nice words about making the FDA consider how to make things easier for small farms and processors. I don’t think the FDA would have the foggiest idea how to do that. Most small farms and processors now are regulated only by the state and not the FDA. Those that have found themselves under FDA jurisdiction have been treated poorly.
So the election is over, and the “lame duck” Congress is back in Washington DC is starting Monday Nov. 15. The best guess is that there will be what is called a cloture vote on Nov. 17 or 18. One Oklahoma senator, unless he has changed his mind recently, would block the bill from hitting the floor by the “unanimous consent” pathway. The cloture vote usually takes 60 get it moving. Whichever way it gets there, we want the Tester-Hagen amendment to be voted into the bill – and not messed with thereafter.
Tester-Hagen has opposition from United Fresh and from something called AMI that sounds like big ag and livestock. But most of our concern is focused on the Make Our Food Safe Coalition, which came out with lengthy and bad arguments against our amendments. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has rebutted these arguments in detail. I'm worried this group’s efforts will give our two senators an excuse to either not vote for our amendment or to go along with watering it down.
MOFS is looking for a senator to sponsor a secondary amendment, if we do get Tester-Hagen in, they will probably try to have it say that in case of an outbreak FDA could wipe out any exemptions that jeopardize the health of vulnerable populations. It's a victim-focused approach – each life matters so everyone must be made subject to the FDA. We can’t say lives don’t matter, but we can counter by saying: 1) we are not eliminating existing state and local regulation; 2) it's not likely that the FDA’s regulation will be the best mechanism to prevent outbreaks on small farms.
This MOFS coalition feels everything should be solely about whether the foods are high or low risk and not at all about how or by whom they are grown – even though small farms are not causing all the recalls and food scandals. An example would be spinach picked by hand on small farms by humans who can see if it has animal feces on it vs. 1,000+ acres of spinach picked by combine-like machines and going into huge processing plants commingled with many farms' spinach such that it take weeks or months to trace anything. So under this MOFS approach, once spinach is implicated, even if it's at a huge spinach operation, suddenly small farms are thrown in with larger farms under whatever approach FDA decides to take.
Our Sen. Jeff Merkley is a particular target, and I think Sen. Ron Wyden will be leaned on also. We need to have our voices heard too.
*****So on Nov. 15 or 16 (Monday or Tuesday), you should call both Oregon senators and those in any other state where you might have some sway.*****
PLEASE tell them you want Tester-Hagen amendment, and you do NOT want them modified by the Make Our Food Safe coalition’s proposals. Point out that Tester-Hagen does not exempt anyone from state and local regulation, and that adding another layer of government (the FDA) won’t improve the safety of small farms and processors, who are already doing a much better job than the larger food system."
On Halloween night, when trick-or-treaters in peaked hats and green makeup roam the neighborhood streets, a roomful of real witches sit in silence at a dinner table illuminated by candlelight.
The witches, and members of the area Pagan Group gather in silence for "Dumb Supper," during which the hope is to summon up spirits.
During "Samhain," an ancient, pre-Christian celebration of honoring -- and hopefully reuniting -- with the dead, pagans gather with friends and family at home for the feast.
An extra place at the table will be set for the ancestors, who, in Silicon Valley, for example, might include such luminaries as Charles Babbage, the 19th-century inventor who originated the concept of the programmable computer. Pagans eat in silence and wait, watching for signs of the departed souls. Pagans typically practice nature religions. Some seek connection with ancient African ancestors; others are witches or goddess worshipers, pagan revivalists and re-constructionists who study ancient texts to learn about the roots of pagan rituals and practices, she said.
On Halloween night, some pagans will go all out, planning to welcome costumed visitors with "lots of treats."
"A lot of pagan religions assume reincarnation. From the perspective of reincarnation, the child asking for treats is seen as the ancestor reborn. Halloween is the festival of ancestors, and it is also the festival of children."
The veil between worlds is thin at Halloween and children personify the trickster spirits. At Samhain, the supernatural is most likely to appear. Sometimes there is the sense of a presence, more like a thing seen with the mind's eye.
Sightings are relatively rare; some people have only one clear encounter with a deceased person during the dinner ritual. But the experience can be unmistakable. An ephemeral human form hovered in the darkness, for example.
"I had never seen a ghost or 'shade.' I looked to my friend who was sitting next to me. He was staring and pointing and nodding."
The ghost made a sound like bats do.
"You read Shakespeare, and he talks about the 'gibbering ghost.' I always thought that was a metaphorical phrase."
Far from gatherings over boiling cauldrons of foul-smelling brews, pagan groups meet to learn about pagan practice.
Some practitioners have a scholarly bent, sharing information about rituals and picking up practices or reviving others based on archeological transcriptions of ancient texts. When Greek papyri about ancient rituals were finally translated in the 1990s, they provided a gold mine. On a recent weekend, some members gathered to make masks for Halloween. Such gatherings are often a family affair, including children.
"Pagan religion is about practice and values. It's unusual to say, 'What do you believe?' Everything changes. The assumptions you make change based on experience. It's more about, 'Do you value some things in common?'"
The bonds in the pagan community mirror the kinds of social benefits people get from churches and other groups, helping each other or volunteering.
"Many people work with and for our local community. Those are things that not only do good for the community but foster the more genuine bonds between people."
An excerpted article, to make the point in order to broaden horizons on All Hallows Eve, Samhain & Halloween! Have a happy & fulfilling one!
The egg recall taught us how little we know about the origins of our food—and how dangerous that can be. How can you find out where your food is coming from?
by Phil Howard
posted Oct 11, 2010
Where is your food is from? What happened to it before it reached your plate? More people are asking these questions, in large part because it is increasingly difficult to answer them. We now know so little about our food, particularly its ecological and social impacts, that it’s easy to feel like we’ve lost control over it.
The recent recall of eggs contaminated with Salmonella has underscored just how opaque the origins of our food have become. The accompanying diagram illustrates how eggs from just two farms in Iowa were sold in 22 states under more than 40 different brands. Other food recalls, such as peanuts contaminated with Salmonella in 2008-2009, and spinach contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 in 2006, revealed similar patterns: dozens of different brands packaged in one processing plant, which were then shipped across the country, or even internationally.
The number of firms responsible for producing most of the food consumed in the United States gets smaller every year.
Unfortunately, in the absence of a recall, we have no way of knowing who is really producing foods like these. Companies that own the brand names are becoming less involved in farming, processing, and packing. Like the shoe company Nike, these “virtual” food companies may contract out the production, focusing instead on the marketing aspects of their business. They frequently keep the name and location of the producers a trade secret to prevent competitors from learning where they source their products. This confidentiality could be considered excessive, when recalls illustrate that so few facilities are now responsible for producing so much of our food. Two companies control approximately 80 percent of the bagged salad market in the United States, for example, despite the appearance of many more “competing” brands on retailer shelves.
The challenge of consolidation
The number of firms responsible for producing most of the food consumed in the United States gets smaller every year.
This consolidation is a result of the largest companies buying out their closest competitors, with many of the remaining companies going out of business. The result is that markets become less competitive, giving dominant companies the power to artificially raise prices for consumers—or lower the prices they pay farmers and other suppliers.
In addition to this economic impact, consolidation gives a rapidly shrinking minority the power to determine other aspects of food production, such as how food is produced; how much is produced; where it is grown, processed, transported, and sold; and ultimately, who gets to eat. And, as the recent egg recall taught us, an overly consolidated food system makes the whole country vulnerable to the dangerous practices of just a few farms.
Animation: How the international seed market consolidated, 1996-2008:
There are alternatives to this highly consolidated food system, though some of the most successful are now threatened by consolidation, as well. Organic food, for example, is intended to promote more ecologically sustainable production practices. But as organic became more mainstream, it attracted the interest of multinational corporations. Scores of pioneering organic brands were acquired by these corporations, starting in the late 1990s, though very few make these ownership ties apparent on their labels. As a result, while “organic” remains a less chemical intensive alternative to conventional agriculture, the label may fall short for other ethical ideals. Organic foods may still be heavily packaged, highly processed, shipped thousands of miles, and produced by exploited laborers.
What can you do regain control of the food you eat?
There are many possibilities, ranging from becoming more informed about the products at your local supermarket to growing your own food.
Research the companies behind your food.
One tool for becoming more informed is GoodGuide. This searchable website has a large and growing database of food products, each one scored according to its health, environmental, and social impacts. There is even an application that allows you to scan a barcode with a mobile device to look up ratings on that product. GoodGuide also provides corporate ownership information for most items. Although this won’t necessarily tell you who really produced it, or where, it will let you know which companies you’re supporting with your purchases.
Another source of information on corporate ownership specifically for organic foods is a series of graphics that can be found on my website. They show the consolidation and “stealth ownership” that has occurred in the organic food processing industry, as well as the distribution and retail sectors. If you are interested in supporting independent organic food producers see the sidebar for a list of major North American brands. These companies are frequently presented with lucrative buyout offers, but have remained committed to maintaining control of their business.
Pay attention to labels
In addition to organic, there are other ecolabels that represent standards less typically embodied in food production. Some of these include Fair Trade, Biodynamic, American Grassfed, and several third-party certified humane labels. Although not all of these standards preclude large-scale operations, they will provide you with more information about some of the ethical implications of your purchases.
Join a food co-op
A good place to find ecolabeled foods is a retail food cooperative, or cooperative buying club. While some of the products they carry have ties to multinational corporations, as a member-owner of your cooperative you have more control over what is sold, as well as a greater voice when communicating with food producers than you would on your own.
“Local” is not as carefully monitored as some other ecolabels, so maintain a healthy degree of skepticism and ask for more details when such claims are vague.
Cooperatives have historically supported local food producers, and remain some of the best places to find products made by small farmers and food processors. Recently, however, more mainstream retailers have started emphasizing their supply of local foods. Even Wal-Mart is joining this trend. The demand for local foods is rising for many reasons, including interest in freshness, taste, supporting local economies, protecting green space, reducing fossil fuel consumption, and simply knowing more about where our food is from. But “local” is not as carefully monitored as some other ecolabels, so maintain a healthy degree of skepticism and ask for more details when such claims are vague.
Know (or be) your farmer
To find out even more about your food, talk directly to the producer. Ways to do this include buying a share of a farm (Community Supported Agriculture), shopping at farmers’ markets or roadside stands, or picking the produce yourself. Two great sources for finding these types of farms or markets in your area are LocalHarvest and PickYourOwn.
In our current food system, finding out where your food is from is not easy. In fact, some journalists and documentary filmmakers have made successful careers of becoming “food detectives,” and informing their audiences of the stories behind the food on their plates. You may not want to go that far yourself. But taking small steps to learn more, buy directly from food producers, or even grow some of your own food, can add up to quite a bit more control.
Egg recall infographic:
Phil HowardPhil Howard wrote this article for /">YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas with practical actions. Phil Howard is assistant professor at Michigan State University, where he teaches and conducts research on community, food, and agriculture. His visual representations of our changing food system have been featured in numerous outlets, including The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Sierra Magazine.
Interested?
* A Month Without Monsanto: April Dávila wondered what it would take to cut the GMO giant out of her family’s life. She found that it was far more entrenched than she’d ever realized.
* My 10-Mile Diet: Vicki Robin blogs as she spends the month eating only locally grown food.
* 3 Pillars of a Food Revolution: As marketers learn to fake climate-friendly food, how do we spot the real thing? Anna Lappé says it's a question of values.
THIS WEEK on CHANGE.ORG What causes more death than war?
This summer, the United Nations voted to make access to clean water a recognized human right. This was welcome news to those fighting the disturbing reality that more people die each year from contaminated water than all forms of violence and war combined.
But the UN vote is just the beginning. We now need to make good on the commitment to provide access to clean water to the nearly 1 billion people worldwide who currently rely on bacteria-infested water that causes everything from diarrhea to dysentery.
To generate support for this effort, this week Change.org is mobilizing thousands of bloggers from more than 100 countries to write about the water crisis as a part of our annual Blog Action Day, held every October 15th.
The goal of Blog Action Day is to take a single day out of the year to focus the world's attention on one important issue. This year's participants include leading tech blogs like The Official Google Blog, international blogs like Global Voices, and government blogs such as The White House blog. We have also partnered with organizations on the front lines of the water crisis, including UNICEF, charity: water, and Water.org.
But beyond these prominent voices and organizations, the success of Blog Action Day depends on people like you and the millions of others dedicated to a world without unnecessary suffering. Here are three easy steps you can take to get involved and help make Blog Action Day 2010 the largest event ever to increase awareness about the water crisis:
1. Register your blog or website: Are you a blogger or website owner? Then we need your help - register your blog or site today, and don't forget to grab an action widget to get your readers involved.
2. Sign the petition: Together with US Fund for UNICEF, we're helping to build a movement of people across the world calling on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to accelerate the UN's work to supply clean, safe drinking water to the world's poorest populations. Help grow this movement by adding your name.
3. Raise funds for water: Raise money to provide clean drinking water to those in need through charity: water, which allows you to create a fundraising page to raise money to build wells in Africa, or Water.org, where a $25 donation provides clean water for a lifetime for one person.
Minimalist story-telling. It is an approach to conveying a story that presumes intelligence in others; the kind of intelligence that can finish the thought being explored in the story! An intelligence that requires a life of exposure, of desire to learn, to know one's own self better. A story for those who believe and live following through on those beliefs; not a place that attracts identification with ego in all it's tired and small forms!
I watched this movie for the first time tonight. Yeah, I have been tucked away fighting the good fight for many years_ call me sheltered from a lot that has happened in popular culture for a while now! The decision to watch it in the first place was to see how many films my local library has with Meryl Streep... ever seen "Alice in the Palace?"
'The Great Turning: the work of an entire species shifting its entire historic human mindset of who and what we are in relation to the entire planet; recognizing deeply that we are a species that is A LIVING PART OF a LIVING PLANET.' (paraphrased) _ Joanna Macy
Tell me I’m not alone in this: You saw Ratatouille, fell in love with Remy (though you still jumped a foot in the air when you saw a significantly less-charming rodent scamper across your path on the way home) and found yourself with a pressing craving, not for the heavy and too-often soggy traditional Provençal ratatouille, but that kaleidoscope of spiraled colors they served to the haughty and (spoiler!) soon-humbled restaurant critic.
I can’t believe how well this worked out. I also can’t believe I cooked a cartoon dish created by an imaginary rat. But I can believe I’ll be making this again tomorrow, because it’s delicious, seasonal, and an incredible cinch to make.
We’re just getting to the point in the summer where all of the vegetables are readying themselves for their farmers’ market close-up, so the timing couldn’t be better. And aside from some needling parchment paper origami and fine-slicing of vegetables (which, as we well know, with my new BFF is frighteningly easy, although the rankings are more like Deb’s thumbnail: 0, Mandoline: 1 right now), you need a minimum of dishes and time to get this together. Not bad for something showy enough for a dinner party ta-da, right?
There are a lot of things not traditional about this version of ratatouille–the lack of herbes de province, that it’s baked and that we ate it with both couscous and a dollop of soft goat cheese–but if you’re like me, and the chunkier authentic stuff has never done it for you, it’s time for this re-creation.
And here is where I will introduce you to d’oh!-moment number two-thousand-seventy-four: Guess what the New York Times ran in their Dining section last month? The recipe for Thomas Keller’s Confit Byaldi, the accordion-fanned version of ratatouille used in the movie! It’s available on their website, looks gorgeous, but although it’s fairly simple for a French Laundry recipe, it’s a bit more involved than my recipe. Though I am sure I will try it one day, I’m almost glad I didn’t see it first as I might not have gone out on my own to find my layered ratatouille nirvana. And wasn’t that the whole theme of the movie in the first place?
1/2 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced 1 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi) 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 small eggplant (my store sells these “Italian Eggplant” that are less than half the size of regular ones; it worked perfectly) 1 smallish zucchini 1 smallish yellow squash 1 longish red bell pepper Few sprigs fresh thyme Salt and pepper Few tablespoons soft goat cheese, for serving
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.
Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.
On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.
Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit.
Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.
Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. (Tricky, I know, but the hardest thing about this.)
Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.
Serve with a dab of soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread, atop polenta, couscous, or your choice of grain.
Even though the link I have provided takes you straight to my particular grant request, you can go to the homepage to check out the whole Modest Needs story from the "Start Here" section on the menu bar, or really, from the top of any page_ including mine.
My own grant request is modest, as I transition back into new employment, after a recession lay-off 10 months ago. Your donation, of any size to my request, will be ever so appreciated! Just click on the link below and thank-you, very much!!
The Fedex delivery-person just knocked on the door with a package for me in exchange for a signature; it was from The Crown Publishing Group, as it was so stamped on a Random House mailing label. I had been looking for this package when first notified that my name had been selected randomly, in response to an article posted about the author and her book, on one of my currently favorite foodie blogs. This kind of news really is unexpected, then the promised prize becomes secretly hoped for, and overall the experience is an exciting little lift!
After the initial news, days of waiting passed that seemed to turn into "weeks of anticipation." I contacted the prize-giver to be sure there hadn't been some mistake, some delay of which I was unaware. I was reassured that proper notification had been followed-up, and the item was on its way to the address I had provided.
More days passed; I wasn't really obsessing about the material proof of this luck in my life. Intermittently, I was just 'noticing' that the promised item wasn't coming! Finally yesterday however, I woke up realizing that I had let go of any further anticipation of it arriving all together. If and when it came was fine, if it didn't, that was also fine.
This morning I woke up with a fleeting thought that the 'package' was arriving today. So fleeting that I decided not to pay attention to the thought, because I am committed to living a life free of thinking habits centered in anxiety. A practice of conscious attention that lately I am learning the least little bit to practice more adroitly.
After breakfast, my attention thoroughly engrossed in the morning computer roamings for jobs, and completing all daily correspondence, there was an assertive knock at the front door.
As I said, and to my unexpected surprise, there was the randomly selected prize made manifest in the delivery hands of the Fedex driver!! After thanking the efficient delivery-person for wishing me a good rest of the day, I closed the door looking over the cover of the sturdy envelop, in which this weighted prize lay waiting. Waiting to be unwrapped and discovered.
Parting the adhered flap on the back side of the envelop, I reached in and pulled out a bright and shiny hardbound book. A brand new book whose glossy jacket was only slightly worn, from a nine-day by ground, journey from New York City, to Oregon! Opening the front cover of the new book, I discovered the formal note card with the CPG logo and printed directly under it, a note: "With compliments"!
With a daughter about to graduate from college, this surprising gift is going to see a lot of action and joy this spring and summer! A big THANK-YOU to the folks hosting the foodblog Culinate, for randomly selecting mine as one of the names to recieve what is soon to become, a well-used source of memory-making with family and friends, in the kitchen and on the back deck of this seasoned and passionate home cook!
The video format used for this vid is not very reliable, but the video on the food of North Africa, is a nice introduction to a part of the world where I went to kindergarten! Yes, it's true!
Soupe Joumou Haiti’s pot of gold By Ellen Kanner February 2, 2010
(Editor’s note: This piece first appeared on the Huffington Post.)
When a man pours you his soup, he pours you his soul, even when it’s soup cooked up on a hot plate. Maybe especially then. My friend Marcel celebrated New Year’s Day by making Soupe Joumou, the beloved soup with which Haitians start the new year. For Marcel, it was not enough to make soup — he had to feed everyone he knew.
When I arrived, his tiny apartment was flooded with afternoon light and was so jammed, I couldn’t see the host for all the guests clustered around, cradling soup bowls, talking, eating, laughing. Featured recipe
Finally, I found Marcel his makeshift kitchen, holding court and presiding over the soup pot.
I gave him a kiss and picked up a bowl.
“It has meat,” he warned, remembering I’m a meat-free kind of girl.
“I’ll eat around it.”
Vegan Soupe Joumou We looked at each other. He beamed and ladled it up from a battered aluminum pot, rich and golden, like liquid sunshine.
Soupe joumou is the triumph of spirit over tyranny, heart over privation and a damn fine way to warm body and soul. This is a soup tapping into the collective unconscious of a people, evoking stronger feelings than Proust’s Madeleine. I wasn’t going to let some bits of beef get in the way of that.
We all love to ring in the new year with its promise of new beginnings, but in Haiti, it’s especially cause for joy. New Year’s Day is Independence Day, the celebration of that New Year’s Day in 1804, when Haitians ended over a century of bloody rule by the French and were no longer colonial slaves but a free people in their own homeland.
Haitians celebrated by eating what had been forbidden them — meat, cabbage and squash, the latter two grown on their own island. Haitian slaves had cooked these foods for their French masters, while they themselves had survived solely on rations of salt cod and lemonade.
Like Hoppin’ John, the new year’s dish invented by slaves in the south, Soupe Joumou is a dish that sustains and is sustainable. It’s made from what is local and available. The Haitians adapted the soup from their French masters, heating it up with habaneros and ginger and making their own. Like hopping john, some eat it on New Year’s Day for good luck. Others, like Marcel, eat and serve it knowing — and honoring — its history. And as with all things Haitian, there is some myth. The soup is said to honor Papa Loko, the Vodou god of the ancient African spirit. Yellow is the color that honors him. In any case, Soupe Joumou is belly-filling and soul-lifting all at once. Advertisement
Since Haiti’s earthquake, Marcel, our gracious host of just a few weeks ago, looks crumpled, hollowed out. Most of us in Miami do. Haiti is but 700 miles away. Or it is literally next door. Haitians make up a rich part of our community and though we may not personally have lost family, as Marcel has, we all have Haitian friends, Haitian ties. People burst into tears on the street. Co-workers who once barely got past, “Hi, how’s it going?” now embrace. There has been an outpouring of relief effort here, along with an outpouring of grief. Those efforts will be all the more important in the coming weeks and months, when the rest of the world might be inclined to forget or suffer compassion fatigue. As if caring could ever tire you.
Soupe Joumou epitomizes for me Marcel and all the people of Haiti, who take what little they have, make it delicious and offer it to you with all their heart. It’s time for us, who have so much, to do the same.
Sometimes I discover things and feel really late! Yet, I am discovering the things I find right on time_ in the big picture, it's all ok! This is someone with whom I would like to study!
NASA has planted its flag on planet Earth (for a change) with the groundbreaking of their “Sustainability Base” this week. The new endeavor is located on their Ames campus in Moffett Field, CA just outside of Silicon Valley and has specs that are pushing green building to new limits. In order to deliver in true sustainable style, NASA recruited Inhabitat favorite, William McDonough + Partners, to take on the 50,000-square foot collaborative support facility.
Determined to go beyond LEED Platinum in performance, NASA set two additional requirements for the building’s architect: to showcase NASA’s culture of innovation and to integrate the surrounding context acting as an icon for the Ames campus. The intensive three month design process helped establish targets to accomplish all three goals.
Going beyond Platinum includes a near zero net energy consumption and the use of 90 percent less potable water than buildings that are similar in size. The use of natural ventilation is the primary contributor to the buildings performance that is complemented by a geothermal system, high performance lighting, radiant cooling, intelligent building systems and on-site photovoltaic energy generation. Optimization of the water comes from use of natural landscape, non-potable irrigation systems, and on-site water-water treatment by an Eco-Machine.
In addition, the large column-free spans on the interior of the building allows the flexibility to easily adapt the building to the changing needs of the program, and a structural exo-skeleton even makes for easier repairs following earthquakes. The end result is not only a showcase of NASA’s innovation, but a show of their commitment to sustainable efforts on planet Earth. To date, the Sustainability Base is the most sustainable federal building project in all 50 states.
I am cutting and pasting this article from 101 Cookbooks because I love this site with its beautiful images of food! The whole article is marked in quotations as it comes from 101 Cookbooks, the recipe journal of: Heidi Swanson
"This is a thank-you note to Pam Corbin. Pam wrote the lovely River Cottage Preserves Handbook. And in the very back of this exquisite little book, long past the rhubarb relish, and well beyond the piccalilli and winter fruit compote, she proposes a simple idea: make your own bouillon blend. I'm not sure why this never occurred to me, but until I reached page 207, it hadn't. She outlines a list of ingredients that are pureed into a concentrated paste of vegetables and herbs, preserved with salt. I've been cooking with a version of it all week, and it is infinitely better than any canned vegetable stock I've tasted. And the best part about it? I can build on the general idea and tweak it based on what is in season and my own personal preferences - which is what I did.
Technically a bouillon cube is a dehydrated cube or powder used to create an instant vegetable stock. Pam calls her version "souper mix"....but you use it in a way similar to bouillon cubes. To make quick, flavorful broth, for example when cooking soups, risottos, curries, whatever really. Just keep in mind it is quite salty and concentrated - I mention in the recipe I've been using 1 teaspoon per 1 cup of water/liquid to start. This first batch was made primarily with ingredients from my refrigerator, but I'm really excited to try other versions using different herbs and ratios of the base ingredients. In fact, if you have any suggestions or ideas give a shout in the comments - I'd love to hear them :).
Homemade Bouillon
This recipe requires a food processor. I have a 8-cup / 2 liter / 2 quart model, and needed every cubic inch of it. I found the best approach if you are tight for space in your food processor is to add a few of the ingredients, then pulse a few times. The ingredients collapse and free up more space for the next few ingredients. Also, it is worth noting, Pam suggests preserving the bouillon in sterilized jars for up to six-months, but I was too lazy to do any sterilizing, and opted for the freezer.
5 ounces / 150 g leeks, sliced and well-washed 7 ounces / 200g fennel bulb, chopped 7 ounces / 200g carrot, well scrubbed and chopped 3.5 ounces / 100 g celery 3.5 ounces / 100g celery root (celeriac), peeled and chopped 1 ounce / 30g sun-dried tomatoes 3.5 ounces / 100g shallots, peeled 3 medium garlic cloves 9 ounces / 250g fine grain sea salt 1.5 ounces / 40 g flat-leaf parsley, loosely chopped 2 ounces / 60g cilantro (coriander), loosely chopped
Place the first four ingredients in your food processor and pulse about twenty times. Add the next four ingredients, and pulse again. Add the salt, pulse some more. Then add the parsley and cilantro. You may need to scoop some of the chopped vegetables on top of the herbs, so they get chopped. Mine tended to want to stay on top of everything else, initially escaping the blades.
You should end up with a moist, loose paste of sorts. Keep 1/4th of it in a jar in the refrigerator for easy access, and freeze the remaining 3/4 for use later. Because of all the salt it never actually solidifies making it easy to spoon directly from the freezer if needed.
Start by using 1 teaspoon of bouillon per 1 cup (250 ml), and adjust from there based on your personal preference.
Makes roughly 3 1/2 cups.
Inspired by The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin."
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