Daily Loaf

I recently presented a speech on sustainability for a local Unitarian Universalist church in Odessa. The scenery was amazing: it was right near some old horse farms, the wind was blowing and when everyone was silent it was eerily peaceful. I had fun, though feeling a bit unprepared; sometimes I get anxious but my passion keeps me going. Every speech I do I learn something new about myself and about how others feel about sustainability and our future.

Shortly after the speech, I sat and had coffee to speak more personally with some of the dozens of attendees. Many came up to give condolences about how they felt their generation was leaving a world far worst off than it was given to them. Others had anger in their hearts about how the present administration is acting.

Video after the break:

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The Creative Loafing team prides itself on producing more Daily Loaf content each week than any individual could ever possibly comprehend. As such, you’re bound to have missed at least one worthwhile story from the pages of this blog over the last few days. Here’s a “greatest hits” list from the week that was, broken down by section:

NEWS

MUSIC

Movies, food, sex and Punky Brewster after the break. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve been hearing about the plethora of environmental films and docu-dramas out today that preach about changing our ways concerning our food, climate change, pesticide use, and so on (Food Inc., The Age of Stupid, Fresh, A Chemical Reaction, etc.). But did you ever look at Mad Max as an “eco film”? Its portrayal of a dystopian future where fuel is scarce and society collapses as a result, thus leaving humanity with a ravaged Earth and living in anarchy. (The scenario now sounds more and more like a possible future of our own.)
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Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that raises money and builds homes for the less fortunate. This Saturday, the Pinellas County chapter of Habitat is throwing the “Hammers and Heartstrings Ball” fundraiser so that more projects in Pinellas County can be funded and built.

The culinary students from the Art Institute of Tampa are preparing the food for the VIP cocktail party, dinner, and dessert; The Sassy Jazzy Band plays live, and live and silent auctions round out the evening.

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That’s right, food is the biggest draw at the Florida State Fair, according to a survey by Wilson Media Group. Rides, being fleeced by carnies, and that weird exhibition hall filled with odd home-based businesses didn’t even make the top two. In fact, more than 50% of the respondents claimed they go to the fair for the food and livestock (which is really pre-processed food, if you think about it).

Bigger version of the pie chart (mmm, pie) after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Marrakech Restaurant
2.5 stars
2402 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa, 813-258-9100

Philippe and Nassira Coriou, husband and wife owners of Marrakech Restaurant in Tampa, come from separate continents, across the Mediterranean Sea. She’s Moroccan, he’s French, two nationalities that have an entwined history apparent to anyone who’s seen Casablanca. And, although Philippe is a classically trained French chef, the menu at Marrakech is almost entirely devoted to the cuisine of his wife’s homeland.

That means rich dishes that blend sweet and savory on the same plate, often using dried fruit like prunes, aromatic spices like cinnamon and less common ingredients like preserved lemon. Entrees are divided between humble couscous topped with rich meats and stewed vegetables; elegant pastry pockets called pastilla, stuffed with vegetables, chicken or seafood; and an array of dishes served in the impressive, portable clay ovens called tagine.

And, like Tampa’s recent flirtation with Ethiopian food at Queen of Sheba and the defunct Abol Bunna, it’s traditional. Perhaps too traditional. Read the rest of this entry »

The Florida Aquarium’s  ‘Brews by the Bay’ event made quite a splash Saturday night. Creative Loafing was the media sponsor of the festivities, which started at 8 p.m. with a line that wrapped around the building (tickets having sold out before the event even started), full of partygoers who were eager to sample the many brews offered and the appetizing food from local restaurants.

The party went on throughout the aquarium, with Four Star Riot playing downstairs, a DJ outside on the deck, and an acoustic musician playing inside the Coral Reef Gallery room, as well as scuba divers who interacted with the onlookers by writing messages on Etch-a-Sketch boards and performing acrobatics. Visitors were greeted by two live mermaids who offered photo opportunities (although it looked like most people were more interested in getting inside and downing their first beer). Guests had the chance to roam around the building to find all the food and drink spots while admiring the aquatic scenery.
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(Check here for more on the food and wine pairings at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.)

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to indulge in Disney’s International Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT Center. This marks the 14th year of an event that promises the chance to eat and drink your way around the world without ever having to break out your passport.

After attending this event for the past few years, I was pleasantly surprised to see that a majority of the regional menus had changed (after being exactly the same for the past few go-arounds) and that they’d added a few new cuisines, now up to 25 different international marketplaces. There were also more culinary classes and wine tastings to attend this year, many involving well-known food and wine celebrities like Iron Chef Cat Cora (who has a new restaurant, Kouzzina, that just opened at Disney’s Boardwalk), Andrew Zimmern (host of Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel), the Deen Brothers (yes, Paula’s boys) and lying TV chef Robert Irvine.
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She had never seen the Godfather. So I made her a meal she couldn’t refuse.

When Steebo told me that she had never seen the Godfather, I felt a dinner coming on. I had always liked the first two Godfather films, but I found a new appreciation for them upon reading a fascinating article in Vanity Fair. The article recounts the turbulent making of the film in the face of opposition from the mob. The classic’s stormy creation is a saga in itself.

A screening of the Godfather is a great excuse to make an indulgent Italian feast that seems to go on forever. I write not to analyze the movie, but to recount my own effort to cook a meal that could somehow measure up to its greatness.

I initially figured on a couple courses during the film. As it turns out, life imitated art, and the meal soon took on a tumultuous life of its own. As I shopped that afternoon with a vague menu in my mind, my ambition and attitude grew. I invited a few friends over and cobbled a menu together. By the end of the evening, I felt downright Italian, more hotheaded Sonny than steely Michael or the wise godfather. Read the rest of this entry »

(This is the third installment of our week-long Smorgasbord IKEA series.)

After a week eating out of IKEA’s grocery store, I was impressed by the amount of food I tried that I’d actually make a trip to buy again, whether or not I’m picking up an area rug or cartload of picture frames.

Here are my picks for must-haves, must-nots and must-experience for yourself:

The Good

Frozen desserts: Across the board, these Swedish versions of Mrs. Smith’s were tasty enough to justify the purchase, although perhaps not enough to make Ikea a weekly stop. Standouts were Tarta Mork Choklad — a dark chocolate-covered thin cake with hints of espresso, reminiscent of tiramisu — and balls of fluff and chocolate that are essentially gigantic mallomars the size of your fist.

Candy: Read the rest of this entry »

My nightly meal is brought to you courtesy of IKEA, food served on simple, gleaming white ARV plates, cut and delivered using SVIT utensils, with lemonade sipped from chunky POKAL tumblers. If we’re feeling saucy, or it’s a weekend night, there may be Cotes Du Rhone or Spanish grenache in OPTIMAL stems, or shaken Bombay Sapphire poured into a curvaceous SKIR.

My young son prefers the brightly colored KALAS ensemble, demanding a different hue for each utensil — although the plate and glass can match, if necessary.

But the food? Never Swedish.

We eat the Swedish meatballs doused in creamy gravy when we visit the store, sure, but I’d never made the leap to actually shopping for food at IKEA, as if it was an ethnic grocery store instead of a temple to inexpensive, northern European apartment design. Until this week. Read the rest of this entry »

Malio Prime’s: Finlandia martinis are $2, every weekday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., along with half-price steaks that range from the 8-ounce filet ($17) to the bone-in ribeye ($21). That special also runs during Saturday night early bird, from 5-7 p.m. From 3-7 p.m. on weekdays, there’s also a new bar menu special with shrimp, burger, fried mozzarella, onion rings or bacon for $5 each.

Now of any other great restaurant deals? Let us know.

Now, the events:

Tuesday, August 18: The Lobster Pot
Dinner and Fine Wine Tasting. Chandon Wines (yeah, the Moet folks of rap video fame) host this lavish tasting that includes a menu of lobster ceviche, oysters, Jamaican jerk shrimp and scallops, pan seared sea bass, grilled lamb chops and key lime pie, each accompanied by specially selected varietals from the Chandon family of wines. $75. 6:30 p.m., 17814 Gulf Blvd., Redington Shores (727-291-8532) Read the rest of this entry »

What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Sustainable beer 101: A guide to growlers- Benefits of refillable beer jugs far exceed the lure of fresh tap beer.

Refresh your mind, body and spirit by reconnecting with nature- Living in such a busy world these days overloaded with technology leaves little time to get back to the basics and connect with the planet we live on. Take some time out of your busy schedule and reconnect with nature, which will balance you physically, mentally and spiritually.

Ronald McDonald gets a pie in the face from PETA protester- Ronald McDonald takes one in the kisser from a PETA protester who is against McDonald’s “controlled-atmosphere killing” of chickens.

St. Petersburg College and Tampa Bay green building chapter announce partnership- St Petersburg College’s Corporate Training Office announced a partnership with the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter (FGCC) of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to provide a comprehensive sustainable building operations training course based on the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system.
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This week, Brian and Taylor invite CL editor David Warner in to talk about his bandwagon-jumping Beef Bourgignon experiment — and why the Bourgignon part should be ignored. Brian raves over Wood Fired Pizza Wine Bar — despite the lack of wine — and Taylor goes stream of consciousness about a chardonnay and steak matchup.

Download the episode here.

With Food Inc. making such a buzz about the food that we eat and where it comes from, this independent film may also be one to watch.

King Corn tells the story of two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation.

As the film unfolds, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the East coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America’s most-productive, most-ubiquitous grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they questions about how we eat—and how we farm.

My favorite line from the trailer: “We aren’t growing quality – we’re growing crap!” Truer words were never spoken.

Video after the jump
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This week, Brian and Taylor invite PoHo Wayne Garcia in for a special food-related recession session. We drink vodka flavored with baby aspirin and discuss the reduction in creamy splooge at Dunkin Donuts, SoHo Sushi’s so so sushi, Taylor’s list of recession wines, and the problems restaurants are having in this economy.

Download the episode here.

[Note: Photos by Marina Williams. For more, go to Creative Loafing's Flickr page.]

I love going to Wazoo at the Lowry Park Zoo.

Living in Seminole Heights, it ws an easy walk to Saturday’s annual beer tasting so we skipped the argument about who is driving.  Going to an alcohol-themed event and staying sober is like being on a low-carb diet in Italy or going to a museum blindfolded.

This year the Zoo folks did try new tricks to improve upon the previous years.  Generally they do a fine job; some things are just out of their control.

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Israel is becoming a surprising food Mecca (yes, I enjoyed writing that). Israelis enjoy traveling and are demanding higher food quality and variety when they arrive home. That, combined with an influx of peoples from all over the globe, has started a food renaissance that makes eating in Israel a surprising joy.

Standard Middle Eastern fare has become anything but. Instead of just one “Middle Eastern” food experience, there are many wonderful variations. The Jews from Arab lands brought their own method of cooking and regional dishes with them when they moved to Israel, like summaq salad from Iraq; a lamb stew called harira from Morocco; fatoush, a salad made of eggs, olives, bread and lettuce from Syria; maraqa, a ragout of quince and lamb from Tunisia; as well as the more commonly known hummus, pita, and kebab each made with a slight variation in honor of the country of origin of the maker. There is care in the preparation of the food, and I — who tend to not like the hummus that I’ve had in America- couldn’t get enough of it in Israel.

What really surprised my food educator husband was the quality and variety of the less traditional food. Read the rest of this entry »

When I seek out ingredients, I make an effort to find good-quality local items. Sometimes that means eggs and greens that travel fewer than 20 miles to get to me in the Florida panhandle. Other times, when something is not available on a truly local level, I try to find it regionally (usually Florida, Georgia and Alabama).

It isn’t always possible, but when I have a choice I buy local. That helps the local economy and uses fewer resources to go from farm to table. It also makes me focus on buying items that are in season, which is when they are the least expensive and taste the best.

For me, local buying is easy when it comes to seafood. It’s abundant in the Gulf of Mexico and Choctawhatchee Bay. Local buying has also worked well with cheese, honey, vegetables and meats. One of the meats I buy are ranch-raised rabbits from Seely’s Ark in Ocala. Read the rest of this entry »

What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

TRA’shion Fashion and Art Show 2009 (photos) – The fabulous trashionistas were out in force for ARTpool’s annual TRA’shion Show, and photographer Chip Weiner caught all the recycled green glamour.

Letting go of addictions: Using alternative methods to release addictions of any type- Kelly Rothwell gives us alternative methods such as energetic healing, visualizations and affirmations, that can be used to not only cope with such addictions but to understand the reason behind the addiction and let it go for good.

Living sustainably in Tampa Bay: Dave Starman’s biodiesel fueled car and green lifestyle – The first in a series of profiles, by Jack B., of individuals who are living sustainably in Tampa Bay. This profiles Tampa Bay resident Dave Starman.
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Tabbouleh salad is a quick and simple dish that can be served as a side, used in a wrap, or just eaten by itself. I like to spruce mine up with fresh veggies and herbs, like I’ve done with this recipe. This light and refreshing salad with bright flavors makes for great summer fare.

Tabbouleh is traditionally a Middle Eastern dish used for mezze (appetizer finger food) that primarily contains bulgur wheat, parsley, mint, lemon juice and olive oil. It’s often seen served as dip or in pita bread.
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It was Sept. 12, 2001, and New York – along with the rest of the world – was still numb with shock from the terrorist attacks of the day before.

America’s royal acting couple was at a hushed Manhattan restaurant. Life as we knew it had changed. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward ate quietly, until Newman set down his knife and fork, dabbed his mouth with a napkin and stood. Without introduction or explanation, he began singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Within a few moments, the other diners stood and sang along with the National Anthem. At the end of the song, Newman bowed, sat and returned to eating dinner with the woman he loved so dearly.

Something about that little story, which appears in Shawn Levy’s new biography, Paul Newman: A Life (Harmony, $29.99), perfectly sums up the late actor. He was a pure product of America, renowned as a philanthropist and citizen as much as for his screen presence. And no matter what he did, we always seemed to trust his judgment and follow him.

If you liked Paul Newman – and really, who didn’t? – then you will love Levy’s biography. Don’t come here looking for dirt. It’s not an obsequious, fan-worshipping biography, but Levy obviously likes the man.

That’s no crime. Reading a biography written by someone who loathes the subject is no fun.

Even though Levy never had an interview with the Blue-Eyed One, we still get a rich and full portrait of the guy.

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This week, Brian and Taylor just drink and chat about whatever comes to mind, like Taco Bus owner Rene Valenzuela’s new restaurant, or St. Pete’s Buona Vita, or how to chill your wine consumption this summer.

Downland the episode here.

This year, as part of our 2009 Restaurant Week, we not only offered a $25 prix fixe menu at great Bay Area restaurants, but we also added a new “server photo contest.”

We asked everyone participating in Restaurant Week to take a photo of themselves with their menu and their server to be entered to win $500 in CL Deals gift certificates for themselves, $500 in certificates for the server and $1000 ad campaign with CL for the winning restaurant.

This morning, we drew a random number and chose the winning photo. And the winner is …

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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this past week:

Reconstructing a historic bat tower in Temple Terrace and how to build your own bat roost- Grant Rimbey investigates efforts in Temple Terrace to reconstruct an historic tower for bats, discusses a large community bat roost he designed for the Florida Bat Conservancy, and tells how you can purchase (or build) your own bat roost for your yard.

Summer Solstice: A brief history- Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, occurs this Sunday- June 21st. Here are a few facts you might not have known about it, from Linda Taylor.

Organics: How to eat well without breaking your budget- With the increase of demand over organic food in the last ten years you would think that a wide range of these products would be easily accessible. Here’s some some advice from Kelly Rothwell on purchasing healthy, organic food in this region without breaking your budget.
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With the increase of demand over organic food products in the last ten years, you would think that a wide range of these products would be easily accessible to most Americans, but this unfortunately is not the case yet. Many of the large companies are beginning to see the need for organic products and are beginning to expand their offerings in an effort to appease these needs. In the mean time, until organics are widely available at an affordable price, what are we to do? I am writing to offer some advice on purchasing healthy organic food in this region without breaking your budget.
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If you have been paying attention to all of the ads and the commercials on Bravo, you’ll already know that the Top Chef series is back (and we’re hoping you’ve watched). This time, there’s a twist: 24 well-known, seasoned chefs go head-to-head and compete in challenges just like they’ve put the contestants from past seasons through, all to win money for their charity of choice.

Top Chef Masters is a bit different than the original show, though. Instead of sticking all 24 of the “masters” in an apartment and make them eat, sleep, booze, and live together, four of them at a time compete in an episode. I was thoroughly surprised when I saw this – they didn’t mention that in the previews, but I can understand why this was done. (Do you really think these chefs are going to give up the reins of their uber popular restaurants and two months of their lives just for a TV show? Though I would liked to have seen a Hosea-Leah hookup scenario between, say, Roy Yamaguchi and Cindy Pawlcyn.)
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Just in case you missed anything, here’s a week of CL’s food blogging in easy, clickable blurbs:

Upcoming Bay area beer events
“Be Remarkable”- video of Greg Koch’s inspirational speech from 2009 Craft Brewer’s Convention
Grazing: Lunching at Cafe Hey
Nosh Pit Episode 15: Wat Tampa, Memorial Day wine, Edmeades winemaker Van Williamson
Organic farming can be more productive than conventional
Win beer fame from Schmaltz Brewing for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah pics
PF Chang’s giving away free lettuce wraps
Brews and bites : the beer and snack pairing marathon
Tampa Bay food, wine and beer events
The raw and living food diet: What is it?
Big error in the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day
Diet dilemmas: staying on track while you travel
$100 Case of Wine: Best wine deals at Mazzaro’s Italian Market in St. Petersburg
Classic Chili Recipe
Can hemp help create a green economy?
Bottle Shock movie released on DVD
Instead of beef and potato, try this lamb burger and eggplant fries

Wednesday, May 20: The Grape
Throughout the month of May, The Grape pairs interesting Italian wines not featured on the regular menu with a special chef’s tasting menu. It includes delectable selections like grilled shrimp crostini, Portobello carpaccio, paillard of chicken breast puttanesca and an artisanal Italian cheese plate. $35. 2223 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa (813-354-9463)

Wednesday, May 20: World of Wines South Tampa
Wine-Down Wednesday. A wine tasting featuring several bottles from California, Chile and Australia along with snacks from Robert’s Catering. Free. 6- 8 p.m., 3431 South West Shore Blvd., Tampa (813-835-9463).

Thursday, May 21: Vino 100
This ladies night out features a wine tasting, appetizers from Let’s Eat and massage chairs to melt away workday worries. Free. 5-8 p.m., 5056 Fourth Street N., St. Pete (727-522-8466)

Thursday, May 21: WineMall
Sample fine wines paired with appetizers by Roy’s at this charity event that raises funds for leukemia and lymphoma research. The evening also features a raffle and a silent auction. Please RSVP to Courtney Simons at csimons@sptimesforum.com. $25. 6-8 p.m., 11246 W. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa (813-855-7711)

Many more upcoming events after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

The Raw/Living Food Diet is not some new-fangled crash diet trend. It’s been on the organic food scene for awhile and seems to be growing in popularity. So what exactly is it, you ask? It doesn’t just mean eating raw veggies all day, there are some stipulations.

First of all, yes, the food is raw. The practice is very close to veganism, except that everything is uncooked or barely cooked: food cannot be heated above a certain temperature, generally between 92-118 F, or 33-48 C., thus keeping its “raw” state. Raw foodists believe this also keeps all those nutrients and enzymes in the food, enzymes that our bodies need to aid in digestion and metabolic processes. According to this article from Life Extenstion Magazine, “Cooking of food, particularly if heat is prolonged and over 118 degrees Fahrenheit, destroys enzymes in that food, leaving what is commonly consumed by the modern person – an “enzymeless” diet.” “Eating food without enzymes makes digestion more difficult, deprives the body of enzymes, and leads to toxicity in the body, and to excess consumption of food, which leads to obesity and to chronic disease.” (Green Living Ideas) Raw foodists believe that those extra nutrients and enzymes will also naturally detoxify your body, leaving you with clearer skin, lots of energy, and can even help you lose weight. Read the rest of this entry »

This rant was prompted by a documentary I saw recently called “Patent for a Pig“. It is about Monsanto’s absolute unbridled greed and total lack of concern for basic human rights and simple fairness. The film is a few years old but it exposes one, of many, result of corporate controlled government. Being framed as I am, my first thought, only a few minutes into the film, was, “The collapse can’t come soon enough!” The nefarious behavior of Monsanto will not exist in the post-carbon world (Monsanto will not exist in the post-carbon world!). The greed driven society we have created in America will end when the energy leveraging ability of cheap oil ceases to enable the few to dominate their cattle (us). When the dust settles in a world made by hand we will be free to find our true selves through honest work and real friendships; unburdened by the invisible hand of oppression. (We all have dreams.)

This would be a good place for you to stop reading and watch the video if you have not. What I have to say may make more sense if we both had, at least, the same images and story line at hand.

One central point to this disgusting story involves some rather esoteric definitions of “intellectual property” and, yet again, the corporate controlled government. One of the Ten Commandments should have been that no life forms can be patented by “civilized” man. (Maybe it was on the tablet that got broken on the way down the mountain.) The question of who owns life forms seems like a non-brainer to me; no one does. Life is not an idea or thing. If somebody is able to re-engineer a life form by manipulating a gene or two they have not created life. It reminds me of Pierre Boulle’s discussion on creativity in Planet of the Apes. Aping someone’s creativity is not in itself a creative event no matter what lengths are taken to twist and manipulate any portion of an existing masterpiece. Read the rest of this entry »

Staying on track with your diet can be challenging enough during the busy work week, but it is especially challenging when you are out of your normal routine.  We travel for many reasons, for business, relaxation and the occasional visit to friends and family in need.  All occasions many times can be reasons to let your diet slide, but there is no need to!  By letting your diet slide you run the risk of gaining 5 even 10 pounds, which sets you back tremendously on your accomplishments and can be damaging to your will and self-esteem.   In lieu of starting over with your diet accomplishments follow these simple tips and return home feeling positive about your meal choices. Read the rest of this entry »

Nick Algee of 1Sky & CleanEnergy.org hit my inbox last night: Friday night May 15th is Pecha Kucha Night at the Roosevelt. WTF is that? I gotta say it is one of the more intriguing events to arrive amongst a tedious list of a gazillion emails I rather not read. Nick is a cool guy, with an important mission, so I read his emails first, and damn, I’m glad I did. This is tonight!

I also have to say Ken Cowart, Pecha Kucha organizer, is responsible for helping Tampa is move up on the way cool scale with this event, starting with the venue itself. The Roosevelt, owned by Joe Redner, is a 103 year old building in the throes of a massive green retrofit. A model of sustainability, it will serve as a showcase of 21st-century construction ideas. The Campus TV Project 3.0 at The Roosevelt is a place in which artists and other creative types can lease space and incubate new ideas.

So what is Pecha Kucha? Held in 195 cities around the world, I betcha I couldn’t find anyone except some architect geek types, sorry Adam, to tell me. Enter the Google Gods, a quick trip round the net to reveals that it was conceived by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham as a place for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. The first Pecha Kucha took place in Tokyo at Klein Dytham Architects offices at 8:20 p.m. on March 20, 2003, yes the time and date is very relevant, give me a minute, err 20 seconds to explain. Under the PKN rules, 20 presenters show 20 slides on a topic relative to urban design, with only 20 seconds to narrate each slide. As someone who has sat through many a dry, monotone speaker presenting such exciting topics as “Trends in Solid Waste” and “Measurement of Indoor Air Quality Toxins” , no joke it was at the same conference, not one of the middle aged men in the room was laughing. 20 slides in 20 seconds, is gift from heaven that lands Tampa on the map of a city on the upswing. Read the rest of this entry »

Before you run out and splurge on your “organic” products, there are many things you may want to understand. The marketing campaigns from the companies who provide these foods tell you the benefits, and there are benefits, but fail to share all of the facts from the scientific community.

I must admit, when I began research for this article, I was expecting to paint a more negative picture about the organic movement. I just felt like there had to be criticism since most of our knowledge about organic food production comes by way of the folks who make the most money from its consumption. That’s like the fox guarding the henhouse. Instead, however, I find a highly regulated industry with a wealth of scientific data to support organic foods but, unfortunately, an equal amount of problems with it. Therefore, I’ll highlight what I’ve learned and you be the judge. Read the rest of this entry »

When thinking of recipes to make to post on the site, I rack my brain looking at food magazines, and foodie sites and blogs for inspiration. But I’ve come to find, through trial and error, that my best looking and tasting dishes are almost always done as a spur of the moment thing.

I especially love a challenge, like trying to make a meal with what I’ve got in the refrigerator or pantry- sometimes working with plain and boring items, and sometimes very interesting ones. Which leads me to how I made this meal.

Picture the scene: I’m over at my boyfriend’s house trying to make dinner last week and he hadn’t stocked up on groceries in awhile (typical). I go through the pantry and refrigerator, scavenging and turning on my creative juices to come up with something for a well-balanced meal. I’ve got these basics- frozen chicken breasts (thank goodness he buys a ton when they’re on sale), rice, asparagus (luckily, still pretty fresh) an onion, and a green bell pepper. Protein, starch, a green vegetable, and garnish- perfect. Lucky for him, he’s dating a foodie with culinary degree and a flair for thinking on her toes when it comes to meal time. So I grabbed a packet of Sazon Tropical seasoning and a bottle of Mojo marinade I’d stashed over there for times like these (also easy to find at your local grocery store and great pantry staples) and a bottle of white wine, got out the tools and got to cooking. Read the rest of this entry »