Trends - - Page 23

by gansie

Why Does Organic Almond Butter Cost $18?

I spent $18 on organic almond butter. It wasn’t on purpose. Co-ops, like farmers markets, bring out the reckless shopper in me. I see lots of awesome food. I buy lots of awesome food. And, well, I just forgot to check the price.

At the Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op register I thought my total was a bit high, but I picked up quite a few items, and as I don’t frequent the co-op that much, I didn’t think much of it.

I adored that almond butter, both dressing up my oatmeal and slipping it right into my mouth with a spoon. Then I checked the receipt and HOLY SHIT. A 16oz jar of Woodstock Farms’ Organic Almond Butter, crunchy, unsalted cost $18. I thought it was a misprint. I called the store, thinking it may have been $8.

But no. That thing is 18 bucks. I tried to get ahold of someone at the company to find out why this particular nut butter cost so much, but I never got a hold of anyone. Are almonds difficult to grow or pick or process? Is it that much more difficult to grow organic versus conventional almonds? Are almonds that much more valued?

Please, please, please tell me. Why does this particular nut butter cost so much fucking money?

by forkitude

Europe Does It Right

As I stood in the butcher shop, or macelleria, in San Cassiano, Italy, staring at the meats hanging along the wall and what looked like a family working behind the counter, I wondered, why is the food here so good?

Back in America, I live in a place where the ground is fertile. Things can grow. It’s Nebraska for goodness sakes. If you drive through the state, you will be tired of corn after the fourth hour of looking at the continuous rows. You also might be nauseous from the smell of the cattle feedlots as you drive through Ogalalla, NE. The food tastes different in Europe. The yogurt is better. The cheese is better. The meat is better. What is different about the land on which the cows graze and the vegetables grow?

by BS

Plate It or Hate It

Recent food world discoveries the ES crew is loving and hating…

Plate It: Watermelon Sexual

An awesome new tumblr dedicated solely to luscious images of WILFs. Drool.

Hate It: Health Departments Shutting Down Small Food Producers

We’re all for food safety, but sometimes it crosses the line into ridiculous. The latest: the State of Illinois is shutting down local, artisan ice cream makers for such terrible offenses as using fresh fruit instead of fruit syrup and fresh cream instead of pre-packaged soft serve mix. Way to look out for our health, guys. (Via: Kitchen Lore Photo: Chicago Tribune)

in Celebs / Drinks / Rants & Raves / Trends / TV 6 comments

by gansie

Where Did the News Go?

All of a sudden it stopped landing in my inbox. At first I forgot about it, but then it became clear. I was missing my daily dose of food news, the aptly titled Food News Journal.

I had forgotten the name of the site, as sometimes the obvious becomes the most forgettable. But when I googled around for it and landed on the homepage I learned what happened. Those freaking biatches at Food 52 stole them! So now I must drag my mouse to their website instead of getting the well-rounded links directly to my gmail.

But because I adore their roundups so much, I wanted to show them that I will still travel across the www to find their curated view of what’s important in the world of eats.

And maybe you should to- this is the new home.

(Photo: Food News Journal)

in Trends 1 comments

by Roo de Loo

My Shit Don’t Stink: Five Observations on a Vegan Diet

Charcuterie from the Downtown Grocery

Salad greens from Coger's Sugarhouse

I grew up in a meat and potatoes household. My father was (and still is) the type that had strong feelings about what went on the dinner plate, and if it didn’t moo or cluck it was considered a side dish. So imagine my culinary bafflement as I have undertaken a two-week chef gig to cook for a yoga teacher training at Good Commons, a boutique retreat center nestled in the rolling hills of Vermont.

Three meals a day and not an animal in sight. Not only are these yogis avoiding meat, but also dairy, soy and gluten. And I thought downward dog was tough.

It’s not that I don’t have experience or interest in cooking vegetarian dishes. I love connecting with the local farmers and menu planning based on what is coming out of the ground. But how much roughage can a person take? The answer—plenty.

I should qualify… I could easily be sneaking off to the local pizza joint for “Instructor Wings,” a winning combination of hot wings and barbecue sauce named after a special request from the snowboarders who work at Okemo Valley during ski season. Better yet, a mosey to The Downtown Grocery in Ludlow, where chef Rogan Lechthaler is doing some amazing charcuterie. But I’ve been feeling a bit too much junk in the trunk and thought a two-week meat sabbatical might do me well. So here’s what I’ve learned so far.

Top 5 Observations on a Vegan Diet

5. It’s more fun to chew a perfectly marbled strip steak than bite into a piece of “extra firm” tofu, no matter how well it’s seasoned or seared.

4. Kale is brilliant: it keeps for almost a week in the fridge and can be eaten raw, blanched, sautéed or even creamed with a vegan béchamel, which I made with Earth Balance (soy, I know!), gluten-free flour, almond milk and plenty of salt and pepper.

in Personal / Rants & Raves / Trends / Veggie 5 comments

by gansie

Emoticon Your Food Life

Ever since my mom bought me acrylic paints for my birthday, I’ve been feeling extra creative. I now paint birthday—or any other occasion—cards for my friends and family. With a few of my neighbors, we’ve decided to start making bracelets, tapping our talents and supplies: using Liza’s fabric, Alice’s sewing machine and my paints.

I love how art takes me away from the computer screen. But as I spend a so much time on this darn laptop, I’ve tried to find ways to make my typing life just a little bit more pretty.

A few weeks ago I shared a few food-themed email templates. And today, I will share my new food and drink related gmail finds: crazy little emoticons!

So I know this is nerdy or dorky or very 1992. But you know what. It’s August. Who really wants to be in front of a computer? Might as well make it a fun, food-filled time.

Plus, there is a self-peeling banana!

in Trends 1 comments

by gansie

Eating A Roll With a Hole and Other Bagel Intelligence

I never really thought about living in another country before. Sure, my summer in Barcelona many years ago was predictably magical. But could I really live there?

No, because it’s a country without bagels. And if I were to base my residency on bagel possibilities, I would strongly consider Canada (and Denmark).

Montreal bagels own some serious street cred (although our writer hated Montreal bagels), with even an appearance on Anthony Bourdain‘s anti-trend travel show No Reservations. But no obsession can really be complete without a dedicated Tumblr. And we’ve found it on Bagel Diaries.

You will find all of your Montreal bagel needs here (and links to ground-breaking bagel articles).