At a meeting downtown, my colleagues and I took advantage of the new restaurants away from the office and ate lunch out. We ended up going to seemingly squeaky clean and shiny health-food joint. It turned out to be not very tasty at all. Everything we ate was simply bland.
As we diligently ate our already purchased lunches, I commented that some people think that healthy food is equivalent to low-fat food, which is not always the case. Moreover, even if the food is “low-fat” it can still be poor quality, which takes away from the healthy nutrients of the food. And not to mention, leaves the consumer completely unsatisfied.
I think, often, good food is confused between low-fat and extra-processed food with real, whole, and healthy food. Selecting the option of “sugar-free,” for example is not necessarily better to eat than the sugar. Do you ever read list of ingredients on the package? The ingredients that are listed instead of sugar are chemically unknown to the average consumer (myself included). Or the fat-free food like butter, that naturally has fat, which is not always a bad thing either—Just too much is bad!!
But why are we so scared of sugar anyway? Or foods like butter and cream for that matter? We have this instinct to run far from the whole foods and grab the low-fat, low-sugar option, without even thinking it through. Perhaps real butter is actually better than the “I can’t believe it’s not butter!” alternative, (Okay, if it is not butter, what the hell is it?) Furthermore, no matter what they say—the alternative option does not taste the same as the real deal.
To exemplify, a couple of friends and I made dinner one night. We did spring for the Whole Foods run before hand. However, as much as I think the overpriced options are, well, over priced, it was worth it. The foods we bought were whole (small w) without some characteristic removed and others added. The result? —Deliciousness. I couldn’t help think that it wasn’t just our amazing cooking skills (we are good, but not that incredible!) but rather, it was the due to the quality of the food. We didn’t shy from the extra “calories” and the result was much more satisfying.
At the end of the day, the choice is still up to the individual consumer—how do you want to eat? I think, in general, we would all like to be healthy and enjoy our meals. So, it is important to keep in mind what that means for you personally. And, you know, maybe one will prefer the flavors of low-fat over the full-fat options, and, hey, go for it! I simply hope that we do not begin to sacrifice our enjoyment of food for going for the “healthy” choice, without understanding what that actually signifies.
03 July 2011
28 June 2011
Alternative to Bottomless Mimosas
Last week, I received an invite for Dim Sum Sunday Brunch. I had no idea what Dim Sum meant at the time, but I accepted without hesitation regardless – How could I say no? Waking up Sunday morning, I immediately regretted my decision to agree to meet at 10:30. What was I thinking? But, as I dragged myself out of bed around 10:15, craving lo-mien, and thinking what I could perhaps get some at Dim Sum – Chinese, right?
When I finally arrived, I realized that apparently this was the Dim Sum place to be, as the crowd waiting to enter the restaurant filled the sidewalk outside the restaurant. It had opened at 10:30 and after getting our name on the list at 11:30, I think we sat down close to 1:00pm. (Though, I think that this may be part of their trick — keep the customers waiting, so by the time they actually eat, they are so hungry everything tastes amazing!)
The way Dim Sum was described to me, as we waited for our table was “something like Chinese Tapas.” It was similar to tapas – a large table sharing small plates. I think that we ought to eat more meals in this fashion. It can be slightly overwhelming for me because I love to try it each new food that arrives in front of me. I appreciate the acceptance of sharing the food and tasting every flavor.
However, the challenge in this situation is that idea that I was never sure exactly what I was eating. In my Dim Sum experience, there was no menu of options, but the food is carted around the restaurant and the diners need to flag down the staff to get food. These women are efficient and don’t have time to explain what may or may not be in the said dumpling on the plate. I managed to get one-word answers as I pointed: “Pork” or “Shrimp” were the most common.
It was not the most balanced meal, to say the least. Most dishes involved something with rice dough, or fried. The dishes we almost all the same shade of brown or yellow, which went against the rule that a balanced meal should be colorful. There were few vegetables, though I managed to find pickled cucumber and carrots mixed in a slightly unappetizing cuttlefish dish. For the most part, the dishes involved meat, and I think even the tofu dish came with a pork topping.
The best part of going to Dim Sum is not the food, but the experience. We sat in a crowed place, pulling unrecognizable small dishes off of carts. The women cut each dish – dumpling or roll – with a pair of scissors, no, I am not kidding, and then launched into each dish with a pair of wooden chopsticks the minute it hit the table.
I am very glad I went, and I think it is an experience that was worthwhile, if for nothing else but the chicken feet. I really could not say “No” to it. How many times does a dish of chicken feet show up in front of you? I’ll tell you, this is only the second or third time, and I think I passed the first two. So, I sucked it up and ate a chicken foot. It didn’t taste bad, but the fact I was eating a chicken foot still bothered me – texturally it was strange.
I am sure I would go again, but only if it was suggested to me, however. I doubt I will suggest it any time in the future. Call me traditional, but next week, I will stick with my Eggs Benedict and Bloody Mary for Sunday brunch.
When I finally arrived, I realized that apparently this was the Dim Sum place to be, as the crowd waiting to enter the restaurant filled the sidewalk outside the restaurant. It had opened at 10:30 and after getting our name on the list at 11:30, I think we sat down close to 1:00pm. (Though, I think that this may be part of their trick — keep the customers waiting, so by the time they actually eat, they are so hungry everything tastes amazing!)
The way Dim Sum was described to me, as we waited for our table was “something like Chinese Tapas.” It was similar to tapas – a large table sharing small plates. I think that we ought to eat more meals in this fashion. It can be slightly overwhelming for me because I love to try it each new food that arrives in front of me. I appreciate the acceptance of sharing the food and tasting every flavor.
However, the challenge in this situation is that idea that I was never sure exactly what I was eating. In my Dim Sum experience, there was no menu of options, but the food is carted around the restaurant and the diners need to flag down the staff to get food. These women are efficient and don’t have time to explain what may or may not be in the said dumpling on the plate. I managed to get one-word answers as I pointed: “Pork” or “Shrimp” were the most common.
It was not the most balanced meal, to say the least. Most dishes involved something with rice dough, or fried. The dishes we almost all the same shade of brown or yellow, which went against the rule that a balanced meal should be colorful. There were few vegetables, though I managed to find pickled cucumber and carrots mixed in a slightly unappetizing cuttlefish dish. For the most part, the dishes involved meat, and I think even the tofu dish came with a pork topping.
The best part of going to Dim Sum is not the food, but the experience. We sat in a crowed place, pulling unrecognizable small dishes off of carts. The women cut each dish – dumpling or roll – with a pair of scissors, no, I am not kidding, and then launched into each dish with a pair of wooden chopsticks the minute it hit the table.
I am very glad I went, and I think it is an experience that was worthwhile, if for nothing else but the chicken feet. I really could not say “No” to it. How many times does a dish of chicken feet show up in front of you? I’ll tell you, this is only the second or third time, and I think I passed the first two. So, I sucked it up and ate a chicken foot. It didn’t taste bad, but the fact I was eating a chicken foot still bothered me – texturally it was strange.
I am sure I would go again, but only if it was suggested to me, however. I doubt I will suggest it any time in the future. Call me traditional, but next week, I will stick with my Eggs Benedict and Bloody Mary for Sunday brunch.
19 June 2011
MyPyramid, MyPlate, My Life
It is somewhat amusing to me that fats and sugars are not even included on the new MyPlate released late last month. As advertisements inundate us daily adamantly telling us otherwise; we are, of course, all adults, and we can figure out what we should without the government telling us, right? So much of our decision-making is influenced by what we are told though marketing schemes—from private sector corporations or public service announcement from the government. And if we are not explicitly told, are we sure we know what to do?
The USDA has stepped it up with new a direction of food checking with MyPlate. This lovely image, featuring: (ta-da!) a plate, with the essential food groups clearly depicted, so we will all understand what we should eat and how much should be consumed. This, of course, replaces our old friend, the food pyramid—and what ever did happen to that food pyramid anyway? It has been in limbo for a while, first, the USDA tried for to implement a personalized MyPyramid, which was supposed to be altered according to the individual person (and it included exercise as well, showing a little man running up it). Though I can honestly say I never quite understood that pyramid—it came out after I was out of school, and who learns this stuff anyway, besides school children? Plus, there were no pictures of food on it—how can it be a food pyramid if there is no food on it?
The most recent development, MyPlate is the new alternative, offering a not only logical, but also realistic idea of what one should eat. No more counting servings a day (and did anyone actually know how much is actually in a serving?), now you can just look at your plate and figure it out based on the fraction the food covers (much like a pie-chart). The idea behind it is that it will encourage people to eat healthfully, who don’t have time to think about food intake for the day, but they can think about it in the moment. Parents can better feed their children a balanced meal when all they have to do is look down at the potions on the dinner plate. And though the abstract image doesn’t have pictures, we can all figure it out easily as it is a plate—which is an improvement from the past pyramid that we had.
As Stephen Colbert kindly commented on the new developments of MyPlate, he exclaimed: “Americans don’t use plates anymore. Our food comes from cases, bags, cans, tubes, and envelopes made of themselves!” And, yes, I am quoting Colbert here, he does have a point: How many of us actually sit down at the dinner table and eat a meal set out on a plate. I consider myself to be a healthy eater and I maybe, if I am lucky, eat one meal a week on a plate arranged so that the servings are visible (Sandwiches don’t count here!). Part of the idea of MyPlate, is encourage eating from a plate, which means sitting down, not day full of snacks on the go. It means actually paying attention to what we consume.
The USDA launched MyPlate complete with an interactive website, so one can monitor the daily food intake meticulously using planners, trackers and even a foodpedia. I decided to try it, fill out all the information and see what I came up with—I was honest, I even added a candy bar to my daily intake, for those days when I just can’t resist! Beyond food, you can fill out your daily physical activity, and then compare the two. The site will track your history (if you diligently input information everyday) and give you an energy calculation, recommendations, nutrient intake…and the list goes on.
As I was sitting here, trying to think: what the hell did I eat today? How many blueberries were actually in the handful that I threw into my cereal in the morning? Do I have to count the extra cup of coffee I had at 3pm? I realized I could never do this every day, because I just don’t care that much. I think I have my food groups covered, though like everyone, I could probably stand to cut back on the carbs, and instead of hot fudge on the fro-yo, add the fruit topping. I think it was worth one day, sitting down and inputting a typical day in the life of food, and just see where you stand. (Though, I am still not sure where the candy bar landed on health index)
My final question to the recent developments of the government food recommendations: what size plate are we talking here exactly?
The USDA has stepped it up with new a direction of food checking with MyPlate. This lovely image, featuring: (ta-da!) a plate, with the essential food groups clearly depicted, so we will all understand what we should eat and how much should be consumed. This, of course, replaces our old friend, the food pyramid—and what ever did happen to that food pyramid anyway? It has been in limbo for a while, first, the USDA tried for to implement a personalized MyPyramid, which was supposed to be altered according to the individual person (and it included exercise as well, showing a little man running up it). Though I can honestly say I never quite understood that pyramid—it came out after I was out of school, and who learns this stuff anyway, besides school children? Plus, there were no pictures of food on it—how can it be a food pyramid if there is no food on it?
The most recent development, MyPlate is the new alternative, offering a not only logical, but also realistic idea of what one should eat. No more counting servings a day (and did anyone actually know how much is actually in a serving?), now you can just look at your plate and figure it out based on the fraction the food covers (much like a pie-chart). The idea behind it is that it will encourage people to eat healthfully, who don’t have time to think about food intake for the day, but they can think about it in the moment. Parents can better feed their children a balanced meal when all they have to do is look down at the potions on the dinner plate. And though the abstract image doesn’t have pictures, we can all figure it out easily as it is a plate—which is an improvement from the past pyramid that we had.
As Stephen Colbert kindly commented on the new developments of MyPlate, he exclaimed: “Americans don’t use plates anymore. Our food comes from cases, bags, cans, tubes, and envelopes made of themselves!” And, yes, I am quoting Colbert here, he does have a point: How many of us actually sit down at the dinner table and eat a meal set out on a plate. I consider myself to be a healthy eater and I maybe, if I am lucky, eat one meal a week on a plate arranged so that the servings are visible (Sandwiches don’t count here!). Part of the idea of MyPlate, is encourage eating from a plate, which means sitting down, not day full of snacks on the go. It means actually paying attention to what we consume.
The USDA launched MyPlate complete with an interactive website, so one can monitor the daily food intake meticulously using planners, trackers and even a foodpedia. I decided to try it, fill out all the information and see what I came up with—I was honest, I even added a candy bar to my daily intake, for those days when I just can’t resist! Beyond food, you can fill out your daily physical activity, and then compare the two. The site will track your history (if you diligently input information everyday) and give you an energy calculation, recommendations, nutrient intake…and the list goes on.
As I was sitting here, trying to think: what the hell did I eat today? How many blueberries were actually in the handful that I threw into my cereal in the morning? Do I have to count the extra cup of coffee I had at 3pm? I realized I could never do this every day, because I just don’t care that much. I think I have my food groups covered, though like everyone, I could probably stand to cut back on the carbs, and instead of hot fudge on the fro-yo, add the fruit topping. I think it was worth one day, sitting down and inputting a typical day in the life of food, and just see where you stand. (Though, I am still not sure where the candy bar landed on health index)
My final question to the recent developments of the government food recommendations: what size plate are we talking here exactly?
09 June 2011
DC PRIDE Theatre: SpeakeasyDC’s “Don’t Ask, Do Tell”
Last night, I attended my first D.C. Pride event and I am completely sold. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company presented SpeakeasyDC’s production of “Don’t Ask, Do Tell: stories about coming out, coming clean, or just plain coming.” SpeakeasyDC puts on a great show: bluntly honest, hysterical, and heartfelt. This production not only exceeded expectations, but it brought something else to the evening as well: non-judgmental Pride.
MC and Co-Director, John Kevin Boggs, made it clear from the start that this show was about Pride. He stated the stories were all as unique, diverse, and complex as the storytellers sharing with the audience. And the show certainly proved that: as each speaker took the stage, it was clear that each person was proud to take a stand to unabashedly share his or her personal experience.
As the audience applauded each person off stage, I though to myself, “man, I feel bad for the next one who has to follow that act” — but each individual spoke confidence and excelled. I began to see a pattern in the stories: each storyteller willingly stood alone on stage to share an anecdote of their life, expressing who they truly were and have become, and each moment was welcomed in a safe environment. Everyone had managed to get through whatever events, good or bad, life had handed them, coming out on the other end, not unscathed, but a different, individual, and unique person.
The stories shared were unique, ranging from explicit sex scenes, to hilarious anecdotes, to sharing real emotional trauma. Without giving too much away, stories ranged from: overcoming a language barrier for a sexual encounter; coming out as the first transgender college athlete on national television; a personal journey from an advocacy position as a “straight spokesperson for gay families” to embracing being a lesbian; and a story of dancing shamelessly at high school senior prom with the person you love, despite the family effort to “fight the gay.”
At intermission, when I had a chance to sit back and absorb the atmosphere, I realized not only the performers were welcome and accepting, but the audience was completely open and happy as well. (And, yes, at the risk of being cliché, Lady Gaga was playing over the loudspeakers at this point.) And as I attempted to decipher the sentiment behind this overwhelming vibe I was feeling, I realized that it was completely non-judgmental. Despite the judgment that was occurring within each story, at that moment, I felt the entire theatre offering a safe space of understanding to each instance of discrimination described. A judgment-free space is an uncommon experience, as I constantly sense judgment coming from all sides in a city like Washington, D.C. For the two and half hours of the show, I felt none of that—only empowerment and inspiration transcending from the stories to the audience.
In her story, Natalie Illum put the evening into perspective, describing a realization she had: that being queer isn’t always about who you love but about being comfortable in your own skin and helping other people to be comfortable with who you are. She recounted a slogan she had used campaigning for an event: “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re fabulous, so don’t f--k with us.”
MC and Co-Director, John Kevin Boggs, made it clear from the start that this show was about Pride. He stated the stories were all as unique, diverse, and complex as the storytellers sharing with the audience. And the show certainly proved that: as each speaker took the stage, it was clear that each person was proud to take a stand to unabashedly share his or her personal experience.
As the audience applauded each person off stage, I though to myself, “man, I feel bad for the next one who has to follow that act” — but each individual spoke confidence and excelled. I began to see a pattern in the stories: each storyteller willingly stood alone on stage to share an anecdote of their life, expressing who they truly were and have become, and each moment was welcomed in a safe environment. Everyone had managed to get through whatever events, good or bad, life had handed them, coming out on the other end, not unscathed, but a different, individual, and unique person.
The stories shared were unique, ranging from explicit sex scenes, to hilarious anecdotes, to sharing real emotional trauma. Without giving too much away, stories ranged from: overcoming a language barrier for a sexual encounter; coming out as the first transgender college athlete on national television; a personal journey from an advocacy position as a “straight spokesperson for gay families” to embracing being a lesbian; and a story of dancing shamelessly at high school senior prom with the person you love, despite the family effort to “fight the gay.”
At intermission, when I had a chance to sit back and absorb the atmosphere, I realized not only the performers were welcome and accepting, but the audience was completely open and happy as well. (And, yes, at the risk of being cliché, Lady Gaga was playing over the loudspeakers at this point.) And as I attempted to decipher the sentiment behind this overwhelming vibe I was feeling, I realized that it was completely non-judgmental. Despite the judgment that was occurring within each story, at that moment, I felt the entire theatre offering a safe space of understanding to each instance of discrimination described. A judgment-free space is an uncommon experience, as I constantly sense judgment coming from all sides in a city like Washington, D.C. For the two and half hours of the show, I felt none of that—only empowerment and inspiration transcending from the stories to the audience.
In her story, Natalie Illum put the evening into perspective, describing a realization she had: that being queer isn’t always about who you love but about being comfortable in your own skin and helping other people to be comfortable with who you are. She recounted a slogan she had used campaigning for an event: “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re fabulous, so don’t f--k with us.”
01 June 2011
Culture, Cuisine and Globalization
How does culture shape a cuisine? Or does the cuisine shape the culture? I pondered these questions last week at a National Archives talk, Jewish Holiday Traditions and Cooking in America, between cookbook author, Joan Nathan and chef Spike Mendelson. The event was a pre-kick off to a new exhibit the Archives will be hosting for the rest of 2011, What’s Cooking Uncle Sam?, to discuss the government influence on food in American society.
The relationship between culture and food is mutual, as both maintain a certain influence on the other. Just as culture shapes a cuisine, changes in a cuisine can also change and impact the culture. Through experimentation of food, the regional differences, and the migration of cuisine that travels with the people, both food and culture are susceptible to change through either alterations or combinations. Joan Nathan, talked about the Americanization of food, which as she sees is the change in quantity and quality. Not only is the food bigger, but it also is often combined with other popular ingredients. (Extra large bacon-wrapped matzo balls, anyone?) This, in her opinion, is offensive to the traditions of the culture and food. Mendolson disagreed, saying that it can be inspiring to bring different traditions together through food, even if it means losing the authenticity of the meal.
As food takes on new levels of popularity, it is not just the foodies that appreciate a good meal and the significance behind it. The mainstream media has picked up on the trend and brought it to a new level of appreciation in the public eye. This feeds into the social acceptance of food as a career, moving it from the blue collar job from the past to the white collar status of the present. As Joan Nathan pointed out, a meal is not just a family dinner, but rather a high end restaurant dining experience. With this status shift, more people are involved in the industry, bringing additional influences of culture and change. The new generation in the food industry offers a new exploration to food; many are working to use creative means to finding their niche, put a twist on their own food whether the emphasis is on the cuisine fusion or even a return to purity and cultural tradition.
The arguable driving factor of food today, especially in American cuisine, however, is not tradition. Rather, the biggest influences come from the market and product. The market often drives society, and not only that but our food choices, as well. This is largely due to the availability and access to different products and also to the marketing techniques that often ultimately drives our decisions. Today we have fast movement of products and more options to choose from, enabling us to utilize the global economy for both product and cultural custom exchanges.
With globalization today, it often feels as if culture is completely fluid. Food has become one of the constant and most acceptable forms in which to share culture and heritage with one another. In some instances, it is the preservation of a culture, where in others it has become a culture fusion. Joan Nathan, recounted that while collecting her stories for her new cookbook she realized that she was preserving her culture through her the act of putting her observations on paper. Judaism is a food-centered religion and with the tradition of Friday Shabbat dinner, every family has their own story, their own customs, and recipes. Sharing all of that brings people together, helps us to remember, and creates a way to share with others.
The relationship between culture and food is mutual, as both maintain a certain influence on the other. Just as culture shapes a cuisine, changes in a cuisine can also change and impact the culture. Through experimentation of food, the regional differences, and the migration of cuisine that travels with the people, both food and culture are susceptible to change through either alterations or combinations. Joan Nathan, talked about the Americanization of food, which as she sees is the change in quantity and quality. Not only is the food bigger, but it also is often combined with other popular ingredients. (Extra large bacon-wrapped matzo balls, anyone?) This, in her opinion, is offensive to the traditions of the culture and food. Mendolson disagreed, saying that it can be inspiring to bring different traditions together through food, even if it means losing the authenticity of the meal.
As food takes on new levels of popularity, it is not just the foodies that appreciate a good meal and the significance behind it. The mainstream media has picked up on the trend and brought it to a new level of appreciation in the public eye. This feeds into the social acceptance of food as a career, moving it from the blue collar job from the past to the white collar status of the present. As Joan Nathan pointed out, a meal is not just a family dinner, but rather a high end restaurant dining experience. With this status shift, more people are involved in the industry, bringing additional influences of culture and change. The new generation in the food industry offers a new exploration to food; many are working to use creative means to finding their niche, put a twist on their own food whether the emphasis is on the cuisine fusion or even a return to purity and cultural tradition.
The arguable driving factor of food today, especially in American cuisine, however, is not tradition. Rather, the biggest influences come from the market and product. The market often drives society, and not only that but our food choices, as well. This is largely due to the availability and access to different products and also to the marketing techniques that often ultimately drives our decisions. Today we have fast movement of products and more options to choose from, enabling us to utilize the global economy for both product and cultural custom exchanges.
With globalization today, it often feels as if culture is completely fluid. Food has become one of the constant and most acceptable forms in which to share culture and heritage with one another. In some instances, it is the preservation of a culture, where in others it has become a culture fusion. Joan Nathan, recounted that while collecting her stories for her new cookbook she realized that she was preserving her culture through her the act of putting her observations on paper. Judaism is a food-centered religion and with the tradition of Friday Shabbat dinner, every family has their own story, their own customs, and recipes. Sharing all of that brings people together, helps us to remember, and creates a way to share with others.
25 May 2011
A Coffee Drinker’s Justification
My friend said to me yesterday, “I need to cleanse my body, I’m going off of coffee…” I turned to her with an incredulous expression and said, “Yeah, right.” I followed with, “Coffee is good for you now, haven’t you heard? It prevents … prostate cancer or something.” She just laughed.
I love coffee. For me, the idea of “going off coffee” is a goal that I will probably never achieve I cannot leave my house without a cup of coffee and I drink no less than three cups a day, which is cutting way back from the minimum of seven cups a day I used to drink.
Typically, coffee is something that is considered to have a negative impact on the human body. And yet, similar to many things, the negative opinion of coffee does not seem to have an effect on the sales nor the demand for coffee. We continue to drink coffee, and even through the economic downturns, the coffee market did not fall. It simply shifted from latte’s to home-brew as the incomes dwindled.
Despite the anti-coffee vibe that we seem to carry, more often we are hearing the positive aspects of drinking coffee. Recently, a Harvey University study showed that coffee drinkers experience health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and liver cancer, among other diseases. This is not the say the study did not find negative affects as well; too much coffee can cause higher calorie intake and birth defects if consumed by pregnant women. Though, surprisingly, concerns of heightened coffee intake seemed to be limited in this study.
The caffeine intake of so much coffee consumption is an aspect to take into consideration, though I believe that coffee (or tea, I suppose) is the best way to have caffeine, as it is more natural than an energy drink. Though surprisingly, a cup of coffee has much more caffeine than expected; moreover, the cup sizes are so skewed in our minds. A cup of coffee from Starbucks seems innocent enough, but when ordering a grande, it is the same caffeine intake as 3 cups of coffee. This is not to mention the espresso drinks as they pack multiple shots into one latte. (Though it is good to remember that a single cup of coffee has more caffeine than a shot of espresso. This is due to the brew time and the contact the water has with the coffee grounds)
When more than fifty percent of Americans drink more than three cups a day on average, the more than $40 billion a year coffee industry doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. However, this is one study. I am not suggesting we go crazy with heightened coffee consumption. In fact we should keep in mind the amount of coffee we are drinking, and not assume one cup is equal to the next. A study praising the habit rather than condoning it is much nicer to read, as I drink my second cup of the day, and perhaps there is some truth to is, so we can all enjoy our daily dosage without health concerns.
I have literally been drinking coffee every day since the age of 13, and I have no intention to change this habit any time soon. For the most part, there is no reason for me to, it is not marketed as a killer as say cigarettes are, there is no a reason for me to stop — and now, looks like there is a reason to continue! You never know, maybe it was Starbucks that financed the study, but for now, I will take it!
I love coffee. For me, the idea of “going off coffee” is a goal that I will probably never achieve I cannot leave my house without a cup of coffee and I drink no less than three cups a day, which is cutting way back from the minimum of seven cups a day I used to drink.
Typically, coffee is something that is considered to have a negative impact on the human body. And yet, similar to many things, the negative opinion of coffee does not seem to have an effect on the sales nor the demand for coffee. We continue to drink coffee, and even through the economic downturns, the coffee market did not fall. It simply shifted from latte’s to home-brew as the incomes dwindled.
Despite the anti-coffee vibe that we seem to carry, more often we are hearing the positive aspects of drinking coffee. Recently, a Harvey University study showed that coffee drinkers experience health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and liver cancer, among other diseases. This is not the say the study did not find negative affects as well; too much coffee can cause higher calorie intake and birth defects if consumed by pregnant women. Though, surprisingly, concerns of heightened coffee intake seemed to be limited in this study.
The caffeine intake of so much coffee consumption is an aspect to take into consideration, though I believe that coffee (or tea, I suppose) is the best way to have caffeine, as it is more natural than an energy drink. Though surprisingly, a cup of coffee has much more caffeine than expected; moreover, the cup sizes are so skewed in our minds. A cup of coffee from Starbucks seems innocent enough, but when ordering a grande, it is the same caffeine intake as 3 cups of coffee. This is not to mention the espresso drinks as they pack multiple shots into one latte. (Though it is good to remember that a single cup of coffee has more caffeine than a shot of espresso. This is due to the brew time and the contact the water has with the coffee grounds)
When more than fifty percent of Americans drink more than three cups a day on average, the more than $40 billion a year coffee industry doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. However, this is one study. I am not suggesting we go crazy with heightened coffee consumption. In fact we should keep in mind the amount of coffee we are drinking, and not assume one cup is equal to the next. A study praising the habit rather than condoning it is much nicer to read, as I drink my second cup of the day, and perhaps there is some truth to is, so we can all enjoy our daily dosage without health concerns.
I have literally been drinking coffee every day since the age of 13, and I have no intention to change this habit any time soon. For the most part, there is no reason for me to, it is not marketed as a killer as say cigarettes are, there is no a reason for me to stop — and now, looks like there is a reason to continue! You never know, maybe it was Starbucks that financed the study, but for now, I will take it!
19 May 2011
Pop-Up Eats, The One-Time Only Twist to Food
Fruit-on-the-Go. c. Kira
Even if it a regular occurrence, meals at a restaurant bring a certain something to the table. Dining at single-location restaurants, opposed to a chain, seems to bring even more allure to the dining experience. Perhaps this is due to the uniqueness, and we can feel that we are somewhat unique going to that one location; or perhaps we are drawn to the exclusivity of it; or to put it another way: if there is only one, it is not readily available to us, and therefore we will inherently think more highly of the finite resource.
I began to think about this as I read an article in Washington Post about the new pop-up restaurant that is coming to town. The idea of pop up shops is becoming more popular, as stores open for a limited time period, and one location turns from one boutique to the next. So, why don’t we have more pop-up restaurants?
Pop-up restaurants are a great way to test a new idea in a neighborhood and gage reactions. But more than that, it add a certain something to the location when the customers know it is there for a limited time only. Pop-up restaurants have the same allure to us as the one-day only sale in some ways. We can justify going even when we do not really want to because it is there for only a short time. For that same reason, we can justify to ourselves spending more money than we normally would on a meal out. The transient quality is remarkably appealing.
Similarly, just like pop-up restaurants, the new craze of food trucks has the same draw for us. As the trucks troll around the city, word gets out in groups of friends, at the office, but even more – news travels at lightning speed online, and people come out in droves. I know there has been more than one occasion when a food truck has been parked outside my office building and I have gone out and bought lunch — not because I particularly really wanted to eat a lobster roll that day and not because I had forgotten my lunch at home; however, the idea that the truck would only be there that one day and I wasn’t sure when it would be back in the neighborhood.
Pop-up restaurants and food trucks, remind us how susceptible we are to the marketing ploys. We can be easily convinced that a we really need to have a $15 lobster roll for lunch from the roving cart across the street, just as we can be convinced to go out and buy an expensive meal at the fancy limited time only joint around the corner. Both are pretty ingenious ideas, which play to the human nature of wanting something that offers a unique experience, one feels a part of something special, and the transience shines light on the value we find in finite resources.
Even if it a regular occurrence, meals at a restaurant bring a certain something to the table. Dining at single-location restaurants, opposed to a chain, seems to bring even more allure to the dining experience. Perhaps this is due to the uniqueness, and we can feel that we are somewhat unique going to that one location; or perhaps we are drawn to the exclusivity of it; or to put it another way: if there is only one, it is not readily available to us, and therefore we will inherently think more highly of the finite resource.
I began to think about this as I read an article in Washington Post about the new pop-up restaurant that is coming to town. The idea of pop up shops is becoming more popular, as stores open for a limited time period, and one location turns from one boutique to the next. So, why don’t we have more pop-up restaurants?
Pop-up restaurants are a great way to test a new idea in a neighborhood and gage reactions. But more than that, it add a certain something to the location when the customers know it is there for a limited time only. Pop-up restaurants have the same allure to us as the one-day only sale in some ways. We can justify going even when we do not really want to because it is there for only a short time. For that same reason, we can justify to ourselves spending more money than we normally would on a meal out. The transient quality is remarkably appealing.
Similarly, just like pop-up restaurants, the new craze of food trucks has the same draw for us. As the trucks troll around the city, word gets out in groups of friends, at the office, but even more – news travels at lightning speed online, and people come out in droves. I know there has been more than one occasion when a food truck has been parked outside my office building and I have gone out and bought lunch — not because I particularly really wanted to eat a lobster roll that day and not because I had forgotten my lunch at home; however, the idea that the truck would only be there that one day and I wasn’t sure when it would be back in the neighborhood.
Pop-up restaurants and food trucks, remind us how susceptible we are to the marketing ploys. We can be easily convinced that a we really need to have a $15 lobster roll for lunch from the roving cart across the street, just as we can be convinced to go out and buy an expensive meal at the fancy limited time only joint around the corner. Both are pretty ingenious ideas, which play to the human nature of wanting something that offers a unique experience, one feels a part of something special, and the transience shines light on the value we find in finite resources.
11 May 2011
Mega-Store Oasis Emerges in a Food Desert
From my apartment in Washington D.C., I can walk less than 5 minutes in any direction and end up at a grocery store. On a daily basis, the question for me is: which grocery store would I like to go to today—the closest? The cheapest? The one with the best selection and variety? Or the one in which I can eat samples as I shop? (That’s the one I end up at, most often) I have this choice to make each time I run out of milk. And across the same city, there are people who don’t have a grocery store to go to, let alone a choice.
“Food Deserts” is a buzzword that essentially means an area where a large number of people lack access to a grocery store. The idea of having access to a grocery store is the idea that one has options for food, and beyond that, healthy options: fresh and whole foods — no, not the store, but actual whole foods such as produce, grains, etc. Access to a Mickey-D’s or a gas station quick-mart, doesn’t cut it when it comes to eating healthy foods every day.
I was recently sent a link to a USDA site through an article on the DCist.com, where one can see the food desert areas mapped out in any region in the country. It shocked me to see the shot of the entire country and the large areas that are considered food deserts. Then to zoom in to see food deserts in the neighborhoods that I know so well. Though it is a small percentage of the population, it covers a larger area than I expected. This also is attributed to the fact that food deserts often fall in areas with fewer people living.
The DCist writes about food deserts in the city mostly due to a rise in awareness over the latest controversy of potential Wal-Mart’s popping up in the areas lacking with access supermarkets. The superstore not only offers cheap options for just about everything, including food products, but it also offers jobs. Food deserts, have limited options for healthy food, and this limitation is damaging to the area’s residents. In some ways, offering a store like Wal-Mart is seen as a “silver bullet” option to help alleviate the results of a food desert.
Bringing in a store like Wal-Mart eliminates the choice for people, but at the same time in areas where the choices are limited, it offers at least an option. I personally grew up in an anti-Wal-Mart environment (small town, pro-local business, and yes, a bit elitist). In fact, I can probably count on one (okay, maybe two) hand the times I have actually entered a Wal-Mart in my life — let alone actually bought something there. Not only do I have an aversion to their poor working conditions and worker rights, but I also disagree with the outcome when Wal-Mart becomes the only options for shopping with competing businesses wiped out.
I don’t think that Wal-Mart is the only answer to solving a problem of a food desert, in fact far from it. Though it offers affordable food, without competition, I think that it can create different and damaging controversy in the future for the shoppers who rely solely on the Super store for everything. The controversy raises is the issue of food deserts and brings awareness to the situation. With this, further actions can be under taken to solve it — affordable farmers markets, options for SNAP food benefits use at grocery stores that otherwise would be too pricey, or an additional grocery store (not a mega-store) in the area to drive up competition and drive down prices. Adding one store that whips out the need for all other stores is not the answer to eliminating a food desert. This current controversy over Wal-Mart, however, should begin a discussion of why it is entering the arena, looking at the issue of food deserts and other options the city or neighborhood have to contemplate.
“Food Deserts” is a buzzword that essentially means an area where a large number of people lack access to a grocery store. The idea of having access to a grocery store is the idea that one has options for food, and beyond that, healthy options: fresh and whole foods — no, not the store, but actual whole foods such as produce, grains, etc. Access to a Mickey-D’s or a gas station quick-mart, doesn’t cut it when it comes to eating healthy foods every day.
I was recently sent a link to a USDA site through an article on the DCist.com, where one can see the food desert areas mapped out in any region in the country. It shocked me to see the shot of the entire country and the large areas that are considered food deserts. Then to zoom in to see food deserts in the neighborhoods that I know so well. Though it is a small percentage of the population, it covers a larger area than I expected. This also is attributed to the fact that food deserts often fall in areas with fewer people living.
The DCist writes about food deserts in the city mostly due to a rise in awareness over the latest controversy of potential Wal-Mart’s popping up in the areas lacking with access supermarkets. The superstore not only offers cheap options for just about everything, including food products, but it also offers jobs. Food deserts, have limited options for healthy food, and this limitation is damaging to the area’s residents. In some ways, offering a store like Wal-Mart is seen as a “silver bullet” option to help alleviate the results of a food desert.
Bringing in a store like Wal-Mart eliminates the choice for people, but at the same time in areas where the choices are limited, it offers at least an option. I personally grew up in an anti-Wal-Mart environment (small town, pro-local business, and yes, a bit elitist). In fact, I can probably count on one (okay, maybe two) hand the times I have actually entered a Wal-Mart in my life — let alone actually bought something there. Not only do I have an aversion to their poor working conditions and worker rights, but I also disagree with the outcome when Wal-Mart becomes the only options for shopping with competing businesses wiped out.
I don’t think that Wal-Mart is the only answer to solving a problem of a food desert, in fact far from it. Though it offers affordable food, without competition, I think that it can create different and damaging controversy in the future for the shoppers who rely solely on the Super store for everything. The controversy raises is the issue of food deserts and brings awareness to the situation. With this, further actions can be under taken to solve it — affordable farmers markets, options for SNAP food benefits use at grocery stores that otherwise would be too pricey, or an additional grocery store (not a mega-store) in the area to drive up competition and drive down prices. Adding one store that whips out the need for all other stores is not the answer to eliminating a food desert. This current controversy over Wal-Mart, however, should begin a discussion of why it is entering the arena, looking at the issue of food deserts and other options the city or neighborhood have to contemplate.
07 May 2011
The One, Necessary, Blog Post About Julia
Julia Child always kind of bothered me. I know this is sinful to say. Though I wanted to love the legend, it was the voice. I do fully appreciate the excited and honor she brought back to the kitchen. And we all know how hard a Julia Child meal can be, and as she makes it look so easy, we think that we can do it too. I thought so too.
On a recent trip back to my parents home, I decided I wanted duck, not only that, I wanted to try a Julia Child duck recipe from her book that my sister had bought as a Christmas gift. So, as a I decided that one recipe wouldn’t be enough, I made it a Julia Child day—my Mom and I made hollandaise sauce to go on our salmon eggs Benedict for Brunch, for the evening meal, we made Duck a l’Orange and even a chocolate mousse for desert.
I think the hollandaise sauce may have been the easiest. (Admittedly, we did kind of cheat by using the blender, but Julia said we could!) The duck was more of challenge — although I let my Dad take the lead on that one —and the chocolate mousse was the most challenging. We had to beat the mixture first on it’s own, then over simmering water, and then over cold water. Really, Julia? Besides the fact we had to get an extension cord out so the beaters would reach the stove-top, we made quite the disaster after getting simmering water (and cold water) all over ourselves, and that’s not to mention the eggs we were beating. I couldn’t help thinking, that my Mom’s chocolate mouse recipe was so much easier and actually better. (It could also be because it does not call for a stick and half of butter.)
It was not that I didn’t enjoy spending the day cooking at home, because I certainly did, but I think it was the frustration of cooking something that was, in my mind, unnecessarily complicated, and in the end not worth the complications. The duck was good, though I have had better duck. The mouse was actually too rich for my taste, as was the hollandaise sauce from the morning. Perhaps my palette is simply not accustomed to the French cuisine, though I recall enjoying it immensely when I have had it. Or perhaps I am not used to eating that much butter on a daily basis. Or maybe, I just am not a great French chef yet. (I have a feeling it is the latter.)
I will say, after attempting a Julia Child recipe; I do appreciate her even more now, despite the voice. (Perhaps it was because I couldn’t hear her voice while reading the book?) It is a joy to read her book aloud while cooking, because if you are the slightest bit crazy as I am, you will begin conversations with her, i.e. “Julia, why are you telling me to add another stick of butter?”
Overall, I think the best thing about cooking with Julia Child, is that you are pushed out of your comfort zone with attempting to cook something extraordinary. Now, in my little experience, this will probably fail and you will get something decent. But the point is that Julia was pushed out of comfort zone, and she did fail at first, though she eventually achieved the extraordinary though the sharing of her success through chance, risk and even failure. And that, annoying voice and all, is why Julia Child continues to gain admiration from generations.
On a recent trip back to my parents home, I decided I wanted duck, not only that, I wanted to try a Julia Child duck recipe from her book that my sister had bought as a Christmas gift. So, as a I decided that one recipe wouldn’t be enough, I made it a Julia Child day—my Mom and I made hollandaise sauce to go on our salmon eggs Benedict for Brunch, for the evening meal, we made Duck a l’Orange and even a chocolate mousse for desert.
I think the hollandaise sauce may have been the easiest. (Admittedly, we did kind of cheat by using the blender, but Julia said we could!) The duck was more of challenge — although I let my Dad take the lead on that one —and the chocolate mousse was the most challenging. We had to beat the mixture first on it’s own, then over simmering water, and then over cold water. Really, Julia? Besides the fact we had to get an extension cord out so the beaters would reach the stove-top, we made quite the disaster after getting simmering water (and cold water) all over ourselves, and that’s not to mention the eggs we were beating. I couldn’t help thinking, that my Mom’s chocolate mouse recipe was so much easier and actually better. (It could also be because it does not call for a stick and half of butter.)
It was not that I didn’t enjoy spending the day cooking at home, because I certainly did, but I think it was the frustration of cooking something that was, in my mind, unnecessarily complicated, and in the end not worth the complications. The duck was good, though I have had better duck. The mouse was actually too rich for my taste, as was the hollandaise sauce from the morning. Perhaps my palette is simply not accustomed to the French cuisine, though I recall enjoying it immensely when I have had it. Or perhaps I am not used to eating that much butter on a daily basis. Or maybe, I just am not a great French chef yet. (I have a feeling it is the latter.)
I will say, after attempting a Julia Child recipe; I do appreciate her even more now, despite the voice. (Perhaps it was because I couldn’t hear her voice while reading the book?) It is a joy to read her book aloud while cooking, because if you are the slightest bit crazy as I am, you will begin conversations with her, i.e. “Julia, why are you telling me to add another stick of butter?”
Overall, I think the best thing about cooking with Julia Child, is that you are pushed out of your comfort zone with attempting to cook something extraordinary. Now, in my little experience, this will probably fail and you will get something decent. But the point is that Julia was pushed out of comfort zone, and she did fail at first, though she eventually achieved the extraordinary though the sharing of her success through chance, risk and even failure. And that, annoying voice and all, is why Julia Child continues to gain admiration from generations.
30 April 2011
The Sweeter Side of Lent
I should probably start by letting you know that I was raised Protestant. Lent is a season of reflection, but for the most part this is done at Church every Sunday; therefore, it was never a part of my Easter tradition to give something up or do something extra for the season of Lent. As a child, I was particularly happy to not keep Lent; as all my friends gave up chocolate, swearing, or what have you, I casually cussed and indulged without a thought otherwise. However this year I decided that I wanted to give something up for the 40 days of Lent.
I didn’t shoot for the moon. I knew giving up “sex, drugs, and rock roll” were all off the table, so I decided to go for sweets. I had originally thought I would just give up chocolate, as it really is the only sweet I love, but I decided to do it up and give up desserts. I gave myself one small tiny loophole: I didn’t give up sugar completely, so things like breakfast food did not qualify as sweets and were therefore fair game (not donuts and danishes, but breads or muffins were OK). Also cocktails, mixed drinks, and diet soda were considered strictly as beverages rather than sweets, in my mind. (Despite the fact I knew each Margarita I drank was probably loaded with more sugar than some cookies.)
I wanted to mix up the norm, give up the habit of the after dinner treats, and not give in to every craving or spur of the moment instinct to mindlessly eat a piece of candy while sitting at my desk. It was about putting the focus on one thing, even if to avoid it, so I would think about it. I wanted to practice that conscious eating that I always go on about.
Wolfing down a quick snack on-the-go is one thing when we are all in a hurry. (Although I do try not to do that.) But taking the candy from bowl, unnecessarily and then not even taking the time to enjoy it, is a habit that I want to break. Not the habit of eating junk — mind you, I think junk food can certainly have a time and place, i.e. comfort food — but rather the habit of senseless snacking on junk.
Now that I am on Day Two of post-Lent glee and my body is protesting the sudden intake of sugar. While heightened sugar consumption is a health issue, it is also a mental issue of treating food as something different then what it actually is: nourishment and energy. I didn’t give up sweets because I think there is anything bad about them, though moderation is still a good thing to practice, rather I think sweets are something to be appreciated, enjoyed and limited.
I didn’t shoot for the moon. I knew giving up “sex, drugs, and rock roll” were all off the table, so I decided to go for sweets. I had originally thought I would just give up chocolate, as it really is the only sweet I love, but I decided to do it up and give up desserts. I gave myself one small tiny loophole: I didn’t give up sugar completely, so things like breakfast food did not qualify as sweets and were therefore fair game (not donuts and danishes, but breads or muffins were OK). Also cocktails, mixed drinks, and diet soda were considered strictly as beverages rather than sweets, in my mind. (Despite the fact I knew each Margarita I drank was probably loaded with more sugar than some cookies.)
I wanted to mix up the norm, give up the habit of the after dinner treats, and not give in to every craving or spur of the moment instinct to mindlessly eat a piece of candy while sitting at my desk. It was about putting the focus on one thing, even if to avoid it, so I would think about it. I wanted to practice that conscious eating that I always go on about.
Wolfing down a quick snack on-the-go is one thing when we are all in a hurry. (Although I do try not to do that.) But taking the candy from bowl, unnecessarily and then not even taking the time to enjoy it, is a habit that I want to break. Not the habit of eating junk — mind you, I think junk food can certainly have a time and place, i.e. comfort food — but rather the habit of senseless snacking on junk.
Now that I am on Day Two of post-Lent glee and my body is protesting the sudden intake of sugar. While heightened sugar consumption is a health issue, it is also a mental issue of treating food as something different then what it actually is: nourishment and energy. I didn’t give up sweets because I think there is anything bad about them, though moderation is still a good thing to practice, rather I think sweets are something to be appreciated, enjoyed and limited.
26 April 2011
A New Light for Modern Day Hunters and Gatherers
I heard a story on NPR one recent morning about foraging. It jolted me out of my slumber once I heard the words “edible plants in Washington D.C.” Apparently, this guy, Sam Thayer, is the modern day – urban, no less – hunter-and-gatherer. Though he hails from Portland, Oregon, he can even find a meal, quite literally, on the streets of D.C. As I set out for my morning run, passing all of the (finally!) Spring foliage, I thought about it: “So, how many of these plants are actually edible?” More importantly, what if they all were edible?
As Spring approaches, I have wondered about the green we see around the city. Do we pass by a tree everyday that would actually make a great addition to my sandwich for lunch? Or is it just a pretty tree? But, then I began to wonder, if they are not edible, why couldn’t they be? The urban environment is not known for their food production, but rather their food imports. Urban gardens are beginning to pop up around the city, neighborhood gardens, school gardens, and even rooftop gardens are a more common occurrence. However, I began to think, what kind of opportunity do we find to discover some kind of “organically” grown food in this city? DC is a rather green city compared to others, so what if it was actually an edible city, too?
Apparently, I was somewhat correct in my musings. There is organically grown produce in the District. We are just not aware of it and perhaps it’s not exactly what we were all expecting. No, we do not have fruit trees on the corner of Penn Ave, and no, root vegetables do not grow on the National Mall. (Wouldn’t that be crazy though!) But, according to this story on NPR, Mr. Thayer has managed to find leafy greens in our very own city. And though the station’s website provides a nice recipe idea for a wild-greens frittata, the idea of finding food growing on the city streets does seem a little strange to we yuppies.
But why not? What if cities were planned around producing our own food? Rather than a couple of trees here or there, plant a few trees that produce edible fruits and vegetables; rather than bushes lining the sidewalks, line hedges of edible plants. I am sure that there is some sort of law to prohibit this in D.C., obstruction of the peace, or the concern that homeless people would have the option of finding food growing on the streets rather than digging through trashcans. However, it’s something to consider. If the purpose of a tree is to create a nice atmosphere, isn’t a tree that provides atmosphere and nutrition even more valuable?
As Spring approaches, I have wondered about the green we see around the city. Do we pass by a tree everyday that would actually make a great addition to my sandwich for lunch? Or is it just a pretty tree? But, then I began to wonder, if they are not edible, why couldn’t they be? The urban environment is not known for their food production, but rather their food imports. Urban gardens are beginning to pop up around the city, neighborhood gardens, school gardens, and even rooftop gardens are a more common occurrence. However, I began to think, what kind of opportunity do we find to discover some kind of “organically” grown food in this city? DC is a rather green city compared to others, so what if it was actually an edible city, too?
Apparently, I was somewhat correct in my musings. There is organically grown produce in the District. We are just not aware of it and perhaps it’s not exactly what we were all expecting. No, we do not have fruit trees on the corner of Penn Ave, and no, root vegetables do not grow on the National Mall. (Wouldn’t that be crazy though!) But, according to this story on NPR, Mr. Thayer has managed to find leafy greens in our very own city. And though the station’s website provides a nice recipe idea for a wild-greens frittata, the idea of finding food growing on the city streets does seem a little strange to we yuppies.
But why not? What if cities were planned around producing our own food? Rather than a couple of trees here or there, plant a few trees that produce edible fruits and vegetables; rather than bushes lining the sidewalks, line hedges of edible plants. I am sure that there is some sort of law to prohibit this in D.C., obstruction of the peace, or the concern that homeless people would have the option of finding food growing on the streets rather than digging through trashcans. However, it’s something to consider. If the purpose of a tree is to create a nice atmosphere, isn’t a tree that provides atmosphere and nutrition even more valuable?
13 April 2011
The Non-Essential Form of Nutrient
Recently, I am reminded of the importance of nutrients. It’s not enough to count calories people, but now we have to ensure we are getting the right nutrients as well. Yes, those vitamins and minerals dutifully listed on the back of each package. I worry because I think that like calorie counting, people can get carried away with counting and striving for the perfect percentage of nutrients without the calories.
Focusing on more numbers and equations when it comes to food, rather than focus on the food the natural energy and nutrients it offers, is some what bothersome to me. Not it mention that it opens the market up, as essential nutrients are sold in supplemental form because everyone is convinced they must meet their 100% for the day. Ensuring that the essential nutrients are consumed one way or the other, often in supplemental form, seems to lead the idea that those pills, teas, or otherwise can replace food.
I went through a nutrient supplement phase in college as food tends to be more available in large quantities of greasy snacks, so took make up for the lack of healthy food, supplements had to be taken. But once I left school property I was able to shop on my own, spend more time thinking about choosing food, and led to more time preparing food, and finally more time eating the food; rather than every night make the quick decision at the dinning hall for a side of tater tots for that pizza. So I stopped worrying about if I had met the quota for the day, and I just bought more foods that I knew already had the needed nutrients. Vitamin supplement I think can be very helpful in some cases, but taken out of hand in others when one falls into that, more often than not, phase of self-diagnosing oneself with supplements.
So these days, when I read in the paper on the way to work that Mothers lack the essential nutrients, and see the ads telling us to “just take a multivitamin,” I try to keep in mine that I food is often the best way to consume the essential nutrients. I think that often ensure that we meet our daily quota we need, it can be done on a more general scale rather than worry about meeting percentage for the day. These days how can you not get the right nutrients, it’s all over the packaging, not to mention enhanced in certain foods.
It is important to understand which foods have what nutrients and base your diet around that information; to know what foods carry the essential nutrients and to eat that balanced meal in order to consume a substantial amount. I tend to believe that if one pays attention to what your body needs (not to be confused with what your mind thinks it wants), it will give them a better picture of what they should eat rather than a calculated formula. There are foods that are okay to eat a few extra bites, and there are those that you maybe should keep at bay. However, I feel that a lot of knowing which foods to eat is intuitive and without getting bogged down with the details of more numbers. Eating a balanced meal in terms of those old food groups we learned about in school, but even a more basic rule of thumb is to eat different foods, different colors, and different origins.
Focusing on more numbers and equations when it comes to food, rather than focus on the food the natural energy and nutrients it offers, is some what bothersome to me. Not it mention that it opens the market up, as essential nutrients are sold in supplemental form because everyone is convinced they must meet their 100% for the day. Ensuring that the essential nutrients are consumed one way or the other, often in supplemental form, seems to lead the idea that those pills, teas, or otherwise can replace food.
I went through a nutrient supplement phase in college as food tends to be more available in large quantities of greasy snacks, so took make up for the lack of healthy food, supplements had to be taken. But once I left school property I was able to shop on my own, spend more time thinking about choosing food, and led to more time preparing food, and finally more time eating the food; rather than every night make the quick decision at the dinning hall for a side of tater tots for that pizza. So I stopped worrying about if I had met the quota for the day, and I just bought more foods that I knew already had the needed nutrients. Vitamin supplement I think can be very helpful in some cases, but taken out of hand in others when one falls into that, more often than not, phase of self-diagnosing oneself with supplements.
So these days, when I read in the paper on the way to work that Mothers lack the essential nutrients, and see the ads telling us to “just take a multivitamin,” I try to keep in mine that I food is often the best way to consume the essential nutrients. I think that often ensure that we meet our daily quota we need, it can be done on a more general scale rather than worry about meeting percentage for the day. These days how can you not get the right nutrients, it’s all over the packaging, not to mention enhanced in certain foods.
It is important to understand which foods have what nutrients and base your diet around that information; to know what foods carry the essential nutrients and to eat that balanced meal in order to consume a substantial amount. I tend to believe that if one pays attention to what your body needs (not to be confused with what your mind thinks it wants), it will give them a better picture of what they should eat rather than a calculated formula. There are foods that are okay to eat a few extra bites, and there are those that you maybe should keep at bay. However, I feel that a lot of knowing which foods to eat is intuitive and without getting bogged down with the details of more numbers. Eating a balanced meal in terms of those old food groups we learned about in school, but even a more basic rule of thumb is to eat different foods, different colors, and different origins.
08 April 2011
The (Un)Appetizing Side of Meat
I have continued to question the American reaction to meat. As perhaps, avid reader, you may recall, I am not a vegetarian, nor am I averse to trying the slightly strange dish of animal parts on the table. Even with all this said, I am still curious as to why, in the American culture, we generally find it appalling to associate meat with the living animal. It is a status symbol, to be sure, but we prefer that is hidden away. We prefer to say, “I’ll take the Filet Mignon,” rather than “Just bring me a hunk-o-cow-meat.”
Recently, I received a text from a friend who was traveling in the Middle East this past week, asking me if I was “ready for a food idea?” He messaged me a photo he had taken at a market of a hanging animal carcass. (Being on the small screen of my phone, I still am unsure which animal it actually was, but my first guess would be lamb.) It was not the first time I had seen this, in picture or in person. In fact while I was traveling abroad, it was a very common occurrence.
Out at dinner the other night, my friend and I were exploring the Pizza menu, a little perplexed at some of the ingredients; we questioned the waiter, “What is Lomo?” He answered a bit vaguely, “Uh, it’s a cut of pork … I’m not sure exactly where from on the animal.” With that description we both slightly cringed and immediately agreed on the three-cheese pizza option.
My first thought about our waiter was that he wasn’t very good. I mean if you want to sell something, then sell it! (I’m thinking something like: “Well, it’s similar to bacon,” is a good start!) My second thought was why we were both so turned off by his description of the pork, he didn’t say anything inherently unpleasant about it, but rather simply attempted to describe it for exactly what it was – a part of an animal, and for some reason we found that rather unappetizing.
I got to thinking about the animal carcass text message on my phone, which also airs on the side of unappetizing. It does not bother me to think about or even see meat in, how shall we say this, it’s animal form; however, it does not strike that appetizing note for me either.
Perhaps because we are so accustomed to our food coming in packaging that screams, “Eat me, buy me,” that when it is not presented in that obvious manner, we immediately assume that it is not any good. I am left to question whether the culprit is in fact the marketing of the product. Marketing tactics have taught us that meat comes in clean, bright packing rather than a living animal. Furthermore we have become so reliant on the market to direct us in the way we need to go, that when it is not an obvious direction, we are thrown off and left to question the legitimacy of the product itself. But, we can’t give all the credit to the market; perhaps the market is simply feeding off the consumer preference. So, which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
Recently, I received a text from a friend who was traveling in the Middle East this past week, asking me if I was “ready for a food idea?” He messaged me a photo he had taken at a market of a hanging animal carcass. (Being on the small screen of my phone, I still am unsure which animal it actually was, but my first guess would be lamb.) It was not the first time I had seen this, in picture or in person. In fact while I was traveling abroad, it was a very common occurrence.
Out at dinner the other night, my friend and I were exploring the Pizza menu, a little perplexed at some of the ingredients; we questioned the waiter, “What is Lomo?” He answered a bit vaguely, “Uh, it’s a cut of pork … I’m not sure exactly where from on the animal.” With that description we both slightly cringed and immediately agreed on the three-cheese pizza option.
My first thought about our waiter was that he wasn’t very good. I mean if you want to sell something, then sell it! (I’m thinking something like: “Well, it’s similar to bacon,” is a good start!) My second thought was why we were both so turned off by his description of the pork, he didn’t say anything inherently unpleasant about it, but rather simply attempted to describe it for exactly what it was – a part of an animal, and for some reason we found that rather unappetizing.
I got to thinking about the animal carcass text message on my phone, which also airs on the side of unappetizing. It does not bother me to think about or even see meat in, how shall we say this, it’s animal form; however, it does not strike that appetizing note for me either.
Perhaps because we are so accustomed to our food coming in packaging that screams, “Eat me, buy me,” that when it is not presented in that obvious manner, we immediately assume that it is not any good. I am left to question whether the culprit is in fact the marketing of the product. Marketing tactics have taught us that meat comes in clean, bright packing rather than a living animal. Furthermore we have become so reliant on the market to direct us in the way we need to go, that when it is not an obvious direction, we are thrown off and left to question the legitimacy of the product itself. But, we can’t give all the credit to the market; perhaps the market is simply feeding off the consumer preference. So, which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
31 March 2011
Greener Rules and Regulations
My roommate told me the other day, “You are a selective recycler.” My gut reaction was to be immediately offended by this comment. What do you mean I am selective! I have always considered myself to be such a friend to the environment. (I mean, come on, my favorite color is even green!) “Well, you choose to recycle when it is convenient, and you don’t always completely grasp what can and cannot be recycled.” Okay, I suppose she had a point.
I tend to assume that everything can be recycled, so, I throw it all in there. I place blame on my upbringing for this one. First of all, where I grew up, we didn’t have trash pick-up, rather we had to take the truck full of trash to the dump every week. This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill trash dump, it was a transfer station, so it was much more environmentally friendly where nearly anything could be recycled. In our pick-up truckload, we usually had one trashcan and the rest could be separated out and recycled. Consequently, I grew up with the mentality that anything could be recycled.
Furthermore, when I moved away to go to university I learned that while the school had recycle bins on campus, everything was actually combined and then re-separated. (Apparently, university students cannot be trusted to sort their own waste.) Sure enough, if you are treated like you’re an incompetent child, we all start to fall into that assumption. I stopped worrying about which bin my empty bottles fell, because hey, someone else would take care of it anyway.
That leads us to present day. I find myself falling back into the old habit of either trying to recycle everything or dumping it all in one place, with the assumption that it is sorted again. I am, of course, sadly mistaken, and my roommate is correct.
As I toss my milk caps into the recycling bin, I knew the next step for me was to fill in my knowledge gaps and actually learn about recycling laws in DC. After all, I know that I can’t be the only one who can’t recite the rules of recycling on command. After a quick Google search, I quickly learned that all commercial buildings (including residential apartments) are in fact required to recycle, and are subject to fines up to $1000 if they are note compliant. On the District’s government website all facts are listed out in a nice PDF document, with all required recycled items are clearly listed: all paper products, aluminum, steel, tin, brown, green and clear glass. But, get this, plastic food containers and bottles are recommended recycled product, but are still optional. This last point seems odd to me, as I feel that plastic bottles are some of the more common recycled products after paper products. It is also noted that all containers must be cleaned without waste: food, paint, or chemicals, etc before recycling. Yes, it specifically notes that pizza boxes are not recyclable due to the food residue.
Now that I have my facts straight, the next step here is to follow those guidelines. And, if I choose not to, well that’s where the fines come in—so perhaps the city will start enforcing those, and if people don’t start (looking at myself here!) following the rules, at least the city could make some cash off of our laziness and ignorance.
If you live in the DC area, check it out for yourself: http://dpw.dc.gov/DC/DPW/Services+on+Your+Block/Recycling.
I tend to assume that everything can be recycled, so, I throw it all in there. I place blame on my upbringing for this one. First of all, where I grew up, we didn’t have trash pick-up, rather we had to take the truck full of trash to the dump every week. This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill trash dump, it was a transfer station, so it was much more environmentally friendly where nearly anything could be recycled. In our pick-up truckload, we usually had one trashcan and the rest could be separated out and recycled. Consequently, I grew up with the mentality that anything could be recycled.
Furthermore, when I moved away to go to university I learned that while the school had recycle bins on campus, everything was actually combined and then re-separated. (Apparently, university students cannot be trusted to sort their own waste.) Sure enough, if you are treated like you’re an incompetent child, we all start to fall into that assumption. I stopped worrying about which bin my empty bottles fell, because hey, someone else would take care of it anyway.
That leads us to present day. I find myself falling back into the old habit of either trying to recycle everything or dumping it all in one place, with the assumption that it is sorted again. I am, of course, sadly mistaken, and my roommate is correct.
As I toss my milk caps into the recycling bin, I knew the next step for me was to fill in my knowledge gaps and actually learn about recycling laws in DC. After all, I know that I can’t be the only one who can’t recite the rules of recycling on command. After a quick Google search, I quickly learned that all commercial buildings (including residential apartments) are in fact required to recycle, and are subject to fines up to $1000 if they are note compliant. On the District’s government website all facts are listed out in a nice PDF document, with all required recycled items are clearly listed: all paper products, aluminum, steel, tin, brown, green and clear glass. But, get this, plastic food containers and bottles are recommended recycled product, but are still optional. This last point seems odd to me, as I feel that plastic bottles are some of the more common recycled products after paper products. It is also noted that all containers must be cleaned without waste: food, paint, or chemicals, etc before recycling. Yes, it specifically notes that pizza boxes are not recyclable due to the food residue.
Now that I have my facts straight, the next step here is to follow those guidelines. And, if I choose not to, well that’s where the fines come in—so perhaps the city will start enforcing those, and if people don’t start (looking at myself here!) following the rules, at least the city could make some cash off of our laziness and ignorance.
If you live in the DC area, check it out for yourself: http://dpw.dc.gov/DC/DPW/Services+on+Your+Block/Recycling.
24 March 2011
A Glance at the Global Food Crisis's Impact
As I have watched the news lately and sifted through the Middle East turmoil and Japan’s tragedy, more articles and news stores have surfaced on the current and future food crisis. Worldwide we are looking toward a food shortage, with limited access, rising prices, and falling incomes as a result.
Staple crops have nearly doubled in cost due to diminishing harvests, including grains such as wheat, corn, and soy. Though the rice crop has managed to stay steady in both yield and cost, other "less essential" crops have also suffered, including vegetables, fruits, and coffee. In the United States, we have experienced a 4 percent increase in food prices, which is the highest jump in price in 36 years, according to the Associated Press.
Much of this failure is due to irregular weather caused by climate change: flooding in Australia, droughts in Russia and China, and even abnormal cold temperatures in the United States, according to the Washington Post. Beyond the effects of climate change, we can look toward the change in the product end use of the common crops. Many of these stable crops are used not only for human consumption, but also for livestock consumption with the demand for meat rises globally in both developed and developing country. Corn, for example, is more commonly used for energy consumption as well, in the form of bio-fuel or ethanol.
The effect of the rise in food prices, and gas prices for that matter, is beginning to be seen as catastrophic on some levels. In developing countries, the food shortage has pushed more than 44 million people to extreme poverty, living on less than $1.25 per day. Beyond that, many are linking the unrest in North Africa and the Middle East to the instability of food prices and uncertainty of food availability, according to the World Bank.
While the effects in the United States are not as extreme as seen on the other side of the globe, we can still feel the change from out home as well. The interconnected global markets prove to make more of a difference today, as we run into shortages of crops in not only on our own land, but on our international trading partners land too.
Interestingly, Americans on average spend less than 15 percent of their expendable income on food, while globally the average settles around 40 percent or 50 percent of the household income, according to the Associated Press. So while we will likely see an increase in food prices in our grocery stores, we also have more breathing room than others around the globe to manage our funds and continue to have the ability and luxury to choose where we spend our money. Though perhaps with the increase in food costs paired with the rising gas prices, the global crisis will have more of an impact on our wallets than expected.
If you're interested in reading more, check out some of these fantastic pieces:
“Gas, Food Prices Double Whammy For Rural Families.” 21 March 2011. The Associated Press. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13472683
Shneider, Howard. “Higher food prices may be here to stay.” 14 March 2011. The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/higher-food-prices-may-be-here-to-stay/2011/03/10/AByYO3V_story.html
Shneider, Howard. “Food prices push millions into poverty.” 15 March 2011. The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/food-prices-push-millions-into-poverty/2011/02/15/ABwHkoQ_story.html
“Wholesalers paying more for food, suggesting higher prices to come at the grocery store.” 16 March 2011. The Associated Press. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/wholesalers-paying-more-for-food-suggesting-higher-prices-to-come-at-the-grocery-store/2011/03/16/ABpLKcd_story.html
Parker, John. “The 9 billion-people question: A special report on feeding the world.” Feb 24th 2011. http://www.economist.com/node/18200618
Staple crops have nearly doubled in cost due to diminishing harvests, including grains such as wheat, corn, and soy. Though the rice crop has managed to stay steady in both yield and cost, other "less essential" crops have also suffered, including vegetables, fruits, and coffee. In the United States, we have experienced a 4 percent increase in food prices, which is the highest jump in price in 36 years, according to the Associated Press.
Much of this failure is due to irregular weather caused by climate change: flooding in Australia, droughts in Russia and China, and even abnormal cold temperatures in the United States, according to the Washington Post. Beyond the effects of climate change, we can look toward the change in the product end use of the common crops. Many of these stable crops are used not only for human consumption, but also for livestock consumption with the demand for meat rises globally in both developed and developing country. Corn, for example, is more commonly used for energy consumption as well, in the form of bio-fuel or ethanol.
The effect of the rise in food prices, and gas prices for that matter, is beginning to be seen as catastrophic on some levels. In developing countries, the food shortage has pushed more than 44 million people to extreme poverty, living on less than $1.25 per day. Beyond that, many are linking the unrest in North Africa and the Middle East to the instability of food prices and uncertainty of food availability, according to the World Bank.
While the effects in the United States are not as extreme as seen on the other side of the globe, we can still feel the change from out home as well. The interconnected global markets prove to make more of a difference today, as we run into shortages of crops in not only on our own land, but on our international trading partners land too.
Interestingly, Americans on average spend less than 15 percent of their expendable income on food, while globally the average settles around 40 percent or 50 percent of the household income, according to the Associated Press. So while we will likely see an increase in food prices in our grocery stores, we also have more breathing room than others around the globe to manage our funds and continue to have the ability and luxury to choose where we spend our money. Though perhaps with the increase in food costs paired with the rising gas prices, the global crisis will have more of an impact on our wallets than expected.
If you're interested in reading more, check out some of these fantastic pieces:
“Gas, Food Prices Double Whammy For Rural Families.” 21 March 2011. The Associated Press. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13472683
Shneider, Howard. “Higher food prices may be here to stay.” 14 March 2011. The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/higher-food-prices-may-be-here-to-stay/2011/03/10/AByYO3V_story.html
Shneider, Howard. “Food prices push millions into poverty.” 15 March 2011. The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/food-prices-push-millions-into-poverty/2011/02/15/ABwHkoQ_story.html
“Wholesalers paying more for food, suggesting higher prices to come at the grocery store.” 16 March 2011. The Associated Press. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/wholesalers-paying-more-for-food-suggesting-higher-prices-to-come-at-the-grocery-store/2011/03/16/ABpLKcd_story.html
Parker, John. “The 9 billion-people question: A special report on feeding the world.” Feb 24th 2011. http://www.economist.com/node/18200618
17 March 2011
The Futility of Calories Counting
I have never been very good at calories. I never cared to learn to be honest, as I thought it would be a lot better for my potential OCD tendencies not to know. What does 1,000 calories mean to the average consumer anyway? Do we look at calories as a calculation of energy or as just a number? Every morning I hear one of NPR’s sponsors advocating for calorie labels on the front of drink bottles, which got me thinking.
My first thought is: “It’s already on there and we all know where to look to find it, so why do we need it twice? Are we really that lazy? Or dumb?” My second thought: “Wait a minute! What’s so bad about calories anyway?”
Our culture continues to obsess over calories and the counts are everywhere—packaging, restaurant menus, even fast food restaurants. I am 100 percent on-board with the consumer’s right to know, but I can’t help but wonder: do we know what that number even means?
A calorie is a measure of energy, or: “a quantity of food capable of producing such an amount of energy,” according to Dictionary.com We learn this in Junior High science class, but for some reason that connection doesn’t always seem to stick with us when we look at the calorie count displayed on a large burrito. The term “calories,” has become nearly a dirty word. It doesn’t have to be the case, in other countries, Mexico for example; nutrition labels say energy (“Energia”), rather than a calorie count. For me, (as an American) it sounds less offensive and frightening, not to mention offers a truer definition of what that number actually means.
When it comes to food, drinks, and calorie labels, we have exceptions. We fight to have calories on certain things, fast food joints, for instance. However, there are other foods that we are quite happy not knowing that calorie count. For example, did you know that there are no labels on alcohol bottles? Check it out – wine, hard alcohol, and a lot of beer (unless advertised as “only 90 calories”) do not have nutrition labels with a calorie count. In fact, they are not required to carry nutrition facts, only a warning label of the immediate affects of alcohol, but not the long term health affects of consuming various amounts of unknown elements. Recently, there has been more talk of changing this, but for the time being it seems that we would rather not know. Ignorance is bliss, as Plato’s cave (or the Matrix!) has taught us. We only spend the time caring and fighting for the certain things: matters that will benefit us, such as knowing the calories count at restaurants, or that we can use a scapegoat for our problems – the fight against high calorie foods to fight the high obesity levels. But I find it funny that we tend to shy away from matters that could take away something we like, or shine a negative light on a common and enjoyable habit – putting a calorie count on a happy hour is something that no one seems to want.
That calorie number is important, certainly, though just as with any study, the results should be both quantitative and qualitative. Simply going with one number is not going to offer the whole story behind the product, hence why the nutrition labels display not only the calorie count, but also the vitamin percentages, and ingredient list, among other thing. My concern with the fight to put a spotlight on only the calorie count, we will lose focus on the important nutritional value of some foods. Once we balk at a single number, we will be less likely to consider any other redeeming quality. Understanding the calorie count needs to be looked at as a whole. The entire nutrition label is important.
Sources and Further Reading:
Locke, Michelle. “Alcohol industry struggles with nutrition labels.” Courier-Journal. 23 Feb 2011. http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110224/FEATURES03/302240022/Alcohol-industry-struggles-nutrition-labels
“How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/consumerinformation/ucm078889.htm
Burros, Marion. “Nutrition Labels Proposed for Alcohol.” 07 Aug 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/dining/01label.html
My first thought is: “It’s already on there and we all know where to look to find it, so why do we need it twice? Are we really that lazy? Or dumb?” My second thought: “Wait a minute! What’s so bad about calories anyway?”
Our culture continues to obsess over calories and the counts are everywhere—packaging, restaurant menus, even fast food restaurants. I am 100 percent on-board with the consumer’s right to know, but I can’t help but wonder: do we know what that number even means?
A calorie is a measure of energy, or: “a quantity of food capable of producing such an amount of energy,” according to Dictionary.com We learn this in Junior High science class, but for some reason that connection doesn’t always seem to stick with us when we look at the calorie count displayed on a large burrito. The term “calories,” has become nearly a dirty word. It doesn’t have to be the case, in other countries, Mexico for example; nutrition labels say energy (“Energia”), rather than a calorie count. For me, (as an American) it sounds less offensive and frightening, not to mention offers a truer definition of what that number actually means.
When it comes to food, drinks, and calorie labels, we have exceptions. We fight to have calories on certain things, fast food joints, for instance. However, there are other foods that we are quite happy not knowing that calorie count. For example, did you know that there are no labels on alcohol bottles? Check it out – wine, hard alcohol, and a lot of beer (unless advertised as “only 90 calories”) do not have nutrition labels with a calorie count. In fact, they are not required to carry nutrition facts, only a warning label of the immediate affects of alcohol, but not the long term health affects of consuming various amounts of unknown elements. Recently, there has been more talk of changing this, but for the time being it seems that we would rather not know. Ignorance is bliss, as Plato’s cave (or the Matrix!) has taught us. We only spend the time caring and fighting for the certain things: matters that will benefit us, such as knowing the calories count at restaurants, or that we can use a scapegoat for our problems – the fight against high calorie foods to fight the high obesity levels. But I find it funny that we tend to shy away from matters that could take away something we like, or shine a negative light on a common and enjoyable habit – putting a calorie count on a happy hour is something that no one seems to want.
That calorie number is important, certainly, though just as with any study, the results should be both quantitative and qualitative. Simply going with one number is not going to offer the whole story behind the product, hence why the nutrition labels display not only the calorie count, but also the vitamin percentages, and ingredient list, among other thing. My concern with the fight to put a spotlight on only the calorie count, we will lose focus on the important nutritional value of some foods. Once we balk at a single number, we will be less likely to consider any other redeeming quality. Understanding the calorie count needs to be looked at as a whole. The entire nutrition label is important.
Sources and Further Reading:
Locke, Michelle. “Alcohol industry struggles with nutrition labels.” Courier-Journal. 23 Feb 2011. http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110224/FEATURES03/302240022/Alcohol-industry-struggles-nutrition-labels
“How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/consumerinformation/ucm078889.htm
Burros, Marion. “Nutrition Labels Proposed for Alcohol.” 07 Aug 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/dining/01label.html
01 March 2011
Theatre Review of SpeakeasyDC's Latest Production: The Family that No One Talks About
“That show was unlike anything I have ever seen,” my friend said with a smile as we walked out of Mixed, Blended, Shaken, & Stirred: Stories about Today’s American Family, a part of Washington DC’s INTERSECTIONS festival at the Atlas Performing Arts Center on H St NE. It was true—Storytelling is something unique. It is not exactly a play because there is no acting, nor is it a SLAM poetry night, or even an open-mic night because it is rehearsed; I suppose it could be considered a monologue, however it is all truth.
The focus of Friday night’s show was family, but not as much family as a whole as I had expected walking in. Rather, the stories danced around the edges of the concept of family and the impact a family has on one’s life. The stories covered an individual’s personal experience and through that, brought light to their true meaning of family. The show featured the talents of Christopher Love, Jennifer Luu, Mike Kane, David Ferris, Chuck Harmston, and Vijai Nathan. Each took their turn on stage not to act, but to share, open up, and allow for the viewers to relate to their experience and themselves.
The stories touched on many and various aspects of the current American family, including the struggle of a gay man’s attempt to donate sperm to a lesbian couple; the affects of a religious conversion to Mormonism in a Buddhist Vietnamese family; the effort to ensure a normal family life for one’s children after growing up with a heroin addicted father; the challenges of a cross-cultural marriage into an Indian family as a metro-American man; the drama of growing up in a family of 11 children, 6 of of whom were adopted; and the pressures for a young women to find a husband and have children in today’s society.
One by one each storyteller came up to the microphone, stood on the empty stage, and shared a piece of their past. Even in the high-impact environment we are used to experiencing, where actions often speak louder than words, it was refreshing to leave that atmosphere and simply listen to the words, without distraction and without judgment. The emotional reactions of the audience did not feel forced but rather were gently pushed along through the hour-long showcase. The momentum of the stories flowed well as feelings moved with ease from sadness, shock, relief, joy, love, and laughter.
While the stories reached what seemed like every emotion, they came equipped with some hilarious anecdotes (for a sneak preview): such as Love’s description of his donated “illicit gay sperm-sicle,” to Ferris’s bold statement to is Indian father-in-law, “You can’t hide the metro-sexual inside!” and ending with Nathan’s comparison of prehistoric caveman to the modern day dating scene; “How drunk does a caveman have to be to bang a chimp?”
For an entertaining, unique, and special experience, there are two more opportunities to see this SpeakeasyDC production, this Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5. I guarantee that you will relate in some way to each story with compassion, laughter, perhaps even tears, and you will definitely walk away with something to talk about.
The focus of Friday night’s show was family, but not as much family as a whole as I had expected walking in. Rather, the stories danced around the edges of the concept of family and the impact a family has on one’s life. The stories covered an individual’s personal experience and through that, brought light to their true meaning of family. The show featured the talents of Christopher Love, Jennifer Luu, Mike Kane, David Ferris, Chuck Harmston, and Vijai Nathan. Each took their turn on stage not to act, but to share, open up, and allow for the viewers to relate to their experience and themselves.
The stories touched on many and various aspects of the current American family, including the struggle of a gay man’s attempt to donate sperm to a lesbian couple; the affects of a religious conversion to Mormonism in a Buddhist Vietnamese family; the effort to ensure a normal family life for one’s children after growing up with a heroin addicted father; the challenges of a cross-cultural marriage into an Indian family as a metro-American man; the drama of growing up in a family of 11 children, 6 of of whom were adopted; and the pressures for a young women to find a husband and have children in today’s society.
One by one each storyteller came up to the microphone, stood on the empty stage, and shared a piece of their past. Even in the high-impact environment we are used to experiencing, where actions often speak louder than words, it was refreshing to leave that atmosphere and simply listen to the words, without distraction and without judgment. The emotional reactions of the audience did not feel forced but rather were gently pushed along through the hour-long showcase. The momentum of the stories flowed well as feelings moved with ease from sadness, shock, relief, joy, love, and laughter.
While the stories reached what seemed like every emotion, they came equipped with some hilarious anecdotes (for a sneak preview): such as Love’s description of his donated “illicit gay sperm-sicle,” to Ferris’s bold statement to is Indian father-in-law, “You can’t hide the metro-sexual inside!” and ending with Nathan’s comparison of prehistoric caveman to the modern day dating scene; “How drunk does a caveman have to be to bang a chimp?”
For an entertaining, unique, and special experience, there are two more opportunities to see this SpeakeasyDC production, this Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5. I guarantee that you will relate in some way to each story with compassion, laughter, perhaps even tears, and you will definitely walk away with something to talk about.
28 February 2011
Freedom of Storytelling
The First Amendment to our Constitution grants us the freedom of speech, which we gladly practice daily. However, I cannot help wondering if our society allows for complete freedom. A safe space is not always readily available to us for the sharing of our stories or experiences.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about the importance of story telling and finding the time and place to be able to share our stories with others. Last week, I reviewed the show, Logic, Luck, and Love: A Valentines Day Special, put on by SpeakeasyDC. When I raved about it to a co-worker, he told me that he was a taking a class through the organization and his first showcase was coming up. So, on February 22, at Axum Lounge, I attended the SpeakeasyDC Student Showcase.
As each student walked to the microphone, they brought the audience to a different place and turn of events in their lives. While the stories ranged in subjects from, Chinese “massage therapists,” teenage pregnancy, growing up in the most segregated city in the nation, and immigration to the United States; they still all found commonalities in themes, of culture shock, parent-child relationships, childhood memories, and finding home.
As I listened to people’s stories, I had and most likely would never experience a similar situation to many, but taking the time to listen to them I was able to see the person behind the veil of society’s assumptions and with a good storytelling, empathize with them. Beyond that, I realized that though the events of the stories themselves were completely unique, the emotions behind them were similar. No, I had not grown up in the most segregated town in the United States, but I did know the feeling of receiving that love and pride from a mother. And no, I have never traveled to Africa or China, but I certainly know the feeling of culture shock, feeling lost and confused in a strange place.
We all come from very different places and survive through experiences that are distinct. Without a shared experience, a wall is put up between those of us who “get it” and those of us who don’t, and without the understanding, we can never gain any sort of comradery. To break that wall down, we need to be able to tell, listen, and share those stories from our lives. Once we begin to realize that beyond the surface, we have similar emotions and reactions to different events. At the end of the day, we are more alike than we are lead to believe, we simply need to allow for the opportunity to discover.
Note: SpeakeasyDC also offers open-mic nights where any one can tell their story every second Tuesday of the month at Town. Also, check out their new performance – review to come soon – of Mixed, Blended, Shaken, & Stirred: Stories about Today’s American Family, a part of Washington DC’s INTERSECTIONS festival.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about the importance of story telling and finding the time and place to be able to share our stories with others. Last week, I reviewed the show, Logic, Luck, and Love: A Valentines Day Special, put on by SpeakeasyDC. When I raved about it to a co-worker, he told me that he was a taking a class through the organization and his first showcase was coming up. So, on February 22, at Axum Lounge, I attended the SpeakeasyDC Student Showcase.
As each student walked to the microphone, they brought the audience to a different place and turn of events in their lives. While the stories ranged in subjects from, Chinese “massage therapists,” teenage pregnancy, growing up in the most segregated city in the nation, and immigration to the United States; they still all found commonalities in themes, of culture shock, parent-child relationships, childhood memories, and finding home.
As I listened to people’s stories, I had and most likely would never experience a similar situation to many, but taking the time to listen to them I was able to see the person behind the veil of society’s assumptions and with a good storytelling, empathize with them. Beyond that, I realized that though the events of the stories themselves were completely unique, the emotions behind them were similar. No, I had not grown up in the most segregated town in the United States, but I did know the feeling of receiving that love and pride from a mother. And no, I have never traveled to Africa or China, but I certainly know the feeling of culture shock, feeling lost and confused in a strange place.
We all come from very different places and survive through experiences that are distinct. Without a shared experience, a wall is put up between those of us who “get it” and those of us who don’t, and without the understanding, we can never gain any sort of comradery. To break that wall down, we need to be able to tell, listen, and share those stories from our lives. Once we begin to realize that beyond the surface, we have similar emotions and reactions to different events. At the end of the day, we are more alike than we are lead to believe, we simply need to allow for the opportunity to discover.
Note: SpeakeasyDC also offers open-mic nights where any one can tell their story every second Tuesday of the month at Town. Also, check out their new performance – review to come soon – of Mixed, Blended, Shaken, & Stirred: Stories about Today’s American Family, a part of Washington DC’s INTERSECTIONS festival.
24 February 2011
Compost: The Alternative to Waste
As I am sure you probably already know by now, I hate to waste. Especially food. My biggest pet peeve is leaving two last bites on the plate. I cannot stand it—Just eat it the last bite, please! For me, it is a reminder that we live in a time and place that we have the luxury to leave the last of our food to waste.
I even consider that throwing out the scrapes from cooking to be wasting, such as coffee grounds and eggshells. Even though we do not eat these items, I know that they can be used in a better purpose. Composting was always a practice that I took for granted, growing up on a farm where compost was not only utilized, but necessary. When I moved to the city, I felt the shame kicking in every time I threw out the onion peel. If we recycle plastic and glass here, why does it seem so difficult to also recycle our food?
I live in the middle of Washington DC, in an apartment without a roof top, or a balcony, and therefore no place to put compost to use, let alone a place to store it while it is actually composting. So, like most people in the city, I cut my losses and threw away the food bits. I let it go by telling myself that there was nothing more I could do. But, oh how wrong I was!
One day, I received an email from my wonderful roommate informing me that we were going to compost, right in our apartment—without the mess, without the smell, without even the garden. It is all brought to us by Compost Cab, which started in 2010. It is an amazing initiative in Washington D.C. that allows we city dwellers to dispose of organic waste, guilt free.
Essentially, the only difference is that we have an extra bucket provided to you with a sealable lid to keep the smell down next to our recycle basket and trash bin. Then once a week, we put the bin outside, it is picked up and taken to an urban farm for use.
When I tell people with joy that we started composting at my home, people usually give me a look that says “Oh, you crazy hippy.” When I explain the system, some people seem genuinely interested, but others continue to roll their eyes and state something like, “I don’t want worms” or “I don’t have space for it.”
First of all, there are no worms in this stage of the system. Second, put the bin next to the trashcan, put it in a corner, or put it outside! The best thing about it is that anyone can do it. Everyone creates a fair amount of organic waste while prepping a meal or snack, and while I completely understand the lack of personal garden space in the city, it doesn’t mean that someone else can utilize those organics for good.
Check Compost Cab out online and see for yourself at http://compostcab.com/
I even consider that throwing out the scrapes from cooking to be wasting, such as coffee grounds and eggshells. Even though we do not eat these items, I know that they can be used in a better purpose. Composting was always a practice that I took for granted, growing up on a farm where compost was not only utilized, but necessary. When I moved to the city, I felt the shame kicking in every time I threw out the onion peel. If we recycle plastic and glass here, why does it seem so difficult to also recycle our food?
I live in the middle of Washington DC, in an apartment without a roof top, or a balcony, and therefore no place to put compost to use, let alone a place to store it while it is actually composting. So, like most people in the city, I cut my losses and threw away the food bits. I let it go by telling myself that there was nothing more I could do. But, oh how wrong I was!
One day, I received an email from my wonderful roommate informing me that we were going to compost, right in our apartment—without the mess, without the smell, without even the garden. It is all brought to us by Compost Cab, which started in 2010. It is an amazing initiative in Washington D.C. that allows we city dwellers to dispose of organic waste, guilt free.
Essentially, the only difference is that we have an extra bucket provided to you with a sealable lid to keep the smell down next to our recycle basket and trash bin. Then once a week, we put the bin outside, it is picked up and taken to an urban farm for use.
When I tell people with joy that we started composting at my home, people usually give me a look that says “Oh, you crazy hippy.” When I explain the system, some people seem genuinely interested, but others continue to roll their eyes and state something like, “I don’t want worms” or “I don’t have space for it.”
First of all, there are no worms in this stage of the system. Second, put the bin next to the trashcan, put it in a corner, or put it outside! The best thing about it is that anyone can do it. Everyone creates a fair amount of organic waste while prepping a meal or snack, and while I completely understand the lack of personal garden space in the city, it doesn’t mean that someone else can utilize those organics for good.
Check Compost Cab out online and see for yourself at http://compostcab.com/
16 February 2011
Theatre Review: Logic, Luck, & Love Brings Camaraderie
I am one of those people that does not like Valentine’s Day. One of those people who dread the holiday and the inevitable questions it brings. However, this Valentine’s day I embraced the jaded and happily single girl that I am, sucked it up and went out to a show.
Logic, Luck, and Love: A Valentine’s Day Special was shown at Atlas Performing Arts Center by SpeakeasyDC on February 14. This show featured a stage, four folding chairs, four storytellers, and an audience that provided an amazing laugh track. The four storytellers seemingly came from the diverse background: a straight, divorced, now single woman who had not given up on herself or hope, a lesbian finding love in unsuspecting places, a gay man with the constant thought that there has to be something better out there for him, and a straight man jaded from his past of limited love. Local DC residents, Jennifer Moore, Molly Kelly, John Kevin Boggs, and Dustin Fisher, each have their own story to share, pulling in local DC mention, pop-culture references, and each individual tale blends together with a navigable flare. Moreover, the stories shared are not only told to the audience, but are felt by the audience.
The beauty and tragedy of listening to stories about love is that it is unexplainable and yet everyone understands it, and has probably lived it as well. While the audience listened to each tale, I’m sure, knowing the odds of seeing a show on H St., there were most likely an equal divide between straight men and women, gay men and women and probably a bunch of people somewhere in between.
It didn’t matter which storyteller happened to be sharing because we understood where they were coming from. Everyone has that less-than-perfect kiss, but we convince ourselves otherwise. Everyone awkwardly hits on the prettiest person in the bar and settles for the second… or third. Everyone has been ditched for someone else and made the wrong choice without knowing it until it was over. I know we have all created our own logic to disprove fate and explain why we always seemed to pull the short stick.
The very best thing about this Valentine’s Day show for me was the raw truth behind it. Each storyteller put him or herself up on that stage and shared their lives with an audience of strangers. They shared their funniest moments of their love lives. They shared the little antidotes and details. They shared their disappointments. The stories were not extraordinarily different or extreme in any way, but they were unique. The storytellers took ownership and let them out in an eloquent and relatable approach.
So what began as my excuse of not NOT celebrating Valentine’s Day night, actually turned into a noteworthy and memorable experience.
If SpeakeasyDC’s next show is anything like this one, I highly recommend attending.
Logic, Luck, and Love: A Valentine’s Day Special was shown at Atlas Performing Arts Center by SpeakeasyDC on February 14. This show featured a stage, four folding chairs, four storytellers, and an audience that provided an amazing laugh track. The four storytellers seemingly came from the diverse background: a straight, divorced, now single woman who had not given up on herself or hope, a lesbian finding love in unsuspecting places, a gay man with the constant thought that there has to be something better out there for him, and a straight man jaded from his past of limited love. Local DC residents, Jennifer Moore, Molly Kelly, John Kevin Boggs, and Dustin Fisher, each have their own story to share, pulling in local DC mention, pop-culture references, and each individual tale blends together with a navigable flare. Moreover, the stories shared are not only told to the audience, but are felt by the audience.
The beauty and tragedy of listening to stories about love is that it is unexplainable and yet everyone understands it, and has probably lived it as well. While the audience listened to each tale, I’m sure, knowing the odds of seeing a show on H St., there were most likely an equal divide between straight men and women, gay men and women and probably a bunch of people somewhere in between.
It didn’t matter which storyteller happened to be sharing because we understood where they were coming from. Everyone has that less-than-perfect kiss, but we convince ourselves otherwise. Everyone awkwardly hits on the prettiest person in the bar and settles for the second… or third. Everyone has been ditched for someone else and made the wrong choice without knowing it until it was over. I know we have all created our own logic to disprove fate and explain why we always seemed to pull the short stick.
The very best thing about this Valentine’s Day show for me was the raw truth behind it. Each storyteller put him or herself up on that stage and shared their lives with an audience of strangers. They shared their funniest moments of their love lives. They shared the little antidotes and details. They shared their disappointments. The stories were not extraordinarily different or extreme in any way, but they were unique. The storytellers took ownership and let them out in an eloquent and relatable approach.
So what began as my excuse of not NOT celebrating Valentine’s Day night, actually turned into a noteworthy and memorable experience.
If SpeakeasyDC’s next show is anything like this one, I highly recommend attending.
15 February 2011
Happy Brunching, Washington DC
“Brunch is kind of a big deal here, you will soon find out,” I told a good friend who recently moved to Washington DC. “Yeah, I am already starting to see that,” he answered.
Fortunately or unfortunately I have been engulfed in the brunch craze along with the rest of the city. From 11 am to 3 pm on weekends, restaurants fill with that post college/young professional crowd … oh what the hell, it’s a bunch of hipsters and yuppies. I can’t really tell you if it goes on outside the DC bubble, as I live 100 percent in it for the moment. I do know from my experience before moving to DC, we would get meals around that “brunch” time, but depending on what we ordered, we would either call it “breakfast” or “lunch.” The appeal seems to come from either the enjoyment of the indecisive meal, a reason to get out of bed and drag your hung over ass out the door into civilization, or if it is simply an excuse to start drinking earlier. I think it is somewhere in the middle.
I happen to love brunch and couldn’t be happier for this fad, if that is in fact what it is. I love the combination of food, and as someone who hates to make a decision it’s a great middle of the road meal. I love the excuse to get my day rolling with friends and not waiting until it’s dancing time. And, why yes, I don’t mind the excuse to drink a Bloody Mary or Mimosa before noon… I guess with that said, it makes me the perfect brunch candidate.
One of interesting things I find going out to brunch in this city is that it is not always the best food, but you are easily tricked with the pretty spread, the good deals, and the drink specials (not always the best drink either, but if they’re bottomless, I guess it’s worth it…) If you have read Anthony Bourdain’s book, Kitchen Confidential, he is quick to tell you that brunch is the bottom rack chefs using up left over food to please the masses. Well, whatever, that may be true, but there is nothing like even a mediocre Egg Benedict and a Bloody Mary or two to beat that Sunday morning slump, or “hair of the dog” as they say.
The second thing about brunch, which I have come to embrace, is what it does for the rest of your day. I either walk away too tipsy, just on the border so that I feel it would be appropriate to continue the drinking, or I’m just tired and want to nap for the remainder of the day. While both of these option make for an enjoyable day, I still have that nagging feeling that it has been taken over by brunch and wasted away.
This week, for example, I enjoyed Masa 14’s unlimited brunch. While the company was good, the drinks were decently flowing, and the food was bombarding. Of all the tapas dishes our table ordered and sampled (and I think it was the majority of the menu), the Latin American—Asian fusion menu only offered few very delicious dishes (the grits, flat breads, and chicken salad were a few of the highlights, for those locals who care to try it.) but the rest fell short. As it was, we had paid the fixed price and had the option to keep up the tasting, so we proceeded to consume a day’s worth of calories, leaving me with no choice but to fall asleep on the couch almost immediately after arriving home. It was a good day, but I have little to say for it when I talk to Mom on Monday… oops!
So if you too, enjoy a day of excused morning drinking, mostly likely interesting conversations, and eating sub-par food, check out some of the brunch places around the city. As I can only speak for DC, I will recommend the Washington Post‘s list of brunch deals, which I’m making my way through. And despite its shortfalls the experience is unique, if nothing else.
Happy Brunching!
Fortunately or unfortunately I have been engulfed in the brunch craze along with the rest of the city. From 11 am to 3 pm on weekends, restaurants fill with that post college/young professional crowd … oh what the hell, it’s a bunch of hipsters and yuppies. I can’t really tell you if it goes on outside the DC bubble, as I live 100 percent in it for the moment. I do know from my experience before moving to DC, we would get meals around that “brunch” time, but depending on what we ordered, we would either call it “breakfast” or “lunch.” The appeal seems to come from either the enjoyment of the indecisive meal, a reason to get out of bed and drag your hung over ass out the door into civilization, or if it is simply an excuse to start drinking earlier. I think it is somewhere in the middle.
I happen to love brunch and couldn’t be happier for this fad, if that is in fact what it is. I love the combination of food, and as someone who hates to make a decision it’s a great middle of the road meal. I love the excuse to get my day rolling with friends and not waiting until it’s dancing time. And, why yes, I don’t mind the excuse to drink a Bloody Mary or Mimosa before noon… I guess with that said, it makes me the perfect brunch candidate.
One of interesting things I find going out to brunch in this city is that it is not always the best food, but you are easily tricked with the pretty spread, the good deals, and the drink specials (not always the best drink either, but if they’re bottomless, I guess it’s worth it…) If you have read Anthony Bourdain’s book, Kitchen Confidential, he is quick to tell you that brunch is the bottom rack chefs using up left over food to please the masses. Well, whatever, that may be true, but there is nothing like even a mediocre Egg Benedict and a Bloody Mary or two to beat that Sunday morning slump, or “hair of the dog” as they say.
The second thing about brunch, which I have come to embrace, is what it does for the rest of your day. I either walk away too tipsy, just on the border so that I feel it would be appropriate to continue the drinking, or I’m just tired and want to nap for the remainder of the day. While both of these option make for an enjoyable day, I still have that nagging feeling that it has been taken over by brunch and wasted away.
This week, for example, I enjoyed Masa 14’s unlimited brunch. While the company was good, the drinks were decently flowing, and the food was bombarding. Of all the tapas dishes our table ordered and sampled (and I think it was the majority of the menu), the Latin American—Asian fusion menu only offered few very delicious dishes (the grits, flat breads, and chicken salad were a few of the highlights, for those locals who care to try it.) but the rest fell short. As it was, we had paid the fixed price and had the option to keep up the tasting, so we proceeded to consume a day’s worth of calories, leaving me with no choice but to fall asleep on the couch almost immediately after arriving home. It was a good day, but I have little to say for it when I talk to Mom on Monday… oops!
So if you too, enjoy a day of excused morning drinking, mostly likely interesting conversations, and eating sub-par food, check out some of the brunch places around the city. As I can only speak for DC, I will recommend the Washington Post‘s list of brunch deals, which I’m making my way through. And despite its shortfalls the experience is unique, if nothing else.
Happy Brunching!
03 February 2011
The Case For Eating Meat
Vegetarian readers beware the following post may turn your tummy.
I am not a vegetarian. I tried it once, right after I discovered the kitchen counter covered in raw meat from an animal my father had recently slaughtered. I took one look at the mounds of red flesh and went running back the safety and cleanliness of my bedroom. I didn’t eat meat for six months. It was a trip to France that converted me back to carnivorous ways. Really, who can pass up pate and tartar in Paris?
I always find a vegetarian’s motives curious. There are countless reasons: Environmental, economic, moral, cultural, health, society, habit, to even the simple reason of “I don’t really like meat.” Strangely though, no one asks meat eaters why they choose not to be vegetarian. There are arguments for both sides of the issue and the same arguments to eliminate meat from your diet can be used to support keeping animal products as a part of it.
The typical arguments in favor of vegetarianism often begin with the moral issue of eating animals. They then expand to the treatment of animals, especially when it comes to the industrial farming practices and mass production of animals. This leads to the environmental issue: contamination and pollution caused by this mass production and farm upkeep. Most animals are fed grain in today’s farming industry; this is not energy efficient, as it takes not only the energy to produce the grain but also for the care of the animal. Beyond energy, it does not make economically sense as money is spent and lost along the way.
While these arguments hold true with much of the meat sold in supermarkets today, I choose not to group all meat in this industrial category. Eating meat, in my mind, is not inherently bad. Traditionally, I see it as a natural thing (cue for swelling music: Circle of Life). The idea that an animal, let’s take a cow, would eat the plants that we as humans cannot eat, converts that to energy we can consume, it leads the economical, environmental, energy, and logical sense. I certainly am aware it is difficult to eat meat of this quality, as it is extremely difficult to trace our food. So I am left less meat, rather than no meat.
Many people ask me if I am a vegetarian. Because I rarely eat meat and because I have the whole “food thing going on”, people assume it. I enjoy meat, and I respect the arguments of vegetarianism, and I agree with most of the arguments. I simply see them a different way. Rather that attribute it to the umbrella of “meat eating is bad,” I prefer to see it as the “modern meat industry is bad.”
I am not a vegetarian. I tried it once, right after I discovered the kitchen counter covered in raw meat from an animal my father had recently slaughtered. I took one look at the mounds of red flesh and went running back the safety and cleanliness of my bedroom. I didn’t eat meat for six months. It was a trip to France that converted me back to carnivorous ways. Really, who can pass up pate and tartar in Paris?
I always find a vegetarian’s motives curious. There are countless reasons: Environmental, economic, moral, cultural, health, society, habit, to even the simple reason of “I don’t really like meat.” Strangely though, no one asks meat eaters why they choose not to be vegetarian. There are arguments for both sides of the issue and the same arguments to eliminate meat from your diet can be used to support keeping animal products as a part of it.
The typical arguments in favor of vegetarianism often begin with the moral issue of eating animals. They then expand to the treatment of animals, especially when it comes to the industrial farming practices and mass production of animals. This leads to the environmental issue: contamination and pollution caused by this mass production and farm upkeep. Most animals are fed grain in today’s farming industry; this is not energy efficient, as it takes not only the energy to produce the grain but also for the care of the animal. Beyond energy, it does not make economically sense as money is spent and lost along the way.
While these arguments hold true with much of the meat sold in supermarkets today, I choose not to group all meat in this industrial category. Eating meat, in my mind, is not inherently bad. Traditionally, I see it as a natural thing (cue for swelling music: Circle of Life). The idea that an animal, let’s take a cow, would eat the plants that we as humans cannot eat, converts that to energy we can consume, it leads the economical, environmental, energy, and logical sense. I certainly am aware it is difficult to eat meat of this quality, as it is extremely difficult to trace our food. So I am left less meat, rather than no meat.
Many people ask me if I am a vegetarian. Because I rarely eat meat and because I have the whole “food thing going on”, people assume it. I enjoy meat, and I respect the arguments of vegetarianism, and I agree with most of the arguments. I simply see them a different way. Rather that attribute it to the umbrella of “meat eating is bad,” I prefer to see it as the “modern meat industry is bad.”
27 January 2011
So Perhaps Walmart is Not the Devil
I come from Small Town, New England, and therefore it is in my blood to hate all sports teams from New York (First and foremost the Yankees), Massachusetts drivers (mass-holes), and of course Walmart (the face of the big box stores) for putting the local mom-and-pop shops out of business. [According to my roommate, this is because I am a huge yuppie]
Reading the news this week, I couldn’t help but to feel some of that anger ebbing away. Michelle Obama announced her endorsement of the Walmart corporation. This followed the company’s declaration to sell and promote healthy food not only in their own brand products, but in their suppliers as well. Along with targeting schools, this endorsement is a part of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign to combat childhood obesity and diseases like early-on-set diabetes. Walmart introduced its initiative to offer more fruit and vegetable option and reduce the levels sodium and sugar in their processed foods. Some vendors are calling for nutrition labels on the front of packaging.
This news brought me back to my first viewing of Food, Inc, specifically the scene that illustrated Walmart’s sale of Stonyfield Yogurt products. I naturally love Stonyfield Yogurt, a company based out of my native New Hampshire. Like many I was a bit shocked to hear they were, as we say, selling out to corporate America.
However, if it is that good, why shouldn’t it be readily available to all? Must it maintain the local sales to keep up with the local feel? Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, another once-small manufacturer hailing from Vermont, didn’t seem to think so either. Rather than lose their hometown appeal, they “sold out” to the benefit of their sales and popularity. So the question remains: What is so wrong about bringing good healthy food mainstream, even if it is through (gasp) Walmart?
On the negative side, Walmart has and continues to conduct their business with questionable morals. Whether we are talking about the small-business take-over, or the lack of equal opportunities, benefits and fair wages for their non-unionized employees, there is something to be said about Walmart’s size and affordability. Walmart is everywhere. While yuppies like myself refuse to shop at such monstrosities, the rest of America doesn’t seem to mind. And to make a fair point, they have good reason. Because of the size of the giant, it has the capability to offer products at a lower price, granting a greater access for all. So if Walmart can offer healthier food to more people, especially those who struggle to find that mythical affordable food, it is hard to argue that this is a negative change.
***
For more on this topic check out:
Neuman, William. “Food Makers Devise Own Label Plan.” The New York Times.
Smith, Aaron. “Wal-mart promises to sell healthy food.” CNN.
Wilgoren, Debbi and Ylan Q Mui. “With praise from Michelle Obama, Wal-mart announces healthy food campaign.” The Washington Post.
Reading the news this week, I couldn’t help but to feel some of that anger ebbing away. Michelle Obama announced her endorsement of the Walmart corporation. This followed the company’s declaration to sell and promote healthy food not only in their own brand products, but in their suppliers as well. Along with targeting schools, this endorsement is a part of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign to combat childhood obesity and diseases like early-on-set diabetes. Walmart introduced its initiative to offer more fruit and vegetable option and reduce the levels sodium and sugar in their processed foods. Some vendors are calling for nutrition labels on the front of packaging.
This news brought me back to my first viewing of Food, Inc, specifically the scene that illustrated Walmart’s sale of Stonyfield Yogurt products. I naturally love Stonyfield Yogurt, a company based out of my native New Hampshire. Like many I was a bit shocked to hear they were, as we say, selling out to corporate America.
However, if it is that good, why shouldn’t it be readily available to all? Must it maintain the local sales to keep up with the local feel? Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, another once-small manufacturer hailing from Vermont, didn’t seem to think so either. Rather than lose their hometown appeal, they “sold out” to the benefit of their sales and popularity. So the question remains: What is so wrong about bringing good healthy food mainstream, even if it is through (gasp) Walmart?
On the negative side, Walmart has and continues to conduct their business with questionable morals. Whether we are talking about the small-business take-over, or the lack of equal opportunities, benefits and fair wages for their non-unionized employees, there is something to be said about Walmart’s size and affordability. Walmart is everywhere. While yuppies like myself refuse to shop at such monstrosities, the rest of America doesn’t seem to mind. And to make a fair point, they have good reason. Because of the size of the giant, it has the capability to offer products at a lower price, granting a greater access for all. So if Walmart can offer healthier food to more people, especially those who struggle to find that mythical affordable food, it is hard to argue that this is a negative change.
***
For more on this topic check out:
Neuman, William. “Food Makers Devise Own Label Plan.” The New York Times.
Smith, Aaron. “Wal-mart promises to sell healthy food.” CNN.
Wilgoren, Debbi and Ylan Q Mui. “With praise from Michelle Obama, Wal-mart announces healthy food campaign.” The Washington Post.
24 January 2011
Soup's on.
There is something great about coming home to a warm place and a great meal waiting for you.
No matter how bad my day happened to be —and this one starting with the inability of D.C. to clean up the icy roads — it can still take a turn for the better with a great homecoming.
When I walked into my apartment building last night, with spicy aromas wafting through the hallways to greet me, I crossed my fingers that those delicious smells were coming from my apartment. Sure enough, my roommate was in the kitchen stirring a pot of soup that made my mouth water. Luckily, my roommate is a great sharer — which brings us back to the importance of sharing.
Coming home to a cooked meal is perfectly timeless. I remember my grandmother telling me that the best way for a wife to win points with her husband is to cook up a small pan of onions right before he gets home. It fills the house with delicious savory smells and creates the illusion that someone has been working in the kitchen all day. While this may be a sexist, antiquated 1950s housewife trick, it does make sense.
In fact my dad used this trick to tempt my sister and me out of the solitude of our bedrooms and sullen moods. I remember being somewhat disappointed, however, when I would sneak into the kitchen, looking for a hint of what was for dinner, only to find a measly pan of onions. Regardless, it achieved the initial desired response of startling the senses, awakening the taste buds, and boosting the mood.
I suppose it just goes to show that those small things can brighten the day and can be as simple as frying an ordinary vegetable to achieve an extraordinary response, coming home to a glass of wine waiting for you, or just knowing that someone put in the effort for you to dine in style. While I realize that some of us don’t have time to whip up something up to greet our friends — and I often include myself in that category — taking the extra step once in a while is only the small effort of turning on a burner and washing one extra pan. The effort will not go unnoticed.
P.S. I’m now eating the delicious soup my roommate made and as I exclaim over the paired spices with the perfectly cooked potato, my day has officially taken a turn for the better.
No matter how bad my day happened to be —and this one starting with the inability of D.C. to clean up the icy roads — it can still take a turn for the better with a great homecoming.
When I walked into my apartment building last night, with spicy aromas wafting through the hallways to greet me, I crossed my fingers that those delicious smells were coming from my apartment. Sure enough, my roommate was in the kitchen stirring a pot of soup that made my mouth water. Luckily, my roommate is a great sharer — which brings us back to the importance of sharing.
Coming home to a cooked meal is perfectly timeless. I remember my grandmother telling me that the best way for a wife to win points with her husband is to cook up a small pan of onions right before he gets home. It fills the house with delicious savory smells and creates the illusion that someone has been working in the kitchen all day. While this may be a sexist, antiquated 1950s housewife trick, it does make sense.
In fact my dad used this trick to tempt my sister and me out of the solitude of our bedrooms and sullen moods. I remember being somewhat disappointed, however, when I would sneak into the kitchen, looking for a hint of what was for dinner, only to find a measly pan of onions. Regardless, it achieved the initial desired response of startling the senses, awakening the taste buds, and boosting the mood.
I suppose it just goes to show that those small things can brighten the day and can be as simple as frying an ordinary vegetable to achieve an extraordinary response, coming home to a glass of wine waiting for you, or just knowing that someone put in the effort for you to dine in style. While I realize that some of us don’t have time to whip up something up to greet our friends — and I often include myself in that category — taking the extra step once in a while is only the small effort of turning on a burner and washing one extra pan. The effort will not go unnoticed.
P.S. I’m now eating the delicious soup my roommate made and as I exclaim over the paired spices with the perfectly cooked potato, my day has officially taken a turn for the better.
18 January 2011
Consumer Responsibility
Disclaimer: I am well aware this article perhaps will come off wide-eyed and optimistic, but we have to start somewhere. Please leave your jaded view at the door and proceed lightly.
I have been told more than once in the past month that I shouldn’t shop at certain stores, or spend my money at some restaurants because of that corporation’s funding. First it was when Target Corporation, financially backed an outwardly anti-gay politician. Now Chick-fil-A is sponsoring an event to take place in February. This event, The Art of Marriage Conference, hosted by the Pennsylvania Family Institute is followed by the tag line “getting to the heart of God’s design.” You can imagine that God’s design, according to this group—and apparently Chick-fil-A—is limited to heterosexual love only.
So where do these corporations come off spending all their money on these politically sensitive issues? And where does that leave us, as the consumers?
Everyone has their agenda, and the owners of these large multinational corporations are no exception to this rule, they simply have more power (money) to push their agenda further than the average person who ultimately gives them their money. Corporate donations are nothing new and as politics follows the money, the corporations gain that monetary power on the political or social scene.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, (I suppose it depends what side you are on and where the money is going) they can spend their money wherever they want. This IS America. And like any 5 year old will tell you, “It’s a free country.” (Oh, hang on a minute: I guess “Gods design” in this case, means we can only love someone of the opposite sex…okay, great, just checking… Thanks Chick-fil-A for the memo) But, as I was saying, if you have money, it’s a free (er) country, and we can spend the money where we choose.
Ah, now we are getting somewhere. We too, as consumers, can spend the money where we choose! That means if we don’t agree with where that money will eventually end up, then we should not spend our money there. If we don’t agree with the principles or values or what have you, then that company doesn’t need to get a dime from our pockets.
That leads us to the hard part. How do we know if we agree or not with the company? How do we know where the funding ends up? Well, Research! (There’s a great thing called the Internet…) I should also note that, yes, I am aware that some arms reach further than others and own brands that are not the obvious. (Did you know that Chipotle, the local, fresh, “healthy”, burrito joint was owned by McDonalds, the greasy, fattening, fast food, giant chain of the world?) But, on the bright side, as I stated before this IS America, and guess what? We have LOTS of options.
Some freedoms we can still hold onto, if only by our fingertips, we can choose to not shop at Target. We can choose to go to the local chicken joint a bit further down the road, rather than the convenient Chick-fil-A if we don’t agree with the preaching Pennsylvania group. Or in fact, we could forget chicken altogether and go for a veggie burger. My point is, using the information we know, as consumers we can have the last say (or first input, depending on how you look at it) in these matters. We can decide if we want to financially support the end cause of these multi-nationals. Please keep that in mind. We lose our position to complain if we continue to support. We maintain the ability to choose. Choose wisely.
I have been told more than once in the past month that I shouldn’t shop at certain stores, or spend my money at some restaurants because of that corporation’s funding. First it was when Target Corporation, financially backed an outwardly anti-gay politician. Now Chick-fil-A is sponsoring an event to take place in February. This event, The Art of Marriage Conference, hosted by the Pennsylvania Family Institute is followed by the tag line “getting to the heart of God’s design.” You can imagine that God’s design, according to this group—and apparently Chick-fil-A—is limited to heterosexual love only.
So where do these corporations come off spending all their money on these politically sensitive issues? And where does that leave us, as the consumers?
Everyone has their agenda, and the owners of these large multinational corporations are no exception to this rule, they simply have more power (money) to push their agenda further than the average person who ultimately gives them their money. Corporate donations are nothing new and as politics follows the money, the corporations gain that monetary power on the political or social scene.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, (I suppose it depends what side you are on and where the money is going) they can spend their money wherever they want. This IS America. And like any 5 year old will tell you, “It’s a free country.” (Oh, hang on a minute: I guess “Gods design” in this case, means we can only love someone of the opposite sex…okay, great, just checking… Thanks Chick-fil-A for the memo) But, as I was saying, if you have money, it’s a free (er) country, and we can spend the money where we choose.
Ah, now we are getting somewhere. We too, as consumers, can spend the money where we choose! That means if we don’t agree with where that money will eventually end up, then we should not spend our money there. If we don’t agree with the principles or values or what have you, then that company doesn’t need to get a dime from our pockets.
That leads us to the hard part. How do we know if we agree or not with the company? How do we know where the funding ends up? Well, Research! (There’s a great thing called the Internet…) I should also note that, yes, I am aware that some arms reach further than others and own brands that are not the obvious. (Did you know that Chipotle, the local, fresh, “healthy”, burrito joint was owned by McDonalds, the greasy, fattening, fast food, giant chain of the world?) But, on the bright side, as I stated before this IS America, and guess what? We have LOTS of options.
Some freedoms we can still hold onto, if only by our fingertips, we can choose to not shop at Target. We can choose to go to the local chicken joint a bit further down the road, rather than the convenient Chick-fil-A if we don’t agree with the preaching Pennsylvania group. Or in fact, we could forget chicken altogether and go for a veggie burger. My point is, using the information we know, as consumers we can have the last say (or first input, depending on how you look at it) in these matters. We can decide if we want to financially support the end cause of these multi-nationals. Please keep that in mind. We lose our position to complain if we continue to support. We maintain the ability to choose. Choose wisely.
10 January 2011
New Years Resolutions: Why not to do them.
I guess this would be a follow-up to my earlier rant about the post holiday syndrome of cleansing out all the alcohol and food that has been consumed in the past few weeks… so bear with me.
New Years Resolutions usually begin from day one, sometimes a little bit after midnight when the sick starts to come, but often they begin at whatever time you wake up on New Years day: “I am never drinking that much again”. A statement that will probably last until Friday, when you unwind after the first week back or if you are like me, it won’t last until the first Monday. Off to a great start.
These proclamations continue as we all start to list off those things we know we should be doing but don’t always follow through: I will work out every day. I will smoke less. I will save more money. I will sleep around less. And on and on… and how long will those last? Most likely the same amount of time as it takes to get that drink made.
Why do we think that simply waking up one morning, we will suddenly have the will power or the will, for that matter, to change our learned behaviors, our routines, our releases, whatever!? It’s just another day, international hangover day, for that matter…hope you all celebrated accordingly with extra sleep and extra greasy chow. Mmm.
As food is always on my mind… I often hear the Resolutions of “I will start that diet.” Really? Will you? Maybe for a week…maybe for a month even. But before you know it, it’s New Years Eve again and we are claiming the same resolution as last year, thinking this time it will be different. Guess what? It probably won’t.
I don’t see New Years as a time to flip my day upside down. I see it as a time when we can reflect on the past year, hope for the future and keep going. I have better luck with the decisions I make on any given Tuesday than I do with those I make on New Years, simply for the sake of being New Years.
Take the diet example. I see New Years as an excuse to continue my holiday binge. The first week back at work is a perfectly good reason to go for the prolonged happy hour. It’s rough getting back in the game! And all that chocolate left from Christmas? Well, if it doesn’t get eaten now—It is bound to be wasted (and you know how I feel about wasting food, now!) Better to eat it now than later anyways, before the skimpy clothes really come back into style. ;)
Please, skip the diet. Skip the false pretense that the start to this month is any different than the start of any other. Keep those resolutions reasonable, and remember they are really just food for thought, not a law to live-by!
Happy New Year!
New Years Resolutions usually begin from day one, sometimes a little bit after midnight when the sick starts to come, but often they begin at whatever time you wake up on New Years day: “I am never drinking that much again”. A statement that will probably last until Friday, when you unwind after the first week back or if you are like me, it won’t last until the first Monday. Off to a great start.
These proclamations continue as we all start to list off those things we know we should be doing but don’t always follow through: I will work out every day. I will smoke less. I will save more money. I will sleep around less. And on and on… and how long will those last? Most likely the same amount of time as it takes to get that drink made.
Why do we think that simply waking up one morning, we will suddenly have the will power or the will, for that matter, to change our learned behaviors, our routines, our releases, whatever!? It’s just another day, international hangover day, for that matter…hope you all celebrated accordingly with extra sleep and extra greasy chow. Mmm.
As food is always on my mind… I often hear the Resolutions of “I will start that diet.” Really? Will you? Maybe for a week…maybe for a month even. But before you know it, it’s New Years Eve again and we are claiming the same resolution as last year, thinking this time it will be different. Guess what? It probably won’t.
I don’t see New Years as a time to flip my day upside down. I see it as a time when we can reflect on the past year, hope for the future and keep going. I have better luck with the decisions I make on any given Tuesday than I do with those I make on New Years, simply for the sake of being New Years.
Take the diet example. I see New Years as an excuse to continue my holiday binge. The first week back at work is a perfectly good reason to go for the prolonged happy hour. It’s rough getting back in the game! And all that chocolate left from Christmas? Well, if it doesn’t get eaten now—It is bound to be wasted (and you know how I feel about wasting food, now!) Better to eat it now than later anyways, before the skimpy clothes really come back into style. ;)
Please, skip the diet. Skip the false pretense that the start to this month is any different than the start of any other. Keep those resolutions reasonable, and remember they are really just food for thought, not a law to live-by!
Happy New Year!
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