Fair trade is a system of exchange which ensures that farmers, artisans and other producers throughout the developing world are paid fair prices for their work and have direct involvement in the marketplace.

A project of the non-profit Green America, the “Fair Trade Your Supermarket” campaign aims to empower consumers to advocate for more “Fair Trade” products on store shelves at their local supermarkets. Fair trade is a system of exchange that honors producers, communities and the environment by ensuring that farmers and artisans throughout the developing world are paid fair prices for their work and have direct involvement in the marketplace. The goal of the wider Fair Trade movement, according to Green America, is to build real and lasting relationships between producers in developing countries and businesses and consumers around the world.

And that’s where your neighborhood grocer comes in. “While the Fair Trade movement is gaining steam nationwide, most of our supermarkets still carry few–if any–Fair Trade products on their shelves,” reports Green America. “Together, we can put Fair Trade products within reach for millions of Americans.”

And just how does Green America expect us to do this? “First, take stock of Fair Trade products in your supermarket—look for coffee, tea, chocolate, rice, sugar, honey, wine, fresh fruit, and olive oil.” Scan the relevant aisles for third-party certifier Fair Trade USA’s distinctive black-and-white “Fair Trade Certified” label, which is only attached to imported goods where the producers receive fair prices for their products and where strict socio-economic and environmental criteria are met during production. Alternatively, look for the logos of other third-party certifiers such as “Fair for Life” or “Fair Trade Federation” on product labels if you think fair trade versions may be available in a given product line.

“Then, you can encourage the store to stock more Fair Trade products by talking to the store manager as a loyal customer,” adds Green America. They suggest using comment cards, which can be key to getting a store with no Fair Trade items to start carrying them. “Every time you go grocery shopping, drop a comment card in the box asking your manager to stock Fair Trade items.” Of course, talking to a store manager in person may be even more effective, especially if you are armed with a pile of your receipts from the store from the previous month or two to show how much spending power you alone would be able to allocate toward Fair Trade versions of the items you are buying there.

Another creative way to spread the Fair Trade gospel would be by volunteering to hand out free samples of Fair Trade products that the store already sells in order to raise awareness and build consumer demand. “Stores sell more of a product when a sampling table is set out, and if you, your friends and family are working the table, the labor is free for the store too.”

But why stop with your local market? If there is a chain supermarket outlet in your area, take it to the top by writing an e-mail, letter or postcard to corporate headquarters informing them of your desire to buy Fair Trade items in all of their stores. Check out the Fair Trade Your Supermarket website (link below) for more tips on how to make your next shopping trip fairer to the planet and its people.

CONTACTS: Fair Trade Your Supermarket, www.fairtradeyoursupermarket.org; Green America, www.greenamerica.org; Fair Trade USA, www.fairtradeusa.com.

Steff Deschenes celebrating National Drink Wine Day on February 18.

What do you get when you mix a vegan author with photography, one year, and a passion for food and food-related national holidays? Steff Deschenes and her sizzling blog, Almanac of Eats.

The idea for her website began with a just-for-fun competition with her boyfriend, a “365 Project” consisting of taking a picture of yourself every day for one year. She stuck with it for two years, taking pictures of herself at the dinner table every night, and this project catapulted Deschenes into an even bigger project. This year, she’s celebrating every national food holiday and writing about it on her blog.

“For me, it’s cool because I literally came up with this 48 hours before the New Year,” says Deschenes, author of the award-winning book “The Ice Cream Theory.”

The idea came to her when she read a tweet that said, “Happy National Enchilada Day.” She started doing research and found websites with information on food holidays. “I cross-referenced 10 to 15 different websites to compile my own food calendar,” says Deschenes.

But there’s a twist: Deschenes is a vegan, so she has to be super creative in order to celebrate each holiday animal-free. So, she began “veganizing” recepies. “For National Noodle Day I’m taking my mom’s recipe and ‘veganizing’ it,” she says. “If I don’t have a recipe, I research and think about how to make something and then make it from scratch.”

As a vegan, Deschenes says that she is more in tune with the food she eats and pays more attention to food in general. On her blog, she shares her own “veganized” recipes for each holiday as well as restaurant and product reviews.

“My overall goal is to have this site that is really fun and informative with a secret side dish of a healthy diet,” says Deschenes.

Her passion and her vibrant personality are summed up by three very telling words in her website bio: “author. foodie. smexy.” “Smexy” is a phrase Deschenes coined that combines smart and sexy. “Smart is sexy,” says Deschenes. “You don’t have to be a size zero.”

Within just two months of starting Almanac of Eats, she’s received restaurant review offers and sponsorships with major companies. “A bunch of companies send me food,” she says. “Barilla pasta sent me extra products to give away.” Some of her other sponsors have been Sophie’s Kitchen, Vermont Soy and Kettle Brand peanut butter.

When it comes to restaurant reviews, she says, “I am very harsh if they aren’t good; I don’t sugarcoat it.”

Despite the fact that Deschenes has found her passion in food, she was not always excited about cooking. In fact, she took a semester of culinary school and is not afraid to say that she hated it. The school did not encourage creativity, she says, which is something she thrives on.

“In my early twenties I refused to date a boy who couldn’t cook,” she says. “My claim to fame was that I made the best sandwiches. But as a vegan you can’t depend on anyone else if you want to eat well.”

Steff Deschenes celebrating National Cereal Day, March 7.

Deschenes’ creativity is obvious when reading her blog and her recipes. She likes to approach each holiday differently and play around with different ideas. On National Chocolate Soufflé Day, for example, she decided to take chocolate-flavored alcohol shots and make them taste like delectable chocolate soufflés.

Kicking it up another notch, Deschenes adds a dash of music for each holiday.  The next time you participate in National Blueberry Popover Day, crank up “I’m Good, I’m Gone” by Lykke Li or some coleslaw makin’ music with Florence and the Machine’s “No Light, No Light” for National Cold Cut Day.

“Entertainment is ideal,” she says. “I think it’s really cool when people celebrate with their kids, too.”  One mother told her that she saw it was National Cereal Day on Almanac of Eats and she celebrated it with her kids.

Sometimes the ideas and recipes she thinks up don’t always pan out, but she is not afraid to showcase what she came up with. National Almond Day’s recipe did not go as planned, so she decided to turn it into the Awesome Awful Almonds recipe, writing the disclaimer, “(I’M SO SORRY, ALMONDS. PLEASE DON’T HATE ME FOR WHAT I DID TO YOUR FRIENDS!) Oh well: you win some and you lose some, I guess.”

No matter how she approaches each food holiday, she sees even more success in her near future. “I think this blog will be successful because this isn’t my first rodeo with taking pictures and eating; I did it for two years,” she says. “Basically, if this was fantasy football, people would want me on their team.”

She does secretly hope that this could turn into another book, the content of which will, of course, be anything but dry.

“Am I the first person to talk about national food days? No,” she says. “Am I the first person to eat them all? Maybe not. Am I the first person to eat them all animal-free? Yes.”

Whether you are an aspiring vegan, someone looking for easy, healthy recipes or if you just have a passion for national food holidays, check out Deschenes’ entertaining twist on being a foodie in today’s world as she “eats the year” with her Almanac of Eats.

At present the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't require labels for foods with genetically modified ingredients, but labeling proponents believe consumers have a right to be able to make informed choices about which foods they put into their bodies and support with their pocketbooks. (iStockPhoto)

Just Label It is an effort spearheaded by organic farmers and food producers, consumer and public health advocates and environmentalists to persuade the federal government to require that foods with genetically engineered (GE) ingredients be labeled accordingly. Consumers have a right, they believe, to be able to make informed choices about which foods they put into their bodies and support with their pocketbooks.

Most Americans aren’t aware that some 80 percent of processed foods at grocery stores contain GE (also known as “genetically modified,” or GM) ingredients—yet in polls 93 percent of us support the notion of mandatory labeling of such foods. At present the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t require labels for foods with GE ingredients.

Proponents of Just Label It worry that genetically engineered plants (and animals) could wreak havoc on human health and natural ecosystems, given how little we know about them and their ability to proliferate beyond our control. Among the concerns: There has been no long-term health safety testing on GE ingredients because they are so new; unexpected mutations can occur which can introduce unknown toxins into the food supply; the increasing use of herbicide-resistant genes in crops is leading to the overuse of herbicides in general; and the planting of GE crops that are programmed to generate their own pesticides means that more pesticides are in our farms and fields than ever before. Perhaps most worrisome of all is that, unlike chemical pollution or even nuclear contamination, so-called “genetic pollution” (as some critics refer to GE) cannot be cleaned up after the fact once the proverbial genie is out of the bottle.

“What unifies many of us is the belief that it’s our right to know,” Just Label It organizers report. The idea for the campaign grew out of a 2011 meeting of organic stakeholders organized by Organic Voices, a project that documents the oral history of organic farming and sustainable agriculture.

The first order of business for the “Just Label It” campaign was to submit a legal petition—written by attorneys at the non-profit Center for Food Safety—to the FDA in September 2011 calling for the mandatory labeling of GE foods for sale in the United States. At this point, FDA is taking public comments on the petition and will issue a final ruling on it later in 2012.

Consumers can make their opinions on the topic heard by FDA regulators by customizing and submitting the form letter available at the JustLabelIt.org home page. To date some 600,000 people have sent along comments to the FDA due to the campaign’s outreach efforts. Just Label It aims to get that number to one million by the end of spring 2012, and is now working with 450 different partner groups to help spread the word. Campaign organizers are hoping that this outpouring of support will resonate with FDA regulators when it comes time for them to decide whether or not the U.S. should join almost 50 other countries–including South Korea, Brazil, China, and the European Union—in requiring GE labeling across the board.

CONTACTS: Just Label It, www.justlabelit.org; FDA, www.fda.gov; Center for Food Safety, www.centerforfoodsafety.org; Organic Voices, www.organicvoices.com.

Just in case you have been trying to inhale your caffeine lately, you should stop.  The FDA issued a letter of warning to the makers of Breathable Food Inc.’s Aeroshot “caffeine inhaler” today, stating that there is a question of safety, particularly relating to children, teens and combining the product with alcohol.

The FDA claims that the company has “false or misleading statements” on their labels.  The labels tell consumers to “swallow” the product, which introduces caffeine into the lungs.  The stimulant is not normally inhaled, therefore the safety in doing so has not been well studied.

Aeroshot combated this claim, pointing to “decades” of research that show the particles in their product are too big to enter the lungs, but fails to cite specific data.

The Agency also complained that the product label does not provide contact information for consumers to report any problems they experience as a result of the product, as federal law requires.  Law also mandates that manufacturers ensure that a product is safe and properly labeled prior to sale.

Breathable Foods has 15 business days to respond to the Agency with a plan to correct the problems cited.

Valve is pretty well known for trolling its own fans, especially when it comes to the often rumored and long waited Half Life 3 or Half Life 2:Episode 3. Could this be the ultimate trolling?

Probably not.

Spotted on Reddit by Kotaku, this Onion Ring bears a design strikingly similar to the logo of Valve’s famed shooter. Is it some sort of sign that we’re finally getting Episode 3? Who knows, but I bet it’s delicious.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest found compelling evidence that ingestion of artificial food dyes can contribute to hyperactivity, restlessness and attention problems in some children, especially those with ADHD. Fortunately, there are now natural alternatives available, made primarily from vegetable colorants. (Media credit/Hemera Collection)

Many of us are still wary of food dyes because of reports about links between red dye #2 and cancer in the 1970s. While red dye #2 was subsequently banned from products sold in the United States, many health-conscious consumers continue to avoid foods with other artificial colors or dyes—even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still considers them safe for human consumption.

But a 2010 analysis of past research on links between food dyes and health by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) found compelling evidence that ingestion of artificial dyes can contribute to hyperactivity, restlessness and attention problems in some children—particularly those with ADHD. “What’s more, the studies suggested that removing dyes from those children’s diet was a quarter to half as effective in reducing those symptoms as giving the kids Ritalin or other stimulants,” reports Nancy Cordes, CBS News’ Consumer Safety Correspondent. “In other words, certain kids with ADHD might not need drugs if the artificial dyes were removed from their diets.” Several commonly used artificial food dyes are suspected carcinogens as well.

While it might be impossible to prevent your children from eating anything with artificial dye, you can do your part by shopping at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s—both chains have banned products that use artificial dyes and carry all-natural food coloring for home cooking and baking projects.

One brand to look for is India Tree, which makes a line of food coloring derived from vegetable colorants. The company’s “Nature’s Colors Natural Decorating Colors” contain no corn syrup or synthetic dyes, and are highly recommended for coloring icing in rich jewel tones or soft pastels.

Another company specializing in natural (as well as organic) food colors is Nature’s Flavors, whose products are widely used commercially in ice cream, baked goods, frosting, dairy products, syrups, sauces, beverages and even hair colors. The company recently began to sell their products to consumers, as well, through retail stores. They use a variety of plant materials, including beets, turmeric root, annatto seeds, purple carrot, purple cabbage, gardenia flowers, hibiscus flowers and grape skin. “Our natural food colors are made from plants and contain powerful antioxidants, which help the body repair itself from the effects of oxidation,” claims Nature’s Flavors. “Using natural or organic food colors may actually help the brain and slow down the effects of aging.”

Another leading maker of all-natural food coloring is Chefmaster, whose products can be found at Whole Foods and other natural and high end food retailers, as well as on amazon.com and elsewhere online.

CPSI would like the FDA to ban eight of the most common artificial dyes, or at least affix a warning label to products that contain them: “Warning: The artificial coloring in this food causes hyperactivity and behavioral problems in some children.” In the meantime, concerned eaters should stick with products, stores and restaurants that use natural ingredients.

CONTACTS: India Tree, www.indiatree.com; Nature’s Flavors, www.naturesflavors.com; CPSI’s “Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks,” www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf.

One out of three counties across the contiguous U.S., says a recent study commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council, should brace for water shortages by mid-century as a result of human induced climate change. (Media credit/Comstock)

Climate change promises to have a very big impact on water supplies in the United States as well as around the world. A recent study commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a leading environmental group, and carried out by the consulting firm Tetra Tech found that one out of three counties across the contiguous U.S. should brace for water shortages by mid-century as a result of human induced climate change. The group found that 400 of these 1,100 or so counties will face “extremely high risks of water shortages.”

According to Tetra Tech’s analysis, parts of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas will be hardest hit by warming-related water shortages. The agriculturally focused Great Plains and arid Southwest are at highest risk of increasing water demand outstripping fast dwindling supplies.

While the mechanisms behind this predicted dwindling of water supplies is complex, key factors include: rising sea levels and encroaching ocean water absorbing lower elevation freshwater sources; rising surface temperatures causing faster evaporation of existing reservoirs; and increasing wildfires stripping terrestrial landscapes of their ability to retain water in soils.

Researchers have already begun to notice dwindling water supplies across the American West in recent years, given less accumulation of snow in the region’s mountains as temperatures rise. According to a 2008 study out of the Scripps Institute for Oceanography and published in the journal Science, Western snowpack has been melting earlier than it did in the past thanks to global warming, leading to markedly longer dry periods through the late spring and summer months in states already suffering from extended droughts. Given that the length and strength of these changes over the last 50 years cannot be explained by natural variations, researchers believe human induced climate change is the culprit.

The upshot of these changes is that Americans of every stripe need to curtail their water usage—from farmers irrigating their crops to homeowners watering their lawns to you and I taking shorter showers and turning off the tap while brushing our teeth. Even more important, water and resource policy managers need to conceive of new paradigms for the management of freshwater reserves to make the most of what we do have. And all of us need to work together to cut down on the emissions of greenhouse gases that have led to global warming in the first place.

Analysts also worry that warming-related water shortages could erupt into conflict, especially in parts of the world where one country or group controls water resources needed by others across national borders, such as the Middle East where already five percent of the world’s population relies on just one percent of the world’s fresh water. Parts of Africa, India and Asia are also at risk for water-related conflicts. American policymakers hope that the situation won’t get that dire in the U.S., but only time will tell.

CONTACTS: NRDC, www.nrdc.org; Tetra Tech, www.tetratech.com; Scripps Institute for Oceanography, www.sio.ucds.edu.

David Pimentel of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences says that the grain currently fed to some seven billion livestock in the United States could feed nearly 800 million people directly. (Thinkstock)

Our meat consumption habits take a serious toll on the environment. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the production, processing and distribution of meat requires huge outlays of pesticides, fertilizer, fuel, feed and water while releasing greenhouse gases, manure and a range of toxic chemicals into our air and water. A lifecycle analysis conducted by EWG that took into account the production and distribution of 20 common agricultural products found that red meat such as beef and lamb is responsible for 10 to 40 times as many greenhouse gas emissions as common vegetables and grains.

Livestock are typically fed corn, soybean meal and other grains which have to first be grown using large amounts of fertilizer, fuel, pesticides, water and land. EWG estimates that growing livestock feed in the U.S. alone requires 167 million pounds of pesticides and 17 billion pounds of nitrogen fertilizer each year across some 149 million acres of cropland. The process generates copious amounts of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide, while the output of methane—another potent greenhouse gas—from cattle is estimated to generate some 20 percent of overall U.S. methane emissions.

“If all the grain currently fed to livestock in the United States were consumed directly by people, the number of people who could be fed would be nearly 800 million,” reports ecologist David Pimentel of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He adds that the seven billion livestock in the U.S. consume five times as much grain as is consumed directly by the entire U.S. population.

Our meat consumption habits also cause other environmental problems. A 2009 study found that four-fifths of the deforestation across the Amazon rainforest could be linked to cattle ranching. And the water pollution from factory farms (also called concentrated animal feeding operations or CAFOs)—whereby pigs and other livestock are contained in tight quarters—can produce as much sewage waste as a small city, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Further, the widespread use of antibiotics to keep livestock healthy on those overcrowded CAFOs has led to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that threaten human health and the environment in their own right.

Eating too much meat is no good for our health, with overindulgence linked to increasing rates of heart disease, cancer and obesity. Worldwide, between 1971 and 2010, production of meat tripled to around 600 billion pounds while global population grew by 81 percent, meaning that we are eating a lot more meat than our grandparents. Researchers extrapolate that global meat production will double by 2050 to about 1.2 trillion pounds a year, putting further pressure on the environment and human health.

For those who can’t give up meat fully, cutting back goes a long way toward helping the environment, as does choosing meat and dairy products from organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed animals. “Ultimately, we need better policies and stronger regulations to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock production,” says EWG’s Kari Hammerschlag “But personal shifting of diets is an important step.”

CONTACTS: EWG, www.ewg.org; David Pimentel; NRDC, www.nrdc.org.

Being an American citizen, I enjoy the freedom of expression enjoyed by artists in this country. However, I wonder sometimes if we grasp some of the ironies of how we express that freedom.

I am from Italy, which is known as one of the most romantic countries in Europe, a destination for lovers who come to visit from all over the world. So, perhaps I have a slightly different perspective on how Americans express themselves, particularly with regard to romance and sensuality. In Italy, we embrace these concepts in everything we do – the way we dress, the way we cook, the way we dine, and the way we live.

In America however, I sometimes sense a split personality with regard to these concepts. More specifically, I think we sometimes confuse our sensuality with sexuality, and as a result, try to keep both of them hidden for fear of corrupting our children. My point is, there is a difference.

For instance, if any part of the human body that would traditionally be covered by a bathing suit on a typical American beach is shown in a film, that film is rated for adult content, usually getting an “R.” If it is shown in a TV show, the scene is either deleted, or the “naughty bits,” as the British call them, are digitally pixilated out. And of course those areas are not necessarily even covered by bathing suits in Europe, as many of the beaches there are clothing optional.

In this type of censorship, there is no accounting for context. It’s not about the type of scene, but rather the anatomy. If it is a romantic scene, with a context of love and respect, soft lighting, and appropriate mood, it is considered just as “dirty” as a scene in which naked women are running around and shown as sexual objects and nothing more.

The same goes for modern art. Gallery shows in which the human form is depicted tastefully and sensually are regarded as pornography by many “morals” groups, leading some Congressmen to suggest that public funding from the National Endowment for the Arts should not be awarded to any artist who deals with the nude form. The chilling effect, when we approach the sensual and the sexual in the same way, is that we teach our children that nudity itself is a dirty thing, and that they should all be ashamed of their bodies.

That is why young adults in America go directly from puberty straight to pornography – because they do not have anything in between, such as public art or other forms of healthy nudity – things that would help them develop an understanding of sensuality.

Here is the ultimate irony. While we demonize certain parts of the human form, we don’t demonize treating women as sex objects at all, because we use sex to sell just about everything in the consumer marketplace. In TV commercials, young, attractive, and barely dressed women sell everything from cars to beer, weight loss plans to gym gear, breakfast cereals to vacation destinations – even snack foods practically guaranteed to make the men who eat them incredibly unattractive to the women used to sell them.

The difference here is context. We enter the world naked. It is our most natural state as humans, yet the naked body is considered dirty and inappropriate for all time zones. Meanwhile, treating women not as people, but simply as objects of sexual desire, which demeans all women in the process, is perfectly acceptable.

We need to create an environment in America in which sensuality is not confused with sexuality, so that we can all enjoy a freedom of expression that is based in context and meaning instead of an unhealthy and negative obsession with sex.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

If recent reports concerning the Red Sox historical collapse are any indication, the chicken may have been fleeing from the Boston clubhouse.

Among other accusations, Red Sox captain Jason Varitek and starters Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and John Lackey have been ousted for eating fried chicken and drinking beer in the clubhouse during games. This revelation, paired with the news that the trio decided to cut back on their training regimen, provides Red Sox Nation with an all too familiar feeling.

While the Curse of the Bambino may have had a more weighted mystique than the aura surrounding a bucket of Popeye’s chicken, it seems as though the end result is the same: overweight athletes are once again causing Boston’s problems.

However, rather than perpetuate the storm of negativity that has been raging since the Red Sox fell short of the playoffs, it seemed about time to take a glass half full perspective.

The following is a list of foods that could be deemed unhealthier than Popeye’s fried kryptonite that seemed to plague Fenway Park.

1. PB & C Milkshake – Cold Stone Creamery

This fun-filled beverage received the title of America’s Unhealthiest Drink in 2010. Weighing in at respectable 2000 calories, one of these shakes equals a days worth of calorie intake. Whether you like it, love it, or gotta have it, this is one desert that makes a fried chicken breast look like a mixed greens salad.

2. Fettuccine Alfredo – Olive Garden

The Fettuccine Alfredo dinner at Olive Garden contains 1,220 calories and 1,350 mg of sodium. If John Lackey had spent the seventh inning stretch digging into this delicious bowl of carbohydrates he might have shattered the Red Sox record for worst earned run average by a starting pitcher. Oh wait, he did that anyway.

3. Cheesy Breadsticks – Papa Gino’s

I’m not going to lie it stung a little to throw this particular menu item on the list. However, with a stat line of 1,300 calories and 3,730 mg of sodium in a small breadstick (2 servings), it couldn’t be avoided. The fact that this could be considered a precursor to a few slices of pizza makes for a scary combination.

4. – Large Tuna Melt – Quiznos

This large sub approaches the 2,000 calories club thanks to a generous serving of mayonnaise. The sub itself is big enough that it might’ve taken John Lester four whole innings to eat — which is pretty close to the length of his average start in September.

5. Chicken Carbonara Bread Bowl – Dominos

1,300+ calories and almost 200 carbohydrates are used in the construction of this fairly new addition to the Dominos menu. With Dominos uber-efficient online ordering system, the Red Sox rotation would’ve known exactly when it was time to go “stretch out” in the clubhouse.

6. Jalapeno Smokehouse Burger – Chilis

5,250 mg of sodium almost manages to overshadow the fact that this particular burger packs a whalloping 1,750 calories. Let’s just be thankful that it isn’t offered in bucket form.

7. Sausage, Egg, and Cheddar on Asiago Bagel – Au Bon Pain

You thought you were safe breakfast, but I couldn’t overlook your potential to ruin a John Lackey day-game start. This particular breakfast sandwich features 810 calories and 1,500 mg of sodium. If you’re going enjoy this breakfast item in bed, you may want to get comfortable.

8. Chicken and Spinach Salad – IHOP

That’s right, salad. Don’t let the leafy greens fool you. This IHOP menu item is making a run at the more traditional taboo foods with its 1,600 calorie count. It lures you in with the nutritional reputation of spinach, and next thing you know you paid $15 million for a salad that never meets your expectations, and spends every post game interview passing the blame to other salads. That got a little weird.

9. Crispy Calamari – Red Lobster

I cast my rod out into the Atlantic to find this seafood dish that boasts an impressive 1,500 calories and 3,060 mg of sodium. One time Marlin Josh Beckett may have met his match in terms of former sea creatures being detrimental to health of New Englanders (Clearly I’m still a little bitter).

10. Fried Chicken Breast – Popeyes

We have come full circle. It is time to put the star of the Red Sox dietary drama under the microscope. One fried chicken breast from Popeyes contains 440 calories and 1,330 mg of sodium. Okay, so maybe the guilty pleasure of Lackey and company can stand toe to toe with the rest of this list. However, I have to assume that if these three pitchers shared a bucket of chicken like they shared their inability to protect a 9 game wild card lead in September, then maybe it’s not so bad.

Even though a plastic food steamer may be marked “BPA-free,” there's no guarantee it won't leach other endocrine disrupting chemicals into food or drinks. Consumers might want to just play it safe and opt for food steamers made of tried and true plastic-free materials, like glass, stainless steel or bamboo. (Media credit/Wen-Yan King via Flickr)

While you may never know for sure whether the plastic parts in a food steamer will contribute to health problems down the road, why gamble? Plastic marked with a #7 recycling symbol—signifying mixed sources (polycarbonate) or otherwise hard-to-classify plastics (such as acrylonitrile styrene or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)—is considered one of the riskiest in terms of chemical exposure. Polycarbonates are the most common types of plastic in items marked #7. And any of these three “feedstocks” just mentioned could contain Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical in widespread use since the 1930s to harden plastic.

Researchers have found that exposure to BPA, a known “endocrine disruptor” that can mimic the body’s natural hormones, can lead to neurological and reproductive problems. As a result, public health advocates recommend not using containers marked with #7 for storing, heating or serving food/drinks so as to minimize the amount of BPA in our bloodstreams. Keeping BPA out of our bodies is an uphill battle: A recent study found that 96 percent of pregnant women in the U.S. have at least trace amounts of BPA in their systems already (and probably the rest of us do as well).

In response to increased consumer awareness about the potential risks of exposure to BPA, many bottle and container makers are now marketing versions of their plastic products that are BPA-free—and the trend has extended to food steamers, with several now available in BPA-free versions, including Oster’s 5712, Black & Decker’s HS1050, and Big & Fast’s Plastic Electric Food Steamer. Buyers beware: Even some BPA-free steamers have non-stick surface made from PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene, better known as Teflon), another hazardous chemical that health advocates recommend avoiding.

But to complicate matters further, a July 2011 study by a group of Texas-based researchers and published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that just because a plastic product is marked “BPA-free” doesn’t guarantee that it won’t leach other endocrine disrupting chemicals—what the study refers to as “estrogenic activity” or “EA”—into food or drinks: “Almost all commercially available plastic products we sampled—independent of the type of resin, product or retail source—leached chemicals having reliably detectable EA, including those advertised as BPA free,” the researchers reported. In some cases, BPA-free products released greater amounts of estrogenic chemicals than even products known to contain BPA.

In light of all this, consumers might want to just opt for food steamers (and food storage and preparation items) made of tried and true plastic-free materials like glass or stainless steel. Some highly rated non-plastic, non-Teflon food steamers include Secura’s 3-Tier Stainless Steel Food Steamer ($90), Miracle Exclusives’ Stainless Steel Rice Cooker and Vegetable Steamer ME81 ($70), and World Cuisine’s 4-quart Red Enamel Cast-Iron Steamer with a tempered glass colander and a tempered glass lid ($220). And don’t forget: You can save yourself some money and kitchen storage space by just getting an inexpensive metal steamer basket, collapsible insert or bamboo steamer, available at any cookware store for less than $20.

CONTACT: Environmental Health Perspectives, ehp03.niehs.nih.gov.

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s SUPERFOODS!

Drop that Dorito in the name of science. OK, maybe you don’t need science to school you on the fact that a corn chip dusted with salt and nacho cheese flavoring may not be the healthiest addition to your diet. However, science has determined that certain “superfoods” exist that mere perception may not be able to uncover.

This eclectic grouping of foods has been deemed “super” for their ability to reduce the likelihood of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and improve overall health. Each item is rich in important nutrients and anti-oxidants, and can help reduce cholesterol.

While there is no superfood directory for the curious diner to consult, many of the lists in existence feature a lot of the same eats. That being said, here is a list of 10 healthy (and common) superfoods to incorporate into your daily diet.

1. Berries

Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries all provide a good source of fiber and memory boosting anti-oxidants. Each one provides a delicious means for maintaining a healthy digestive system.

You can also feel green about eating blueberries, because the odds are they’re local. Maine is the largest producer of blueberries in the world, producing 25 percent of all the lowbush blueberries in North America.

2. Salmon

Wild salmon and other fatty, cold water fish are rich in Omega 3’s that help reduce the risks of heart disease, arthritis, and like their counterparts from the berry group, may even help with memory loss.

So take out that spear you’ve had collecting dust in the attic, go find a nice cold river, and do some food shopping!

3. Spinach

The E. coli and Salmonella scares are long over. The bad press for spinach has finally gone away.

Now then, all Popeye jokes aside, the myth of spinach creating a stronger and healthier you isn’t far from the truth. Featuring an all star team of nutrients and very little in the way of calories, Spinach can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cataracts and even cancer. While it may not lead you to say, “Lift things up and put them down,” regular consumption of this dark green veggie certainly has its benefits.

4. Tomatoes

Although they are locked in a constant identity crisis, tomatoes can confidently claim their place among the ranks of superfoods. This staple of American agriculture is loaded with beneficial nutrients that provide a healthy boost to your diet.

The cherry on top of this superfood sundae has to be the fact that the tomato based products we all know and love (pizza sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce, etc.) are all full of the same nutrients you get from fresh tomatoes! While this isn’t exactly an invitation to start thawing out those microwave pizzas, it does provide an easy way to incorporate tomatoes into your diet when they aren’t in season.

5. Beans

Beans may not be a sexy food, but they have a fantastic personality. They provide a great source of protein, without the saturated fats that are present in red meats, and can help reduce the risk of heart disease by keeping cholesterol levels in check.

Looking even deeper into their charm, beans are also rich in fiber and other essential nutrients. So while that medium rare T-bone steak may look enticing, health experts say that it’s important to substitute meat for beans every so often.

6. Tea

One of the more popular superfoods, tea is incredibly healthy and features zero calories if you can resist the urge to turn it into a sugar dumping ground. This first rate superfood helps prevent a laundry list of health risks including stroke, cancer, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure.

Instead of throwing that keg party you had planned for Saturday, why not invite your friends over for some tea and crumpets, raise those pinkies, and see where the night takes you.

7. Yogurt

Low fat yogurt is another easily accessible and nutrient-rich superfood. It’s an excellent breakfast option, or a good go to if you are looking for a between meal snack. You can add berries or rolled oats, (spoiler alert) another superfood, to give your yogurt a textural kick.

8. Nuts

Nuts may not be the healthiest option when taken at face value, but they can be an excellent nutritional source when cycled into your diet in moderation. The list of nutrients that they feature, including protein and Vitamin-E, help lower the chances of heart attack by a significant margin, and also help prevent other chronic conditions such as cancer and diabetes.

Walnuts are one of the healthiest varieties. though almonds tend to take a lot of the nut credit. Walnuts can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL), prevent gallstones, aid insomnia, protect bones and can even help in weight loss.

9. Broccoli

The vegetable many of us dream about at night has even more to offer than we first thought. In fact, there are compounds in broccoli that reduce the risks of tumors by a staggering amount (in the 50-60% range). Broccoli is also teeming with other nutrients that boost our immune systems, and contains a very low calorie count. In fact, broccoli is such a nutritional powerhouse, that one may even wish to write a song about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRW27fyvwCs

10. Whole Grains

Whole grains, such as oats, are a great cholesterol reducer, and like the other aforementioned superfoods, can help lower the risk of common heart conditions. Oats especially, are a very potent independent source of protein and fiber, and are probably one of the more cost efficient options available in the superfoods family.

Well there you have it. Ten “superfoods” that you can work into your diet on your way to becoming a healthier you. The best part is that each item is readily available at your local food store. No excursions into an exotic jungle. No phone calls to the village shaman. No majestic waterfalls that look like they belong in a shampoo commercial. Just ten easy to find foods that will help improve your quality of life!

The release of genetically modified organisms into the environment threatens genetic diversity, which is essential for global food security. And a lack of genetic diversity in agriculture, says Greenpeace, can already be linked to many of the major crop epidemics in human history. (Media credit/Punch Stock)

Genetically modified organisms are those that have been altered by scientists to include genes from other organisms (known as transgenes) that may impart specific benefits. For instance, crop seeds that have added genes which resist the effects of herbicides can allow farmers to spray their fields liberally with herbicides to kill undesired weeds without the fear of killing their marketable crop along with them.

Genetic pollution is the release into the natural environment of these altered genes, creating the risk that they might breed with wild plants or animals and spread out uncontrollably. Reports author Jeremy Rifkin in his landmark 1998 book, The Biotech Century: “Some of those releases…could wreak havoc with the planet’s biosphere, spreading destabilizing and even deadly genetic pollution across the world.”

To follow through on the previous crop seed example: If herbicide-resistant, genetically engineered crops were to breed with their wild cousins, it could lead to the creation of super-weeds undeterred by control efforts. The weeds could, in turn, edge out native species and drive them to extinction, causing an overall loss of genetic diversity. According to Greenpeace, crop genetic diversity is “essential for global food security” and a lack of it can be linked to many of the major crop epidemics in human history, including the Southern corn leaf blight in the U.S. in 1970. They quote noted botanist Jack Harlan who said that genetic diversity is all that “stands between us and catastrophic starvation on a scale we can not imagine.”

To track the growing problem of genetic pollution, Greenpeace International, along with GeneWatch UK, launched the GM Contamination Register in 2005 (the “GM” stands for Genetic Modification). This free online database details publicly documented incidents of contamination arising from the intentional or accidental release of genetically modified organisms into the environment as well as any accompanying negative agricultural side effects. Individuals, public interest groups and governments make use of the register to see where, when and how contamination has occurred. So far in 2011 alone more than a dozen cases of contamination—from Australia, Asia, Europe and the U.S.—have been reported in the register.

Gene pollution as it pertains to crops is only part of the concern. A Canadian company, AquaBounty, is seeking approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to sell genetically modified Atlantic salmon in the U.S. These fish have a growth hormone gene from Chinook salmon (native to the North Pacific) and an anti-freeze protein gene from another fish, the ocean pout (native to the Northwest Atlantic). The resulting transgenic salmon produce growth hormones all year long—not just during the warmer months like other fish—and as such reach maturity faster than their non-genetically modified counterparts.

“There are concerns about the impact of GM salmon on wild salmon should it escape into rivers or the Atlantic ocean, because it could out-compete wild salmon for food, or breed with them producing offspring that may be less fit to survive,” reports GeneWatch UK. “This could have serious negative effects on declining or endangered wild salmon populations.”

CONTACTS: GeneWatch UK, www.genewatch.org; Greenpeace International, www.greenpeace.org/international; GM Contamination Register, www.gmcontaminationregister.org; AquaBounty, www.aquabounty.com.

Calling all animal lovers! The Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, N.H., invites you to the gala of the fall: The Great Catsby. Arrive at the 1920s-themed event in your best flapper or gangster garb and have your photo taken red carpet-style next to an antique car, sip cocktails and enjoy hors d’oeuvres while perusing the many silent auction items, including wine, jewelry, gift certificates, artwork and more.

After a delectable dinner and decadent dessert, bid on priceless experiences at the live auction, where you  could become a character in a murder mystery novel or an actor in New Hampshire’s famous Haunted Overload’s haunted walk.

The gala will benefit animals such as Hank, a kitten who was tossed out of a moving vehicle. He is being nursed back to health at the shelter.

Details

What: The Great Catsby gala

Where: The Portsmouth Sheraton Harborside Hotel, Portsmouth, N.H.

When: Sept. 17, 6 to 10 P.M.

Tickets: Tickets are $80 per person and are available online at cvhsonline.org or by calling 603-749-5322 Ext. 112. All proceeds go to the care and well being of the animals sheltered at Cocheco Valley Humane Society. Hurry! Tickets are on sale only until Sept. 9 at 10 P.M.

After undergoing major renovations and menu changes, Tryst restaurant in Arlington is celebrating its grand re-opening on Sept. 12 with “buy one get one free” entrees–and you’re invited!

Chef/owner Paul Turano proudly debuts the completion of his vision for Tryst, which has been at its 689 Massachusetts Ave. location for nearly seven years. A tapas menu and updated, lively decor help Turano bring the city to the suburbs.

“When I first opened Tryst, my goal was to bring the Boston dining scene to the suburbs, and I think we’ve done that to some extent, but life gets in the way,” says Turano. “I originally had planned to return to honing the concept less than a year after we opened, but things got busy pretty quickly. Two kids and thousands of supportive customers later I feel like I have finally completed my vision of bringing a city-like neighborhood restaurant to Arlington.”

The New Menu

Just a Fling

Shrimp Tacos with avocado, red onion and Aji crema, $8

Local Corn Chowder with avocado spuma and cornbread crouton, $8

Sassafras Glazed Baby Back Ribs with house-made kim chee, $10

Duck Wraps  with spiced cashews and crunchy vegetables, $11

Crispy Fried Calamari  with arugula, cherry tomatoes and hot pepper aioli, $12

Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Flatbread,  $10

Habanero Chicken Wings with Great Hill bleu cheese and carrot pickles, $9

House-made Guacamole and Chips, $10

Artisan Cheese Plate  with three cheeses and spiced fruits, $11

A Lil’ Something on the Side

($6 each or three for $15)

Marinated Olives

Roasted Asparagus with evoo and parmesan

Truffle Fries

Sweet and Spicy Bar Nuts

Cheese Croquettes

Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms with curried tomato sauce

Griddled Rice Cake

Getting Fresh

Simply Tossed Greens with champagne mustard vinaigrette, $6

Market Salad with Boston lettuce, shaved seasonal vegetables, seven-grain croutons and mustard vinaigrette, $9

Heirloom Tomato Salad  with burrata, arugula, sourdough crostini and vin cotto, $9

Baby Spinach Salad with Great Hill bleu cheese, poached cherries, pecan crisps and apple cider vinaigrette, $9

Caesar Salad with hearts of romaine, evoo, roasted garlic, cracked pepper and sourdough crouton, $9

(Add roasted chicken, $3, add steak tips, $6, to any salad) 

Getting Serious

Herb Roasted All-Natural Chicken with potato puree, toasted almond green beans and natural juices, $18

Prime Sirloin Tips with cheese croquettes, arugula and smoked tomato, $19

Slow Roasted Salmon with crab stuffed squash blossom, griddled rice cake and avocado salad, $24

Wild Striped Bass with “summer minestrone,” house-made pancetta and lemon aioli, $25

Pig Under a Brick with corn polenta, mostarda, collard greens and apricot glaze,  $22

Grilled Angus Sirloin with potato puree, roasted asparagus and truffle butter, $29

The Grand Re-opening

When: Monday, Sept. 12 from 5 to 8 P.M.

Where: Tryst, 689 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington

RSVP: Reservations are required. Call 781-641-2227 or visit trystrestaurant.com for more information.

Freezing foods in plastic containers isn't as worrisome as heating them, but if you're leery of plastic, glass containers designed to withstand large temperature extremes, such as Ball Jars (aka Mason jars), like the one pictured here, or anything made by Pyrex, can be a sensible alternative. Just be sure not to load them to the brim as some foods expand when frozen. (Media credit/Wikipedia)

Reusing leftover plastic food containers to store items in the freezer may be noble environmentally, but it might not be wise from the perspective of keeping food safely frozen and tasting its best when later heated up and served. Many such containers are designed for one-time use and then recycling, so it’s not worth risking using them over and over. Likewise, wax paper, bread wrappers and cardboard cartons should not be used to store frozen foods; these types of containers don’t provide enough of a barrier to moisture and odors and also may not keep food fresh when frozen.

Luckily though, many other materials are suitable for use as freezer-safe storage containers, at least according to the National Center for Home Food Preparation. To qualify as “freezer-safe,” the Georgia-based non-profit maintains, food storage containers must resist moisture-vapor, oil, grease and water as well as brittleness and cracking at low temperatures, while being durable, leak-proof and easy-to seal. They must also protect foods from absorption of off-flavors or odors. “Good freezing materials include rigid containers made of aluminum, glass, plastic, tin or heavily waxed cardboard; bags and sheets of moisture-vapor resistant wraps; and laminated papers made specially for freezing,” reports the group.

As to the leaking of unsafe constituent chemicals (BPA, phthalates, etc.) from certain plastics into foods, freezing is generally less of a threat than heating, but it is better to avoid plastics known to be problematic anyway just to be safe.  Polycarbonate plastic, marked with #7, contains BPA while polyvinyl chloride, marked with #3, contains potentially harmful phthalates. If a plastic item does not bear a recycling number on its bottom, steer clear as it may well be a mix, which classifies it as a #7 polycarbonate.

Of course, the majority of plastic containers designed for freezer use are safe and, since they can be washed and reused, are a better choice than disposable freezer bags and wraps. For those still leery of using plastic at all, glass containers designed to withstand large temperature extremes, such as Ball Freezing Jars (Mason jars) or anything made by Pyrex—regular glass containers could break when frozen or if thawed too quickly—can be a sensible alternative. Also, beware of loading up glass containers to the brim before freezing; some foods expand when frozen so leaving a little extra room between the top of the food and the bottom of the (airtight) lid is always a good idea.

However you store your frozen delicacies, keep in mind that freezing food may inactivate microbes like bacteria and mold but may not destroy them. According to dietician and author Elaine Magee on the MedicineNet website, just thawing out frozen foods doesn’t necessarily mean they are automatically safe to eat. Foods that require cooking still require cooking for health’s sake after thawing. Also, Magee recommends quickly labeling and dating any foods you are freezing to facilitate purging of potentially spoiled or tasteless food down the line.

CONTACTS: National Center for Home Food Preparation, www.uga.edu/nchfp/; Pyrex, www.pyrex.com; Ball, www.freshpreserving.com; MedicineNet, www.medicinenet.com.

Historic Rhode Island charm. Breathtaking waterfront views. Gourmet food and wine. Shaded, outdoor lounges. Next weekend, wine enthusiasts will flock to the cool Rhode Island seashore for the second-annual Newport WineFest, a lush outdoor bash that boasts cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, wine seminars, and hundreds of wine, beer and spirit tastings.

The founder and executive director of the Boston Wine School, Jonathan Alsop, will lead wine seminars, while locally loved food talent, renowned gourmet chefs, reality TV stars and cookbook authors share their secrets during cooking demonstrations.

Here’s a look at the culinary talent taking on this year’s WineFest:

An open pomegranate (WikiMedia)

It has been nearly a decade since the pomegranate began being widely marketed as a superfood that is full of antioxidants and vitamins. In those newborn moments, around the same time Tom Brady was making us realize that Drew Bledsoe really wasn’t that good, the heart shaped logo commercials started popping up on mainstream television. We were made to believe that if you care about the future of the universe you will drink pomegranate juice or dig around the membrane ridden rind of fruit to collect the obnoxious, finger-staining seeds (arils, actually, as a 27-year-old who sports a yoga mat as a nearly constant accessory is bound to snort to themselves). If you were exceptionally healthy, and occasionally got wheatgrass shots as a social activity, you would drink the juice straight up, riding out the storm of bitterness because you had the foresight that the tannic liquid that sends slight shivers of displeasure up your spine would make you live longer, and therefore be a better person.

This sentiment of healthy living eventually started to trickle down the mountain streams of Prius’ and amateur photography to the hedonistic laymen’s water source located in what most call “mainstream society” (is there a more telling proof that we live in a consumer-based society where the line of who the consumer is and isn’t becomes increasingly blurred with each passing moment than the fact that anyone with an iPhone can state whether or not they like artsy photographs by simply pressing a button and taking artsy photographs? “Hey, look, I appreciate old photos from the twenties. That’s why I put my camera on that setting during Alanna’s birthday at Hunter’s apartment”. You are taking a picture that others can consume, kind of. What you are doing, more so, is consuming a technology that rewards you with pleasurable and instantaneous real life visuals).

Anyways, once that damn pomegranate made its way down here two things happened in succession. First, stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s became inordinately more popular and expanded at a staggering rate because they sold food that was of higher quality; they recognized an opportunity to exist outside of a niche. Then the mainstream supermarkets re-branded themselves and took on more products that would cater to this ever growing demographic of educated east and west coasters while keeping on the products that consisted of processed ingredients which have made Americans happy for decades. The perpetually-failing Trix rabbit began existing in the same aisle as nutritious Kashi Go Lean, whose box consists of a Venn Diagram illustrating the grams of protein, fiber, and low-fat it has (I didn’t know “low-fat” could be the subject of a sentence, but apparently I was wrong. I also heralded Michael Cera as the next Tom Hanks to friends around the time when Superbad and Juno came out. It appears I was wrong about that as well).

During this time 7-11 started carrying Odwalla drinks and Cliff Bars, all of which contain various superfood ingredients and bank off of being as rustic as possible. This used to be the weird food that was at the counter of REI when you were buying hiking boots for summer camp (and you imagined tasted like chalk). Then in 2001 Coca-Cola bought Odwalla, allowing the beverage to, hypothetically, be distributed anywhere.

The Odwalla Superfood drink, which is a deep-green shake that contains barley grass, wheat sprouts, spirulina, and chlorella (as well as a bunch of sweet, everyday fruits), has an ironic, self-deprecating couple paragraphs on its own bottle. The label tells us that the drink looks like vomit, but pleads with us to try it because it tastes so good and is better for you than nearly anything else. This is a conscious maneuver, sort of like the slightly awkward girl being funny and self-deprecating to hang out with the pretty girls. “I know it doesn’t look like I should be here, but I have value. If you think deeply, you will see that.” Odwalla can exist amongst sodas and sports drinks because it knows its place (for better or worse). These health drink and bar companies are now a permanent part of our supermarkets and convenience stores. If you are feeling bad about yourself and you stop at your local mart, you can now choose to buy a drink that looks like pond scum, along with some raw, unsalted almonds and automatically get a quick jolt of pleasure cascading through your brain because, for once, you made a decision that is not harmful to your body (the metaphor involving the less pretty girl could go on here, but I will spare you). The pleasure of eating isn’t just in the barely conscious act of consuming a smorgasbord of simple carbohydrates to escape anymore; it also lies in the super conscious act of consuming things that are good for you.

The chase for the fountain of youth is over; we now have supplements of youth and beta carotene. Finding a shortcut to living forever has been replaced by obsessive types doing everything they can to look young as long as possible and to live for as long as possible (realism replaces daydreaming), genetics be damned. Yet, as I browse through supermarkets and take a look the prices on some items that I feel like I am supposed to eat now, I wonder whether or not this health craze is necessary. Maybe I don’t need that pomegranate to live past 50; maybe we had the secrets all along. All these new supplements and drinks and trendy, rare fruits that you burn 300 calories preparing to eat were marketed as healthy because no one was buying them before. They all needed to say something about themselves to standout. Yet, all these old, tired vegetables that we used to get fed at dinner are, for the most part, just as good for you as these new, skinny jean wearing bastards.

The most valuable thing about the age of nutritional enlightenment is that it has made us conscious that we should take time to think about what we put in our body; not that it gave us new foods to consume. Celebrity nutritionists and their ilk have turned not putting shit into your body into a science, which it doesn’t have to be. Here are some rules to live by that make things simpler than counting the amount of each vitamin you consume on a daily basis:

• If something is green and from nature, eat a lot of it.
• If something is brightly colored and from nature, eat a lot of that as well.
• If an animal is not active and looks fat when it is alive, don’t eat that much of it (to make it clearer; if an animal is involved in games where liquored up hicks push it over, don’t eat a lot of it).
• If an animal runs around and gets exercise while it is alive, you should probably eat a lot of it.
• If a nut is raw, it is very good for you. If a nut is salted, it is kind of good for you. If a nut is honey roasted, it is candy.
• Don’t eat a lot of candy.
• If after eating something you defecate liquid or don’t defecate at all, you probably shouldn’t eat it a lot and should definitely diversify your diet.
• Regarding bread or rice, the darker it is the better it is for you. The lighter the color, the worse it is for you. Eat a lot of the dark kind.
• While writing a piece about food, if you start to sound like Jeff Foxworthy, you are probably a hack.

Farm-raised fish can still absorb mercury, since most fish farms are located in the ocean, close to or abutting the shoreline. They can also absorb PCBs and dioxins, as the near-shore waters they occupy are the first stop for run-off from land-based sources of pollution. Pictured: A fish farm in Shanghai. (Media credit/Ivan Walsh)

Mercury is a neurotoxin that settles into the ocean in large concentrations after we spew it out of industrial smokestacks when burning fossil fuels like coal and oil. It is then taken up by smaller sea life such as plankton and then spread up through the food chain as larger fish eat smaller ones. We humans then eat the mercury-laced seafood—wild salmon, tuna, swordfish and other fish—and breathe it in our air. Repeated exposure to mercury pollution can cause brain, kidney and developmental problems for people.

Farm-raised fish may have somewhat less exposure to mercury than their wild free-foraging cousins because they are usually fed a controlled diet, often consisting of more grains and soy, a cheaper and more abundant source of calories, than fishmeal. But they can still absorb mercury, since most fish farms are themselves located in the ocean, just close to or abutting the shoreline.

Farmed fish can also absorb PCBs and dioxins, as the near-shore waters they occupy are the first stop for run-off from land-based sources of pollution. And the fact that their primary feed source comes from conventionally grown terrestrial crops means that their diets can include trace amounts of pesticides and herbicides as well. Also, most farmed fish are exposed to dose after dose of antibiotics to keep diseases and pests at bay in their crowded underwater pens, much in the way “factory farmed” land animals are drugged to help them cope with cramped, unsanitary conditions. In fact, studies have shown that farm-raised fish have more toxins overall than their wild-caught cousins, though exceptions of course do exist.

The best way to know which fish are safe and which are not is to download a region-specific seafood buying guide from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. These guides aid the decision-making process when shopping for seafood in a store or ordering it at a restaurant by dividing the fish available in that part of the country into three categories: Best Choices, Good Alternatives and Avoid.

And bring your Seafood Watch guide to Trader Joe’s as well—at least for now. In 2010, after months of lobbying by Greenpeace and a growing number of concerned shoppers, Trader Joe’s agreed to offer only “sustainable” seafood in its stores by the end of 2012. To its credit, they already removed endangered Chilean Sea Bass from shelves in 2005, followed by Orange Roughy in 2009 and Red Snapper in 2010.

In the spirit of its recent pledge, however, Trader Joe’s is now working with third-party, science-based organizations to establish definitions and parameters for addressing customer concerns about overfishing, destructive catch or production methods, and the importance of marine reserves. Until 2013 at Trader Joe’s—and indefinitely at other stores that haven’t made specific commitments regarding the sustainability of their seafood—make sure to check that labels disclose the type of fish for sale and its source in regard to wild or farm-raised, and then check that info against the Seafood Watch list.

CONTACTS: Seafood Watch, www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx; Trader Joe’s “Note to Our Customers about Trader Joe’s Seafood,” www.traderjoes.com/about/customer-updates.asp.

On gorgeous summer days, it seems as if everyone heads to restaurant patios and decks for lunch. Yes, it’s nice to be outside, but do you really want to wait forever for a cramped table? The Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro has a romantic, old fashioned and chic solution: a picnic.

Just call ahead one hour and order your meal picnic-style, grab that special someone and dine outside at the Public Gardens (just steps away from the Bistro) or at the location of your choice. They’ll even give you a blanket and a basket!

Choose items from the following menu for your picnic in the park:

Tea-cured gravlax, herbed potato salad, green beans and baby greens, $13

Seasonal greens, pear, goat cheese, endives and hazelnuts, $9

Frisée salad with blue cheese, apples, bacon and walnuts, $9

Mediterranean grilled chicken salad with tomato, feta and green olives, $10

Lentil and farro burger, baby spinach, spiced yogurt and red pepper salad, $12

Steak salad with organic romaine, walnuts, blue cheese, tomatoes and red wine vinaigrette, $18

Grilled ground sirloin burger with Kosher dill pickles and french fries, $13

Baked croque madame, smoked ham, béchamel, soft farm egg with baby greens and pommes frites, $13

Maine crab roll with crème fraîche, red peppers and mustard, greens and pommes frites, $14

The picnic-style menu is available beginning June 6 (and will continue until the weather turns cold) on Mondays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.  For more information, go to www.beaconhillhotel.com or call 617-723-1133 or 617-723-7575.

Americans today spend upwards of $4 billion yearly on soy food products. Although the versatile soybean provides many health benefits, some 90 percent of the U.S. crop is grown using genetically modified seeds, engineered to withstand repeated dousing with Monsanto's herbicide, glyphosate (popularly known as RoundUp). (Media credit/Timothy Valentine via Flickr)

Food products made with soy have enjoyed great popularity in the U.S. and elsewhere in recent years. Two decades ago, Americans spent $300 million a year on soy food products; today we spend over $4 billion. More and more adults are substituting soy—a great source of protein—for meat, while a quarter of all baby formula contains soy instead of milk. Many school lunch programs nationwide have added soy-based veggie burgers to their menus, as have countless restaurants, including diners and fast food chains.

And there are hundreds of other edible uses of the legume, which now vies with corn for the title of America’s most popular agricultural crop. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration promotes the inclusion of soy into other foods to cut down on heart attack risk. Clinical studies have shown that soy can also lower the risk for certain types of breast and prostate cancer.

But there may be a dark side to soy’s popularity and abundance. “Many of soy’s health benefits have been linked to isoflavones—plant compounds that mimic estrogen,” reports Lindsey Konkel in Environmental Health News. “But animal studies suggest that eating large amounts of those estrogenic compounds might reduce fertility in women, trigger premature puberty and disrupt development of fetuses and children.” But before you dump out all your soy foods, note that the operative phrase here is “large amounts” which, in laboratory science, can mean amounts substantially above what one would consume in real life.

Also at issue is that upwards of 90 percent of the U.S. soybean crop is grown using genetically modified (GM) seeds sold by Monsanto. These have been engineered to withstand repeated dousing with the herbicide, glyphosate (also sold by Monsanto and marketed as RoundUp). According to the nonprofit Non GMO Project, this allows soybean farmers to repeatedly spray their fields with RoundUp to kill all weeds (and other nearby plant life) except for the soybean plants they are growing.

The U.S. government permits the sale and consumption of GM foods, but many consumers aren’t so sure it’s OK to eat them—given not only the genetic tinkering but also the exposure to so much glyphosate. Due to these concerns, the European Union has had a moratorium on GM crops of all kinds since 1998.

The fact that genetically modified soy may be present in as much as 70 percent of all food products found in U.S. supermarkets means that a vast majority of Americans may be putting a lot of GM soy into their systems every day. And not just directly via cereals, breads and pasta: Some 98 percent of the U.S. soybean crop is fed to livestock, so consumers of meat, eggs and dairy are indirectly ingesting the products of scientific tinkering with unknown implications for human health.

Since GM soy has only been around and abundant for less than a decade, no one yet knows for sure what the long term health effects, if any, will be on the populations of countries such as the U.S. that swear by it. Natural foods stores like WholeFoods are your best bet for finding non-GM foods of all sorts.

CONTACTS: Environmental Health News, www.environmentalhealthnews.org; Non GMO Project, www.nongmoproject.org.

Although fruits and vegetables are still our best source of nutrients, those grown decades ago were much richer in vitamins and minerals than the varieties most of us get today. The main culprit in this disturbing nutritional trend is soil depletion. (Media credit/Martin Poole via Digital Vision/Thinkstock)

It would be overkill to say that the carrot you eat today has very little nutrition in it—especially compared to some of the other less healthy foods you likely also eat—but it is true that fruits and vegetables grown decades ago were much richer in vitamins and minerals than the varieties most of us get today. The main culprit in this disturbing nutritional trend is soil depletion: Modern intensive agricultural methods have stripped increasing amounts of nutrients from the soil in which the food we eat grows. Sadly, each successive generation of fast-growing, pest-resistant carrot is truly less good for you than the one before.

A landmark study on the topic by Donald Davis and his team of researchers from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry was published in December 2004 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. They studied U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional data from both 1950 and 1999 for 43 different vegetables and fruits, finding “reliable declines” in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin C over the past half century. Davis and his colleagues chalk up this declining nutritional content to the preponderance of agricultural practices designed to improve traits (size, growth rate, pest resistance) other than nutrition.

“Efforts to breed new varieties of crops that provide greater yield, pest resistance and climate adaptability have allowed crops to grow bigger and more rapidly,” reported Davis, “but their ability to manufacture or uptake nutrients has not kept pace with their rapid growth.” There have likely been declines in other nutrients, too, he said, such as magnesium, zinc and vitamins B-6 and E, but they were not studied in 1950 and more research is needed to find out how much less we are getting of these key vitamins and minerals.

The Organic Consumers Association cites several other studies with similar findings: A Kushi Institute analysis of nutrient data from 1975 to 1997 found that average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables dropped 27 percent; iron levels 37 percent; vitamin A levels 21 percent, and vitamin C levels 30 percent. A similar study of British nutrient data from 1930 to 1980, published in the British Food Journal, found that in 20 vegetables the average calcium content had declined 19 percent; iron 22 percent; and potassium 14 percent. Yet another study concluded that one would have to eat eight oranges today to derive the same amount of Vitamin A as our grandparents would have gotten from one.

What can be done? The key to healthier produce is healthier soil. Alternating fields between growing seasons to give land time to restore would be one important step. Also, foregoing pesticides and fertilizers in favor of organic growing methods is good for the soil, the produce and its consumers. Those who want to get the most nutritious fruits and vegetables should buy regularly from local organic farmers.

UT’s Davis warns that just because fruits and vegetables aren’t as healthy as they used to be doesn’t mean we should avoid them. “Vegetables are extraordinarily rich in nutrients and beneficial phytochemicals,” he reported. “They are still there, and vegetables and fruits are our best sources for these.”

CONTACTS: Journal of the American College of Nutrition, www.jacn.org; Kushi Institute, www.kushiinstitute.org; Organic Consumers Association, www.organicconsumers.org.

Jeff Hayward of the United Way (left), Carlos Mangual of Goya Foods (middle), and Tan Shu, a student at Boston University (right), help sort donations at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury on March 16. (Media Credit/John Mottern)

To celebrate its 75th anniversary, Goya Foods donated 75,000 pounds of food to 10 Greater Boston food pantries earlier this month, providing enough food to feed 60,000 needy families.

Goya’s donations to local food banks in Boston, Chelsea, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn and Quincy on March 16 were part of a larger initiative, the Goya Gives campaign, in which Goya and the United Way donated one million pounds of food across the nation, enough to feed three million people. The company’s philanthropy also extended to other parts of the world, with the donation of 75,000 pounds of food sent to troops serving overseas and 100,000 cans of coconut water sent to victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Robert Unanue, president of Goya Foods, said, “Giving has always been an integral part of our culture, so as we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we wanted to give back to the communities that have always supported us. At a time when millions of Americans are facing food insecurity, this donation reinforces our commitment to aiding in the fight against hunger, so we thank United Way for helping us execute this day of giving.”

At Roxbury’s Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, student volunteers from the Boston area took part in an “alternative spring break,” helping Goya and United Way unload, sort and distribute the donated food to pantries.

For more information on the Goya Gives campaign and to donate to the United Way, go to www.goyagives.org.

Jessica Harper is an actress who has appeared in more than 40 movies and television shows in her career. In the 1970s, she appeared in such films as the horror classic “Suspiria” and the controversial “Inserts” with Richard Dreyfuss. In 1980 she played Woody Allen’s love interest in his ode to Federico Fellini, “Stardust Memories.” More recently she played Anne Lively in Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report.”

But since her marriage to Fox CEO Tom Rothman and subsequent motherhood, she has changed her focus. Harper has recorded seven children’s music albums and written eleven children’s stories (including “Nora’s Room.”) Her latest endeavor is “The Crabby Cook Cookbook,” is filled with anecdotes from her family life, along with simple, easy to make recipes for any “crabby cook” with limited patience for the kitchen.

Jessica recently sat down with Blast Magazine during her book tour.

BLAST: When did the transition happen between your movie career and writing music and books for children, then writing this cookbook?

JESSICA HARPER: It came when my first daughter was born in 1989. I kept working, doing mostly TV in the ‘90’s because it was easier to manage. I did the Garry Shandling Show. But I mostly wanted to be home raising the children. So I pulled back from acting and started writing and doing these things that I wanted to do that actually involved the children and was about the children. All this music that I wrote and the books all came out of the love of being a mother and being with my kids, and at the same time it gave me a creative outlet so I wouldn’t jump out the window (laughs.)

BLAST: Did you also go into all these different mediums to challenge yourself?

JH: Yeah, I start to think “Well, I did that why don’t I try something else?” For example,

I was writing this children’s music and I said to myself “Why don’t I take a little story out of this song and see if I can make it into a book” and then “well I published this book, why don’t I see if I can publish a book for adults?” I constantly want to do new things all the time and keep evolving. I mean, I have that luxury, partly because my husband has a good day job, I have the ability to try new things. I like to keep things fresh.

BLAST: What are some of your favorite recipes and stories in this book?

JH: I love the one about dinner with the fake grandmother. It’s a story about my childhood and going to visit my grandfather and my poor fake grandmother. She was fake because wasn’t the original grandmother, she was the young second grandmother. I love the story because it tells a lot about my childhood. There is a story connected to a story about tomato sauce which I like because it says so much about my husband and me. In it our car breaks down on the freeway because he is someone who will not stop and get gas until the car stops, and he won’t ask for directions. So he gets in the car with this guy named Louie who was driving by to get gas and Louie tells him in the car that he has just broken up with his wife and he also tells him he is going home to make tomato sauce. As my husband is telling me this and I said, “You didn’t ask him for the recipe for tomato sauce?” Which is the absolute last question on earth my husband would ever ask anybody. Then there is a story about how Richard Gere came over for an impromptu dinner with Cindy Crawford and I made this horrible chicken pot pie.

BLAST: The book is filled with many stories that go along with the recipes. Did you write this book as something that people could use in the kitchen and just simply read on the train or before bed as entertainment? Also, the book is written in a very relatable way. Did you consciously avoid coming off as the stereotypical Hollywood family?

JH: Yeah, I really meant it to be as a book you could read and ignore the recipes if you want to. A lot of crabby cooks, they don’t want to deal with recipes. I’ve talked to many people who told me they just read it as a novel, and that was definitely my intention.

As far your other question, I come from the Midwest, my husband comes from Baltimore. We’re just not those types of people. We try to keep our children’s feet firmly planted on the ground. I have a friend who is the wife of a studio head and she will fly to the spa and go hang out on a yacht with the other wives of studio executives. I just don’t do that, I try to shy away from that stuff. I didn’t want the book to be driven by celebrities, though there are a few stories about celebrities, I wanted it to be about family life. Here are these characters and a lot of people can relate to it.

BLAST: What was your motivation behind writing this book?

JH: Well my children were grown, and what I do creatively usually reflects what’s going on in my life. I was feeling a little crabby and I just started writing these stories about food events and my family life, and the one about the famous wife that came to dinner. All these stories that were related to family feed and I got such a kick out of writing them I thought that maybe this could be a book if I could get together all these recipes. I just kept writing them and putting together an idea for a book and I wanted to tell the story of my family life, but from a funny perspective that would resonate with people and avoid the style of a memoir. It was moving on from the world of young children and motherhood into where I am now in relation to my family and reflecting on where we have come as a family.

BLAST: Do you plan on writing more cookbooks?

JH: Right now I’m so busy doing promoting this book I don’t know what I’m doing next. I have thought about writing a sequel to this, which would be similar in format, but I’m not entirely sure what is happening. I have a couple things percolating that might pull me in a certain direction. I have a TV possibility. There’s a new food magazine The Parade is publishing called Dash, and I’ll be writing a blog for them as “The Crabby Cook.” It’s going in the direction of my being known as “The Crabby Cook” and it’s just a question of when I will get to the point where I say, “Well now I want to do something else?”

Going out for a romantic meal is always a treat; it’s something out of the ordinary, a perfect excuse to slip on a little black dress, order a couple of fancy cocktails, devour scrumptious course after course and top it all off with a decadently rich dessert. But while we can all appreciate the pleasure that accompanies a wonderful meal out on the town, there’s something particularly special and possibly even more romantic about a meal that’s prepared with love and tenderness in the comfort of your own home. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a romantic dinner at home? The ultimate statement of affection, if done right, a romantic dinner at home can also be something quite out of the ordinary, perhaps a brand new reason to put on that little black dress and indulge.

When selecting the perfect menu for this romantic meal, it’s important to keep in mind that the whole point of a Valentine’s dinner at home is to be comfortable, to relax and to fully enjoy the meal you have prepared and the company of the person you love. Slaving over the stove the entire night or worrying that the chocolate soufflé you have baking in the oven might fall should you set your wine glass down too hard pretty much drains all romance out of the equation. So rather than attempting to whip up the most intricate recipe or the most delicate of desserts, choosing a main course that is at once delectable and stress-free, a dessert that is sweet and simple, and a bubbly cocktail to wash it all down is definitely the way to go.

Delicious bowls of Beef Bourguignon (Media Credit/roland via Flickr)

My guide to a romantic Valentine’s dinner at home starts with the perfect main dish: Beef Bourguignon. Hearty and soul satisfying, this wine-rich beef stew is loaded with earthy mushrooms, smoky bacon and sweet pearl onions. I have two favorite recipes for this classic French dish: one is the ever-so-famous Boeuf a la Bourguignonne from Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” and the other comes from Food Network star Ina Garten’s “Barefoot in Paris.” Whether you follow one of these recipes strictly or pull elements from the two, it’s pretty much impossible to mess this one up.

The ingredient list includes diced bacon, cubes of beef, mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, red wine, tomato paste, beef broth and, of course, butter. The essential preparation involves rendering the bacon, sautéing the vegetables in the fat, adding the beef, stock, and flavorings, and letting everything marry together in the pot. Each recipe has its own nuances, but the end result is the same: a thick, rich, meaty French stew that is as easy to make as it is to devour. Best of all, it tastes even better the day after it’s been prepared. Simply pull this masterpiece together the day before Valentine’s Day, allowing it to simmer for about one to three hours on the stove or in the oven so that all of the flavors can meld together and the beef can become perfectly tender. On Valentine’s Day night, heat it on the stove for about 30 minutes before serving it. While the stew bubbles way on the stove, sit back and relax. Served with a thick slice of sourdough toast rubbed with garlic, or some buttered noodles to soak up the beautiful sauce, Beef Bourguignon is the ultimate Valentine’s treat.

To wash down this decadent meal, a light and bubbly cocktail is the perfect complement. Champagne or Prosecco mixed with elderflower liqueur, a splash of tangy grapefruit juice and a sprig of mint is an elegant drink that does not compete with the flavors in the dish. These other romantic cocktail ideas, courtesy of Turning Leaf, are easy to make and are fun alternatives to the typical glass of wine.

Turning Leaf Ruby Red Spritzer

Ruby Red Spritzer

2 slices ruby red grapefruit
1 ounce pineapple juice
3 ounces ginger ale
3 ounces Turning Leaf Chardonnay

Combine grapefruit, pineapple juice and chardonnay in a pint glass with ice. Cover and shake well. Pour into desired glass and top off with ginger ale.

Romantic Red Sangria

1 pint cherries
1 pint raspberries
1 pint strawberries
Bottle of Turning Leaf Merlot
1 liter of black cherry soda

Place cherries, raspberries and strawberries in a large pitcher.  Pour in merlot and let stand at room temperature for about one hour.  Add black cherry soda. Serve over ice.

Turning Leaf Romantic Red Sangria

For dessert, I recommend something on the lighter side to round out this rather rich main dish. I always enjoy a bowl of frozen yogurt, Greek yogurt, or vanilla ice cream served with roasted fruit. You can use halved stone fruits such as peaches and plums drizzled with honey and cinnamon, or chunks of pineapple sprinkled with brown sugar and cracked black pepper. Place the fruit in a baking dish (cut-side up for the stone fruit) and pop into the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the fruit is soft, bubbly and caramelized. The fruit can be placed in the oven right before serving the main course, and will be hot and ready to eat as soon as the stew has been devoured. Spooned over a cold scoop of ice cream or yogurt, this fruity dessert is a refreshing end to a hearty meal.

Preparing a romantic Valentine’s dinner at home like the one I’ve just described is almost as easy as making a reservation at a fancy restaurant, not to mention a whole lot less expensive. So rather than bundling up and braving the cold weather only to share a meal with 50 other couples who are sitting on top of you, why not try something new for a change? Show your special someone how much you care by preparing a homemade feast, and indulging in a relaxing, love-filled evening right in your very own home.

Okay, just because the Patriots aren’t in the Superbowl this year doesn’t mean you have to sit around and sulk all day. This Sunday represents an opportunity to drink, eat and drink some more. You’re probably good to go on the drinking front, so I’m going to focus on the food. Superbowl Sunday is a day for guilty pleasures and meat; just try serving 12 guys screaming at the TV a nice steaming bowl of eggplant parm. Instead, try one of these ideas. They’re all super easy to make and won’t require you to miss a minute of the big game. And guys, don’t wait for your girlfriends to whip up these tasty treats. They’re all man-proof and easy as can be!

(Media Credit/Marshall Astor via Flickr)

Pulled pork

There is nothing more delicious and easy than a pile of tender, barbecue flavored pig. It takes just these simple steps:

• Buy a big pork butt.
• Toss it in a slow cooker with about 3 cups of water and a ton of BBQ sauce.
• Cook on high until pork pulls apart easily with a fork (6 to 8 hours).
• Slap it on some buns and watch it disappear in minutes.

Chili

The great thing about chili is you can throw pretty much anything you want in there. Here’s what I do:

(Media Credit/Andy Melton via Flickr)

• Put a big pot on the stove over low heat and pour in a big can of crushed tomatoes and a can of spicy chili beans.
• In a skillet, saute garlic and chopped fresh hot peppers (I use a lot; it just depends how spicy you want it) with ground beef or turkey. Throw in a little salt and pepper.
• When the meat is done cooking, put it in the big pot with the tomatoes. Let the flavors mingle for as long as you want, or serve it right away with cheddar sprinkled on top.

Fool-proof, right?!

Cocktail wieners

These are just as easy as the previous two but slightly more time consuming. Here’s what to do before people arrive:

• Buy a can of easy homemade croissants, like the kind Pillsbury makes. Unroll the triangles of dough. Cut each triangle into three strips (they will be slightly different sizes). Spread mustard lightly on each strip. I like to put a small piece of cheese inside as well.
• Roll up a cocktail wiener in each strip, along with the cheese or relish or whatever little bit of deliciousness you can fit in there.
• When the game is on and you’re ready to eat them, stick them in the oven for the time given on the croissant can. Serve with BBQ sauce or ketchup.

It’s not always easy to decide where to eat in Boston with so many new restaurants to try. Until recently, it seemed that foodies were the only ones who knew exactly where to go to have delicious, memorable and affordable dinners out. Luckily, the Internet has brought together people who know about good food, and now they’re sharing it with the masses.

Aaron Cohen, author of @EatBoston since 2009 and chef Will Gilson of Garden at the Cellar are the masterminds behind WhereToEat.in and the Pop-Up restaurant, a concept that involves serving five-course meals for three nights only at places where fine dining, or any food at all, is not typically served. This past weekend their second installation came to life at Bloc 11 Café in Somerville.

But how do you “pop-up” a restaurant exactly? It’s fairly easy, but takes a lot of organization: Choose a place that is not a restaurant, set it up to serve a five-course meal, charge a base entrance price for a number of people, and enjoy. In the fall of 2010 the first Pop-Up was hosted at the acclaimed antiques shop Mohr & McPherson in the South End. Patrons paid $60 and ate, amongst other dishes, black truffle and pistachio sausage with parsnip puree and turnips, local cod wrapped in speck with thyme-infused potatoes and romeso sauce, and honey and lavender panna cotta with almond crumble and luxardo foam.

At these Pop-Up locations, the kitchen is a food truck or an improvised cooking space. The tables become communal so that couples or solo diners can have a chance to meet others and enjoy the atmosphere or conversation as much as they enjoy the meal.

Last weekend, 180 lucky people ate whiskey-cured salmon and a sunchoke potato-pancake-like rosti as a starter, an entrée of coffee-rubbed pork tenderloin with beet mole, charred onion sauce and edamame ragout, and an espresso pot de crème with vanilla bean cake, cashew crumble and coconut for dessert. On Sunday, vegetarians enjoyed meals from a specialty menu Gilson prepared.

Chef Will Gilson

The organizers hope to keep the $60 price for future dinners. Considering that at fine dining restaurants a single person can pay up to $60 for an appetizer, an entrée and maybe a drink, with no tip or tax included, these five-course meals are not-to-miss deals.

“We’d think about opening the Pop-Up any place that people might enjoy a restaurant-style meal,” said Cohen. “The memories of taste are somewhat ephemeral. You might remember having had a good meal, but it’s unlikely you’ll remember how much salt was in the soup unless there was too much or not enough. Playing with lengthening and strengthening those memories is one of the things we’re working on.”

After all, memories do last a lifetime. Maybe that is why the tickets for this weekend sold out in two weeks. Then again, Cohen is also known locally for organizing great events such as the Bacon and Beer Festival. Gilson is a popular chef who lives by the belief of using local, sustainable, fresh and seasonal ingredients at Garden at the Cellar.

Additionally, the fact that the dinners are open to everyone on a first-come, first-served basis makes people feel excited about getting into an exclusive, but welcoming, event. Tickets, not connections, are all you need to get in.

“We cap capacity, but that’s what dictates the exclusivity,” Cohen said. He explained that the pair doesn’t want to create a type of “supper club” or by-invitation-only dinner at a chef’s house where people have to know somebody in order to get in.

“Will has a phenomenal track record for putting out amazing food,” Cohen continued. “I hope I’ve got a track record of putting together events that are creative, fun and a good value. We have a certain level of credibility with the folks who have eaten Will’s food or attended our events. This credibility is incredibly valuable and we know we couldn’t sell tickets without it. It’s definitely one of the things we keep in mind when planning our events: How can we keep making people happy?”

For those who nabbed tickets for last weekend’s Pop-Up, we hope you enjoyed your tasty dinners. For the rest of us, there’s not a long wait to try to get in on the action. Cohen said that they will try to have a Pop-Up once a month. Also, other events including Ginger Explosion 2 and Monsters of Pork are in the works. It looks like it will be a year of good eating for all of us.

Dorchester-Milton Restaurant Week kicks off on Monday, Jan. 17, and lasts through Monday, Jan. 31. Participating in this year’s event are Dorchester’s 224 Boston Street, Ashmont Grill, The Blarney Stone, dbar, Ledge Kitchen & Drinks and Tavolo, and Milton’s 88 Wharf and Abby Park. Each will offer a unique and inspired three-course meal on Sunday through Thursday evenings for just $30.11. While all eight restaurants will still offer their usual menu selections during Restaurant Week, the special menu that each has crafted for this event is a showcase of their culinary creativity and a perfect way to discover what each restaurant is all about.

Ashmont Grill

555 Talbot Ave., Dorchester
617-825-4300
Ashmont Grill offers its diners a taste of traditional American comfort food. Typical dinner items include Fish and Chips ($18) and a childhood favorite, a Pearl Hot Dog with hand-cut fries ($6). A fun, friendly and lively destination, the restaurant is no newcomer to special events. Every Monday at 6:30 p.m., Ashmont Grill hosts a wine club, complete with a four-course meal for just $35. Items from this year’s Restaurant Week menu include Split Pea Soup with smoked ham, Pan Seared Mackerel with poached potatoes and a decadent Banana Upside-Down Cake.

The Blarney Stone

1505 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester
617-436-8223
Legendary as America’s first bar to sell draught Guinness, The Blarney Stone is a must for anyone craving hearty classics such as tangy Buffalo Chicken Tenders ($9) and Chicken Parmesan served over pasta ($14). Their Restaurant Week menu offers soul-warming fare such as Maine Lobster Bisque, Chicken Milanese served with herb roasted potatoes and warm swiss chard and a traditional Italian Tiramisu.

dbar

1236 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester
617-265-4490
dbar dishes out fine cuisine and offers a happening nightlife. At dbar, a French influence works to transform classic American comfort foods into totally unique dishes, pairing familiar favorites with sophisticated ingredients. Items from their standard menu include Brioche French Toast ($7.95), a Melted Leek and Chevre Omelet ($9.95), and Seared Diver’s Scallops ($21). Their Restaurant Week menu features elegant selections including Crispy Duck Confit served with wild mushroom salad, Truffled Mac and Cheese and a Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee.

Ledge Kitchen & Drinks

2261 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester
617-698-2261
Ledge Kitchen & Drinks offers a massive selection of satisfying dishes, including an Irish Breakfast ($12), Ledge Crab Cakes ($16), and a Stuffed Pork Chop ($18). Their Restaurant Week menu mirrors their usual hearty fare: Stuffed Golden Onion Rings, Braised Osso Bucco with crispy polenta, Passion Fruit Crème Brulee and Spicy Hot Chocolate served with homemade cookies.

Tavolo

1918 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester
617-822-1918
Tavolo is a true neighborhood joint; it’s a “comfortable spot where everybody knows your name.” In addition to its relaxed atmosphere, Tavolo offers its diners a selection of refined Italian dishes. Tavolo’s dinner menu features tasty appetizers such as their Spreadables with Tuscan beans, whipped ricotta, roasted garlic and grilled toast ($12), meat-filled Lasagna ($18) and a vegetarian lasagna layered with ricotta, tomatoes and braised greens, all slathered with a creamy béchamel sauce ($16). Their Restaurant Week menu will feature scrumptious Italian fare, including Risotto flavored with Prosecco, foraged mushrooms and pecorino cheese; Roasted Rainbow Trout served with potato salad, capers, anchovies and a radish-dill crème fraiche; and a Ricotta Pound Cake with fresh fruit compote.

88 Wharf

88 Wharf St., Milton
857-598-4826
The menu at 88 Wharf presents a variety of sophisticated cuisine. 88 Wharf is open for brunch, dinner and Social Hour. The latter takes place on weeknights from 5 to 6 p.m. and after 9 p.m. when the kitchen offers elegant bites such as roasted olives and truffled potato chips ($1 to $5) The regular dinner menu stars the 88 Grill selection, a choice of three cuts of all natural, grass-fed beef from Brandt Farms served as the customer likes with a choice of sauces and sides ($18 to $27). Their Restaurant Week menu maintains the same level of European sophistication, with options including Pumpkin Tortelloni with foie-gras truffle butter; Duck Confit Risotto with cranberries, roasted mushrooms, chives and marsala; and a Chocolate-Caramel Brioche Bread Pudding.

Abby Park

550 Adams St., Milton
617-696-8700
Incorporating a selection of fresh, local seafood, produce and dairy into its cuisine, Abby Park is an avid supporter of its community and a proponent of local, natural and organic ingredients. The restaurant offers weekly specials such as $2 Tapas on Tuesdays and $1 Oysters at the bar on Wednesdays. Abby Park serves up an eclectic mix of modern American fare fused with Mediterranean and European flavors, such as the Meze Plate ($11) and Short Ribs of Beef braised in red wine and Guinness ($28). Their Restaurant Week menu includes Crispy Shrimp and Calamari with lemon aioli; Salmon Aqua Pazza seared with spicy tomato caper basil sauce; and a choice of any dessert from their regular menu.

224 Boston Street

224 Boston St., Dorchester
617-265-1217
224 Boston Street serves up contemporary American cuisine prepared with fresh, high quality ingredients. The standard menu features such comforting American classics as Herb Baked Meatloaf served with sour cream and chive potatoes ($15.50) and the Boston Street Cod Cakes with shoestring fries and homemade tartar sauce ($16.50). Their Restaurant Week menu includes select dishes from their regular menu, including Grilled Center-Cut Lamb Loin Chops with Roasted Plum Tomato, Eggplant and Manzanilla Olive Coponata; Pistachio Crusted Chicken Breast with an Orange Marmalade Cream Sauce and Goat Cheese Ravioli; and a Death By Chocolate dessert.

If your idea of macaroni and cheese comes in a box and with a packet of no-refrigeration-necessary bright orange goo, your palate hates you. Redeem yourself and get hungry: New Hampshire’s Macaroni and Cheese Bake Off is just around the corner.

Hosted by New Hampshire dairy farmers, this year’s competition will be the first of its kind in the state. Mac and cheese lovers from all over can channel their inner Padma Lakshmi or Tom Colicchio and vote for their favorite recipes for the People’s Choice Award. You can taste the cheesy goodness from the following four categories: the best mac and cheese from a restaurant or chef, the best mac and cheese made solely with New Hampshire-made milk and cheese, the best mac and cheese made with any state’s cheese and the most creative or exotic mac and cheese.

The expert judges are Jeffrey Paige, chef and owner of Manchester, New Hampshire’s award-winning Cotton restaurant, Charlie Burke, president of the New Hampshire Farm to Restaurant Connection and Rob Morrill, a New Hampshire dairy farmer. The winning mac and cheese in the New Hampshire-made category will be featured on Cotton’s menu. The winner from each category will move on and compete to be the ultimate mac and cheese master, the grand champion.

Details

What: The first New Hampshire Mac and Cheese Bake Off

When: Saturday, January 15 at 2 p.m.

Where: Holiday Inn, 172 North Main St., Concord, New Hampshire

Tickets: $12 at the door

For more information, go here.

Dear EarthTalk: I work at a fast food place and I am appalled by the amount of unpurchased food we throw away. The boss says we can’t give it away for legal reasons. Where can I turn for help on this, so the food could instead go to people in need? — Ryan Jones, Richland, WA

Many U.S. food businesses will not donate excess food to those in need due to liability concerns. However, it is an unfounded fear because laws in all 50 states protect food donors from civil and criminal liability for good faith donations. (Brand X Pictures)

Many restaurants, fast food or otherwise, are hesitant to donate unused food due to concerns about liability if people get sick after eating it—especially because once any such food is out of the restaurant’s hands, who knows how long it might be before it is served again. But whether these restaurants know it or not, they cannot be held liable for food donated to organizations, and sometimes all it might take to change company policy would be a little advocacy from concerned employees.

A 1995 survey found that over 80 percent of food businesses in the U.S. did not donate excess food due to liability concerns. In response, Congress passed the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act, which releases restaurants and other food organizations from liability associated with the donation of food waste to nonprofits assisting individuals in need. The Act protects donors in all 50 states from civil and criminal liability for good faith donations of “apparently wholesome food”—defined as meeting “all quality and labeling standards imposed by Federal, State and local laws and regulations even though the food may not be readily marketable due to appearance, age, freshness, grade, size, surplus or other condition.”

While homeless shelters, elder care organizations and boys and girls clubs are frequent beneficiaries of food donations, the most common recipients are food banks and food rescue programs. Food banks, according to California’s CalRecycle website, “collect food from a variety of sources, save the food in a warehouse, then distribute it to hungry families and individuals through local human service agencies.” They usually collect less perishable items like canned goods, which can be stored and used any time. In contrast, food rescue programs typically trade in perishable and prepared foods, distributing it to agencies that feed hungry people, usually later that same day. Mama’s Health, a leading health education website, maintains an extensive free database of food banks and food rescue programs state-by-state.

Unused or even partially eaten food waste can also be utilized even if it’s not edible by human standards. The U.S. Department of Agriculture approves of food businesses giving or selling food waste to local farmers for use in composting or as animal feed. If such food contains or has come into contact with meat, it should be boiled for 30 minutes to reduce the risk of bacterial infections in the animals that eat it. Many states have complementary laws on the books regulating the donation of food waste at the local level.

Many cities and town are now expanding curbside pickup programs to include kitchen scraps and yard waste and then diverting the food waste into profitable compost. Still, some 6.7 percent of the solid waste going into landfills consists of food discards, reports the North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance. Diverting food waste to feed hungry people or for animal feed or compost is a winning scenario for all concerned parties as it not only provides relief to overburdened landfills but also helps meet social welfare, agricultural and environmental needs. Also, those restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses that donate food will likely reap the additional reward of saving money on their actual waste removal bill as their trash bins and dumpsters won’t be filling up quite so fast.

CONTACTS: CalRecycle, www.calrecycle.ca.gov; Mama’s Health, www.mamashealth.com; North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance, www.p2pays.org.

Dear EarthTalk: I am looking for a small, modular home to put on a piece of vacation property. What’s available that could meet my needs and be easier on the environment than building a traditional house from scratch? – Rob Sherman, Minneapolis, MN

Self-contained modular homes that can be partially or even fully fabricated in advance are now all the rage among green architects and those committed to more sustainable living. Pictured: the exterior and interior of a modular home from the Latvian firm Esclice

First utilized by relief and aid missions around the world to house workers or refugees, self-contained modular homes that can be partially or even fully fabricated in advance are now all the rage among green architects and those committed to more sustainable living—and they’re beginning to pop all across North America and beyond, mostly for use as guest houses and vacation cabins. The benefits of such homes versus their larger traditional counterparts are many. In theory, prefabrication generates less waste, uses less energy, and provides more opportunities for the incorporation of greener construction methods and technologies. Most such buildings are also less demanding on the home site of choice.

One of the leaders in this fast-growing sector of residential construction is Toronto’s Sustain Design Studio, which has been building on its miniHome concept for almost a decade. The firm’s miniHomes range from single- to double-wide sizes and can fit into trailer parks or small urban lots accordingly, but are also optimized for off-grid self-sufficiency in wide open or wilderness areas. The buildings, which are mostly prefabricated at Sustain’s Toronto build facility, combine energy efficient systems with beautiful finishes that make owners feel like they are indulging yet remaining true to their green ideals.

Sustain’s California miniHome, for example, comes complete with all millwork, cabinets, plumbing fixtures and appliances, as well as high efficiency lighting circuits, plug-and-play connections to renewable power sources, sustainably sourced woods, and a built-in HVAC/water system that generates 20 times fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional home—all for under $150,000.

Another player is the Latvian firm Esclice, whose buildings can be installed on-site by two workers in two hours once foundation posts, water and wastewater hook-ups and electricity are in place. Other design studios building similar homes include Quikhouse, Zerocabin, Method Homes and Stem Design Works.

Of course, potential buyers should keep in mind that a home’s construction is just a fraction of its life-cycle carbon footprint—small pre-fab houses are built by people who also drive to work, watch TV and sometimes take long showers—plus, producing and shipping steel, concrete and other building materials are the major drivers behind any building’s carbon and energy footprint, wherever it’s manufactured.

Bearing that in mind, Seattle-based HyBrid Architecture has come up with an interesting slice on the sustainable small home idea: “cargotecture,” which describes the buildings it creates out of empty ISO shipping containers (those large boxes used for long-distance international shipping that one sees stacked atop giant cargo ships). Since many of these containers make just one-way trips from China, HyBrid has a lot of raw material to choose from. A single 8’ x 20’ container yields 160 square feet of living space, and the structures can be placed side-by-side or stacked up to eight high for more interior square footage. And while no one wants to live in a shipping container, HyBrid cuts doors and windows out of them and finishes them outside so that they look like modern yet nevertheless somewhat traditional buildings.

CONTACTS: Sustain, www.sustain.ca; Esclice, www.esclice.eu/houses/en; Quikhouse, www.quik-build.com; Stem Design Works, www.stemcreativespace.com; Zerocabin, www.zerocabin.com; Method Homes, www.methodhomes.net; HyBrid Architecture, www.hybridseattle.com/cargotecture.html.

Dorchester’s Ashmont Grill is giving you a delicious reason to get out of that comfy bed on Sundays: their brunch menu has been given a makeover!

New Dishes

Apple Pie French Toast ($12), made with apple brandy, roasted local apples, and topped with streusel.

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes ($10) with candied walnuts and whipped cream.

The Full English ($14), a feast of poached eggs, smoked ham, sausage, baked beans, and a baked tomato.

Croque Madame ($12), toasted brioche with a fried egg, Swiss cheese, ham, and hollandaise sauce.

Chilequiles ($10), a scramble of eggs, jalapenos, onion, salsa verde and sour cream served with warm corn tortillas.

The Ashmont Cobb ($12), an upgrade from the original with a soft boiled egg and smokey bleu cheese.

New Fall Menu Items

Wild Mushroom and Fontina Tartlet served with a “shot” of butternut squash soup and a salad.

Locally-harpooned shark with root vegetables and Swiss chard in a red wine reduction sauce.

Gingerbread Pudding with bourbon apples and crème fraiche.

Guinness Cake with Bailey’s Irish Cream mousse.

The best part? They offer five versions of the Bloody Mary for those who like to drink before noon: the Classic, the Maria, the Pepper and Paprika, the Bloody Citrus, and the Bloody Bleu.

MIAMI — A local produce company wants your soups and salads to have a little more color this season.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods recently unveiled a bright red celery variant, which it plans to start selling in December under the trade name Celery Sensations.

“It has the same great crisp, fresh flavor as regular celery,” Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ President Dan Duda said in a statement.

The red veggie was unveiled recently at the U.S. Produce Marketing Association’s annual Fresh Summit Trade Show in Orlando, Fla. on Saturday.

The company said it developed the red vegetable, which has the same crunch as regular celery with a milder flavor, by cross-pollinating regular celery with an old Eastern European heritage celery root.

Free wine samples? Complementary hors d’oeuvres? A little vino education? Yes, please!

Thanks to chef and owner Antonio Bettencourt of Salem’s 62 Restaurant and Wine Bar, you can have all of the above every Wednesday night from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. During this ongoing series called “Bread, Salt, Wine,” experts from Boston Wine School, Red White Boston, Second Glass, Local Wine Events, and Boston Uncorked will enlighten guests with information about the night’s wine samples. Those who buy a bottle of wine during the tasting will be rewarded with free tapas-like bites called “sputini.”

Of the series, Bettencourt said, “We wanted to create a fun, unpretentious environment where diners could come in, try amazing wines, eat great food, socialize, and learn from these amazing Boston resources.”

Upcoming schedule

October 20 — Red White Boston

October 27 — The Second Glass

November 3 — Boston Wine School

November 10 — Boston Uncorked

November 17 — Local Wine Events

To RSVP, contact press@62restaurant.com.

(Media credit/Phil Dragash)

American eaters are very serious about their hamburgers. In fact, it would be hard to imagine a more American food than the all American burger.

Now, after sampling those sought after sandwiches from dozens of chain restaurants, Consumer Reports has named the McDonald’s hamburger the worst-tasting burger.

The magazine surveyed 28-thousand people nationwide to come up with the rankings on a ten point scale. Of course, not every hamburger chain was covered in the survey. For example high end chain The Counter was left out of the survey. Five Guys and In-N-Out Burger topped the list. McDonald’s biggest rival Burger King came in tied for next to last place in burger taste tests.

So, why do McDonald’s burgers score so low? My discriminating burger palette tells me reason number one that the Golden Arches fail the taste test would be that their ground beef patties are frozen. When meat is frozen, the freezing process pulls the natural moisture out of the meat. So, when the meat is defrosted, much of that natural moisture "runs off" leaving a drier, less rich tasting product.

Second, because of the speed in which McDonald’s, or any other fast food burger restaurant has to serve their burgers, the patties are cooked ahead of time. Who knows how long that burger has been sitting there in the warming unit? Even though McDonald’s, Burger King and the rest of the chains have standards on how long they hold their burgers, it would be reasonable to assume that the burgers are not "cooked to order".

From a quality and taste comparison, it would be hard to compare a McDonald’s burger (especially their "Dollar Value Menu" hamburger, which has a much smaller pattie and distinctly inferior taste to their higher end burger offerings) to a Five Guys or an In-And-Out Burger as in both of the latter restaurants, the burgers are almost always cooked to order. Of course, you pay for this higher quality and better taste in higher prices and in longer cook times. At either Five Guys or In-And-Out Burger, you’re looking at up to 10 to 15 minute cook times. Can you imagine sitting in a McDonald’s drive thru for 15 minutes, without threatening to McFlurry the kid behind the window? So, certainly convenience, speed and price, rather than taste, have a lot to do with McDonald’s burgers selling billions of their burgers each year.

On the other hand, why do McDonald’s fries continue to do so well in taste tests? McDonald’s fries are frozen as compared to Five Guys whose fries are fresh cut. In the old days, though, McDonald’s fries were also fresh cut and fried in a blend of beef tallow (fat) and cotton seed oil that made the fries delicious. My spies deep within the Mickey D’s organization (OK, a high schooler I know who works there after school) tells me that McDonald’s fries are made with a "natural" seasoning that duplicates the taste profile of the original fries cooked in beef tallow. I’d also theorize that human beings’ tastes are determined in the first years of their lives. So, after generations of Americans have been raised on Happy Meals, we are programmed from toddlerhood forward to love McDonald’s fries.

What makes Five Guys and In-And-Out Burger score so well with those surveyed? Both serve fresh ground beef cooked to order and served on freshly baked buns, but, moreover, at both of these places, you can pick whatever combination of ingredients you desire to top off your burger. Hand leaf lettuce, fresh cut tomatoes, saut©ed mushrooms, saut©ed onions, raw onions and lots more.

Americans have strong opinions about what makes a great burger. And, it appears that Five Guys and In-And-Out have the right recipe for success; instead of quick and pre-fabricated, burger barons want their fast food chains to start off with great quality ingredients, and then let them "have it your way" when it comes to putting it all together. Hmm, haven’t we heard that jingle somewhere before?

Around the world, communities that cannot afford to keep fresh water supplies clean, safe and accessible have increasingly turned over management to private companies. (Media credit/Kris Krug)

Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that some countries have turned over public water supplies to private companies, effectively denying local communities much-needed access? — J. Johnson, Lancaster, PA

Water is such an important part of life that it has long been regarded as a public good worth entrusting only to public entities. But given the mixed track record of municipal, regional and national governments to properly manage water resources, outsourcing to private companies is becoming more common. But critics of such privatization point out that the end result for consumers is not always so positive.

Perhaps the best known example transpired in Bolivia in the 1990s, when water systems in poor regions were put up for sale to private investors at the urging of development agencies intent on steering poor countries away from state control of industries and toward free market systems. Bolivia hired U.S.-based Bechtel Corporation to take over and manage water in the Cochabamba region there. Bechtel made good on its pledge to provide water to many previously underserved Cochabamba areas, but it also raised prices significantly. "Many were unable to pay such high rates, and even though water was now available to them, they couldn’t access it because they couldn’t afford it," reports the non-profit World Savvy.

In 2000 riots erupted in Cochabamba as hundreds of residents filled the streets, angry that a private, foreign entity was preventing them from accessing water. "The violence shook the confidence of the local government and international investors," says World Savvy. "Bechtel was forced out, resulting in not only chaos in water delivery in the area, but also in a serious blow to foreign investment in the country." Similar conflicts have played out in other parts of Bolivia as well as in Ghana, Uruguay and the United Kingdom.

In the U.S., the federal government ensured the protection of waterways and drinking water in the 1970s through passage of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, which among other benefits increased funding for community water systems to help cities and towns maintain high standards and inexpensive access to fresh water. "However, since the 1980s, the federal government has been cutting back funding to communities for water infrastructure, with assistance falling to historic lows under the Bush administration," reports the non-profit Food & Water Watch. Without federal funding, communities that can’t afford to keep fresh water supplies clean and safe are increasingly turning to private companies.

But at what cost? Food & Water Watch cites dozens of examples from across the country where water privatization has gone woefully bad: "[H]igh rates and bad service plague communities who transfer control of their water service to the hands of corporations." Common complaints include skyrocketing rates, sewage flooded basements, broken pipes, bad water quality, and cost overruns. "The water barons prioritize stockholder returns over public wellbeing and leave municipalities to clean up the mess."

Not everyone thinks water privatization is all bad, especially when governments can’t efficiently manage the sourcing, sanitizing and distribution of life’s most vital resource. "There is evidence that privatization may work when the cost of water is subsidized for poorer populations," reports World Savvy. Regardless, the debate will rage on as more and more governments turn to water privatization as stress over accessing water becomes more commonplace in a quickly warming and increasingly drought-stricken world.

CONTACTS: World Savvy, www.worldsavvy.org; Food & Water Watch, www.foodandwaterwatch.org.

Dear EarthTalk: As far as I know, genetically modified foods are not required to be labeled so. Why is this? Don’t we have a right to know what our food is made of? – Rebecca Webster, via e-mail

Unbeknownst to most Americans, a majority of the processed foods available in grocery stores today are derived from genetically modified (GM) sources—whereby genes have been taken from one species and insert into another to obtain specific traits or characteristics. Given how new GM technology is—scientists first began tinkering with it in the 1970s but only recently began utilizing it on a wide scale across the food sector—the jury is still out as to whether such products can cause health or environmental problems.

In light of such uncertainties the European Union and dozens of other regions around the world, including Australia and Japan, now require food producers to label GM products clearly so consumers can decide for themselves whether or not to take the risk. Neither the U.S. nor Canada has any such requirements.

GM’s critics say that food companies have lobbied hard to ensure that U.S. regulators don’t require producers to distinguish GM from traditional foods: "…if a GM crop looks like its non-GM equivalent and grows like it, then it is assumed to be the same, and no safety testing is needed before people eat it," reports the blog, Food Democracy. Corn, for example, may contain antibiotic-resistant genes or a built-in insecticide—but to the U.S. government "it looks and grows like maize, so it is safe to eat."

The result, says Food Democracy, is widespread ignorance among consumers about what kinds of strange genes may have been inserted into the otherwise mundane foods they are purchasing and eating. "Keeping consumers in the dark has prevented them from making real choices about the food they eat," says Food Democracy. "Without labels the principles of supply and demand are no longer in effect as consumers can’t send a message to farmers and manufacturers about what they do, and don’t, want to eat."

According to a survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 53 percent of Americans would not eat GM foods if given the choice, while 87 percent believe GM foods should be labeled as such regardless. But since the federal government has no plans to require any such labeling, consumers must take matters into their own hands. To wit, the non-profit Institute for Responsible Technology recently released a free iPhone app called ShopNoGMO which provides consumers with a handy resource they can access right from the grocery aisle for identifying non-GM brand choices across 22 grocery categories.

In addition, leading natural food retailers launched the ‘Non-GMO Project’ in 2005 to develop an independent certification system to help consumers identify non-GM foods where they shop. Whole Foods, Seeds of Change, Nature’s Way and 400 other U.S. and Canadian firms now support the campaign, and today several thousand grocery products sport the easy-to-recognize "Non-GMO" seal. The project also has an ingredient database to help food producers find non-GM ingredients to use in their processed foods. Project leaders hope their work can help prevent new GM crops from gaining a foothold and build a strong non-GM food sector across the country, despite like of federal intervention.

CONTACTS: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, www.people-press.org; Food Democracy Blog, fooddemocracy.wordpress.com; Institute for Responsible Technology, www.responsibletechnology.org; Non-GMO Project, www.nongmoproject.org.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E — The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

After 10 years in radio, Tony Carbone just wasn’t happy. Something was missing in the 32-year-old’s life. Carbone decided to leave his job and all the financial security that comes with the communications industry to follow his dream about becoming a chef. After quitting his job, he enrolled into culinary school.

That’s when opportunity came knocking.

Four days after entering culinary school, Carbone found out about auditions for a new food show called "MasterChef" with Gordon Ramsey and auditioned for the reality show. Carbone was chosen out of thousands to be a contestant on the new show. The only catch was he had to drop out of culinary school. Carbone decided to take the risk and enter the show.

"School would always be there," Carbone said. "I live life without being complacent."

Carbone has always had a passion for cooking. "It’s like therapy for me," he said.

Another thing Carbone loved about cooking was the sense of family that came along with it. Coming from an Italian family, food was always there in celebration.

"We always had food," Carbone said. "It brought the family together."

While on the show, Carbone had to pretend he was still at culinary school.

"People would always ask my wife ‘How is Tony doing?’" said Carbone. "We had an arsenal of lies ready for them." One of the lies was that Carbone was in Montreal learning about French cuisine when really he was in Los Angeles filming the show.

Carbone auditioned for the show in Newton Highlands. "It was a nerve racking experience," he said.

The first day Carbone had to bring a dish prepared and had to "sell himself" on camera. Following the first initial audition was about two months worth of auditioning. After a few painful days of waiting, "I would keep checking my email to find out anything," he said. Eventually he got the good news.

Once on the show, Carbone thrived in the new environment. "It was awesome. It was totally new to me."

One thing that Carbone enjoyed the most was the spontaneity of it all. "You never knew what was coming next," he said. "Once you are on set it hits you like a ton of bricks. It’s like ‘wow we are really here.’"

Another perk to being on the show was being able to meet Gordon Ramsey. Ramsey’s on air persona is a lot like how he is in real life. "He is very intense," said Carbone. "He just loves food so much that he doesn’t want anyone messing with it."

Since the show Carbone has opened up his own chef business called “The Urban Epicurean” which will be serving residents in the Greater Boston area. Living in Boston has affected Carbone’s cooking for the better. "They have such great fresh sea food and great restaurants here," he said.

Carbone grew up in Long Island and has also lived in Chicago. He says that Boston has some of the best restaurants the country has to offer.

"When my wife and I go out to eat we have to make sure we know where we are going," he said. "Or we spend the whole night walking around looking at all the great options."

Opening his own cooking business has been a rewarding experience for Carbone, who also hopes to open up his own restaurant in the city with "good wine and beer and of course good food."

Dear EarthTalk: I know that local food has health and environmental benefits, but my local grocer only carries a few items. Is there a push for bigger supermarkets to carry locally produced food? – Maria Fine, Somerville, MA

(Media credit/Donkeycart via Flickr)

By eating locally sourced foods, we strengthen the bond between local farmers and our communities, stay connected to the seasons in our part of the world, promote crop diversity, and minimize the energy intensive, greenhouse-gas-emitting transportation of food from one part of the world to another. Also, since local crops are usually harvested at their peak of freshness and typically delivered to stores within a day, customers can be sure they are getting the tastiest and most nutritious forms of the foods they like.

Luckily for consumers and the environment, local produce and other foods are now more widely available than they have been for decades. The first national grocery chain to prioritize local producers, perhaps not surprisingly, was natural foods retailer Whole Foods, which was buying from local farmers and ranchers since it opened its first store in 1980 in Austin, Texas. Today each of the company’s 270-plus stores in 38 U.S. states prioritizes local sourcing—so much so that its customers take it for granted. Whole Foods’ relationships and distribution arrangements with local producers serve as models for the leading national grocery chains, many of which are beginning to source some produce locally when the season is right.

Some are taking more initiative than others. Perhaps most notable is Walmart. Back in 2008 the company committed to sourcing more local fruits and vegetables to keep produce prices down and provide affordable, fresh and healthy choices. Today more than 2,800 Walmart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets across the country rely on a diverse network of small local growers to provide produce—making Sam Walton’s company the nation’s largest purchaser of local produce. During summer months, at least one-fifth of the produce available in Walmart stores is grown within the same state as the given store.

The company’s Heritage Agriculture program encourages farms within a day’s drive of one of its warehouses to grow crops that the company would otherwise have to source from so far away that freshness would be jeopardized and the fuel burned and greenhouse gases emitted in the process would be substantial. While the Heritage program currently accounts for only four to six percent of the company’s total domestic produce sales, the company is aiming for 20 percent within the next few years.

Other big grocery chains aren’t far behind. Safeway, one of the top three grocery chains in the country, prides themselves on local sourcing, getting nearly a third of its produce nationwide from local/regional growers. In heavy agricultural regions like California, the figure can be as high as 45 percent. The company has also made a big push into organic products, just like its biggest competitor, Walmart.

If the chain grocer near you doesn’t do a good job stocking locally sourced food, there are alternatives. Community Supported Agriculture programs, in which consumers "subscribe" to the produce of a given farm by paying monthly dues that entitles them to a box of fresh produce every week, are more popular than ever, as are local farmers’ markets, food co-ops and independent natural foods markets. To find local food near you, visit the Local Harvest, which lists organic food sources by zip code and offers a wealth of resources for those looking to learn more about where their food comes from and how it is produced.

CONTACTS: Whole Foods, www.wholefoods.com; Walmart, www.walmart.com; Safeway, www.safeway.com; Local Harvest, www.localharvest.org.

Dear EarthTalk: How are wild turkeys faring in the U.S.? Occasionally I’ll see some crossing the road, but how well could they be doing with all the development going on around them? – Harley Barton, Hingham, MA

By the early 1900s, only 30,000 wild turkeys roamed the continental U.S., having been exterminated across almost half their former range. Today, as many as seven million roam the countryside across every U.S. state except Alaska . Pictured: Wild turkeys photographed near Little River, Georgia. (Media credit/Vicki DeLoach via Flickr)

No one can be sure how many tens of millions of wild turkeys roamed what was to become the continental United States when the Puritans dined on them at the first Thanksgiving in 1621 near Plymouth Rock, but there were obviously enough of the birds to make them easy prey. By the late 1700s turkeys across the frontier were being harvested with reckless abandon. The food shortages that accompanied the Civil War accelerated demand for wild turkeys, and their numbers started to dwindle to startlingly low levels. By the early 1900s, only some 30,000 wild turkeys remained; the birds had been extirpated across almost half of their former range.

But things started to turn around for wild turkeys in the 1920s. For starters, millions of acres cleared by the pioneers began to regenerate into the type of woodland habitat where the birds could thrive. But the real boost for wild turkeys came in the form of legislation. At the urging of hunters, state wildlife agencies, and the firearms industry, Congress passed the landmark Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson Act) in 1937, which placed an excise tax on guns, ammo and other hunting gear. A portion of the billions of dollars raised from the law have been and continue to be allocated toward restoring wildlife habitat across the country.

By 1959, wild turkey numbers jumped sixteen fold, topping half a million birds across the U.S. A 1973 wild turkey census by the then newly formed National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) turned up something like 1.3 million birds. NWTF, which was founded by hunters to aid in turkey conservation efforts, would turn out to be instrumental in shepherding the wild turkey’s recovery by channeling hundreds of millions of dollars in charitable donations and grants into habitat recovery and bird relocation projects. Although the birds will likely never return to the population levels pre-dating white settlement, they haven’t been healthier in 300+ years. These days as many as seven million wild turkeys roam the countryside and can be found in every U.S. state besides Alaska.

Of course, our success in restoring habitat for wild turkeys has also been beneficial for a wide range of wild animals. Conservations credit the visionary Pittman-Robertson Act (along with the hard work of dedicated wildlife managers) as instrumental in the recovery of not only wild turkeys but also once struggling populations of white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, wood duck, beaver, black bear, Canada goose, American elk, desert bighorn sheep, bobcat, mountain lion, and several species of predatory birds.

Besides the animals and biodiversity benefitting from species recovery, hunters can also rejoice, especially given that it has been their money that has funded many of the projects to restore habitat where they hunt. Turkey hunting is traditionally an autumn pursuit, culminating at Thanksgiving, of course, but each state has its own laws regarding when and where turkey hunting is allowed. NWTF provides a free online state-by-state "Fall Turkey Hunting Guide" with hunting season dates and other pertinent information to help hunters plan their next trip wherever it may take them in the continental U.S. The website also serves as an invaluable resource for information and resources pertaining to conservation, hunting and other topics related to wild turkeys.

CONTACT: National Wild Turkey Federation, www.nwtf.org.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E — The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve noticed that wildflower blooms in the mountains have been coming earlier and earlier in recent years. Is this a sign of global warming? And what does this mean for the long term survival of these hardy yet rare plants? – Ashley J., via e-mail

As always, it’s hard to pin specific year-to-year weather-variations and related phenomena—including altered blooming schedules for wildflowers—on global warming. But longer term analysis of seasonal flowering patterns and other natural events do indicate that global warming may be playing a role in how early wildflowers begin popping up in the high country.

University of Maryland ecologist David Inouye has been studying wildflowers in the Rocky Mountains near Crested Butte, Colorado for four decades, and has noticed that blooms have indeed begun earlier over the last decade. Aspen sunflowers, among other charismatic high country wildflowers, used to first bloom in mid-May, but are now are doing so in mid-April, a full month earlier. Inouye thinks that smaller snow packs in the mountains are melting earlier due to global warming, in turn triggering early blooms.

Smaller snow packs not only mean fewer flowers (since they have less water to use in photosynthesis); they can also stress wildflower populations not accustomed to exposure to late-spring frost. According to Inouye’s research, between 1992 and 1998 such frosts killed about a third of the Aspen sunflower buds in some 30 different study plots; but more recently, from 1999 through 2006, the typical mortality rate doubled, with three-quarters of all buds killed by frost in an average year thanks to earlier blooming.

Inouye’s worrisome conclusions are backed up by experiments conducted by fellow researcher John Harte, who over a 15 year period used overhead heaters in nearby wildflower study plots to accelerate snow melt. The results were the same: Wildflowers bloomed early and not as vigorously.

Several studies in Europe have shown that some species of wildflowers there may be able to migrate north and to higher elevations as the climate warms, but Inouye fears his beloved Aspen sunflowers and many other American wildflowers may be lost forever as they are not able to migrate as quickly as needed in order to survive widespread surface temperature increases and escape extinction.

Harte is also gloomy about the prospects for Colorado’s mountain wildflowers. He predicts that the wildflower fields he and Inouye have been studying will give way to sagebrush desert within the next 50 years, whether or not the governments of the world can get a grip on greenhouse gas emissions.

As a hedge against such dire predictions, the nonprofit Center for Plant Conservation is spearheading seed collection efforts on thousands of rare wildflower species across the U.S. for inclusion in the Colorado-based National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, a repository for both common and rare "prized" American plant seeds. The "banked" seeds, useful if not solely for preserving the genetic makeup of species that may go extinct in the wild, can also be used for future restoration projects on otherwise compromised landscapes.

CONTACTS: David W. Inouye, http://chemlife.umd.edu/facultyresearch/facultydirectory/davidwinouye; Center for Plant Conservation, www.centerforplantconservation.org; National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=54-02-05-00.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E — The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

Dear EarthTalk: What are the most important foods to buy organic? – Rachel Klepping, Bronxville, NY

(Media credit/beautifulcataya via Flickr)

Given the usual higher prices of organic versus conventionally-grown foods, it can be a challenge to get the biggest bang for our buck while eating healthy and avoiding the ingestion of synthetic chemicals along with our nutrients. One approach, say some experts, is to only buy organic when the actual edible parts of a non-organically grown food might come into direct contact with toxic fertilizers and pesticides.

The nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports that consumers can reduce their chemical exposure by some 80 percent by either avoiding the most contaminated conventionally grown fruits and vegetables altogether, or by eating only the organic varieties. To help us sort through what and what not to buy, the group offers a handy Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, which fits on a small piece of paper that you can keep in your pocket and have handy on grocery trips. You can print it out for free from EWG’s FoodNews.org website, or you can download it as a free App for your iPhone.

To make it easy to use, EWG has distilled its analysis into two lists. The first, "Dirty Dozen: Buy These Organic," lists foods that when grown conventionally contain the largest amounts of pesticide and fertilizer residues. These include peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, kale/collard, greens, potatoes, and (imported) grapes. Consumers should definitely spend the extra money for organic versions of these foods.

On the other side of the coin, EWG’s "Clean 15" list includes foods that contain the least amount of chemical residues when grown conventionally. These include onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mangos, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes and honeydew. It’s OK to eat conventionally grown varieties of these foods.

EWG analysts developed the "Clean 15" guide using data from some 89,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between 2000 and 2008 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). What’s the difference, you may ask? EWG found that by eating five conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables a day from the Dirty Dozen list, a consumer on average ingests 10 different pesticides; those who stick to the Clean 15 list ingest less than two.

Other foods you and your family eat, such as meats, cereals, breads and dairy products, might also be exposing you to unwanted chemicals. According to EWG, the direct health benefits of organic meat, eggs and milk are less clear, but you should play it safe by sticking with all-natural, free-range, grass-fed meats that are not fed antibiotics or growth hormones, and by choosing only organic dairy products.

Thanks to increasing demand, more and more food purveyors are putting extra emphasis on organics. This will ultimately result in both lower prices and larger selections. Natural foods market aisles are already teeming with organic choices—and chances are your local supermarket or big box store has introduced organic versions of many popular items. Consequently, there has never been a better time to take stock of what you are feeding yourself and your family, and to make changes for better health.

CONTACT: EWG, www.foodnews.org; USDA/FDA, http://usda-fda.com/articles/organic.htm.

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