cork it!

Though you know me as an environmentalist, chef, and organizational zealot, there is something about me you don't know: I...am a hoarder. A hoarder of cork, to be exact. Every dinner with friends, every special event, every night alone watching The Princess Bride for the ten-thousandth time: the memories of that evening are held in that simple little cork.

So imagine my delight (and vindication) when I learned that purchasing cork-topped wines (as opposed to the newer twist-top varieties) supports the development of cork forests! True to the laws of supply and demand, the more cork-wines the public purchases, the more cork (an incredibly sustainable and totally organic material) will be planted in order to meet the market's desire. The bark of the cork tree can be stripped down hundreds of times in the course of the tree's life, which can be well over 100 years. What's more, cork forests are home to endangered creatures such as the Iberian lynx, who require cork trees for their survival.

So go ahead - pop a bottle of your favorite vino and feel good about caring while you quaff. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe Cary Elwes is calling my name.

For more information and cork-fun, check out these links!

How to Chose an Environmentally Friendly Wine - from Planet Green.
Make Your Own Organic Wine - Not a task for those of little patience.
Yemm & Hart - Send your corks to these guys and they'll turn 'em into something great!
A Zillion Cork Concepts! - From Terramia design blog.

avoiding genetically modified foods

Genetically modified foods (or GM foods) have made big waves in the news lately, ruffling the feathers of public interest groups and environmental organizations across the globe. But what, exactly, are they, and how bad could a “modified” food really be?

A genetically modified food is any food whose genetic makeup has been artificially engineered. Some are designed for “pest resistance”, others are artificially beefed up with vitamins and minerals they wouldn’t otherwise possess. Both animals and crops can be genetically engineered (for example, in 2006 a pig was ‘modified’ to produce omega-3 fatty acids). On paper, it sort of sounds like a good idea: nutrient rich food that’s less susceptible to pestilence must be great. Right?

Well, consider the fact that GM foods not only alter the natural genetic makeup of an organism, but that they all companies to trademark and therefore own these organisms, regardless of where that organism might wind up. Because these foods are modified but sold as traditional meat and produce, there is a high potential for allergic reactions in people. As there is no way to prevent GM seeds from cross-breeding with non-GM seeds, the potential for mass spreading of modified foods is very high.

Mostly, though, is the simple fact that these organisms – organisms that have survived just fine for thousands of years without any technological interventions – don’t need modification. They have their own built-in ways of dealing with everything from bugs to drought, and each new hurdle thrown in nature’s way has proven to be a learning point from which plants and animals have developed their own natural resistances. Tinkering with their natural makeup puts our world’s food source in a very dangerous place, leaving it prone to any number of mass illnesses they would not be able to defend themselves from. Genetic modification is putting our foods and our bodies at great risk, and they are being distributed at an alarming rate. GM foods have been banned everywhere from Switzerland to Sri Lanka, but in the U.S. they are widely available and unlabeled.

What can you do about it? For starters, get informed! Research the foods you’re buying and the places you’re buying them from. Vote with your fork – what you consume and the money you spend on it is just as important as how vocal you are about why you’re buying it. Finally, let someone know how you feel! Write to your congressperson, your parents, your grocer, your friends. Let people know why you want non-GM foods and the lengths you’re willing to go to in order to get them.

Here are some helpful links to help you learn more and take action:

Ban GM Food – An activist group that aims to, well, ban GM foods!
Food Navigator – Keeping you informed on what’s happening in U.S. foods
World Health Organization – 20 Questions on GM Foods
Organic Consumers Association – Lots of great information and ways to get involved in your foods

a tale of two granolas

My love for the bulk section at Commodities and my general disappointment with boxed cereal leads me to this...

Orange Cardamom Pistachio-Date Granola
Makes About 6 Cups

5 cups organic rolled oats (thick or regular)
½ teaspoon sea salt
½-1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½-1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons organic orange oil/flavoring
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
½ cup chopped pistachios
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
1/3 cup chopped almonds
½ cup chopped dried dates
1/3 cup chopped organic apricots
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 tablespoons wheat germ
½ cup melted virgin coconut oil or organic canola oil
¼ cup local honey (use agave or maple as vegan substitute)
¼ cup dark agave nectar
1-2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients and nuts and fruit together.
3. Stir in the oil and sweeteners until well combined.
4. Spread the mixture out on one or two sheet pans and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a rich golden brown and the mixture seems to have dried out.
5. Remove pans from oven and allow to cool on counter for at least 30 minutes before transferring granola to airtight container.

Note: This makes the dried fruit rather firm and a bit crunchy. If you prefer, you can add the dried fruits in after the granola has baked. Or do half and half, like I do!


Your All Purpose Fruit + Nut Granola
Makes About 9 Cups

5 cups organic rolled oats
½ teaspoon sea salt
dash each of: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
¼ cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
½ cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
½ cup chopped apricots
½ cup raisins
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup walnuts
½ cup melted virgin coconut oil or organic canola oil
1/3 cup dark agave nectar
1/3 cup local honey
¼ cup local grade b maple syrup
2-3 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
2 T flax seeds, lightly ground

1. Follow instructions as above, except add flax seeds after you've baked the granola. The beneficial oils in flax seeds are burned off if heated.

Note: Be flexible with this recipe. Use whatever dried fruit and nuts strike your fancy. Add more spices if you like. Have fun!


As you can see, these recipes make big batches. That's good for you because granola keeps well for a long period of time so long as properly stored, or, according to Joy of Cooking, you can freeze your granola for extended keeping, about 3-4 months. I personally like to give granola as presents. It looks great in a glass canning jar or in a cute bag with a bow!

Most store bought granola is incredibly expensive, has a bunch of cane sugar in it (if not worse), and is low on all the fruity and nutty bits-- and once you see how easy it is to make your own customized granola, you'll never go back to store-bought!

green 1 thing: fill up

Maybe you haven’t stopped buying plastic water bottles just yet, but you can stop throwing them out every time they run dry. TapIt, the water bottle refilling network, provides New Yorkers with ‘water on the go’ by partnering with local establishments who promise to provide free water to the public, regardless of what they do or do not buy. From Amy’s Bread to Zanny’s Café, TapIt is helping New Yorkers reduce their waste, visit local establishments, and even save up to $500 a year.

See what other people are saying about TapIt here, here, and here, or just visit them online at www.tapitwater.com.

michelle obama continues to be awesome.

Out to the West! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...Michelle Obama, building a playground!

Flanked by California First Lady Maria Shriver (and any number of secret service agents posted up on the roof of an elementary school), Ms. Obama was one of 600 volunteers who painted, hammered, and busted their butts off to put up a new playground at the Bret Harte Elementary School in San Francisco.

Kicking off the Obama Administration’s “United We Serve” initiative, this playground construction was one of several organized KaBOOM, a not-for-profit that brings communities together to build their own playgrounds. Parks, people, and a noble initiative? Sign me up!

To learn more about United We Serve, please visit their website at www.serve.gov.

Images by Christina Amini.