Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

As part of the Christmas menu I’ve been planning and testing over the last couple of days, I’ve been researching which are the best fish to use, in terms of sustainability. While Australia has a vast fishing area, as with other countries, our fish stocks are being rapidly depleted. Many of the fish on sale are from over-fished stocks, or have not been caught in a sustainable way. I found a good article on the ABC’s website. It includes a …

Read more 20 July, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils and Ethics & Sustainablity

While trying to negotiate the issue of not eating fish caught in an unsustainable way, you can add in the question of which fish contain the most Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Choice have a list in their article on frozen fish. There are also easy cooking tips here . Oh yes and the frozen fish article concludes that most brands use el-cheapo fish and are seriously over-priced, so don’t waste your money.

Read more 19 August, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

Good Food Month is nearly upon us – from the beginning of October Sydney will be a hive of foodie activity. This year there is a sustainable / ethical eating theme running through a number of events – from Neil Perry’s Ethical Dinner at Rockpool , through Becasse’s organic degustation menu, as well as farmers’ market tours and the Hawkesbury farm gate trail . If you want to improve your kitchen skills then a ""hands on" class":http://gfm.smh.com.au/eventcategory_list.asp?intcategoryid=15 may suit. These …

Read more 22 September, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

Interesting article by Mark Morford, entitled " The Sad Death of ’Organic ":http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2006/10/13/notes101306.DTL ‘. After seeing an advert for Kellogg’s Organic Rice Krispies, he ponders if this means the end of true organics? The point being, if you take the word “organic” to just mean pesticide and hormone free, then yes the Kellogg’s cereal is exactly that. However, up until now, organics has meant so much more than that. At it’s heart has been the ethos of farming and manufacturing …

Read more 17 October, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Spring

Over the weekend it was announced that 93.6% of NSW has been declared a drought zone. This means that only 2.7% of the state is considered unaffected. The area has increased from last month, when 89.3% of the state was drought affected and is higher than Queensland, where 61% is considered to be in drought. This has further increased the likelihood of food price increases, including meat, vegetables, bread and milk. The ABC reported: bq. The Queensland Farming Federation’s John …

Read more 13 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

The issue of ethical foods and sustainable farming seems to be gaining some momentum here in Australia. The recent Good Food Month included “ethical food” events , plus concern is being voiced over farming practices that may be exacerbating the drought in rural Australia. The release of Peter Singer&Jim Mason’s book " The Ethics of What We Eat ":http://gleebooks.com.au/default.asp?p=displaybook_asp?bookId=61637&isbn=9781921145377&from=search , along with " The Omnivore’s Dilemma ":http://www.michaelpollan.com/omnivore.php and " Fast Food Nation ":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation , have encouraged many to think about …

Read more 14 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

The drought, here in Australia, is a complex issue – another perspective in today’s Herald.

Read more 20 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Fish and Ethics & Sustainablity

Disturbing reports over the last few weeks have painted a bleak picture of the future of our marine environments. At the current rate, it’s estimated that by 2050 all fish and seafood species that are currently being fished, will have collapsed. As the perfectly named Professor Worm says: bq. “Whether we looked at tide pools or studies over the entire world’s oceans, we saw the same picture emerging. In losing species we lose the productivity and stability of entire ecosystems,” …

Read more 23 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

Did you know that in the outer suburbs of Sydney, around Liverpool, Leppington, Austral and Bringelly there are over 2,000 small farms? These farms grow 90% of Sydney’s perishable vegetables – all our Asian greens are grown there, as are 80% of mushrooms and most of the tomatoes, snowpeas, Lebanese cucumbers, herbs, spring onions and shallots that we consume. It all adds up to a farmgate crop that’s valued at about $250 million per year. As Sydney grows more and …

Read more 28 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

After I posted about fish and sustainability, Cucina Rebecca asked where lobster or crayfish fitted into the equation. Were they over-fished and under-threat? I really don’t know much about crayfish, so thought I’d try and find out. After speaking to a number of people, it seems there’s no one simple answer to this question. Here in Australia we tend to eat more rock (or spiny) lobster and while they resemble true lobsters in a number of ways, they’re actually a …

Read more 05 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

The CSPI are also running a campaign to encourage Americans to eat greener: bq. Each day we’re fed over 1 billion pounds—and one trillion calories—of food. Our agricultural system consumes enormous quantities of fuel, fertilizers, and pesticides to produce the grains, meat and poultry, and fruits and vegetables that feed a country of nearly 300 million people. It consumes enormous tracts of land and quantities of water—not just for growing food for people, but for producing food for livestock. And …

Read more 13 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Labels & advertising

An article on ethical eating in last week’s herald provides some useful information and resources. Making ethical food choices is tricky, there are few easy answers and, at the moment, there’s no centralised resource to help negotiate the issues. For example, many shops label their chickens as hormone-free, however oestrogen has been banned from chicken feed since the 1960s, so this is a marketing ploy. There is a strong perception in the community that hormones are fed to chickens, which …

Read more 25 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

When shopping at the supermarket it’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the the choices. I’m an avid food label reader, but even I’ll admit it sometimes takes too long to make an informed decision. It’s easy to be overwhelmed and end up buying the cheapest item, or the one you always buy. If you’re in any way concerned about animal welfare, one of the tricky decisions can be in the egg aisle. Eggs are no longer just eggs – …

Read more 28 February, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Fish and Ethics & Sustainablity

Today is the Marine Stewardship Council’s second Sustainable Seafood Day. Here in Australia, the latest Bureau of Rural Sciences report estimates that at least a quarter of Australian fisheries are overfished. Of the 166 species available to consumers, only about nineteen have the sustainable all-clear. Part of the problem is lack of information to consumers, but also different bodies give conflicting advice on which fish are managed sustainably and which are at risk. Health-wise, fish is a low-fat source of …

Read more 08 March, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Fish and Ethics & Sustainablity

The MSC is an international organisation that measures and grades fisheries on their management and sustainability. The core principle is that: bq. A well-managed and sustainable fishery protects the fish and the environment in which they live, whilst allowing responsible use of the species that come from it. The MSC has certified a number of fish products in Australia, most of which are available in supermarkets. These products display the blue MSC logo on their label and include: h3. …

Read more 08 March, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Fish and Ethics & Sustainablity

One of the bits I found interesting in the Matthew Evans’ article I linked to this morning: of the 166 species of fish available to chefs in Sydney, the top restaurants only use ten . As Evans says: bq. It’s a shame, because chefs cook seafood better than most home cooks can. They’re our inspiration, so it would be brilliant if they stopped relying on farmed fish and unsustainable species and showed their talents with the fantastic species we need …

Read more 08 March, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Junk Food

Burger King, the second largest fast food chain, have announced plans to start sourcing pork, chickens and eggs from farms where the animals are not reared in cages and crates. Here in Australia, Hungry Jack’s is Burger King’s local franchise. The transition will take place over an extended period of time, with their immediate goals being quite small. Starting now, 2% of their eggs will come from cage free chickens, while 10% of their pork will come from farms where …

Read more 06 April, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Ethics & Sustainablity

• Diet blog reports on a study which found overweight adults who were instructed to focus on lower-calorie foods lost more weight than those who were simply told to cut their overall calories. It’s about focussing on what you can eat, rather than what you can’t. * Vanesscipes posts a gorgeous apple walnut salad with rhubarb compote dressing, inspired by Barbara Kingsolver’s new book – Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. No longer available * There’s been a wonderfully vibrant, impassioned and smart …

Read more 01 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

While there is a growing locavore trend in the US, here in Australia it’s still a fledgling movement. Most shops do not regularly display where their produce comes from, apart from an occasional “Australian grown”, which makes it difficult to work out what’s local. In the Herald, Robert Cornish decides to eat locally for one week. He shows you can find a wide variety of produce grown within a small radius of where you live, but it takes many phone …

Read more 27 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Blogging, Vegetables, Ethics & Sustainablity and Fruit

Half of me posts about the “adventures of a woman who once weighed 372 pounds but amazingly enough had not eaten every food on the planet. She’s going to change that, and she’s starting in the produce section.” Read more in her Lick the Produce section. The truth about women, hormones and weight gain: as Paula Goodyer writes “while hormones can sometimes be a factor in weight gain, for the overwhelming majority of us they’re not usually the primary cause.” …

Read more 06 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

This week the Herald included an article on eating less meat for environmental reasons: bq. Hey, carnivore, think you can call yourself an environmentalist? Actually, while you might want to drop that hamburger, you might not need to completely swear off meat. It’s a dilemma that has exercised the best minds. The Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki challenges people to eat less meat for the future of the planet, and the Australian ethicist Peter Singer, based at Princeton University in the …

Read more 07 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Dinners

Today’s quicklinks is for the omnivores out there. I’ve just been responding to comments and in one answer I mentioned that one of the best meats to eat, here in Australia, is kangaroo. Kangaroo is low in fat, plus they’re adapted to living in our harsh environment and cause much less damage to top soil than cows and sheep. However, it’s still not a popular meat and I think most people just don’t know what to do with it. So …

Read more 20 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Dinners

• For all of you having problems with those afternoon munchies, Chew On This has some good advice on taming food cravings. Paula quotes research from the Journal of Applied Psychology which found “rather than actively trying not to think about the food you crave, it’s better to focus on an image of something completely different”. * Despite it’s salt content, I’m a big, big fan of haloumi – which means this dish from Figs, Olives and Wine is going …

Read more 10 August, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

For those of you in Sydney this weekend, Saturday is the Live Green festival. Focussed on sustainable living in urban environments, Live Green will feature stalls, workshops, seminars, bands and lots of local food. Jared Ingersoll and Kylie Kwong will be there cooking local and organic produce. Plus theres’s a panel discussion titled Sydney – the city that must feed itself. As well as food stalls there’s a produce market. * Date: Saturday 25th August * Time: 10am – 4pm …

Read more 22 August, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

This week the Australian Marine Conservation Society released an updated version of its Sustainable Seafood Guide. The guide is available from their website (for $9.95) and includes a booklet and wallet sized summary of the best seafood choices, to avoid over-fished species. Since the 1990s the number of over-fished species in Australia has nearly quadrupled. A situation which is mirrored internatlonally, with the collapse of marine environments and loss of seafood stocks. Buying sustainably caught fish is one way in …

Read more 25 August, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

In today’s SMH there’s an article on one of my favourite local food stores – Alfalfa House in Enmore. Started 25 years ago, this food cooperative continues to provide minimally packaged, minimally processed, organic wholefoods at a reasonable price. Much of their stock is purchased in bulk, so you take along your own containers, fill them up and then pay by weight of volume. They sell a wonderful five-grain porridge, gorgeous dried apricots and one of the best olive oils …

Read more 28 August, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity, Dinners, Salads and Soups

• Over at the Guardian blog they’ve been exploring strange food combinations. Peanut butter and cornflake sandwiches, chips wrapped in naan bread, broccoli and marmite sandwiches, people are confessing their innermost food secrets. * Trusted MD and Envisions Solutions are taking the pulse of the healthcare blogosphere. If you’re a healthcare blogger, then you might want to take part in their online poll. * Veggie Meal Plans has a beginner’s guide to worm farming. * Perfect for this time of …

Read more 07 September, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Labels & advertising

In a report that somewhat befudlles me, I read in today’s SMH that the ACCC has dismissed a complaint by some pork farmers into misuse of the phrase “free range”. The ACCC has ruled there is no difference between pigs who spend their whole life outside and those which only spend the first few weeks of their life outside, before being moved to intensive rearing enclosures. The ruling hinges on consumer interpretation of the phrases “free range” and "bred free …

Read more 18 September, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

An article in the Eco section of today’s SMH asks whether we should be eating kangaroo – is it kind to the planet or unspeakably cruel? Supporters of the kangaroo meat industry, including Tim Flannery, claim it’s the best managed managed meat industry, from an environmental perspective, in Australia. While beef and dairy cattle are enemies of biodiversity, kangaroos emit far less methane and require considerably less water. However, opponents state the industry is inherently cruel and should be banned. …

Read more 26 September, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Breakfast, Ethics & Sustainablity, Grains and Vegan

• Gluten-free cooking: I was asked a couple of weeks ago about guidelines for cooking without wheat flour. At the time I posted some links and then this week I saw Gluten-Free girl has written a guide to using gluten free flours. * Ethical eating can be a minefield. Full of complex decisions about the value of food miles vs local eating vs fair trade vs organic. It’s hard to shop ethically and still stay within a budget. This week …

Read more 02 November, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Breakfast, Ethics & Sustainablity and Salads

• More summer drinks: Last week I linked to green apple tea and this week A Life (Time) of Cooking has posted some more gorgeous summer drink recipes. * The chicken you eat: There’s been some interesting debate in the UK about chicken – the ethics and cost of what we eat. Sophie from Mostly Eating has written an excellent post on this subject. * Muffin recipe: I’m hoping to make a batch of Wendy’s moist bran muffins this …

Read more 18 January, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Mental & emotional health, Ethics & Sustainablity and Soups

• Food prices: Like cheap oil, is cheap food a thing of the past? Interesting opinion piece from the NY Times. * Junk food: Why you can feel sick after eating junk food: Journey of a Cheeseburger. * Corn & mung ramen: Love the look of the corn and mung ramen on the cuisine.com.au site. Quick, light and delicious. * Mashed veg: Instead of having mashed potatoes – why not make Jamie’s mashed vegetables? Great winter food. * *My …

Read more 11 April, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Breakfast, Ethics & Sustainablity and Salads

• Recipe index: This week, while reading On Food & Wine I found out about "_Food Blog Search_ ":http://foodblogsearch.com/. This site allows you to search for recipes in a huge range of food blogs. You can enter ingredients or recipe titles and see what comes up. * Revolting foods: In the YUK category: news from Weighty Matters of bacon in a can. * Another beetroot salad: This week Jul from Stonesoup posted a simple and quick raw beetroot salad …

Read more 13 June, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Labels & advertising

Time for the normal Friday Quicklinks round-up. Articles I’ve been reading and recipes I think you’ll like: * Eating locally: It’s claimed eating locally is better for you, but nobody’s done the research. The Well reports on a team from University of North Carolina who are going to study the health impact of the local foods movement. * Health claims on food: A piece on the extravagant health claims made about some foods. And attempts to control this trend …

Read more 20 June, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Breakfast, Ethics & Sustainablity and Snacks

• Being healthy at the office: I’ve been really enjoying following The Office Diet blog. It’s one of those rare sites which provides realistic and real advice, grounded in the practicalities of working in an office. I particularly like these five suggestions for making it easier to cook in the evening. * Salad for breakfast: I don’t know many people who eat salad for breakfast, but I really like this suggestion. And thanks to Sophie for pointing it out. …

Read more 27 June, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity, Dinners and Salads

• Eating well with limited resources: Really like this post from The Simple Dollar. It’s all about making your diet better when you have minimal space, equipment and dollars. * The Cheese Guide: Good information on cheeses. Which have the most fat, calories and calcium. Thanks to Sophie. * Ethical fish: Fascinated to read Kale for Sale’s review of Bottomfeeder – as she says it’s the Omnivore’s Dilemma of seafood. I’m going to look out for a copy of …

Read more 04 July, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity, Dinners and Salads

• A week of salads: Over at Food Stories Helen Graves has celebrated her blogging anniversary with a week of posts on salads. My two favourites are the zucchini with cornichons, herbs and capers and the glorious looking beetroot, pumpkin & haloumi. * Rhubarb with lentils: I’ve been buying the most glorious rhubarb recently. Once a week an organic shop near my clinic has vegetables picked that morning. At the moment it’s rhubarb. With this week’s bunch I’m making …

Read more 11 July, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Breakfast, Ethics & Sustainablity, Dinners and Salads

• The Great Big Vegetable Challenge: The Great Big Vegetable Challenge has charted one family’s attempt to convert vegie-phobic children into vegetable lovers. They’ve come to the end of the alphabet and are challenging you to make a vegetable face. * Strawberry salad: I love the strawberry salad on this post from Just Braise_. Leaves, kohlrabi, fresh herbs, strawberries and goats’ cheese. Light and delicious. * Sustainable food: Interesting debate on "_The Gobbler":http://the-gobbler.blogspot.com/2008/07/is-there-food-related-culture-war-going.html about the possible backlash against eating …

Read more 18 July, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Legumes, Ethics & Sustainablity and Dinners

• Fuel prices vs food prices: Interesting read from Crikey. While we’re concentrating on rising fuel prices, it’s food prices which are more worrying. * Easy fish: Another of Mark Bittman’s easy recipes – this time grilled fish with fennel. Only six ingredients and takes about 20 minutes. * Beer-baked beans: One recipe I’m going to make very soon is Cassie’s beer-baked beans from Veggie Meal Plans. * Filo samosas: Wendy from A Wee Bit of Cooking has been …

Read more 25 July, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

Today’s post is the final guest post in 31 Days to a Better Diet. I’m really delighted to feature Katrina from Kale for Sale – talking about being more aware of where you food comes from. I’m a locavore. Not a wild eyed locavore as the New York Times recently referred to us but a wild minded consumer. I believed I could put healthier food on the table than what was manufactured or delivered from around the world to …

Read more 30 August, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Mental & emotional health, Ethics & Sustainablity, Dinners and Snacks

• Easy way with broccoli: There’s a big promise in The Wednesday Chef’s post on broccoli, but this is a super simple and great looking recipe. * Huevos Rancheros: Smitten Kitchen is a new blog to me, but I love the look of this recipe for the Tex-Mex dish huevos rancheros. * Indian spiced croquettes: I’m loving the idea of these spinach and pea tikkis from Quick Indian Cooking. And they’re grilled, not fried. * BBC’s food resource: There’s …

Read more 05 September, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils, Ethics & Sustainablity, Salads and Soups

• Dukkah on soup: Lovely idea from Veggie Meal Plans on how to spark up a vegetable soup: red lentil & cauliflower soup with dukkah. * How much ham is in your ham? News this week from Choice that many packaged ham products are loaded with water to increase the weight and price consumers will pay. * Beetroot & caraway seeds: You know I’m a sucker for a new beetroot recipe. This one from Nami Nami is a new …

Read more 19 September, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Breakfast, Mental & emotional health, Ethics & Sustainablity, Dinners and Vegan

It’s been a light blogging week for me. I’m working hard on a writing project for Wellbeing – something interesting they’re releasing early next year. But I shall be back properly next week. For a few days of food made from the pantry. I’ve had some entries already and am going to post a couple of recipes of my own. In the meantime, here’s the usual Friday Quicklinks. Plus a photo of my fridge – which is for Wendy. …

Read more 26 September, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity, Salads, Snacks and Labels & advertising

• Home squeezed oranges: When your orange juice carton claims it’s home squeezed you have to think twice. Interesting article on how food manufacturers are trying to tap into the locavore movement. * Asparagus salad: Oh my. Just look at the salad on Stonesoup – asparagus, mozzarella, capers, buckets of herbs. I can’t think of many more heavenly ideas. * Falafels: For weeks now I’ve been craving good falafels. Moist, full of herbs and with a crunchy outside coating. …

Read more 17 October, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Reviews and Ethics & Sustainablity

I’ve been buying some books recently. All sorts of volumes. Books about food, nutrition and cooking. As well as some meaty stuff on sustainability and the ethics surrounding what we eat. Reading them has made the last couple of months an interesting, interesting time; with thoughts, issues and food ideas swirling around in my head. I’m going to include some occasional short-ish book reviews on Limes & Lycopene. And the first one is Bottomfeeder. I first read about Bottomfeeder …

Read more 20 November, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Dinners

Before the Quicklinks – an Australian plug. Wellbeing magazine have just published their first edition of Wellbeing Food. And it’s a beautiful thing. Sub-titled Eating for Pleasure & the Planet, it’s a cross between a magazine and a book. Well maybe it’s better described as a thick, advert-free magazine. I’ll admit to a bias – as I have an article in there on whether fresh is best – but I think it’s a really, really good, comprehensive, basic guide …

Read more 06 February, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Dinners

• Cooking pasta: Harold McGee has done some experiments. To find out how much water you actually need to cook pasta. And it’s not as much as you think. * Pasta bake: I cooked Heidi’s almost cheeseless pasta bake this week and it’s really, really good. Next time I’d also add some broccoli to the mix. * Stuffing a roast: I really liked Mark Bittman’s easy idea for stuffing a roast. He just sticks a wooden spoon in and …

Read more 20 March, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Dinners

• Baked sweet potato: After my post about baked potatoes, Dietgirl left a comment linking to this post on Traveler’s Lunchbox. It’s a recipe for roasted sweet potato with a spicy olive and fetta salad – and it looks fantastic. * Do you have a scale addiction? If you’re trying to lose weight, weighing yourself more than once a week is counter-productive. Yoni Freedhoff from Weighty Matters counsels against scale addiction. * Two miso recipes: Miso is one of …

Read more 04 April, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Ethics & Sustainablity and Soups

• Food crisis: Raj Patel’s blog has a piece on the food riots in Haiti – 30 years ago Haiti grew all the rice it needed, so what happened? * Red lentil & preserved lemon soup: Boy I like the look of this recipe by Jules of Stonesoup. It’s for a hearty, thick and rich soup of red lentils with spices and preserved lemons. * Bittman & fish: There’s been an interesting conversation on Grist this week between Tom …

Read more 11 April, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Breakfast, Ethics & Sustainablity, Salads, Snacks and Vegan

• Breakfast cereal is healthy right? A recent survey by Which? (similar to our Choice) looked at breakfast cereals. And found some contained more sugar than a Cadbury Flake. * Tofu salad: I read a lot of healthy eating blogs. But there are other blogs I read for other reasons – the writing, the blogger’s perspective, the photos. Lemonpi is one of those. There’s a lot of cake and dessert on Y’s blog but her photographs and writing are …

Read more 16 May, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils and Ethics & Sustainablity

This is the third post in a series on Omega 3s. Take a look at Omega 3s – what are they? and "the main fish sources.":/blog/2009/01/27/omega-3s-part-2-the-main-fish-sources It’s tricky recommending fish online. Firstly, fish are called by different names around the world. What I call salmon, may not be labelled “salmon” in another part of the world. Even within Australia we’re only just getting round to using standardised fish names. And it gets even harder when you’re talking sustainably managed …

Read more 27 May, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Soups

• Lentil & lemon soup: Gourmet Worrier posted this Lemon and red lentil soup ages ago. For some reason I missed it the first time round and only spotted it after a conversation with Ms Gourmet about “cheesy fingers”. It’s a cracking recipe, full of paprika, mint and lemon. * Some of the facts on fish: Choice have done a round-up of the issues around fish. It covers the benefits of eating fish, problems with over-fishing and also the …

Read more 04 September, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity, Vegan and Labels & advertising

• Double the broccoli: I just love the look of this recipe from 101 Cookbooks. It’s called double broccoli quinoa and features a pesto made of . . . broccoli. * Experimenting with flax: On the Bitten blog Cory Ramey has been experimenting with using flaxseed as an egg substitute. This is something I’ve read about on many vegan blogs, but it’s interesting to hear the results from a non-vegan. * Smart Choices? In the US there’s a new …

Read more 11 September, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Labels & advertising

With domestic supplies of canola affected by the drought, Cargill (which imports, processes and markets agricultural and food products) will be receiving a consignment of genetically modified (GM) canola from Canada, within the next month. This is the first time GM canola has been imported into Australia and between 40,000 and 50,000 tonnes of canola is being imported. Labelling laws in Australia mean that products containing highly processed GM foods do not need to be labelled. "As Claire Hughes from …

Read more 29 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

Some of the big food companies are getting into Fairtrade. Cadbury UK have announced that every Dairy Milk bar will be made from Fairtrade chocolate. While McDonald’s and Starbucks have started using Fairtrade coffee. Yesterday’s Guardian asks the question – should we celebrate? bq. The ethics were pretty simple in the early days of Fairtrade. It was a rebel brand; every penny spent was an easy poke in the eye for capitalism and that nasty, greedy Man. But, just as …

Read more 17 September, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

According to this article on the Wild Oats website, people in the US throw out 25% of the produce they buy, because it’s gone off. I suspect it’s a similar situation here in Australia. What a waste! The article is an excellent guide to getting the most out of your fruit and veg. It covers storage tips, information on why food goes off and (my favourite part) a list of the fastest to the slowest spoilers. You can use this …

Read more 22 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Fish, Ethics & Sustainablity, Dairy and Labels & advertising

• Lamb, cauliflower and spices: Interesting looking Middle Eastern inspired dish with no name from Spice and More_. There’s eggplant, pine nuts, some lovely spices and a good idea for including cauliflower – especially if it’s not your favourite veg. * Ethics in advertising: There’s been a fair bit of criticism PETA and one of their advertising campaigns recently. Here’s a piece from Rudd Sound Bites, Yoni Freehoff’s perspective at Weighty Matters and PETA’s response at The Huffington Post269353.html. * …

Read more 25 September, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Fish, Ethics & Sustainablity and Miscellanea

• Cauliflower & tahini: Great looking recipe from Martha Rose Shulman, for roasted cauliflower with tahini-parsley sauce. It would be lovely with some falafels and pita bread. * About meat: I loved Jonathon Safron Foer’s novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and he brings the same quality of writing to this essay on the New York Times website: Against Meat. Thanks to Lisa Dempster for pointing it out. * Chocolate & chickpeas? Instead of nutella, Bittersweet makes a "chocolate and …

Read more 23 October, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity

While I’ve read stats about food waste on overseas sites, up until a few weeks ago I hadn’t seen any figures for Australia. Now, research conducted by the University of Western Sydney’s Urban Research Centre estimates Sydney-siders waste about $600 million of fresh food and $182 million of leftovers each year. This is food we don’t eat. It’s ingredients and leftovers we throw in the rubbish bin. And it’s a heck of a lot. There’s a great opinion piece by …

Read more 05 November, 2009