You get to vote 3 times a day ( HINT: one of them is breakfast)

A great sign that people want to know where their food comes, nutritional value and possibly even humane treatment of animals. Always remember you vote three times a day: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Choose wisely.

Original Link: Huff Post: Food

The Other White Meat

If you eat pork and can't watch this video then its time to STOP EATING PORK!

Please write to Iowa Select Farms and tell them what a disgrace they are to humanity and to allow this kind of inhumane treatment to animals. http://www.iowaselect.com/aspx/contact.aspx

Farmers Market And The City

As I visited the market I couldn't help but notice how badly I want to buy everything and go back home to cook . It was pretty overwhelming to see all this fresh produce and all I could do was take pictures. I should have bought some that were in season but the smells, tastes, textures and colors all took my breathe away. I hope you enjoy as much as I did, I will definitely be going back. 

For more information on Green City Market go to: http://www.greencitymarket.org/index.asp

Wednesdays and Saturdays

7:00 am–1:00 pm

South end of Lincoln Park between Clark and Stockton Drive

Make Due

Always make due with what you have in you refrigerator. I usually make a Greek salad w/ chicken wrap with the expected ingredients (romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, parsley, grilled chicken strips, vinegar/olive oil, and seasonings). But I didn't have a lot of those ingredients so I looked into my refrigerator and made due with what I have and it turned out AMAZING!

As you see below we have a Trader Joe's (TJ) whole wheat tortilla, TJ mediterranean hummus, red onion, TJ grilled chicken strip, red pepper, sautéed zucchini strips, parsley greek feta cheese, vinegar/olive oil and seasonings. 

Fan-frickin-grass-fed-tastic

“This is a niche market and there are a growing number of consumers who want access to locally grown meat,” Meeks said. “Consumers will pay 30% more for natural meats and 15-200% more for organic meats."

'Grass-Fed Beef Market Ready To Explode'
http://hayandforage.com/livestock/beef/grass-fed-beef-market-explode-0623/

Summer Dish

Spinach salad with balsamic grilled veggies and crumbled goat cheese

The Hit List - Part 2

Its time for the burger joints. Since they're more likely effected by e.coli outbreaks and infections based on two factors for the cow (1) the living conditions they are raised on a factory farm. Do they have space? Are they living within their own feces, etc. (2) The way the cow is slaughtered. When the intestines are removed what is that process look like (since Food, Inc it helped give a clear picture on how easily they can improperly remove the intensities and end up grinding those organs within the meat then you have a sprinkle of fecal matter - but really its no laughter matter. So let us begin......

1. Kuma's Corner (@kumascorner) I love Kuma's and its always been one of my favorite local burger joints in Chicago. Its won many different awards from Metromix to Citysearch for best burger but its now to put it through the test. (6.16.11) - Sent an email message. 
2. Five Guys (@Five_Guys)  This place has been known ever since President Obama went for a quick lunch stop for pretty much the whole executive cabinet in the White House. (6.16.11) - Sent a quick message on their website. 
3. Epic Burger (@theepicburger) (6.16.11) - Sent a quick message on their website. (6.16.11) - "My supplier is confidential but they are grass fed and grain finished with corn and soy." 
4. Marc Burger (@marcburger) This is the restaurant of famous, Top Chef Masters Marcus Samuelsson and 3 michelen star chef and restauranteur. Sent a tweet. 
5. DMK Burger Bar (@DMKBurgerBar) Click on the main page I love them already. What's the first thing I see? "Chicago's Grass Fed Beef Burger" talk about giving me what I want to hear. Don't believe me? Read more here: http://www.dmkburgerbar.com/the-beef.html. (6.19.11) Finally had the chance to eat their burgers and they were outstanding, have been recommending them to everyone I know. 
6. M Burger: (6.16.11) Sent a message on Facebook, hopefully they respond soon. 
7. Portillo's: (6.16.11) Sent a quick message on their website. (6.20.11) Email from Guest Services, "Our beef roasts are provided by several different purveyors.  Unfortunately, we do not have this information available at this time.  We appreciate you taking the time to write us and we hope to serve you soon.". Hmmm, this message sounds like something McDonald's would say.  Send Portillo's a message and tell them that's not good enough. We need to know where are food comes from, especially went we go out to a restaurant or even a fast food joint, we have a right to know. To send them a message go to http://www.portillos.com/contact/  (6.27.11 UPDATE) - The beef used by The Portillo Restaurant Group for the Italian Beef comes from USDA inspected and approved facilities.  We rotate between 2-3 different facilities depending on the current market, as well as, product availability.  Please note, the USDA, does not require designation; therefore, at any given time the beef may be corn/grain fed OR grass fed. We appreciate the opportunity to explain further and look forward to serving you soon.
8. The Bad Apple (voted 2010 Best Burger on Metromix): (6.16.11) - Sent an email message
9. Hop Haus (@hophaus) (6.20.11) Sent them a tweet
10. Paramount Room (@paramountroom) Voted Best Burger in Chicago Magazine. Sent them a tweet
11. Luxbar (@LuxBarChicago) Voted Best Burger in Chicago Magazine. Sent them a tweet

Its just a little crush

I don't know about you but I'm crushin' over White House Assistant Chef Sam Kass (see picture below).

He also oversees Michellle Obama's food policy agenda, which includes monitoring Mrs. Obama's advocacy for better school lunches, healthy Let's Move campaign, her work with anti-hunger initiatives and food banks, and the White House Kitchen Garden.

I mean how can you not have a crush on this man, he knows how to cook and tends to his own garden (The White House Kitchen Garden) and ladies he's single. I'm sold.







Check out an inside look into the White House Kitchen Garden,

A glimpse into Evanston Farmer's Market

Easy Breezy Dinner

I made this for dinner last night and I cannot tell you how tasty and quick it was to make it. First, I marinated the chicken over night with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. 

I started boiling the water first for the pasta. That took about 7-10 minutes to boil water and cook whole wheat fettuccine. (Well here's the recipe for the pasta I made because I'm not gonna take credit where its due, thank you Martha Stewart!)  Creamy Fettuccine with Two Cheeses 

Then, I grilled it for about 3 minutes on each side. On a side note, I only buy organic poultry (and beef which is about once a month). If organic chicken seems to be really expensive try to buy in bulk from Whole Foods which has been as low as 3.99 a pound or from CostCo but just make sure its USDA Organic)

This was the best dish I concocted on the spot. I cut up one bunch of broccoli. Sauteed 2 tbsp olive oil in 1 clove of garlic, 1 tbsp shallots and sauteed for about 3-4 minutes, then squeezed 1 lemon, stirred then cut up lemon into 8 pieces (shown below), added a sprinkle of salt and pepper, covered and let simmer for 5 minutes.

The finished product. Vuala!

My New Favorite Snack

Trader Joe's omega-3 trail mix, fage greek yogurt w/ raw honey

(it really doesn't get any better)

Especially before a work out, this 1 cup of fage greek yogurt has 20g of protein and the trail mix has omega-3, only 10g of carbs, 1g of saturated fat. Its probably one of the healthiest snacks to get! 

Vote with your dollars and buy organic!

It can be frustrating trying to figure out what to buy organic, local, BPA-Free, no carcinogens or parabens.....the list can go on like the ingredients of a candy bar. You begin to think how expensive the changes will be, then you get confused as to which products to purchase.


I was very confused but now I'm starting to get the hang of it. It started about five years ago, after watching documentaries, reading books (specifically ones like I talk about below) really helped me understand what goes into my products. After watching Food, Inc and reading so many books I was intrigued and motivated to change how I shop for food and personal care products. 

Sophie Ullano "Gorgeously Green" book was on the Oprah Winfrey show and she introduced me to this whole new way of buying personal care products from shampoo to detergent. I couldn't believe the amount of carcinogens, phthalates, parabens and every other element on the periodic table. It was scary but I took it head on. My first step was to rid my house of all products that had fragrance in them which were pretty much everything. Then I started to see what it was I couldn't live without (i.e. mousse for my curly hair) so I started researching it online and talking to the folks at Whole Foods (which were very helpful). I've tried at least 10 different brands and finally found one that works for me. That's what I've done so far. It can be hard on a fixed income so don't feel pressure to spending hundreds of dollars on items you can't afford. I still use some things that might have chemical ingredients but eventually I will change them too. As an environmentally-conscious person I also have to be economically-conscious or else I'll be living with my parents again so, take your time. 


For more information on how to shop for safer, healthier and cleaner products go to EWG Skin Deep Cosmetic Database and search for more than 65,000 products. Always read your labels!

The Environmental Working Group has been tirelessly working on educating and bringing awareness to all things pesticides. They have an excellent iPhone app for "The Dirty Dozen" Shopper's List of the top 15 fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides. If this isn't an easy way to help consumers choose what to buy organic let me know and I will post updates. Today, The Huffington Post had a great article on 15 fruits and veggies with most pesticides and to note Dr. Andrew Weil, HuffPost Blogger said, "We have very good data showing that if people eat organic that measurable pesticide levels in their tissues drop, and this has been shown with kids as well," told EWG last year when they released the 2010 Shopper's List. "I've always said that it would be wise to learn which crops are more likely to carry pesticide residues and in those instance to try to get organic versions or to reduce consumption or avoid the conventional varieties."*

*HuffPost - Dirty Dozen: The 12 Fruits And Vegetables With The Most Pesticides

Farmers Market is one of the most important places to shop for fruits, vegetables and in some cases personal care products too! I can't stress how much I love going to my farmers market because I've tasted the freshness and flavors and seen the vibrant colors no fruit market can ever show me. I appreciate farmers now more than ever because I know what manual labor looks like when harvesting the foods we eat every day. I want my dollars to go to farmer because I get to meet them, talk to them and ask them as many questions as I'd like, now that's what I call customer service. You can almost see the sense of pride they have knowing they've raised these crops and helped bring to a dinner table near you. So I say, vote with your dollars, we get to do it three times a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For more information on where your local farmers market are go to Local Harvest. “The best organic food is what’s grown closest to you”

a new snack idea

It was really yummy and just enough natural sugar to curb a sweet tooth craving. I will be honest it wasn't sweet at all but then again its probably how sweet it suppose to be, we're probably so use to eating things that are sweeter then they should be. 

About a tablespoon of Trader Joe's almond butter, handful of organic blueberries and two slices of whole wheat bread.

Meze

A selection of small dishes which are usually served as an appetizer and something light before the main course. I for one tend to eat it as dinner when I'm not as hungry. As you see below this is my form of meze these days, we have kalamata olives, greek feta cheese, pita bread, slices of tomato and cucumber, baba ganoush and for course my favorite twist, kimchi.

Lunch Tip Of The Day

Make lunch simple and easy by making the same thing on a weekly basis. If you find yourself getting sick of it - change it but on a weekly basis. The point so you don't have to worry about what your gonna eat day in and day out, it also can potentially help you lose weight. Chances are if you choose something last minute your going to pick something unhealthy. Studies have shown people who dine out consume more calories and in some cases it can triple your daily caloric intake.*


I've had a turkey and cheese sandwich for the past two weeks and luckily I haven't gotten sick of it. I actually added mustard this week to give it another layer of taste. And trust me when I tell you its really easy, if there's one thing I love doing is choosing what I'm gonna eat everyday but its not worth it anymore because it cost me a lot financially and physically. 


Sandwich: Applegate Farms Organic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, Slice Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Trader Joe's Vegan Mayo on Whole Wheat Bread.

Dessert/Snack: Organic Strawberries and Blueberries

Drink: Water (I drink two of those bottles everyday)




*http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=126092&page=2

Healthy Tip Of The Day

If you crave a ceasar salad from time to time like I do but feel guilty ordering it, I have a trick. Since most nutritionists say there's up to 1000 calories in one serving (or you might as well eat a cheeseburger and fries) here's a solution. I make sure to request the dressing on the side and ask for a couple of lemons wedges. I take about one tablespoon of dressing, squeeze both lemon wedges on the salad and mix together. I promise you will not be sorry and with only 100 calories in one tablespoon of dressing - you've just saved yourself over 900 empty calories. Your welcome! :)

Conflict meets interest

"This is why we haven't had political debate over the radical change to our food system." ~ Michael Pollan

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority of opinion in a case that allowed these companies to prevent farmers from saving their own seed. (see J.E.M. AG SUPPLY, INC dba FARM ADVANTAGE, INC. et. al. c. PIONEER HI-BRED INTERNATIONAL, INC)

10,000 years ago farmers would save their seeds and plant again in the following year. That's how seeds were developed and that's how corn was developed. It was a useless grass for the most part and ended up being an extremely productive plant it is today.

The idea that any corporation can own a food crop is a very new idea. And it wasn't until the 1980s that the Supreme Court said you can patent life.

Monsanto is a chemical company, the produced DDT, Agent Orange in Vietnam and then developed a product called Roundup. Genetically-engineered soybeans can resist the application of Roundup. When Roundup is sprayed over the top of it, it killed every seed out there except for their Roundup Ready soybean.

In 1996, when Monsanto Roundup Ready soybeans, only 2% of soybeans in the U.S. contained their patent gene. By 2008, over 90% of soybeans in he U.S. contained Monsanto's patented gene. Which means now a farmer who uses Roundup Ready soybeans cannot save their seeds for the following year and if they do - they'll get a call from Monsanto. Anyone caught saving seeds can be investigated for patent infringement.

*Monsanto has a staff of 75 devoted to investigating and prosecuting farmers
*Center for Food Safety

You are what you eat

"A culture that views a Pig as a pile of protoplasmic inanimate structure, to be manipulated by whatever creative design a human can foist on that critter --- will probably view individuals within its community and other cultures in the community with the same type of disdain, disrespect and controlling-type mentality. " 

 --- Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms (excerpt from Food, Inc)

Where's the beef?

Meet the four largest companies who now essentially control the market in beef, pork, and chicken Tyson, JBS, Smithfield, and Cargill.


Excerpt from Eating Animals, Jonathan Safran Foer: On Smithfield Farms, "The Smithfield pig farming operation "produces at least as much fecal waste as the entire human population of the states of California and Texas combined." His account of the conditions in which these creatures are held is deeply distressing: "Four out of five times a sow will spend the 16 weeks of her pregnancy confined in a 'gestation crate' so small that she will not be able to turn around."


Excerpt from Food, Inc. A farmer for Tyson Chickens:

"It is nasty in here, there's dust flying all over the place, there's feces everywhere. This isn't farming this is mass production, like an assembly line in a factory. When they grow from a chick and in 7 weeks you've got a 5 1/2 pound chicken their bones and internal organs can't keep up with the rapid growth. A lot of these chickens here can only take a few steps and then they plop down, that's because can't keep up with all the weight that they're carrying."

Interestingly enough, I must give credit to Cargill for opening their doors to the Oprah Winfrey Show earlier this year for a special episode with author and food activist, Michael Pollan and author/veganist Kathy Freston and showing America how meat is made: For more info: http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/146461/11/02/01/kudos-cargill-showing-oprah-how-meat-made

Teenage Mutant Ninja E. Coli

There's a new strand in town and no one is liking it. Its a new e.coli strand to be exact and Europe is suffering because of it. The European Union is known for its strict regulations on agriculture so it seems to be a big surprise that something like this has occurred. Read more at L.A. Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/health/la-heb-e.coli-strain-20110602,0,2959466.story

Kimchi, You've Really Got A Hold On Me

It's sour, it's spicy, it's garlicky and you bite into crunchy yet soft pieces of cabbage. What else do I need? Nothing. I'm obsessed with kimchi. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi

10 simple things YOU can do to change our food system

 Learn more about these issues and how you can take action on Takepart.com

1.      Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages.

2.      Eat at home instead of eating out.

3.      Bring food labeling into the 21st Century.

4.      Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks.

5.      Meatless Mondays—Go without meat one day a week.

6.      Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.

7.      Protect family farms; visit your local farmer's market.

8.      Make a point to know where your food comes from—READ LABELS.

9.      Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.

10.  Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections.