June 2009

  • Are Vegetarians just Vegans who can't commit?

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    I’ve been a vegetarian for seven years, now. It’s never been terribly difficult, except at family gatherings, and then it was more awkward than difficult, a matter of making my own dinner. I was in my early twenties, and there were a few of us that were, or were becoming, vegetarian at the time. I was at college, so I couldn’t afford to buy meat anyway; I just sort of fell into it by default. Since then, however, I’ve moved to San Francisco and become friends with a rare breed of individual; the vegan.

    Tomorrow, I take the plunge and join their ranks. For the month of July, there will be no milk, no butter, no eggs, and, worst of all, no cheese. I love cheese; it’s savory, it’s salty, it smells like a farm. It’s one of the crowning achievements of human kind, up there with fire and Barcelona. Read more

  • Michael Jackson was a Vegetarian

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    Though many people might have known that Michael Jackson was a vegetarian in the 80s, it seems that he was still one when he died. When AEG, his promotion company, was looking into his health before his big tour, they reported that he was in top shape and indeed, a vegetarian.

    “I’m a vegetarian now and I’m so much thinner. I’ve been on a strict diet for years. I feel better than I ever have, healthier and more energetic,” Michael said in his book, Moonwalk. LaToya Jackson, as well as Michael’s father Joe, are also said to be vegetarians.

    It’s rumored that Michael even followed a vegan diet—though not, of course, a completely vegan lifestyle, as he was fine using animals for entertainment—as well as being accused of keeping exotic pets in unhealthy conditions. Read more

  • Easy Summer Fruit Freezer Jam

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    I love the fresh fruit of summer. This summer's locally grown fruit is just starting to appear at local farmers' markets. Image of stawberries.Right now, it's mostly locally Washington grown cherries and strawberries, but soon, peaches, and then the many sorts of berries Washington grows in abundance. I'll put lot of the berries and freezer bags and freeze them, but I'm also a fan of freezer jam. Unlike conventional heat-processed jam, freezer jam is cooked just enough to melt the sugar and activate the powdered pectin, which "jells" the fruit and juice, but then you put it in containers and keep it in the freezer until you're ready to eat it. It keeps about a year in the freezer, and about three weeks in the fridge, if you can wait that long to eat it. Read more

  • Food, Inc. Takes on America’s Food System

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    America’s food system doesn’t just have a negative impact on our health as a society. It also effects our economy, environment, and worker’s rights. Considering the old adage “you are what you eat,” it’s no surprise that the issue of food is connected to so many others.

    The new film Food, Inc. examines these connections and shows just how the food we get from the supermarket really gets there. Debunking the sweet animals-on-the-farm myth that children are still taught, it shows how animals today are produced mainly through factory farming, and how the hormones and pesticides used on animals and the plants they—and WE—eat can be very harmful. Read more

  • Dairy Alternative Month, Part II: Cheese

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    We’ve already talked about the health risks of regular dairy milk; now, let’s talk about cheese.

    We all know that many cheeses are full of fat and calories. It’s also high in sodium, and can contribute to allergies and other health problems.

    And if you are a vegetarian, you could still be eating animal products just by eating cheese. Many cheeses contain rennet, or rennin, which is a part of a calf’s stomach and is often used to coagulate cheese. Read more

  • Dairy Alternative Month, Part I: Milk

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    Just for June, just this once, why don’t you try a little experiment—just for kicks!—and go alterna-dairy for the month. There’s no extra piercings, no spiked jewelry to don, and no black eyeliner to smudge on. There are just the health benefits you get from saying no to milk—and the chance to simply say you did it. Read more

  • Racehorses = Dog Food

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    If I were a racehorse who spent all of my life running my guts out just so people could waste their money, lose their houses and alienate their spouses by betting on me outrunning another horse—not a penny of which is given to me, of course—I would expect a damn good retirement package. A stable on a hill, maybe, with plenty of room to gallop as I please (no jockey on my back, thank you very much), plenty of hay, some carrots, and maybe a nice chenille blanket to cozy up with. Read more

  • In praise of... Zucchini blossoms

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    If you’ve been to your local farmers’ market lately, you’ll have noticed baskets of baby zucchini. These are great; small, firm, sweet, and fresh from the farm, they actually taste of vegetables, rather than having a slightly savory flavor. This isn’t what I want to talk about, though. If you’re really lucky, the vegetables will have their flowers connected to their ends. Now, these are the most readily available of things, so when you do come across them, they are a real treat, and something not to be missed. Read more