Steven's Thoughts

Meat

I am currently reading The River Cottage MEAT Book, by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. It is a joy to read about somebody who has true passion for his produce and really took the time to understand meat. This is not only a cooking book, but as Thomas Keller says "a cooking book with a conscience." The first nine chapters are about understanding meat and only the remaining six are about the cooking. 

He elegantly starts the book with a Meat Manifesto:

• Think about the meat you eat. Good quality? Bad quality?
• Think about the animals. Did they live well?
• Where do you get your meat? Butcher? Mail order? Supermarket?
• Think about how you cook your meat.
• Are you adventurous with meat?
• Are you thrifty with meat?
• Finally, if you accept there is a moral dilemma with the way we treat animals, then you must accept there is a moral dimension in your dealings with meat.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves eating, and loves eating meat, but for all of you who want to think about the above questions. 

 

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

I just finished reading "Cradle to Cradle", a  book that is one of the most important environment and business books of our time. McDonough and Braungart redefine how we should develop products and run companies at large. The book is a must read for anyone who is interested in ensuring that our planet stays a place where humans want to live.   

Local and Organic Food Blog

When I first met my friend and colleague Anu I was very impressed with his commitment to local and organic food. He had moved to Park Slop, from Manhattan, for the sole purpose of joining the Park Slope Food Coop. Anu has inspired and strengthened my commitment to environment. He recently started a "local foods" blog, go and check it out.

 

My kid loves good food

When Sebastian was still very little he ate everything from sushi to gnocchi with gorgonzola. Over the last year he decided he didn't like fish anymore and I thought that he might be losing his taste for good food.

The other day we were eating cheese and Sebastian told me that he thought that people were missing out who don't like gruyere and fresh mozzarella. I'm happy that his little palate is still developing and he'll share my passion for food.

Organic Food not just good for your health

The WSJ had an article on Tuesday on organic foods.

There are foods which contain a high amount of pesticides, such as:

• Apples
• Peaches
• Bell peppers
• Strawberries
• Imported grapes
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Meat
• Poultry
• and baby food

and were considered worth paying extra for, whereas organic food that didn't have much pesticides and were considered a waste of money -- such as:

• Broccoli
• Bananas
• Frozen sweet peas
• Frozen corn
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Onions.

Health is definitely a concern when buying organic food, but the overall environmental impact of using pesticides should be another reason for buying organic. Organically grown fruits and vegetables also use 30% less fossil fuel on average then conventional  (chemical-dependent) grown fruits and vegetables as well as reduces soil erosion, and conserves water.

So, next time you think about the price. Think about the overall impact on you and our environment.

Why Organic

For years I have been trying to primarily eat organic food and use organic products. Why? For two reasons: one because it makes me feel good to try to be healthy, and two it makes me feel like I do my share to help the environment. Once Sebastian was born I had another reason, his health. My thought was that even if there is no scientific proof that organic living is beneficial -- going organic isn’t harmful -- and I know that pesticides and preservatives are, so I didn’t need to wait for a study to prove what seems to be common sense, and harm him with unnecessary chemicals.

But over the last year I have found more and more scientific research that backs my assumptions. The book “Organic Inc.” by Samuel Fromartz has a number of facts:
 

• A 1998 study by the Department of Heath at the University of Washington tested 110 2 – 5 year olds to see if they could detect pesticide residue in their urine.  They were looking for signs of organophosphates (at high enough levels can be linked to mild anxiety or respiratory paralysis. Long-term exposure increases the risk of neurobehavioral damage, cancer, and reproductive disorders). They found high levels of pesticide metabolites. Interestingly one of the children had no signs of any pesticide metabolites. After interviewing the parents they found out that the child was only given organic food.
• Another study looked at pesticide residue data from 94,000 food samples from 1994 – 1999 and found that organic food had about two-thirds less residue than    convention food. This showed that organic consumers got what they paid for, lower pesticides in food.
• A 2003 study by the University of Washington showed that a group of children who ate mostly organic food had one-sixth the pesticide metabolites of those who ate non-organic food. The study only concluded that eating organic food reduces the children’s risk of exposure to harmful pesticides from an “uncertain” level to a “negligible” one.
• A follow up study showed that when children who eat predominantly organic      food and substitute organic food for conventional for five days, they could find no evidence of pesticides metabolites in their urine. When they reintroduced convention food, the metabolites returned. The study concluded that an organic food diet provided “a protective mechanism” against pesticide exposure “in a manner that is dramatic and immediate”.   

 

Although the risks of exposure of pesticides over a life time are unknown, I believe opting out of a life filled with chemicals makes sense. This is even more compelling to me for my son. Chemicals are up to ten times more toxic in the developing bodies of children than adults, according to a 1993 report by the National Academy of Science.