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Cooking off the grid, part 1: Building a solar cooker
A little while ago, I was inspired to reduce my energy consumption in the kitchen by Ed Begley, Jr. Mr. Begley is a well-known environmentalist, the frequent butt of jokes, and an actor who played a supporting role (Stan Sitwell) in Arrested Development, one of the funniest sitcoms in TV history, in my
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Montreal Community Garden Season in full swing
I have made mention several times of my community garden plot, most recently when I made Sorrel Potato Soup from the first growth of sorrel, which is a perennial and returns to the plot each year. I also mentioned
Montreal Community Gardens Contaminated
By this time last year, I had already cleaned up my community garden plot and sowed my seeds, after laying down a few bags of organic manure bought from a farmer in the Eastern Townships. Here is what my plot looked like the first week of May, 2006. You can see Noshette and my garden partner Marc hard
Chocolate is in danger – please help!
My beloved chocolate, whose place in my heart (and stomach) is eclipsed only by the lovely Noshette of the North, is in grave danger. I was alerted to very serious situation by The Center for Food Safety, from which I receive regular alerts via email.
Pignorance is not bliss: A weekend making salumi
People who enjoy sausage and respect the law should not watch either being made. That curt assessment is usually attributed to 19th-century statesman Otto von Bismarck, and I can certainly agree with him about the second part. For example, it's hard to see how all the maneuvering and wheeling-and-dealing
Adding SOLE to your pet’s diet
Man of La Muncha and I are currently "owned" by a small tortoiseshell cat, Ms. Teeth and Claws. Ms. Claws is our third cat; previous cats included a pretty black and white girl and a large Maine coon cat. We have loved all our cats, and have always fed them "good" pet foods, figuring that while they
Red bowl full of winter comfort
Winter and soup go together like cold feet and comfy, goose down slippers. Once the weather turns cooler, I begin my seasonal longing for soup's warmth and comfort. And when I find enough time to make a huge pot of soup for sharing with friends and family -- with enough left over for another meal --
I’m a bit green…at being green
You know what I love about being ecologically conscious? It's so frugal. I'm from Dutch people, so this appeals to me very much. Take broth, for instance. Instead of dumping five bucks a box on organic free-range chicken or beef broth, I can make my own. Vegetable broth is even more satisfying. I
Cream of mushroom soup
When you read that title, did you think of a cylindrical, gelatinous mass, perhaps quivering atop some tuna fresh out of the can, frozen corn kernels and peas, maybe some shredded cheddar? Campbell's cream of mushroom soup is the base that launched a thousand casseroles. But guess what's in it? Most
Hooked on Hydroponics
The following is a guest post from HydroPops, Omniwhore's dad. He is an expert in hydroponic gardening, and we at the Ethicurean are lucky that he is willing to share his knowledge with us. He made some excellent videos several years ago teaching people
Not just for Oompa Loompas – a tour of Theo Chocolate
A couple of months ago, Man of La Muncha brought home a chocolate bar along with our normal haul of groceries. I pounced on the bar as it emerged from the shopping bag, to find that the flavor was, (ahem), "Bread and Chocolate". The brand was 3400 Phinney, and the maker was someone we had not heard
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Vote early, vote often
Next Tuesday, November 7, is election day in the United States. In addition to midterm elections, balloting will decide a number of state and local offices, initiatives, referendums, and propositions. Readers in other countries are encouraged
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Do the write thing: NaNoWriMo, meet NaNoBloPo
It's November 1. Last year, at this same time of night, I was more than 2,000 words into National Novel Writing Month, the fiction-writing marathon started by the inspiring Chris Baty. Almost 60,000 people signed
“Sometimes” food: Talking to kids about eating well
Dairy Queen and I were recently talking about the delicateness of conveying Ethicurean views to friends who are not as focused on their food. We don't, after all, want to be pushy or preachy. In a sense, this is part of a larger anxiety in America right now about sincerity. Politically and spiritually,
Pepper has a Southern drawl
"No animal understands its relationship to the farmer like a cow does." Chickenman and I are walking Pepper back to the pasture -- she hopped the fence in order to be near her calf, Creampuff, who was at a neighbor's house. All night long they were mooing at each other. When asked why Creampuff ran away
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