This week while reorganizing my cabinets, I kept finding random caches of nuts that weren’t really enough to repackage and store so I decided to toast them up. Enter a delicious spiced-toasted-nut moment that I promise will be a huge hit. At the very least it’s definitely worth emptying out the cabinet (or freezer) for!
Times are weird. News is daunting at best. We all feel it. In an effort to alleviate some stress and celebrate the small things in life, a trend was born with our team. Isolation cake! Because when you are quarantined and things are looking dim- cake brings joy. That’s what it’s all about right? So when Tricia told us she was baking an Isolation Cake, the idea stuck with us. Hers was the New York Times Plum Cake- but with plum jam- because…quarantine. I went the tropical route because…quarantine. So if you have flour, butter and eggs what are you waiting for?
Guest post by Caroline Markowitz – MS candidate in nutrition and exercise physiology at Columbia University
Whether from the film Game Changers (I won’t even go into this) or the environmental movement, the term “plant-based diet” has been frequently thrown around. And it is often used inaccurately. The term “plant-based” is vague and can lead to confusion. However, its meaning is simple: a diet based on plants.
We included this recipe in our newsletter sent on 12.15.18. As a few of our most recent posts have touted the benefits of increased fruit and vegetable consumption, we found it fitting to include a hearty cauliflower recipe.
After watching an Instagram story by AlexandraCooks and feeling awfully bored by the same old roasted cauliflower florets I always make, I decided to give whole roasted cauliflower a go. The result it a soft-textured interior; crunchy, almost burnt exterior; and total wow-factor for whomever you’re serving. This could be a beautiful holiday centerpiece topped with pomegranate seeds, chopped toasted pistachios and fresh mint.
Continue reading “WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH GARLICKY LABNEH”
Guest post by Caroline Markowitz – MS candidate in nutrition and exercise physiology at Columbia University
Grocery stores and farmers markets display signs touting “organic” and “local” above their produce. But so many of us feel fraught with confusion. Is eating organic always better? What if something is local but not organic, what should I choose? What does it all mean? The questions feel never ending. In a recent NYTimes “Climate Fwd” newsletter, Eduardo Garcia and Lisa Friedman explain that organic farming can have an equal (if not greater) carbon footprint than conventional farming; however, organic farming is likely better for the planet overall because it does not use synthetic herbicides and pesticides that conventional farming relies on.
Conventional agriculture: “a broad term that has a number of definitions, but a crop can be classified as conventional if synthetic chemicals are used to maintain the plants. A significant amount of chemical and energy input is required in conventional agriculture to produce the highest possible yield of crops.”
Organic agriculture: “Organic farmers, ranchers, and food processors use agricultural methods intended to preserve the environment. USDA organic regulations restrict the use of certain conventional tools such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.”
Local farming: “Local farming means short distribution channels – channels involving no more than one intermediary between farm and consumer. Local farming is aimed at, among other things, reducing the distances travelled by fruits and at reestablishing the relationship between consumer and farmer.”
Continue reading “ORGANIC, CONVENTIONAL, LOCAL – WHAT TO CHOOSE?”