Slow Food re-visited

The New York Times presented a rather edgy piece about the Slow Food community. I’ve never had a good grasp on what this whole "slow food" thing was about. Is it braised cuts of meat that take a long time to cook, uh yeah, sometimes. Or is it food that takes a lot of care, time and patience to grow, well yeah, sometimes this too. With the attachment of Alice Waters name to Slow Food USA ideas like organic, locally produced, and heritage came into play. What it all adds up to me in the end...

Two quotes from the article sum it up best:

"When it first took root here in 1998, some people were drawn to its philosophy, while others were put off by what they saw as elitism and an inflated sense of importance."

And Mr. Petrini, founder of Slow foods self described philosophy of Slow Food as being, "food is much more than cooking and eating."

It is a very pretty picture to draw. One where a utopia of unselfish people grow and distribute high quality food products all produced in a natural healthy way where no one under cuts the prices of the other, or sprays dangerous herbicides to get a better yield, or injects their livestock with an assortment of antibiotics and growth hormone in an effort to get a better yield, get a better price, make more money. Get Real!

Sure if you can afford it, you can paint any picture you want, not only with your food. For instance a Slow Bathing group might arise with a philosophy that, "showering is much more than soaping up and rinsing off." In both cases the average person can strongly disagree with those philosophies and ponder what kind of chicken, or what kind of shower head his minimum wage job can afford him. I’m guessing this average Joe doesn’t have enough dough to wax philosophy about lives basic necessities.

While I do feel that in my personal life, with my chosen career path that food has the potential to be more than a means of sustenance. I also understand that this is not something most people can afford, or appreciate on a daily basis. I hate the idea of factory farms, chickens on top of chickens on top of chickens, yuck! But I don’t see how every child in the public school system can have a chicken lunch without this ugliness. Go ahead and ask yourself, are you willing to pay twice as much taxes so that all those kids can have organic chicken instead? I think not.

While I see the Slow Food philosophy as relevant, I’ve yet to see the movement as much more than an elitist group of food connoisseurs with an inflated sense of importance. It’s something they are trying to change as the NYT explains, but they have a lot of work to do.

Nemo's Specials

Chilled Ginger-Watermelon Soup with Basil-Crab salad

Steamed Mussels in a mushroom-carmalized onion broth

Pan roasted Golden Trout, Warm Cucumber-Tomato Bread Salad, Blue Crab Brown Butter

Nubella's 7 most inflated foods in America

By Natalie Vavricka, Nubella News

When you stroll through the supermarket these days, you might think your eyes are playing tricks on you. But according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), it’s no illusion: Americans are seeing the worst food inflation in 17 years. In fact, retail food prices rose a whopping 4 percent in 2007 alone. Why such staggering increases? Read on as we uncover the reasons—and reveal the 7 most inflated foods in America.

Understanding Sticker ShockWhy is your grocery bill skyrocketing? Experts point to a variety of factors, including higher transport costs due to rising fuel prices, increasing global food demand, the weak dollar, speculation in the commodities markets, and a series of unfortunate weather events.

In addition, USDA economists cite dramatic increases in ethanol production. Ethanol, a gasoline fuel alternative, is made from corn or sugarcane, and when its production increases, the prices of these two commodities tend to rise in tandem. The resulting corn shortage has also produced an escalating demand for alternative grains, such as wheat and soybeans, making those crops more costly, too. According to the United Nations, global wheat prices have risen 130 percent since March 2007, while soy prices have risen 87 percent.7 Most Inflated Food PricesHow does all of this affect your bottom line? If the following items are on your shopping list, your grocery bill could be sky high.

1. Beans. They’ve always been considered a perfect food for people on a budget, but these days, beans aren’t quite the bargain they used to be. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) reports that the cost of dried beans rose 21.6 percent between March 2007 and March 2008.

2. Eggs. According to the CPI, the cost of eggs skyrocketed 18 percent from May 2007 to May 2008. What do these price hikes mean for you? While you could have picked up a dozen Grade A eggs for $1.45 in 2006, the same carton will cost you an average of $2.18 in 2008.

3. Dairy Products. It’s not easy when an entire food group is inflated, but such is the case with dairy products, which increased 11 percent overall from May 2007 to May 2008, according to the CPI. Which ones will make the biggest dent in your wallet? Cheese is up 14 percent, milk more than 10 percent, ice cream nearly 6 percent, and butter almost 4 percent.

4. Cereal. Since May 2007, increased corn, wheat, and energy prices have pushed production costs for cereals up 10.5 percent. According to the CPI, retail prices for cereal increased 4.4 percent in 2007 and are projected to rise approximately 8 percent by the end of 2008. In fact, after its fourth-quarter profits plummeted 17 percent in 2007, the manufacturer of Wheaties cereal announced that it would raise prices. Think a muffin might be an affordable alternative? Think again. The CPI indicates that baked goods are just as inflated.

5. Chicken. Soaring gas prices have caused a spike in the production of ethanol fuel, resulting in increased corn prices. Since corn is often the main component of chicken feed, the poultry industry has taken on the extra cost of feeding its animals—and passed along the price increase to you. In fact, the CPI shows that chicken prices increased 4.5 percent from May 2007 to May 2008.

6. White Bread. Among pantry staples, flour has seen some of the most dramatic price increases in recent years. In fact, the average cost per pound for flour was $0.34 in 2007 but rose to $0.42 by 2008. Not surprisingly, the cost of white bread is also way up, from a national average of $1.05 per pound in 2006 to $1.28 in 2008, reports the BLS.

7. Apples. You might assume that price hikes on poultry, dairy, and carbs may force Americans to start eating more fruit. Well, not so fast. The cost of fresh produce is also soaring, and one of the most inflated fruits is the apple. In fact, a pound of Red Delicious apples cost $0.96 in 2006; by 2008, it was up to $1.16.

Crains Newspaper article about food cost.

Recipe for trouble Rapidly rising food costs, newly frugal customers are challenging restaurant industry stalwarts

.By KATHERINE FAY4:30 am, July 14, 2008


Rick Cassara says his sales are off by a “good amount” this year. There has been far less business from the convention center, hotels and tourists, but those are just a few of the problems encountered by the owner of John Q’s Steakhouse in downtown Cleveland.Like most restaurant operators, Mr. Cassara is feeling the pressure from increased operating and food costs. But on top of big bills, restaurants are serving a customer base that’s trying to pinch pennies and scale back dining habits.“We’re a steakhouse, so we can’t really take away steaks,” Mr. Cassara said, “But we are buying less and more specifically. We haven’t run out of anything yet, but we are running tight.” He did not specify how much his business is down.

In an Ohio Restaurant Association survey last October, 23% of more than 100 respondents said they could be out of business within a year if business remained the same, said Mark Glasper, director of communications. But business hasn’t been static; it’s become worse. Almost across the board, the association’s 2,500 members are reporting sales decreases of 10% to 20% since January, Mr. Glasper said. “Our members are being hit from both directions,” he said. “A lot of them are on edge. Restaurants operate on razor-thin margins, and when costs go up, they’ve got to do something.”Wholesale food prices jumped 7.6% last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and on a 2008 year-to-date basis through March, they rose an additional 8.5%, causing restaurants to consider raising meal prices, creating more value specials or offering smaller portions.

In addition, the economic turndown and the higher cost of doing business have led some restaurants to cut staff or rework employees’ hours and positions, Mr. Glasper said.“We want the public to understand what is happening to their favorite restaurants — to understand why all this is happening, why prices are increasing — not because the owner is gouging them, but because it is a question of survival,” he said. Sweating the details


Dante in Valley View has seen business decline 10% to 15% since the restaurant, formerly known as Lockkeepers, changed hands last September, said Dave Eselgroth, general manager and sommelier.“I think that if we weren’t in an election year, with $4 gas and a bad housing market, that things would be better,” Mr. Eselgroth said. “The combination of those variables is causing problems, but people will still go out to eat. If their lives are miserable, they’ll need a piece of sunshine.”While people still are dining out, Mr. Eselgroth has seen the number of customers splitting menu items increase. Dante’s Wine by the Glass program, which includes a 90-wine selection, has flourished, while the number of customers ordering expensive bottles of wine has decreased significantly.“Maybe gluttony is down a bit, too,” he said.

Though Dante is trying to cut back by ordering lesser-known cuts of meat and eliminating two management positions, it may not be enough. With distributors instituting fuel surcharges on deliveries, Dante expects to pay $8,000 to 10,000 in additional expenses this year.“We are definitely going to have to reflect that in portion size and menu pricing,” Mr. Eselgroth said.

At Nemo Grille in Avon, the costs of paper products, toilet paper and cleaning chemicals also have skyrocketed, said Michael Walsh, head chef. Nemo recently switched its to-go boxes from a 57-cent brand to a 23-cent brand, changed to cheaper cooking oil, and reworked produce delivery schedules to once a week from twice.“We’re trying to find ways to avoid going directly to the menu prices,”

Mr. Walsh said. “It’s the hidden things, though — the paper products, oil and fuel charges — that went from being dirt cheap to being there. You spend $18 for a case of paper towel rolls, and look back and it was $13 three months ago.

”Papa Joe’s in Akron has seen its head count increase slightly, but only due to the strategy of reducing menu prices to draw more customers. By taking more profitable items like pasta dishes and lowering the price, Papa Joe’s can make money while creating affordable items for customers, said Jeffrey Bruno, co-owner.“You have to try to understand where the customer is coming from,” Mr. Bruno said. “You can’t take the time to look at high food costs and go crazy. You have to keep costs in control and provide help to people.”

Working 'harder and smarter'
Some restaurants are holding up just fine, though it takes a lot of effort to keep business growing.Pier W of Lakewood, for one, has seen business go up at least 10% since the start of the year, said Guillermo Espejelli, general manager. He attributes its growth to the restaurant’s culinary team, ambi-ance, fresh seafood and service.“We are very humble because we have friends in the business who aren’t doing as well,” Mr. Espejelli said. “I do believe that when people go out, they are coming here. They’re saying, ‘I’m not going out every two weeks, but maybe every three.’

They want their money’s worth and are coming to us for the whole package.”While Blue Point Grille in Cleveland’s Warehouse District has seen the price of its most expensive and popular ingredient — cold-water domestic black grouper — double in the past five years, the key to keeping business up is through maintaining quality and marketing, said George Schindler, president of Hospitality Restaurants.

The restaurant is in the process of remodeling its bar area to give it a more casual feel so it can attract the growing number of young, professional residents in its neighborhood. Blue Point also is participating in Date Night in the District, a combined effort among 12 Warehouse District restaurants that allows couples to enjoy three-course, fixed-price meals between $39 and $99 on Friday nights throughout the summer.Noted Mr. Schindler: “When things are slower, we work harder and smarter. We know things will turn around, and when they do, we hope they’ll take off and that we will be stronger than ever. Until then, our customer base will recognize the quality of what we do.”

Two Rare Indulgence

Within the past few weeks I've been out to eat twice, once at a familiar place, the second a new adventure. We went to Melt just after their next door addition was complete. The space is inviting and cozy as ever. Luckily you might spend less time waiting for a table. As in the past all the food we had was excellent. I had the Melt Quesadilla, and a few very refreshing Strongbow Ciders. The addition of goat cheese and bacon make the house quesadilla a filling meal for me. As usual the service was very propt and curtious even with the hectic pace and waiting diners.

Just another hump day.

I found these duck legs a very interesting picture. In some ways it looks like an alien land. In a way it is I guess. A wonderful alien land of duck fat with plump duck legs sticking up everywhere and the scent of cinnamon and corriander make up the clouds.

Kona Kompachi Poke, part of a more fullfilling dish, but an interesting photo

Presentation one, with a second to follow: A duet of Kona Kompachi. Mango-Kompachi Poke with pineapple fries and scallion oil, along side brown butter poached kona kompachi over fresh chick peas garnished with chive and chive flowers

Copper River King Salmon

I've been lucky enough to have this product in my kitchens the past few years. Copper river salmon season is very special. A short season, with strict fishing quotas result in very high prices on terribly perishable product. We are currently paying $25 a pound for skin on sides of the beast. The flesh is amazing though. It cooks up wonderfully, with a crisp sear and moist interior all due to the high fat content. Customers are loving it, eating it up like nothing else. I've took the luxery of sneaking a few scrap pieces for myself, and liken Copper river salmon to farm salmon the same way a piece of cardboard stuck under the fryer tastes compared to duck leg confit. The season is not over, and we will have Copper river salmon from now untill it is no longer available.

Fresh Chick Peas...Yeah

One simple pleasure I prefer to keep to myself in the kitchen is shucking English Peas. No, not on Friday at 6pm, but on a Tuesday, for an hour between 3 and 4, it's not a bad job. There is a whole romantic idea of being in touch with the food, with the smooth and round texture of the peas and pods are theripudic in some sense. Plus you can spend a good amount of brain power doing something beside thinking about the peas. You can plan out the day, daydream, think about specials, daydream, think about what to do next, daydream, think about how busy it's gonna be this Friday, daydream!!! Basicly, you can understand why I enjoy shucking English Peas.

Fava beans are a different species. They get shucked twice over, with a cooking, cooling, and slippery element introduced inbetween shuckings. Even this is ok with me. It's a give-take situation because once the peas are blanched you can pop a few in your mouth while peeling the rest. Three favas for the pan, one fava bean for me.... and so on.

Fresh chick peas are a completely different anger inducing, mind altering, shrill experiance that seems more tourturous that tourneying potatoes, or quenelles, or flutted mushrooms!! Two pound of these little devils took me a good hour to pick, resulting in a thrilling 2 cups of product. The peas don't fall out of the pod which is the main stumbling point. The peas is securly held to the stem. The skins are tough and smooth so without a good fingernail your headed nowhere fast. Then, while from the outside they all look the same they are divided equally between beautiful plump green peas, shriveled up tiny pin points, and grey/brown/slimy balls of infuriating glory. I hope never again in my life will I be subject to shucking fresh chick peas...ever, never ever!!!

Wine Dinner, Plates

After the mess with the vita-prep, some seasoning, and staining this was the result, a chilled english pea gazpacho with grilled shrimp. We used a relish of everything we blended as a base to hold the shrimp out of the soup.

The shortribs turned out great. I've been mandated to doing and asian presentation with shortribs over the past few years so often that I forgot how much a simple mire poix and red wine braise takes on such complexity. A simple celery root puree, and truffle vinagrette are found here along with the south central cervil. A final sprinkle of sel gris and off the plates went.

Corriander crusted duck breast is what we have here. I used the same spice mix I use when curing duck legs for confit, without the salt and sugar of course. Corriander and Cinnamon in equal parts with clove, black pepper and cardamon or juniper in very low amounts if available. This mix worked great with an overnight marinate on the breast, not overpowering, but just enough spice to strand strong against the very sweet griotes demi, and the equally sweet parsnip-sweet potato hash. The dish game together with some of Tom's home grown chives as a garnish, which look nice, but surely added an pungency that otherwise the dish lacked.

While dessert is mostly an oversight in most coursed meals, as the chef assumes his/her entree has triumphed all accompishments great and small, I strive to get something to the dinner that is challanging with what ever they are drinking at this point which is their 5th plus drink. I went with a simple panna cotta here, put played it up with pickled locally grown strawberries, and carmalized orange slices of which the bitter sweet flavor would conquer the most overdrawn tastebuds. A stawberry gastrique evolved from the pickling liquid, and the observation of a big white empty space on the plate.

Access an array of photos from the night here.

Wine Dinner, prep

This is english pea gazpacho in the works, and I don't think I've ever made more of a mess with a blender in my life. Hours later I was wiping green slim off the ceiling tiles

This pic goes side by side with the next! Corriander crusted duck breast, the above are raw and those below have been rendered and where then baked for about 5 minutes.

This is my only action shot of the event. Chef Jen is picking our home grown Chervil to use as a garnish. It looks like some kind of south central gang sign, bit I assure you, she was just picking chervil in this photo.

The pickle re-revisited

It was brought up in a comment a few posts ago about my specific pickling recipe along with a comment about kim-chi. When I was at Blue Point a long time ago I made a simple version of kim-chi that went like this:

2 heads or about 3 pounds of Napa Cabbage
1 each red onion, red and yellow pepper sliced thin
6 oz fish sauce
½ cup sirachi
½ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
3/4 cup sesame oil

We combined everything and within a day or two the flavors combine, but this is in no way a mild version. Without the fermentation that true kim-chi has, this recipe overpowers things with spice. I have not used it, but I have observed a product on the shelf of the Asian market called ‘kim-chi base’ Which I’m guessing is like a dressing for cabbage.

My basic pickle recipe is equal parts sugar, water, and vinegar. I use white distilled vinegar for stronger/longer pickles like whole gherkins, or garlic. I like to use rice wine vinegar in the same ratio for quicker, pickles, especially if you are adding vegetables to a hot liquid.

For instance, you have to melt the sugar into a liquid whether that is water or vinegar, or both. So if I need to soften a vegetable, like cauliflower with heat, I like to use rice wine vinegar. If I am cutting anything, like a julienne of carrot, then I know I have to cool the pickle liquid or the vegetables with be overcooked by heat. This can be done quickly by heating the sugar with the vinegar then making an ice slushy out of the water part. This pickle with give you a good balance of bitter and sweet, but there is more to it.

I like to add as a base spice, cinnamon, clove, and coriander. It’s best to use whole spices bound in cheesecloth as not to turn your pickle a putrid brown. Juniper, pepper flakes, cumin, and cardamon all have there place depending on the object of the pickle.

If you gave me X vegetable for a pickle recipe it would go like this:

2 pounds of X
1 qt of ice water
1 qt of sugar
1 qt of rice wine vinegar
2 cinnamon sticks
12 cloves
2 tablespoons of coriander

Melt sugar into vinegar and add spices to hot liquid, combine everything else cold, and chill for 3 days, then go at it!

Dinner Party Success

It was a great pleasure to be invited to prepare a specially designed meal for a small group of friends who hold court in a self described ‘dinner club’. The usual case is that one of the eight members picks a restaurant to attend on a monthly basis and it is their duty to further organize a date on which everyone is available, make reservations, etc. I believe their previous dinner was at Dante, and the next will be at The Baricelli Inn.

For this occasion, work began about one month ago. We narrowed down the date, and reviewed a menu, toured their kitchen, purchased raw ingredients, and finally we cooked this past Saturday! It was a treat to work in their kitchen. We did not want for a single tool, nor creature comfort as the air conditioning must have been set to a cool 60 degrees. We where even further lucky to find a food pantry stocked to the gills! We did make a fairly complete shopping list, but honey and ricotta some how didn’t make it to the party. Actually they where already there.

I’ve worked with a lot of grills in my days. Every restaurant I’ve cooked in had one, about 10 more at home, add on another 20 on picnics or camping and I would say the total number of grills I’ve cooked on approaches 45. Well I found the hottest one on earth, and it’s in Independence, Ohio. The thermostat on the hood hovered around 800 degrees, I was sure it was busted. Surely I was wrong when all the hair on my arm disappeared upon opening this beast. I likened it to a jet engine with cooking grates attached. An absolute inferno erupted the instant animal fat hit 1000 degree metal, and we where left scurrying for the hose with which the flames where quickly quenched and a small pond of fatty water accumulated not allowing for any further explosions. Most meals are highlighted by the entree, and this display of pyrotechnics assured that would be the case on this day as well. The rest of the menu played out as follows:

Hor’s derve
Foie Gras Mousse with Brandied Cherries
Pork Cheek Taco on Forest’s hand made Tortilla with Curry Banana-Bacon Guacamole
Poached Shrimp with classic Cocktail Sauce and an Avocado version

Salad
Michigan Asparagus salad, Papadew Pepper and Spinach ‘pesto’ Roasted Garlic whipped Ricotta, finished with Fleur de Sel

Soup
Caramelized Vidalia Onion and Tomato Soup, Beef Marrow Crouton

Entree
Grilled long bone Veal Chop, Mushroom Risotto, Spring Veggie (green beans, snap peas, sugar peas, turnips, carrots, boc choy and zucchini) Creamy Black Pepper Demi-glace

Sweet Finish
Vodka and Honey marinated stone fruit, spiced yogurt

Cheese finish
Petit Verdo
Seal Bay
and a Cheddar, Gouda, and Blue that I can’t remember the names.

Pics from Nemo

A fairly well organized station, a grill, selection of squeeze bottles, and a cutting board, what more can you ask for?

Seared Salmon, roasted garlic bread pudding, grilled asparagus, smoked walnut pesto and lemon sabyon

A whole mess of cleaned soft shell crabs

Heirloom carrot salad with dates, almonds, mint, dill, garlic oil, and a port-balsamic syrup

Wine Dinner Menu

Wine Dinner Menu, Thursday, June 19th...

Seared Sea Scallops-pickled ramp mignonette, seaweed salad.
Wine Pairing-Dancing Coyote Verdelho

Chilled English Pea Gazpacho-with grilled shrimp.
Wine Pairing-KitFox Foxy white chardonnay blend

Braised Shortribs-celery root puree, truffle vinaigrette.
Wine Pairing-Dancing Coyote Tango (cab, cab franc, tempranillo)

Coriander Spiced Duck Breast-sweet potato & parsnip hash, cherry demi glace.
Wine Pairing-KitFox Foxy red blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Refosco, Syrah, Petite Sirah)

Vanilla Panna Cotta-carmelized orange, pickled strawberries.
Wine Pairing-Dancing Coyote Orange Moscato

Nemo Grille Wine Dinner

Wine Dinner,
Thursday, June 19.

Join us for a 5 course wine dinner featuring wines from Dancin Coyote Wines & KitFox Vineyards. Head winemaker Chad Joseph will be on premise to talk about the wines during dinner.

$49 per person (plus tax & gratuity)

Start time 6:30

For more information or to reserve your space please call 440-934-0061

Farmers Market

It is that glorious time of the year again when local fields come alive with edible local delights. Yes we struggled through hot house tomatoes, asparagus from Peru, and corn from god only knows where, but once again our window of opportunity has opened. The Cleveland Plain Dealer today examined the supply and demand game between local farms and their cousin the farmers market. With chain grocery store prices soaring an even larger section of people will be at the market in search of reasonably priced fresh produce. Tie this growing customer base with the emergence of two competing local produce distributers, Fresh Fork, and Syco. This summers markets could prove to be quite volatile.

In any case, I'm sure you are like me and just want to get out there to the closest farmers market as soon as possible, get some fresh produce, and survey the situation first hand. The PD also put together this seemingly complete list of markets, you can view it here. I can tell you this much about the following 3:


In the past I've regularly visited the Lakewood farmers market due to how close it is to my home. It is a mid-week market with a solid 6-8 produce farms, plants, honey, and bread available every week. It's likely to not be very crowded with ample parking.

Kamms Corners farmers market is on Sunday, which is very unique. They attracted a short list of farms that looked very different from the Lakewood make-up. The Kamms market includes a chef demo, a mobile kitchen serving hot food, and musical entertainment. This market seemed rather crowded for it's size, but they do offer more of an experience for a Sunday afternoon.

Lastly, I've been to the Westlake/Crocker Park farmers market. This is by far the largest market I've been to on the west side. There are 20 plus produce farms, along with everything from soap to popcorn. The crowd does grow by noon on Saturday, and parking isn't nearly as easy as the other two, but this is a one stop situation. Whatever you need that isn't at the market can be found at Trader Joes a stones throw away.

The pickle

Tiss the season to put down some gerkin cucumber, some baby zucchini or peppers into a brine that will eventually become the fairly familiar 'pickle.' The word is not only a noun in the professional kitchen, it's more of a verb in most senses. We are likely to pickle things like ramps, cippollinis, strawberries or even salmon or brisket, which would also be known as corned beef.

While there alot of spices that work well in pickling, cloves, cinnamon, corriander and dill are the most favorite ones, and they are added to a very well described ratio of one to one to one: water, vinager, sugar.

Some things I prefer to blanch before pickling, like garlic, onions, califlower, other can be hurried along while being added to a warm pickling liquid like onions, carrots, peppers. On the other hand, things like meat, fruits, tomatoes, and mushrooms need a chilled liquid pickle to survive in peak condition.

In any case, I suggest you mix up a pickle liquid, go directly to your closest farmers market, purchases something that won't be available in 6 weeks, and pickle them. You will thank me down the road.

Foie for everyone!!!

The ban of Foie Gras in Chicago has been abolished and it turns out there never was much concern for the ducks. This NYT article explains things perfectly.

Food Creativity

While most of us have found a mis-shaped potato or other vegetable the quickly reminds us of something different, these professionals take food sculpture to another leval. Practice must make purfect.

A new and interesting blog

This year, Eat Well is celebrating Earth Day with the launch of our newest venture, the Green Fork Blog. The Green Fork is the official blog of the Eat Well Guide, your resource for finding thousands of farms, grocery stores, restaurants and other "green" food outlets throughout the US and Canada. Their new and expanded listings now include produce farms, farmers markets and vegan restaurants, as well as water-conscious ratings that let you know which of your local restaurants are helping to "take back the tap". If it's been awhile, come back for a visit, and see what's new. The Eat Well team is currently at work on new cutting edge features that will make it easier than ever to eat greener, including an interactive mapping and travel feature due later this summer.

On the menu at the Green Fork Blog:

food and farming news
farm tours and seasonal food information
interviews with food activists and leaders of the sustainable food movement
book reviews
food for thought

They started off Earth Day with a list of 20 ways to green your fork--click here to check it out and learn delicious ways to tread lightly while eating well! As Earth Day reminds us, one of the most vital things people can do for the environment is to change what they eat--to more locally-grown, sustainably-produced food.