shak-shuka

Brush-a, brush-a, brush-a

Earth hour really got me thinking about more ways that we can be eco-friendly in our home. I know that we need to seriously give our heating system the run-through, but I was thinking about more small, easy ways that have a big impact overall. Case in point: I was brushing my teeth and took a good look at the toothbrush I was using: it was a bright lime, destined-for-the-dumpster, sad looking bristle Oral B. I was seriously losing eco points with this toothbrush, and even more so the fact that I needed a new one - I mean, what do I do with this toxic concoction now that I'm finished with it? 

Enter: Preserve toothbrushes. They are made from recycled plastic, most notable Stonyfield Farms yogurt containers, so who knows - maybe your container of yogurt now made it full circle by brushing your teeth! Talk about Cradle to Cradle!!!

The best part of these toothbrushes is that once they reach the end of their lives (like my Oral B has now...), you put it back in it's original container, and send it back to the company for recycling with the pre-addressed label they give you. Genius I say!

Best of all, if you're living in the US, you can now find Preserve's toothbrushes in your local Target. They are doing a test-run in Target, so if they don't do well, they get pulled from the shelves. It's a powerful way that the consumer can demonstrate using their purchasing power to demand more green items in traditional shopping stores. Now do what your mother says and go brush your teeth!!! With a Preserve toothbrush that is....

In adult and children's sizes:

www.preserveproducts.com

What time is it? Earth Hour Time!

When I lived in Israel, I stayed with family, who are modern orthodox and observe the Jewish Sabbath. Part of the observation of the Sabbath is to take a day of rest for a full 24 hour period (from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown) - not to work, make fire, carry money, walk too far, or turn your lights on and off. At first, it may seem like a major inconvenience, but the more you get used to it, you realize that not doing any work (including turning on/off lights), is a very powerful message in this "me" centered world. 

So I was happy to get a reminder in my inbox today that tomorrow, the 28th March, is "Earth Hour". Started in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour is an event encouraging us to all turn our lights off, for one hour, at 8:30/20:30 local time. The World Wildlife Fund supports the event, and is looking to raise awareness about climate change and the negative effects that mankind is having on the environment. You can go to their website, join a local "switch off" and vote so that they reach their goal of one-billion people, which will be presented to the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. 

So here's your chance to slack off, not do anything (but including turning the lights off!), and make a difference!!! "See" you in the dark tomorrow....

www.earthhour.org

Bio Me 2!

The same gripe that I have with adult organic clothing (too boring, too expensive, etc) I have with children's clothing: too unbleachy-looking and boring, or the opposite spectrum: too cheesy and WAY too colorful. It seems as right now organic t-shirts for kids have really hit their stride as almost all companies seem to be cranking out at least one version, so that they too can jump on the organic bandwagon. 

I usually by-pass all kids t-shirts because they usually don't appeal to my taste (yes, even though I am not wearing them I feel opinionated enough to subject my daughter to my taste until she tells me she hates me AND my sense of fashion). I have to admit I'm a bit picky like Goldilocks: I never find the tee that is just right. Recently I was delighted to have found a tee that even this Goldilocks could fall in love with - BioME5 tees. BioME5 is a US company that creates zoo-inspired t-shirts (long, short, and onesies too) that have letters of the alphabet on them, and then a picture of an animal that corresponds with that letter. The fact that they are organic, made in the USA and sweatshop-free just puts them over the top in my book. I love when that happens - I find something that first I think is just stylish, then end up discovering it's eco-friendly too!

I can't tell what it is about BioME5 tees, but they are just the right amount of flashy mixed with a touch of cool-kid-refinement. They've been featured all over on TV and magazines, and for good reason. Now I just have to figure out if my daughter will hate me if I put her in a "U" tee that has an urchin on it....I mean, what kid knows what an urchin is??!! Maybe she will be a pioneer....

www.biome5.com

Spring Has Sprung a Leek

One of the sure-fire signs that spring is on its way (for me at least) is to see the presence of "shoot" looking veggies. Radishes, spring onions, leeks - they just scream "Spring has sprung"! Although I wish the weather also heard that cry that spring has sprung, as I have been playing around with the leeks that arrived in my veggie box last week. 

I think that leeks are really one of the sexiest vegetables - long, thin, a little skirt at the bottom - a real show stopper in my opinion. I also find the taste to be much more delicate than a traditional white or red onion, therefore leaving your breath that much fresher after eating them!

My daughter has recently taken a liking to them, just in time for me to bombard her little palette with a bevy of leek-laden dishes!

*Leek How-to: 

When washing them, the best thing to do is make a vertical incision from the tail or skirt end, towards the root part (where the leek is stuck together), making sure to NOT CUT all the way to the root. This will keep the leek in tact as you make 2 more other incisions like this. Make yourself a nice bowl of water to soak the leek in to wash around the dirt that is lodged in the layers. You can run it under the faucet, but if it's really dirty, you just end up lodging the dirt in even further. 

The vertical incisions usually make it easier for you to cut the leek into small thin slices, so consider half of your work already done for you! Make sure to trim off any dark green ends, as the tender white parts are usually more delicate and flavorful. 

*Creamy Leek & Potato Potage

(No one will be able to tell that this is completely dairy-free, as it is super creamy!)

2 washed and thinly sliced leek

3 small white potatoes, washed, trimmed and cut into a small dice

2tsp dried or fresh thyme

about 4 cups vegetable broth

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Place a pot on a low flame on the stove and saute the leeks in olive oil. Once the leeks have been soft and translucent, add the potato, stirring to coat the potatoes in the oil. Add the thyme and cook for about 2 minutes. Once the leeks, thyme and potatoes have sauteed a bit, add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, checking the potatoes for tenderness. 

When the potatoes seem tender, blend the soup with a handheld blender or in batches in a standing blender. Add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with fresh thyme for an attractive touch. 

*Frizzled Leeks

(add these to finished soups or salads, or just to nosh!)

4 leeks

extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 200c/400f. 

Slice cleaned leeks as thin as possible. Dry on paper towels. 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and add leeks, sauteing for 5 minutes, stirring often. Transfer sauteed leeks to a foil lined baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to make sure they all get evenly baked. 

Once they are nice and golden, remove from the oven and add salt to taste. Let cool before storing them in an airtight container. 

Nau and Forever

One day when I was moving out of my (umpteenth) Manhattan apartment, I was lugging boxes down (five) flights of stairs when all of a sudden I stopped in my tracks and couldn't go any further. Literally. I turned around to see that the pocket of my FAVORITE rain jacket was stuck on the banister knob and it ripped a HUGE hole in the side. NOOOOOOOOO! I yelled. I couldn't believe that my favorite jacket's life ended so soon, and in such a dramatic way. 

Ever since that horrible day I had looked for a jacket to replace my favorite, brown waterproof jacket. My mother makes fun of it and calls it my "paper jacket" because there is no insulation left and it's basically a windbreaker at this point. I loved this jacket because it was the perfect length that keeps you covered if it rains, looks chic, and is not too big or bulky. I looked around on various websites for a suitable replacement until I found a great jacket by a company which was going out of business at the time: Nau. I was lucky enough to get my new jacket from them just in time before they closed so that I could put my "paper jacket" to rest. 

Nau was started by ex-Patagonia designers, and you can see their influence in the technical details and materials of the clothing, as well as the ethical practices of the company. Good news to fellow Nau-lovers, they have re-launched themselves, and once again are satisfying my craving for a perfect jacket that combines function with fashion. I'm currently itching to get my paws on the Cocoon Trench for winter, just hopefully I don't have to rip my current Nau jacket to justify a new purchase!

www.nau.com

Obsession Numero 5

Lately I have been on an everything-Japanese kick, starting with the furoshiki gift wrapping, all the way to (over) consuming homemade sushi rolls. Perhaps it's the American in me that tends to overdo it, but when I start a mini-obsession, I just can't stop. My obsessions tend to take on tasks around the house, looking to makeover aspects of our home which need a dose of "freshening up". 

The first thing that I notice when I come in our house is this hideous looking Ikea-esque paper lantern which covers the hallway light. Maybe someone might think it looks Asian-inspired, but I find it revolting and haven't been looking up in the hallway just to avoid catching a glimpse of it. Needless to say I have been thinking how I can cleverly cover the naked bulb with something that is more to my taste...my Japanese obsession taste that is. 

One of my favorite design-shop websites, Collected by Tas-ka, has just the thing. It is a birdshade with hundreds of little paper cranes, similar to the ones that you see in Japan hanging from trees or lining children's rooms. I once tried my hand at making some with some Japanese friends of mine, and they ended up looking more like dinosaurs than dainty cranes. Imagine my delight then when I found this Tas-ka lampshade which combined my need for a new lampshade with my current Japanese obsession! And no assembly required on my part...phew!

Collected by Tas-ka

It's (almost) a Snap to Wrap

Sometimes I swear something must have been in the water worldwide about 9 months ago, because when this time of year rolls around, everyone and their mother (including my own) has a birthday. It is literally a birthday bonanza where I feel like each week I'm handing out a gift to someone else. All year long I stockpile gifts to give away at this time of year, to a lucky boy or girl. Each and every time I try to wrap the gifts in a unique way so that I (and maybe even the recipient) don't get bored. 

Wrapping gifts can be almost as un-ecofriendly as the gift itself (if it's covered in plastic, etc) so I try to be gentle to the earth when considering my options. I've done the reused newspaper, butcher paper, recycled brown paper, and many a reusable gift bag. One of the more personal ways I like to wrap gifts is using a Japanese technique called "furoshiki". Furoshiki is a piece of cloth, usually square, which is used to wrap gifts ingeniously. It is a bit more time consuming than using regular gift wrapping, because you really have to master the art of tying fabric around the object. Or maybe it's just my clumsy, enormous gaijin hands which couldn't do origami or any other delicate Japanese technique if my life depended on it. 

The best part of furoshiki-ing your gifts is that the whole point is that you use a piece of fabric that the recipient can use afterwards. It could double as a scarf, a placemat, a bandana, or it can be re-used to re-gift the gift that you gave them! How eco-friendly would that be?!

How-to Guide for Furoshiki (courteosy of the Japanese gov't): 

http://www.env.go.jp/en/focus/attach/060403-5.html

A Sewing Guide to making Furoshiki wraps:

http://mathomhouse.typepad.com/mommy_cooks/2007/03/furoshiki.html

Reincarnated Footers

I have to admit that lately with this never-ending winter I have been noticing something: baby girl and boys wearing tights. I was really surprised at this, as I always thought of tights as being a specifically "girl" thing. But then I got to thinking that it really made sense. When you are toting around your baby on your hip, you notice that their pants ride up around their ankles and that's a problem when you're outside with freezing cold winds. I have tried using tights, and found it to be impossible since changing diapers on a wiggly baby who can hardly lie still long enough for a normal onesie/pant pull-down change!

So needless to say I was pleased as punch when I saw Wooly Baby's high-ankle slippers. They are just the right height that when you are carrying your baby, that there is no gap between pants and slippers! Obviously there are others out there with a similar anti-tights problem! Wooly Baby slippers are handmade, which means no two pairs are exactly alike, so it's as if you're getting your own piece of baby foot couture. For me the icing on the cake is that they are made from repurposed/upcycled sweaters, so they have an eco-touch to them as well. It's nice to know that some old sweaters are given a new life as foot warmers for a little baby. I can't think of a better reincarnation than that!

www.wooly-baby.com

Thrifty Chick....Pea

I've been reading so many articles about the ailing worldwide economy, and new tactics that companies are taking to tap into those financial fears. McDonald's has reported an increase in their profits, as people are attempting to fill themselves (and their little ones) cheaply and quickly. In most children magazines I've come across advertisements with "How to feed a family of 5 for under $5" - courtesy of instant mixes like Stove-Top and Hamburger Helper (consider yourself lucky if you have no idea who these companies are...). It really infuriates me that in a time of financial crisis that big business are praying on people with their ""quick fixes" of not-so-natural foods. Why not kick it back to the old school - the days when we made our bread from scratch, bought local produce, and soaked our own beans. Ok maybe a few of those things are difficult in modern times, but I want to PROVE that you can be save money and eat homemade wholesome food as well!

I am going to show you how to whip up some great dishes using homemade, cooked chickpeas. I know that you can easily go into the store and buy some canned/tinned chickpeas. Go ahead and replace these recipes with canned, but the homemade produces such delicious results! All you really have to do is have one night of foresight to soak them, then plop them in a pot with water the next day. Then you have food for a few days, or freeze some for future usage.

What you need: one bag of (preferably organic) chickpeas

Place the chickpeas in a bowl of water, enough to cover by about 3inches. The chickpeas will really swell up, so you need ample water. Leave them to soak overnight. If you completely forgot and still want to cook your own, just boil some water from a kettle and pour over chickpeas, letting them sit under the water for about 3 hours. 

Once the chickpeas have soaked, drain and rinse them, reserving about 1/3 of the chickpeas for one dish where you do NOT cook them. Place the remaining 2/3 of the chickpeas in a pot (this is also a great time to use a pressure cooker as it cuts cooking time by 75%) with enough water to cover by about 2 inches, and cook for about 2 hours. You will really need to check this as the cooking time depends on the age of the chickpeas.

Hummus (4 cups)

2c cooked chickpeas

1/2-3/4c tahina

4-6 tablespoons lemon juice

2-3 garlic cloves (optional)

salt to taste

extra virgin olive oil (as topping to serve)

paprika powder (to serve on top, optional)

(It is very important to achieve a smooth consistency that you use hot, fresh chickpeas) Drain the chickpeas, reserving at least 1.5c of the cooking liquid. Place all the remaining ingredients in the food processor along with the chickpeas and add very little cooking liquid to start the blending process. Continue blending until the hummus reaches a very smooth consistency. To serve, place the hummus in a serving bowl and top with extra virgin olive oil and dust with a bit of paprika powder for color. 

Falafel (makes about 20 balls)

about 2c soaked (not cooked!) chickpeas

1/2 large onion, cut in quarters

4 tablespoons (ea.) parsley and cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 – 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon baking powder

4-6 tablespoons flour or bulgur

oil for frying

Place drained, washed, uncooked chickpeas and the onions into the food processor. Add the cilantro, parsley, salt, dried red pepper flakes, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended and chopped but not pureed.

Remove the mixture from the food processor and place in a bowl. Mix the baking powder, flour and bulgur (if using) until the mixture no longer sticks to your hands, but begins to bind to itself. Cover the bowl well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Take out the mixture from the refrigerator after it has rested, and form the mixture into small balls, the size of large walnuts. Do not squeeze the balls too hard, just form them with your hands and gently squeeze your hands around them. If they do not stick together well, add more bulgur or flour.

Heat about 3cm/1” of oil in a deep pot or wok and test the oil to make sure it is hot enough. When ready, add the balls, once by one, in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, so that you can take care to flip and remove the balls once they are fully cooked and browned. Drain on paper towels and serve. 

Minestra di Ceci (Chickpea Soup) 4-6 servings

4c cooked chickpeas

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed or minced

few sprigs of fresh Rosemary

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4c tomato sauce

4 cups vegetable stock or water

Heat a small amount of olive oil in the bottom of a pot. Place either smashed or minced garlic cloves in the pot and allow to sizzle a few minutes, being careful to not brown. Once garlic turns golden, add the minced rosemary, stirring for a minute, and then add the other ingredients.

Bring pot to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for about 20 minutes. Once cooked, puree either in a blender in batches, being careful not to overfill the blender pitcher (as hot liquids expand). Alternatively, you can use a handheld mixer and just puree the soup in the pot.

If soup is too thick, add a bit more broth or water. When serving, place in bowls with a circular line of olive oil on top.   

Please call me a "Hasbeen"

Besides my love of food and cooking, the other major reason why I had decided to become a chef was downright vain: I love the clogs that chefs wear. Any chance that I get to break out my trusty slip-on clogs, I do it. Even if I'm not cooking in the kitchen.

 I think that as a child my mother used to put me in a yellow pair that I would schlep around in, along with (naturally) a matching yellow rain jacket (which ironically I hated). I was stylin' from what I can remember! I adore(d) the feel of wood under my feet and the "klomp klomp" noise that they make on hard surfaces. I care to liken it to tap dancing on wood....

Imagine my surprise when I came upon a line of environmentally friendly wooden shoes from Sweden, named Swedish Hasbeens. This cleverly named company has been creating classic styles with an eco twist since 2006. In fact, the more you learn about the company, the more you fall in love with them. Naturally vegetable tanned leather, fair trade production, sustainably harvested wood for the soles: they encourage you to care for the shoe with their tips, but if you grow weary of them or they start to fall apart, you can even plant them in your backyard (nothing will grow of them though, sorry!)

Normally I would be tempted to purchase only the clog style, but I have to say that each one of them is more delicious than the next. They even have "super high" versions for those who equate clogs or wood-soled shoes as being too frumpy. I don't know if I dare to go "super high" as the low versions are just right for me and my baby-toting days. So go ahead and call me a "Hasbeen" and I"ll think it's the highest of compliments!

www.swedishhasbeens.com/