Friday, July 23, 2010

Safe and Eco-friendly Cookware

While observing the weekly family dinner prep and execution in my mother in law’s kitchen, I learned that in order to make the perfect meal, I not only need perfect (read local, seasonal, better than USDA organic) ingredients I also need the right equipment.

Since moving to LA, my kitchen armamentarium has definitely expanded - I am a proud owner of swiss peelers and serrated knives. No more peeling potatoes with a knife a la Minsk for me or slip-sliding tomatoes a la Trumbull on the cutting board. The right tools make vegetable prep easy peasy!

But the category of tools I really want to talk about is cookware. While most cooks enjoy working with cast iron and enameled (Creuset type) cast iron pots and pans, I refuse to buy cookware that I can’t easily lift from the cupboard with one hand. Cast iron is great for many reasons - it heats and cooks beautifully, it doesn’t leach toxic chemicals, it’s time tested, it is stove top and oven safe, it can even help your iron deficiency anemia. But in my kitchen cast iron doesn’t pass the “can I lift this empty pot or pan with one hand” test.

Let’s talk about cast iron alternatives! You already know that stainless steel is a safe cookware choice. That leaves three lesser known but adored by me cookware alternatives: stone, ceramic and clay.( I know that none of you would consider baking with toxic teflon, acidifying aluminum or non-biodegradable silicone. ) Since I am still on the lookout for the perfect stone pot, I will discuss my favorite clay and ceramic cookware.
La Chamba
I love Columbian clay La Chamba brand cookware. These traditional casseroles, pots and pans are hand made, light to lift and easy to clean, can be used on the stove top or in the oven, do not leach toxic chemicals, and distribute heat so well that soups and stews simply don’t taste as good when cooked sans clay pots.

Natural Elements
I am also enamored with Natural Elements ceramic muffin pans. Unlike their non-stick or aluminum counterparts, ceramic cupcake pans do not leach toxic chemicals and are easier to clean than stainless steel. I use them for bakingand for freezing individualized portions of risotto or polenta.

Le Flame
Recently I came across Danish Le Flame brand ceramics. These pots are super light and durable, chip and crack resistant, can be used on the stove top, in the oven or in the broiler, do not react with food and do not leach chemicals into food.

What are your go to eco-friendly and safe cookware choices?

Stay tune for next week’s review of my new ice cube trays!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Story of Cosmetics

The Story of Cosmetics

Annie Leonard of the Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities and Our Health has made a new video called the Story of Cosmetics. This is a must watch for everyone!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

http://yourdailythread.com/2010/07/13/food-solutions-for-people-planet/

http://yourdailythread.com/2010/07/13/food-solutions-for-people-planet/

Food Solutions for People & Planet

This is the first in a series by L.A. Naturopathic Doctor, Maya Roth, who shares with YDT how our own well-being and environmental health are connected–and what we can do to act on behalf of both.

Part One: FOOD

Frequently, the chemicals manufactured to ease our lives and increase our convenience actually harm our health and the health of the planet. But in our daily consumer decisions we can influence how many man-made toxins enter the environment and make their way into our bodies at the same time via our air, water and food.

As a Naturopathic Doctor, I teach my patients that by making good eating decisions to safeguard the planet, we as its inhabitants are rewarded with more vibrant health.

Here are some examples of choices we can make where meals are concerned:

Begin on the periphery

Select foods found on the periphery of the supermarket including produce, dairy, poultry, meat and fish. Avoid shopping the inner aisles that contain processed products and artificial ingredients. Not sure? Ask yourself, “Could I buy this product 100 years ago?” If not, then the product in question is not real food. (By shopping at your farmers’ market it’s even easier to guarantee you’re buying honest to goodness edibles.)

Zoom in on the source

Your kitchen is the source of most chemicals in your household. A water filter for the kitchen sink and a reusable stainless steel water bottle will help avoid exposure to toxic chemicals that leach from plastic and polycarbonate water bottles. Also, use glass, cast iron, ceramic and stainless steel cookware and storage containers in lieu of plastic, aluminum and nonstick-coated products. Replace your traditional toxic household dishwashing, cleaning, and laundry products with natural or homemade alternatives.

Focus on purity

Consume fruits and vegetables grown without toxic pesticides. Research shows that people who consume the “dirty dozen,” the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables, on average, eat 10 types of pesticides per day! Replace large and farmedfish that are high in mercury and other contaminants with small, wild alternatives. For example, consider substituting traditional tuna with canned wild salmon which has undetectable levels of mercury.

To learn more about naturopathic medicine for personal and planetary health and Dr. Roth, visit www.DrMayaRoth.com.

Bio: Maya Roth, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor. Dr. Roth practices preventative medicine with emphasis on risk modification, lifestyle optimization and hormone balance. She is in practice at the Chiropractic Center of Los Angeles and specializes in natural family medicine, as well as subspecialties of women’s health, children’s health and environmental medicine. Dr. Roth encourages her patients to take responsibility for their own health and for the environment. She is the creator ofNaturopathic Insights. Contact: Tel: (323) 935-9777;http://www.DrMayaRoth.com.

Images via Dr. Maya Roth, RGBclicks @ Flickr and The White Mole @ Flickr


Raised tomato planter update

Remember this project? In May, we gave a heavy wooden bookshelf a new life as a raised tomato planter. Six Pole Black Krim heirloom tomato plants planted from seed in a 15oz cans made their home in the organic soil in the tomato planter. I think it’s time for an update....