StL Eatniks

Johnson's Backyard Garden

2009-11-13T16:08:00.000-06:00

I had a full work day at Johnson's Backyard Garden yesterday. This is currently a 15 acre organic vegetable farm that has an 800 member CSA program. It started as a small personal garden in Brenton's backyard about 5 years ago, and is now the largest CSA in the southeastern United States. They have plans to expand and just recently purchased a new plot of land.
During my work day we separated garlic, sorted tomatoes and transplanted cabbage. To transplant we sat on a tractor attachment similar to this one with a rotor in front of us that we dropped the seedlings into. It was pretty bizarre. Pictured above are pipes for their irrigation system.

I brought home one of the seedlings that got left behind when we planted. I think this is a russian red kale.
The interns and several of the workers were twenty-something college graduates. They were listening to the Decemberists and other hipster music. The other workers were all Hispanic (most likely Mexican) men in the 30-50 age range.

This is the first time I have seen okra plants. They look a lot like hollyhocks, because they are both in the Mallow family.

Oak Hill Farm and John Lash

2009-11-13T15:42:00.002-06:00

Saludos desde Tejas !
After a summer working in a garden in Colorado I'm still left wanting, so here I am trying to find a job as a farmer (kind of). A week ago I visited Cora Lamar at Oak Hill Farm in Poteet, the Strawberry capital of Texas. Oak Hill (10-15 acres?) sells the majority of its produce to Central Market and other grocery stores. The farm is known for its spinach, which I have yet to try. Cora showed me around her farm where her dogs were running around peeing on lettuce (don't worry it gets washed, but you should probably wash it too). John Lash, of Farm to Table, was there picking up lettuce and offered to help me find a farm to work at. Farm to Table finds and delivers produce, meat, cheese, etc. from local organic farms and distributes them to restaurants and grocery stores. He was an interesting guy, always on his cell phone trying to make arrangements and very curious about whatever new produce Cora was growing. Cora introduced me around the farmers market but I didn't have much luck making connections there.

Food aid refused

2008-12-21T13:40:00.004-06:00

CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, is dropping its financial aid that comes from selling American agribusiness crops in the African countries it is assisting. Read the article here. "CARE’s idea is that a profitable business is more likely than a charitable venture to survive when foreign aid runs out." This raises the question, how can you effectively support developing communities/countries without harming them? A major component is supporting local businesses in a way that allows them to become self sustainable.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T22:16:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving all! If you're eating turkey tomorrow I would recommend getting a Heritage turkey from a good family farm (it's a little late for tomorrow but for next year). The best way to support diversity and regrow the disappearing breeds of vegetables and livestock is to eat them. Yay! I thought I would leave you with a recipe that I made for our feast tomorrow.

Food Security

2008-11-23T12:37:00.003-06:00

Here's a fun little animation video about food security in Japan, found Treehugger. "While the stats are specific to Japan, the concepts are universal."

Michael Pollan at Wash U

2008-11-01T13:26:00.004-05:00

Michael Pollan will be speaking at Washington University in the Graham Chapel on November 20th. Pollan has authored several books about food, including the very popular Omnivore's Dilemma. Can't wait!

Election Day

2008-10-07T12:11:00.005-05:00

As we are making decisions about who we will vote for in the upcoming election, if you follow this blog you should consider the presidential candidates stances on farm policies. Sounds like the candidates will have to be kicked in the face before they seriously consider that our food system needs revolutionary changes. Starting with dropping subsidies and laying down the law on pollution. On another note, I thought it was strange that the author still thinks that ethanol was the sole cause of the food shortages in the past year. It really was not a substantial cause, as I noted in an earlier article. Food shortages were linked directly with the increasing cost of transportation, or fuel prices, and increased demand for food with decreased production.

The Second Green Revolution

2008-08-26T15:59:00.002-05:00

I found an article proposing the scientific approach to the global issue of static food production in a ever multiplying population. This article states that we need a second green revolution that is based on a freer distribution of GM crops. The first revolution created from the development of technologies including pesticides, irrigation projects, synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. These developments seemed like a boon to society at the time. They made food production double in some developing countries. There were unforeseen costs such as massive water pollution from chemical drainage into streams. Also these technologies are allowing farmers to use the land in an unsustainable way, degrading the soil, so it may produce more food now, but at what costs? We didn't know what the downside of the massive jump in food production would be then, and we don't know how GM crops could be harmful now. Developing crops resistant to certain disease strains could make the strains develop into more harmful diseases.

Victory Gardens

2008-08-15T01:16:00.000-05:00

In this op-ed article in the New York Times, Ms. Arieff talks about various land reclamation projects that use new innovative spaces for growing food. These projects are popping up all over cities, including St. Louis. For example, on my first expedition to the botanical gardens, I discovered that there is a entire section devoted to food crops. Funny that we have to visit the botanical gardens to know what plants look like before they reach our table. I'm curious where these crops will end up when they are ready to be used.

Amy Franchesni started a Victory Garden project in San Francisco (mentioned in the article) part of her art work was designing fun tools for gardening such as this awesome bike.

Franchesni convinced San Francisco City Hall to transform their lawn into a giant garden. Most of the food will be "donated to those with limited access to healthy, organic produce through a partnership with local food banks and meal programs."

Tower Grove

2008-08-10T13:58:00.007-05:00

Hello avid readers! I know you must have been wilting away while I was on hiatus. Never fear for I have returned! Better yet, I'll be here for another year. Aren't you lucky.

SO, have you been to Local Harvest Grocery? It is a tiny little shop in the Tower Grove South Area on Morganford. I make an effort to not buy eggs unless I'm in the area for some Local Harvest eggs. They have so much more flavor, and they are from local farmers. They carry a range of locally grown and produced foods, including food from the urban farms like City Seeds. All of their local products are labeled with a green tag. Their other products are "wholesome and healthful foods that are produced in organic and sustainable methods." They recently opened a cafe down the street. I cannot rate it for you yet because I still haven't eaten there, but I look forward to it!

The Tower Grove Farmers' Market is located next to the kiddy pool fountain in the middle of Tower Grove Park. It's great because all of the vendors are local businesses. It is smaller and has less variety than Soulard, but at Soulard you can't tell where the food is coming from. If I remember correctly it isn't even labeled by farm. Extra double plus bonus is if you are buying from vendors here or at Local Harvest, you are getting food that is in season.

People's Grocery

2008-07-11T12:20:00.003-05:00

Two very inspiring projects called the People's Grocery in Brooklyn and The Greenhouse Project in Johannesburg. They address how to make a community in need more self-sustainable by creating jobs, reusing waste, and producing food within the community.

Seed Saving

2008-07-02T20:20:00.003-05:00

A short video about a seed saving project in India.

"Each civilization was based on agriculture and collapsed at a certain time in history. They collapsed because their environment collapsed, because there was no more arable land, because they cut all the forest around. And somewhere, now in the 21st century the same thing is repeating but on a larger scale, on a big, large global scale."

Stephan Fayon

Managing needs versus demand

2008-06-24T19:51:00.004-05:00

I found this article in which Mike Coupe director of Sainsbury's, one of the UK's leading grocery stores, in response to a statement about reducing consumption as the only viable way to cut carbon emissions said "Managing needs versus demand seems like a form of communism," he said. "It's something the world we are living in isn't ready for." This statement is not surprising coming from someone who makes his money off of people buying surpluses of food that they never use. How true is this? Are people not ready to reduce their consumption?

Just from the recent price jumps in gas, people are in mass finally shying away from excessively large cars and getting on waiting lists for hybrids. So, how far do you have to push people before they reduce their consumption? The world didn't have the problem of extreme excess production 200 years ago. When food was industrialized in the early 20th century produced in extreme excess, we provided too much food for the consumer. This made obesity eventually a national epidemic. I can't see why it should be a problem to reduce food consumption. People lived perfectly happily for thousands of years before they had the choice of Cheetos or Fritos or Doritos or Tostitos. At what point will we realize that maybe the health of the nation and the environment is more important that making this crap food that helps line the corporations pockets. It's a natural response to eat what is in front of you, and with this lining our shelves, how are we supposed to resist?

Ok, so it's viable to say maybe people are not ready to reduce consumption. But I firmly believe that mass production, leads to mass consumption.

Veg out

2008-06-22T17:49:00.004-05:00

Some new of my favorite vegetarian eateries for when I get sick of eating the same sandwich everyday.

Kaldi's - I'm sure most of you have heard this name, and with good reason. Kaldis is a small coffee coffee chain in St. Louis with completely vegetarian menu. They serve quiche, smoothies, salads, etc. People usually look at me like I'm crazy when I mention that my favorite breakfast is a bacon (sans bacon now) and egg taco with a healthy dose of salsa. Try Kaldi's breakfast burrito and you might understand, but you will have to eat one from Las Palapas in San Antonio, Texas to really get it. Kaldi's has several locations including the DeMun neighborhood, Chesterfield, Kirkwood, Columbia, Springfeld, and downtown Clayton. 7am-11pm daily (Sunday open till 9)

OR Juice & Smoothie - This place has awesome smoothies and healthy non-fried spring rolls and tofu wraps. They cater to vegans too. They seem to be pretty serious about the organic pledge, you aren't even supposed to use your cell phone next to the food. (right...) It's nice to have a place that substitutes some protein full tofu for meat instead of just veggies all the time. If you mention an ailment to them, such as "I'm feeling tired and restless at work" they will suggest something for you to eat. I don't know how much I buy into it, but their food is delicious. They are located in the Schnucks shopping center on Clayton and Big Bend.

Mark Bittman on "What's wrong with what we eat"

2008-06-19T18:30:00.003-05:00

In this video Mark Bittman, a famous cookbook author and journalist for the NY Times, recommends reducing our meat consumption by at least 50%, and raising our consumption of plants. Basically he recommends increasing our investment in food, by increasing home cooking and reducing junk food. He briefly summarizes the extreme makeover of food from 100 years ago to today. This video is a great introductory into understanding the food that we eat.

World food crisis

2008-06-09T20:09:00.005-05:00

There have been several articles in the past few months about drastic food price climbs putting more people in a hunger crisis situation all over the world. Riots resulting in casualties have broken out in Haiti and Africa due to the food prices. Price increases are related to the increased cost of petroleum, Here are two articles about the situation.
CNN video
CNN article
TIME article

"In a single day in February, global wheat prices jumped 25% after Kazakhstan's government announced plans to restrict exports of its giant wheat crop for fear that its own citizens might go hungry." - TIME

Interestingly as prices continue to increase, this process of withholding crops will become more beneficial than selling them for countries concerned with starvation. This is a perfect example of the necessity for communities to be sustainable, in other words able to provide basic necessities such as food for themselves.

Eckert's Pick-Your-Own

2008-06-04T18:58:00.003-05:00

I'm reluctant to post this, because I don't want people stealing my berries. But Eckert's family farm in Belville, IL is open for strawberry picking season this week, so get there if you want some fresh strawberries straight from the bush. Be sure to check before driving out to make sure they have strawberries still available. If you miss the strawberries, peaches are coming at the end of the month.

baby radishes!

2008-05-23T12:36:00.003-05:00

At the first summer Kumquat workday, we harvested about 25 sell-able radishes, here are some of the babies that were quite tangy.

Greenwood Farms

2008-05-01T23:58:00.005-05:00

I took a day trip today out to Greenwood Farms, a small family farm near Rolla, Missouri (about 2 hours southwest of St. Louis). They raise sheep (above), Jersey dairy cows (below), beef cattle (bottom), and pigs. Their Amish neighbor raises chickens for them also. They raise their animals mostly on grass, with a little extra grain supplements (for the dairy cows to make sure they get enough nutrients for producing milk.) They bottle-feed calves and lambs when necessary.
If you are looking for a meat provider that values keeping his animals healthy and well-cared-for, then this is the place to go. They were very happy to answer any questions we had about how they raise their animals. They will be selling their meat and raw milk in person at the Tower Grove Farmers' Market this summer at very reasonable prices. Also, they sell their meat to a few restaurants in town; Niche was the one they mentioned.

Where are the mid-size farms?

2008-04-25T19:54:00.001-05:00

In an article from Grist, Hole in the Middle, Tom Philpott suggests that the insignificance of real sustainable food available in the US is due to a lack of a market for mid-size farms, that could conceivably provide a reasonable amount of food that small farms simply cannot produce. This was an interesting article, but I wish the author had speculated more about how to possibly create this market that was an alternative between farmer's markets and corporate national grocery chains. He suggested that local movements are the main efforts attempting to salvage these farms. Because the mid-size farms already lose money on the production of their food crops, they do not have the means to invest in restaurants etc. What if there were governmental policies that supported these farms instead of massively subsidizing corn, depleting any revenue for mid-scale farmers?

Thank you Zach S. for the article.

Advertisment

2008-04-25T04:48:00.002-05:00

A little card I made to advertise the blog.

Food Facility 2005

2008-04-14T15:23:00.003-05:00

An interactive performance art piece and working restaurant created in Amsterdam in 2005 by Marti Guixe that imitates the function of Google. In the restaurant with no central kitchen you order food, it is then fetched from local fast food and delivered to you. Read the artist's comments on the project, and about the inner workings of the project. It seems to have been a temporary project that is no longer in function.

Margaret Mellon to speak at Wash U

2008-04-13T12:14:00.002-05:00

There will be a Wash U lecture in Wilson 214, Mon 14th, 4 pm:

Come hear Margaret Mellon of the Union of Concerned Scientists speak about concentrated animal feeding operations and their threat to human health. Mellon is the Director/Senior Scientist of the Food and Environment Program.

Her statement:
"It's time to stop looking at agricultural biotechnology through rose-colored glasses. This is a novel technology that poses serious risks to the environment."

She has expertise in antibiotics in livestock and food, biotechnology, consumer impacts on the environment, genetically engineered foods. The reception will have a taste test between grass-fed and CAFO beef. come and eat some meat!

Which steak tastes best?

2008-04-07T15:12:00.002-05:00

In this Slate article Mark Schatzker sets up a study to see which steak tastes the best. He describes the qualities of beef that may affect the taste such as aging process, hormones, and marbling. Find out which steak won!

Plenty

2008-03-24T22:25:00.006-05:00

In the book Plenty Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnion chronicle their journey of one year eating the 100-mile diet. The book's website has a "getting started guide" to help you start the local food challenge. Eating locally isn't necessarily "better" for the environment. There are many factors that go into the environmental footprints that your food makes. The production methods, processing, travel and method of travel, etc. It is true that often local food is more environmentally friendly and sustainable for several reasons:

Small farmers often focus on producing food organically and chemically free even if they don't pay for the organic label.

Food travels less distance to get to you. Keep in mind the distances a farmer might travel delivering food all over a county or the distance you may drive to get from the farmer market to the grocery store, etc.

Eating locally usually requires eating seasonally, which prevents extra food miles, and harsh preservation methods such as freezing.

When purchasing food from local producers it is easier to get in contact with them and learn about their methods of production first hand. Don't expect better standards automatically from local producers, always ask. Farmers that are proud of their work will be happy to talk to you about it.

Fair Shares

2008-02-28T19:07:00.004-06:00

Sarah Hale and Jamie Choler have started a company called Fair Shares which is a combined CSA system. In other words, they provide a variety of fresh local produce and meats from different local farms into one box for the shareholders. Learn more about it in this article from STLtoday.

article provided by Bryan

Burning Kumquat in action

2008-02-11T07:10:00.000-06:00

I helped the burning kumquat with their handouts. They broke the earth for the first time this past Saturday. This isn't the final artwork they went with, but I am posting it for informational purposes.

You'll eat it, and you'll like it!

2008-01-30T00:06:00.000-06:00

As Americans celebrated New Year's by tearing into a juicy steak or enjoying several alcoholic beverages, this time next year they might be in for a surprise about their culinary hedonism. Recently, the US Food and Drug Association surprised few when it announced animal byproducts, mainly meat and dairy, can be sold to consumers without any notification that it was the byproduct of laboratory cloning. There are many arguments against selling and consuming animal byproducts but the most fact-based is comparing the genetic composition of the cloned animals to their 'organic' counterparts.
"In 2002, researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, reported that the genomes of cloned mice are compromised. In analyzing more than 10,000 liver and placenta cells of cloned mice, they discovered that about 4% of genes function abnormally. The abnormalities do not arise from mutations in the genes but from changes in the normal activation or expression of certain genes." (source)

For any carnivore/omnivore out there, this is just one of a long list of reasons why you should take steps to eliminate meat from your diet.

article by John O.

Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler

2008-01-27T14:44:00.000-06:00

This article from the New York Times by Mark Bittman discusses the costs of meat production and the possibility for reducing production or creating a healthier system of production. I didn't find the article mindblowing, but there were a few good data examples such as
An estimated 30 percent of the earth’s ice-free land is directly or indirectly involved in livestock production, according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, which also estimates that livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than transportation.

And some nice info-graphics for graphic art nerds such as myself:

I do have a few issues with the article because of statements such as, "And would the world not be a better place were some of the grain we use to grow meat directed instead to feed our fellow human beings?". Although has it's heart in the right place, it is not considering all of the facts: The world produces more than enough food for all of the earth's population. Also, he mentions that increasing production of grain-fed cattle increases the need for grain production. In the Omnivore's Dilemma, Pollan suggested that highly subsidized excess corn production was a cause for feeding livestock with grain rather than with their natural food source grass, because the meat could be produced more cheaply* on less land. In other words, excessive amounts of corn created excessive amounts of cheap livestock not the other way around.

Read the article here for yourself.

* - cheaply is a relative term that doesn't include cost of subsidies or environmental costs

Bon Appetit green issue

2008-01-22T18:07:00.000-06:00

Check out Bon Appetit's February "The Green Issue." You can't borrow mine, I drooled all over the pages with recipes. There are some great articles in there from the best eco-friendly restaurants in the country (unfortunately there wasn't one in St.Louis mentioned), a listing of in season fruits and veggies, to an article called "Why I'm not a vegetarian."

Here are some recipes that were featured in the magazine. (click the name for the link)

Butternut Squash and Sage Soup

Whole Grain Pancakes with Wild Blueberry Maple Syrup

who doesn't love pancakes?

Eggs as Nature intended

2008-01-14T23:32:00.000-06:00

So I went to Colorado over my winter break and my brother brought us two kinds of eggs, the best eggs according to him that he could find at his grocery store (right) and eggs from his chickens on the farm he lives on. It's part of his job to let the chickens out at the crack of dawn and back in the evening. The color difference remarkable but the real litmus test is the taste. I personally could taste a difference, but I didn't have a preference. This might be because I was sick, or because I am so used to eating eggs from chickens that aren't getting the proper treatment. My dad and brother said the farm eggs were better. I suggest taste testing for yourself sometime. I really like the eggs I have bought at the Soulard farmer's market, which I assume are from local family farms.

Guilt-free Local Restaurants

2007-12-06T03:49:00.000-06:00

Harvest Welcome to Harvest, St. Louis’ home of Seasonal Market Cuisine. We have always been very proud of the quality of our food. We use well-marbled beef, non-endangered fish, and sustainable agricultural products. When available, we purchase many of our products from organic sources. Our products are brought in fresh, not frozen, and yes, we make all of our vegetable, beef, fish, and chicken stocks from scratch – never from a canned base. As our patrons, it is important for you to know that we are cooking not only with fresh, flavorful ingredients in our kitchen, but with the environment in our minds. We strive to excel at “slow food” here, and hope that you will enjoy our daily efforts to combine sustenance with artistry, flavor, texture, and craft. $$$

Cardwell's at Plaza Frotenac With a special devotion to local, seasonal ingredients, our carefully crafted menu boasts the heart of comfort food and the flair of culinary innovation. We believe in ample portions, hearty flavors and lively table conversation. Our menu changes daily to offer guest the season’s best flavors and freshest ingredients. $$

The St. Louis Originals is a collaborative of independently owned and operated restaurants and culinary innovators committed to uniting the energies of local restaurants and celebrating the food and friendship that’s indigenousness to St. Louis neighborhoods.

The Farm Bill

2007-12-06T03:11:00.000-06:00

The Farm Bill is a very important piece of legislation for anyone interested in the topic of food and the environment. Lizzy provided a link to the Chef's Collaborative that contains an article which has compiled resources to learn more about the Farm Bill.

Why should chefs care about the Farm Bill? Read all about the
implications ofthis big piece of legislation and how it could
impactchefs’ abilities to purchasethe local and sustainable
ingredients they value.

Job Offer: Teaching Position

2007-12-03T16:50:00.000-06:00

A program planner for Meramec Community College in the Continuing Education Department sent me a job opportunity for an instructor to teach some courses related to sustainable eating, healthy food preparation, etc. If anyone is interested let me know and I can put you in contact with her.

Mexican Food

2007-12-02T21:48:00.000-06:00

I have only found three tolerable* restaurants in St.Louis that serve Mexican Food. I'm pretty hesitant to eat at Mexican food places here because I know it will probably not live up to my expectations. I have yet to find gooood flour tortillas in this city.
* I'm from San Antonio so if I will eat Mexican food here that means it is pretty good.
**This list is just for my own indulgence, I am not sure whether they get their food responsibly. I will check into it.

Mi Ranchito (on Kingsland one block North of Delmar) I always get the grilled veggie fajita's and they are fantastic. The tortilla's are their downfall. I thought the enchilada's were pretty terrible, probably mostly because of the tortilla. The atmosphere is great for a fun night with friends and pitcher Margaritas.

Canyon Cafe (in Plaza Frontenac) This is a chain (aka bad, don't do it, down with the man) restaurant that is a little more pricey. It isn't authentic at all, but it is still pretty tasty. I enjoy the strongly seasoned chips.

Senor Pique's (on Manchester a few blocks west of 141) This place is authentic and delicious. It tastes very Mexican, meaning not the tex-mex that I'm used to. The chips and salsa aren't anything special, and the flour tortillas are not homemade, but the corn are. The enchiladas were very good, and I think that is usually a decent indicator of how the rest of the food will be.

The Burning Kumquat Farm Party

2007-12-01T15:56:00.000-06:00

A collective of Washington University students are starting a campus farm called the Burning Kumquat. The first planting season will be next semester. I stopped by their Farm Party today to meet some of the members. I was happily surprised to see such a large turnout. If you are a Wash U student I'm sure they would love to have more people volunteer to farm next semester.

You can read the Wash U. Student Life article about the farm here.

My dilemma

2007-11-30T00:07:00.000-06:00

I recently had a discussion with my friend about our displeasure with people being wasteful ( i.e., leaving lights on when they left the house, etc.) She stopped me in my tracks when she said, “Maybe we’re worse, because we know better.”
As I delve deeper into the topic of food ethics and learn about what my food has been through to get to my plate, I feel increasingly overwhelmed. I want to purchase food that doesn’t keep me up at night feeling guilty, but who am I kidding? I am a product of the 21st century. I like convenience; I’m lazy, and I’m busy. Everytime I think about the food I am buying, I find myself lost on what to purchase based on several factors: health, taste, convenience, and responsibility.
I don’t think the transition to responsible eating will be easy. I caught myself passing out fliers that said “Do you know where your food comes from?” and then buying a package of frozen strawberries in November. Sometimes I think I will move somewhere where I can work on a farm and completely live off of the food that I produce. I know this is not feasible in the long term. There is a serious problem with the food system in our country ( I can’t speak for other countries).Why should I feel that I would have to produce all of my own food in order to have the security that I am not eating an animal that was stuffed in a cage so small that it couldn’t turn around, or a piece of fruit that was picked by someone who wasn’t paid something even resembling living wage and then flown to me from across an ocean.
I cannot vouch that all of my food purchases are responsible. But for now, I am not eating red meat or poultry, and I try to buy local produce most of the time. Maybe I am worse, because I do know better, but at least I am trying.

How to Cook Tofu

2007-11-28T15:01:00.001-06:00

Does anybody have any suggestions for cooking tofu in a way that it absorbs the flavor of the dish?

This article seems to be pretty helpful with understanding how to cook with tofu.

Vegetarian Friendly Restaurants

2007-11-28T04:21:00.000-06:00

Tip top veggie food in St. Louis:*

The best is Shangri-La Diner (http://www.theshangriladiner.com/) in Antique Row. Weird hours, crazy employees, and a bizarre combination of dishes—but everything on the menu is delicious. It's the only real "vegetarian" restaurant that I've come across in the city. Plus, you can get the St. Louis Slinger vegetarian with veggie chili and either scrambled eggs or scrambled tofu. A must for St. Louis vegetarians.

I also enjoy City Diner (http://www.saucemagazine.com/citydiner/) for classic food—it's not exactly veggie paradise, but most of their dishes have a lot of fresh vegetables and there are several veggie protein-friendly dishes on the menu. Plus, if you're not a vegan, the shakes are delicious.

I've never eaten at Riddles (http://www.riddlescafe.com/), but they're very pro-local produce and meats. They have a great selection of changing seasonal vegetables on their menu, and a different veggie dish every night.

Another good bet for St. Louis vegetarian food is ethnic restaurants. I really enjoy Thai pizza on the loop (cause you can get pizza with tofu!!!), and the vegetarian Mexican options on Cherokee street are always cheap and delicious. There's also an Ethiopian restaurant on the corner of Kingsland and Olive that is really good (although a little pricey for what you get), but has a great vegetarian sample platter. On South Grand, there's the King and I and Lemongrass, both of which are good Vietnamese/Asian food choices. Strangely enough, I also recommend BarCelona in Clayton—the vegetarian tapas options are delicious and filling, and relatively inexpensive in comparison to the meatier choices.

*recommendations from Liz K.

The Vertical Farm

2007-11-15T19:57:00.000-06:00

Currently, over 80% of land suitable for raising crops is in use.* Columbia Professor Dr. Dickson Despommier believes that skyscrapers designed for urban farming are a solution that will allow reforestation of current farmland, and local production and distribution of food to urban areas. Read about the project in this article, or at the project's website.

*source: The Vertical Farm Essay

The Omnivore's Dilemma

2007-11-15T13:39:00.000-06:00

I just bought The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, which I'm sure many of you have already heard about.

Wikipedia summarizes the book:
Pollan explores the question What should we have for dinner? To answer this question, he follows four meals from three different food chains from their origins to the plate. Along the journey Pollan examines the ethical, political, and ecological factors that are intertwined in the industrial, organic, and personal (hunted-gathered) food chains, while describing the environmental and health consequences that result from our food choices within these chains. The book describes the shades of meaning related to the term organic.

sounds exciting!