SiO2 or Al?

I was cooking up the last box of mac-n-cheese on Monday night and I started to think about how I'm going to need to make more things from scratch. Then I started to think about my freezer and batch cooking. I posed this question on Twitter but I thought I'd repeat it here with some detail:

What do you think is more environmentally friendly: using glass (Pyrex) containers or disposable (recyclable) aluminum containers for freezer to oven cooking?

Glass Pros:

• Reusable.
• Easy to clean (dishwasher safe).
• Microwave safe.
  

Glass Cons:

• Potential for thermal shock.
• Expensive.
• I will eventually have to move and/or sell/donate these containers when I return to Hawaii.
• Requires storage space.

Aluminum Pros:

• Inexpensive.
• Recyclable.
• Take up little storage space.

Aluminum Cons:

• Generally a one use item.
• Not microwave safe.
• Not sturdy.

Does anybody know how to calculate the amount of energy used to create a glass pan vs an aluminum pan? I did a cursory search and couldn't find anything useful. I imagine that the actual manufacturing energy is less for the aluminum but what about production of the raw materials? Yes, I can buy my glass pans used...but it's hard to find tight sealing lids for the older pieces and I will want lids for freezer storage.

What do you think? Do you have any additional pros and cons? Suggestions?

Warm Wishes,
KP

Thoughts On Things Not Happening and Happening In the Future

The sustainable eating class at Anne Arundel Community College was canceled due to low enrollment. I should have seen this coming, there were 11 of 16 spaces available yesterday. I was really looking forward to the class because I was hoping to learn about local resources. Yes, I can teach myself about eating locally, knowing where my food comes from, knowing what I'm putting into my body...but I was hoping to find community. At least the Bowie and Annapolis farmers' markets start up next month.

It has been quiet here in KP HQ. We just bought a new washer and dryer so I was focusing on researching the purchase. Work has been hectic and the days are flying by; I think I lost Monday and Tuesday last week...I was shocked when Wednesday rolled around. Unfortunately, the house doesn't clean itself and I haven't had the inclination to cook. I'm in a funk but I have an upcoming project to pull me out of the haze.

I'm doing a day board in August. Nothing fancy, just little finger foods for a local event. There isn't a specific theme, no time period or country, so I'm looking to Eastern Europe for inspiration. The tentative menu includes:

• Cucumber & yogurt dip (I might make the yogurt from scratch)
• Hummus
• Flat bread (not sure if I'm buying or making my own)
• Spiced and plain feta
• Eggs stuffed with mushrooms (really tasty, I made it for a feast years ago)
• Chicken with walnut sauce (cold)
• Tiny meatballs with pine nuts and raisins (kept warm in a crock pot)
• Eggplant caviar
• Desserts
• Tea and lemonade (from syrup of lemon)

I'm not going for authenticity, I'm cooking things that look tasty. What is everybody else up to?


Happy Cooking! - KP

The Meal

As I mentioned yesterday, I went to David's Natural Market to see if they have a larger local selection than the MOM's Organic Market. Unfortunately, none of the produce at David's was labeled as local. I ended up picking up some Roseda Beef hamburgers and a pack of organic buns. Yes, it's terrible...I'm eating what is probably the highest carbon footprint meat for my Earth Day dinner.Then DBF and I are going shopping for a new washer and dryer. Does anybody have any suggestions? Consumer Reports seems to like Kennmore.

So yeah, hamburgers with homemade gouda that I got for Christmas. I still need to pick up some lettuce and organic condiments.

Things coming up: gear post tomorrow, oyako donburi post on Monday, and Brew Moon on Wednesday.

Happy Cooking! - KP

Eating Local is Harder Than I Thought

I took a trip last night to the organic market by my house and it looks like none of their produce is grown locally. They have signs showing that their organic produce was grown in the USA but no "Locally Grown" signs like they do in other sections of the store. Additionally, Trickling Springs Creamery is a 103 mile drive from my house but I'm willing to bet that it's within 100 miles as the crow flies. Yes, there are other local dairies but South Mountain Creamery still doesn't deliver to my area.

I'm going to check out the David's Natural Market in Gambrills on my way home tonight and will hopefully have more luck. If not, I'll have to go to Whole Foods where I know they carry local eggs, dairy, meat and some produce.

I still need to buy dirt for my vegetable garden because 3 years of compost doesn't amount to enough to fill my planter boxes. Yes, planter boxes because I'm not building raised beds this year. Why? Because I forgot that I have daffodils in the front of the house, where I was planning on putting some lettuce, so I need to spend the year recording what comes up in what bed. Self watering planter boxes made from recycled plastic. I can put the boxes on the lanai and hopefully won't forget to water them. The little basil plant that DBF got me is still alive and I'm trying to grow some green onion that I bought at the store. I buy the green onion for cooking then save the bottoms, that usually have some root left over, and let the roots grow out a little in a cup of water before planting them in a pot. This is how my great grandmother grew her green onion so I know it works.

Ideally I'll cook something locally sourced tomorrow. If not local then organic. If not organic then from  a locally owned store.


Happy cooking! - KP

Earth Day is Coming Up

I want to challenge you to do something for Earth Day. Something, anything, even something as small as using a reusable coffee cup when you visit your local coffee house. There's still two days to think about it and here's some suggestions:

• Use a reusable bottle/travel mug/grocery bag.
• Buy and eat locally grown products.
• Cook a vegetarian meal.
• Bring a lunch from home in a reusable container and skip the packaging associated with buying lunch.
• Eat a piece of fruit instead of drinking the juice, you get more fiber and generally less packaging this way.
• Plant some vegetables or herbs.

I plan to cook 100 mile dinner. What about you?


Happy Cooking! - KP

Water Bottle Rant

One of my biggest pet peeves is water bottles. I don't understand why somebody in the USA would need to purchase drinking water unless they're drinking water from a non-municipal source. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974 (and amendments in 1986 and 1996) ensures that public water systems adhere to a set of standards to keep us safe. Yes, SDWA does not apply to wells on your property, it's your own responsibility to maintain private water sources, but it does mean that a lot of the tap water in the US is safe to drink.

Will you like the taste of the water? That isn't guaranteed. Some people are sensitive to the chlorine and fluoride that some municipalities add to their water. Water can taste stale or flat if it sits in the pipes for too long. Water is an excellent solvent and could pick up off flavors if you have old piping in your house. However, charcoal based water filters are very cheap and will remove many off flavors if you don't like the taste of the water coming out of your tap. Also, chilling your water (ie. putting a pitcher in the fridge) tends to make off flavors less noticeable.

My co-workers drive me insane when they drink bottled water or soda. They're in the break room where we have the water cooler and they're drinking bottled water. Then they throw the bottles in the trash when the recycle bin is right next to the trash can. They're adults and if they want to waste their money on individually bottled drinks then that's their business but at least recycle the bottle. I probably pick out at least three bottles a day from trash cans around the office and we only have six people in my office.

What's my point? Why are people paying $1+ to vending machines and convenience stores for a 20 ounce bottle of water that's often just filtered water from a municipal source? Make the investment of buying a nice water bottle that's BPA free. Plan ahead so you have water when you leave the house. Fill up at a water fountain if you run out. Save your money!

- KP 

Bottles Rescued From the Trash (03/11/10): 4

New Books

I was at Costco last night cashing in my check from American Express (3% cash back on gas goes a long way) and I decided to peruse the book section. I spotted a lone copy of Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals for $8.99 (it's $1 cheaper on Amazon) and a copy of The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World, also $8.99 ($1.89 less than Amazon). I first heard about Michael Pollan about a year ago when his article Unhappy Meals was referenced in one of the environmental blogs that I follow. What he was saying made sense to me: eat food not processed food stuff, eat mostly plants, eat local and be mindful.

So what's a budding foodie and environmentalist to do? I borrowed In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto from the library and only read half of it because I kept getting distracted. A few months passed by and I decided to try reading it again so I put the book on reserve, this was around the time that it was the library book club book of the month, and didn't finish it again. I liked what he was saying but I needed more than a library loan period to read and digest everything so I bought a copy. It took me about two months of off and on reading but I finished it. And you know what? The gist of the book is the Unhappy Meals article. But it's still a good read and "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." is a good mantra to eat by.

Happy Eating! - KP