Environmental eats

As Earth Day draws upon us, it's time to start thinking about her and her bounty. After all the planet has been good to us for a few milleniums and it's time to give back.

How?

How do we reduce our culinary carbon footprint?

Well, for starters don't go too crazy when you visit Red Lobster. The world's seafood population is quickly diminishing and some fish species will be on the endangered list. Hard to imagine the average cod on this, right up there with Indian elephants and bald eagles but it's true. We spent the last century overfishing our seas and oceans. Even crustaceans and mollusks aren't safe anymore. Eat fish and seafood but try to put a cap on gorging yourself on them. Cut eating seafood down to half of what you're eating now.

Another way you can eat "green" is by buying from local farms for your fresh fruit and vegetables. You don't have to get produce that's coming in from across country or South America (if you're in Europe, some of your more exotic produce probably comes from Africa). Try to buy locally grown greens that haven't been trucked in by gas guzzling semis or fuel wasting jets.Besides the local farmers will appreciate the business and you'll benefit from eating just picked picked tomatoes, corn , and melons.

if you're entertaining, stick to cheep reusable plastic utensils and dishes. Using paper means more trees have been destroyed and using styrofoam means another landfill full of non bio-degradable stuff. Go to yourlocal Target, K-Mart or dollar store and pick up plastic plates and glasses.Unfortunately you're going to have to use water to wash then but keep that at a bare minimum. Use environmentally friendly dish soaps and don't go overboard with the rinsing.

It's easy to be an environmental eater. Just be conscious of what you eat, and where it comes from. Also make a habit of being green about your table setting and washing up afterwards. Mother Earth will thank you by producing more of your favorite fruits and veggies.

Everyone Should Heart Pomegranates

Even saying the word brings to mind exotic locales and new taste sensations.

Pomengranates.

It kind of rolls around your tongue like the flesh of ripe fruit, doesn't it?

These plump, red beauties may sound as sensual as harem girls but they're better for your health than any medicine. They're full of the much needed antioxidants that protect us against free radicals. These are nasty , unstable atoms that go postal inside us and can wreak havoc. The fruit or poms (along with a good, healthy diet and plenty of exercise) also deter and sometimes prohibit the growth of certain cancers. Poms also help us to look younger. Again, they're responsible for destroying free radicals which also can lead to early wrinkles and degeneration.

Even though their harvest season is September through January , pom concentrate is available year round. I love the brand POM with its' concentrates, juices and brand new line of yummy teas. The teas are the perfect thirst quenchers on hot days. The taste is amazing, rich and fruity. My A&P sells them in white, green and black teas infused with the pom's juice. Not only that but they come in tea glasses which you can recycle and use over for your favorite cold drinks. One more tea and I have my set.

This Spring and summer don't hesitate to use pom concentrate in your own home brewed teas. It wll also give a kick to sangria and is delicious mixed with champagne for a Pom Pom.Hit it with vodka, lemon and simple syrup for a Pomengranate Martini.You can even mix it with club soda or ginger ale for a festive non alcoholic drink. Pom concentrate should be in everyone's bar so have two to three bottles on the ready.

For kids and yourself make Pom pops. Mix two cups of Pom concentrate with one cup water and pour into popsicle molds.You can also add strawberries and blueberries for variety. It's a refreshing spin on an old classic plus it's never too early to infuse the little ones with a ton of antioxidants.

Don't dismiss poms as another exotic beauty. They are not only tasty but good for you and your body. Everyone heart poms!!!

Spring Awakening

Now that the weather is becoming warmer it's time for every foodie to start thinking about their gardens. You don't have to be a green thumb, plant hugger to have a successful spot. Even a small herb garden is always useful.

Right now you should be writing down what you want to grow. The second thing is mapping out where fruits and vegetables should be planted. Try to vary the spots from year to year to insure bigger and healthier produce. Don't keep planting your tomatoes and squash under the bedroom window year after year. Keep that space free for one season and let the soil replenish its' minerals. Also keep in mind how many plants you want. If your family is more tomato crazy than lettuce, then it stands to reason you'd be planting more of the first than the second. Since vegetables come in several subvarieties, think about what you'll be using them for. You may want to grow onions for burgers as opposed to shallots for sauces and stews.

Fruit trees are another matter because it takes a few seasons for some to produce any kind of bounty. Also make sure your yard can support trees. An apple tree requires a lot of space: anywhere from a foot up to a yard for perfect, unencumbered growth. Pear trees are similar. Fruit trees also require a lot of spraying and pruning. If you don't have the time for this, then stick with the much easier vegetable growing.

If you have zero time for any kind of gardening , then consider growing herbs. Raising chives, tarragon, dill and oregano are easy and fun. They do require some care such as watering and diligent weeding. Luckily that's about as much care as needed. Herbs don't require a lot of fertilizer as well as a lot of direct sunlight. You can grow a patch of them anywhere , even in your front lawn. Just make sure they have partial shade and adequate water and mulching. From then on you can use them to flavor grilled meats and vegetables. You can also freeze dry them or hang them in your pantry or basement for later use.

Garden plants and herbs can be bought anywhere, from Lowe's, Home Depot or your corner nursery. You can try the mail order catalogs and internet nurseries but be wary. I've been burned in the past by these and wound up losing money over "bad" plants.

I want to end this with a special thank you for my cousin Denise in Illinois. She sent the best sweet potato casserole and butterscotch pudding recipes at her little cousin's requests. They are awesome and I'll be publishing them soon.

For all you energy drink lovers remember that Fyxx Hybrid Water starts selling in the New York metro and northern New Jersey areas tomorrow. April 17th. If you can't get it at your local store, then go to www.fyxxwater.com

Salt of the Water

Does anyone love sea salt as much as I do? This is a centuries old condiment that's reaching new heights in the 21st Century. If you haven't tried it before , then try it now. There's something magical about these amazing grains and where they're harvested. Not only that but sea salt is better than regular salt because just a few grains of it flavor a whole plate. You don't have to go wild with your salt shaker and coat everything. Just a few briny nuggets are good for giving your food that extra oomph. Natural salt, although lacking in iodine, does have other valuable minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium and sulfate.

Unlike plain table salt , sea salt comes in a variety of colors and shapes.There is the delicate Sicilian salt, Sale Antico, which is a very fine flaked pure white salt. There are the grey sea salts of France that have natural iodoine in them. There is the much desired Fleur de Sel. from Portugal (I know, the name sounds French)This is the "baby" salt, or the first bloom of salts that forms on the tops of evaporation ponds. This is a great addition to cooking along with salads. My favorite is sea salt from Maine with it's crunchy nuggets and salty sweet taste.

Nowadays you can go everywhere from your local supermarket to Williams and Sonoma to online salt stores and buy the salt of your dreams. I usually head to Williams and Sonoma where they have an excellent array of American and European salts. I like the British Malden's as well but any kind is just great.

Make the switch from regular table salt to sea salt. You'll wonder why you didn't much sooner.

To Buy Or Not To Buy Organic

There's a real problem when we hit our local grocery's vegetable and fruit section. Do we splurge and buy organic?Or do we scrimp and get the regular pesticide doused tomatoes and apples? There in lies the question.

Is organic produce really better than ordinary produce? A good and dear friend of the family had suggested we try organic bananas. She said they were sweeter tasting and definitely worth the price increase of twenty cents more than our regular grown bananas. I bought them but was still skeptical. Well, they did have a slightly sweeter taste and slightly firmer texture than the non organic kind. Yet that was it. I went back to buying my good old bananas the next week. To be honest I really didn't see any real difference in buying the two qualities. As for fear of ingesting pesticides, my produce has always been thoroughly washed before serving or prepping. I do give every fruit and veg in my house a double rinsing before eating. Maybe it's not enough. I don't know.

Years ago another friend used to be into all things organic. However he switched prices on the organic and regular oranges so he wouldn't have to pay full price. I used to laugh at him as well as admonish him for doing such. He just shrugged and said he was doing his wallet and his body a favor. Even at that time, ten years ago, I wondered if organic was really that good for you. After all aren't all plants exposed to our toxic air too? I'm sure pollution has done a number to our American produce as well.To be honest if you want really organic, grow it yourself. You can limit the amount of pest control on your fruits and veggies. Besides now is the time to start buying plants. Most stores such as Lowe's, Home Depot, and your corner nursery are selling everything form fruit trees to herbs. Also your local farms and farmers markets are probably big purveyors of evertyhing organic, from greens to cheeses even

Should you splurge and buy organic? As a foodie I'll say yes. As a smart shopper I'll say no but advise you to double wash and rinse all your fruits and vegs.

Spear Shakers Unite! It's Asparagus Festival Time!!!!

What vegetable heralds Spring more than the asparagus? This symbol of rebirth and renewal is the perfect accompaniment to holiday meats such as ham and lamb. In my great grandparents' Swabian and Bavarian hometowns of southwestern Germany asparagus, known as sparkel , has its' own festivals. My cousins go mad for the white variety sold at roadside stands. This love carried over to my grandfather, my mother's father who made it a staple of his springtime dinners(my granddad was a killer cook by the way). His wife, my Piedmontese grandmother, put her own spin on it and produced a buttery , easy to make asparagus dish.

If you don't love asparagus, you should. Why? it's a good source of potassium and fiber along with being low in calories and rich in rutin. Rutin is a much needed bioflavenoid needed by our bodies to strengthen capillary walls. Hey, the real reason why you should love asparagus? The fresh Spring-y taste! Nothing can beat it!
PS - If there's no Asparagus Festival by you - then gather up your fellow spear shakers and throw one!
Here is my Nonna's asparagus recipe:

1 bundle of asparagus
1 hard boiled egg
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

Cut ends off asparagus bottoms. Plunge spears into salted boiling water and cook for ten minutes until all spears are tender. Place in a large dish , with spears all facing one direction. Cover asparagus with a sliced hard boiled egg and grated Parmesan cheese. Pour melted butter over this and serve. You can place the dish under a broiler for about two to three minute to melt cheese if desired. Serves four.
Don't worry about leftovers. There won't be any. Believe me.

My thanks to the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board for the nutritional information

FOODIE PANTRY WILL BE THROWING ITS' VERY FIRST EVER CONTEST SOON! STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS!!!!

Buffet Style

I live in New Jersey which should now be known as the Buffet State instead of the Garden State. I've seen this foodie phenomenon grow here in the last ten years. Every town has at least one all you can eat restaurant. It's a great premise really and one that can be adapted to your party style.

Most hosts and hostesses always serve just two or three dishes at a party. This is great but it kind of limits guests to dishes or tastes that they may not like. Follow what the buffets do - have many platters with a variety of vegetables and dips. You can also have that childhood classic - English muffin pizzas but put an adult spin on them. Have guests create their own toppings with olives , cooked shredded beef or chicken and different grated cheeses. You can also cut up some broccoli, cauliflower and onions for a raw food pizza. (Just bake the muffin slices with only a drizzle of olive oil and tomato on them).

For the main course serve smaller variations of party food. Chicken wings are a party saver as are any kind of kebabs. Everyone loves rice and pasta so make three to four smaller dishes of each . Salads are another good addition. You can make traditional potato and macaroni ones or try somehting new with arugula, or field greens. Since the warmer weather is coming grill your buffet. Guests love the season's bounty when it's been roasted over a fire. Because you want to mingle with your company also appoint a couple of sous chefs (or sous grillers in this case) to relieve you.

Desserts can be a fun cornucopia of easily made cobblers, ice creams and ices. If you're thinking about a big summer blow out stop by your local Rita's Ice and pick up party buckets in two or three flavors. You can let guests make parfaits with the different flavors, using ice and fresh fruit. Also a few quarts of just berries are a nice dessert topper as well.

Buffet style is easy to adapt to any party, especially summer ones. Just use your creativity to invent something that will rival the all you can eat ones in your neighborhood.

Contest Alert - Foodie Pantry will be holding its' first contest in the next few weeks. Look for more alerts and details!