extra virgin olive oil

the reason for this post:
2/3 of the extra virgin olive oile sold in the US is fraudulent.
it's more processed than extra virgin standards allow, and/or mixed w/ other oils, diluting the quality, health benefits, taste, and lowering the smoke point.

google real extra virgin olive oil for all the recent press, from npr, to la times and ny times, 2 major research studies, this guy's research and book.



the US is not a member of the int'l olive oil council, so there's no regulation on using the extra virgin label, which otherwise is a certified status, based on things like cold pressing, acidity, actually being from olives instead of soy beans, etc.

if it ain't real evoo, you're paying too much for it, it won't taste good, and it'll smoke and be carcinogenic at a lower temperature. a real good evoo has a smoke point ranging from 375F to 405F.

to find legit evoo...
i had doubts on whole foods, but this is promising:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/faq/olive-oil-faq.php

i prefer 4th street food coop, they have good stuff from lebanon and palestine. the lebanese one is totally affordable.

otherwise, you'd have to trust what you read on the bottle's label and/or website.

other info:
spain, italy, and greece are the largest producers of olive oil, in that order.
but 80% of what comes from greece is extra virgin quality,
only 45% from italy is extra virgin, and only 30% from spain is extra virgin.
italy is also the world's largest importer of olive oil, which they bottle & label as italian olive oil.
the US is the 2nd largest consumer of olive oil, with italy as its largest supplier.

they investigate this stuff in europe, cause it's a huge multimillion dollar (guestimate) scam.
i imagine there's good stuff made in california, but pricey.
georgia state is working on some east coast olive growing and oil producing.
maybe texas and new mexico as well.

real evoo is one of the best choices for cooking and eating.
organic goes without saying.

chococlate - dark - organic - fair trade

 
the only chocolate really worth buying is
a) dark - with a high % of cacao,
b) organic - made without ridiculous chemicals, processed or gmo ingredients,
c) fair trade - coming from fair labor in developing countries.

there're a few brands that fit the criteria.
then came the question, what are they wrapped in?

plastic made from drilled petroleum, that is questionably recyclable?
aluminum mined out of the ground, that leaches into chocolate, but degrades back to nature?

i'd find myself in the store peeling back the outer paper wrapper trying to find out,
and decided it was time to just call the makers.

the top 2 choices are: 
endangered species and theo.
similarities:
their inner wrappers are aluminum foil on the outside, but paper on the side that touches the chocolate.
they're both made in the US, closer than switzerland, where the others are made.
both are organic, fair trade, vegan, and gluten free.

differences:

enganderged species	theo
made in indianapolis	made in seattle (a bit further if you're on the east coast)
main ingredient is chocolate liquor	main ingredient is cocoa beans
has soy lecithin	soy free
highest cocoa content is 70%	highest cacao content is 85% (the difference between cacao vs. cocoa is debatable)
slightly more sugar rainforest alliance certified	slightly less sugar
they donate 10% of profits to non profit organizations that support species, habitat, and humanity.

equal exchange and alter eco chocolates both have plastic inner wrappers, and are made in switzerland. equal exchange was at least aware of the issues with their wrapper, and continues to look into options. they told me it has to be air tight since it comes from so far, and the plastic is not made from recycled plastic, because plastic touching food has to be virgin plastic, although i'm pretty sure i've seen packaged salad greens boxes that are made from recycled plastic.

rapunzel chocolate didn't have a phone number to ask,
and seemed to be made in germany or switzerland.

this is only a review of the 5 organic fair trade dark chocolate bars sold at whole foods bowery,
that i consider affordable, $4 or less per 3oz or so size chocolate bar.

wendy's natural cut fries with sea salt

happened to see this while passing by the wendy's at south street seaport.
corporate fast food and sea salt.
baby steps.
click for a free coupon.

whole cane sugar

the natural frugal decision on cane sugar is
Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sucanat®

 

http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/brands/Wholesome_Sweeteners/Fair_Trade_Certified_Organic_Sucanat.html

click the link for more detailed information.

Sucuanat is a brand name for whole cane sugar, they are not they only brand that makes it. 

whole cane sugar is the most natural, minimally processed cane sugar available.

it hasn't had its molasses washed away, retaining iron, calcium, vitamin B6, potassium and chromium, which helps balance blood sugar. though some might say the amount of nutrients, in the amount of sugar you're usually eating, is negligible.

this Sucanat brand is organic and fair trade from Costa Rica, meaning farmers are paid directly, so they can compete with factory farms, practice sustainable farming, and support the development of local communities.

some mills use the leftover fibers from the crushed sugar cane stalk to burn as a sustainable, fossil fuel free, source of electricity.

i've also seen paper napkins made from sugar cane stalks, instead of trees.

other sweeteners:

typical white sugar is made from genetically modified (gmo) sugar beets.

other brown sugars have had molasses added back in after removing it.

the other varieties cane sugar are pretty good and natural, but have had a fair amount of their molasses and nutrient content washed, steamed, or rinsed out.

"raw," demerara style, or turbinado cane sugar, isn't raw in terms of not being heated or cooked.

all cane sugar available has been heated to evaporate the water out of the cane juice.

turbinado sugar has been spun in a turbine to dry the juice into solid sugar crystals.

local honey is a great natural sweetener, but sometimes a solid sweetener is less of a mess.

more on local honey in it's own post coming soon.

local organic grade b maple syrup seems good, haven't felt the need to research it, but in glass please.

i hear apple juice/cider is a great way to sweeten things, i haven't personally tried it, i usually just drink it.

agave syrup is natural, but high in fructose, which is almost entirely metabolized in the liver, while glucose can be metabolized in every cell in your body.

local grass fed cow milk

there are various local milk providers in the new york state area.

these are two that natural frugal prefer:

http://www.ronnybrook.com/

http://www.milkthistlefarm.com/

they are both:
- local
- grass fed cow milk - much higher in nutrition
- sold in sustainable reusable clean glass, which can be returned directly to them, instead of plastic.
- non homogenized - for a naturally wholesome milk full of fat soluble nutrients in tact.
- pasteurized, raw milk would be more natural and nutritious, but is illegal in ny state.
- available at whole foods markets

ronnybrook has also been spotted at the key foods on grand st. and lorimer st. in williamsburg, brooklyn.
ronnybrook is definitely available at various nyc greenmarket farmers markets, and milk thistle supposedly is at some as well.

milk thistle every so slightly prcier because it is certified organic.
ronnybrook isn't, but also practices very humane and natural methods of animal care.

see their websites for more info.
see grass fed beef link for info on how much more natural and healthy it is for cows to eat grass instead of grain feed.

simply grazin' organic grass fed beef

100% grass fed organic beef from a whole foods market in the northeast US comes from this farm.

http://www.simplygrazin.com/

it's a better price per pound than any local farmers market grass fed beef i've seen, and when you buy it, it's wrapped mostly in paper instead of packaged in plastic.

they are about 60 miles from new york city.
buying local meat reduces shipping time, and fuel use on refrigerated trucks.
large producers of grass fed beef in south america have had rainforest land clear cut to make room for pastures.

cast iron cookware

amazon has insanely cheap cast iron skillets, i don't think you can find em any cheaper than this.

lodge is the only brand of cast iron cookware currently being made in the US, founded by joseph lodge in 1896, they are also the oldest family-owned cookware foundry in America.

there are cheaper cast irons you can purchase, that are made in the china, but these are so cheap, why go that route? so much more fuel is used to ship things from china, and then there's the concern that china irons are not pure, or that the chinese poison everything they export to the US...

you can find vintage US made cast iron, which are pretty cool, and slightly lighter, but more expensive.

if you're not aware of cast iron cookware, they're only the best.
most cookware these days is coated with chemical non stick surfaces, whether it's teflon, or some other chemical concoction, it's easily scratched, burned, and emits toxic carcinogenic fumes when being manufactured, or when overheated during cooking. hmm that sounds nice. a lot of cookware out there is also aluminum, which will leach into your food, and body, and end up in your brain like all those alzheimer brains.

cast iron is the original, traditional, economical, natural, frugal, eco friendly material for cooking. they are indestructible, and will literally last 100s of years. other than stainless steel pots for making soup, cast iron is the only other cookware worth using. it can go straight from the stove to the oven; i won't even use any baking trays anymore. any iron that may leach into your food is a good nutrient for your body. you can't scratch it very easily at all. cast iron heats very evenly, and it just an overall much more pleasant experience for cooking. once you try it, there's no going back.

they're also super easy to take care of. all you have to know is, don't wash them with soap, and don't let them get dry and get rusty. you're supposed to season them with some sort of oil, but this can be done much more loosely than most people make it sound. when i first get a new one, i heat it up, drip some oil on it, spread it around with paper towel, and then let it cool. from then on, i just cook with it, and either don't clean it, rinse it with warm(not hot) water, or scrape it clean if needed. but really there's nothing wrong with leaving food residue on it, and what you really want is to let it be coated with oil from the last time you cooked, that prevents it from rusting, or being sticky when you cook with it.

i'm convinced there's nothing you can't use it for, fried eggs and omelets, pancakes, veggies, fish, broiling steaks, baked chicken, pizza, home fries, grilled cheese, mac n cheese, baking cookies.

i have this ongoing photo album on facebook:
local organic cast iron cooking facebook photo album

rooftop farms

catching up on rooftop farms, the grange and eagle st. farm are growing hella food in queens and brooklyn!
eagle st. has chickens? and rooftop yoga?

see their respective websites and facebook pages for photos and info!

eagle street rooftop farm's personal facebook page

http://rooftopfarms.org/ - eagle street farm's website

eagle street farm's facebook business page

http://brooklyngrangefarm.com/ - 1 acre rooftop farm that's actually in queens

brooklyn grange's facebook page

 photo from the eagle street rooftop farm, october 2009

kombucha

which of the many kombucha's is the best?this kombucha post comes from a request.

i say high country kombucha.

which flavors? i like em all.

why high country?

• it comes in amber glass to protect the live bacteria culture from UV/light damage
• it is the only mass produced authentic kombucha, with Z. kombuchaensis bacteria,
  instead of lactobacillus acidophilus("meaning acid-loving milk-bacterium" - wiki)
  
  • lactobacillus acidophilus is still good, but less authentic,
  • check probiotic content listed on the bottles.
  • the newer bottles, not pictured above, say authentic on the top of the label.

• amber glass + authentic kombucha culture = more effective kombucha.
  
  • you don't have to drink as much of it to feel better.
    i have friends that drink kombucha daily,
    but i only have like 1 or 2 bottles a week cause it's not cheap! around $3.50/16oz bottle.
  • with high country kombucha, i'll just have a few sips when i'm feeling super beat, have to be awake in the morning, dehydrated, or anything like that.

• it's 100% organic, not all kombucha are.
• it's made with the ancient himalayan recipe, with high colorado mountain spring water instead of himalayan, which is then reverse osmosis filtered.
• GT's kombucha, and their synergy brand, have trace amounts of alcohol content due to fermentation, and a small bit of caffeine, high country doesn't.

that's the essential information,
from here i would suggest exploring different kombucha for yourself and reading their labels.
i've only really seen it at whole foods bowery, so if you want to read more, or don't know what kombucha is, click to read more:

grass fed beef

beef has a bad reputation of being unhealthy, high in bad cholesterol, and causing cancer.

this is true for cows raised unhealthily and unorganically with growth hormones, without sunlight, without some freedom to run around, and fed corn and grains to fatten them up.

organic 100% grass fed beef is healthy.

it's all very clear and logical.

grass fed beef is significantly lower in saturated fat and calories, 1/2 to 1/3 the fat,

it has much more healthy omega 3 fatty acids, CLA (another healthy fatty acid), vitamin E(up to 4 times), vitamin C, beta carotene, and others i'm sure.

these things reduce the risk of heart disease, cancers, and overall health problems,

and were all naturally in cows eating what they were born to eat, and know how to digest, grass.

beef wasn't unhealthy until the industry started feeding them grains and corn,

which are low in fiber and high in starch, and cause the cows health problems.

grass is fibrous, and healthier for the same reasons we eat green vegetables.

it's pretty simple concept, if you feed healthy natural food to the animal you're going to eat, it will be healthier to eat.

the same goes with milk from grass fed cows as well,

pasteurization can kill a lot of the good things in milk, but non pasteurized milk, is hard to find in ny.

ronnybrook milk from local farmers market, comes in glass, claims to be lightly pasteurized, with minimal heat and time to pass the regulations, and non homogenized,

non pasteurized raw cheese is amazing, but only available by law for cheeses aged at least 60 days.

if you google search grass fed beef health, or beef bad reputation, there're endless sites that explain it, citing various studies.

http://www.nwhealth.edu/healthyU/eatWell/grassfed.html

http://healthyeatingfood.net/?tag=grass-fed-beef 

http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp

http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm

Compared with grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef was:

1. Lower in total fat
2. Higher in beta-carotene
3. Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
4. Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
5. Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
6. Higher in total omega-3s
7. A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
8. Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter
9. Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)
10. Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease

organic greenhouse tomatoes from vermont

these tomatoes were available at whole foods bowery last week,
new england AND organic, AND soil grown.

still who knows what kind of electric bill they run up,
but i like tomatoes, just 2 a week or so.

http://www.longwindfarm.com/

http://www.hannaford.com/Contents/Our_Stores/close_to_home/longwind_farm.htm

.

winter tomatoes from maine

over the winter, whole foods bowery had the option of organic tomatoes from israel, or conventional ones from maine.

i opted for maine, israeli ones just seemed extremely far.

i forgot you can't always associate local-ish, with sustainable small farm, that is pretty natural, but doesn't pay for organic certification.

i just found out this is where they come from:



http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/30/dining/20100331-tomato-slideshow_index.html

a mega greenhouse in maine,
seems pretty cool, and an interesting slide show of 10 photographs,
but hydroponically grown? ew, too much science, not so natural.
who knows what kind of other weird science the usda allows for non organic.
and read frame 8 in the slide show, 32 minutes of electricity to light it = an avg american household's annual electricity use.