Yesterday, I attended an antique fair in Moss Landing, just north of Monterey. I bought the two honeycomb shaped ice-cube trays pictured below. Not only do these ice-cube trays replace icky plastic, they evoke childhood memories.
Rants
How to Ferment Money
According to a report co-authored by researchers at Stanford, Princeton and Berkeley, Earth has entered its sixth period of mass extinction. Within just three generations, pollination by bees could be something kids only read about in textbooks (unless they live in Texas). You can read the full report here or an overview of it here. While some people may […]
I Am not a Professional Chef and That Is the Point
I teach in-person workshops and online webinars, mostly on fermentation, and I need to create some new marketing materials to get the word out. How do you like this tagline? I have no formal training in food preparation™
Letter from California (Part II)
Dear Reader, In my last letter, I wrote about the water conservation measures I have taken at home as the mega-drought here in California rages on with no end in sight. Although I am happy to have incorporated these practices into my daily life—I find them easy enough to do—ordinary citizens like myself do not consume the […]
Letter from California (Part I)
Dear Reader, As you likely know, we’re experiencing an epic drought here in California, the worst in the state’s history. Last week’s snowpack measurements came in at 80 percent below last year’s record low peak snowpack measurements. But as I look around, life continues as normal—unbearable traffic; talk at my café of startups, seed funds […]
5 Tips for a Zero-Waste Breakup
1. If you crave chocolate In your distress, resist the urge to reach for a Snickers or Hershey Bar. These are packaged in plastic, filled with nasty ingredients and you know you deserve better. Don’t settle. Go to a candy store or hit the bulk aisles where you can buy some quality zero-waste chocolate, or […]
7 Big Food Marketing Gimmicks
I’m surprised no store employee or manager escorted me from the supermarket premises today. Looking for food to snap pictures of for this post, I kind of went a bit crazy once I started. I found so much material! If aspects such as added sugar, overpackaging and dead food lacking nutrients don’t turn you off of processed food, […]
5 Things I Do that Were Once Considered Normal
I cook, eat and live the way I do for several reasons: I reject single-use plastic packaging I like to eat food that tastes good I prefer to eat food that contains nutritional value I refuse to depend upon corporations to fulfill my every need and desire Consuming less makes my life simpler and more enjoyable […]
I Eat Food Unfit for Human Consumption
I live in Silicon Valley, high-tech central. Almost everyone I know is an engineer, married to an engineer or divorced from an engineer. I see more Teslas here than minivans. When the tech-heavy NASDAQ has a really, really bad day, stores like Fry’s Electronics (geek central where you buy parts to build your own computer) have […]