Best Foot Forward(Full Disclosure)

It is easy to sing the praises of our righteousness, yet sitting with our bad choices, or even worse, broadcasting them, a down right terror. Though the first sentences of my last post were correct, they were quite misleading. Truth be told, I rarely find myself in a place where I am cooking for myself in the way that I stated. I am often a slave to the quick and convenient. Whether it fast-food or single serve, high-waste meals from the grocery store, or worse yet, convenient store, I find that I am not properly addressing how my body is effected by this disposable lifestyle, let alone how much the earth is harmed on many levels.  

http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680494/the-environmental-impact-of-wasted-food

To answer the question, " Is my meal a problem, (that meal)?" No, or at least not as much as the real problem of how I consume. While there is an obvious issue with large-scale animal farming and how the earth is affected by it, the smaller farms that make up Niman Ranches are far less wasteful. It is great that Outpost works with local purveyors to help its community consumer more intelligently. Finally, while I have issue with some of the high-end natural food excessive packaging, most of the materials are recycled and often made of alternative to petroleum, like corn-based plastics.  The benefits of buying local provide you the shortest route to the products that one desires. It is this short path that is reminiscent to a day that has passed by many, where all were more connected to the labor that got them their consumables. Whether you grew crops, or sewed your clothes, there was more of a connection to the items we use on a daily basis. All natural, locally sourced friendly environments, combined with a strong do-it-yourself (D.I.Y.) mentality has drastically shifted the conscious of many consumers, or so it seems. While my extremes of strict locally sourced dinners along with McDonald’s are quite a drastic parody, many fall in line between the two. It is with this awareness of ones consumption that can help to change how all of us make decisions on what we buy.

On the global level, the United States can use their buying power to help provide incentives to foreign and domestic companies that use environmental progressive forms of agriculture and industry. Using companies that provide adequate care for their employees also will help to shape how countries around the world interact with one another. It is only after a proper dialog about how to treat one another can we get past the damage that we are doing to one another and the earth. Since so much is based on profit, this might take a very long-term plan in order to accomplish humanitarian and environmental goals.

The local level is where so much action has to happen. We need more public gardens, more farmers markets and more green workshops. These are all ways to teach people the importance of what they choose to put in their body. While this solution seems easy, there are complex issues of privilege and unequal sources to services within communities. This is especially evident in education surround these topics.

Simply put, we need to truly love ourselves and know we are worth the investment in time, our food, our homes, and one another. It might sound cliché, but until we value one another and ourselves and are more connected in a  “real,” non-social media type way; it is hard for a drastic change. Progress keeps happening. We need to occasionally take a look at where we are at, and ask ourselves, “Is this progress?’   

Perils of Pork and Peppers

When I am at my most socially responsible in my consumption, I plan meals, buy local, and am truly connected to my role in the larger scheme. Living in Bay View provides me many opportunities to hold to these standards when I am able. While I do not always consume responsibly, when I do, OutpostNatural Foods is a perfect place to shop. They offer many locally sourced and organic items. Also, they provide detailed information on the products they sell, so even if they aren’t harvested 45 minutes north of the city, you still have a good understanding of the process.

The pork tenderloin and poblano chili, two of the key ingredients used in the chilies en Nogada recipe from my previous post were purchased at Outpost. Some of their selections come from farms located just miles from the store.  Niman Ranch, while not located within Wisconsin is part of a group of over 725 family farmers and ranchers dedicated to sustainability and humane practices. Huen Family Farms is located in Illinois and is part of Niman Ranch and is one of the places Outpost gets its meat. While they are committed to more environmentally friendly pork, some waste is part of the process. As with all large farm animals the sheer volume of their excrement and the gasses associated with the farming causes a large amount of air pollution through greenhouse gases. These gases help to effect global climate change.  On the flip side, the manure can be used as a wonderful source to increase the nutrients within the soil. While farming for poblanos does not damage the earth as badly in regards to greenhouse gasses, there are often some repercussions from soil erosion and the impacts of over farming.

While Illinois is not too far away, it still will take a great deal of manpower and natural resources to get the pigs from the farm as living creatures to my plate as dinner. The chain of fossil fuels used could be as follows. The farmer uses electricity on his farm that is derived from a generator. He uses gas to power his vehicles. He delivers the hogs to a treatment facility that also uses electricity and gas to process the pigs. Then they are shipped to the grocery store that also uses electricity to operate, al up to the point where I cook the meal with natural gas. It sound much more expensive than 3.99 per pound. Just as with the direct costs of farming livestock, the effects on farming vegetables is less taxing on the earth, though one major increased cost is the cost of shipping produce into the Midwest, especially in the winter months since we do not have a climate conducive of growing 365 days a year.

While it is hard to be a consumer that is 100 percent connected to the chain of production of how their goods are produced and the effect that they have of the world, it is important that we make some sort of effort to learn about what we consume. As I have shown, even the items that seem to be better for the environment still can have a detrimental effect on the earth. By knowing how we are at risk gives us the power to make the bet choices possible to ensure the healthiest environment possible.   

Here is a video on the fight for sustainable farming.

Chiles En Nogada

This is a great fall dish that I recently prepared for a friend and myself. The traditional version of the dish is called Chiles en Nogadas, a stuffed poblano dish served on Mexican Independence day (That’s September 17^th, not Cinco de Mayo). This is a fine dining take on a comfort classic.

Other than what I had on hand at home, I purchased the ingredients from Outpost in Bay View. I began by dry rubbing the pork tenderloin with cumin, coriander, and chili de arbol that I roasted and ground myself. While the tenderloin sat in the fridge I soaked my mesquite wood chips in a little water. I also seasoned the meat with salt and pepper and the grill with a little peanut oil. I then smoked the tenderloin on a low heat in order to develop a nice smoke ring and flavor.

While the tenderloin smoked, I roasted pears, apples, onions, and turnips in the oven for the mash. You should also include some fresh sprigs or thyme, marjoram, and Mexican oregano to the pan of roasting veggies to add a wonderful aromatic essence. After everything is roasted add heavy cream, butter, salt, pepper, and a little of the roasted herbs to the fruits and vegetables and mash to your desired consistence.

The green chili sauce can be made the day before if desired in order to let the flavors come together. First you must roast a few poblano peppers. After removing the skins and seeds, the peppers to a blender. Add chopped and blanched walnuts or almonds to the blender. Salt and pepper to taste. Make sure to add a little honey and apple cider vinegar to provide a balanced flavor. Blend on high and slowly add the olive oil. You want to add it in thirds and make sure the first third is drizzled in as slow as possible in order to achieve proper emulsification.

The final step in preparation is crushing, or grinding in a coffee grinder, the freeze-dried pomegranate seeds. They provide a flavor and color burst to send the dish over the top.

While the plating and prep differ from the traditional dish, this is a modern take on an amazing meal. The red, white, and green shine bright on the plate, just as they do on the flag.   

Check out this video on how to make the traditional version.

Though sacred, many of India loved cows are
        living and dying off plastic filled dumps.
                              The Plastic Cow Project

The Killing Fields: The High Cost of Convenience

With so much discussion of how aquatic life is in peril due to the global issue of plastic pollution amongst our oceans, many overlook the problems this convent polymer has on our land animals. Until viewing "Battle of the Bag" I was unaware of the problems India is facing with their excessive waste and attempts to deal with the issue to help create a healthier state. 

The sacred cow of India is free to roam as it wishes, often without the fear of experiencing any direct harm from the mostly Hindu population. This freedom possibly comes at a dangerous cost. If the animals were corralled or kept in open fields they might not be as exposed to India's land pollution. The cows are free to scavenge for their food, often finding buffet type spreads in the open dumps. Though the dumps may offer food, many cows end up swallowing many kilos of plastic waste. According to the documentary, this leads to gastrointestinal blockage and eventual malnutrition. Unfortunately little is being done to remedy the tons of waste already in these dumps, but India is trying to solve the issue with their plastic task force, and more effectively with "The Plastic Cow Project." The project provides helps to provide surgery for cows who have swallowed large amounts of plastic. They also assist with legal matters having to do with legislation surrounding the use of plastic in India. While the plastic cow project is helping it seems the task force set to limit bags are not faring as well. According to a 2014 article in The Indian Express,"The ban on plastic has proved a dud." This reality is disconcerting because it states that not only few care about how this effects other species, but also it suggests that many who take part in the littering have little other option and are unaware of the health issues this creates for humans worldwide.

The makers of plastic bags might contend that we are not using the bags to their potential and that humans are creating the waste. There is definitely some merit to the fact that humans have become too disposable with the majority of their consumables, this is one of the major contributor to this pandemic. To take the word of the manufacturer of plastic bags as something to be 100 percent trusted might be naive. Plastics are part of the petroleum industry, and industry that continuously has damaged the earth with little repercussions. Whether it the Exxon Valdez, the BP spill, or the issue with these bags, an executive always can explain away the problem. In order to properly deal with the  pollution from plastic the world must create a solution together, a way to be responsible for the local environment while keeping sight of how each ecosystem is affected by the next. A simple ban on plastic, or a specialized task force is not the answer. The answer begins with a little compassion. 

http://www.karunasociety.org/projects/the-plastic-cow-project

http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/few-care-for-ban-on-plastic-bags/