Blog Profile / Chews Wise
| URL : | http://www.chewswise.com/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Industries / Agriculture | |
| Posts on Regator: | 274 | |
| Posts / Week: | 1 | |
| Archived Since: | March 4, 2008 | |
Blog Post Archive
Heart Loaf
The crust crackled but the heart is fine. A pain de compagne with white, rye and whole wheat.
The warrior: a remembrance of Sol Yurick
Illustration: "Literary Lion in the Winter," by Dame Henriques By Samuel Fromartz Shortly after I heard from my mother that our close friend, the novelist Sol Yurick, had died at age 87, the obits began appearing. I was glad that Sol, the first serious writer I knew and a strong influence on me as a teenager, was getting recognition. Show More Summary
Bread as sustenance, culture, memory
This is an interesting video about memories of bread from people in various countries. I know I have mine.
Cantaloupe from the garden, after three attempts
For the past three years, I've tried to grow cantaloupe in my community garden plot in Washington, DC. The first two years, I planted my seeds in late May or early June and then transplanted the plants to the garden a few weeks later. Show More Summary
What's the link between bladder infections, CAFOs and Missouri farmers?
I want to highlight a couple of stories we recently produced at the Food & Environment Reporting Network (@FERNnews on Twitter), where I serve as editor in chief. I'm pointing them out because I'm particularly proud of these stories and they took some time to come to fruition. Show More Summary
Crop insurance - safety net or $9 billion boondoggle?
One of the toughest things about the 1,080 page Farm Bill is to write about it in a way that's accessible to readers, since the policy touches everything from agriculture to food stamps. Rather than cover the whole thing, the Food & Environment Reporting Network, where I serve as editor, decided to focus on one element: crop insurance. Show More Summary
Baking baguettes - the Afar article
For those who missed it when it came out in the premier issue of Afar, the magazine has now posted my article on baking baguettes with the winner of the Grand Prix de la Baguette de la Ville de Paris. (This then led to a baguette competition back home and my winning recipe -- which can be demanding). Show More Summary
Is American agriculture really efficient?
Last week, I attended the Sustainable Foods Institute, hosted by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. As in the past, the session-packed affair of panels and keynotes did not disappoint, even though the outlook -- for fisheries, for food production, for humanity in general -- was pretty sobering. Show More Summary
If all tuna was caught this way, maybe there would still be tuna left in the sea
Here's what it's like to catch a Yellowfin tuna on a bamboo pole off Ascension islands in the South Atlantic. Most fish, of course, are not caught this way.
Where yields fall short: in measuring sustainability (a response to @MarcGunther)
When measuring the productivity of farming, yield -- or output per acre of land -- is the metric that is often trotted out. And when this measure is used, organic farming usually falls short since it can’t match the yields of conventional agriculture. Show More Summary
Thoughts on baking emmer wheat bread
Recently, writing about ancient grains, I serendipitously got an email from Mary-Howell Martens offering to hook me up with some of the grains she and her husband Klaas grow in New York for Lakeview Organic Grain. Rather than shipping...Show More Summary
Interview on @FERNnews with a weird but maybe good picture
Here's the lead-in to a brief interview about the Food & Environment Reporting Network at CJR: Even as interest in all things food-related skyrockets, space devoted to serious food issues continues to lose out to the gastroporn of hot restaurants and hotter chefs. Show More Summary
Let the Games Begin: A Baker in Sonoma ... and Paris
I spent a wonderful couple of days last May with Mike Zakowski, a baker in Sonoma who graciously took me into his backyard bakery where he was making loaves. I was curious about him, because he worked entirely by hand and was also in training to compete in the world cup of baking. Show More Summary
Watershed? Former organic farmer to oversee California pesticide regulations
In what would have been unimaginable even two years ago, a former organic farmer who once headed California's largest organic certification organization was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown as head of the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation. Show More Summary
Drugged livestock, world trade, and non-profit reporting
Last week, the non-profit journalism venture where I serve as editor, the Food & Environment Reporting Network, rolled out its second story on a little known livestock drug called ractopamine that has caused more illnesses or deaths than any other livestock drug on the market. Show More Summary
How to make a sourdough starter
Sourdough is basically fermented flour and water, fed with more flour and water on a regular schedule. I came cross this video which explains the process. At this time of year, make sure your water is warm, around 80-85 F (26-29 C), and it will kickstart the process. Show More Summary
Poetic crumb for weekend bread bakers
To bread I do not ask to teach me but only not to lack during every day of life. I don’t know anything about light, from where it comes nor where it goes, I only want the light to light up, I do not ask to the night explanations, I wait for it and it envelops me, And so you, bread and light And shadow are. - Excerpt from Pablo Neruda's "And Because Love Battles"
An Interview about FERN: the Food & Environment Reporting Network
Just a quick note. On Sunday, I did an interview with the Heritage Radio Network talking about the new non-profit journalism venture I'm involved with, FERN. This might give you a better idea of what we're trying to accomplish and the type of stories we're doing. Show More Summary
Bread books and others for the holidays
I've been reading a lot of bread books lately -- a lot -- and each year brings more. What follows is a brief list of books that would help any aspiring baker as well as a couple of other cookbooks that have caught my eye. Inside the...Show More Summary
Winter garden bounty in Washington D.C.
I harvested a bunch of Asian greens and lettuce last Saturday, having planted them in September and October. This bounty was the result of a lot of potent compost I added in the early fall and an extremely mild winter in Washington D.C. Show More Summary