Un update dal vecchio post sulla fonduta bourguignonne.

salsa bourguignonne: mettete del burro (non poco, cuciniamo francese) in un pentolino, aggiungete circa 300g di funghi misti freschi e dei porcini secchi (qb, a seconda di quanto sono saporiti..) e fate rosolare pochi minuti. aggiungete un paio di bicchieri colmi di vino rosso e lasciate cuocere per una decina di minuti. il vino si sarà abbastanza ritirato, frullate il tutto e aggiungete timo e alloro. lasciate riposare un pochino e servitela tiepida.

Lieve variazione, appena sperimentata: ho aggiunto una cipolla bianca con i funghi, ho messo l’alloro insieme al vino – così ha insaporito meglio il vino, ho aggiunto un po’ di pepe alla fine e non ho messo il timo.

Il prodotto mi pare migliore.

yfhg

hfft

cdvfb

A recent article from Slate magazine that plugs PAN and our Pesticide Database, which just so happens to be the data for our What’s On My Food iPhone application. If you have an iPhone, go download the app before you read this; it’s free and if there is even a tiny little Chemistry nerd in you, you’ll love it.

I know you can buy local or buy organic, but I’ve heard that some crops are simply more resource-intensive than others, regardless of how or where they are grown. So what’s the key to picking foods that have the smallest environmental footprint?

We’ve already been over the environmental benefits of choosing poultry over beef and anchovies over haddock. But you’re right to suggest that the same sort of logic can apply to picking vegetarian foodstuffs. Certain crops require loads of phosphate fertilizer, for example, which is mined from the ground and can eventually cause stream-choking algal growth. Other fruits and veggies are grown with heavy doses of pesticides, fungicides, and other chemicals that can pollute waterways and cause reproductive problems in animals. So how do you know which crops are best to eat? Here’s the Lantern’s rule of thumb: Try to keep your more extravagant fruit cravings in check, but don’t sweat the low-impact calories that come with your carbs.

As it turns out, it’s not hard to find digestible data on the use of fertilizers. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization offers a handy list of various crops and their associated fertilizer loads. Bananas consume the most by a very large margin, requiring a whopping 427 pounds of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash fertilizer per acre of cultivation. Sugar beets and citrus crops are next, followed by vegetables, tubers, and grains. Peas and beans require just 35 pounds per acre, in part because they have capacity to absorb nitrogen from the air. In short, eat more beans.

Numbers on pesticide use can be found in a database of California crops maintained by the Pesticide Action Network. According to the information compiled there, raspberries are the worst offenders, accounting for an average of 20.2 pounds of chemicals dumped on every acre of treated land. Other particularly noxious crops include carrots and strawberries. Wild rice also fares poorly by this metric, requiring nearly 6 pounds of pesticide per acre. In the middle of the pack are the tree crops, like avocados and oranges, and at the clean end of the list you’ll find broccoli, leafy greens, beans and grains—which are grown with an average of less than 3 pounds of pesticide per acre. (Remember, we’re talking about risks to the planet here, not risks to individual health. The Environmental Working Group has a list of the fruits and veggies that show up in stores—and on your plates—with the highest levels of pesticide residue. But that doesn’t make them the worst offenders against the environment.)

It’s useful to know the amount of pesticide or fertilizer that goes into each acre of a given crop, but there’s more to the story. Some crops make more efficient use of the land than others, so their environmental impacts may be less intense on per-calorie basis. To figure out how all this fits together, the Lantern whipped out his solar-powered pocket calculator and compared overall pesticide and fertilizer use with California’s agricultural yields from 2007 and nutritional information for each of 12 conventionally grown crops. White rice came out the big winner here, returning more than 2 million calories per pound of pesticide used and 82,000 calories per pound of phosphate. Onions and sweet corn ranked nearly as efficient as rice when it came to pesticide, but were only so-so in terms of fertilizer; the opposite was true for oranges and apples. Lingering at the bottom of both lists were strawberries, which returned just 121,000 calories per pound of pesticide, and 5,300 per pound of fertilizer.

What does all this fancy number-crunching mean? Considering that about one-third of greenhouse gases (PDF) emitted from agriculture in the United States come from fertilizers and pesticides, identifying low-impact crops can be at least as important as sourcing your foods locally. For instance, switching from strawberries to oranges in your fruit salad cuts pesticide use by half and fertilizer use by a factor of 10. For those who can’t do without their berries, your best bet may be to buy from a truly sustainable source that avoids the worst pesticides, sticks to manure and other organic fertilizers, and prevents excess nutrients from flowing into waterways. Major organic growers like Cascadian Farms and others provide limited information about their agricultural practices on their Web sites.

What about organic versus conventional produce? When it comes to dietary staples like corn, wheat, and rice, the choice isn’t so clear. David Pimentel of Cornell has estimated that it takes about 30 percent less energy to grow organic soy and corn than it does to grow the conventional kind. On the other hand, organic doubters, including the father of the Green Revolution, Norman Borlaug, have suggested that the spread of fertilizer and pesticide-free agriculture would result in more land being cleared for crops to match today’s conventional yields, a view that has been supported by a British government report. The USDA has just started surveying some organic crops, and we’ll have to wait until all the data is in to issue a final verdict on that front. As for fruits and vegetables, going organic is the eco-friendly choice. The switch will reduce your impact on the soil and water and won’t require a vast expansion of the agricultural footprint.

For all this, one of the simplest ways to ballpark the impact of a conventionally grown fruit or vegetable is to glance at its price. The trick doesn’t always work, but, in general, the cheaper one probably required less fertilizer, pesticide, land, and energy.

The introduction of genetically modified, herbicide-tolerant crops has created a dire situation in the U.S. south – as weeds become more herbicide-resistant, farmers trying to maintain their 10,000-acre-plus “megafarms” are forced to apply increasing amounts of weedkiller. According to Tom Philpott and others, this pesticide treadmill is beginning to break down. Nine strains of amaranth (a.k.a. pigweed) have been labeled as noxious weeds in the U.S. One variety in particular, Palmer amaranth, has become resistant to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s flagship herbicide Roundup. Amaranth and other so-called “superweeds” have thrown a wrench in the machine of industrial agriculture. Pigweed is sturdy enough to “stop a combine in its tracks” and reduce yields by up to 68%, which is forcing many farmers to abandon chemical weedkillers in favor of mechanical cultivators and hand weeding. The situation is so bad in Macon County, Georgia, that 10,000 acres of farmland were deserted. The qualities that make amaranth a particularly pesky weed, are the reasons it has been cultivated as a food source by Indigenous peoples in the Americas since 3400 BC: it is prolific (producing up to 10,000 seeds at a time), drought resistant, reaches maturity quickly, and has an extended period of germination. It is also exceptionally nutritious; containing 30% more protein than other cereals and, like other native grains such as quinoa, it is a complete protein. The Aztecs used it as a food staple but when the Spanish priests discovered that they were also using it in religious ceremonies, they banned the sale, consumption, and cultivation of amaranth. The plant has outlasted the Spanish, bested Roundup and is being reintroduced in many places throughout Mesoamerica as an inexpensive, healthy, localized solution to hunger problems.

In response to its current superweed crisis, Monsanto blames farmers for the overuse of glyphosate, and recommends mixing glyphosate with older herbicides like 2-4,D, one of the active ingredients in Agent Orange. They are right about the overuse part — in the ten years after “Roundup Ready” crops were introduced, glyphosate use went from 7.9 million pounds per year to 119 million pounds per year. And as for mixing glyphosate and 2-4D? Monsanto appears to have anticipated the superweed dilemma, as they patented that combination in 2001.

Nordpolen låg utsträckt på ett klippblock med ett grässtrå i mungipan. De blonda håret låg klibbigt mot pannan och glänste flottigt i solskenet. Miranda såg henne på långt håll, hon gjorde verkligen inget för att gömma sig. Han steg försiktigt fram och undvek kvistar som riskerade att röja hans ankomst.

Du är tyst som ett oväder, Miranda.

Hennes ord fick honom att frysa i steget, hur kunde hon ha hört honom?

Kom fram där ifrån!

Cosa ne facciamo di tutta la polpa di zucca che abbiamo scavato dall’interno dalla zucca per Halloween ? Per non farci mancare niente  e sopratutto per non sprecare nulla ( “in cucina è un delitto !”  Così dicevano le nonne … e facevano bene !!!)  Un budino semplice e delicato …

L’ho preparato per il compleanno di una mia  amica …. peccato che sia lontana e non possa assaggiarlo …. Ele …. basta il pensiero, vero ? Auguroni, carissima !!!!!

INGREDIENTI:

Per la parte di budino alla zucca:

- 350 g di polpa di zucca

- 1,5 dl di latte

- 80 g di zucchero

- 8 g di colla di pesce in fogli

- 1/2 bicchierino di rum

Per la parte di budino alla panna:

- 4 dl di panna fresca

- 150 g di zucchero

- 1,3 dl di latte

- 16 g di colla di pesce in fogli

- 1 pizzico di zenzero in polvere

-  la punta di un cucchiaino di estratto di vaniglia naturale

- olio di mandorle

PROCEDIMENTO

Prima prepariamo il budino alla zucca:

Cuocete la polpa di zucca in forno per almeno 30 minuti a 170 ° e passatela al setaccio.

Ammollate i fogli di colla di pesce in un pentolino con dell’acqua fredda e lasciateli riposare per 8/10 minuti.

Sciogliete lo zucchero nel latte e portate a bollore. Mescolando continuamente aggiungete i fogli di colla di pesce leggermente strizzati e fate in modo che si sciolgano perfettamente. Incorporate poi la purea di zucca e il rum, allontanate dalla fiamma e versate il composto in uno stampo da budino spennellato di olio di mandorle. Mettetelo a raffreddare.

Ora prepariamo il budino alla panna:

Scaldate la panna in un pentolino dal fondo spesso, sciogliete lo zucchero e diluite con il latte. Amalgamate con una spatola e portate a bollore. Aggiungete ora la vaniglia naturale, lo zenzero e i fogli di colla di pesce leggermente strizzati. Mescolate accuratamente. Versate poi il budino alla panna sopra al budino di zucca che nel frattempo si sarà rappreso. Lasciate riposare il tutto in frigorifero per almeno 3 ore. Servite decorando il piatto con semi e pezzetti di zucca .

mentre ordinavamo la cioccolata calda con panna o senza abbiamo scherzato col cameriere del bar chiedendogli anche acqua minerale con panna e poi il resto con panna
alla fine il cameriere ha detto, guardacaso a zenbu, che l’avrebbe schizzata volentieri, ma purtroppo era finita

According to the advocacy group GM-Free Ireland, in mid-October the Irish government announced a plan to ban the growing of geneticially modified (GM) crops on the island, and to introduce a voluntary labeling program for food made without the use of GM animal feed (including meat, poultry, eggs, fish, crustaceans and dairy products). The move comes as Ireland positions itself as a global source for GM-free products and has created a funding scheme to increase organic and local production. The Proposed Renewed Programme for Government includes support for organic, seasonal and direct markets. The President of the Irish Cattle and Sheepfarmers Association, Malcolm Thompson, said he was delighted by the announcement, adding, “The Government’s new GM-free policy is the fulfillment of what we at ICSA have held for the last five years. I very much look forward to its full implementation.” According to Michael O’Callaghan of GM-free Ireland, “The WTO’s economic globalization agenda has forced most Irish farmers to enter an unwinnable race to the bottom for low quality GM-fed meat and dairy produce, in competition with countries like the USA, Argentina and Brazil which can easily out-compete us with their highly subsidized GM crop monocultures, cheap fossil fuel, extensive use of toxic agrochemicals that are not up to EU standards, and underpaid migrant farm labor.” The new policy, adopted as part of the Renewed Programme for Government, was the result of a coalition agreement between Fianna Faíl and the Green Party. Unlike similar bans in other European countries that allow for trial uses of GM field crops, Ireland’s policy will expressly prohibit the cultivation of any kind of GM crops. The island’s geographic location and offshore winds prevent contamination by wind-borne GM pollen drift, making it an ideal candidate for such a ban. This, in combination with the rigor of the new labeling system, will provide a selling point for Ireland to market GM-free foods

According to the advocacy group GM-Free Ireland, in mid-October the Irish government announced a plan to ban the growing of geneticially modified (GM) crops on the island, and to introduce a voluntary labeling program for food made without the use of GM animal feed (including meat, poultry, eggs, fish, crustaceans and dairy products). The move comes as Ireland positions itself as a global source for GM-free products and has created a funding scheme to increase organic and local production. The Proposed Renewed Programme for Government includes support for organic, seasonal and direct markets. The President of the Irish Cattle and Sheepfarmers Association, Malcolm Thompson, said he was delighted by the announcement, adding, “The Government’s new GM-free policy is the fulfillment of what we at ICSA have held for the last five years. I very much look forward to its full implementation.” According to Michael O’Callaghan of GM-free Ireland, “The WTO’s economic globalization agenda has forced most Irish farmers to enter an unwinnable race to the bottom for low quality GM-fed meat and dairy produce, in competition with countries like the USA, Argentina and Brazil which can easily out-compete us with their highly subsidized GM crop monocultures, cheap fossil fuel, extensive use of toxic agrochemicals that are not up to EU standards, and underpaid migrant farm labor.” The new policy, adopted as part of the Renewed Programme for Government, was the result of a coalition agreement between Fianna Faíl and the Green Party. Unlike similar bans in other European countries that allow for trial uses of GM field crops, Ireland’s policy will expressly prohibit the cultivation of any kind of GM crops. The island’s geographic location and offshore winds prevent contamination by wind-borne GM pollen drift, making it an ideal candidate for such a ban. This, in combination with the rigor of the new labeling system, will provide a selling point for Ireland to market GM-free foods.

We got a mention in another piece on the ag nominations at Huffington Post. Can I get a whoop whoop?! Read it here. Also, click here to sign PANNA’s petition against the nominations. We need 50,000 signatures by the 4th to make an impact!

Not my top pick of places for us to be featured, but nonetheless, watch the video here. We’re the third story.

After helping write the OpEd piece that got published in several different places a few weeks ago, I was part of a flurry of research and fact finding for the article below. It was originally going to be in the NYT but the reporter decided Politico was more strategic. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to update her in time that the “organic standards” Siddiqui helped develop were the ones that originally included GMO’s and toxic chemical sludge (i.e. “fertilizer”) in the definition of organic. Organizations, including PANNA, rallied against this and the USDA finally improved the standards before putting them into effect. You can read the article in its original location here.

“Agricultural Nomination Steams Greens”

Ingredienti:
1 Mela Golden
50gr di Panna fresca da montare
30gr di Zucchero
15gr di Mandorle tagliuzzate
10gr di Burro
Rum
Limone

Preparazione:

° Lavare e asciugare la mela, eliminare il torsolo e tagliarla in 4-5 fette orizzontali.

° Tagliare il limone a meta’ e infilzarme neta’ su di una forchetta. In una padella, far spumeggiare il burro a fuoco vivo con un cucchiaino di zucchero, mescolandolo con il limone sulla forchetta. Quando il burro diventa color nocciola chiaro ( dopo 3-4 minuti ), unite le fete di mela e fatele rosolare un minuto oer ogni lato. Spruzzare con un chìucchiaio di rum e, dopo un paio di minuti, togliere le fette di mela. Spremere il mezzo limone rimasto e aggiungere il succo nella padella, assieme alle mandorle tagliuzzate. Cuocere ancora un minuto a fuoco vivo e poi spegnere.

° Montare la panna, sistemare le fete di mela su un piatto, alternandole a strati di panna. In un pentolino antiaderente sciogliere lo zucchero rimasto ( c.a. 25gr ) con un cucchiaio scarso di acqua fredda finche’ diventa scuro ( occorrono 6-7 minuti ), mescolando con il mezzo limone infilzato sulla forchetta. Versare il caramello sulla mela, completo del suo fondo di cottura. Servire subito.

Also known as my 2nd PanUp story:

In a disturbing move for those concerned about scientific integrity and public health, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is pushing U.S. EPA to use outdated or irrelevant studies and restrict gathering of new data. The ruling is on a program launched in April 2009 on the effects of certain chemicals on the human endocrine system. The OMB order – which would weaken the integrity of a screening program of monumental importance for human health that is already 10 years overdue – reeks of corporate influence. The New York Times reports that the industry association CropLife America had already petitioned EPA about avoiding the “unnecessary and redundant testing” called for by the endocrine disruptor screening program. But EPA had decided to move ahead with requests for new scientific tests, based on the emergence of new scientific data.

“Why the Obama administration is allowing corporate interests to trump science in this decision is beyond me,” said Kathryn Gilje, Executive Director of Pesticide Action Network North America. “Corporate suppression of accurate, transparent scientific data for chemicals linked to disease and ecological harm will make the top ten list for corporate crimes of the 21st century. In this case, these chemicals are linked to cancers, reproductive and immune system harms, even at very low doses. We need a moratorium on their use until peer-reviewed scientific data is analyzed and we truly understand the risks. Getting a clear picture of those risks requires up-to-date, evidence-based science.“ Many scientists and environmentalists had concerns about the endocrine disruptor screening program even before the OMB’s directive weakened it. The original screening program was already riddled with questionable protocols that worried scientists about its accuracy. Some of the concerns: no guarantee that prenatal exposure would be part of the tests, instructions that called for using the wrong dosage range, and the extent of chemical company influence in the ways the tests would be structured.

Every week PANNA sends out news updates on issues that have to do with pesticides and agriculture. They get mailed out to our members, and published as news stories. This week I got to write one about the DOJ investigating Monsanto. My article is below, and you can sign up for the updates here. Sounds like I’ll be writing more of them in the future!

DOJ begins Monsanto probe

On October 8, the seed and agrochemical giant Monsanto revealed that it is being questioned by the Department of Justice for a possible violation of anti-trust laws related to its control of much of the genetically engineered seed market, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The timing of the investigation coincides with an announcement in late August from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about a series of workshops to hear farmers’ concerns about corporate consolidation in the agricultural industry. Christine Varney, the Justice Department’s antitrust chief, also recently announced a commitment to investigate competition issues within the agricultural industry.

Monsanto is characterizing the investigation as an informal, “business as usual” questioning, rather than a formal probe, but that may well be because it is no stranger to being investigated on anti-trust charges. In 2007, the Peoria Journal Star reports, Monsanto acquired the cottonseed company Delta and Pine Land, which gave them control of more than half of the U.S. cottonseed market. In order to approve the deal, federal regulators required Monsanto to divest itself of another cottonseed company that controlled about 12% of the market, as well as amend its licensing policies to allow other companies to “stack” or combine Monsanto’s patented genetic traits with their own. This meant billions of dollars in licensing fees for Monsanto. In May of this year, Monsanto sued DuPont, one of its largest competitors, for intellectual property right infringement. DuPont promptly counter-sued, accusing Monsanto of unlawful anti-competitive behavior. Monsanto is the world’s biggest seed company and fifth largest agrochemical company (thanks largely to its ubiquitous herbicide, Roundup). DuPont is the world’s second biggest seed company is also the sixth largest agrochemical company. All of the genetically engineered traits involved in the litigation between the two companies relate to herbicide tolerance.

A few months ago an attractive container lured me to the frozen case at my local Whole Foods. This is a place I tend to avoid. You see, I’m a gelato fan. And when you are a gelato fan, most ice cream won’t suffice. Sure, I love a good scoop of Chubby Hubby or Häagen Dazs Coffee. Even the local Ciao Bella Gelato has a few passable flavors. But real gelato…….ah real gelato…….there simply is nothing (and I mean no other frozen treat on this planet) that compares for me.

As with many of my epiphanies in life, this one started when I was living in Italy.  We used to frequent the famed Giolitti, located around the corner from the Pantheon. With my fresh-off-the-boat eyes, the realm of the exotic was off the charts at this place. As you made your way through the throngs of well-dressed onlookers, the freezer cases appeared as works of abstract art. Mounds of colors and textures were piled impossibly high as busy uniformed workers drew slabs of the gelato (not scoops), mixing and matching flavor combinations. Then they would slap a dollop of whipped cream (panna) on top for good measure.

Adding to the exotic was the ordering procedure. I learned on my first visit that you paid at the cash counter before approaching the goods. Your receipt was the ticket to paradise and the impatient staff added a ’soup-nazi’ vibe to the experience while you decided. It took many visits to master the flavor translations. When my cono gelato (con panna of course) was handed to me I was transported back to my childhood where I used to dwell over a tower of banana split on hot summer nights at Two Cents Plain on Ventnor Avenue in Margate, NJ. Now, I was similarly lost in the indulgence of Straciatella, Nocciola, Baccio and Pistacchio.

The first thing you notice about proper gelato is the temperature. The consistency is never too hard and never too soft. It seems to hold its form at the perfect temperature for the duration of its consumption. The panna is rich and sweet, but not too sweet and provides a lovely contrast to the frozen. It’s important like icing on a cupcake but never outshines the main event. The fat content is gelato is actually lower than ice cream, which is surprising, because to me it tastes significantly richer than most watery varieties I’ve tried elsewhere (latin countries really seem to blow it).

Then there is the flavor. On a recent trip to Greece I demonstrated to my wife the difference between a Greek-run Gelateria and a true Italian artisanal product. Our son was clamoring for ice cream so we relented at the nearest place we could find. I was holding out for the real Italian place on the other side of town. The difference between his bright green pistacchio and my pale variety were night and day. His tasted like extract, bright and sugary – way too much of a bad thing. Mine was subtle, yet dense with real pistachio flavor and the cream flavor always played along with the nuts (I told you I was gelato fan). No contest.

Pregnant Julie Keeps Up with my Gelato Fever

A great way to introduce yourself to gelato is with Straciatella (vanilla with chocolate flakes) and Baccio (chocolate and hazelnut combined). You really cannot go wrong. If the place offers panna (here in the states that’s a rarity), you know you’re doing ok. Also, gelato is best consumed in a gelateria.

Except…..back to Whole Foods, frozen case, cool container. I stumbled upon Talenti because I loved their clear plastic containers (don’t put them in the dishwasher – I learned the hard way). I gave it a try. First vanilla. Then pistachio. Both were really good. Probably the best I’ve had outside of a gelateria. But then I tried the Double Dark Chocolate. For fuck’s sake! Little tiny nibs of spectacular chocolate float in a perfect chocolate gelato. Leave it to sit for 10-15 minutes and you’ll hit the desired temperature. The sides should be soft yet still stick to your spoon. While the flavors aren’t traditional, I still dare you to eat only one or two bites.

I stopped going to Giolitti when I discovered smaller, less touristy places. But I won’t discourage you from the experience. For that alone, it is one of a kind. But, if you can’t make the trip across the pond, and you haven’t found the perfect gelateria in your town (I’m still looking), give Talenti a shot.

Recipe 132: And because is autumn and starts to be cold, why don’t make pasta with walnuts?

This is not one of the most common italian dishes, but it’s very typical in Liguria, a region in the north of Italy, more famous for the pesto sauce ( i will ask my mum her amazing recipe for this too).

I have to say this is the version my mum use to prepare, but there are many other different versions, with just oil instead of single cream, with a bit of bread and garlic and so on. Because it’s a quite reach sauce and heavy dish, i suggest you to cook not too much pasta or you can also try to substitute the single cream with Ricotta cheese and milk.

However here are the ingredients i used yesterday for 5 people (all from Tesco): 500gr of De Cecco Pasta (i choose short pasta but have to be good also with linguine or meat ravioli) – 200gr walnuts already peeled – 75gr pine nuts – 250gr single cream – majoran – salt – pepper- nutmeg – 50gr butter – Parmesan.

If you have a mixer, you can just put all the ingredients in and create the sauce, otherwise you can put all the walnuts and pine nuts in a dishcloth and smash them with anything you have, heavy and resistant (i used the majoran dispenser).

Then add the single cream and use a “Minipimer” to mix everything better and give consistency to the sauce. If you don’t have it you can also just mix with spoon. Add salt, pepper, a bit of majoran and nutmeg. I can’t tell you how much. This will be something you will have to decide testing the sauce and following your preferences.

In the meantime cook the pasta in salted water and after the time written on the bag (were 10 minute for me), drain the pasta and add the butter already melted and the walnut sauce.

Serve with Parmesan and a bit of black pepper.

Buon appetito!

PS. Ciao Mamy, ieri e’ venuta a cena Marguerite la mia amica americana che incontro sempre in aereo. Le ho cucinato la pasta con le noci…visto che stiamo in autunno pensavo fosse adeguata ed era cosi tanto tempo che non la mangiavo! L’unico problema e’ che non me l’aspettavo cosi pesante…sara’ che ho fatto dei piatti belli pieni, ma alla fine eravamo sderenate! Comunque per essere buona e’ buona… forse la prossima volta provo a farla con la ricotta invece che con la panna.

Last week I helped write an OpEd piece, which was published so that you can read it here and here. I’m super excited that all our hard work is getting out there in the world… we’re still waiting to hear if it will be published elsewhere, and we’ve got a lead that we may get something in a bigger paper like LAT or NYT. Unfortunately, my casual reference to the “agrochemical industrial complex” didn’t make it into the final version, but there are a few sentences that were entirely my doing!

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OBAMA CAVES IN TO AGRIBUSINESS – by Kathy Ozer and Marcia Ishii-Eiteman

“Lobbyists won’t find a job in my White House.” President Obama assured us with this claim upon inauguration. And yet he just nominated to two key posts “Big Ag” industry power brokers, who come straight from the chemical pesticide and biotechnology sectors. While they may not be registered as lobbyists, both men come from organizations representing powerful agribusiness interests, which every year spend millions of dollars in lobbying to advance their companies’ chemical and transgenic products.

Obama has tapped Roger Beachy, long-time president of the Danforth Plant Science Center (Monsanto’s nonprofit arm) as chief of the USDA’s newly created National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Created by the 2008 Farm Bill, NIFA is the new means of awarding the USDA’s external research dollars. As the director of NIFA (a nomination that doesn’t require congressional approval), Beachy will oversee the distribution of nearly $500 million in grants and other research funding. Sustainable agriculture initiatives are likely to suffer, as research dollars are awarded to projects that promote Beachy’s vested interests in biotechnology.

Islam Siddiqui, currently the VP of Science and Regulatory Affairs at CropLife USA, was nominated to the post of Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. Why the president would nominate someone from the group that infamously chided the First Lady for refusing to use pesticides on the White House garden is a bit of a mystery, but perhaps it has something to do with all the money and work as a fundraiser that Siddiqui put into Obama’s campaign. This critical position is designed to use free trade agreements to open up foreign markets for U.S. agriculture goods—mostly to promote chemical-intensive, genetically modified products that undermine local food cultures in developing countries.

It’s crucial that the Senate Finance Committee hears from public witnesses while investigating his past roles. At CropLife International, Siddiqui led an initiative to weaken restrictions against fertilizers and pesticides, as part of the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round of negotiations. He also served as the senior agricultural trade advisor during the Clinton administration, and pressed for getting genetically modified crops and seeds approved for commercial use in the United States.

Now the United States will continue its efforts to export the worst aspects of U.S. agriculture to other countries, many of which are deeply wary of genetically modified seeds and the impacts of toxic pesticides on their communities. Mirroring those concerns, a landmark comprehensive United Nations and World Bank- sponsored International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science, and Technology for Development (IAASTD) has said that one of the best ways to feed the world is to increase investments in agro-ecological science and farming.

We don’t need more genetically modified seeds. What we need is enforcement of antitrust laws to break up monopoly control of the global food system, and fairer—not “freer”—trade arrangements to overcome poverty and hunger around the world.

The Obama administration has made tremendous strides towards encouraging the growth of the local food movement, and its connections to human health and ecological impacts. The White House organic garden and the farmers market spearheaded by Michelle Obama are important symbolic gestures, as is the USDA’s new “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative. However, these latest appointments of industry insiders to two of the most influential offices that will shape U.S. food and agricultural policy at home and abroad call into question just how committed the Obama administration is to promoting sustainable agriculture and reducing hunger in the developing world.

We must also question how prepared the president is to break with past administrations’ track record of coddling special interests.

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Kathy Ozer is the executive director of the National Family Farm Coalition, and Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD, is the senior scientist at the Pesticide Action Network North America and a lead author on the UN-sponsored International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science, and Technology for Development (IAASTD). The National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) is a national link for grassroots organizations working on family farm issues. www.nffc.net. Pesticide Action Network North America works to replace the use of hazardous pesticides with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives. http://www.panna.org

Dalla parola latina crispus e cioè arricciato, e della regione della Bretannia (nel nord-ovest della Francia), viene la famosissima crêpe! Una pasta elastica e versatile (si può mangiare sia dolce che salata) composta da uova burro farina e latte, cotta. Una pastella liquida e omogenea che viene fatta cuocere, spesso su una placca apposita, a formare un disco sottilissimo che viene variamente riempito. Nel medioevo veniva preparata usando vino e acqua invece del latte. La crêpe è appunto nata in Bretannia, dov’è tradizionalmente mangiata col sidro, ma si è presto diffusa in tutta la Francia, diventando un un piatto simbolo di convivialità e consumato durante la Candelora (il 2 febbraio): il giorno dedicato alla Vergine Maria divenne il pretesto per un’insolita tradizione. Si teneva con la mano sinistra (quindi nella maggior parte dei casi quella che non si usa comunemente) una padella con una crêpe dentro e nella destra una moneta d’ora. Si lanciava in aria la crêpe e si cercava di riprenderla al volo nella padella. Se si riusciva nell’impresa, la ricchezza per quell’anno era assicurata!

La crêpe è proprio un’invenzione fantastica: infatti il Mash la propone sia salata come antipasto, sia come dessert nel menu di queste settimane. Riempita di formaggio, spinaci, affettati, oppure di frutta, confetture, panna o cioccolata è sempre una delizia!

Una delle crêpe più conosciute, inventata da Escoffier nel 1903, è la crêpe Suzette, tipica anche del Belgio, che si serve con arance e liquore (spesso Grand Marnier) e che viene flambata al momento di servirla. In Francia è nota anche la mille crêpe, una torta composta da vari strati di crêpes.

Oggi però le crêpes sono conosciute, con qualche variante, in tutto il mondo. La diffusione delle crêperie anche nelle nostre città, le hanno sdoganate come street food: in Africa l’injera è un piatto simile, così come i pancakes in USA, i bliny in Russia, le crespelle in Italia, le dosa in India e i pannekake in Norvegia. Ma tra i tanti Paesi dove si sono diffuse, una menzione va certamente all’est Europa, dove sono quasi un piatto nazionale, diffusosi nei secoli passati grazie all’impero Austroungarico. Ungheria, Serbia, Repubblica Ceca, ecc servono abitualmente nei loro ristoranti moltissime varianti di crêpes. In Ungheria si mangia con salsa dolce alle noci come ripieno e ricoperta di cioccolato fondente, oppure con ciligie e crema.