Our intentions play a huge role in everything we do. But is “love” — yes, actual love — really a food ingredient? How does it taste?

If you’re a label reader, you’ve likely seen “love” added to more than a few of your favorite products: Fizzy kombuchas, creamy chocolates, cereal and snack brands often add this intangible element to their products. But it’s gratuitous and useless, says Jen Doll in The Atlantic, “Love is not an actual ingredient; it cannot go in one’s brownies, one’s spaghetti, one’s ‘faux’ gras. Nor is respect, enthusiasm, whimsy, irritation, lust, crankiness, or ‘a bad mood’ something that makes food taste any different.”

Even the FDA has said love doesn’t count as a food ingredient, and claiming it’s in a recipe is cause for warning letters and even fines.

But should we intentionally try not to add love to our foods? Be impartial chefs when making soup for sick family members or cookies for Santa?

In Aimee Bender’s 2010 novel, “The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake,” the story’s protagonist can taste much more than the physical ingredients she bites into. Sadness, frustration, concern, guilt, anger, love—if the person who made the food was feeling any strong emotion, Rose Edelstein can taste it. She becomes overwhelmed by this sensitivity to such a paralyzing point that she opts instead for ersatz factory-made food, void of human interaction. It’s a novel, of course, but it illustrates the potential our growing sensitivities hold. Isn’t the saying “you are what you eat” for good reason? And one could also argue that our lack of food “made with love” since the advent of industry and packaged foods corresponds with our rise in diseases, depression, and loneliness.

The fact is, we know relatively little when it comes to those invisible, intangible energies that pass between humans, especially along our food chain. Beyond the chemical reactions triggered by pheromones that make us want to lunge into the laps of virtual strangers, we can also “sense” other things, like when someone’s in a bad mood or even lying. And as we continue down the evolutionary road, we’ll likely be able to sense quite a bit more as well–that is, unless our diet continues to be void of healthful and human-made food that connects us to the earth and each other, in more ways than one.

If more people are beginning to become aware of the reasons why we should move away from diets that not only harm our bodies, but also harm the environment and other animals, then why can’t we also appreciate the addition of “love” to a product even if we don’t think we can actually taste it? Isn’t that changing our relationship with food, even if we’re not quite sure how yet? Perhaps the one really important ingredient missing for many of us is not so much love, but a little bit more imagination.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

Related on EcoSalon

Dreams Come True With This Vegan Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Spread
The 6 Best Vegan Baking Mixes to Save Time and Avoid Baking Fails
Whole Roasted Stuffed Cauliflower (Because Brassica is the New Meat)

The post Is ‘Love’ Really an Ingredient? appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnIngredients in the Foodie Underground pantry that inspire fun, healthy meals.

Delicious, healthy meals don’t have to be complicated. In fact, some of the best eating is just simple food done well. I hate the word “foodie” for this exact reason. It’s a word dripping of elitism and snobbishness, more about crazy reductions and Michelin star restaurants than a mere appreciation of food. It’s a problem of semantics, and our obsession with defining who we are and what we do, but ultimately, you don’t have to be rich and pretentious to like good food. An apple can be a culinary experience just as much as a five course dinner.

Lately, I’ve been delving into Michael Pollan’s new book Cooked and thinking a lot about this topic. The value that we put on healthy meals, how we are obsessed with cooking shows but rarely cook ourselves, and how less time in our own kitchens changes how we think about food. How when we cook for ourselves, we value the time and effort put into getting it onto the table.

As Pollan puts it, “But perhaps the most important thing I learned by doing this work is how cooking implicates us in a whole web of social and ecological relationships; with plants and animals, with soil, with farmers, with microbes both inside and outside our bodies, and, of course, with the people our cooking nourishes and delights. Above all else, what I found in the kitchen is that cooking connects.”

Cooking is what pulls us back down to earth. What connects us to the food we eat and the food around us.

But so many people find cooking healthy meals overwhelming and difficult. Even if they have decided that committing the time to making food is worth it, they don’t know where to start. I have often been asked how it is that I whip up dishes in a short amount of time. With no formal training, my cooking process has simply evolved through trial and error. And a well-stocked pantry. Above all, if you don’t have the ingredients to play with, it’s hard to make healthy meals.

With that in mind, here is the fully Foodie Underground approved list of particular ingredients that help for inspiring creative cooking. These are above and beyond your standard “fresh produce and eggs” category (both of which I highly recommend always having around), and in general I am a big believer of having a variety of whole grains, nuts, seeds and spices on hand. In short, these are 11 specific ingredients that I always keep on hand because they make it easy and fun to prepare healthy meals.

1. Millet

Millet is often overlooked in the world where quinoa reigns the list of trendy grains. But it should be. A tip I recently learned for preparing millet, is that before you boil it, place the millet in a saucepan without water. Put it over medium heat and stir every once in awhile to make sure the millet doesn’t burn. What you’re doing is essentially “toasting” it. When the millet has a nice golden color to it, add in your water and cook it. It makes for a delicious nutty flavor in the end product. Super easy dish: roast squash, stuff it with millet, sprinkle with olive oil and fresh herbs.

2. Fresh herbs

Even if your cooking turns disastrous, you can always sprinkle fresh herbs on top. I have mint, thyme and basil growing in my kitchen herb pots hanging from the balcony, and when I am at the market I will pick up a sprig of whatever is available; rosemary, sage, and beyond. You can never have enough, and things like rosemary are good for making delicious simple syrups out of. Rhubarb and rosemary syrup anyone?

3. Olive oil

I have turned into an olive oil freak. Reading Extra Virgin: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil was a bit of a wake up call, since olive oil makes its way into almost everything, even sweet baked goods. It’s a must have for preparing healthy meals.

4. Raw nuts

Beyond being stupid healthy for you, raw nuts can be used in a variety of dishes. I am a big fan of keeping hazelnuts and almonds on hand, and chopping them up to throw atop salads or a sauté, as well as grinding them into flour and making gluten-free baked goods. They’re also good if you want to start playing with pesto recipes. Looking healthy meals with nuts? Try kale and hazelnut pesto..

5. Buckwheat flour

Another recent obsession of mine, buckwheat flour, much like millet, is an overlooked flour. Sure, there are plenty of other flours in my pantry, but if I had to pick my favorite, it’s buckwheat. With its distinct flavor and health benefits, it’s far superior to any white, processed flour you can find. I like to use it for scones and instead of regular flour in a dutch baby.

6. Chickpea Flour

Do you know how easy it is to make gluten-free crepes and flatbread? Seriously, why we in the US haven’t imported this popular ingredient of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking is beyond me, especially since chickpea production is on the rise in the US. And hello, you use it in everyone’s favorite dish, hummus.

7. Sea salt

Anyone that tells you sea salt is like normal salt is simply nuts. It’s the perfect finishing ingredient for all healthy meals. Fortunately sea salt is another ingredient that you don’t have to import from the other side of the world. On the west coast, you can get sea salt from the Oregon coast thanks to Jacobsen and on the east coast, from Amagansett, who harvests their salt from the Atlantic waters on Long Island, New York.

8. Cardamom

Ok, so unless you live in India, this isn’t a local product, but we have to pick our battles, and in the eating locally vs. importing battle, I choose to eat cardamom. Buy it in pods and grind the seeds down in a mortar and pestle. You can add it to sweet and savory dishes alike and even to your coffee.

9. Black lentils

Unlike other lentils which get mushy when you boil them up, the little black lentils stay nice and chewy, making them perfect for adding into salads, using as a base in a stew or simply mixing them up with a little olive oil, garlic and chopped walnuts.

10. Garlic

All healthy meals start with garlic. OK, that’s not true, but it can certainly make them all better. You don’t just have to eat it minced. My favorite way to eat it is to bake or roast it and use it as a spread.

11. Honey

Support honey bees (which are dying off if you missed the memo) and get the local, small batch produced stuff. Drizzle over various fruit (apples for example) and bake them, add it to basic vinaigrettes, use instead of sugar.

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Related on EcoSalon:

3 Reasons Your Next Bottle of Wine Should Be Organic

Craving Easy Desserts? Try These 5 Vegan Chocolate Recipes

17 Must-Try Butternut Squash Recipes For Fall

Image: Lisa Norwood

The post The 11 Ingredients That Make Healthy Meals More Fun: Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

 Umami, known as the fifth taste, is what makes certain foods savory and deeply flavorful.

When you taste something with complex layers of flavor that fill the mouth and satisfy the soul, it’s likely you’re tasting umami. Umami is famously present in many animal products including cheeses, aged meats like salami, salted fish like anchovies, and fresh meats and seafood that have been caramelized at high temperatures. Luckily for vegetarians and vegans, umami exists in any food that contains the amino acid L-glutamate, including many plant-based foods.

Great vegan and vegetarian cooks know how to use umami-containing or umami-friendly ingredients to their best advantage to unlock the flavor in their dishes. Read on to learn their secrets.

Soy Sauce or Tamari—Fermentation is one way to develop umami in food. Soy sauce and tamari, both made from fermented soy beans, are rich in umami and salt. A tiny dash in salad dressings, drizzled into soups or veggie stews, or onto plain steamed vegetables can intensify the flavors of the other ingredients.

Bragg’s—Bragg’s Amino Acids is another fermented soybean product. Popular in raw food preparation, Bragg’s contains 16 of the 20 amino acids needed for balanced health. Use it as you would soy sauce or tamari.

Ume Plum Vinegar—A Japanese condiment that is derived from traditional Japanese pickled plums, this vinegar is salty, and a little bit sweet, with lovely floral characteristics. When you taste a dish and think that it just “needs something,” this might be the something it needs. Much more complex than Bragg’s or soy sauce, it can be used in the same ways suggested above. Don’t be afraid to tweak a Western vegetable soup with this Eastern condiment. It works.

Nutritional Yeast—Available in health food stores -and hip, independent theaters that sell popcorn- nutritional yeast is beloved by vegans for its nutty, cheesy flavor. Sprinkle it on popcorn, add to mashed or baked potatoes, or stir it into vegan casseroles.

Toasted Nuts and Seeds—Toasting seeds and nuts really brings out their flavor, and truly makes a difference in the umami quotient of your cooking. Grain salads, pilafs, and green salads can all benefit from the savory addition of toasted pumpkin or sesame seeds, or nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, and peanuts.

Dried Mushrooms—Mushrooms are treasure troves of naturally occurring umami. Drying them simply concentrates what’s already there. Reconstitute some dried shiitakes and add them to a winter squash stew or a brothy Asian noodle soup. Dried porcinis make swoony risotto and will help your barley soup sing.

Miso—Adding a spoonful of this fermented soybean product is a great way to add depth to vegetarian soups. Simply stir it in at the end of cooking, when you’re adjusting the seasoning. When combined with lemon juice, garlic, and herbs and spices, it makes a great marinade for grilled or roasted vegetables. These same ingredients can also double as a salad dressing.

Nori—why is sushi so crave-worthy? Partially because of the toasty, unique flavor of the nori that it’s wrapped in. You can buy nori in sheets and use scissors to snip it over vegetarian soups, stews and salads, or purchase it in flake form in the versatile Japanese condiment furikake, which is used to season plain rice. When buying furikake, read the ingredients, as some versions contain bonito or other fish.

Tomato Paste or Dried Tomatoes—Like mushrooms, ripe tomatoes contain a naturally occurring form of umami. When dried or concentrated into a paste, the umami characteristics are amplified. Add dried tomatoes or tomato paste to beans, marinades, or vegetable stews for a more complex flavor.

Caraway Seeds—Though spices don’t technically contain umami, they can bring out the umami in certain foods. Caraway seeds add a light smokiness and have a particular affinity for cabbage and potatoes. Add them to potato salads, coleslaws, and breads or rolls.

Cumin—Toasted cumin seeds can make almost any bean or lentil dish better. They have an intense savoriness of their own that adds a meaty character to foods into which they are incorporated.

Smoked Paprika—Adding smoked paprika to a bean dish or split pea soup is a great way to make as if you’ve used bacon. Need I say more? Even if you’re not into pretend meat, you might like to stir a little smoky paprika into potato salad, your favorite vinaigrette, hummus, baba ganoush, or a marinade for grilled vegetables.

Images: Rooey, Creative Tools, thepinkpeppercorn, jmurawski, fboyd, arminflikr, jackson3, miansari66

The post 12 Umami Boosting Secrets to Making Vegan and Vegetarian Fare Tasty appeared first on EcoSalon.

‘”Natural” flavors are often anything but.

The term “natural flavors” sounds innocuous. Spot the phrase on the ingredients list on a box of raspberry fruit bars and you might imagine something along the lines of raspberry concentrate, or perhaps a puree. Unfortunately, that’s not likely to be correct. “Natural flavors” is simply a catch-all term that can hide dozens of ingredients, and they aren’t necessarily different from artificial additives.

What’s the difference between natural and artificial flavors?

The term “natural” implies that a substance is close to the state in which it’s found in nature – an oil, juice, puree or other type of extract from a whole food source like fruit. But, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the kinds of substances suggested by the term “natural flavors” can’t be listed as flavorings at all. If a flavorful ingredient included in a food product has any nutritional value, it’s going to be listed by name on the label.

To create natural flavors, food scientists, called flavorists, distill flavors from whole foods and then combine them with chemical compounds which act as a carrier and make them more potent and shelf-stable. Artificial flavors, on the other hand, are entirely chemically-derived. Both types of flavoring are manufactured in a laboratory.

What exactly is in natural flavors?

According to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, a natural flavoring is defined as:

The essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or any other edible portions of a plant, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose primary function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.

Any substance that’s approved for use in food and originally came from a natural source can be listed under natural flavors. The term is opaque, and doesn’t give consumers much of a clue in knowing where the natural flavors may have come from. Sometimes, the flavors that are actually present can be far from what you’d expect. One common ingredient, known as castoreum, is often used to enhance raspberry and vanilla flavors. Castoreum is made from the anal secretions of beavers. There’s no telling how food scientists came upon that discovery; flavor chemistry is apparently a complicated science.

Why are food companies not forced to disclose the contents of their natural flavors?

Call up a food company and ask them what’s actually in their natural flavors, and chances are, they won’t be willing to tell you.

Food manufacturers have to disclose potential allergens in their products on the labels, including the ingredients in “natural flavors.” They are also required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to identify flavorings that are technically meat or dairy products, like “dried broth” or “meat extracts” (though this does not apply to all animal-sourced flavorings, like castoreum.)

Flavor chemistry is “a pretty secretive industry,” according to a recent article in the New Jersey Monthly. Flavorists are often contractually bound to not speak about their work. The term “natural flavors” disguises the trade secrets of food companies. Given this cloak of secrecy, they can ostensibly maintain secret recipes to protect themselves against copycat competitors, would-be Doritos Ranch knock-offs and Coca-Cola wannabes.

Are natural flavors safe?

Some food experts claim that natural flavors are actually less safe than artificial flavors.

“Artificial flavorings are simpler in composition and potentially safer because only safety-tested components are utilized,” says Gary Reineccius, a professor in the department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota.

Besides, a chemical is a chemical.

“Another difference between natural and artificial flavorings is cost. The search for ‘natural’ sources of chemicals often requires that a manufacturer go to great lengths to obtain a given chemical. …Furthermore, the process is costly,” explains Reineccius. “This pure, natural chemical is identical to the version made in an organic chemist’s laboratory, yet it is much more expensive than the synthetic alternative. Consumers pay a lot for natural flavorings. But these are in fact no better in quality, nor are they safer, than their cost-effective artificial counterparts.”

Debates about artificial versus natural flavorings aside, the most troubling issue for many is the lack of transparency about what’s in our food. Catch-all terms like natural flavors put consumers at the mercy of manufacturers, reducing the buyer’s ability to make informed purchases.

There’s one very effective way to avoid questionable flavorings: cut back on processed foods. Natural flavors are added to foods because processing wrings out the real, original flavors and leaves the final product bland, though shelf-stable.

Image: pink sherbet photography

The post Like Nature Intended appeared first on EcoSalon.

I have a theory that the more often one cooks, the easier it is for one to cook more often. I know from experience that this is true for me. Back when I worked at night in the restaurant business, I loved to cook at home on my nights off. Being a busy student and worker, my refrigerator was always bare so I’d pore over cookbooks, decide what to make, then head to the store (or stores) for the ingredients. Every time I cooked, I’d have to start from scratch with just the right spices, herbs, grains, cheeses, etc. Then I’d spend the entire afternoon cooking and about 20 minutes eating. I enjoyed it, but this was no way to actually feed myself on a regular basis.

Now I have a different approach to cooking. I cook more seasonally, inspired by the market, rather than a cookbook, and I cook regularly. This means I always have food to eat or the remnants of a meal on which I can build a new meal. It’s so much more pleasurable to be able to feed myself (and sometimes unexpected guests) with healthy whole foods without any fuss.

Many of us end up in front of the prepared foods counter at the grocery store more often than we’d like, but we also know that if we only cooked more we’d save money, we’d know exactly what’s in our food, and we’d probably consume fewer unhealthy calories and more healthier ones. The challenge is fitting cooking into our busy modern lives, but it’s a worthy challenge. When I can feed myself, even on the busiest of days, I feel a sense of triumph in the midst of the chaos that sometimes overtakes my life.

A few weeks ago, we talked about how to actually shop the farmers’ market. Since we can’t live on fresh vegetables alone, today we’re going to talk Pantry, Paraphernalia, and Planning. You’ll see how a wide variety of foods on hand, the proper kitchen tools, and a little advance thought can turn your kitchen into the most important room in your home.

Pantry Basics

Your personal pantry will depend on taste, dietary needs and cooking habits, but here’s a good start for developing a pantry full of real food.

Basic Oils:

1 refined oil for high heat cooking like stir-frying: peanut, avocado, or safflower are good choices
1 good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 unrefined oil for general use in dressings and low heat cooking: safflower or sunflower are good choices

Optional:
1 nut oil for special salads: walnut or hazelnut oils are good options (must be refrigerated after opening as they go rancid quickly)
Toasted sesame oil for cooking with Asian flavors

Basic Vinegars:
Good red wine vinegar
Cider vinegar
Rice wine vinegar

Condiments:
Dijon mustard
Soy sauce
Fish sauce
Ketchup
Chili paste

Spices:
One gourmet salt
Everyday salt for cooking, like kosher or iodized sea salt
Whole and ground cumin
Whole black pepper
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary
Cayenne
Pepper flakes
Cinnamon
Bay leaves

Canned Goods:
Canned wild salmon, sardines, herring, and anchovies
Canned beans and chickpeas
Canned whole and diced tomatoes
Coconut milk
Chicken or vegetable broth

Dry Goods:
3 types of pasta: one regular, one buckwheat or whole wheat, one rice noodle
Cornmeal
All-purpose unbleached flour
Whole-wheat flour
Lentils
2 types of dried beans – one white and one black or brown
Oats
One white long-grain rice
One brown rice
One interesting rice, like red or black
1 to 2 types of quick cooking grains like quinoa
1 to 2 types of longer cooking grains like wheat berries, faro, kamut
Dried mushrooms
Dried chilies
Sea vegetables
Nut butters
Honey
Maple syrup
Agave and/or sugar

Refrigerator Pantry:
Capers
Anchovies
Eggs
Tortillas
Butter
Basic cheeses: one feta, one hard grating, and one everyday like cheddar or Jack
Plain yogurt
Pickles
Sauerkraut

Freezer Pantry:
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds
Frozen berries and stone fruit for smoothies and healthy desserts
Sliced bread

Other:
Lemons
Garlic
Onions
Shallots
Potatoes

Paraphernalia

The right tools can mean the difference between fun and frustration. Here are a few basic things that every cook needs. Feel free to embellish.

Utensils:
Good quality chef knife that is kept sharpened
Paring knife
Sharp serrated knife for use on bread and tomatoes
Tongs: restaurant quality, locking tongs; 1 long; 1 medium
Sturdy whisk: 1 small; 1 medium
Metal spatula
Rubber spatulas: 2 or 3 different sizes
Vegetable peeler
Wooden spoons: several in different sizes
Large metal spoon
Slotted spoon
Ladles: 1 large; 1 small
Potato Masher
Microplane for grating hard cheeses and lemon zest

Tools:
Strainer
Colander
Small hand juicer
Mortar and pestle for spices and garlic paste
Measuring spoons and cups
Box grater
Salad spinner
Nesting mixing bowls: metal or glass
Cutting boards: 1 for meat and seafood, one for vegetables and aromatics like garlic, and one for fruit
Blender or food processor
Hand-held mixer

Cookware:
1 small saucepan
1 medium saucepan
Large pot for boiling pasta and making soup
1 10-inch cast-iron skillet – great for non-stick uses as well!
Steamer or vegetable steamer basket
Baking sheets (at least 2)
A selection of glass or ceramic baking dishes: casseroles of different sizes and pie plates

A Crockpot or slow cooker will make cooking ahead easier.

Planning

Spend a few hours cooking on the weekend, add simply cooked fresh vegetables you’ve purchased at the farmers’ market, or received in your CSA, and feed yourself all week.

Depending on the size of your household, make:
One big pot of stew, soup, or pot of beans – use a crockpot if you want
One batch of grains – rice cookers are great for this task
A batch of roasted vegetables
A quick, basic vinaigrette
Meat eaters can roast or simmer a whole chicken or pop a meat roast in the oven.
Time allowing: another project like jam, pickles, salsa, or a pesto, red pepper puree, or other condiment.

All of the foods above lend themselves well to repurposing and quick meals. This is a good way to cook ahead for families who don’t enjoy eating leftovers. One pot of beans can become tacos, enchiladas, salads, soups, pasta dishes, dips, sandwich spreads, and more. A batch of cooked grains like brown rice or wheat berries can be used throughout the week in one-dish grain bowl meals with seasonal cooked greens, roasted squash or sweet potatoes. Cooked grains can also be added to salads or soups or used in stir-fries.

If you’ve cooked meat, use the meat in tacos, salads, sandwiches, pasta and grain dishes throughout the week. It really is all about cooking main meal components ahead of time.

Casserole type foods like lasagna take a bit longer to prepare but can also be frozen in portions or eaten all week with an array of quickly prepared, seasonal, vegetable accompaniments.

So there you have it: Want to cook more and eat out less? Just cook. These are just some ways to get started. You will surely develop your own repertoire over time.

This is the latest installment in Vanessa Barrington’s weekly column, The Green Plate, on the environmental, social and political issues related to what and how we eat.

Each week here at EcoSalon, the editors choose a post from the archives that we think you’ll love. The original post can be found here.

Images: Valentin.Ottone, ernestch, Jeppestown, ernestch

The post Just Cook: How to Integrate Cooking into Your Daily Life appeared first on EcoSalon.

I have a theory that the more often one cooks, the easier it is for one to cook more often. I know from experience that this is true for me. Back when I worked at night in the restaurant business, I loved to cook at home on my nights off. Being a busy student and worker, my refrigerator was always bare so I’d pore over cookbooks, decide what to make, then head to the store (or stores) for the ingredients. Every time I cooked, I’d have to start from scratch with just the right spices, herbs, grains, cheeses, etc. Then I’d spend the entire afternoon cooking”¦and about 20 minutes eating. I enjoyed it, but this was no way to actually feed myself on a regular basis.

Now I have a different approach to cooking. I cook more seasonally, inspired by the market, rather than a cookbook, and I cook regularly. This means I always have food to eat or the remnants of a meal on which I can build a new meal. It’s so much more pleasurable to be able to feed myself (and sometimes unexpected guests) with healthy whole foods without any fuss.

Many of us end up in front of the prepared foods counter at the grocery store more often than we’d like, but we also know that if we only cooked more we’d save money, we’d know exactly what’s in our food, and we’d probably consume fewer unhealthy calories and more healthier ones. The challenge is fitting cooking into our busy modern lives, but it’s a worthy challenge. When I can feed myself, even on the busiest of days, I feel a sense of triumph in the midst of the chaos that sometimes overtakes my life.

A few weeks ago, we talked about how to actually shop the farmers’ market. Since we can’t live on fresh vegetables alone, today we’re going to talk Pantry, Paraphernalia, and Planning. You’ll see how a wide variety of foods on hand, the proper kitchen tools, and a little advance thought can turn your kitchen into the most important room in your home.

Pantry Basics

Your personal pantry will depend on taste, dietary needs and cooking habits, but here’s a good start for developing a pantry full of real food.

Basic Oils:

1 refined oil for high heat cooking like stir-frying: peanut, avocado, or safflower are good choices
1 good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 unrefined oil for general use in dressings and low heat cooking: safflower or sunflower are good choices

Optional:
1 nut oil for special salads: walnut or hazelnut oils are good options (must be refrigerated after opening as they go rancid quickly)
Toasted sesame oil for cooking with Asian flavors

Basic Vinegars:
Good red wine vinegar
Cider vinegar
Rice wine vinegar

Condiments:
Dijon mustard
Soy sauce
Fish sauce
Ketchup
Chili paste

Spices:
One gourmet salt
Everyday salt for cooking, like kosher or iodized sea salt
Whole and ground cumin
Whole black pepper
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary
Cayenne
Pepper flakes
Cinnamon
Bay leaves

Canned Goods:
Canned wild salmon, sardines, herring, and anchovies
Canned beans and chickpeas
Canned whole and diced tomatoes
Coconut milk
Chicken or vegetable broth

Dry Goods:
3 types of pasta: one regular, one buckwheat or whole wheat, one rice noodle
Cornmeal
All-purpose unbleached flour
Whole-wheat flour
Lentils
2 types of dried beans – one white and one black or brown
Oats
One white long-grain rice
One brown rice
One interesting rice, like red or black
1 to 2 types of quick cooking grains like quinoa
1 to 2 types of longer cooking grains like wheat berries, faro, kamut
Dried mushrooms
Dried chilies
Sea vegetables
Nut butters
Honey
Maple syrup
Agave and/or sugar

Refrigerator Pantry:
Capers
Anchovies
Eggs
Tortillas
Butter
Basic cheeses: one feta, one hard grating, and one everyday like cheddar or Jack
Plain yogurt
Pickles
Sauerkraut

Freezer Pantry:
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds
Frozen berries and stone fruit for smoothies and healthy desserts
Sliced bread

Other:
Lemons
Garlic
Onions
Shallots
Potatoes

Paraphernalia

The right tools can mean the difference between fun and frustration. Here are a few basic things that every cook needs. Feel free to embellish.

Utensils:
Good quality chef knife that is kept sharpened
Paring knife
Sharp serrated knife for use on bread and tomatoes
Tongs: restaurant quality, locking tongs; 1 long; 1 medium
Sturdy whisk: 1 small; 1 medium
Metal spatula
Rubber spatulas: 2 or 3 different sizes
Vegetable peeler
Wooden spoons: several in different sizes
Large metal spoon
Slotted spoon
Ladles: 1 large; 1 small
Potato Masher
Microplane for grating hard cheeses and lemon zest

Tools:
Strainer
Colander
Small hand juicer
Mortar and pestle for spices and garlic paste
Measuring spoons and cups
Box grater
Salad spinner
Nesting mixing bowls: metal or glass
Cutting boards: 1 for meat and seafood, one for vegetables and aromatics like garlic, and one for fruit
Blender or food processor
Hand-held mixer

Cookware:
1 small saucepan
1 medium saucepan
Large pot for boiling pasta and making soup
1 10-inch cast-iron skillet – great for non-stick uses as well!
Steamer or vegetable steamer basket
Baking sheets (at least 2)
A selection of glass or ceramic baking dishes: casseroles of different sizes and pie plates

A Crockpot or slow cooker will make cooking ahead easier.

Planning

Spend a few hours cooking on the weekend, add simply cooked fresh vegetables you’ve purchased at the farmers’ market, or received in your CSA, and feed yourself all week.

Depending on the size of your household, make:
One big pot of stew, soup, or pot of beans – use a crockpot if you want
One batch of grains – rice cookers are great for this task
A batch of roasted vegetables
A quick, basic vinaigrette
Meat eaters can roast or simmer a whole chicken or pop a meat roast in the oven.
Time allowing: another project like jam, pickles, salsa, or a pesto, red pepper puree, or other condiment.

All of the foods above lend themselves well to repurposing and quick meals. This is a good way to cook ahead for families who don’t enjoy eating leftovers. One pot of beans can become tacos, enchiladas, salads, soups, pasta dishes, dips, sandwich spreads, and more. A batch of cooked grains like brown rice or wheat berries can be used throughout the week in one-dish grain bowl meals with seasonal cooked greens, roasted squash or sweet potatoes. Cooked grains can also be added to salads or soups or used in stir-fries.

If you’ve cooked meat, use the meat in tacos, salads, sandwiches, pasta and grain dishes throughout the week. It really is all about cooking main meal components ahead of time.

Casserole type foods like lasagna take a bit longer to prepare but can also be frozen in portions or eaten all week with an array of quickly prepared, seasonal, vegetable accompaniments.

So there you have it: Want to cook more and eat out less? Just cook. These are just some ways to get started. You will surely develop your own repertoire over time.

This is the latest installment in Vanessa Barrington’s weekly column, The Green Plate, on the environmental, social and political issues related to what and how we eat.

Images: Valentin.Ottone, ernestch, Jeppestown, ernestch

The post Just Cook: How to Integrate Cooking into Your Daily Life appeared first on EcoSalon.

Okay, take the green glove test in your house. Are you still using a laundry list of surface cleaners with harsh chemicals? Are you lifting carpet stains with products that give off ugly fumes? We told you about the good stuff that’s out there, but maybe you forgot when you scrubbed those dishes with conventional soap from the factory. But it is time to say no to convention and get your green on, even if you hate housework as much as we do.

As long as you are stuck with the dreaded chore, here is a refresher on green cleaning products that will make you feel so darn good about responsible mopping and dusting, you will whistle while you work!

Spot-On Eco Carpet

Did you blunder with your color choice and select a neutral beige instead of graphite grey or chocolate? We can dig it. It’s just a drag to be a slave to that carpet, insisting visitors remove their shoes, yelling at loved ones for trekking muddy boots along the stairs up to their rooms. If you are able to go the DIY carpet cleaning route and avoid professionals who charge a lot and use chemicals to lift the stains, review our post on the natural way to rinse a rug.

9 Great Eco Cleaners

You’re walking down the aisle, perusing the products, taking in the odors, confused about what to buy. Why not make a list with these great cleaning solutions, from Planet Ultra Dishwashing Liquid for squeaky green plates to Sun & Earth Concentrated Laundry Detergent for non-irritating socks? Brighten your abode with ingredients like coconut and vegetable oils.

Adding Greener Laundry Products to the Fold

The wash and fold has always been fairly routine, but staging a laundry space that is up to green standards will make this job healthier for you and the planet. Among the best apparatus in this room – natural drying racks that allow you to cut down on the electric appliances by hang drying your garments when possible. Reusable bags also help the schlepping of clothes from hamper to machine and back to the drawers. Other scoops for the natural laundry maven can be found by perusing this post on eco laundry supplies and tips.

Easy Eco-Friendly Bathroom Cleaning

Scrubbing toilets makes us feel flushed but using chlorine-free, biodegradable cleaners is number one when performing this dreaded task. Shower surfaces, too, need a gentle touch to remove grime and even old soap residue. Where to find plant-based ingredients on the grocery shelves? Look no further.

10 Myths About Dry Cleaning

The labels say “dry clean only,” but we have found there are some garments that can be delicately handled at home. How do you know how to separate the fragile sweater and tough trousers? Learn about the myths of dry cleaning from the green soldiers who have braved hand washing and found it can clean even better than many of those pricey dry cleaning companies.

Here are some additional posts to make the most out of winter cleaning, from polishing metals for upcoming parties to keeping a ship-shape kitchen for everyday cooking and dining.

Non-toxic Tips for Cleaning Household Metal

Top 10 chemical-Free Cleaning Tips; How to Reinvent Spring Cleaning

Orange Knockout

Flying Saucers Did My Laundry

Main Image: Kimberly Robyn

The post The Green Glove Test: EcoSalon’s Round Up of Healthy House Cleaning appeared first on EcoSalon.

Now that my pancakes have been flipped (and, in one instance, removed from the ceiling), it’s time for me to take up Caitlin’s challenge and observe my very own Eco Lent.

I’ve already decided what I’m giving up for 40 days. It wasn’t very difficult.

First, a little about me – and a confession. Of the whole EcoSalon team, it’s a safe bet that I’m the least eco-friendly. I recycle, I try to shop ethically, and I walk or cycle everywhere (I’ve never learnt to drive, initially because I never needed to, now because I just don’t want to). But am I truly “eco”? It’s a question I struggle with – because sometimes I find myself cutting corners, particularly with convenience food. And sometimes I’m horrified at the garbage I leave in my wake.

So. For 40 days and 40 nights, I’m foregoing as much pre-packaged and pre-prepared (by other people) food as I can. I’m halfway to this goal already, since I already try to minimize food-wrapping waste, and I adore cooking. But that other half…well, that will be a good, healthy stretch. Here are my self-imposed rules.

Stay Loose. When wandering through the local markets or grocery stores, I’m only buying loose, unpackaged fruit and vegetables. I’ve lined my day-rucksack with a collection of cloth totes, and I’ll be using these to pop my dry food purchases into, instead of using the all-too-common filmy plastic bags ripped off a roll. I’ll also be sourcing out places in my home city of York that sell the freshest unpackaged food – farm shops, for example.

Nix Plastic. Where it’s unavoidable, I’ll use paper bags or even cardboard wrapping (no, Amazon – your packaging is still way too much for me) and I’ll compost this paper when I’m done. I’ll SIGG (or use the best alternative). Glass that I can recycle? Sure thing. I’ll also carry a few square cloths and brush up on my furoshiki-folding skills. But plastic? Not on your nelly. Maybe plastic is unavoidable in today’s modern world – but I intend to find out the hardest way I can.

Have All the Fun. I truly couldn’t love cooking more – that alchemy of mind, soul and ingredients that delights the senses and makes you realise how tragically inadequate packaged food usually is. I love cooking but I don’t do enough of it, because I don’t plan ahead. Collecting the right ingredients and freeing enough time to cook requires forethought. So I’ll be doing a lot of forethinking over the next 40 days. (I’m also planning to trawl back through our archives and rediscover the tastiest recipes, starting with Vanessa’s Butternut Squash Coconut Curry. Ah, curry).

A month is plenty of time to iron out some bad habits and discover some new, better ones. That sounds like a recipe for a successful Eco Lent.

Useful links: WRAP; TheSite.org; Food Production Daily.

Image: dvs.

The post Eco Lent: An Inconvenient Diet appeared first on EcoSalon.