Shout out to ZomppaKat! What’s my favorite butter in the world? Kerrygold Irish Butter. They rely on independent dairy farmers and cows who graze on the green grasses of Ireland. Result? The most gorgeous, golden-yellow, creamy deliciousness.

St. Patrick’s Day is when draft is 50% off and rivers run green, right? Not quite…although I really should leave the history lesson to our dear ZomppaKat who is from the Emerald Isle. St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated for over 1,000 years as a religious holiday that falls during Lent.

So who was St. Patrick? Known as the patron saint of Ireland, he was actually born in Britain and was taken captive by Irish raiders. Subsequently, according to biography.com, he became a Christian missionary, but rather than try to eradicate native Irish beliefs and culture, he honored and incorporated their traditions into Christianity (i.e. the sun – an Irish symbol – onto the Christian cross, now the Celtic cross, the three-clover shamrock and the Holy Trinity).

St. Patrick recognized the uniqueness of culture, which is dynamic. A recent New York Times article raised an interesting question whether there is such a thing as an “ethnic” or “culture” diet. We’ve heard about diets by blood type, but what about by ethnicity? Author Nicholas Wade talks about certain genetic selection that have to led to differences, such as lactose tolerance in northern European as opposed to many Asians. Sarah Kagan of Epicurious also chimed into the debate. What do you think? Are the Irish genetically disposed to milk and corned beef?

While you’re considering this question, I thought I’d offer my own twist to the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage. I went to my local Whole Foods, where master butcher Jeremy has been curing his own corned beef…yum.

How could I resist? I’m on this orzo kick and love how the salty beefiness soaks into the fleshy mushroom.

Twisted Corned Beef and Cabbage

1/2 lb. corned beef brisket
1 cabbage
6 peppercorns
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 bunch cilantro
2 bay leaves
2 cloves, whole
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup orzo
4-5 cups stock (vegetable, chicken or beef)

1. Cover corned beef with stock
2. Add cabbage, mushrooms, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, cloves pepper and stock
3. Bring to boil
4. Skim off foam and reduce heat. Simmer for 2 hours until meat is tender
5. During last 15 minutes, add orzo and chopped cilantro, cook until orzo is tender

Not traditional, but as St. Patrick did, incorporate, integrate, and celebrate.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

What’s better than a breakfast with a big giant scone and muffin when the sun is out? This is from Rue Cler, a lovely French bistro in downtown Durham.

Don’t eat too many chips or you’ll break out, right?

We’ve all heard  that drinking gallons of water can not only keep your insides running right, but also help you with clear skin. So it’s no surprise to any of us that what you eat and drink can impact not just your weight and love handles, but also the clearness and elasticity of skin – which also happens to be signs of health.

Skin health is also linked to foods like cabbage, carrots, and pumpkins because they help our skin to release the gabillion toxins that get into our bodies. But just as I am careful of the food I buy, I have become more and more conscious of what I put on my skin. After all, 60% of chemicals get directly absorbed through our skin into our bloodstream - why do you think nicotine patches work?.

We see organic soaps at the farmer’s markets. We’ve written about how BPA can leech into our food. So if we care about what we ingest, why do we sometimes view natural or organic cosmetics and household products a luxury? Yes, I use bamboo pillows (cool to the touch) and my duvet is made of recycled materials. Before you think I have exorbitant amounts of money – I wish – I don’t.

I just don’t have that much stuff.

The few items I do buy I spend a little more money because I’d rather not use a dangerous toxic chemical to clean my dishes, even if it’s on sale for $0.99. I went through my entire house and pulled out all the products that my skin potentially absorbs. I thought I would share them here and why I use them. Three things of note:

• No company paid me for writing about them – I just use them
• This might be TMI – but I’m gonna share with you my daily habits
• This is ALL the household cleansers and toiletries and cosmetics I use.The only exception is that I do have a bottle of that goo-ey orange stuff that helps in sticky situations.  The point is: it doesn’t require a lot of money – just buy fewer, higher quality items.

My day starts with brushing teeth with all-natural Tom’s of Maine. They are free of artificial preservatives and colorings, and do a ton of research. And if you’re like me and you sometimes swallow your toothpaste by mistake, I want to be careful I’m not eating some weird toxin.

I use Avalon Organics for my facial cleanser and moisturizer for several reasons. They’re affordable, the moisturizer has SPF 15 and I’m often forgetful to use it (when I do, my favorite is California Baby – fabulous and doesn’t clog your skin. They are also paraben-free, petroleum-free, and propylene glycol-free (propy-huh?), which is known to negatively impact the kidney and liver. Petroleum doesn’t allow the skin to breathe properly.

What are parabens? They are chemicals that preserve stuff. They are also know to be carcinogenic (link to breast cancer) and screw up your endocrine systems by mocking estrogen.

I don’t use deodorant. OK, before you wrinkle your noses, I use a stone instead, the Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal. They don’t contain the type of aluminum that is tied to kidney problems and if I’m putting this near my lymphnodes, I want to be as safe as possible.

I use an eyeliner by Gabriel Cosmetics, as they also use natural preservatives. I use Earth Science’s Chamomile & Green Tea Eye Make Up Remover – it’s hypo-allergenic, non-irritating, and paraben-free.

Bored of my daily routine yet? In the bathroom, I keep Nature’s Gate Organics soaps and hand moisturizer. They not only smell good, but they are a company dedicated to supporting clean water.

My body wash is from Burt’s Bees, a recognized leader in environmental sustainability and social responsibility. I’m a night showerer, so this feels fabulous after a long day, but you don’t need a lot so a bottle goes a long way.

If you have a dry scalp like me, finding the right shampoo is not easy. TheraNeem Organix uses neem, which is made from the seed of a fruit and rich in fatty acids and anti-oxidants, and known for its positive effects on skin.

My two skin indulgences that I splurge on are my Evan Healy products. I have this terrible sun spot on my cheek and I use their Pomegranate Repair Serum with Sea Buckthorn Oil. Sounds fancy, huh. Sea buckhorn is known to have restorative properties to help with skin sensitivities and serve as an antioxidant.

Their French Rose Clay is also a lovely (and less expensive) way to give myself a facial at home.

And for you ladies, I use Seventh Generation’s Chlorine-Free pantyliners and pads. They’re safe, chlorine-free and absorbant!

Did I gross you out? Sorry…but it’s life. Moving to the kitchen (almost done …), I also use Seventh Generation’s Natural Dish Liquid. They are hypo-allergenic, bio-degradable, and free of phosphates.

This brand also finds its way to my laundry with its Natural 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent. It saves me money because I can use less and it’s non-toxic for my skin.

Kitchen soap is Mrs. Meyers Clean Day, which has “a near neutral pH that makes them safe for skin contact.”

Lastly, my floors and countertops.  I use Method. Their almond Wood for Good Floor Cleaner makes your house smell amazing and their non-toxic cleaners are perfect. They make me feel more comfortable that if I drop some food on the countertop, it’s not going to be touching some dangerous chemical.

Whew. If you got to this line, thanks for sticking with me. It seems like a lot, and I probably could just use vinegar and water in some cases, but given that this is my entire use of personal and household products, I think I’m doing OK. I also like these companies because what they stand for.

It’s amazing when you go through your house, how much stuff has the potential to hurt you – and it’s not only with what we ingest. If you have children or thinking about having them, this is even more important. There’s just a lot we don’t know, but I’d rather be a bit safer. Consider going through your house and do an inventory. You don’t have to spend a lot, just spend it smarter.

A great site to check the safety of your products is from the Environmental Working Group.

Our skin requires healthy food, too.

Today, March 8, 2010 is International Women’s Day, the theme this year is: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all.

This includes equal rights to food. According to the World Food Programme, a child dies of hunger every six seconds? That’s SECONDS. Please take a moment to show your solidarity against hunger in support of all the mothers out there trying to feed their children.

Please take 1.09 minutes of your day to take a look:

One of the easiest, quickest snacks – shrimp, scrambled eggs, green onions on toast. YUM.

Well, it has been a while since I last wrote something for Zomppa, and while chatting over email with Belinda and Patty, I realized that I should really write about my experience of not eating food during daylight hours for a nineteen day period every year.

Yes, since the age of 15 I have carried out the Baha’i Fast, which takes place over a period of nineteen days every year between March 2 and 20 inclusive.  Baha’is refrain from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset.  As has been the case with other revealed religions, the purpose of the Baha’i fast is spiritual in nature, it is to reinvigorate the soul and bring the person closer to God. So it is a period of prayer and slowing down in one’s daily routine.

So what does this all have to do with a blog about food? Well, a lot actually, as when you are fasting, you certainly come to appreciate food on a whole different level!!!

Now I am not a breakfast person so most mornings I generally just make myself a cappuccino and munch on a piece of toast. During the fast though, breakfast is an absolute necessity for me. Over the years, I have experimented with different food types in the morning and have found that oatmeal and protein are the best stables to get me through the day.  Nothing like getting that Irish steel-cut oatmeal going in the slow cooker the night before then adding some raisins and nuts and agave syrup in the morning along with my two eggs.  I generally stay away from anything like bacon because of the salt factor.  Dehydration is definitely a factor you have to be careful of so I make an effort to drink plenty of water in the mornings and evenings.

Once sunset comes along I like to break my fast with a nice sweet tea.  That first sip is simply divine! Hot tea just opens up my stomach for the food that it is about to be ingested, ha ha. Here in DC, it has become customary for my fellow Baha’i friends to descend upon Moby Dick’s House of Kabob restaurant in Dupont Circle to break the fast on the first day. My favorite dish there is the Persian chicken kabob with basmati rice, tahdig and a dusting sumac spice.  I have to give a special shout out to “tahdig” which is quite possibly my most favorite part of a Persian meal.  This is the crispy rice, bread or potatoes taken from the bottom of the pot in which rice is cooked, and it is the yummiest thing out!

Of course, once I packed this meal away, the comatose state set in for about 30 minutes.  I soon woke up after some more cups of tea, chocolate and cake!

I have been lucky this last fast to share an apartment with a friend of mine who is also fasting and another friend who lives a couple of blocks away.  We have had a great time getting together for breakfast and saying prayers as the sun rises.

If any readers have any of their own fast experiences, I would love to hear them.  It’s always interesting to hear people’s eating habits during this very special period.

I admit it, I’ve been kinda addicted to the Olympics. Who knew watching skiing and shooting could be so fascinating? Well, the 2010 Olympics is coming to a close, and Vancouver has certainly showed herself to be a wonderful hostess.

I had the fortune to visit and eat my way through Vancouver last year, and truly, it is an eating destination for all the athletes, families and visitors from around the world.

Location: The Water Street Cafe, Vancouver, BC

From the “Snow Leopard,” Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, the first skier from Ghana to Samir Azzimani, the lone athlete from Morocco, the Winter Olympics is the time when athletes from all over get to showcase and represent their respective nations. The Olympics allows the world come together and see how similar we are: who didn’t want to hug Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette after her bronze-winning performance after her mother’s sudden death or feel for the Dutch speedskater Sven Kramer who was on his way to the gold only to be mistakenly sidetracked by his coach?

Yet despite sugar-coated messages about an increasingly shrinking and equal global society, regional inequities seem to be deepening further. From falling water tables to rising temperatures, we’re in deep, deep trouble, particularly as food demand increases. However, while the troublemakers are global, the consequences seem to fall heavier in certain regions. For example, while China is reducing malnutrition (although urbanizing to a degree that hurts grain reserves and the environment), the percentage of malnourished children in India is astonishingly high. I have written a bit on inequity in India and the issue of hunger and malnutrition.

So is there a solution? GMOs?

Pankaj Mishra pointed out the hypocrisy of a ‘modern’ India heading on the path towards Modernity, while children and farmers live in increasing debt and dependence on a growing bureaucratic food system. India’s “successful” Green Revolution in the 1970s when staple food production increased as a result of “aid” and “advanced” crop techniques are now seeing more dire consequences, including farmer debt, food insecurity, widening urban-rural gap, and rural income inequality, not to mention malnutrition, dependence on foreign oil. Between 1993 and 2003, 100,000 farmers committed suicide in rural areas, clear signs of desperation.

Food aid?

Development aid seems to be determined by the invisible hand of foreign policy and domestic agribusiness, rather than by goodwill, at least in the U.S. For example, according to journalist Celia Duggar who focuses on food aid, the U.S. requires all donated food to be grown in the U.S., driving up cost and delaying delivery of needed food. What does this mean? That middlemen, including Archer Daniels Midlandand Cargill, made over $700 million in 2004 by selling food commodities through USAID.

Meanwhile, those in Haiti coming out the devastating earthquake has to keep waiting for food while counterfeiters create fake food coupons. Take a look at this chart from 2007 that follows food aid.

Source: New York Times

In whose interest do these policies lie?

CARE turned down $45 million in federal food aid, citing that some of these policies hurt the people they are supposed to help. Instead of donating tons to middlemen, then, how about finding and supporting the indigenous programs that work directly with those in need, such as a revolutionary community kitchen scheme in India to combat malnutrition? Or giving cash donations to support the World Food Programme, which has gotten 75% more food for countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia by buying corn grown IN those countries rather than shipping them from the U.S. (novel idea?). After all, it doesn’t seem fair that only SOME of us get to eat food like this.

Location: Kirin, Vancouver, BC

For those of us working in the do-gooding world of development and relief aid: it’s time to stop patting ourselves on the back about our wonderful intentions and seriously take a look at our results. When it comes to food security, there shouldn’t be a Gold medalist or Silver medalist.

We should all be standing on the podium together.

FAO Schwartz.  Spot was on sale.

How is it that my very popular brand of organic soft wheat sandwich bread can sit at room temperature for so long before expiring into a dark green, fuzzy mass of mold?

One major part of the processed food supply (for both industrialized organic and conventional food) chain includes something most of us are familiar with – the addition of preservatives and other additives to both lengthen the shelf life of most food items found in the center isles of our grocery stores and/or make it taste ‘better’ (a relative term).  The idea of the preservation of food has been around for centuries, but it really wasn’t until the 20th century that human beings started adding synthetic chemicals to our food, making our lives far more efficient and convenient.

To be very honest, I didn’t realize there were synthetic chemicals in my food.  All I knew is that the food tasted good.  By default, I also didn’t have a problem eating synthetic chemicals.

That is, until I started looking at the ingredients list on all my packaged foods.  Ignorance really is bliss (sometimes).

Sometimes, I buy my chicken stock, pasta sauce and bread, ready made, from the local grocery store.  It’s just easier.  Out of sheer curiosity, I started reviewing the ingredients list on my favorite ready-made food items, thinking that I could maybe save myself some extra bucks by recreating the same flavors at home – from scratch.  But…how do you make xanthum gum in your kitchen?  Or lactic acid?  Or soy lecithin?

Hummm….very strange, indeed.  At least to me.  While I now make most things from scratch, I have one more thing I’d like to make from scratch.   And that brings us back to the earlier reference to sandwich bread.

In a sad attempt to make my family some whole-wheat sandwich bread, I instead made two light brown bricks, appropriate for building a home and less appropriate for making grilled cheese sandwiches.  While I continue my efforts to make a less dense/sandy sandwich bread, I’ve done a bit of research and found a local bakery that makes deliciously soft, organic, preservative-free bread.  Now, I don’t’ have to obtain a PhD in chemistry to decipher my ingredients list and I get to still eat sandwich bread.  Fantastic.