Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Good Food Festival and Conference

 


If you have the opportunity to attend this festival, it promises to be amazing and informative. 

March 13-15 at UIC ForumThe Good Food Festival and Conference celebrates its 10 Year Anniversary with a family-friendly day of inspiring speakers, DIY workshops, chef demos featuring Rick Bayless, an interactive Kids Corner, and the trade show floor, all designed to grow the Good Food Movement!

 
Photo by Amanda Areias for Good Food Festival


 
 Photo by Amanda Areias for Good Food Festival


  Photo by Amanda Areias for Good Food Festival


  Photo by Amanda Areias for Good Food Festival



  Photo by Amanda Areias for Good Food Festival


Photo by Amanda Areias for Good Food Festival

Catch our Good Food Master Class with author Michael Ruhlman and chef Brian Polcyn. Learn to make your own bar infusions and bitters; get a start on home brewing; gather gardening advice and seeds, or take the Urban Farm Bus Tour to see the city’s innovative urban agriculture in action. Bring the kids for lots of tasty samples on the trade show floor and food-related activities in the Kids Corner. Sit down for lunch in the Good Food Court and cruise the Good Food Commons for micro-workshops on everything from backyard chickens to composting tips. It’s a fun, Good Food day for the whole family!


 Photo by Amanda Areias for Good Food Festival

The Localicious Party Friday evening pairs Chicago’s premier chefs who value local food sourcing with farmers for an evening of delicious food and drink and a live Bluegrass band!
http://goodfoodfestivals.com

Saturday, August 31, 2013

"Healthy Japanese Sushi" Class


*Sunday, Sept. 22, 2-5pm—“Healthy Japanese Sushi” Class

Come join Pei and Yuko to experience this festive, cultural food fair that mingles fun, taste, and visual sensation! In this much-requested class, we’ll make at least two kinds of Japanese sushi rolls (“maki”) using primarily seasonal, whole food ingredients. Various ways of presenting and enjoying sushi, in addition to “maki” style, will be also prepared and demonstrated if time permitted. A great way to expand your sushi experience while having fun and learning various hands-on techniques.

Yuko Omukara, a former cooking instructor at Bloomington Cooking School, will be the co-instructor for the class. Yuko is an expert in Macrobiotic cooking and temple cuisine Shojin Ryori, a vegan, spiritual, and culinary art form in Japanese cuisine. (Register by Friday, Sept 20.)
The space is limited to 10 people and expected to be filled quickly. Please sigh up ASAP. Hope I'll see some of you in my kitchen.

Thanks!

Fee: $40

Pei from the East-meets-West Kitchen
Peilin Chiu peichiu@hotmail.com

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Quitatta

Dear readers, I hope you are enjoying lots of delicious, fresh foods. I have to put my food notes here. They go back a few months and if I were to make a resolution, it would be to post what ever I am going to post and don't let it pile up!

To the business at hand, the abundance of summer foods! A few days before a first Friday when Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe is open late for Gallery Walk, Nick gave me farm eggs. Enough that I made a lot of egg dishes for my self and even took one to the annual gathering of 5 Women Poets where I was asked to share the recipe.

The recipe that follows is one way I prepared some of the eggs. Because I wasn't thinking recipe, though I knew to make notes; I did not. So here is the delicious egg pie or quichtatta I made. The ingredients list is as close as I could recall. I hope you enjoy.




Quitatta


Ingredients

4 large eggs (6 medium), beaten
½ cup unsweetened Almond Milk

Sauté

½ cup onion - diced
½ cup carrots cubed
½ cup zucchini- cubed
¼ cup yellow squash - cubed
½ cup Lancinato Kale chopped
½ cup fresh green beans cut into disc

2 pinches Sea Salt
½ tsp L.A.O. Seasoning
½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp Cornmeal
1 tbsp Barley Flour
1 tbsp Garbanzo Flour
1/8 tsp ground Rosemary
sprinkle of Dill Florets to taste
6 large fresh Basil leaves chiffonade (finely chopped)
4 fresh sage leaves chiffonade
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese (more to taste or substitute a favorite cheese) grated
2 tbsp oil – canola or olive

Nasturtium, Sage and Thyme flowers and leaves for decoration. Nasturtiums have a spicy, slightly peppery taste. There are many edible flowers to use and enjoy in food preparation.

Mix eggs and milk together then whisk in grains, baking powder, rosemary, 1/8 tsp sea salt, L.A.O. Seasoning and 1 tbsp oil.

Heat a cast iron pan on the stove top, add 1 tbsp oil, when hot begin to sauté vegetables. First add carrots and green beans into hot pan with 1 pinch of sea salt; when these are hot all the way through, add in your onions and squash, and sprinkle with 1 pinch of sea salt, cook until carrots and green beans are almost tender. Remove pan from heat and stir in basil, sage, kale and dill. Return veggie mix to pan and pour egg mixture evenly over this. Sprinkle cheese over top.

When cooking on the stove top, I use a medium flame and cover the pan for about ten minutes, remove it and continue cooking on medium flame or lower to prevent bottom from burning. If baking in the oven the cast iron skillet is great or you might choose to use an oiled baking or pie pan. You will want to set your oven temperature at 375° – 400° (depending on how hot your oven gets) for approximately 22 minutes. Your quichtata will be done when a knife in the center comes out clean and the top has a light golden brown color. Remove from heat, allow to rest about five minutes before decorating the top with Nasturtium leaves, sage leaves and a sprinkling of sage and thyme flowers. Even in the winter, edible flowers can brighten up a meal. Place dried edible flowers on top of a hot dish and cover and leave for 10 minutes or so. The moisture will hydrate the flowers and they will appear almost like fresh!

Note
The eggs, were from local free range hens; zucchini, squash, kale and green beans from local gardeners

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Upcoming Food Conferences, Calls for Food Papers and Food Presentations

Dear Readers,


The weather has been wonderful and crops of all types are flourishing! Some farmers are having trouble getting into their wet fields, which is very unlike last year when we were experiencing high dry temperatures.

I hope some of you get to these events.

Thanks


Association for the Study of Food and Society (The ASFS) was founded in 1985, with the goals of promoting the interdisciplinary study of food and society. It has continued that mission by holding annual meetings; the first was in 1987 and since 1992, the meetings have been held jointly with the organization: Agriculture, Food & Human Values.
Working with Bloomsbury Publishing, the organization produces the quarterly journal, Food Culture & Society.
Upcoming event
Toward Sustainable Foodscapes and Landscapes
Join us for the Joint 2013 Annual Meetings & Conference of the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society (AFHVS), Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS), & Society for Anthropology of Food and Nutrition (SAFN).
Wednesday June 19 – Saturday 22, 2013
Michigan State University – East Lansing, Michagan
More Conference Details Here http://www.food-culture.org/conference/

CALL FOR PAPERS. Thirtieth International Social Philosophy Conference. Sponsored by The North American Society for Social Philosophy. July 11 – July 13, 2013. Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut. Proposals in all areas of social philosophy are welcome, but special attention will be devoted to the theme of Food.
Possible subthemes:
• Food and climate change
• Food and the environment
• A human right to subsistence
• Food and development assistance
• Feminist concerns over the meaning and implications of food and its production
• Food and (neo)-colonialism
• Food and the implications of government-supported health care
• The impact of war and violent conflict on food production and consumption
• The politics of food production and consumption
• Oppression and Food
• GMO/technology foods
• Food-related disorders (anorexia, obesity, bulimia)
• Food security
We welcome submissions from both members and non-members, but we do require that all presenters join the North American Society for Social Philosophy if their papers are accepted.

CALL FOR PAPERS. The Graduate Journal of Food Studies is now seeking submissions for its first edition.
In coordination with the Gastronomy program at Boston University, the Graduate Journal of Food Studies is an international student-run and refereed journal dedicated to encouraging and promoting interdisciplinary food scholarship at the graduate level. Published bi-yearly in digital form, the journal is a space for promising scholars to showcase their exceptional academic research. The Graduate Journal of Food Studies hopes to foster dialogue and engender debate among students across the academic community. It features food-centric articles from diverse disciplines including, but not limited to: anthropology, history, sociology, cultural studies, film studies, gender studies, economics, art, politics, pedagogy, nutrition, philosophy, and religion.
You can find more information about the journal here (graduatefoodjournal.com). Not a graduate student? Perhaps you can help spread the word to interested parties. The first edition will be published Fall ’13 and the deadline for consideration of review is August 1, 2013. Any questions can be directed to editor Brad Jones (jonesb@bu.edu).

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS. 2nd Global Conference. Making Sense of: Food. Monday 4th November 2013 – Wednesday 6th November 2013. Athens, Greece.
‘You are what you eat’ is a saying that usually signifies the influence of diet on health and well-being. When we turn this adage around – ‘What you eat is what you are’ – we see more clearly the broader implications of our ways with food. Our history and culture as well as our economic and social circumstances determine, and in turn are reflected in, the nature of our food consumption. The same applies to our personal beliefs and predispositions. Eating is an everyday necessity – and yet there is an immense variety in the manner in which we nourish ourselves.
Click to read more http://www.food-culture.org/news/
Present

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Old-House Expo & Architectural Cake Competition Update


"Patricia's Wellness Art's Cafe" cake on display in the Shower's Building


This is a follow up to my last brief post on Bloomington, Indiana's 2nd Annual Old-House Expo & Architectural Cake Contest which took place Saturday, May 11 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the atrium of Bloomington’s City Hall at 401 N. Morton St. Eight non-professional bakers had cakes in the contest. Cakes ranged from a 19th-century jack plane, a covered bridge to the Taj Mahal! Every participant received an award. Judges for the delectable event were Tommy Kleckner of Indiana Landmarks, Gayle Cook of the Monroe County History Center and Erica Sagon of Edible Indy Magazine.


The photo above shows my Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe cake, recipient of the “Most Herbal Essence” award and later judged “best tasting”, with Carol Krause’s Downton Abby, recipient of the “Masterpiece” award to the left. Beyond that is Kathy Holland’s “Smitty’s Standard Station” on West Second Street). I loved the use of gummy candy as hose for the gas pump and gummy rings with lifesaver inserts for the wheels. It was one of three cakes to receive an award for “Best Looking along with cakes by Marlene Newman and Hiestand.

To my cake’s right is a historic land area of I-69 cake detailing the architectural significance of irreplaceable land and life formations; the Taj Mahala by first time cake baker Sara Schwab stands brightly white in the background. It is easy to see how this cake won an award for outstanding architecture.


Here I am receiving my award! A blue ball jar with gourmet lollypops.

This was my first ever food contest. I truly had no idea of what I was getting myself into, or the amount of time on my feet late at night to have something presentable. I started out with the intention of building my Quilter’s Comfort “Spicy Ginger Mint” Gingerbread Cake. I think I have been around too many builders because I was trapped in the idea of building a structure. I approached the entire thing from the perspective of parts to be assembled. I baked walls, front, back and sides, roof pieces and doors.

It is clear to me that I also may have been unconsciously influenced by my one experience creating a gingerbread house with my children decades ago. I even created little planter pots from my spicy mint dough to hold thyme sprigs standing in for blueberry bushes which turned out very well. I even tried to make post strong enough to hold up the front overhang. They might have worked had I some very small tube pans.

So there I was with all the pieces baked and cooled, vegan Royal Icing and my cream cheese frosting chilling in the fridge, it was time to put it all together. As I worked, I had been wondering, how was I going to get the thing to stand up? I knew that I had zero ideas for assembling everything in an upright position, and as I dried, it was becoming very clear that inner support (which I did not have) would be the only way the cake would stand. I run out of most of my grains by the time I mixed my third batch, and had resorted to using some brown rice and little barley flour. To say the least there was a variety of strength in the pieces and pieces made with the brown rice and barley began crumbling even as I stood them on edge.

The hour being late, I had been on my feet form nearly five hours, was tired of standing and I decided to lay out the building as you see in this image below and fell into bed.


I woke early the next morning with a plan. Drive to town, get flour, yogurt eggs; start over, this time making Spicy Ginger Mint Pound Cake. After a day in the “Café” I mixed up a new batch of icing and began the process of layering the soft, yet firm cake pieces together with thin coatings of cream cheese frosting. I then cut and layered pound cake to define my store, I was simultaneously deconstructing the first cake, taking large slabs of the crunchy gingerbread cake into my new cake body. Large slabs with Vegan Royal Icing were also layered to the back of my new cake.

As I worked, I thought of the eaters and how they would experience a variety of textures and taste with Quilter's Comfort's Spicy Ginger Mint as the central flavor and the different color layers ranging from caramel to light molasses.

Once I used up all the icing I had, I wished I had more frosting, then the crumbs would have disappeared and left me with a smoother finish and a slightly less rustic appearance. I knew it would taste good.

The little ginger bread pots received a dollop of frosting to secure the thyme representing blueberry bushes. Originally, I thought I would add popcorn to the little branches to represent flowers. I looked through my jars of herbs hoping to find one dried oregano branch to use as the linden tree outside the shop, alas, I did not find one so the sprig of fresh oregano would have to do. I pushed its thick limp stem down into the cake side sidewalk and supported it with amaranth linguini.



On the drive into town next morning, I asked myself what had I been thinking and that this could be thought of as a once in a lifetime experience. Upon delivering my cake and looking at all the others, I found myself wondering, what building will I bake next year?

For more information about the Old-House Expo & Architectural Cake Contest visit
http://cakecontest.wordpress.com/

Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe & Quilter's Comfort Teas is located at 725 West Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington, Indiana. Hours are 1:00pm to 6:00pm and every first Friday 1:00pm to 8:00pm where Patricia and Yuko serve delicious herbal foods and Quilter's Comfort teas. Sometimes there is pound cake on the menu. Visit Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe on the web at http://www.hartrock.net/cafe.htm.




Saturday, May 11, 2013

Best Tasting Architectual Cake!

Dear Readers,

This note will be brief, as I intend returning very soon to add the many food notes and images I have been accumulating since my last posting.

The last few days and nights have been extremely intense as I prepared my cake submission for Bloomington's 2nd Annual Architectural Cake Contest. Sitting here, I am happily surprised that my "Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe" cake received an award for "The Most Herbal Essence" and was judged the best tasting cake!

Images and more details to follow.

Thanks for reading!




Saturday, March 23, 2013

Crowd Funding for Quilter's Comfort Markets Launched

On March 14th, 2013, after many starts and stops due to computer and data related issues, Quilter's Comfort launched its first crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo. The Morning Comfort Market and the Thursday Evening Farmers Markets are a collaboration of Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe & Quilter's Comfort Teas and Local Food Bloomington.

The most commonly asked question about this project is "Why"? The answer is really very simple. As a start up business, Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe & Quilter's Comfort Teas wants to attract more customers. More customers mean potentially more sales. More sales means that the shop will keep there doors open.

In a time of so much flux, we think it important to have many small, locally owned businesses open, and flourishing; because the owners of these businesses live in this community, and spend the bulk of their resources in this community. If larger stores are not making their bottom lines, they tend to leave the community, whereas smaller businesses look for means to stay local keeping their homes and businesses in tact.


Click Here to see the Video


Thanks for reading and check out the Market Crowd Funding Campaign. It will only happen at this time through a successful campaign! Help increase opportunities for more local food!



Saturday, March 09, 2013

Whole Foods Market Announces It Will Label All GMO Foods

Great Hot News!

Whole Foods Market, the nation’s leading supermarket chain focused on organic and natural foods, has announced that it will begin labeling all products containing genetically modified ingredients throughout its U.S. and Canadian locations by 2018.

This moves makes Whole Foods the first national grocery chain to set such a deadline and commit to total transparency on the prevalence of genetically modified ingredients.

“We are putting a stake in the ground on GMO labeling to support the consumer’s right to know,” said Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, in a press release. “The prevalence of GMOs in the U.S. paired with nonexistent mandatory labeling makes it very difficult for retailers to source non-GMO options and for consumers to choose non-GMO products. Accordingly, we are stepping up our support of certified organic agriculture, where GMOs are not allowed, and we are working together with our supplier partners to grow our non-GMO supply chain to ensure we can continue to provide these choices in the future.”

Whole Foods came under scrutiny last year for its slow commitment to support California’s Proposition 37, which would have made it the first state to require labeling of genetically modified foods had it not lost by a narrow margin last November. The retailer came under attack in 2011 when an investigation found genetically modified ingredients in its private-label cereal brands. And it was also targeted last year by the faceless organization, Organic Spies, in undercover video encounters that showed an overwhelming number of Whole Foods employees (in California) who were misinformed about genetically modified ingredients, particularly when it came to whether or not Whole Foods Market actually carried foods containing GMOs.

Click Here to continue article on the Organic Authority website.

March 8th, 2013 - Jill Ettinger - Organic Authority

Image from Whole Food Market

Wednesday, March 06, 2013


This has been a beautiful cold and slightly frustrating day. Even as I am displeased that the server crashed for my largest website, Green Dove, the one that offers Local Food Bloomington, I know that it will be resolved. Still I am having to work at not feeling uncomfortable about what is on line at the moment. Visitors will see text, maybe some images and some pages are simply blank! If you visit any of the pages,you will see what I mean.

That said, the following images is an example of one of the Savory-Vegi Scones


March is the month we celebrate WOMEN'S HISTORY and Abilities; at the First Friday opening table in the Wellness Arts Gallery, 725 West Kirkwood Avenue of my café in Bloomington, we shared a taste of some of my favorite heritage foods, sweet potatoes, kale, onions and garlic in soup and scones.

Stop by first Friday in April and join the herbal food fun.


We enjoyed

Sweet Potato Kale soup - I love it for the different textures and taste. It is packed full of nutrients and great taste. Most likely I will include garlic, as I rarely cook without it. A variety of homegrown herbs, dried in the autumn and having great fragrance and taste, I am enjoying the new taste imparted to my foods when bringing turmeric and cumin into the mix. Any veggies or mushrooms I have on hand will be considered for how well they support sweet potato and kale. With every soup I make begins with a clear idea of its foundation, once that is established, things develop based on what I find in the cabinets and the mood I am in at that particular time.

Eclairs always remind me of my mother. Only she would purchase hers from a bakery. There were a lot more bakeries when I was growing up. There were a lot more, small neighborhood shops and the mobile Ice Cream Man. My éclairs are made from an altered puff pastry recipe, of certified organic grains of whole wheat, whole wheat pastry and brown rice flour. The filling may be a jelly, rice cream or any favorite cream recipe. For sweetner I mostly use honey, and for milk, it is either Almond or Coconut.

Vegi-Scones are savory vegetable and bean pastry made using a variety of certified organic grains including whole wheat, brown rice flour, bean flours, other traditional grains, non-alliuminum baking, local eggs Lacinato Kale (some call it Dinosaur Kale because of its appearance), onions, garlic, herbs, celery and carrot.

Chocolate Fondu made with fine chocolate to dip fresh fruits and cheeses.

Assorted Quilter's Comfort Gourmet Jellies as usual were available for sampling. Jellies were Player's Pub's Bluesy Green with Cranberry, Carob Chamomile Mint SRTONG Coffee with ground cacao nibs, Chocolate Chamomile Mint SRTONG Coffee with ground cacao nibs, Ruby Bloom Amber Herbal Beer Jelly, Rose Petal Rose Wine Jelly and Strong Coffee Jelly.

Cucumber Sandwiches of whole wheat bread spread with cream cheese, topped with a slice of cucumber and a dollop of Everything Dip.

Everything Dip a combination of plain yogurt with our L.A.O. Everything Seasoning available to spread on savory scones, top our Cucumber Sandwiches, and for dipping veggies, etc.

Hot Tea was Assam Morning, Quilter’s Comfort’s first black tea herbal blend, a mixture of Assam, Red Raspberry Leaves, Elderberries, Red Clover, Elderberries, Sage, Basil, and Nettles and our much appreciated I LOVE Me Tea, a blend of Red Raspberry Leaf, Lemon Balm, Rose Petals, Strawberry Leaf, Hyssop and Thyme.

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

I have been doing some parallel work with Local Food and learned that links to my sight from search engines are generating a 404 Code. I've contacted my host and hope the problem is resolved very soon. I apologize to any of you who have been trying to access resources on Local Food.




The picture above is of Eclairs prepared for First Friday in Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe. They were filled with Rose Petal, Rose Petal Wine Jam and Chocolate Chamomile Ginger Mint STRONG Coffee Jam. If in the area, stop in some first Friday to enjoy some herbal tasting. If interested in the menue, check out the cafe page.

Thanks for reading!

Friday, February 08, 2013


Dear Readers,


Thank you for being out there. I hope that 2013 brings you much happiness, joy and great food!


I just posted an update to Local Food News. Following my brief note is an article written by a new local about a great organization, Food NOT BOMBS!


Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe & Quilter's Comfort Teas is almost ready to announce the winner of the 2nd Annual "Name the Tea Contest". The selection of jellies, herbal, coffee, beer and wine has increased. Currently all are made using Certified Organic or locally sourced herbs from growers using organic and sustainable practices.


Visit Food News at for lots of articles and information concerning food, gardening, and food in the news.


May your gardens be abundant.



FOOD NOT BOMBS!


Bloomington, as most readers would agree, has a notable, functional, people-powered food security infrastructure to address hunger resulting from poverty. The product of decades of continuous hard work, the folks of these community organizations provide the town with a peace of mind that would otherwise not be available, and is (unfortunately) seldom found on this scale in towns throughout the US.


Most of these folks come together with a pretty straightforward goal: provide a consistent source of wholesome nutrition for every member of the community. Food security, like physical and health security, is considered by many a basic human right, and with it comes a collective responsibility. These issues are handled in many ways, from neighbors providing mutual aid, to centralized services provided by local, state and federal government. Some believe that food security can and should be kept without encouraging the exploitation of those providing and receiving these vital services(a constant risk when the solutions to such basic human rights issues are made into commodities). One group of Bloomington residents respond to this concern by not only providing free, nutritious food, but by sourcing it outside any monetary system. Free food, made free.


With the slogan 'Solidarity, not Charity!', B-Town Food Not Bombs has been a fixture in the local community, on and off, for nearly ten years and FNB has been around globally since 1980. As the group's name indicates, they can trace their roots to the Nuclear Disarmament movement of the '80s and are committed against violence and state aggression. The central difference between FNB and other groups/collectives is their penchant for sourcing their delicious (as the author and many residents can attest) vegan or vegetarian meals from no-cost, local sources. These are often vendors such as grocery stores, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) groups, local farmers and backyardeners whose donated food would have gone to waste for one reason or another, but is otherwise perfectly good and ready for our and our neighbor's plate.


The 'feeding frenzies' are free to all and take place in public spaces (here at Peoples Park most Sunday evenings) as a way to combat hunger but to also encourage real, meaningful discussion and action against poverty and homelessness...an issue that, even here, is kept more silent than it can and should be. That said, the folks are genuine, friendly and encourage a sense of community with all who attend. Cliquish-ness is discouraged by a common ground; fixing hunger.


So, as a member's invitation went one Sunday, 'B-Town Food Not Bombs presents a real, tasty meal! Come one, come all at 5:45 p.m. to People's Park. Bring the whole household, even pets! Tell a friend, tell a foe.' I'll see you there, in hunger and solidarity.


Kyle F is a recently transplanted Bloomington resident interested in food security and community-powered projects in general.'

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Local Food News Update

Greetings All, Above is the new logo for Local Food Bloomington. In the next few weeks all primary directory pages will be updated. At some point the overall format will shift. After many unexpected detours, Local Food Bloomington's Local Food News - http://www.greendove.net/foodnews.htm recently updated and with new energy continue into our 12th year! New to the news is "The Green Question" that will features questions we receive via email or from visitors to our office. The first questions addressed is "What does Open Pollinated Mean and Why is it Important to You, Me and Generations to Come?" Thank you to our supporters, we appreciate your interest and invite other local food businesses to join in supporting Local Food Bloomington. Send your information to localfoodbloomington@gmail.com Thanks

Thursday, January 12, 2012

HOT TEA MONTH IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

HAPPY NEW YEARS TO EACH OF YOU! MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE POTABLE WATER AND DELICIOUS .HEALTHY FOOD AND GOOD COMPANY TO SHARE IT WITH!

January is HOT Tea Month and PATRICIA’S WELLNESS ARTS CAFÉ & Quilter’s Comfort Teas is celebrating with a "Name a Tea Contest"! Tea Blender, or more aptly, tisane blender, Patricia C. Coleman of Quilter's Comfort is settling in at 725 West Kirkwood Avenue with the introduction of 14 new certified organic Quilter's Comfort proprietary blends, as soon as possible, there will be an introduction of locally sourced blends!

One of the new teas being released does not have a name! Everyone making a purchase during the month of January can submit a name suggestion for the unnamed tea. Current teas include Patricia's Delicious, Cold Thyme, Orange Earl Green, Chamomile HipHop, Owl and Pussy Cat's Berry Green (now a staple at the Runcible Spoon) All Ears and others. The person submitting the name selected by our panel of judges, Ash Burgess, Noah Dadds and Betty Irvine, will receive one bag of tea each month through 2012!

Stop in and enjoy self-serve sampling of the new nameless tea, another tea; tea syrup and tea jelly. I know, some of you are saying "tea jelly?" I have never heard of such a thing. Patricia creates what she calls a "tea essence" from one of her blends and works that into jelly. Yes, every certified organic artisan tea blend is mirrored in jelly and syrup. One taster described the jelly and syrup as subtle, complex and layered. Another expressed how there is a long pleasant mid range of delicate flavors.

If you are in Bloomington, stop in Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe and experience what BLOOM Mag calls "A Cafe Life No Other". Not in Bloomington, Indiana and would love to taste these delicious and nutritious teas, you can place an order by calling . Visit the Quilter's Comfort website at http://www.quilterscomfort.com. They hope to have it up to date as soon as possible.

Blessings of delicious food,

Saturday, July 02, 2011

Blueberries and Jam



Blueberries June 2011

Walking up the gravel drive on a break away from the computer, out of no where, I thought to see how the blueberries were doing. I wanted to eat at least a bowl of them, maybe even ten. It actually was possible I might be able to eat a gallon or six or more. Maybe make a little jam. I thought that might be wishful thinking, with bird netting still waiting to be hung, and birds, well birds, and deer and raccoons and possibly other neighbor creatures always knew when any of the fruits, wild or cultivated were ripe and ready for picking.



Approaching the oldest of the blueberry bushes, each a good foot taller than I, the birds were on alert calling out in alarm, some daring to fly out toward me as I approached the bushes. It was easy to see why as I approached. There were berries ripe for picking. I turned away from the bushes toward the house where I a donned a hat and long sleeved shirt, choose a quart sized stainless bowl, then returned to the garden. Taking a moment to size up the ripe fruit, I went to one side and began picking. The air was filled with bird talk.

That bowl filled quickly and I returned to the house for a larger one. On the short walk back, blue jays and other winged ones swooped quickly in and out of the plants. As soon as the picking begun, I knew that I would have to pick whatever I could because once I walked away, those birds would be in there snatching for anything ripe for picking.




A few hours later, I‘d harvested enough blueberries to make one batch of jam plus a few pints for the pleasure of fresh eating. Since the birds were on to me, that was it for a while. That day onward, still uncovered, they consumed the berries as fast as they ripened. It is what I expected. Last year, well, last year, I recall enjoying maybe a single pint over the weeks of these plants season. The birds were not as generous with my sweet cherries. That is another story or a poem. There are a few berries coming on now, the bird covering is up, and I can take pleasure in eating a handful of two of warm from the branch berries. Smiling in remembrance as I sit down to blueberry rice waffle, , topped with fresh blueberry jam and a light sprinkling of fresh berries and a generous dollop of yoghurt, I am glad for whatever prompted me to check out the plants that day.

Patricia

© All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact Patricia at localfoodbloomington@gmail.com

Patricia C. Coleman (aka Food Fairy) has been exploring organic gardening and fruit cultivation of heirloom varieties since the mid 1970's. Early studies included sustainable agriculture practices of heirloom indigenous agricultural plants and practices that also introduced her to permaculture, edible landscaping and the Findhorn Garden. All work one does with love is a form of play and she enjoys many forms of play and is grateful for every opportunity she has to play in this glorious earth garden.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Food for Thought: A Heart-Healthy Menu of Songs presented by Voces Novae and Poetry by Members of the Bloomington Writers Guild

I hope you will come out for "Food for Thought: A Heart-Healthy Menu of Songs and Poetry", Monday, March 16th at 7:30 in City Hall (the Showers Building).
This evening of delicious song and poetry of food is part of the Food for Thought a Traveling Exhibit visiting Bloomington, Indiana, offered by The Center on Aging and Community, and the Bloomington Food Policy Council.

Food for Thought: A Heart-Healthy Menu of Songs presented by Voces Novae and Poetry about Food by Lee Chapman, Patricia Coleman, Jenny Kander, Tonia Matthew, Patsy Rahn, Shana Ritter and Thomas Tokarski. of the Bloomington Writers Guild. The event begins at 7:30 pm

Food for Thought is an interactive exhibit, created by Indiana Humanities, will be on display at Bloomington’s City Hall from May 6 – 20, 2011 during regular hours (Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.). The Food For Thought traveling exhibit continues its adventure across the state when it makes a stop at Bloomington’s City Hall (in the Atrium) May 6 – 20. The Center on Aging and Community and the Bloomington Food Policy Council will partner to host the exhibit.

Stop by the exhibit (City Hall Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.) to learn about Hoosier food through the engaging displays, and take part in engaging programs to discover how Bloomington has contributed to Indiana’s food culture.

Friday, May 06, 2011

Morel Mushrom Haiku and Pictures

A week ago Tuesday, my son in law and daughter visited for his birthday. Before coming in to say hello, they spent about ten minutes walking around the house and these are the beautiful morels they found in that short time!

I wrote a few (very quick)Haiku's to accompany them.

*********************************************************************************

Blessings of mushrooms to all.

Abundant Morels
Look before you take a step
Mushrooms everywhere




Morels cooking with
onions and garlic cozy
along the pans edge





Look at the size of
These morels tall, full fleshed
Delicate of taste




I want to bite these
Morel mushrooms all up, NOW
even uncooked




I know I am ahead of the season, yet, I am wondering if the Chanterelle's will be as abundant. If so, yum yum yum!

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Food for Thought Traveling Exhibit in Bloomington, Indiana

Food for Thought traveling exhibit. The Center on Aging and Community, and the Bloomington Food Policy Council are hosting the exhibit and a lineup of events connected to it.

Food for Thought is an interactive exhibit, created by Indiana Humanities, will be on display at Bloomington’s City Hall from May 6 – 20, 2011 during regular hours (Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.). The Food For Thought traveling exhibit continues its adventure across the state when it makes a stop at Bloomington’s City Hall (in the Atrium) May 6 – 20. The Center on Aging and Community and the Bloomington Food Policy Council will partner to host the exhibit.
Stop by the exhibit (City Hall Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.) to learn about Hoosier food through the engaging displays, and take part in engaging programs to discover how Bloomington has contributed to Indiana’s food culture.

~ May 6 (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.), there will be a Senior Expo story tent at the Twin Lakes Sports and Recreation Center, where you can share your own fun, touching, or ridiculous food stories with each other. Also on this day, check out the launch of Food Flix, an intergenerational filmmaking initiative, in Bellevue Gallery between 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
~May 7 and 14 (8 a.m. – 1 p.m.), head to the Food For Thought exhibit and pop by the Farmers Market as well.

~ May 7 (10 a.m.), anthropologist Anya Peterson Royce will discuss the history and culture of chocolate at 10 a.m. in the McCloskey Room, Bloomington City Hall. Did I mention there will be free samples? Finally, May 7 also includes a talk at 11:30 a.m. by Nancy Hiller called “From Producers to Consumers: The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History.” Arrive by 11:25 a.m. for a chance to win the door prize, a freshly baked persimmon pudding made with homegrown fruit and a vintage Bloomington recipe! Nancy will be signing copies of her book, which would make a great Mother’s Day present.

~May 16 (7:30-8:30 p.m.), Food For Thought is bringing a heart-healthy menu of songs and poems all about food, presented by Voces Novae and the Writers Guild, to City Hall.

Attend the Inter-generational Picnic, held at Lake Lemon, on May 28 (3-6 p.m.).
Also on the schedule is a discussion about African-American food traditions in Indiana. Stay tuned for details!

Learn more about the Food for Thought traveling exhibit here. And, watch videos from the Story Silo,here.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Foods that Starve Cancer

Foods that Starve Cancer
MEDICINAL FOOD NEWS~ July 2010 No.233 ~

Sometimes, big break throughs happen when you look at a problem from a new perspective. Instead of asking why does a cancer grow, medical researchers asked how does a cancer grow. This led to the observation that, for a cancer to grow, it needs to be fed. Each cell in our body is in direct contact with a blood vessel that brings it nourishment and takes away waste products. The same is true for a cancer cell. As a cancer grows and spreads, as the number of cancer cells multiplies, the blood vessel system supplying these new cells also has to grow. The cancer can only grow if each of its new cells has a blood vessel next to it to give it food. This process of new blood vessel growth (either for normal or cancer cells) is called angiogenesis. If angiogenesis is stopped, cells cannot grow. There are now some cancer specialists who believe to stop cancers from growing, stop angiogenesis.

Scientists have developed cell models of angiogenesis in the lab. They can now study factors that inhibit or slow down angiogenesis. Their findings show that many food and food ingredients are anti-angiogenic, they stop the growth of new blood vessels.

Although there are currently few clinical trials which have shown that the introduction of such anti-angiogenic foods into the diet can effectively slow down or stop cancer growth, the initial reports are very encouraging. The foods and beverages which have been identified so far would be very easy to incorporate into a "normal diet. Cancer patients looking for ways to accompany more traditional cancer treatments may want to start by adding anti-angiogenic foods to their diet.

Table 1: Foods and Beverages with Anti-angiogenic properties

Fruits: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries oranges, lemons, apples, pineapples, cherries, red grapes

Vegetables:bok choy, soy beans, kale, artichokes, pumpkin, tomato

Sea food: tuna, sea cucumber
olive oil, grape seed oil

Spices:turmeric, nutmeg, parsley, garlic

Other:ginseng, dark chocolate

1. Additional reading
2. Dulak, L. 2005. Nutreaceuticals as anti-angiogenic agents: hopes and realities. J. Physiology Pharmacology, 56, Suppl 1, 51-691.

REPRINTED FROM Medicinal Food News - http://www.medicinalfoodnews.com/vol14/foods-that-starve-cancer

Interesting video -

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

GE Alfalfa: Brought To You By Land O'Lakes

by Adriana Velez • March 02, 2011 Reprinted from Change.org

Topics:
• Dairy •
• Gene Modification •
• Ingredients & Labeling
• I can't believe it's that butter.


When most of us hear "genetically engineered (GE) seeds" we think of Monsanto. But the new Roundup Ready, GE alfalfa seeds that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) just deregulated were actually co-developed by Forage Genetics International, a subsidiary of butter producer, Land O'Lakes. And the company isn't shy about saying so, either: On January 27, Land O'Lakes posted Forage Genetics' press release announcing the deregulation.

• Forage Genetics is leasing their seed to Monsanto, so the deregulation of GE alfalfa is probably good news to Land O'Lakes' cooperative members. This kind of vertical integration (GE seeds for alfalfa fed to cows that produce milk for Land O'Lakes butter) is good for their bottom line. But is it good news to consumers?

• Survey after survey shows that consumers continue to be wary of GMOs. Just this week, MSNBC.com conducted a poll showing that a whopping 95.2 percent of respondents believe genetically modified foods should be labeled because "It's an ethical issue — consumers should be informed so they can make a choice." Just 3.7 percent say, "No. The U.S. government says they are safe and that's good enough for me." And an even smaller percentage of respondents (1.1 percent) are apathetic.

• Obviously this poll should not be mistaken for a scientifically rigorous study, but it is nonetheless revealing. If Land O'Lakes customers knew that the company's butter came from GMO-fed cows, would they choose a different brand? If they knew its subsidiary was developing genetically modified seeds, would they choose a different tub of butter?

• As a butter-lover who has purchased Land O'Lakes butter countless times, I say absolutely — I will buy a different brand of butter from now on.

• I started buying Land O'Lakes butter years ago when my favorite cooking magazine recommended it as the editors' favorite. I shop at a food co-op that carries it along with several other choices, including organic and smaller brands. Price notwithstanding, I'm going with the independently owned, organic butter from now on. As a member of an unapologetically butter-obsessed family, I can tell you that that's no small change.

• Clearly there are other dairy companies out there that exploit workers, don't treat cows humanely, pollute, and help manipulate dairy prices. There are many consumers who refuse to purchase dairy products at all out of protest to the entire industry. But Land O'Lakes doesn't care about those people — they care about their customers. And if their customers say no to GMOs, they may start listening. So vote with your dollars, butter lovers. And everyone, let's keep working toward larger change. Sign Food & Water Watch's petition asking the Obama Administration to protect farmers and consumers from Monsanto's GE crops.

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-monsantos-takeover-at-the-usda

http://www.care2.com/causes/real-food/blog/breaking-usda-approves-ge-alfalfa/

USDA Approved the Unrestricted Cultivation of Genetically Engineered (GE) Alfalfa

Dear Readers,

Even with strong opposition form consumers, the organic community here and abroad , the USDA approved the unrestricted cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa. The measure included no requirements to prevent contamination of organic and non-GE crops and the regulation does not contain a provision to label so consumers will not be able to identify products made from the GE alfalfa and avoid if they choose to do so. For me and perhaps other with food, chemical and environmental allergies this poses a real dilemma. It also poses a problem for all organic growers and producers growing or using alfalfa as a feed as many EU countries will not allow any imports of GE crops or products that may be contaminated with GE crops. I will follow this note with an article reprint that will provide a clearer look at GE crops.

The organic community has spoken out almost universally against this decision, exemplified by statements from National Co-op Grocers Association (NCGA), the Center for Food Safety, EcoFarm, Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and the Organic Trade Association (OTA). OTA has provided a web page with talking points to help individuals quickly create an email or letter expressing opposition to the decision. It’s important that we all speak up to show that this decision is not acceptable and has not gone unnoticed. Please let the White House know that you do NOT support the deregulation of GE alfalfa!

Sign Food & Water Watch's petition asking the Obama Administration to protect farmers and consumers from Monsanto's GE crops.

Click here to say no to help stop monsanto's GEing our foodhttp://www.change.org/petitions/stop-monsantos-takeover-at-the-usda