The Daily Reviewer | Chews Wise

Will GM Alfalfa Mean the End of Organic Milk?

Mar 3, 2010 12:56pm

That's what many fear about genetically engineered alfalfa. Organic farmers grow alfalfa as a forage crop for livestock, but genetically engineered crops can pollinate organic crops, making them non-organic. No organic forage, no organic livestock. No organic livestock, no organic milk. That scenario has already played out in corn and...

Hope for Blue Fin Tuna, U.S. Backs Ban

Mar 3, 2010 10:50am

Big news for a prized but endangered fish. Hopefully, this will lead to movement to ban trade in a species that is headed for extinction. The Washington Post reports:The U.S. government announced Wednesday that it supports prohibiting international trade of Atlantic bluefin tuna, a move that could lead to the...

Organic Milk? You Need Grass For That

Feb 24, 2010 1:44pm

A decade after such regulations were proposed, the USDA has passed new requirements for organic dairy farmers. New rules specify that cows must be allowed to graze on open pastures for at least 120 days of the year and get a minimum of 30 percent of their nutrition from fresh...

Winner! Snowpocalypse Bread Baking Challenge

Feb 19, 2010 8:54am

Now that the snow is melting, turning the city into a gritty wet mess, it's time to pick the winner of the snowpocalypse bread baking challenge. There were about two dozen entries to the contest, posted on Flickr, with some amazing breads, many by first time bakers. It was hard...

Behind the Organic Pasture Rule at the USDA

Feb 18, 2010 8:26am

After one of the most contentious issues in the organic food world was put to rest last week, I happened to be feeding a few goats in Massachusetts. I pulled some grass from a nearby field and walked over to the animals. They came right up to me and started...

Early Entry in Snowpocalypse Bread Baking Challenge

Feb 11, 2010 9:32am

Here's an early entry from DC in the snowpocalypse bread baking challenge and I'd say it looks pretty tasty with a great crust. You still have until Tuesday to bake your bread and enter the contest! We've got a bunch more entries in the Flickr group here....

Snowpocalypse Bread Baking Challenge!

Feb 9, 2010 8:53am

By Samuel Fromartz With schools closed, the house a mess, and snow piling up, what better time than now to bake bread? I've been baking up a storm -- and now it's time for you to start too. So I'm launching the Snowpocalypse baking challenge. (Pictured above, the Organic Snowpocalypse...

Seven Tips for a Home Baker

Jan 27, 2010 6:54am

Seeded sourdough loaf with white, whole wheat and rye Baker Dan Lepard writes a nice column in the Guardian newspaper in the UK and has an active web presence, but here he visits with a serious home baker, Jack Lang, who lays out seven principles of baking. This quote caught...

What to Do When Alice Waters Calls, Seeking Bread

Jan 25, 2010 12:48pm

By Samuel Fromartz I was leaving the gym when I checked my messages. Alice Waters' office at Chez Panisse was calling -- yeah, right. Who was this really? When I called back, it turned out Waters was calling and looking for a baker for her charity dinner in Washington, to...

What's in that School Lunch Anyway?

Jan 21, 2010 6:53am

There's been a lot of talk lately about school nutrition, but what do kids actually eat? Ed Bruske, a former reporter who blogs at the Slow Cook, spent a week in a DC public school to find out. He came away with a cheese-filled six part series that is well...

Really Easy Potato Pizza From Jim Lahey's "My Bread" ... Trust Me, It's Great

Jan 19, 2010 6:09am

By Samuel Fromartz One of the challenges for a home baker is to try and figure out how to make a great bread once you've tasted it. Like encountering the Platonic ideal, you recognize it, reach for it and try and duplicate it -- and then you fail miserably and...

Atlantic Writer Blames Arugula for California's Failing Schools

Jan 12, 2010 6:07pm

In the media world, the hatchet job has long been a profitable one. It involves finding a major figure, uncovering a supposed flaw and then showing the world how it is a symptom of everything that's wrong with -- fill in the blank -- politics, business, schools, etc. Caitlin Flanagan's...

Considering Local, Financial Sustainability

Dec 31, 2009 8:05am

Something to consider as we enter the New Year: Is there really any reason to keep your money with a big bailed out bank?...

Politics of the Plate -- a Notable New Blog

Dec 3, 2009 7:00am

Barry Estabrook was the food politics writer over at Gourmet, where he uncovered some notable stories. Since the demise of that publication, he's launched his own blog that features his writing and reporting skills. Barry's old school. When he has a question, he actually gets on the phone -- what...

Twitter Food List to Chew On

Dec 2, 2009 12:26pm

Kim O'Donnell has gathered a go-to list of people to follow on Twitter from the sustainable food world. Many are my Tweeps. She writes: For those in the social media know, Twitter has unveiled a beta version of its “Lists” functionality, which allows you to categorize Twitter accounts however you...