Category: food

Food Inc Movie

I finally watched Food Inc the movie!

“In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.”

I found Food Inc to be a disruptive glance into the hidden political powers ruining the food industry where profits overwhelm the integrity of farmers and quality in healthy food.  As the film says, you’ll never look at food the same way. You’ll be left appreciating local farming, an understanding in how an individual can influence large corporations, and cringing to take action which you can here. They also have a book you can buy: Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer-And What You Can Do About It

Go watch the film, get everyone you know to see it,  and don’t bring too much food into the movie while watching. Start buying from farmers markets, eat organic, get local schools to serve healthy meals, and have restaurants display nutritional facts. Food Inc will not scare you away from food, but it’ll influence your food buying decisions while giving you a better idea in how some foods are manufactured, treated, transported, and concealed.

Food Inc website

Cheeming Boey: Styrofoam Cup Drawings


Artist Boey has a fun collection of drawings on Styrofoam Cups using one of our favorite pens the mighty Sharpie.  Boey’s cup collection is an endless diversity in curiosity and whim that will hopefully end up in a major brands series soon.  Make sure to see his Process and video of him making one of the pieces which I’ll add after the jump. I think he does commissions too if you want…

I know plenty of people willing to pay a small premium to have these  disposable cups any day! Or maybe just provide pens with every cup making it a DIY disposible cup.

I’ve had my share in using sharpies on everyday objects including Styrofoam cups, though my favorite is still the backside of a paper plate for some reason. I’ve always mentioned to students about drawing on more than just paper. Draw what you visualize after reading a page in a book… right on top of the page, sketch on a sphere, a cylinder, clothing, walls, shoes, chairs, wallets, pencils, CD’s, your desk, etc. Just because an object isn’t made to b drawn on, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.

I’ll post a few of my favorite cups from Boey’s collection after the jump.
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Open a Banana Like A Monkey!

Who ever knew! I’ve been doing it wrong my entire life!

If your the majority of people I know that peel open a banana from the stem, then check out this video and be a bit baffled how simple it really is to open he correct way!

I’m finding monkeys surprisingly smarter than myself after watching this! Also watch this video on how to split a banana into 3 wedges.

Timbuk2 Dolores Chiller Bag

Waterproof bags have always been popular in protecting your goodies from getting soaked. Taking it a step further is Timbuk2 and their new Dolore Chiller bag ($110) that not only prevents water from coming in but also keeps it from going out, hence making a pretty nifty bag that also acts as a summer Cooler holding some 20 drinks with ice and a bottle opener on the side.

Sometimes doing the opposite makes something better.  I recall a story about kayak shoes, where previous shoes prevented water from getting in, but the problem was that once some water got in it was really hard to get out. So Puma took a flip side and said, hey, let’s make a shoes that lets water in really easily which will let it out easily, hence the puma k1 shoes!

via coolhunting

Susan Jane Belton: Coffee Cup Paintings


I went to some open studios last week in Boston and met Susan Jane Belton who some years ago was bored, and started painting what happened to be in her studio space, which just so happen to be a pile of to go coffee cups sitting in a corner. Ever since she’s been collecting, bagging, and painting her daily cups of coffee… not all, but the ones the intrigue her. I wish I took a picture of her wall of plastic bags full of coffee cups. Nice simple collection!

Check out Susans work!

Gloji Juice

I’ve been a fan new juices for some time and usually post about them after trying them out. I came across this new juice called Gloji packaged in a light bulb like container mixed with apple juice or pomogranite, and I’m sure many other buzzy fruits like Acai soon. If anyone can find them, let me know how it tastes.

Bambu SnapStix

I’m one of those crafty types that fold the paper sleeve you get with chopsticks in a restaurant to make a neat little stand to rest the sticks on, though usually I’ll get lazy and just fold the sleeve a few times. We’ll, if your one that likes disposable chopsticks, but want something a bit more clever, simple, and fun, check out these Bambu SnapStix which add an extra cut on the back end of the chopsticks which snap off to become a stand. sweet!

You can get them for about $2 each.

Weekend Links

Thought of the week: Exploring new environments pushes for progression, but don’t always go in with the knowledge you carry from your past. Go in with experience, not necessarily your knowledge.

Compact Kitchen : an immersible kitchen table set.
Economy Vending Machine: It dispenses when the economy stumbles.
Objectified Documentary: it’s playing in Boston next week.
Diesel Side Watch: Putting time on the edge, not face.
Potato Portraits: face prints on potatoes…neat.

VerTerra: Dinnerware from Fallen Leaves


I was introduced to VerTerra’s intriguing dinnerware products during this years GEL conference. At first sight these unique plates seemed like raw sheets of veneer pressed into structural shapes, but then the founder gave a quick overview of the project. Simply put:

Our environmentally-friendly plates, bowls and serving dishes are made only from two products: fallen leaves and water. They’re non-toxic, biodegradable, compostable, durable, lightweight, convenient and downright stylish.

I love it! Collect fallen leaves, steam press them to shape,  then deliver it. The plates will run you about a dollar for a pair, but once they get into Wholefoods later this month, I’m hoping Verterra will be affordable enough to be a abundant in everyday gatherings.

I wished I grabbed a few samples when I had the chance, but I’ll just have to wait for the next gathering to get some…unles someone from Verterra can send me some for my next party 😉
If your seeking an alternative, check out Wasura paper plates, which will cost you a bit more, but just as cool looking.

Some pictures from VerTerra’s website after the jump.

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Dan Barber: Humane Foie Gras

“At the Taste3 conference, chef Dan Barber(Blue Hill Farm) tells the story of a small farm in Spain that has found a humane way to produce foie gras. Raising his geese in a natural environment, farmer Eduardo Sousa embodies the kind of food production Barber believes in.”

Pretty awesome story. Makes me think about sustainability, agriculture, quality, and just doing things naturally, how things are meant to be.