Gardening of the Future

There seems to be a perfect storm coming in terms of food prices. Rapidly rising oil prices, depleted oceans, food scares galore (contaminated buffalo mozzarella and cantaloupe just this week), and global warming will all likely make food significantly more expensive very soon. Without some major foresight and a change in attitudes, it's likely that good food will become a rare treat, even for those of us in wealthy nations. Hopefully plans to make better use of local produce like this one will catch on, and people will start making better food choices--to eat only sustainable fish species and less meat in general. (Thanks to D. Sacks for this link)

Triple Threat--Update

Having written about, but never tried, the aforementioned La Quercia cured swine, I happened to stumble across an opportunity last week. A new spot, the Jake Walk, opened in my hood, and they happen to be one of the few places in the country that were able to secure one of the whole hogs from La Quercia. The deal is that a restaurant/purveyor buys a whole pig, and after the pig's slaughtered, the folks at LQ send various parts as they become available (fresh meats right away, cured meats as they become available). Right now the menu features La Quercia prosciutto, and it's damn good. The swine are fed on acorns, just like their questionably illicit Spanish cousins, the jamón ibérico de bellota. I have to say the La Quercia version ranked up there with the best prosciutto I've had, and I definitely want to get my hands on a chunk for home consumption sometime soon.

Triple Threat

The Midwest. Sustainable agriculture. Cured meats.

La Quercia.

For Cryin' Out Loud

The humble onion. As delicious to the taste buds as it is deadly to the tear ducts. A vegetable that has caused almost as many tears as Brett Favre's retirement announcement.

But for those of you who have soldiered through many a tearful onion dicing, the ultimate onion-chopping goggles are now available. It's really unclear what sets these apart from your standard ski or swimming goggles, which I can imagine would serve the same purpose, but I'm in the information dissemination business, not the question answerin' business.

And for those of you looking for more pedestrian ways to ease the pain, check out these tips from the Kitchn.