Tag Archives: sustainability

May 1

Deconstructing Supper with John Bishop of BISHOP’S

The film follows chef John Bishop, who owns the five star restaurant Bishop’s in Vancouver BC, Canada, John’s customers challenge his knowledge of food and he is forced to explore how food is grown and what is really in it. More and more customers begin to ask questions about the food that was being served and he realized that he himself did not know the answers. A person whose whole life is food even naming the restaurant after himself, Bishop is stumped when a customer asks him if the food he is serving is genetically modified, he confesses that he doesn’t know what that means. In this film Bishop travels take you from Canada to England and as far as India to discover the new and the old ways when it comes to growing food.

Even though this was filmed in 2002, I would say it is even more relevant today as more and more attempts are made to bring additional GMO crops into the food chain, both in the US and abroad. We are also seeing the real cost for oil beyond what we pay at the pump. Most food is trucked an average of 1500 miles, large scale commercial agriculture uses huge amounts of oil and those chemicals used on crops are usually petroleum based. Did you know that the USA is borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf, this oil is destroying the planet and our food.

The greatest thing to me is when people get involved change happens, just by saying no. We can use this as an inspiration for all of us to ask questions and make real choices about what path we take on what foods we put in our bodies; our loved ones too. Discover how to make better choices, buy local, buy organic when possible, get your food from places that care about the food they sell, educate each other and collaborate with your family on how you can all work together to attain optimum food for health and earth.

If we all “deconstructed” our meals what would we find; if we knew would we still want to eat what was on our plate? Shopping local is an easy way to do this in order to know what you are eating. When you eat out ask questions so restaurant owners know that this is important to their customers, after all they need us. It was because of customers asking questions that John Bishop investigated the state of food and made a change in his restaurant to serving primarily organic and locally produced products.

I leave you with this: keep in mind that we have the power to make change as consumers. Businesses operate by our demand. Big and small companies need our business. It is time to stop following the dictates of these companies and tell them what we want and what we will buy. Watch the film, keep learning, ask questions and let’s keep working together to achieve what we all deserve: optimum health, healthy food, healthy land and a long happy life.

Bishops 2183 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver BC Canada V6K 1N7
604 738 2025


Jan 31

Sweet or Savoury No Cream, Cream Sauce

I absolutely love cream sauce but not the cream. The dairy industry is so cruel and unsustainable. In search of alternate methods of cream sauce I came across these recipes. All animal-based foods are acid-forming and dairy is no exception.

After looking at 34 published studies in 16 countries, researchers at Yale University found that the countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis – including the United States, Sweden, New Zealand – were those in which people consumed the most dairy and other animal products. How could that be?! That’s because animal protein foods such as cow’s milk are acid-forming which causes the body to borrow calcium from the bones and teeth to counteract the acidity. Over time, the bone structure weakens, making us more susceptible to fractures. To read more about this, go to www.milksucks.com.

To neutralize one cup of milk we need to take 20 cups of something alkaline such as green vegetable juice for instance. Since it takes 10 pounds of milk to produce a pound of cheese and 12 pounds of milk for a pound of ice cream, that ratio can get out of control! The more acid-forming foods we consume the weaker our immune system becomes, making it easier for bacteria, fungi and viruses to cause havoc in our body.

If you are still skeptical about the health dangers of consuming dairy, I encourage you to begin your own research into the matter.

 

Nut Cream Sauce

(Serves 2)

1/2 Cup Raw Cashews
1/4 Cup Water

Any blender or food processor will do, place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth, add more water if sauce gets too thick, keep adding water for desired consistency. Add anything you want to this sauce, truffle oil, herbs, pesto, tomato paste, morel mushrooms, curry, garlic, anything you would a reg cream sauce. Place in stove top pot and heat. Or make it sweet!

 

Sweet Nut Cream Topping

Cashew Cream, Tal Ronnen (serves 2-4)

2 cups of cashews or walnuts

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Put nuts into a  blender and cover them with enough water to cover them by 1 inch, add vanilla and agave nectar, blend on high for several minutes until smooth. You will see this transform into a creamy whipped cream like mixture. Serve over your favorite dessert. I like it over fresh papaya.


Jan 31

Homemade Tomato Soup With Salad

It’s so easy to eat well and eat healthy. We just need to think outside the box. I used to be hungry all the time and since I have been cooking my own meals at home I’ve realized the constant hunger was actually lack of fiber. I always try and make all of my food at home with the freshest ingredients.  Here is my recipe for homemade tomato soup with Arugula Salad and Crostini.

Tomato Soup

10 large vine tomatoes

5 stalks of celery

2 shallots

1 whole garlic

6 fresh basil leaves

2 tbl spoons paprika

Chop celery, shallotts and garlic into pieces, and saute in an olive oiled pan until El Dante, add fresh basil. Bring a large pot of water to boil, dip your tomatoes into the water until the skin cracks and remove from the water, you will notice the skins of the tomatoes come right off, remove all skins, place the skins in a separate bowl and cut your tomatoes in quarters, I always core mine first with an apple core, add to the garlic, celery, basil and shallots.

After all your ingredients have mingled, take all the ingredients from the pan and puree in a food processor or blender,  if your using a blend be sure to not fill to much or it will spill up under the lid. Doing a little at a time is best. Blended ingredients go into a soup pot. Your almost done, at this stage I add the paprika and sometimes if you have some add a little brags seasoning. Let simmer on low for 15 min.

Mushroom Arugula Tomato Skin Salad:

You have the left over skins, no point in letting them go to waste, I take mine and put them in my food processor blend them with seal salt. I leave those sit and I saute mushrooms in a pan, I place my arugula leaves in my bowls, top with the mushrooms a spoon full of my tomato skin puree and grate a little vegan or Asiago cheese on top. I dress with a little olive oil and balsamic.

Crostini:

I cut a fresh baguette into slices, place on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with sea salt and balsamic and broil for 8 minutes or until crisp. Great For dipping in your soup.

Jan 29

Polenta With Mushrooma

15 mushrooms of any type, I used brown

3 handfuls of spinach (reduces into nothing)

polenta

3 garlic  cloves

Vegan or Asiago Cheese

Balsamic

Directions:

Saute mushrooms with a little olive oil , add a pinch of sea salt, remove from pan. Slice polenta,  brown on both sides. In a food processor place about 7-9 mushrooms with a pinch of sea salt and a splash of olive oil to  puree,  heat and  plate, remove polenta from the pan and place on top of the pureed mushrooms. Now that your pan is empty take 2 heaping handfuls of spinach and saute in pan with a table spoon of balsamic don’t over cook, takes about a minute, place spinach on top of polenta add your sauteed mushrooms to top and sprinkle with fresh asiago or vegan cheese.  Enjoy! Recipe is for 2

Jan 15

Vegan Spaghetti Quattro

I thought Id share this recipe with you, it’s one of my favorites. The recipe is originally taken from Quattro’s menu. Here is my version of “Spaghettie Quattro” Enjoy!

This spaghetti dish features a sauce made with Yves chicken and black beans. It’s savoury and spicy. A little twist on your everyday spaghetti.

I haven’t heard a single person say that they didn’t love this dish. Everyone ask’s me for the recipe. It’s a cold night in Whistler favorite. We make it all the time, it’s even better the next day!

 

Ingredients: (Serves 4-6)

1.5 lb spaghetti noodles ( I use whole wheat)

1 cup olive oil

1 package of flakey Yves chicken

2 large garlic cloves

2 tsp chili flakes or more for spice

1 tbsp Italian parsley

4oz black turtle beans (cooked)

1 cup of pureed tomatoes (canned is fine I use Hunts)

1 small canned  or 1/2 cup of fresh black olives (fresh is best)

pinch of sea salt

Method:

Heat oil in a fry pan, add mock chicken, salt and parsley then sauté for about 1-2 minutes. Add beans and garlic, chili pepper, tomato sauce and stir well until cooked. (About 5 more minutes.)

Add cooked pasta to the pan then swirl around to coat the noodles with the sauce.


Dec 17

7 Sustainable Ways To Help The Environment

1) Use local, seasonally available ingredients as standard, to minimise energy used in food production, transport and storage.

2) Specify food from farming systems that minimise harm to the environment, such as certified organic produce.

3) Limit foods of animal origin (meat, dairy products and eggs) served, as livestock farming is one of the most significant contributors to climate change, and promote meals rich in fruit, vegetables, pulses, wholegrains and nuts. Ensure that meat, dairy products and eggs are produced to high environmental and animal welfare standards.

4) If you must eat fish. Exclude fish species identified as most ‘at risk’ by the Marine Conservation Society, and choose fish only from sustainable sources – such as those accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council.

5) Choose Fairtrade-certified products for foods and drinks imported from poorer countries, to ensure a fair deal for disadvantaged producers.

6) Avoid bottled water and instead serve plain or filtered tap water in reusable jugs or bottles, to minimise transport and packaging waste.

7) Promote health and well-being by cooking with generous portions of vegetables, fruit and starchy staples like wholegrains, cutting down on salt, fats and oils, meat and cutting out artificial additives.

Dec 14

Looking For A Great Gift? Skinny Bitch

Ok I LOVED Skinny Bitch. I can see why it was a New York Times best seller. I couldn’t put it down. After I finished reading it I went out and purchased a copy for each of my girlfriends. Already being a vegetarian and all about healthy ethical eating, this book opened my eyes even further. Skinny Bitch gives you the inside scoop to all the consumer lies that are being told. Skiiny Bitch goves you the skinny on what’s really in your food.

The writing is hysterically funny and witty. If you’re a guy don’t feel left out, there is a Skinny Bastard written for you too.

Stop being a moron and start getting skinny! “If you can’t take one more day of self-loathing, you’re ready to hear the truth: You cannot keep shoveling the same crap into your mouth every day and expect to lose weight”

Authors Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin are your new smart-mouthed girfriends who won’t mince words and will finally tell you the truth about what you’re feeding yourself. They will guide you on making intelligent and educated decisions about food.

This book makes a great gift for any lady or man (Skinny Bastard) under $15.00. Even if you don’t want to be a vegan or vegetarian you want to be healthy right?

 

Dec 12

Sustainable Agriculture Wine By Cono Sur – Vineyards & Winery

I love this wine, its high on my recommendation list. First of all it’s organic, it tastes like a really pricey bottle of wine and it’s cheap at 15.00 a bottle you can not give it a try. The trick is (DECANT FIRST)

About:

The wines from our Sustainable Agricultural range are made with grapes in conversion to organic agriculture, certified by BCS Öeko Garantie GmbH. This means they are grown through organic practices, but are within the three years period required in order to be certified organic.

The farming of these wines was devised specially to make an efficient use of renewable resources, protect the environment and cause minimum impact to the surrounding ecological system. The growing and elaboration of these wines is in line with best sustainable agriculture.

Sustainable Agriculture Wines | Cono Sur – Vineyards & Winery.

Dec 10

Beyond Skin Shoes~




We are an ethical footwear label, passionately doing what we can to trade in a manner that is kind to our fellow humans, animals and wherever possible our precious planet. Essentially, we are wildly dedicated to proving that fashion and ethics can go hand in hand! Put a guilt free spring in your step and be the change you wish to see in the world.


http://www.beyondskin.co.uk/

No humans, animals or small children were harmed in the making of our shoes.

Dec 6

Eating Out Doesn’t Have To Cost The Earth

Looking for a restaurant for your Vegan or Vegetarian life style can be hard but with the number of restaurants popping up and growing and everyone realizing that being sustainable is a good way of ensuring our future, I have listed a group of sustainable restaurants in Vancouver. Most of which would be also happy to cater to your diet needs.

As consumption increases and life-sustaining resources decline, we are faced with a growing crisis for the earth to sustain the demand for its resources.

The concept of “eating well” now encompasses a much broader spectrum, entailing more than taste alone.

A new emphasis on quality ingredients combined with an awareness of the social, cultural, ethical and environmental impacts of food production is changing restaurants.

Here is a list of sustainable restaurants that almost all have a non meat choice on the menu:

Bishop’s www.bishopsonline.com
Bistro Pastis www.bistropastis.com
Boneta www.boneta.ca
C Restaurant www.crestaurant.com
Cactus Club Café www.cactusclubcafe.com
Capilano Suspension Bridge www.capbridge.com
Chambar www.chambar.com
Chow www.chow-restaurant.com
Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill www.cioppinosyaletown.com
Culinary Capers Catering www.culinarycapers.com
Curry 2 U – Granville Island www.curry2u.com
Edible Planet Catering www.edibleplanet.ca
Elixir at the Opus Hotel www.elixirvancouver.ca
Emelle’s Catering www.emelles.com
Le Gavroche www.legavroche.ca
Goldfish Pacific Kitchen www.goldfishkitchen.com
Grouse Mountain Resorts Ltd. www.grousemountain.com
Hamilton Street Grill 1009 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
Indishpensable www.indish.ca
Joey’s Restaurant www.joeysrestaurants.com
O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar www.odoulsrestaurant.co
Major the Gourmet Catering www.majorthegourmet.com
Mr. Pickwick’s Fish & Chips www.mrpickwicks.bc.ca
NU Restaurant + Lounge www.whatisnu.com
Ouisi Bistro www.ouisibistro.com
Peake of Catering www.peakeofcatering.com
Radha Yoga & Eatery www.radhavancouver.org
Rangoli www.vijsrangoli.ca
Raincity Grill www.raincitygrill.com
Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. www.rockymountainflatbread.ca
Roundel Café 2465 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
Salt Tasting Room www.salttastingroom.com
Savoury City Catering www.savourycity.com
Tapastree www.tapastree.ca
Terra Breads – Kitsilano www.terrabreads.com
The Lazy Gourmet www.lazygourmet.ca
UBC Foodservices www.food.ubc.ca
Vancouver Aquarium www.vanaqua.org
Vij’s www.vijs.ca
West www.westrestaurant.com
Whistler Cooks Catering whistlercooks.com
Wild Rice www.wildricevancouver.com
ZIN Restaurant & Lounge www.zin-restaurant.com