Twilight Greenaway

2011: Sustainable food trends

Food Editor, Grist, Dec 20, 11.

Bye-bye bottles!
I always get a little giddy when a server offers me a carafe of house-made bubbly water. Not only does it feel like a fancy indulgence, but I know that the water has been carbonated there, in the restaurant, meaning no one has used fossil fuels to ship a heavy glass bottle filled with water (of all things!) across the world on my behalf. This year, however, I’ve noticed a number of restaurants have also begun offering wine on tap. It’s true! Some genius finally had the wherewithal to begin putting vino in 20-liter stainless steel containers similar to those used for soda syrup. The result is much less waste (of bottles, but also of wine, which tends to deteriorate quickly once a bottle has been opened), and a much smaller carbon footprint. I’ll raise a glass to that!

Root-to-stem cooking
A New York Times article from earlier this year called “That’s Not Trash, That’s Dinner” did a great job of tracking the super-green practice of cooking with oft-overlooked parts of typical fruits and vegetables. The trend, which obviously takes its name from nose-to-tail butchery (another trend that’s going strong, but isn’t exactly new unless you count the fact that people are applying the philosophy to fish), applies to everything from the ultra-utilitarian beet, carrot, and turnip tops, to chive flowers and cilantro roots. It also goes hand-in-hand with much of the preservation techniques that are making a comeback these days, as well. Case in point: pickled watermelon rind. My favorite example? The odd-sounding but enchantingly delicate peach leaf ice cream.

Full Story: 2011: Sustainable Food Trends
Source: Grist, December 13, 2011

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