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May 2009 |
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Cooking Little is a kitchen shopping and tips blog for urban dwellers and anyone who cooks in a small kitchen. Beyond the kitchen, we feature diversions such as culinary travel spots, classes and tasting events. |
 Light My Fire, the makers of the Grilliput and it's trusty side kick the Fire Bowl, knew the intuitive design and light weight would make backpackers drool, but apartment dwellers? Sure. The Grilliput is built to last and to travel -- made of stainless steel and weighing a smidge over a pound. It's nothing to store and the compact footprint is right for a petite balcony. You can pretend it's a chiminea! Away from home it slips into a bag for the park, a hike, or even for a last minute weekend rental. A warning -- this dreamy micro grill set up is not well suited to the "look out below" fire escape BBQ scene. (REI, Target and Amazon carry the Grilliput, but Think Geek has the sweetest deal. Or check your local camping store.) $28.98 for the set AT THINK GEEK Gifts for Micro-Kitchens
 Events
 If kicking the paper towel habit is harder than you thought, then get hooked on Twist natural and eco-friendly cleaning tools. The conventional wisdom is if you do something for 28 days you will form a new habit. Try the Twist Sponge Cloths for a month and when you think about reaching for a paper towel remember that you like money and trees and you’ll be saving both. At $3.99 for a three pack and thousands of cleaning uses compared to one per paper towel, it beats whatever you are spending on paper towels each month. You can use Twist with a clear conscious too. This company is frugal with their packaging and reuses production waste. At Twist they mix a serious commitment to the environment with a heavy dose of whimsy -- the cardboard packaging can be folded into bird feeders and other products bear names such as the Dish Dumpling, the Ravoli Scrubby and the Naked Sponge. Our overall impressions…Twist natural cleaning tools make big picture and bottom line sense. They last long, are a pleasure to use and biodegrade. Now, it seems silly to use green household cleaners with paper towels and sponges that waste resources and are dumped in landfills. Read on for the down and dirty details of our product testing, other product pictures and some composting tips for these biodegradable beauties. $2.79-$4.99 for multi-packs AT OUR GREEN HOUSE Eco
READ MORE ON Twist Natural Cleaning.
 Delicious, Healthy, and Helpful Foods In my world, I can look around at any social gathering and see a variety of takes on being a vegetarian, some specialized approaches on healthy eating, the unapologetic carnivores, two or three allergy considerations, a couple of "doctor's orders" and a smattering of lovable picky eaters. Typically, I juggle these specs pretty well, barring anyone switching sides without notice, and I am happy to accommodate. Even so, I was thrilled to discover Organicville Foods -- condiments made from agave nectar, my go-to sweetener, and also gluten-free. The Herbes de Provence salad dressing had a well balanced flavor and made a quick warm green bean and potato salad. Next it was used to marinate chicken breast for broiling. The Sesame Teriyaki, with a generous amount of whole sesame seeds, worked well for stir fries, quick saucing and dipping. Though fairly low in sodium, I diluted it with a mix of citrus juice to bring down the sodium content for some folks. And the pineapple salsa went very fast -- first with chips, then it was tossed into a mixed grain salad -- bulgur, quinoa and black rice -- with minced red onion and jicama and cucumber. The pineapple salsa is tangy and mild, but the Organicville line has other salsas if you like more kick. The best part about opening the bottles and jars and tasting the Organicville treats is that is real food. There are plenty of good stories behind brands big and small, but the folks behind Organicville have been living the organic life for three generations and are committed to making it easier and less of a novelty for the rest of us. You can find their products in a variety of health food and organic shops, but look for Organicville Foods in Pathmark and Costco. Score! And as of this month, the salsas will be available at Whole Foods. If there is no store near you, the Organicville online store sells individual products and bulk. Everything Organicville is very summer-ready! $3.99 and up AT ORGANICVILLE FOODS Versatile
 In New York State, a 5 cent tax on all plastic bags is likely. This market tote design is a humorous reminder of a serious problem. Besides filling up landfills, plastic bags blow into the waterways threatening wildlife. The size is 18"x14" with 5 inch bottom gusset and 23 inch straps with double stitching. Sturdy enough for the wine, grocery, or book store, each tote is hand printed and made in the USA from 100% recycled fibers. If you would prefer a tote with a more subtle message try "Beet the System." Designs by Jen Harris. $16. AT BLACK SHEEP HEAP Eco
 Affordable Green Market Nutrition Service A comment I often hear from new cooks and people trying to eat healthier is that they buy all the right ingredients just to have them
languish in the fridge because they are stumped about what to do with these ingredients. If you can relate, then
the Earth/Body Kitchen email subscription service might be the guidance and know-how you need.
For $3 a week or less subscribers receive weekly menus, shopping lists and recipes based on the seasonal finds at the Union Square Green Market in New York City. Anyone in the North East can use the Earth/Body Kitchen service and shop their local green market, because founder and health counselor Hannah Springer includes ideas for substitutions. You'll breeze through your green market shopping and your weekly meals knowing you are supporting local farmers and a healthier you. Savvy cooks can save time with this service by using the shopping lists as a short cut then they can improvise their own final creations. Three dollars a week to save $30 or more in wasted food and you are actually eating healthier! Spend a little to save a lot. $3 a week or less AT EARTH/BODY KITCHEN Eco
 Even before the doors opened this morning, the Brooklyn Food Conference was a success. In just seven months 300 volunteers created a grassroots food conference that would bring together more than 75 food organizations under one roof for a free event to inform the community with workshops, multimedia and face-to-face contact with the people and organizations that are our local food producers and food agenda thought leaders. The ultimate goal behind the event is to forge a just,secure, sustainable, healthy and delicious food system. Speakers include: Dan Barber, Ana Lappe, Raj Patel,and LaDonna Redmond. There are workshops for kids, teens and adults lunch for sale and tonight -- a casual dress dance. So drop what you are doing, hop on the F train and head to John Jay High School immediately. Visit the site for more transportation info, including the schedule of a shuttle bus from other subway stations. If you can't make it, there is a tremendous amount of educational materials ready for download on the web site, including the launch of a new video series aptly named, "Talking Food" Thanks to everyone involved in making the event happen including: The Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn's Bounty, Why (Finding Answers for Poverty and Hunger), The Caribbean Women's Health Organization, Brooklyn Rescue Mission and all the local farmers and food organizations. |
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