Spring 2008
In short...
I listened to NPR radio this morning and people who are concerned with the effects of climate change to marine life were able to ask questions to some specialists. Other knowledgeable personalities detailed on the decline of certain species due to overfishing and offered some tips.
As a consumer, you have some power to exercise which is your purchase decision. At the end of the day you are the customer and can directly impact the decision making of the supply side of the market. Summarized, this means that if you don’t buy a certain product and adapt your decision making to a more sustainable alternative, the market will follow.
This trend is very noticeable in the “GOING GREEN & SUSTAINABLE” market, which today is an annual $ 226 billion market and its growing fast. Here we include green energy, alternative health care, personal development, green building, Eco tourism, and so on.
Coming back to the discussion of marine life and more specifically the conservation of it, there is a great tool that I should tell you about. It’s called the FishPhone, which is Blue Ocean’s new sustainable seafood text messaging service.
The service - delivered at your doorstep through handling some digits - FishPhone instantly puts sustainable seafood information at your fingertips.
To find out about your seafood choice, text 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question. Fishphone will text you back with their assessment and better alternatives to fish with significant environmental concerns.
Developed by Blue Ocean’s Seafood Program Manager Nick Hall and Seafood Research Associate Dane Klinger, FishPhone instantly puts sustainable seafood information at your fingertips.
Phil Lempert, TODAY Food Editor on MSNBC.com said about the FishPhone: “Having this information in the palm of our hands while we shop or visit our local restaurants is the start of something big! We consumers have many questions, especially as the USDA and FDA seem so overworked, under-funded and ineffectual when it comes to food safety issues; using our handheld devices to connect to the most up to date info in real time makes us the “commanders” of our food shopping experience.”
I’ll be sure to retrieve a wonderful interview I had with Philip Cousteau, son of Jacques Cousteau on the preservation of our Ocean and will offer it to the readers of Sustainable Styles for its Spring issue.
How to...
Prepare Smokey Green Pasta ( 4 people )
PASTA
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•500 g whole wheat pasta, go for the Cappelini, as it will be lighter to digest. to be boiled in salted water. I aways put in some virgin olive oil.
Put together in a wok:
SAUCE
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•250 g Smoked Tofu
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•1 fresh tomato 200 grams of ( 50 % dried) tomatoes, they come in a little container with olive oil.
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•150 grams Spinach in cream
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•100 ml whole milk
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•5 table spoons cheese ( go for the one you like )
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•5 turns of black pepper
Once the pasta is AL DENTE, drain it and mix it in the wok with the sauce. Serve on heated plates and sprinkle fresh basil and parmigiani
SALAD
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•2 Belgian Endive
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•20 leafs of Lettuce
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•1 Tomato
SALAD DRESSING
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•3 spoons of olive oil
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•1 spoon of balsamic vinegar
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•1 spoon of mustard from Dijon
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•pepper and salt
Where to...
URBAN ORGANIC, sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Fresh organic produce, smack in the middle of the city, at an incomparable value. We know it sounds too good to be true – but over the past 10 years, URBAN ORGANIC has become the country’s largest home delivery service of organic produce and groceries, and they are still one of the best-kept secrets around.
A variety of products and services are offered, and they will deliver your order as close to your kitchen table as you like.
So do the global community a favor, call their office today and begin to "save time, save money, save the planet."
Some examples (*): A typical box contains . Prize ranges from $24.99 for the Little Box to $54.99 for the Super-Value Box
The Juicing Box is offered at $34.99. Juice all you want...includes Carrots, Beets, Celery, Cucumbers, Parsley, Ginger, Apples, Pears, plus two types of dark greens.
(*)The contents of the box change week to week. This is a sneak peek for this week:
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•Carrots, Red Chard, Arugula, Broccoli, Green Peppers, Red Potatoes, Romaine Lettuce, Bananas, Tangerines, Gala Apples, Dan Jou Pears, Valencia Oranges, Mangoes, Tomatoes, Grapefruit
Address: 240 Sixth Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Phone: (718) 499-4321 Fax: (718) 965-4688
Interview...
Meet Enrico Malta, one of my neighbors, whom I bumped into one day. A discussion started and a passionate dialog for good food and wines (yes we both love that Shiraz!!) unfolded. Oh, and I forgot to say: he grew up in Sicily, with only the freshest produce composing his daily diet.
PP: You are in the food business, describe me the scope of your work ?
EM: I manage two types of businesses : a food business, 16 outlets in total and a construction company.
PP: What dominates in your work, business, tradition, passion, generosity to share a good meal, profit, a mix of it all?
EM: Well I grew up in Sicily and my grandfather had one of those big farms with surrounding land. This enabled us to have the best olives oils, meats and baked goods on a daily basis. That was passion and I pass on the tradition of generosity.
On one of my last restaurant visits, I asked the chef to cut the salmon tartar thicker, as to offer a better experience for the client. You don’t have the business without the passion, but you also need the business to continue the passion.
PP: For many people like you, their calling comes at a young age. What did you dream of becoming when you were 12.
EM: I wanted to be James Bond, I saw myself with that special attache case and I’m talking about the James Bond that was embodied by Sean Connery. Later on, I changed and traveled the world, went back to Italy and had to overcome various hurdles before I became successful.
PP: Can you describe a day in the life of Enrico
EM: I visit various of our businesses, meet with the chefs, taste the food, make recommendations. Make sure that the quality control is in place. We also are on the lookout for new expansions and consider franchising. It differs every day.
PP: The website of the New York city restaurants Group shows 13 different formulas. What is your favorite and why.
EM: Well actually we have more restaurants than that, currently we are at 16. It is difficult to choose, but I would go for Bar Bascolo, because it’s my new baby.
PP: Do you cook yourself and what is your best creation?
EM: Yes I do and my best dish is Risotto Milanese.
PP: Did you have a mentor, or a particular source of inspiration?
EM: In Rome there is a restaurant called Popi Popi, I really liked their emotional sense of tradition. You can call that place my source for inspiration.
PP: The movement of eating healthy and organic food is rapidly expanding, are you a integrating this concept in your ?
EM: It’s not always feasible, but I have some locations that serve excellent organic wines, like the one we are sharing now. Arte Café around the corner has great organic wines and so does our Bar Baresco.
PP : Once a year, you organize a big party, can you tell me more about that?
EM: Every year, we host the Nominee’s Cocktail reception for the annual Drama Desk Award and invite around 400 people. This is a mix of actors who perform On Broadway, Off- Broadway and even Off-Off Broadway. It’s a party for real people, and the nominees will receive their nomination certificate. An artist is present to make sketches and the best will receive a permanent home in our restaurant. It’s a true melting pot. you should come!
PP: what is your wish for the future of our planet
EM: Make wine, not war!
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