Full DISHclosure

To Bee or Not to Bee?

I heard about Rob the Beekeeper at lunch last week. Actually, overheard. But, I inserted myself into my neighbor’s conversation and extracted info about a honeybee enthusiast who manages residential hives. So, Rob the Beekeeper paid a visit to our busy corner of Atlanta and found a suitable site for a soon-to-bee colony tucked under the magnolias and crepe myrtles. In 48 hours Rob will arrive with our busy new residents, and I can’t wait. Why? Because not only are... Read More

Cool Cucumber on the Lake

Memorial Day weekend, at last! Time to remember those who’ve served our country, and time to revisit the simple joys of summer.  I plan to spend the weekend unwinding with friends at Lake Blue Ridge where we’ll see if waiting 12 years between water skiing sessions is too-long a hiatus (surely not!). In case I prove less than graceful, I’m prepared to distract observers with the ultimate lake-side lunch, Cool Cucumber Gazpacho. This anything-goes refresher... Read More

Fight Back Friday

Welcome to Fight Back Friday, an ongoing collection of recipes, tips, anecdotes, and testimonies from members of the Real Food Revolution. This week, find recipes for prickly pear cactus salsa and margaritas inspired by our most recent destination with bite,  Sapelo Island. Sapelo Island: Ghosts, Gators & Prickly Pears  Read More

Agricultural Policy Should Fuel Health, Not Epidemics

Is our government making us fat, or just stupid? Elizbeth Kucinich of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine points out in the Huffington Post that the USDA spends billions of dollars on agricultural programs that support the foods health experts tell us to avoid. It invests $1.5 billion in meat and dairy production in spite of the fact that its own guidelines recommend choosing more plant-based foods (fruits/vegetables) and avoiding meats, cheese and other foods... Read More

Factory Farms Close to Home

Urban Gardener Mike Lieberman called our attention to this award-winning interactive factory farming map created by Food & Water Watch and New Signature. The map shows where U.S. factory farms are concentrated by specific animals, regions, states and counties.” Link to see what’s going on near you.  What to do? Leiberman suggests checking out some of the posts below to see how you can help stop factory farming: Unprecedented... Read More

Sapelo Island: Ghosts, Gators and Prickly Pears

My husband broke the news as I unpacked our bags inside the once-grand Reynolds Mansion, “The kitchen staff said they knew we didn’t eat meat, so they’ve made us fried chicken.” And that set the tone for all our meals while visiting Sapelo Island, a mystical, isolated barrier island off Georgia’s coast, adjacent to Blackbeard Island of pirate lore. The nearest grocery store, a Piggly Wiggly, is 30-minutes away by ferry, and that would be the closest... Read More

Health Crisis? It’s Showtime!

Okay, couch potatoes; let’s go to the movies. It may be the first stop toward improving health, because the much-anticipated Forks Over Knives finally opens today. (Well, in Atlanta, May 20, so plan ahead). The movie demonstrates why heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other chronic illnesses can be managed, drug free, just by adopting a plant-based diet. That’s the short version. See my review of the screening here. Or see today’s The Antidote To Our Health... Read More

Parting with Too Much Green at your Farmers Market?

Getting to our farmers market first thing Saturday morning is an adventure (especially if we take the bikes) and a treat. It’s a chance to pat ourselves on the back for supporting clean local fare, but also a chance to part with a load of cash. So, food policy guru Barry Estabrook‘s study comparing prices at farmers markets vs supermarkets is a more than welcome read.  It claims organic items at farmer’s markets are nearly 40 percent cheaper than at neighboring... Read More

Lady Finger Balacan at Penang

Anyone in the mood for Salted Cabbage with Pork Intestines? Maybe Assam Fish Head or Squid in Lemon Grass broth, Duck Congee (porridge), or Pork Stomach Soup? Me neither. But, having ventured to Kennesaw, GA (of all places) to check out Best Penang, I almost wish I had an adventurous, carnivorous palate. On the plus side, my aversion to such things made the Lady Finger Balacan, fresh okra with spicy red shrimp paste sauce, all the more appealing. Balacan is a typical Malay-Indonesian... Read More

From Biodiesel Cars to Biodynamic Farms, Green Matters

A hungry musician cruises through town, stopping to fuel up at the nearest Chinese restaurant. Not unusual, until you realize he’s filling his biodiesel car’s tank with used cooking oil, rather than chowing down on egg roles and dumplings. A second surprise my be the city he’s filling up in. For many, Atlanta may not spring to mind upon hearing the word “green,” but Jill Elizabeth Westfall’s self-published book, Green Matters for Everyday... Read More