Compost

Joint project maps Sydney’s future food supply

In the Local Government section of the Sydney Morning Herald 25 August there is small article about the Syndey Peri-Urban Netowrk (12 councils around the ring of the city) and the Institute of Sustainable Futures at UTS starting work on a project called Mapping Sydney’s Potential Foodsheds, the aim of which is develop info that ‘will help inform both local and stage government land-use planning decisions relating to Sydney’s fringe’.

I look forward to the release later this year. Here’s a link to more info http://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/institute-sustainable-futures/news/planning-sydneys-food-futures

[Note to self, must read Local Government pages more often}

A social history of Jell-O: The rise and fall of an American icon

‘Plain Jell-O and sweet Jell-O salads remain popular in the US, especially in the rural Midwest and the Deep South. Savory Jell-O salads do, however, remain popular in Utah and other heavily Mormon areas. "There will be at least four or five kinds of Jell-O salads at any event," almost all of them savory, Sariah Hilliam of Roosevelt, Utah, told the Los Angeles Times. In fact, this region is often nicknamed the "Jell-O Belt," and in 2001 the state of Utah named Jell-O its official state snack.’

I don’t recall every having the savoury made-grelatine salads of the peak of this fashion but I have to confess I am tempted to try some. I do recall quite fondly the Aeroplane jellies my mum made with canned peaches or pineapple or cherries inside, though, with a dollop or two of vanilla ice cream; I used to love mashing it all up together, vomitous though the result often looked. In latter years I have on occasion made a fruit jelly though I am likley to use agar agar these days as I live with a vegan; the consistency is quite different at least in my experience, and I have had an interesting time when too much agar agar has made a think rubbery sliceable lump.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/08/history-of-jell-o-salad.html?utm_source=The+Shortlist+Daily&utm_campaign=42f475ab8b-The_Shortlist_Daily_20_August_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7870ce0889-42f475ab8b-302682317

Weird waters: the trend for modified, mleted or infused H2O

‘“Lots of people are really working the water space,” says Morgaine Gaye, a food futurologist.’

Well, there certainly is a lot of space to work between the ears of the likes of Morgaine, that’s for sure. On the other hand, you have to be in awe of capitalism at times like this.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2015/aug/23/weird-waters-the-trend-for-modified-melted-or-infused-h20?CMP=ema_632

Kale crisis: aphids could destroy the superfood smoothie revolution

‘It doesn’t bear thinking about. Where will they get their daily doses of beta-carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol and bile acid sequestrants now?

And smugness. Don’t forget the smugness. You would be smug, too, if you were banishing cancer, wrinkles, bowel woes and cholesterol in one fell swoop.

And joy. You banish joy if you’re forever chewing on a fibrous bale of bitter greens. There are lots of ways to improve those aspects of this wonderfood.

Mm-hm. Any of them wholly successful? The Italian method of calling it cavolo nero and drowning small portions of it in cream, cheese, olive oil and spaghetti seems to work best.’

Look, you can slapdown your superfood kale any time and that’s fine with me, but keep your satire away from cavalo nero.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2015/aug/25/kale-crisis-aphids-could-destroy-the-superfood-smoothie-revolution?CMP=ema_632

Less salt in home brand foods, surprised researchers find

‘"This research shows that is not always the case in regard to salt," she said. "This is good news, especially for families shopping on tight budgets who are more likely to buy private label products, but are also most likely to suffer from health problems caused by high blood pressure.’

Yeah, but, call me cynical, just how much of the whole product is salt, hmmm. And can I say this research is typically the kind that Tim Spector criticises in his book The Diet Myth. The Real Science Behind What We Eat, research that looks at a single part of foods whose overall nutritional value is still staggeringly low.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/less-salt-in-home-brand-foods-surprised-researchers-find-20150826-gj7ws5.html?eid=email:nnn-13omn656-ret_newsl-membereng:nnn-04/11/2013-news_am-dom-news-nnn-smh-u&campaign_code=13INO010&et_bid=24504251&promote_channel=edmail&mbnr=MTA3Mzk4Njg#ixzz3jzsXu6wW