“Virtuous eating” is a balancing act. One the one hand, I choose to eat foods produced locally, organically, sustainably, etc. On the other hand, I will eat what is set before me (by friends and family, when I’m receiving their generosity) without questioning sources (unless that is part of the ongoing conversation). This author did a lovely job relating the various balancing acts he performs, with honesty and clarity.

GREAT MOVIE. Thanks to Culinate for sending me the e-mail. I’d read about it in the Oregonian last Tuesday. Four of us went, and spent an hour at the Lauralwood Pizza Co talking about the film and its implications. Thanks to the filmmakers for making something worth watching; here’s hoping the message becomes widespread.

My experience (not theory, but then again I have no control group!) is that increasing exercise is the key to losing or maintaining weight. When I began running seriously (25 or more miles per week), I found that the junk foods I used to enjoy no longer appealed to me AT ALL. It is very easy for me to walk away from donuts, cookies, candy, etc.

The flip side is I began to crave the good stuff: whole grains, leaner meals, the nutrient-dense foods.

So I’d like to know if Taubes is speaking from his own experience, or just making up theories that might seem reasonable, or has he talked only to “casual” exercisers?

It sounds like Nicole (first commenter) is speaking from her experience -- her comments match exactly what I’ve found to be true.

So go join a Hood-to-Coast team or ride Cycle Oregon -- or even join me at the Portland Marathon. Tackle a BIG challenge, not just the occasional 1-mile walk to the nearest Starbucks.

PLEASE tell me that you’ll let us know as soon as the books in this series become available. I took a class from Mr. Kallas some years ago: we walked down the Wildwood Trail in the Balch Creek area of Forest Park, and learned lots. I still eat nettles, but will confess that in recent years I’ve bought them at the Farmer’s Market instead of harvesting my own.

Thanks, Carrie. I LOVE this simplicity of this recipe; my previous favorite chai mix calls for about six different spices. I’m now trying each ingredient separately (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, tumeric (!), etc.

I just read the article on MOOD FOOD, and tuning one’s chai to fits one’s mood or craving seems quite apt.

Can anyone tell me if this can be stored in canning jars (e.g., fill jars, put on lids, turn upside down for 5 minutes to sterilize, let cool and listen for the “pop” as it seals, store at room temp)?

It wasn’t until Starbucks came to town that I could get a decent cup of tea. Now it is easy to get a GOOD cup of tea, not just at a Starbucks but at almost any coffehouse, but even better at real tea shops. It would be interesting to graph the increase in TEA HOUSES and see if it follows the line for independent coffeehouses...

Two questions: (1) Does anyone know where I can get raw whole milk in downtown Portland, OR; (2) Will someone please comment - from his/her own experience - on any difference in TASTE between raw and pasturized mile?

Good article with interesting information, and it brings to mind the difference between being “healthy” and “not sick,” the difference between the minimum vitamin intake to prevent disease, and the optimum vitamin intake to maintain health. Clearly “health” is a continuum, not simply two categories of “sick” and “well.”

It is almost embarrassing to me to be talking about fine-tuning milk choices in a world where there are way too many people hungry, but since we ARE in a position of abundance, we should choose wisely.

AND it is no small matter how we treat the animals that provide this fundamental source of so many products that we delight in.

So many good issues, so little time.

Can anyone post a correction? I see cardamom pods (lightly crushed) listed twice.

I almost always include cinnamon...

Well said, madouglas; I stand corrected. Worm Art Rules.

But you must admit that those African women have made some good looking decorative & functional items.

I used to hate/loathe/detest brussel sprouts, until I learned the secret: saute some chopped onion until translucent, add thinly sliced brussel sprouts (or, if in a hurry, just cut them in half) and continue to saute until bright green, then ADD THE JUICE OF A FRESH LIME. The acidity of the citrus neutralizes the bitterness of the sprouts, and all the flavors result in a side dish that has often made us forget the main course. (And yes, I’ve used fresh lemon juice with ALMOST as good results.)

Now I’m off to make the Meyer Lemon Mousse, since my lemon tree gave me a bumper crop this year! THANKS, Ms Rennie.

foxfireteas has it right: loose leaf teas can taste better, and the ritual of brewing tea is a whole other added dimension.

That said, I must confess I use bags at work (OK, I admit it: and at home) for convenience. A couple years ago I found myself tossing yet another teabag into the trash can in my office, and feeling guilty about the waste. So I tried an experiment: I built a mini (1-gallon) worm bin for my office. Two years later those redworms are still doing their job, and I’m getting a nice bunch of compost. I toss in the whole bag, including the tag and that little staple.

It ain’t ART, but it does keep my teabags (and occasional apple cores) out of the waste stream. And my office plants are thriving!

Someone once told me that Ghandi said this: “Anything you do is bound to be insignificant. And it is very important that you do it.”

Offered with gratitude to our fine PDX bakers.

A new bakery beckoned to me
With fresh breads, warm croissants, and tea.
I left them to ponder
This double entendre:
“You’ll be seeing a lot more of me.”