Beans are optional
Chili and the art of unrefined dining.. Elbrich Fennema | November 2008 issue The fact that it’s possible to be obese and undernourished is solely due to the invention of refined, or processed, food. But in this case, “refined” is in no way related to refinement; it’s about impoverished Read More...
The Tao of arugula
How to get maximum flavor with minimum effort. Elbrich Fennema | Sept/Oct 2009 issue To achieve a harmonious life, the Taoists propagated a curious recommendation: wu wei, or do by not doing. In our action-oriented society, not doing something is underappreciated. Of course, not doing isn't the Read More...
Simplifying supplements
A user’s guide to vitamins and minerals, from calcium to omega-3s. Carmel Wroth | Sept/Oct 2009 issue Natto, a brown, gluey mass of fermented soybeans that emits an ammoniac stench, is served oozing over a bed of rice. In some regions of Japan, natto is a breakfast staple. To most non-Japanese, Read More...
Try a little bubbly
Elbrich Fennema | August 2009 issue Photograph: Pieter de Swart "Laughter kills fear," writes Umberto Eco in his novel The Name of the Rose, which probably explains why laughing is considered healthy. When fear arises in the kitchen, it tends to be about the fear of failure. A simple Read More...
Fat is where it's at
Janet Paskin | June/July 2009 issue Jenny Matthau stands in front of hundreds of students at the Natural Gourmet School and speaks heresy. The New York City culinary program specializes in "health-supportive, whole-foods cuisine" with a "plant-based curriculum." Beef and pork aren’t on the Read More...
A cure for salad allergy
The pleasures of gazpacho, Spain’s powerhouse summer soup. Carolyn Steel | June/July 2009 issue Lots of people have a nearly pathological aversion to raw vegetables, which is understandable given that most of us associate raw veggies with "healthy." And if your mother said something was healthy, Read More...
Ode's 2009 Organic Top 20
A garden of earthly delights — Ode’s annual pick of products that are good for your body, your soul and the planet. The Editors | May 2009 issue Back in March, First Lady Michelle Obama made a bold statement when she picked up a shovel and began digging up a patch of White House lawn to plant Read More...
The inefficient pleasure of cherries
What to do with all those cherries? Make a pie! Elbrich Fennema | May 2009 issue When an economist looks at a cherry tree, he or she sees inefficiency. The excess of flowers will yield an excess of cherries, each with its own fertile pit, all of which can’t possibly grow into cherry trees. What a Read More...
Grandmother’s Day: A chance to show what grandmas have to give
In an effort to preserve the knowledge and skills of grandparents, famous Irish chef Darina Allen launched Slow Food International Grandmother’s Day, to be celebrated every April 25th. Sanra Ritten | May 2009 issue Is Grandmother’s Day just a ploy to persuade people to buy grandmothers Read More...
Had it with the heartburn? Try a Mediterranean diet
April 2009 issue When I was a young assistant professor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I often woke in the night with heartburn. I mentioned it to a few colleagues, who were surprised to hear I didn’t take an antacid every night—as they did—to prevent acid buildup in the stomach. At the Read More...