saudi Kabsa catch me if you can ?

reminds me when I and my friend Craig Stewart went to Costa Rica and spent 6 hrs looking for Iguana farm where  we had a delicious Iguana Bbque.I have seen this farm years  ago on PBS.The farm was owned by a Germ.woman scientist,that belived that Iguana meat will solve human hunger
The Pro Iguana Verde Foundation started an iguana park in Costa Rica in order to protect the endangered species. Iguanas had been hunted to the edge of extinction despite government bans. Part of the reason for the lack of enforcement is that the iguana is prized as a delicious meat in Costa Rica. It is known locally as "pollo de palo", or "chicken of the trees."
German biologist Dr. Dagmar Werner, the founder of the Pro Iguana Verde Foundation, began her work in hopes that local farmers would turn to iguana farming rather than raising cattle. Cattle, whose hooves tear up what's left of the forest floor after slash-and-burn ranchers have cleared the rainforest for their fields, are more dangerous to the rainforest than iguanas, who live in and off the trees. The Pro Iguana Verde Foundation breeds iguanas at its park and reintroduces them into the rainforest.
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/22/science/a-plan-to-save-iguanas-and-the-rain-forests-in-the-bargain.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

Peach Palm Pejibaye

A Fruit that is Virtually Unknown in North America or anywhere else at the world
It has a good export potential since it is a hard fruit,so it can travel well
http://tropicalfruitnews.org/index.htm

I  first found out about this delicious fruit from my friend Craig that went with his sons 3x to Costa Rica to learn spanish.Intrigued by this fruit,I and Craig  decided in  97 to go there and  look for it.We left Milwaukee  for Chicago O Hare airport on a very cold minus 40 C day in Feb,when we hit Chicago traffic it caused us to miss our flight.After waiting 12 hrs, we finally got there. It took us 3 days at the different  markets to find this delish. Costa Rica farming, as veteran devotees of agrotourism can attest, yields many unfamiliar, usually delightful, flavors and eating experiences. Consider one of the most distinct rewards of agrotourism in Costa Rica, the peach palm fruit.  It is known as pejivalle in Costa Rica; peach-nut, pewa or pupunha in Trinidad; piva in Panama; cachipay, chichagai, chichaguai, contaruro, chonta, choritadura, chenga, jijirre, pijiguay, pipire, pirijao, pupunha, or tenga in Colombia; bobi, cachipaes, rnacanilla, melocoton, pichiguao, pihiguao, pijiguao, piriguao, or pixabay in Venezuela; comer, chonta, and tempe in Bolivia; chonta dura, chonta ruru, pijuanyo, pifuayo, sara-pifuayo, pisho-guayo in Peru; amana, in Surinam; parepon in French Guiana; popunha in Brazil. These strange-looking fruits at the market or steaming in a street corner vendor’s pot come from perhaps the most important plant in the human history of the lowland American tropics. (Costa Rican lowlands are generally found on both coasts, near Barra del Colorado, on the Caribbean, for example, and Palmar Sur on the Pacific side.)

Native to Amazonia, the peach palm fruit was scattered widely by Amerindians throughout the region, where it served as a source of wood for construction and as material for bows, arrows and spears. The peach palm fruit also provided indigenous peoples of the region with flour, palm heart, and cooked fruit flesh rich in vitamins A and C. Paleobotanical records indicate that the peach palm fruit was being cultivated in Costa Rica as early as 2300 B.C., and when Spanish explorers arrived in Costa Rica in the early 1500s, the peach palm fruit was essential for the sustenance of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean region. The peach palm fruit persists to this day as a popular delicacy in modern Costa Rica. It’s not difficult to see why it became an important crop for Costa Rica farming.But not very popular in it's capitol,hence a 3 day search

Upon first tasting the bright orange and yellow peach palm fruit, the agrotourism-inspired visitor might wonder just how it came to be so widespread and why Costa Ricans treasure it so much today. With a flavor reminiscent of dry butternut squash mixed with dry pumpkin, peach palm fruit is certainly an acquired taste (it tastes nothing like peaches!). But cooked in salty boiling water and then peeled and served with a dollop of mayonnaise or sour cream –a favorite way of eating the peach palm fruit in Costa Rica – the peach palm is, in fact, delicious. And when pureed, it forms the base for a cream soup with a rich, exotic flavor second to none.

rewolucja na talerzu

-09-30 22:11

Wiktor Szczepaniak  Puls Biznesu

Nowe zalecenia żywieniowe naukowców z Harvardu mogą zamieszać na rynku spożywczym.

Wiele firm z branż spożywczej, gastronomicznej i handlowej musi przełknąć gorzką pigułkę i rozważyć zmiany w strategii biznesowej. Naukowcy z renomowanej i opiniotwórczej amerykańskiej uczelni, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), opublikowali nowe zalecenia żywieniowe pod nazwą Healthy Eating Plate (talerz zdrowego odżywiania), w których krytycznie odnoszą się do konsumpcji wielu popularnych produktów spożywczych.

Co ciekawe, naukowcy z Harvardu podkreślają, że ich opracowanie jest odpowiedzią na opublikowane kilka miesięcy wcześniej przez amerykański Departament Rolnictwa (USDA) zalecenia żywieniowe pod nazwą MyPlate (mój talerz). Zarzucają oni USDA, że jego wskazania zawierają braki i uproszczenia, mieszając naukę z interesami potężnego agrobiznesu, co „nie jest receptą na zdrowe żywienie”.

Mocne słowa

Naukowcy z Harvardu twierdzą, że ich zalecenia są wolne od wpływów lobbingu przemysłu spożywczego i opierają się wyłącznie na naukowych danych. Duże kontrowersje, zarówno wśród producentów żywności, handlowców, jak i konsumentów, wywołają na pewno sugestie i zalecenia dotyczące spożycia produktów zbożowych, mleka, soków czy przetworów mięsnych.

10 Things To Consider Before Applying To Culinary School

So you want to be a chef. Great -- so does everyone else who's watched a little too much Top Chef, Chopped, or Iron Chef. Especially after another dreary day spent in front of Excel at the office. And let's get real -- it's hard to deny the sex appeal. Big, sharp knives, flames, creativity and passion -- chefs are the new rock stars. But what aren't they telling you on those slick tours with shiny kitchens or in those fancy brochures that make it seem like a dream come true? Here's a perspective from the trenches you'll want to consider carefully before you give the finger to the boss and put on your whites and toque. (Photo courtesy of flickr/techne)

1. Working in a Restaurant
Cooking at home is a chore for some people, and for others, it's a way to unwind for a couple of hours, especially if you've been sitting all day with little physical activity to break the monotony. Chances are, if you're thinking about going to culinary school, you're part of the latter group. You can't stop daydreaming about idyllic farmers' markets while stuck in your cubicle and the smell of basil gets you excited. Really excited. That's great. (Photo courtesy of flickr/architekt2)
But allow me to make a suggestion: If you've never worked in a restaurant, try it before you apply to culinary school. It's not as hard as you'd think to get a part-time entry-level job as a prep cook at a small neighborhood joint or even a large chain. It's normal for restaurants to have high turnover, so the good news is, you should be able to land something in no time, as long as you're not picky.
You'll learn things about working in a restaurant that will remain just as much a part of reality when you make it big in some Michelin-starred joint. You'll get to experience the typical, 12-hour shift; the heat of the kitchen on a sweltering summer day; the sheer physical nature of carrying heavy pots filled with gallons of hot soup, used cooking oil, or boiling hot water; taking things in and out of ovens using only flimsy side towels (no floral-printed oven mittens here); cutting or burning yourself on a regular basis; the power of the professional stove (low heat feels like maximum on a lousy home stove); and simply standing all day. If it gets busy enough, you might not even have time to eat, ironically.
After all this, reflect upon whether you feel like you'd make a better customer than a cook. You may realize you like eating at restaurants more than you like cooking in them.
Related: Food Myths, Debunked
2. Not Every Chef Went to Culinary School
If you took my advice and schlepped your way through the bottom ranks at some diner, and you still want to go to culinary school, congratulations. You made it. But what you'll probably find at the end of school is that you learned more useful things in the two months that you were working at that place than in six months at culinary school. And for that reason, you'll understand why there are some chefs out there who never bothered -- they're perfectly successful without having gone. Experience filled in most of the blanks for them, but they were willing to start off as dishwashers.
Related: Your Fall Farmers Market Guide
3. The Reality of Working for a Chef
The truth is, traits that would render someone unemployable in other industries are generally considered pluses in the restaurant world. Joining a kitchen is a lot like joining the military (only, theoretically, the food is better). Chefs tend to see things in black and white, dislike long explanations (whether they are correct or not), and are sometimes confrontational, aggressive, and controlling. They expect people to read their minds, and whether you realize it or not, no matter what else they're doing, they're always watching you out of the corner of their eye. You won't notice though, until something goes wrong. And if something does go wrong, punishment comes swiftly and usually involves some combination of humiliation, verbal abuse, and the assignment of a menial task such as crushing 60 heads of garlic. (Photo courtesy of flickr/US Army Korea - IMCOM)
This is the sort of environment that makes it especially difficult for office people to make the transition because it's the complete opposite of what they know. But these things shouldn't come as a surprise -- it's understandable that the relentless competition, low pay, long hours, and hectic pace would wear on even the hardiest personalities. It's only human to vent one's frustrations. And the nature of the restaurant business requires speed. Which brings me to my next point.

4. Speed is Everything
It all boils down to speed. How quickly can you clean 10 pounds of squid, supreme 14 grapefruits, and reduce five pounds of fennel to itty-bitty, perfectly cut two-millimeter cubes? If your answer is, "by tomorrow," forget it. They'll find someone else who's faster. If you're at all the sensitive, reflective type, don't bother applying. Get out. If you're reasonable and logical, also look elsewhere. Impulsive, hasty, and egotistical move to the front of the line. (Photo courtesy of flickr/sally_monster)
5. The Pay
Starting pay in a major metropolitan area is generally between $9 and $12 per hour. Assuming you didn't take out a loan, or have an interest-free loan, how long would it take to make your tuition for culinary school back? Assuming it was roughly $40,000 for six months, and you were working 12-hour shifts, it would take at least four to five years, allowing for very modest living expenses of about $20,000 per year. If you're lucky, you'll get time-and-a-half for anything over 40 hours a week. If not, well, you'll work more than 40 hours a week anyway.
6. Work/Life Balance
There isn't much of one in most cases. It's rare to get two consecutive days off in a row, and you can definitely forget about weekends -- most restaurants get most of their customers at busy dinner services, where complete dining room turnover can range anywhere from three to nine times in one night depending on the nature of the establishment.
Most sane people develop some sort of escape plan as they advance in their career -- a golden parachute if you will. Some chefs choose to teach, allowing them to maintain a more family-friendly nine-to-five schedule. Others choose to go into corporate dining, where weekends off are a norm, benefits are provided (even a 401(k) if lucky), and hours are shorter. And some chefs try to get their books published.
7. Difficulty of the Restaurant Business
If you're in this to get rich and famous, or even just to get on TV, you're probably in it for the wrong reasons. If, however, you're in it because you like food, and perhaps would like to open your own restaurant someday, then I'm sorry. Because the reality is, this is a business. While the 9-out-of-10 first-year failure rate has been debunked, the 25 percent failure rate that has taken its place should still raise some hairs. And in three years, that rate shoots up to 60 percent. While that's about the same rate that businesses in other industries go south, it's still important to realize that things will go wrong that are "special" to the restaurant business. (Photo courtesy of flickr/jojomelons)
Equipment will break down, kitchens will catch fire, roofs will leak, sewage will back up, rats will come, staff will steal, staff will do drugs, staff will get into accidents, staff will leave (not necessarily in that order), suppliers will cheat you, insurance companies will cheat you, food costs will defeat you, customers may sue you (in which case, you'll have to crawl back to that insurance company again), and "the boss" (aka the health department) will show up just when everything seems to finally be going right.
8. Alternatives
It may seem unthinkable at this point, but not everyone who goes to culinary school wants to become a bona fide chef. A culinary degree opens up possibilities in industries in which it may otherwise be difficult to gain a foothold. What sort of alternatives are out there?
Catering is popular among graduates, as is food writing, should you decide to steer clear of professional restaurant kitchens. Some related alternatives are becoming a personal chef, food stylist, or recipe tester.
Certain career paths are definitely more difficult to succeed in than others -- being a personal chef, for instance, is a lot like being a freelance writer -- your income will definitely fluctuate from one week to the next, and networking is crucial.
But whatever you decide to do in the food world afterwards, having a culinary degree shows potential employers that you have a passion for food, and a background knowledge greater than that of most home cooks; believe it or not, that counts for a lot.

9. Flawed Curricula
There's an inherent flaw in the way curricula are designed at most culinary schools today: It's a one-size-fits-all approach. Thus, in a typical class, you'll find everyone from experienced home cooks to 19-year-old whiz kids who started off working in French restaurants when they were 14.
Also, while an accelerated program may appeal to career changers, know this: It's normal to spend only one day on each topic. So if you don't get it the first time around -- tough luck. You'll need to practice on your own at home to keep up. And forget about missing class. (Photo courtesy of flickr/nachisimo)
10. Crazy People
Anthony Bourdain's said it a million times over in one form or another, but to summarize, this industry is a magnet for crazy people. It's a crazy industry. It's not just the cooks, either.
Hang around a restaurant, gastropub, bar, and every type of establishment longer than a typical customer would (say, for example, 12 hours a day, five days a week) and you'll start to notice that human beings are really, shall we say, odd creatures, each with their own peccadillos.
For example, there was once a man who ordered a burger at a bar, and who suddenly ran off to the restroom. Did he make it? Not quite. Did he go home? Not quite. He proceeded to have a seat back at the bar and eat his burger as if nothing had happened. "I would have gone home and burned my pants," said one of the cooks working there. (Photo courtesy of flickr/Ani-Bee)
If however, witnessing such appalling acts on a regular basis is your cup of tea, then more power to you.
Some last words...
I'm sure there will be plenty of admissions representatives out there who, upon reading this article, will potentially drop the gorgonzola-stuffed turkey sandwich they're eating into their lap. But there are probably more chef-instructors out there who will appreciate this black and white perspective. Because there's nothing more frustrating to them than trying to teach the home cook who's lost their way and somehow ended up in a professional kitchen. For them, there isn't much recourse, because ultimately, the students are paying customers. So there's nothing they would like more than to have a class of crazy, hardcore, talented pirates, and in their version of a perfect world, everyone would be able to quarter a chicken or fillet a fish flawlessly on their first try. For the rest of us, there's this consolation: You could already be the boss of your own kitchen. The one at home.
- Will Budiaman, The Daily Meal

Chili i gulasz mole

Papryczki chili stały się częścią diety człowieka w Ameryce Południowej  co najmniej od 7500 lat pne. Istnieją dowody archeologiczne w miejscach, położonych  w południowo-zachodnim Ekwadorze, że chili zostało udomowione ponad 6000 lat temu. w samym Meksyku hodowanych jest  ponad 140 odmian chili.a na świecie jest hodowanych 3009 odmian

Krzysztof Kolumb odkrył nie tylko Amerykę, ale i... papryczkę chili ale się pomylił  co do jej określenia „papryką” istnieje  to od  błędnego przekonania Kolumba, iż krzewy, na których rośnie papryka, produkują pieprz.

Najostrzejsza z przypraw znalazła swoje miejsce w kuchniach całego świata.

Wysuszona i sproszkowana papryka była przez wieki przyprawą ubogich, których nie stać było na drogi pieprz przywożony z Indii. Dlatego też w starych księgach kucharskich próżno szukać potraw z pieprzem.

Po soli to chili jest najpopularniejszą przyprawą na świecie. 1/4 populacji spożywa je codziennie.

Papryczka chili (capsicum annuum) ma wiele smaków i nie wszystkie są ostre. Wszystkie chili mają zawartość białka ok. 2,3% i 15,8%węglowodanów. Pozostałe elementy to witaminy i minerały. Parametry oceny jakości pikantnych owoców to pikantność, kolor i zawartość witaminy C.

Owoc jest ostry, ponieważ zawiera kapsaicynę, związek chemiczny, który służy jako ochrona dla ssaków, ale nie dla innych zwierząt, np. ptaków. Ich pikantnośćw skali Scoville (MCH) waha się między 1.500 a 750.000 w przypadku chili habanero. W przypadku chili pasilla i serrano, wykorzystywanych do przygotowania tego przysmaku kuchni meksykańskiej, którym jest mole, chili mają smak słodki i intensywny „Legenda głosi, że pewnego razu Juan de Palafoz, wicekról Nowej Hiszpanii i arcybiskup miasta Puebla, odwiedzili jego diecezję. Zakon zaproponował im bankiet, na którym kucharze wspólnoty religijnej

złączyli swoje siły. Szefem kuchni był Fray Pascual,który tego dnia biegał po całej kuchni wydając rozkazy przed nadejściem zbliżających się ważnych gości. Mówi się, że Fray Pascual był szczególnie nerwowy i zaczął strofować swoich współpracowników widząc bałagan, który panował w kuchni. Tym samym zaczął on zbierać w misce wszystkie składniki, aby je włożyć następnie do spiżarni. Taki był jego pośpiech, że potknął się tuż przed garnkiem, w którym przygotowywany był soczysty indyk. Wpadły więc do niego chili,kawałki czekolady i przeróżne inne gatunki przypraw psując danie, które miało być podane namiestnikowi.

W wielkim smutku, Fray Pascual zaczął się modlić z całą swoją wiarą, dokładnie w momencie, kiedy go zawiadomiono, że goście siedli już przy stole.Po jakimś czasie, nie mógł on uwierzyć, że wszyscy chwalili najbardziej jego danie. Pewnym jest, że mole nie jest dziełem przypadku, lecz wynikiem powolnego procesu gotowania, zapoczątkowanego w czasach przed przyjazdem Hiszpan i doskonalonego w kolonii, kiedy kuchnia meksykańska wzbogacona została elementami azjatyckimi i europejskimi. Jednak jest też pogląd że mole wywodzi się od kuchni Indyjskiej(curry),która została zaadaptowana przez Arabów którzy przez 800 lat rządzili półwyspem Iberyjskim i wnieśli dużo kulinarnych nowości do Europy poprzez Hiszpanię i Włochy.Pochodzenie mole gubi się w legendzie lub mawia się, że wywodzi się z dużych kuchni klasztornych z regionu.W tych klasztorach wzmocniono i udoskonalono kuchnię meksykańską, jako że często gościły one ważnych obywateli i osobistości prywatnych i religijnych z całego królestwa.

Każdy region wytworzył swoją własną wytwórnię i tak pojawiały się mole poblano i mole z kuchni Michoacan.” Tak samo jest również w przypadku ‘mole capon’, który jest meksykańskim przysmakiem, łączącym tradycję i unikatowy smak. . Mole jest jednym z najbardziej reprezentatywnych dań meksykańskich, szczególnie podczas dużych uroczystości.

Witold T.Zalewski- Menu  Master śledzi i analizuje trendy smakowe ,jest z wykształcenia MBA zarządzanie i marketing, Uniwersytet Wisconsin w Madison. Oprócz swojej działalności  pomagając Polskim firmom w eksporcie jako wice prezes Fundacji Rozwoju Polskiego Eksportu   Witold zwiedził ponad 36 krajów, miejsca gdzie wiedział że może tam znaleźć świetne przepisy,przyprawy  i dobrze nauczyć  się przyrządzać miejscowe dania i  wie jak doradzać innym w  sprawach kulinarnych  i  marketingu żywności.Ostatnio współtworzyszł z Romualdem Jaśkiewiczem- założycielem Siouxa,Lizard King,Fewer i Feniksa –Stowarzyszenie Pasjonatów Smaku. Od  wielu lat   z powodzeniem doradza właścicielom  i menedżerom restauracji oraz   zakładom przemysłu spożywczego , jak  tworzyć nowe produkty , koncepty i zwielokrotniać przychody.

witoldz1@eastwest.com.pl

www.listawitolda.blogspot.com

http://www.pasjonacismaku.pl/

Chiński supermarket Z-Max powstaje pod Wrocławiem

We wrześniu w Bielanach Wrocławskich przy ul. Tynieckiej ma ruszyć supermarket Z-Max. Cały asortyment nowego sklepu będzie pochodził z Chin - podała Polska Gazeta Wrocławska.
Market powstaje na powierzchni zbliżonej do tej, którą zajmuje sąsiedni sklep Piotr i Paweł. Jak podaje gazeta, chińskie sklepy powstają w Polsce jak grzyby po deszczu. Co ciekawe, nie tylko oferują produkty pochodzące z Państwa Środka. Ekspedientami są w nich w większości sami Chińczycy.

Kabanosowa wojna Polska wygrała z Niemcami i Czechami

Kabanosy  na nosy i w nosy
Nazwa kabanos pochodzi od tureckiego słowa kaban, czyli wieprz. Jej rodowód można wywieść jeszcze z XVI wieku, z czasów kontaktów Korony Polskiej z Imperium Osmańskim. Kabanos to jeden z najstarszych typów wędlin znany Polakom i ich ulubiony.Kabanosy, czyli cienkie podsuszone i podwędzone kiełbaski wieprzowe w jelitach baranich spożywano powszechnie na ziemiach Polskich już w latach dwudziestych i trzydziestych XX wieku. Wyrabiano je w niewielkich wędliniarniach i masarniach o lokalnym zasięgu handlowym pod jedną nazwą, ale w różnych odmianach regionalnych. Te różnice odnosiły się przede wszystkim do stosowanych przypraw, ale i jakości samych kiełbas. Wydawnictwa kulinarne i żywieniowe z tego okresu, takie jak "Wyrób wędlin i innych przetworów mięsnych sposobem domowym" autorstwa M. Karczewskiej wydane w 1937 roku w Warszawie, upowszechniały receptury i ujednoliconą technologię wyrobu kabanosów, co sprzyjało umocnieniu ich marki i podnoszeniu jakości. Zaletą tej kiełbasy były walory smakowe i wydłużona trwałość, którą zapewniały zabiegi konserwacyjne, takie jak wędzenie i osuszanie.

Po 1945 roku, dążenie do jakościowego rozwoju produktu ujęto w formy norm standaryzacyjnych. W 1948 Rozporządzeniem Ministrów Aprowizacji oraz Przemysłu i Handlu oficjalnie dopuszczono kabanosy do obrotu handlowego, następnie unormowano kwestie technologiczno-produkcyjne, a w 1964 roku w oparciu o historyczne tradycje produkcji opracowano jednolitą recepturę.
Kabanosy w czasach Polskiej Rzeczpospolitej Ludowej (lata 1945-1989) zdobyły wielką popularność. Kupowali je wszyscy. Zdobiły wykwintnie zastawione świąteczne stoły, znakomicie nadawały się na podróżny prowiant, na prezent, czy na zakąskę do wódki. Stały się też - obok szynki i bekonu - polską specjalnością eksportową.

Kabanosy wyrabiane są z mięsa specjalnie tuczonych wieprzy nazwanych kiedyś "kabanami". Mięso świń chowanych z przeznaczeniem na kabanosy musi charakteryzować się zawartością tłuszczu śródmięśniowego przekraczającą 3%, tzw. marmurkowatością nadającą produktowi pożądaną kruchość, soczystość oraz doskonały smak. Użycie takiego mięsa zdecydowanie wpływa na jakość ostatecznego produktu, jego specyficzny charakter i jest zgodne z tradycyjną metodą wytwarzania.

Polskie kabanosy uzyskają za kilka tygodni unijny certyfikat Gwarantowanej Tradycyjnej Specjalności - zapowiedział rzecznik unijnego komisarza ds. rolnictwa Roger Waite. W środę decyzję w tej sprawie podjęli eksperci państw członkowskich UE.

"Państwa członkowskie usunęły w środę ostatnie przeszkody stojące na drodze uznania kabanosów, jako Gwarantowana Tradycyjna Specjalność. Rejestracja produktu nastąpi za kilka tygodni - po tym, jak Komisja Europejska rozwiąże ostatnie sprawy administracyjne, w tym tłumaczenie (na języki oficjalne UE

Decyzja o przyznaniu kabanosom specjalnego unijnego statusu, zapadła po tym jak Niemcy - znany w Europie producent kiełbas - wycofały swój sprzeciw przeciwko tej decyzji. Zdaniem KE, Niemcy nadal będą mogły produkować kabanosy, ale tylko kabanosy z Polski będą miały prawo do noszenia unijnego logo.

Zdaniem ekspertów, przyznanie logo ma olbrzymie znaczenie dla komercjalizacji produktów: opatrzenie produktów unijnym certyfikatem sprzyja różnorodności rolnictwa, pozwala na wyeliminowanie podróbek i potwierdza dobrą jakość produktu.

Według informacji ministerstwa rolnictwa "Gwarantowana Tradycyjna Specjalność", to tradycyjny produkt rolny lub środek spożywczy zarejestrowany przez Komisję Europejską ze względu na jego specyficzny charakter. Aby mógł zostać uznany za Gwarantowaną Tradycyjną Specjalność, musi być produkowany przy użyciu tradycyjnych surowców lub musi charakteryzować się tradycyjnym składem, sposobem produkcji lub przetwarzania. Może być wytwarzany na terenie całej Polski, pod warunkiem, że spełni warunki specyfikacji.Chociaż ostatnio zauważyłem że nasze kabanosy przeobrażają się w pikantne pepperoni a a najlepsze  pochodzą od firmy Tarczyński

Milwaukee recognized for urban farms, aquaponics

Used to live in Mke area for over 30 years

International team recognizes Milwaukee's 'high potential' to improve access to healthy food, revitalize neighbor hoods and create jobs

By Karen Herzog of the Journal Sentinel

Sept. 19, 2011 |(25) Comments

Milwaukee could become more economically viable and help the world feed itself through urban agriculture and aquaponics - water-efficient systems that can transform abandoned factories and vacant lots into urban farms that raise fish and vegetables, a report released Monday says.

Milwaukee already has the base investment and model to improve access to healthy food while revitalizing neighborhoods and creating jobs, says the report, which lays out a game plan for the city to take urban food production to the next level.

The report was prepared by an international team from technology and consulting firm IBM, which spent three weeks this summer analyzing the city's prospects around the theme "Smarter Cities Feed Themselves." The team visited Growing Power, a nonprofit urban farm at 5500 W. Silver Spring Drive that pioneered aquaponics, and Sweet Water Organics, a commercial aquaponic farm in an old factory in Bay View. The team also looked at Natural Green Farms, a commercial aquaponic farm in an abandoned, four-story manufacturing building in Racine.

Milwaukee was one of 24 "high-potential" cities around the world chosen by IBM to receive expertise at no cost to improve quality of life in the areas of water, energy, health care, transportation, communication or social services. In each city, the IBM team set out to synchronize and analyze efforts among sectors and agencies, and to compile information for decision makers to help them anticipate - rather than just react to - problems.

Milwaukee has an entrepreneurial history of creating homegrown industries such as mining and manufacturing and has a reputation as a leader in water research, the IBM team noted in its report. Growing food on vacant city lots and developing a food industry around water could be next.

"I'm very optimistic, but my optimism is based on a very pragmatic approach," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who expressed concern about "over-promising."

"The potential is there to create jobs. There's no doubt," the mayor said. "But it will be most sustainable if it's done on an organic basis," without creating an oversupply or false demand, he said.

"This entire movement has been organic, so it's going to grow at the speed at which it can grow itself. I don't want to leave the impression that six months to a year from now, the city will be magically transformed. It's going to be neighborhood by neighborhood."

'Food deserts'

By 2050, cities will house more than two-thirds of the world's population.

Many cities, including Milwaukee, have "food deserts," or large areas without traditional grocery stores because poverty is high, and supermarkets choose not to operate there. As a result, residents have less access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. Neighborhood corner stores and convenience stores typically don't offer quality fresh produce.

"It's an issue for chronic diseases," said Paul Hunter, associate medical director for the Milwaukee Health Department and an assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

"It makes it very difficult for people who already have chronic diseases to follow the recommendations of what they know they should eat when they don't have access," Hunter said.

Creating jobs through urban agriculture could help lift some neighborhoods out of poverty, and that could have a positive effect on public health issues such as infant mortality, he said.

Homegrown initiatives in Milwaukee are filling some of the gaps and are revitalizing neighborhoods while feeding them, said Young Kim, executive director of the Fondy Food Center, 2347 W. Fond du Lac Ave.

One initiative Kim is involved with links corner stores with local vegetable growers.

Another initiative is nutrition advocacy and community gardens nurtured by Walnut Way Conservation Corp., a nonprofit neighborhood organization whose co-founder, Sharon Adams, is featured in an IBM video about Milwaukee's potential in urban farming.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has a stake in this, too.

UWM Chancellor Mike Lovell noted in the IBM video that the university launched the nation's first graduate School of Freshwater Sciences "because we are located right here along the banks of Lake Michigan, and this gives a real competitive advantage because water is becoming such a scarce resource."

It takes a lot of water to grow food.

But aquaponics is a water-efficient way to produce large quantities of fish and vegetables in tight spaces. Aquaponics is a closed-loop system that simulates a wetland. Plants act as water filters to keep fish healthy, and fish waste acts as a natural fertilizer to help plants grow.

Recommendations

The release of the IBM report coincides with a regional water summit at Discovery World on Monday and Tuesday, hosted by the Milwaukee Water Council.

The IBM team recommends that the city:

• Form an Urban Agriculture and Aquaponics Council, based on the successful model of the Milwaukee Water Council. The new council would advance science and business success through sharing of knowledge, innovation and technology by for-profit, nonprofit and public sector stakeholders.
• Establish an Aquaponics Innovation Center to help area universities and K-12 schools transfer technology and develop skills. The center also would evaluate new aquaponics technologies and help develop aquaponics businesses by analyzing best practices and economic impact.
• Do a market analysis of aquaponics production, supply chain expansion and market opportunity to guide industry expansion.
• Expand the city's Office of Environmental Sustainability to advocate urban agriculture and aquaponics.

The mayor said he expects the recommendations to move forward.

While the IBM report projects optimism, it also offers a reality check.

Milwaukee's expertise in manufacturing helped create one of the most highly skilled manufacturing bases in the world, the report says.

Aquaponics, as an innovation in farming, "may not be the largest supplier of jobs," the report says. "However, we have determined that it will become increasingly important to measure jobs throughout the aquaponics supply chain in order to truly understand the impact of an industry."

An aquaponics farm may employ 40 to 50 people, IBM notes. But if the industry can attract other businesses to the area - fish processors, a post-harvesting facility, or centrally located compost facility - there's additional potential for jobs and economic development.

IBM recommends that the city develop policies to encourage aquaponics growth, including low-cost leases of city-owned property and tax incremental financing to help start-ups. Federal grants also may be available, the report says.

"Building upon the maturing models of aquaponics, Milwaukee has the potential to influence the world food supply," IBM concluded.

"That's what we've been saying for quite a few years," said urban farmer Will Allen, CEO and founder of Growing Power, who has been recognized for his work by the MacArthur Foundation and Time magazine, among others.

"Demand for locally produced food far outpaces the production right now," Allen said. As a nation, "I think we could go beyond the less than 1% local food production where we are now, to about 10% in the next five years. That's a $1 billion change."

Will Allen courts Walmart

Consider the Growing Power model.

The nonprofit farm has about 100 employees, including 70 full time. Allen plans to add 150 more employees in the next three years.

Growing Power produces vegetables on 20 farms and in 50 year-round hoop houses. Those vegetables end up in about 100,000 households in southeastern Wisconsin at least occasionally, including 10,000 households served by the main farm on W. Silver Spring Drive, Allen said.

Last year, Growing Power fed healthy afternoon snacks - sunflower sprouts and pea shoots - to 25,000 students in Milwaukee Public Schools, delivered by Sysco, Allen said.

Sysco also delivers Growing Power vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes to several other school districts in southeastern Wisconsin.

Growing Power is looking for more land on Milwaukee's south side and hopes to gain access to the yards of abandoned MPS schools to expand hoop house production year-round, Allen said.

The nonprofit farm collects 80,000 pounds of food waste each week from 22 Walmart stores in southeastern Wisconsin to compost it and create rich soil for growing more food.

Allen now has his sights set on Walmart's produce sections.

"My goal is to get our food into a specially 'locally grown' section of Walmart stores in southeastern Wisconsin," the urban farmer said.

The Walmart Foundation earlier this month announced a $1.01 million grant to Growing Power to help provide staff training and other support for 20 community food centers in more than 15 states.

***

Milwaukee's story

To watch a video about Milwaukee's prospects in urban agriculture and aquaponics, and IBM's recommendations to take urban farming to the next level, go to youtube.com/watch?v=1w9w8j1vHB8.

Singaporean food past and present

In Singapore Food & Drink

“I eat therefore I am” is the creed by which Singaporeans live. Singapore’s food has as mixed a heritage as its people, a fact that comes to life at the country’s crowded hawker centres.

• Related story: Singapore's marathon food tour

Hawker centres, or open air food courts, have come to define Singaporean food culture. Popular markets like Old Airport Road Food Centre in Geylang, Golden Mile Food Centre on Beach Road and Maxwell Road Food Centre in Chinatown offer the best of Malaysian, Chinese and Indian cooking, wrapped into foods that are uniquely Singaporean.

Singapore's lively culinary scene is gradually attracting renowned chefs from around the world. In the past year, Singapore won its first Michelin Star-rated restaurants: Santi and Guy Savoy. Like most fine dining restaurants in Singapore, these establishments focus on Western food. But a few upscale eateries are starting to experiment with Singaporean flavours, developing reinterpretations of classic, beloved dishes.

Such creations are taking old foods in new directions. Before we look toward the future of these dishes, though, let us look at how they came into existence in the first place. After all, each dish has a story to tell about Singaporean culture and history.

Looking backward
When British imperialist Thomas Stamford Raffles sought to convert Singapore into a trading post for the East India Company in 1819, writes Wendy Hutton in Singapore Food, immigrants from China, Malaya, India, Indonesia, Europe, America and the Middle East flocked to the island.

Chinese traders migrated from several different provinces of southern China, bringing with them distinct languages and cuisines. This can be observed in the dishes of modern day Singapore. Hainanese chicken rice, arguably the king of Singaporean hawker food, evolved from a Hainan dish made of bony wengcheng chicken. Hokkiens from Amoy and Fukien provinces brought with them Hokkien mee, or yellow wheat noodles, incorporated into many hawker dishes, a popular one being Hokkien char mee, pan fried noodles in dark soy sauce with squid, prawns, pork, cabbage and crispy pork belly.

Peranakan, or Nonya, cuisine was born in the late 1800s, Hutton explains in her book, when Chinese labourers arrived in Southeast Asia without wives. They began marrying Malay women and their descendants came to be known as Peranakan or Straits Chinese. Their food combined flavours from China, Malaya and the countries they travelled to as merchants.

One example is ayam buah keluak, braised chicken and black nuts stuffed with sweet pork. The nuts come from Indonesia, since many Peranakan families came through Java and Sumatra, while the pork is Chinese, since Muslims from Malaya and Indonesia did not eat pork.

Another is laksa, one of the several dishes both Singapore and Malaysia claims to have invented. Katong laksa is a vermicelli noodle soup made with coconut milk, prawns, cockles, fish cakes, bean sprouts, lemongrass, turmeric, homemade shrimp-chilli paste and the all-important laksa leaves. The turmeric and chilli suggest Indian influence, while the sprouts suggest Chinese influence. The rest incorporates a mix of Malay, South Indian and Eurasian influences.

Indians came to Singapore first as indentured servants and later as traders. Hailing from modern day Tamil Nadu and Kerala, they brought vegetables like gourds and seedpods and seafood like crab and fish, respectively.

One Singaporean dish with obvious Indian influence is the curry puff, created as a British friendly version of the samosa. Curry puffs are puff pastries filled with potatoes, Indian spices and meat.

Indian transplants also shared their love of spicy food, bringing heat to such dishes as the ever popular chilli crab and curry debal, or "devil's curry". Curry debal was created by Eurasian traders (of mixed Portuguese and South Asian descent) when they decided to stew leftovers from Christmas. The hodgepodge stew, made with pork, poultry, potatoes, candlenut, galangal, vinegar, mustard and homemade chilli paste, is commonly enjoyed on Boxing Day.

One of today's most popular Indian-inspired dishes came about more recently. Fish head curry is thought to have been created in the 1950s by a Keralan chef who balked at the idea of discarding edible parts of the fish. While fish head does not exist in Indian cooking, it does in Chinese, so the dish became a hit (as the story goes, anyway).

Looking forward
It is fitting that this merging of cultures would take modern day shape in Singapore's hawker centres. The country's multicultural dishes, though, are also making their way into the world of fine dining, with some restaurants re-imagining old classics and others simply upgrading traditional recipes.

At the Amara Sanctuary Resort, Shutters is pumping new energy into chilli crab, one of Singapore's national dishes. Its young chef Aaron Goh prepares a crab shell filled with crabmeat and roe, served with calamansi-Hollandaise sauce. The most unique part of this dish, which he calls "chilli crab gratin" is its topping of a cheesy gratin crust. Goh also takes a crack at laksa, replacing coconut gravy and rice noodles with seafood bouillabaisse and capellini, but holding onto laksa leaves and lemongrass.

Chef Willin Low at Wild Rocket has also experimented with laksa, transforming it into a linguine with laksa-pesto sauce, accompanied by prawns and quail eggs. Another clever invention is his boneless chicken wings: stuffed with rice soaked in chicken broth and then deep fried with brandy liver pate. The only thing standard about this innovative take on chicken rice is the chilli sauce that comes with it. 

Purists seeking traditional dishes prepared with high quality ingredients have plenty of options as well. Authentic Nonya fare can be found at The Blue Ginger; Chatterbox has become famous throughout Singapore for its chicken rice; and locals rave about the curry debal at Big D's Grill.

A country that cherishes food as much as Singapore is the perfect place for new chefs to experiment with ingredients and styles, whether in elegant restaurants or tiny hawker stalls. As the culinary scene expands, locals and travellers will soon have the best of both worlds.
BBC

Green goddes salad




 

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