Thanks to Michael of Green Prophet for this guest post. While the concept of Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) is firmly established in the United States, it hasn’t really taken off in Israel. Still, the farmer-consumer relationship that a CSA offers is beginning to percolate in Israeli consciousness. Find out more below…
Farming, Hazon, Meat, New York, Organic, Politics, Seasonality, Spirituality, Sustainability, Tuv Ha'Aretz
The most recent issue of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture includes an article I wrote called “Reaping the Faith.”
The article profiles Zaid and Haifa Kurdieh, two religious Muslims who combine their faith and farming (sounds familiar somehow…). It focuses on the concept of Tayyib, which some Muslims view as a mandate to eat sustainably and healthily, and compares Tayyib with the significantly more widespread Muslim eating mandate, Halal. It traces the history of faith and farming throughout other religious traditions including Judaism and Christianity. Additionally, it touches upon Zaid and Haifa’s struggles to secure visas for Muslim farm workers from Jordan and Egypt to work as apprentices on their farm. And, naturally, it gives a healthy shout out to Hazon’s Tuv Ha’Aretz program.
The extra exciting news is - the folks at Gastronomica are planning an evening of discussion around the article on Tuesday, May 13 at the beautiful new Astor Center in in NYC - check back here in the next couple of weeks for more information about the event.
Here are the first two paragraphs as a teaser (the article is unfortunately not available online). To purchase a copy or subscription, check out Gastronomica’s website.
Reaping the Faith
By: Leah Koenig
Gastronomica - Winter 2008
Thanks to Jonathan Bloom for this series of photos. Jonathan is writing a book on wasted food in America. He became interested in the topic after a day volunteering at D.C. Central Kitchen. Seeing the truckloads of rescued food that would otherwise have gone to landfills made him wonder how much edible food does slip through the cracks.
As a journalist, Bloom set out to learn why and how Americans waste more than 40% of the food produced for consumption. He started a blog dedicated to the topic and worked at a grocery store, farm and catering company to better understand the problem.
The photos below depict the incredible amount of food wasted in America, and also some hopeful examples of food recovery.
New Yorkers visiting a certain patch of real estate in the East 20s known affectionately as Curry Hill know the secrets of kosher vegetarian Indian food - in fact, you can hardly throw a dosa without hitting Madras Mahal, Chennai Garden, or another Indian restaurant serving hecshered, meat-free fare.
Now, Israeli-born, vegetarian actress Natalie Portman will star in Mira Nair’s new movie, “Kosher Vegetarian” - exploring the interfaith romance between a Gujarati guy (actor, Ifran Khan) and Jewish girl (Portman).
Like Nair’s last movie (The Namesake), the love between these two characters will undoubtedly be fraught with disapproving parents and inter-cultural conflict. But at very least, the couple will know where to eat.
Here are two interesting tidbits from the wild world of Jewish food - the first about sustainable agriculture in Israel, and the second about Manischewitz-inspired cuisine. Dig in!
Putting their money where their mouth is
The Robert H. Smith Family Foundation recently pledged $15 million to Hebrew University to support their work around sustainable agriculture. The grant, which will go to the university’s Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences in Rehovot, is part of a $51 million “Feeding the Future through Sustainable Agriculture” campaign to put the school at the forefront of research into sustainable agriculture. (Hat tip to JTA)
Cooking up a storm - Manischewitz Style
The Jew & The Carrot Contributor, Alix, made us laugh with her tales of the “Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off,” regional semi finals. Now things are getting serious. Next Wednesday, 6 semi-finalists will compete in Manischewitz’s National Kosher Cook-Off in New York City. Whose (kosher) cuisine will reign supreme? Meet the finalists here.
Digest, Food History, Food Justice, Humor, Israel, Jewish Culture, NYTimes, News, On The Web, Politics
What is it about Jews and Chinese food?This oddly-passionate obsession has inspired scholarly dissertations, cookbooks, multi-cultural festivals, and even affected international relations [this last link, btw, about Asian chefs in Israel going on an eggroll strike over the elimination of foreign worker permits, is worth a trip to Jewschool to read in its entirety]!
So when this article appeared recently in the NYTimes about the history of the fortune cookie, I immediately thought, “hmmm…what’s the Jewish connection?” The answer? The long Jewish tradition of bibliophagy (eating the written word). Find interesting examples of Jewish bibliophagy after the jump:
Since the days of the Bible, Jewish tradition has had something to say about appropriate waste disposal:
“Further, there shall be an area for you outside the camp, where you may relieve yourself. With your gear you shall have a spike, and when you have squatted you shall dig a hole with it and cover up your excrement.”– Deuteronomy 23:13-14
The latest in waste technology, however, is not in spikes and holes, but one of the oldest tricks in the book: compost. Consider this fact: flush toilets account for 40% of household water consumption in Israel. In other words, almost half of the water used in Israeli households goes to disposal and transport (through the sewage system) of peoples’ daily needs. A new company, operating according to a “Jewish-holistic, small is beautiful” philosophy, believes that this is unnecessary. In a country where a chronic water shortage causes rivers, lakes and nature preserves to dry up, brings about the collapse of ecosystems and exacerbates an already intractable political situation, they just might be onto something. Read more at Treehugger.com:
Can the Composting Porto-Potty Solve Israel’s Water Woes?
By Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel
February, 02, 2008
Read full article
Animal Care, Farming, Featured, Food Safety, Food Writing, Health, Israel, Kosher, Meat, Neat Projects, Personal Story, Vegetarian
The Jew & The Carrot blogger, Jeff Yoskowitz, has been on hiatus from the blog for a little while - but he has a darn good excuse. He is currently living on a kibbutz in Israel. On the one hand, like many kibbutzim, internet access is spotty so posting frequently is a challenge. But Jeff’s situation is a little different. Jeff is currently researching the (painfully ironic) pork industry in Israel. His kibbutz happens to house an industrial pork feed-lot, which means he’s spending most of his time hanging out with animals he’d never personally eat.
The little bit of time Jeff’s not researching pigs, he’s logging in his experience at his personal blog The Wet Sprocket. And while we understand his need to prioritize his web time, his stories are just too interesting not to share. To find out more about Jeff’s extraordinary daily experiences check out his blog, and read a few key (and quite graphic) excerpts below:
It’s just that, since moving to New York, I’ve fully realized to extent to which the east coast, and NYC in particular, sets the cultural tone for the rest of the American Jewish community. Seinfeld - New York. Woody Allen - New York. Manischewitz…okay, Cincinnati and then New Jersey, but close enough.
Considering the cultural monopoly east coast Jews have on most things Jewish, it seems to follow that the majority of successful Jewish food entrepreneurs would hail from the more neurotic side of the Mississippi. So I was utterly taken aback when Lois Leveen proved me wrong on her blog MacaroniManiac.
There’s an ad that’s been driving me crazy lately, haunting me from the pages of the New Yorker, and elsewhere.
A cute young woman proudly shows off her kitchen, in which all of the cabinets that usually hold pots and pans and well, food, are replaced with closet space, making room for all of her clothing, shoes and trendy handbags. Citibank made this possible, giving her the freedom to transform wasted space into premium closet space.
It could be seen as funny, but I just saw it as sad. This woman couldn’t even make a cup of coffee if she wanted to; I think her appliances were gone, too. And I’ve been thinking about it more since I got to New York yesterday, and have been seeing every other person walking down the street with their take-out (when not getting it delivered).
Like Thanksgiving and just about every Jewish holiday (aside from Yom Kippur of course), the Super Bowl this Sunday offers a major opportunity to join together in thanks and celebration stuff your face. And with nachos and beer dominating the typical menu, it’s not the most stomach-friendly fare. Roz Cummins over at Grist came up with a plan for healthier and more sustainable TV-watching foods. Her suggestion: take a traditional Superbowl comfort food (sausage ravioli) and make it vegan.
While I’m certainly an advocate of vegetarian dining and a big fan of Grist, I thought Roz’s suggestion fell slightly short of “Super Bowl Snack Nirvana.” It’s still really heavy, pretty much void of vegetables, and relies on lots of processed foods. Wouldn’t a better solution be vegetarian sub sandwiches piled high with veggies, hummus, and artisanal cheese? Or - if you want something warm and savory - how about spicy two-bean chili with cilantro garlic yogurt? Or guacamole with home made pita chips (okay, it’s not the most seasonal food ever, but it’s better than a corn dog). However you chose to celebrate the “chag of football,” make sure you don’t leave healthy food on the sidelines.
This Super Bowl Sunday, try this recipe for spicy two bean chili from Bon Appetit, and this one for cilantro garlic yogurt sauce from Gourmet. B’tai Avon!
While planning tonight’s Tu Bishvat Seder at the Moishe House Boston: Kavod Jewish Social Justice House, I’ve been scouring Jewish environmental resources and looking around for the most sustainable way to purchase fruits and nuts which are most certainly not locally grown in New England. A friend also planning the Seder has been looking around for seeds for the traditional American Tu Bishvat parsley
planting. While I was certainly aware of the current Shmitta year in Israel, it has only recently come to our attention that this could create a potential question around whether or not to plant parsley at our Seder.
In lieu of the traditional tree-planting, the JNF has opted for other ways to celebrate the holiday in Israel, from a festival to hiking and bird-watching tours. In response to a question written in to the Jerusalem Post’s Ask the Rabbi column about whether a youth group could plant trees on the holiday, the answer was no. If the holiday traditionally marked the paying of taxes on fruit trees, how is the holiday different this year, since fruit trees are perennials and produce fruit without annual planting?
Clearly we are not in Israel, and thus unlikely bound by any restriction on planting. Yet, what does this mean for the way this holiday should be celebrated? And more indirectly, how does giving the land a rest relate to those of us who are not directly involved in agriculture in our daily lives? Should we change what we are eating on the holiday? On other days? How might we interpret this restriction more symbolically?
I got this in an email forward which I am quite sure is an e-hoax, but someone corroborate! My eloborations follow.
Ben & Jerry’s has announced that their Ice Cream is now available in Israel. In honor of this historic event they are producing a number of new flavors aimed specifically at the Israeli market:
Wailing Walnut - Mens & womens buckets sold separately.
Moishmellow - Let’s embrace those decidedly unmasculine, male Jewish stereotypes over a chick flik with ice cream, boys!
Mazel Toffee - Congratulations!! I always knew you’d marry someone sweet who would make you feel great.
Just a little event notice:
Jewish Values and Environmental Responsibility: Israel’s Environmental Movement
With Dr. Eilon Schwartz, Executive Director of the
Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in Israel.
Wednesday, January 23, 7:30pm at a private residence on the Upper West Side (RSVP for address).
The Heschel Center is one of Israel’s institutions helping create “agriculture which grows healthy food for all citizens while enhancing land and water quality.” Full info below the fold or RSVP here.
