Laptop Lunches and Bentos

Laptop Lunch System. Photo from Laptop Lunches.Com

A sweetheart of a friend has been mentioning Laptop Lunches in her blog and it got me interested in finding out more. I am just 'getting my feet wet' in this new trend, but I admit it is fascinating to me. I love the organizational and nutritional qualities, as well as the efficient use of food/ingredients.

Once I learn more, I am sure I will post more, but in the meanwhile, first, I will share the best sites I have found so far:

Laptop Lunches Product Website
Lunch in a Box by Biggie
Laptop Lunches Discussions on Flikr

And secondly, I will ask YOU for YOUR laptop lunch and Bento tips, tricks, etc. What got YOU into them, and what do you like best and least about them? Where is the best place to buy all the stuff you need, and what are YOUR best laptop lunch meals and recipes?

Japanese Cooking

This is unlike any other 'cooking show' you have ever seen! I thought it was pretty creative, although you have to be very familiar with cooking, and especially Japanese cooking, to really 'get it'.

If anyone speaks Japanese and can offer a translation of the conversation afterwards, please do so - it looks just as funny and interesting as the sketch itself - or maybe even more so.


Video from YouTube user simplydream

Beans are not the Only Musical Food Around

I was checking out the latest additions to my subscriptions on YouTube when I saw a link to this video:

The Vegetable Orchestra (*NOTE: around midway through the sound gets a little obnoxious. Just bear with it for a few seconds - it does get amazing again!)

Video from YouTube user vegetableorchestra

Even my teenager was captivated by this music and the means by which it was produced (no pun intended).

So, if they played in your town, would you go see them?
How much would you be willing to shell out to do so (lame pun intended that time)?

AC SHOWCASE FEATURE ARTICLE

It's self-promotion time! I just got the honor of AC Showcase Feature Article. It is my first time receiving this honor and I am very excited.
Read the article here: New York's Ten Best Restaurants for Luxury Food: $120 - $1000 Food Items.

Thanks!

~Dani

Recall Mania

Photo by Chance Agrella
It seems like recalls are in the news on an almost weekly basis lately. Today I read about yet another food recall: this one on frozen pizzas. It got me thinking about all the previous recalls, and wondering what the problem is, specifically, that is creating this environment of it being 'easier to get forgiveness than permission'. It seems that it is 'easier' to get lax on adhering to regulations in an effort to make more money, and then only do 'clean up' if there are problems which can be traced back.

Basically people have to die first. Multiple people. The deaths have to all be linked back to the product, too.

What alarms me is the number of E-Coli contamination recalls as of late. Do you know what is behind E-Coli contamination? People not washing their hands. Such a simple thing can prevent the spread of it, and yet it keeps happening. Are people really this disgusting?

Even more frightening is the number of recalls which are NOT making headlines. If you want to keep up-to-date on the latest recalls, you can check the US Consumer Product Safety Commission website for current and past recall notices. You can also report problems via their website. It seems as of late, E-Coli and lead paint are the most common recall issues, followed by fire hazards and fall hazards.

Also on the CPSC website is a section for kids about safety. It is really cute and educational. Click Here to explore it.


UPDATE NOVEMBER 3, 2007:
Yet another food recall. This one is for E-Coli contamination of beef. Read about it HERE.


What do you think about all the recalls? And what do you think should be done to help prevent this growing problem?

“The Right to Food” World Food Day 2007

Photo by Kerry A. Adamo
Each year, October 16th is celebrated as World Food Day. The history of this day is revealed in the United Nations (UN) website:

“World Food Day was proclaimed in 1979 by the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It marks the date of the founding of FAO in 1945.”

The 2007 World Food Day theme is ‘The Right to Food’. The Food and Agriculture Organization website explains this choice as follows:

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 first recognized the right to food as a human right. It was then incorporated in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 11) adopted in 1966 and ratified by 156 states, which are today legally bound by its provisions.”

In honor of World Food Day, a teleconference will be conducted from noon to three pm, eastern time (USA), in which the environment and its role in world hunger will be discussed, along with ideas for change. More information may be obtained at the USA version of the world food day website.

For more information and background, please check the following links:

World Food Day official organization website

World Food Day official USA website

Glabalicious World Food Day Video

UNICEF world food day (2006) Video

video from Youtube user environmentalist21

What do YOU think can be done to end world hunger?

Like what I wrote and want to buy me a cherry coke? Today, please donate to the cause of ending world hunger.

Thank you.