Reusables save cash, the environment
During a tight time in our economy, it boggles my mind that people continue to spend money on bottled water.
According to the International Bottled Water Association, consumption of bottled water grew 3.5 percent in 2010. In the United States, per capita consumption grew 2.6 percent, meaning every person in America drank just more than 28 gallons of bottled water last year. By some estimates bottled water costs up to 300 times more than the water flowing from your kitchen sink.
Drinking more water is a good thing, but not when you consider the astonishing number of plastic bottles — the kind you grab from the cooler at the convenience store — that are produced to hold that water. In 2009, 2.5 million pounds of plastic bottles were recycled, but that's a fraction of the 5.1 billion pounds of bottles and jars available for recycling. The rest of those bottle end up in landfills or scattered along the roadside or bobbing in lakes and streams.
So save yourself some cash and help clean up the environment by purchasing a reusable water bottle like any of those featured on Page 1. Fill it up each night and put it in the refrigerator to chill. Grab it on your way out.
At summer gatherings, forgo stocking a cooler with dozens of disposable water bottles and put out pitchers of water and punch to quench guests' thirst.
If you find yourself without your trusty reusable bottle and do have to grab a bottled water at a the store, hold onto the empty bottle until you can deposit it in a recycle bin.
Suburban food scene: If your idea of summer fun includes investigating ethnic neighborhoods and seeking out the best places to eat, add “Food Lover's Guide to Chicago” to your required reading list.
In the paperback guide (Globe Pequot Press, $15.95), Jennifer Olvera reveals the depth and diversity of Windy City restaurants, Chicago's bustling markets and the evolving culinary scene. Unlike many “Chicago” guides, this one expands beyond the airports to include many outstanding suburban eateries, shops and food-centric events.
Olvera, a suburban resident herself, knows a thing or two about the food scene west of I-294; she's been writing restaurant reviews for the Daily Herald since 2002.
“It gave me a chance to reflect in a concentrated way on how many amazing restaurants we have scattered throughout the area — and not just in the city proper,” Olvera says. “There are so many great ethnic eateries and small, family-run spots. There are amazing grocers and some really good farmers markets. And then there are the farms — they're what make it all possible.”
Besides being a must-have guide for exploring the area's gastronomical sides, it's a cookbook, with recipes from the author herself as well as noted chefs.
“I hope this is a book that enthusiasts of all kinds can use as a resource and as inspiration,” Olvera says. “And I hope it gets them in the kitchen cooking, which is about my favorite thing in the world to do.”
Lighten up: Sweet potato cheesecake, deep dish pizza, fried okra, Brazilian sausage ... just a few of the delicious ways calories can add up at Taste of Chicago (which opens Friday, June 24, and runs through July 3 at Grant Park). But believe it or not, healthy options do exist at this annual feeding frenzy.
Experts with Humana, including Dr. Brian O'Leary of DuPage Medical Center, have worked with restaurants to develop healthier foods and have compiled a list of 20 better-for-you items offered by some of the 59 Taste of Chicago vendors.
The list, available at humana.com/tasteofchicago, includes the Celtic corn on the menu from O'Brien's, quinoa salad from Texas de Brazil, chipotle chicken sausage from Bobak Sausage Company, baked crabcake nuggets from Polo Cafe and Catering and flavored frozen kefir from Starfruit Cafe. Download the guide before you go to make the booths easier to navigate.
Savory words and sweet tales: Former Bon Appétit magazine Editor Barbara Fairchild will discuss her 30 years with the iconic publication from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 25, at Kendall College, School of Culinary Arts, 900 N. North Branch St., Chicago.
Fairchild will give a behind-the-scenes look at how she helped guide Bon Appétit to its leadership as one of America's most revered food publications. She'll also share her perspective on America's evolving food scene, talk about the future of food publications in the age of the Internet, and discuss her latest book, “Bon Appétit Desserts.”
The lecture costs $5; $3 for students and is free for members of the Culinary Historians of Chicago. Parking is free. To reserve, call David Farris at (312) 286-8781 or email your reservation to culinary.historians@gmail.com.
—Deborah Pankey
Ÿ Contact Food Editor Deborah Pankey at food@dailyherald.com or (847) 427-4524. Find her on Facebook.com at Deb Pankey Daily Herald.