Dr Adam Best, project leader and employee of the CSIRO Energy Technology Division “predicts that the first power shirts - or flexible energy devices- could be developed within five years,” states a Sydney Morning Herald report. Their concept includes the technology of piezoelectrics as the energy generating material. This popularly researched material produces a charge displacement when it is flexed. It naturally occurs in soft chrystalline structures like quartz, and Rochelle salts.

The idea is to develop a fabric woven with piezoelectric material so that any movement on, in, or around your body would stimulate the fiber to generate power. The clothing would be woven with flexible batteries that could act as storage unit series for your devices. The next step is to figure out how to wirelessly transmit that power collected in your t-shirt to your mobile phone without damaging your body due to intense exposure to electro-magnetic fields.

Dr. Best believes that the development of this concept could revolutionize the form and usage of daily appliances. “With printable flexible circuit boards, the day may not be far off when people could make phone calls simply by talking into their collars.”

Interestingly, defense programs and departments are commonly funding projects that develop the potential for remote electrical energy generation. The Australian Defense Department sees this as an opportunity to power “back-to-base” medical monitoring equipment, radios, and other such powered devices used in the field. As it could revolutionize battle in the field, it could also serve as a highly effective tool in field research and remote backpacking trips to power gps devices, emergency radios, data recording and transmittance devices…

There are many similar ideas out there along the lines of energy generating wearables. A collaboration team with members from Michigan Technological University, Arizona State, and NanoSonic, Inc., is developing a backpack with piezoelectric fibers integrated into the straps. Alberto Villarreal, a young San Francisco-based designer, has gained recognition for a concept shoe that harnesses electricity from your step. With the development of these concepts into real products we could be actively moving towards an energy revolution.

Creating Healthy Environments for Children features Private Practice’s Amy Brenneman as host with Ben Harper providing music. Pediatricians Dr. Philip Landrigan and Dr. Alan Greene provide their expertise, as well. Their five major tips include:

• Avoid using pesticides
• Clean safely
• Help children breathe easier
• Provide healthy food
• Use plastic products wisely.

Pop the DVD in your computers, and you’ll find three tool kits, one each for home, child care centers, and schools, that provide resources for making each environment safer for children. The tool kits also give advice for community outreach and activism on safer environments for children.

The DVD will be released in November and retails for $12.95. More information can be found on HealthyChild.org’s website. HealthyChild.org is also releasing a similar book Healthy Child, Healthy World, in March of 2008

Voting has been open to the public online since mid September. As it is too late to cast your vote, it isn’t too late to congratulate the winner and find out what people consider excellence in design. The most exciting part of this year’s ballot is that many of the nominees were for projects geared towards sustainable progress. Social sustainability is one of the most important attributes for the public to consider, our responsibility towards sustainability and global issues shows promise.

Last year the public chose the Katrina Cottage by designer Marianne Cusato. Designed with similar dimensions and attributes to the FEMA homes, this project is the alternative. The 308 square foot cottage is constructed with fiber reinforced cement siding and a metal roof to withstand hurricane force winds. Since the launch of the project it has grown to attract habitants for multiple purposes. The cottage itself isn’t necessarily a sustainable edifice, but as it will live through intense natural forces and sustain its structure over time.

Also, similar to this year’s nomination for the LifeStraw (a $2 straw that purifies water while drinking for those who don’t have access to safe drinking water), the Katrina Cottage highlights the need for alternatives regarding current issues. When these alternatives are designed with sustainability, necessity, and in this case affordability in mind, we get closer to practical solutions and functional design for a sustainable, safe and healthy future.

This year’s winner is TOMS shoes. TOMS shoes is a simple project- with every pair of shoes bought, a pair is donated to a child who doesn’t have any. TOMS mission is to simply make life more comfortable. Currently TOMS is running a pledge to get 50,000 pair of shoes to take over to South Africa on November 1. These shoes will be divvied out to children in need. The shoes are not necessarily constructed with sustainable (recycled, reusable) materials, but the project does indeed socially sustain communities by enabling a more comfortable, and healthy lifestyle.

Other nominees on the ballot this year geared towards social sustainability and massive change were Good Magazine, Design Can Change, and Global Green Efforts in New Orleans. Good Magazine is a new San Francisco based publication highlighting projects geared towards social activism and sustainability. Design Can Change is a global campaign put together by SmashLAB geared towards bringing designers together to fight climate change.

Finally, Global Green was nominated for their work in New Orleans geared towards using the opportunity to rebuild in a way that is more beneficial to the environment and the community. Based on these nominations we can say with confidence that there are a lot of design efforts taking place to improve the condition of our health, safety, relationships and environment. Now it is your turn to participate.

I’ve heard through ads that Cheerios helps reduce cholesterol. Are there any other foods that may help reduce cholesterol counts?

- Cindy

Dear Cindy,

There are foods that can help reduce your cholesterol counts! Here’s a roadmap on how to work these smart foods into your diet:

Start your day with oatmeal. The soluble fiber in oatmeal reduces your LDL (aka “bad” cholesterol) because it inhibits the absorption of cholesterol in your stomach. Five to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day can decrease your LDL cholesterol by 5%. So check the label on your oatmeal and make sure its high in soluble fiber. Cold cereals made with oat bran can also help reduce your cholesterol, but make sure they have 5g or more of soluble fiber per serving. While Cheerios are made with whole grain oats you need at least 2 cups daily to meet your requirements. There are other cold cereals out there higher in soluble fiber.

Read more at Vital Juice Daily

According to The Low Income Project Team, food deserts are "areas of relative exclusion where people experience physical and economic barriers to accessing healthy food." This does not mean that people in food deserts do not have access to any food… just the stuff that is relatively good for them.

In fact, a food desert often has an abundance of "fringe locations," or businesses that do not serve the sole purpose of selling foodstuffs, yet where food is available think dollar stores, gas stations, liquor stores, etc.). The type of food sold at these stores is usually the worst type of food, and when the only food available is pre-packaged, and full of preservatives, there are bound to be health risks.

In June, LaSalle bank sponsored a study that explored the nature of food deserts in Detroit, Michigan. Not surprisingly, what they found was a high concentration of food deserts. The report noted that "more than a half million Detroit residents live in areas defined as food deserts — areas that require residents to travel twice as far or more to reach the closest mainstream grocer than to reach the closest fringe food location."

Further, the study found that the people of Detroit were physically suffering because of their lack of access to healthy, fresh food. The study concluded that "as a group, residents in food deserts are statistically more likely to suffer or die prematurely from diet-related disease than residents who live in areas with healthy food options."

I don’t know about you, but these revelations make me profoundly sad. I have never known a life without farmers’ markets, Whole Foods and even the occasional roadside produce stand, so the prospect of living in a place where fresh food is so far away slightly boggles my mind. Moreover, the places that food deserts are the most prevalent are places where people have the lowest incomes, and are therefore more likely to not be able to afford transportation. Talk about adding insult to injury.

While the prevalence of food deserts in Detroit is disheartening, there is a silver lining to this awful reality. Local groups have been responding to the lack of fresh food by producing their own! The Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN) operates a two-acre site in downtown Detroit where they operate a very small, city farm.

According to Malik Yakini, a community activist, owner of the Black Star Community Book Store and member of the DBCFSN,

"Our primary work is urban agriculture, urban growing in the city of Detroit…It’s a small-scale farm. We mainly sell the food, although we give some away to people in the immediate neighborhood. We’re trying to create jobs as a result of urban agriculture".

What?! Good for the economy and good for urban sustainability? Now this is an example of people finding environmental solutions to economic problems.

"Where exactly do you find a farm in the middle of Detroit?" one might ask. Well, you make one! The DBCFSN practices soil remediation, or "the removal of pollution or contaminants from environmental media such as soil, groundwater, sediment, or surface water for the general protection of human health and the environment." In their remediation efforts, DBCFSN’s main project is removing house foundations from abandoned and grown-over sites, in order to prepare the land for tilling. As Yakini notes,

"Given the vast number of vacant lots in Detroit, we’re creating a model of how we can utilize that space…We’re trying to create greater access to fresh produce, generate income and create jobs and to change the community’s vision of what a city is and how space is used in a city. I don’t think we’re going to feed Detroit on vacant lots but we can grow 10 to 25 percent of the food and that’s a significant impact." 10-25% is nothing to shake a stick at! Given the devastatingly low access to fresh food Detroiters are witnessing now, 10-25% is a major improvement that will help to increase the health of Detroit residents.

Like I said before, the DBCFSN is an environmental solution to an economic problem, which is why I believe it should stand as the model for other hurdles faced when trying to improve the quality of life in urban centers. Because conventional ways of approaching problems in inner cities have not led us to many successful conclusions, looking at alternative approaches — like the Local Food Movement — seems to be a proactive way to go about making the necessary changes.

In addition to utilizing the wisdom of the local food movement, DBCSFN is also drawing on staples of the Urban Environmental Movement through the creation of urban green spaces and the redevelopment of "dead sites." Needless to say, the DBCFSN’s efforts should be applauded. Not only are they making large strides for the people of Detroit, but they are also teaching the rest of us how to make sustainability tangible in even the most unlikely of places.

Quotes from Malik Yakini taken from an interview with Larry Gabriel, in his article "Life in the Desert" (Metrotimes, 2007)

Photo Credit: The New Farm

Keep in mind that the typical consumer is NOT paying the true cost of food. The meat, dairy, and egg industries, in particular, enjoy many government subsidies, which keep the cost of these unhealthful products artificially low. The same goes for produce laden with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Also, organic fruits and veggies are usually not grown on an industrial scale, so efficiencies aren’t as great. Also, as pointed out in a recent article on the subject, "there are also significant costs involved in switching farmland from nonorganic to organic status. And there’s a lot more manual labor involved, such as weeding by hand."

So it’s not that organic is expensive; it’s the non-organic is cheap.

I’m always struck by the fact that so many people think organically grown food is some new-fangled, trendy idea. To grow plant foods with the least amount of chemicals as possible is to return to a time before industrical agriculture. Supporting local farmers is a very old ideal. As consumers, we should be shocked that an apple from clear across the world costs less than an apple grown a few hours from our home. When you go to a farmer’s market and buy directly from that farmer, you’re paying the true cost of that food.

Buying local and organic is the best thing you can do for so many reasons. First of all, the taste is absolutely superior, because the fruits and vegetables are grown with flavor in mind. When you buy produce that has been shipped in from all over the world, that produce is grown not with taste and flavor as the first priority but rather the ability to withstand the long shipments and sit on the shelf for long periods of time.

Also, when you purchase local produce, you’re purchasing produce that is seasonal - grown according to the climate of the region in which you live. And seasonal veggies are generally cheaper than purchasing out of season fruits and vegetables. But cost doesn’t refer only to dollars. As with the health costs that comes from eating an animal-based diet, there are also environmental costs, and when you buy locally at a farmer’s market or through something like Community Supported Agriculture, it means you’re paying for food that was driven down from a couple hours away as opposed to shipped from thousands of miles away. That’s a huge savings in terms of the resources required to get that food to your table – resources that include oil and electricity.

In terms of organic produce, when you purchase organic, you’re supporting a growing system that works with the Earth rather than against it. You’re paying for sustainable growing methods that enrich rather than deplete the soil. When you purchase out-of-season produce that was shipped in from other countries, there concerns about food safety, as well. The growing standards in other countries may not be the same as those in the U.S. or more specifically as high as those of the farmers you can talk to at the markets. I mean you can find out exactly how they grow their food, and in many cases you can also visit the farm yourself.

Having said all this, as we adjust to paying the true cost of food, it’s helpful to know which fruits and vegetables are the most highly sprayed so we can make informed decisions when we simply cannot purchase organic. Certain produce, termed the "Dirty Dozen" by the Environmental Working Group, is so highly sprayed with toxic chemicals that, many experts recommend eating them only when they’re organic. These include:

• Apples
• Cherries
• Grapes, imported (Chili)
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Potatoes
• Spinach

The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. The produce you can get away with purchasing as non-organic includes:

• Bananas (though I do recommend purchasing "Fair Trade" bananas)
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Onions
• Peas

When I have the opportunity, I do tend to purchase many of these as organic anyway, mainly because I shop at farmer’s markets and also because I want to support local, organic farmers. But it’s helpful to have this list on hand (or in your memory) to help you make the best choices possible.

To make it even easier for you, the Environmental Working Group has a handy little guide called Pesticides in Produce that you can either download from their website Food News, or order a wallet-size version of to keep with you at all times.

There is a rather large difference between fair trade products and fair trade companies, says Mary Morison, executive director of the Fair Trade Resource Network. Large corporations that sell or promote individual products are likely to have a weaker effect on their overseas labor practice or at least are not dedicated to effecting reform. “Large companies are counting on consumers to make the leap so they look good and can access a particular market segment they’ve been unsuccessful in reaching,” she says. On the positive end, by providing fair trade options in big box stores, more people have access to making responsible decisions and voting with their dollars.

While some debate that big can also be fair, others work hard to keep fair trade small and protect the purity of fair trade programs. Some support the efforts of McDonald’s, for example, which purchase coffee from the fair trade company Green Mountain Roasting Company. This type of opportunity sustains the jobs and wages of those who grow the coffee. On the other hand, some say it dilutes the standards and morals of the movement.

This debate on how far to go with sustainable and healthy products and services is the topic of the decade. Do we go big with organics? Are we willing to sacrifice the intensity of the source to make the product/service accessible to more consumers who could benefit from healthier food?

When I think about fair trade, I think of model companies such as Equal Exchange that goes above and beyond the fair trade model. Since 1986, the company imports organic coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, and chocolate bars. With all their ingredients grown on democratically run farmer co-ops in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, Equal Exchange is able to play a large role in building democracy in these areas. They are equally passionate about building a fair and responsible work environment as they are supplying great coffee and chocolate to American consumers. “We want more profound transformations than just a kinder, gentler version of the status quo,” says Rodney North, spokesperson for Equal Exchange. “Fair trade’s historic focus has been on bottom-up economic development.”

Rodney North of Equal Exchange also argues that the “entrée of multinational corporations threatens the original goal of the fair trade movement, which was to build an alternative approach to international trade that addresses the endemic poverty, economic vulnerability, and isolation for the millions of small scale farmers who grow most of the world’s tropical agricultural commodities”.

It is hard to say what is good or bad. If we keep in mind that in supporting fair trade practices we are respecting our food and thus respecting all of those involved who bring it to us. This movement is meant to allow consumers to simply and consciously vote with their dollars, and provide fair opportunities worldwide. With this in mind, and we can help to keep the potency of the movement strong.

The majority of these quotes were taken from the Utne Reader’s Fair Trade Tradeoffs

This November 7-9, Chicago will host the largest GreenBuild Expo in history. Put on by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council), this year over 18,000 attendees will gather to learn about the trends in green construction and get inspired about future projects. In a city aiming to be the greenest, this is a monumental event. On top of it all, GreenBuild will be held in one of Chicago’s LEED certified facilities, the McCormick Place West Building.

According to the USGBC, "Chicago mayor Richard Daley has pledged to make Chicago the most environmentally friendly city in the world. Building on its legacy as a center of American architecture, Chicago was one of the first cities to adopt LEED. Today it has the most LEED projects of any city in the world."

Included in the Expo is an international conference with headlining speakers such as Paul Hawken (author), Sadhu Johnston (Chicago Commissioner of the Department of Environment),  Thom Mayne (Founder and Principal of Morphosis), Maria Atkinson (Global Head of Sustainability at Lend Lease), and former US President Bill Clinton. USGBC President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi on is especially excited about Clinton’s planned appearance:

"This is an unprecedented opportunity for our green building community to hear from one of the greatest philanthropic and environmental leaders of this century. The William J. Clinton Foundation is facilitating a series of global action plans that are addressing some of the most intractable problems of our times — AIDS, economic sustainability as a way to eradicate poverty, the elimination of childhood obesity. His framework has shown the power that groups of individuals have to effect real change."

"Reducing the C02 emissions that lead to climate change is another key area of focus, and it’s being addressed by the Clinton Climate Initiative, with green building as a cornerstone of that effort,” Fedrizzi noted. “We are making a difference, and President Clinton’s unique ability to inspire individual action will add incredible momentum to this important work."

The event has a full schedule of networking and educational opportunities. Whether you are a homeowner, a builder, designer, architect, engineer, and, heck, even a programmer or a banker, there is something applicable to everyone’s life. With over 850 exhibit booths displaying the newest products and technologies, the expo itself will be an educational and eye opening experience. If you leave thinking, "I still can’t do it," then you didn’t pick up enough tools while in attendance.

A few months ago, in an effort to green up my health and beauty products, I ran across National Geographic’s The Green Guide. The site included a handy wallet-sized guide called The Dirty Dozen in Personal Care Products, which allows me to pick products that don’t contain harmful chemicals.

Then last week, my issue of Whole Life Times included a tear-out seafood guide. It lets me know what to avoid eating, due to contamination or unsustainable fishing practices.

This got me thinking…what other guides are out there, which would help me make decisions on the spot, in the store, when I don’t have fast access to online information?

Since The Green Guide’s personal care wallet guide was so good, it seemed like a logical place to start. Little did I know that I was about to hit the mother lode. With guides on everything from home renovations to eggs (yes, eggs), you might need a bigger wallet to contain all of the information. But a few guides in particular caught my eye:

Plastics: As it turns out, not all plastics are created equal. So though it’s better not to use plastic at all, some are worse choices than others. For example, if you see #3 PVC on the bottom of a container, avoid it. Not only is PVC not recyclable, but it releases carcinogens and hormone disrupters when it’s made or incinerated. PVC can also leach chemicals into food – especially hot, fatty foods – so don’t reheat left-overs in it. Instead, look for the recycling codes #1 PETE, #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE and #5 PP on the bottom of containers. Even better? Glass, metal, paper, or ceramic.

Household Cleaners: This one will be obvious to anyone who’s ever gotten a snoot full of Tilex. Conventional cleaning products contain lots of fragrances and petroleum-distilled chemicals that vaporize into the air, known as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These can cause breathing problems and asthma, and contribute to higher levels of toxicity inside homes. The wallet guide lists specific products in many categories that are better choices.

Toys: With all of the news about lead paint in children’s toys made in China, this should be at the forefront of parents’ minds. Again, PVC makes the list of things to avoid – instead look for natural elements, like organic cotton and unfinished sustainable wood. My favorite surprise in this category? LEGO. They are PVC and phthalate-free, and you can still get a bucket of them for ten bucks. Who says going green has to cost an arm and a leg?

Dave and Lillian Brummet’s Trash Talk is a book that aims to get back to minimizing waste and finding everyday uses for trash. Think of it as "Hints From Heloise" meets Mother Earth News. The introduction reminds readers that reduce, reuse, and recycle should be precluded by refuse — as in, refusing to buy items that generate a lot of waste. The book is divided into four sections: the first has ideas for reusing common household items (some not-so-common — who has a plethora of old oven racks hanging around?), and the second has plans for habits you can implement that follow the four Rs, like composting, or cutting open toiletries bottles to get all the product out. The third section focuses on tips and habits related to paper, and the brief fourth section gives statistics that remind the reader that the little things do add up.

It’s clear that the authors walk the walk: many of the tips are reuse ideas that I hadn’t heard of, and their extensive gardening background was surprisingly helpful. The home garden seemed to be a playground for reuse. And, again, this seems to be more for the crunchier crowd — it definitely had the vibe of Mother Earth News as opposed to Real Simple. That doesn’t mean that it was packed full of radical ideas; most of the tips and habits are pretty practical for those who are in the process of going green. But there were a few that I know would cause the light-greenest of readers to drop the book and never look back.

There are issues with the text. The editing leaves something to be desired; I don’t know if the format of the book was the best way to present the information. The second section just seemed a catchall for random green-living ideas. Why is there a whole chapter about picking up trash while going on walks in a book marketed as "an inspirational guide to saving time and money through better waste an resource management?" I don’t think there’s really enough material here for a book like this: there’s a lot of unfocused information that, while interesting, didn’t really have a lot to do with solid waste reduction. And for $19.99, you’d think you get a lot more out of a paperback than 190 pages with a lot of white space.

All in all, the book is worth a read, but not a purchase. You’d be better off checking it out from your library, if you can find it.

Dear Vital Juice Daily,

- Marcia R.

Dear Marcia,

We did a little digging and here’s what we found about hemp:

One nutritious seed! Shelled hempseed is packed with 33% pure digestible protein (one of the highest levels from a plant source) and is rich in iron and vitamin E, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Hemp also contains 3x the Vitamin E than flax. And unlike soy, hemp is not genetically modified so it’s free of the anti-nutritional qualities commonly found in soy.

Read the rest of VJD’s answer at Vital Juice Daily

1. Be Specific. Not everybody knows what it means to eat "vegetarian" or "vegan," and it’s important for vegetarians/vegans to be specific about what their needs are. I know plenty of people who think chickens are plants with wings or who think "chicken broth" is vegetarian. They think as long as there are no chickens floating around in it, it’s acceptable for those who don’t eat birds. So be clear and ask for exactly what you want.
Scenario Suggestion: When eating out, or when invited over a friend’s for dinner, it’s helpful to state specific foods. So you can say to your server "This dish/menu sounds wonderful. Just to be clear, I’m vegan, so please tell me if I order something with eggs, meat broth, cheese, milk, or cream." I’ve never had a server unwilling to accommodate me, and this takes care of any potential misunderstandings.

2. Be Positive. Most likely, you made the choice to leave animals off your plate because it makes you feel good — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. If that’s your truth, then that’s exactly what you should express to those around you. Your attitude will influence the perception and attitude of others about what it means to be vegan.
Scenario Suggestion: When ordering in a restaurant, of course it’s polite and appropriate to thank the server for accommodating you, but try not to apologize to the point of being self-effacing. If you had a food allergy, you would just explain to the server and move on. Your food preferences are just as valid when based on ethical reasons. And remember, you’re paying them – they should accommodate you if they want to keep your business. So thank them, but then just move on.

3. Be Confident. Food is a personal as well as political subject that has been known to bring up people’s defenses, and vegetarians have found themselves on the receiving end of ridicule, criticism, interrogations, jokes, and plain old rudeness. Remaining confident that the attack has nothing to do with you personally will help you take the encounter in stride. Also, don’t feel you need to carry the weight of defending all the benefits of vegetarianism. If asked why you make the choices you do, speak from your heart and tell your truth. That is much more powerful than trying to espouse all the latest nutrition research that supports vegetarian eating (and of course there’s lots of it!).
Scenario Suggestion: You are at a party, and someone – rather hostilely – says to you, "I just finished a book by a prominent anthropologist, and he provides a lot of evidence that humans were never pure vegetarian at any point in our evolution." Many might be tempted to respond with the fact that early humans actually gathered more than they hunted, that we’re physically designed to eat vegetarian diets, etc., and if your goal is to win an argument, then argue away. But, consider an alternative response that diffuses the attack, speaks to the real issue, and enables you to remain true to yourself. You could say something like "I don’t know much about anthropology, but I do know that I feel really good about eating this way. It’s better for my health and certainly better for the animals. And besides, isn’t being human about doing things better than the way we did them before, especially as we learn more?"

4. Be Generous. Co-workers, neighbors, clients, friends, and family all appreciate the gift of homemade goodies, and every vegetarian knows the power of delicious food. Anytime non-vegetarians try your infamous meatless chili or your decadent dairy-free cookies, they are exposed to dishes they may have never chosen on their own, and often they’ll walk away with a new perception about "vegan food."
Scenario Suggestion: Bring muffins in for your morning office meeting, leave cookies on your neighbor’s porch, make a cake for a special occasion and share it with co-workers. You can visit www.compassionatecooks.com to get lots of delicious recipes.

5. Be Assertive. I’d be lying if I said that healthful plant-based options are available in every restaurant, but they are available in almost every restaurant whose focus is not "American cuisine." Every other cuisine, from Italian and Thai to Indian and Mexican, offers plenty of healthful vegan dishes. But for those times when you don’t have a say in choosing the restaurant, at an employee lunch or office party, it’s worth calling the restaurant in advance to find out which menu items can be made meat- and dairy-free or what they can make special to accommodate you.
Scenario Suggestion: Most people don’t like having their food choices be the center of attention, especially when people may already perceive veganism as "different" or "difficult," but anytime I’ve asked for something "off the menu," everyone else at the table has coveted my meal. They had no idea you could suggest something different than what’s on the menu, and they will wish they followed your lead!

6. Be Attentive. The stereotype that vegans talk all the time about being vegan is, well, true, but only because once a meat-eater learns you’re vegetarian, you become their Confessor, counselor, and sounding board. They often proceed to tell you how often they eat meat or how they’ve become vegetarian except for the chickens and fish they still consume. Though you’ve heard it before, be respectful, be attentive, and be sensitive. They clearly want to identify as a "vegetarian" and are trusting you with a bit of information about themselves. What they are saying may be more important than what you have to say in response. Ask them questions instead of simply responding.
Scenario Suggestion: A non-vegetarian tells you she tried to be vegetarian but it was too hard. Ask her what was hard about it. She tells you she doesn’t want to know about how the animals are treated. Ask her what she thinks might happen if she knew. The point is to create a dialogue and to realize that it is not "me against you," the "vegetarian against the meat-eater," but rather us against cruelty, us against violence. For those of us who are vegan, it’s also important to remember our own stories so we don’t become self-righteous. At one time or another, most of us ate animals and their secretions and some of us relied on silly excuses to continue eating them.

7. Be Prepared. There may be times when a work or family event centers around meat (like a barbecue) or takes place in a restaurant that is unfavorable to vegans (such as a steakhouse). At such times, it might be worth eating something before you go and/or bringing your own food to eat when you get there. It may be inconvenient, but it’s better than not eating at all, and once again, the food you bring will most likely inspire others to try something new. To be perfectly frank, BBQs – when they’re not vegetarian – are the one event I refuse to attend. It’s just much too painful and offensive to witness the ravenous gluttony of this meat-fest, but I don’t want to make it seem like being vegan isolates you. I don’t not attend because there wouldn’t be something for me to eat – I don’t go because I don’t want to; it’s just too upsetting.

8. Be Equipped. There are numerous occasions that offer the opportunity to bring a dish. Bringing your favorite vegan lasagna or chocolate cake is a surefire way to ensure that you’ll enjoy the fare, and it’s a wonderful way to introduce people to delicious and nutritious veg food.
Scenario Suggestion: If you are attending a dinner party where guests were not asked to bring a dish, you might want to call to find out if it’s okay that you bring something. Or, better yet, ask the hostess if you can alleviate some of the cooking burden for her and bring one of the dishes. It would also provide you with an opportunity to clarify what you eat (see #1).

9. Be Humorous. Non-vegetarians as well as vegetarians can get a little uptight around such a sensitive subject. Humor has a way of diffusing tension. Always keep in mind that whatever jokes non-vegetarians might make at your expense, it really has nothing to do with you. Passive aggressive though these people are, it will help to respond with humor and levity.
Scenario Suggestion: I try to keep things light while at the same time telling the truth. So, for instance, when I’m around non-vegetarians and one might say something about the chicken sandwich they had for lunch and then they turn to me to apologize, I usually say something like "look – don’t apologize to me. Apologize to the chickens." It’s a good way to get people thinking without being judgmental; besides, this has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with the animals. Responding with levity to hostility is always a good way to go.

10. Be Vocal. One thing some non-vegetarians don’t understand – I don’t think I really understood it before I was vegan – is that to sit in a restaurant watching everyone chewing on animals is an incredibly painful experience. Eating at a vegetarian or, better yet, vegan restaurant is so wonderful – not just because you can choose anything on the menu – but because it’s a nonviolent atmosphere. There’s kind of a feeling of serenity when you look around you and know that no animals were (intentionally) killed in the making of the meals and everyone’s just munching on wonderful plant-based food.
Scenario Suggestion: So, when you can speak up and ask your friends or family or co-workers to try a vegetarian restaurant, I encourage you to do so. If you’re a non-vegetarian, extend an invitation to your vegetarian friend to go to a veg restaurant. That way, everyone can eat and experience the abundance!

The Holidays: I want to say a quick note about the holidays. Many of these suggestions will help, I think, but here’s another sure-fire way to ensure all the food is vegan: host a holiday dinner yourself. You can make it potluck style, guiding non-vegans about what to bring, giving them recipes, etc. It will inspire them to make something vegan, although they’ll probably realize they cook vegan all the time but never called it vegan. There are times I’ve gone back East for the holidays and cooked the entire holiday meal (with some help from my hubby, of course) for our families. They were happy to have someone do all the cooking, and the meal was something everyone was able to enjoy. Yes, it means more work, but whatever. A few hours in the kitchen is nothing compared to what the animals endure.

Advance Preparation: Pesto freezes very well. Defrost pesto at room temperature, about 20 minutes. To reinvigorate frozen or refrigerated pesto, add a drizzle of olive oil and stir.

Ingredients - Pesto
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
6+ tablespoons pine nuts
2-4 cloves garlic
1-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Ingredients - Pasta and Veggies
1 pound penne pasta (or any pasta of your choice)
Bunch of chopped spinach, raw or blanched
Fresh, seasonal tomatoes, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped

Directions
Combine the basil, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor, and blend until the ingredients are finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add salt, to taste.

Add the oil slowly and a little at a time, and process until smooth and creamy. (You don’t need a lot of oil – just add enough to smooth it out a little, but very little is needed.)

Prepare your favorite pasta according to the package directions (penne works great!). Drain. Toss the pasta with the pesto and remaining ingredients.

Serving suggestions and variations:

• Toss the pesto with roasted vegetables.
• Use walnuts instead of pine nuts.
• Add ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and rinsed.
• Replace half of the basil with parsley.
• Add a squeeze of lemon while you’re grinding all the ingredients together.
• Make a pesto pizza, spreading a layer of pesto on your dough and adding some fresh tomatoes and minced fresh herbs.
• Use as a cracker spread. Add non-dairy cream cheese and use as a spread for bread and crackers.
• Prepare it as a dip for chips or raw veggies. Just add it to non-dairy sour cream (Tofutti or Wildwood brands are great.)
• Make garlic pesto bread. Spread pesto on bread and bake like you would garlic bread.
• Grill it. Coat polenta squares, vegetables, or tofu with pesto and grill.
• If you’re not using it immediately, you can store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or place in ice cube trays (or a regular container), cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the freezer (for no longer than one month for the best flavor).
• To make extra, for every cup of loosely packed basil leaves, add the following to the above recipe: 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 clove garlic (or to taste), ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste), and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• For an oil-free version, eliminate the oil and replace it with 1-2 tablespoons light miso. Add a little water to thin it out a little.

Copyright © 2006 Compassionate Cooks, LLC – All rights reserved

In Parts I and II, we talked about the making of tofu, the freezing of tofu, and everything in between, Now, let’s talk about a few things you can do with extra firm tofu – a few quick dishes you can make for lunch or dinner. I’ve already mentioned the fact that the silken is pretty much just for pudding or pie filling, so I’m talking about using extra firm or Wildwood’s super firm tofu for this purpose.

Tofu in Stir Fries

Using tofu in a stir-fry is the most obvious use for this delicious food. And there are a couple things you can do. First of all, tofu has a fair amount of its own fat, so when you cook it, you really don’t need to use any oil. It will get golden brown and crispy on its own without oil. So you cut the tofu up into cubes or slices or patties or whatever size/shape you want, and you place them in a nonstick sauté pan.* Now you just let them get golden brown and crispy on one sided before turning it over. Don’t fuss with it and push it around; just let it get crispy, then flip it. No oil – about 10 minutes each side. While the tofu is cooking like this in its own pan, you can start cooking up your veggies – peppers, onions, squash, mushrooms, whatever you want to add to your stir-fry — in a separate sauté pan. When the veggies are nearly cooked, add your crispy tofu, and your stir-fry marinade, and just stir-fry until the tofu is hot and mixed with the sauce. Serve over quinoa or brown rice. If you don’t know what quinoa is, then check out my blog post called Five Favorite Foods.

However, if you don’t own any nonstick pans, feel free to add a little olive oil to your pan and fry up the tofu that way. You want it nice and crispy.

Tofu in Curries

Another way to use extra firm tofu in a meal is to make Thai curry. Again, there are recipe packets on my website, but essentially you’d add curry paste and coconut milk and whatever veggies you want to add, and throw in extra firm or super firm tofu into your curry. Frankly, I think curry – particularly the tofu in the curry – is even better the day after you make it. Yum!

Tofu as "Eggless Egg" Salad

I’ve mentioned eggless egg salad, which you can prepare by mashing up extra firm tofu, and mixing it with an eggless mayonnaise, such as Nayonnaise, Vegenaise, or Wildwood’s Garlic Aioli – along with some chopped raw veggies, such as carrots, celery, and peppers – and adding some salt, cumin and turmeric.

Grilled and BBQ Tofu

You can make BBQ tofu by just sautéing some tofu like I mentioned before – perhaps just cut the tofu into strips – putting the browned tofu strips in an 8 or 9-inch casserole dish, pouring BBQ sauce over it, and heating it in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Serve as a main dish or make a sandwich. Grill tofu and add to a grilled veggie sandwich on Focaccia bread with avocado and balsamic vinegar.

Tofu Bacon, Ricotta Cheese, Scramble, and On and On

Make tofu bacon by marinating tofu in a combination of water, tamari soy sauce, maple syrup, and liquid smoke. Make a tofu ricotta cheese (blend firm tofu with lemon juice, fresh basil, fresh garlic, and soy milk) to use in lasagna or stuffed shells. Scramble tofu together with your favorite vegetables and the spice turmeric to give it a beautiful yellow color. This delicious dish can be served as is, or can be used as the basis for "tofu rancheros" by wrapping it in a tortilla, and serving with black beans and salsa. Add cubes of firm tofu to miso soup.

Thoughts About Bulk Tofu

Just a few other thoughts about tofu. You sometimes see it in your grocery store, particularly in Asian shops, in bulk – sitting in tubs of water. I’m a little wary of this, only because it’s often not organic, I don’t know how long it’s been sitting there uncovered, exposed to possible bacteria, and I just prefer to get tofu that I know is organic. Some farmer’s markets are now selling fresh tofu in bulk in this way, but that’s a little different, because often the batch was just made that morning, and it’s usually organic, and you can speak directly with the people making the tofu. You can’t beat organic, locally made tofu. Incidentally, one of the great things about Wildwood’s tofu is that the soy beans are American-grown, mostly in Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota, and Wildwood has a direct relationship with their farmers.

Flavored, Ready-to-Eat Tofu

Whereas Wildwood does have some flavored baked tofu, my favorite brand for ready-to-eat tofu is Sunergia. They specialize in flavored tofu, and each one of the flavors is fantastic: Italian Herb, Savory Portabella, Peanut & Ginger, Indian Masala, Spicy Thai, Garlic Shitake, Porcini Herb, Spinach Jalapeno, Spicy Indian, and Pesto. Some are great for adding to pasta, some to stir-fries, some to salads. Just scrumptious - also organic, kosher, GMO-free, and wheat-free.

Tofu is such a versatile food; you can do soooo much with it, so definitely give it a chance. It’s really satisfying, really filling, a great source of protein (if that’s something you’re looking for), it’s high in Omega 3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats, and is a great source of iron and other minerals such as calcium (if you get the tofu that uses a calcium base as its coagulant – it will say "calcium enriched" on the package, and is so versatile.) Just don’t be afraid of it. Experiment with it, trust it, trust me, and perhaps someday you’ll get to the same place as me – where it becomes difficult to cook with it, because you want to gobble up the entire block before you even get to use it in whatever dish you’re preparing. (I do have some amount of self control, though!)

*Just a quick note about nonstick pans, because this question (which usually comes up in my classes) may be on some of your minds. Some people are concerned about the link between cancer and a chemical used in the manufacturing of Teflon. First of all, Dupont is phasing out this chemical by the year 2010, so this whole point will be moot. But the reason I feel okay using nonstick pans is a) I use nonstick in a rotation with other pans, so it’s not only nonstick I use. I also use anodized steel, and of course, you can also use stainless steel or copper. b) I really take care of my nonstick pans: I don’t use metal on them, and I make sure not to scratch them. The risk researchers are seeing between cancer and this chemical – unfortunately – has more to do with people who live around the manufacturing plant, not the use in people’s kitchens.

Also, you’d have to heat your pan to over 600 degrees with no food in it to see any kind of risk, and we don’t heat our pots and pans to that high a temperature. Finally, for me, there are so many real risks associated with cancer and meat, cancer and dairy products, and cancer and high-fat diets that I would rather see people make much more substantial changes if they want to reduce their risk of getting cancer than worrying about Teflon. If you’re still eating meat and dairy but are concerned about Teflon pans, I don’t think you’re doing much to reduce your risk. I’d rather see people get these cancer culprits out of your diet, and not worry about using nonstick pans.

Radius Original Toothbrush. The Radius original toothbrush has been around for 22 years. This non-traditional design (made for righties and lefties) not only helps you brush better, but the handle is made from renewable resource plastic. Radius also makes a toothbrush line for children.

Radius Source Toothbrush. The Source toothbrush comes with a replaceable head. After all, when you get a new toothbrush, all you really want to do is change out the bristles. The reusable handle is made from a wood fiber blended with corn plastic - both renewable resource materials.

The manufacturing of Radius toothbrushes is also eco-friendly. They are made in a restored mill in Pennsylvania, using well designed, efficient processes that create less waste and save on water and energy use (although much of the production is down at the moment, after the mill suffered severe storm damage in July).

Preserve Toothbrushes. Preserve toothbrushes by Recycline are made from recycled materials (mainly Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups), and are completely recyclable (if you send it back, Recycline will turn your used toothbrush into recycled plastic lumber.)

You can find these toothbrushes at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and some other specialty or natural foods stores; some major drug stores may carry them as well. While these brushes cost a little more than their conventional counterparts, since they’re better designed, they will actually last a little longer.

Want to clean your toothbrushes the natural way? Soaking your brush in vinegar every two weeks will get rid of most of the germs and bacteria hanging out there.

Got a tip for Amy and Jennifer? Send it to them!

To make your own carpet deodorizer, combine one cup of baking soda with 1/2-cup cornstarch. Next, add your favorite herbal scent or essential oils, and sprinkle on your rug. I prefer to sprinkle lavender flowers from the garden into my homemade carpet freshener, but using eucalyptus or citronella oils will get fleas hopping just before vacuuming. This natural, homemade deodorizer works best when left on your carpet for several hours (optimally overnight). If you do have fleas, be sure to empty the vacuum canister or bag immediately, in order that the fleas do not crawl out of the vacuum and return to your home.

Commercially-made carpet fresheners come with many warnings, and suggest that you use them everytime you vacuum. These products can be irritating (so can essential oils), as well as create unhealthy indoor air. In addition, such products come with warnings to keep the product out of the reach of children and pets. Baking soda and cornstarch are safe to use on all carpets, like the hand woven, naturally dyed tribal rugs in my home, and I find I only need to use it once or twice a year. I wouldn’t think of using a commercial, artificial product on my antiques rugs or around my pets and children.

Making your own cleaning products saves money and creates a greener, natural home. Simple recipes, such as this carpet freshener, make greening the good life simple. This tip also works well to freshen the bottom of trashcans!

Got a tip for Jennifer and Amy? Send it to them!

Soft/Silken

Soft/silken tofu is undrained tofu, and it contains the highest moisture content of all fresh tofus. Its texture can be described as similar to that of very fine custard. In Korea and Japan, traditional soft tofu is made with seawater. Because it is nearly impossible to pick up this type of tofu with chopsticks, it is generally eaten with a spoon. Edamame tofu, which I had once at a Japanese restaurant, is a Japanese type of tofu made from edamame (fresh green soybeans); it is pale green in color and often studded with whole edamame.

Now, you’d pretty much use silken or soft tofu when you want to make something creamy, such as puddings, mousses, and pie fillings. You can also use it for salad dressings and sauces, and silken tofu also works great in baked goods instead of using chicken’s eggs. I’ll get back to that in a sec.

So, when you go to look for silken tofu in the grocery store, you may find soft and silken in the refrigerated section. But you may also notice that silken tofu is packaged in aseptic boxes that do not require refrigeration. Mori-nu is the most popular/common brand of this type, and it will usually be found in the Asian section, by the soy sauce, etc. If you don’t use the whole amount, as with all tofu, submerge it in water in a container, and store it in the fridge once you open it. Changing the water daily will help keep the tofu fresh for up to one week. But you can keep this vacuum-packed/aseptic box of tofu in your cupboard for up to a year without opening it.

It can start to get confusing when you look at the aseptic box of tofu and notice that – even though it says "silken" — it will also say soft, firm, or extra firm. These are just degrees within the texture of silken tofu itself, and you can notice slight variations. So, even if it says "extra firm," this is not the type of tofu you’re going to take home to grill or stir fry. It’s much too soft for such a purpose. Anyway, in terms of these variations within silken tofu, my advice would be to follow recipes as they’re noted (if a recipe calls for Silken Soft, use it; if a recipe calls for Silken Firm use it). But in general, silken firm is a good standard to use for making silky, creamy dishes.

I mentioned before that silken tofu is also great to use in baked goods instead of chicken’s eggs. You can find information about this in a podcast episode called Better Than Eggs, but you can also pre-order my new baking book, The Joy of Vegan Baking for more details on baking without chicken’s eggs. Here are some tips for using silken tofu. Whip ¼ cup of silken tofu in a blender or food processor until it’s smooth and creamy, leaving no chunks. You may need to turn off the food processor and scrape down the sides.

I find the silken tofu “egg” works best when you want rich, dense, moist cakes and brownies, but you can use a little less to create lighter cakes, such as our Blueberry Orange Cake, which is one recipe in our Tofu and Tempeh recipe packets. There are other recipes in that section, which call for silken tofu, such as the No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie and the Chocolate Pudding Tart with Raspberry Sauce. They’re also in the new cookbook, but if you can’t wait, you can order them online in our online cookbook recipe packages.

Many grocery stores carry the Mori-Nu silken tofu these days, but you should definitely find it in a natural foods store. If your local grocery doesn’t carry it, request it. Look for vacuum-packed silken tofu on the shelves rather than in the refrigerated section. If you still can’t find it, I sell it in my online store, and it’s the organic one that I sell. Because soy beans are a highly sprayed crop, and many soy beans are genetically modified, I do recommend buying organic anytime you’re buying a soy bean-based food, whether it’s tofu, tempeh, soy milk, miso, or just edamame soy beans. As the standards are now, if something is certified organic, it is not genetically modified. But stay tuned.

Firm/Extra Firm Tofu

You’d use firm or extra firm tofu when you want to grill it, bake it, stir-fry it, stick it on a skewer – basically when you want it to keep its shape. So even if you’re using it for something like an eggless egg salad, the recipe for which is also in my online cookbook as well as demonstrated on our cooking DVD, you still want extra firm tofu, because you still want it to have body, you still want it to have texture.

Now, the more you cook with tofu, the more you understand what textures and brands work best for your purposes. I’ve raved about Wildwood’s tofu for years, and I continue to rave. Their super firm is really a fantastic tofu, and its distribution is spreading far and wide, so ask your local grocer to carry it. It’s really firm and full of texture, and it’s just delicious. But, because it’s so firm – the SUPER firm, that is – if I’m making something like a tofu scramble, I like to use a combination of extra firm and super firm – or even firm and extra firm. If I use all super firm, the result might be scramble that’s too rubbery, so I just know I like to do a variation of textures to get the result I want. And you’ll get there, too.

Same goes for something like medium tofu. If a recipe asks for medium, just use it, but I don’t really use it that often. Again, as you get more comfortable with the different textures of tofu, you’ll know what brand and texture you need based on the dish you’re making.

Freezing Tofu

Another thing you can do with firm, extra firm, and super firm tofu is freeze it, and this is my favorite thing to do. So you come home from the store, tofu in hand, and it should be in a tub of water or at least in a vacuum-sealed package with water. Just throw the whole thing in the freezer. Don’t open it, don’t do anything: just throw it in the freezer.

When you’re ready to use it, take it out of the freezer, thaw it out on the counter for a few hours – basically, before you go to work. It thaws faster on the counter than in the fridge, so just thaw it on the counter and perhaps not in direct sunlight. Now, open up the package, and dump out the water, etc. At this point, you’ll want to hold the block of tofu over a large bowl or over the sink, and squeeeeeze out all the water. It will literally be like a sponge. Tons of water comes out after you’ve thawed it.

So what’s the advantage of doing this? Well, you’ve squeezed out all this water, and you can literally see how porous the tofu is. So what does that mean? Well, you’ve gotten rid of all that water and created all this room/all these pores for a marinade to soak into the tofu. So, marinate the tofu in your favorite marinade for an hour or even over night. Then, add it to your sauté pan with just a little oil – or just on a nonstick pan with no oil at all – or put it on the grill. It’s delicious.
The other thing you’ve done is change the texture completely. Tofu already has great texture when it’s really firm, but it’s even chewier after having been frozen and thawed. I, personally, like the texture even better than if it wasn’t frozen at all, and I LOVE just regular tofu. I usually use this chewier tofu on my salads – just cut up into little cubes. I just love the texture. Also, at this point, it’s also great to crumble up and add to pasta sauce or to chili. It’s very chewy, and some people really like it that way because it adds that satisfaction that people seemingly get from chewing fat/flesh.

I’ve heard naysayers of vegetarianism say "well, vegetarians clearly have some kind of latent desire to eat meat if they want to eat vegetarian meats or if they ’seek out’ that meaty, chewy texture.’ And I couldn’t disagree more. People don’t necessarily stop eating animal flesh because they stopped liking it – they stop eating animal flesh because they don’t want to contribute to animal cruelty. Also, we don’t crave the flesh of animals. We’re not true carnivores who salivate at the thought of eating bloody muscles and raw flesh and sinews and tendons. In fact, that makes us really sick. What we do crave is flavor, we crave familiarity, we crave texture. So there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting that chewiness, that texture. So, there you have it. Freeze it, thaw it, squeeze out the water, and enjoy the chewy texture.

Now I just talked about how to press tofu to get the water out by freezing it and thawing it. You can press the tofu without freezing and thawing it first, but you don’t really press out as much water as when you use this other method. But if you wanted to try it, you can just wrap the tofu block in a dish towel, put it on a plate, and put something heavy like a bunch of heavy books or a heavy pot. 20 minutes later or so the towel will be soaked through with water, and you’ve pressed out some water, but again, it’s not as much as if you freeze it first. Try it yourself, and you’ll see what I mean.

We still have more to say! In Part III, I’ll offer some very specific ideas for preparing tofu!

Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds tofu, extra firm or super firm*
1/2 cup eggless mayonnaise (Nayonnaise and Vegenaise are great, but Wildwood’s Garlic Aioli is my fave)
2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
4 scallions (white and green parts), finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 teaspoons pickle relish
1-1/2 tablespoons prepared mustard
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Black pepper, to taste
10 slices good-quality sliced bread

Directions
1. In a large bowl, mash tofu with a fork, potato masher, or your hands.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Spread a few tablespoons of the tofu mixture on the bottom bread slices. Top with remaining slices of bread. (Toasted slices make this even more scrumptious!)

4. Carefully cut the crusts off the sandwiches with a sharp knife. Cut in half diagonally, then cut in half again so you’re left with small triangle-shaped finger sandwiches. (Throw the crust out to the grateful birds.)

*A word about tofu: There are many different types of tofu available, ranging from silken and soft to firm and extra firm - and even super firm, in the case of my favorite brand, Wildwood Organics, but there are also differences within those variations depending on the brand you buy or the way it’s packaged. The perfect textured tofu for this dish is one that is very firm. I recommend an extra-firm tofu (in the refrigerated section of the grocery store). Wildwood brand is my favorite, but if you can’t find it or can only find one that is in a tub of water, you might want to press out the water first. To press tofu: just dump the water and give the tofu a quick rinse. Wrap the tofu in a towel and place on a plate. Place something heavy on the tofu and leave it there for about 20-30 minutes; the towel will be soaked through.

Serving suggestions:

*Wonderful as a sandwich filling on a hard roll or stuffed in a pita
*Serve on crackers as an appetizer or party dish
*Serve as a side salad – great for picnics and BBQs!

Variation suggestion:

*Use cubed, steamed tempeh for a “better than chicken” salad.
*Use potatoes for a tasty potato salad.
*Use garbanzo beans/chickpeas for a “better than tuna” salad. (Grind the beans in a food processor for a tuna-like size and texture.

Other tofu recipes can be found at www.compassionatecooks.com

Also on GO:

All About Tofu - Part 1

History

Tofu originated in China about 2000 years ago, and while the details of its discovery are uncertain, legend has it that it was discovered by accident when a Chinese cook added the seaweed nigari to a pot of soybean milk, causing it to curdle, and the result was tofu.

Tofu was introduced into Japan in the 8th century, where it was originally known as "okabe," but was not called "tofu" until the 15th century, though tofu did not gain its great widespread popularity in Japan until the 17th century.

Tofu’s popularity in the West has mirrored the increasing interest in healthier foods. First gaining more widespread attention during the 1960s, tofu has been skyrocketing in popularity ever since research has begun to reveal the many significant benefits of this food.

So, what is tofu? What is this white block of what is also called "bean curd?"

Little Miss Muffet

Tofu or Dofu (based on the Chinese spelling) is a food that is made in much the same way that people make dairy-based cheese. First, you coagulate soy milk.

Well, let’s back up. As with cheese, when you make tofu, the first thing you need is milk.

In the case of dairy-based cheese, in our crazy world, we use the milk of animals. To make tofu, we use soy milk. Now, most commercial tofu makers make their own soy milk, which anyone can do by soaking, grinding, boiling, and straining dried (or, less commonly, fresh) soybeans.

When you have your soy milk, you then need to add a coagulant. When you coagulate something, you cause it to curdle. In other words, you transform it from a liquid into a soft semisolid or solid mass. Most of us have seen curdling when cow’s milk starts to go bad and you see little semi-solid white lumps floating around. Those are curds. That’s a process of curdling to indicate that it’s spoiling, that it’s going sour.

But there are other ways to sour milk intentionally. You do this by adding an agent that will produce that souring effect. Acidic liquid substances are the most obvious, such as vinegar or lemon juice. For instance (and I talk about this in my new baking cookbook), to make "buttermilk," all you need to do is add some lemon juice or vinegar to your non-dairy milk, and you’ve got sour milk, i.e. buttermilk.

So that you better understand the process of creating tofu, let me first talk a little about curdling cow’s milk before I continue with soy milk. For animal-based cheese, what is most often used as a curdling agent is rennet. Rennet is essentially a bunch of enzymes produced in the stomach of mammals to help the offspring digest the mother’s milk. One of the enzymes causes the milk to coagulate, to curdle or separate into solids (curds) and liquid (whey). Now you understand what Little Miss Muffet was eating. Couldn’t tell ya why she’d wanna eat it, but now at least you know what it is: curds and whey are the solid and liquid results of curdled milk.

For cow’s milk cheese, the rennet is extracted from the fourth stomach of young calves. And where would you find an abundance of young calf stomachs? The veal industry, of course. The stomachs used to get rennet are a by-product of veal production. Each ruminant animal produces the special kind of rennet needed to digest that species’ mother’s milk, so there is kid-goat rennet especially for goat’s milk cheese and lamb-rennet for sheep’s-milk cheese.

Carcinogenic Casein

Let’s pause for a moment to examine a few health considerations. I mentioned that increased acidity in cow’s milk causes curdling. Let’s go a little deeper. What’s actually happening is that the milk proteins (the casein) is tangling up into solid masses or "curds." The rest, which contains only whey proteins, is the whey. In cow’s milk, 80%-87% of the proteins are caseins.

If you haven’t yet read T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study, I can’t recommend it highly enough. I urge you to read it. Campbell is a highly respected researcher and policy advisor in the field of diet and cancer. He is Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, and has had a long career in research, teaching and development of national/international studies on diet, nutrition and health.

Casein, he says, is the "#1 carcinogen (i.e. cancer-causing substance) that people come in contact with on a daily basis." We’re consuming, drinking, swallowing, digesting this stuff every time we drink animal milk or eat animal-based cheese. And in cheese its even worse, because the casein is super concentrated.

Vegetarian Rennet

So back to rennet: there is vegetarian rennet, and sometimes it’s used in the production of kosher cheeses. Just keep in mind that though rennet can be produced by plants that have coagulating properties, such as nettles, thistles, or mallow – as in marshmallow. You probably know that marshmallows that are made with gelatin (the boiled hooves, bones, and other leftover body parts of the slaughter industry), but they used to be made with the marshmallow plant!

Though plant-based rennet is technically possible to create, nearly all "vegetarian" kosher cheeses are produced with either microbial rennet or genetically modified rennet. Microbial rennet is produced by using certain molds that are fermented. Apparently, using microbial rennet produces a slightly bitter tasting cheese, so with the development of genetic engineering, scientists starting using calf genes to modify some bacteria, fungus or yeast to make them produce Chymosin, one of the enzymes found in rennet. Chymosin produced by genetically modified organisms was the first artificially produced enzyme to be registered and allowed by the FDA in the USA. In 1999, about 60% of U.S. hard cheese was made with genetically engineered Chymosin.

So that’s rennet – used to curdle animal milk to make animal-based cheese. Now we can return to tofu.

As I said, you have to add a coagulant to your soy milk to curdle it, and for commercial tofu, the two coagulant types most commonly added are acid-based and salt-based.

Salt Coagulants

• An example of a salt-based coagulant is calcium sulfate, which is essentially tasteless. Tofu that’s made with calcium sulfate is obviously rich in calcium, and such tofu is pretty common. Tofu made with calcium sulfate tends to be Chinese-style tofu, which is tender but slightly brittle in texture.
• Other salt coagulants used are Chloride-type Nigari salts - Magnesium chloride and calcium chloride. These are the coagulants used to make Japanese-style tofu with a smooth and tender texture. Calcium chloride is a common coagulant for tofu in North America. You’ll recognize this coagulant on the list of ingredients, because it will most likely say Nigari, which consists primarily of magnesium chloride. It’s produced from seawater after the sodium chloride is removed and the water evaporated.

Acid Coagulants

Another coagulant that’s used – mostly for silken tofu or soft – is Glucono delta-lactone (GDL), a naturally occurring organic acid, which produces a very fine textured tofu that is almost jelly-like. Think silken tofu.

Tofu producers may choose to use one or more of these coagulants, as they each play a role in producing a desired texture in the finished tofu. So when you notice a different taste or texture in tofu depending on the brand, this is why. A lot of it depends on the coagulant used. The coagulant mixture is dissolved into water, and the solution is then stirred into boiled soy milk until the mixture curdles.

So, now you’ve got your curds, which, like in the process of making cheese, you press these curds. The curds are processed differently depending on the form of tofu that is being made. For soft silken tofu, the soy milk is curdled directly in the tofu’s selling package. For standard firm Asian tofu, the soy curd is cut and strained of excess liquid using cheese cloth or muslin and then lightly pressed to produce a soft cake. Firmer tofus are further pressed to remove even more liquid.

In Part II, we talk about the various texture varieties of tofu. That’s it. Science lesson over.

(Visit CompassionateCooks.com for tofu recipes or for our DVD, in which we demonstrate various uses with tofu, such as our Veggie Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce and Eggless Egg Salad.)

Image credit: Andrew Lih and Wikimedia Commons

Information that lead is harmful to our health is not new; however, toy companies act like these "accidents" occur innocently. In fact, we have known about the harmful effects of lead since 100 BC! Once lead enters the body, it travels to the soft tissues and organs. After several weeks, this poisonous metal begins to store in the body’s teeth and bones. Lead is especially harmful for children under six years of age, as "about 99% of the lead taken into the body of an adult will leave in the waste (urine, feces, hair/nail growth and sweat), but only about 32% will be eliminated from a child’s body," according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health. The harmful effects of lead exposure can cause learning disabilities to coma to death, depending on the amount and duration of exposure.

Small, strong magnetic toys are the source of other major, recent recalls. When children swallow more than one of these magnets, severe intestinal damage occurs, and it is often difficult to diagnose. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) lists magnets at the #1 hidden home hazard. They warn,

Since 2005: 1 Death, 86 Injuries; 8 million magnetic toys recalled. Today’s rare-earth magnets can be very small and powerful making them popular in toys, building sets, and jewelry…If two or more magnets, or a magnet and another metal object are swallowed separately, they can attract to one another through intestinal walls and get trapped in place…but magnets can attract in the body and twist or pinch the intestines, causing holes, blockages, infection, and death, if not treated properly and promptly.

The CPSC is the government agency responsible for protecting consumers from unsafe products. "Anytime a company brings a banned hazardous product into the U.S. marketplace, especially one intended for children, it is unacceptable," said Nancy Nord, acting chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. "Ensuring that Chinese-made toys are safe for U.S. consumers is one of my highest priorities and is the subject of vital talks currently in place between CPSC and the Chinese government…There is no excuse for lead to be found in toys entering this country,"
Nord said. "It’s totally unacceptable and it needs to stop." This statement is ironic, given the CPSC’s failure to act when lead was found in baby bibs, car seats, jewelry, and children’s lunchboxes. Furthermore, the president of Mattel has stated that families should expect more recalls as further product testing occurs. Shouldn’t this testing occur before products are sold to families? More irony is found with RC2’s slogan, "compelling passionate parenting and play for all ages." Yes, compassionate parents give their children toys with lead paint on them.

The recall of Thomas the Tank Engine toys, as well as other recent recalls, reminds us that our children will never be safe until children are safe globally from harmful products in their toys. An opinion article in the New York Times by Christian Warren speaks to this issue. "The Little Engine That Could Poison" reminds us that the important lessons to be learned from these recalls is not only about the protection our own children, but "regulating environmental poisons in the global economy".

With the majority of products consumers purchase being manufactured overseas, the incidence of "accidental" contamination will continue. As Warren writes,

It is important to do what we can to prevent the import of dangerous toys. But it is at least as important to help our international partners curtail the use of lead and other toxic substances in their own markets. Lax product safety and environmental regulation overseas undoubtedly lowers manufacturing costs there, but it also perpetuates the risk to our children and guarantees harmful exposure to both workers and children in countries that continue using lead as blithely as we once did."

Lead is very dangerous stuff that causes irreversible damage in humans. No family anywhere in the world should have to suffer from the effects of this known poison, especially in an effort to produce cheap products for the world market. As a world power, we need to do something to extinguish this hazard globally. We have some protection in this country, despite President Bush slashing of the Consumer Product Safety Commission budget by 10%, yet our children are still exposed to lead in their toys. Who knows how many children throughout the world play with lead tainted toys?

Green alternatives do exist for families. Reputable companies, such as Plan Toys, provide consumer confidence and greener practices. Handmade toys, such as Waldorf doll making kits, allow parents to know exactly what their children’s toys are made of and how they are constructed. Real Toys from Melbourne creates charming gifts for children from recycled and/or salvaged materials. Here is Real Toys bio from Etsy:

So many of the toys available today are mass produced, plastic, commercialised and increasingly associated with TV, movies or computer games. As I work with children, I wanted to make toys that would be developmentally stimulating, simple, high quality and lovable– the way Real Toys should be. (And they are so cute!) Each Real Toy is an original design, individually handmade and stuffed. Features are carefully chosen at the last stage to bring out the unique personality of every one. As they are crafted individually, each Real Toy is one of a kind.

Parents should proceed with caution when purchasing toys made in China. The recent recalls demonstrate that our global economy can have devastating effects on children throughout the world. Natural toys may cost more money, but there is no price for safety and the blessings of health. Although natural toys are sometimes recalled, the incidence of such recalls does not compare to the recent problems plaguing major toy manufacturers.