Potatoes are notorious users of pesticides and fertilizers. Back in 2007, I produced an Edible Idaho radio story on how potato production had tainted wells on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Eastern Idaho. That lead the Shoshone Bannock tribes on a search for healthier ways to grow potatoes. An article in the Capital... »
I bet we Boiseans will eventually start munching on banh mi, or Vietnamese sandwiches, with the casual regularity of the once exotic taco, pad Thai or pizza (yes, pizza was once exotic). In larger American cities, eaters are already arguing over the virtues of rice over wheat flour banh mi bread with the gusto... »
Back in December, I mentioned the upcoming Oregon Truffle Festival in Eugene, which runs from January 29th to 31st. Among many dinners, workshops and tastings, the festival also offers a two-day seminar on truffle dog training. Yesterday, the Oregonian published an article on the subject of truffle hunting dogs. Although pigs are the traditional truffle hunters,... »
(GH) As mentioned in a previous post, Michael Pollan, author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” spoke at Washinton State University on Wednesday, January 13th. Here, from the agricultural weekly Capital Press, is an article on what Pollan had to say. By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press PULLMAN, Wash. — Michael Pollan believes farmers may eventually solve three of the world’s biggest... »
The new Taj Mahal restaurant in downtown Boise serves Indian food in Hi-Def. Blame that metaphorical leap on the flat screen TV hanging from Taj Mahal’s far wall. Eating while facing a digital swirl of Bollywood musicals naturally blends food and pixels in my head like coconut milk and curry. TV and Indian food, I... »
SEATTLE — Steve Brown of Capital Press quotes president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, Bob Stallman as issuing a call to arms to counter criticism of conventional agriculture: “It is up to us to share the strength of our character and the tradition of our values with our fellow citizens,” Stallman said at the... »
Last Monday, Edible Idaho aired an NPR story on Idaho’s Bounty Co-op, a group bringing sustainably raised, local food to individual consumers. Today, producer Guy Hand reports on Idaho’s Bounty’s attempt to provide large institutions like hospitals, universities and restaurants with local food. By selling wholesale quantities, Idaho’s Bounty plans to take home-grown meats, produce... »
This little room is all dark wood, sepia prints and raw brick – the rich, rosy tones of good winter ale. Top it off with a big artisan beer selection, good tunes and enjoyable food, and you’ve got the ingredients for what my Scottish wife calls a “local.” By that she means an unpretentious... »
Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore’s Dilemma, a critique of modern food systems that was named one of the ten best books of the year by both the New York Times and the Washington Post, will speak January 13th at Washington State University in Pullman as part of its annual common reading program. What’s noteworthy about... »
The local food movement is exploding in popularity. At this time of year, though, fresh local produce can seem like a distant memory. But even as the snow flies, there are people connecting hungry consumers to local food. In this installment of Edible Idaho, correspondent Guy Hand visits Idaho’s Bounty Co-op, a pioneer in the... »
EUGENE, OR – Oregon’s Dungeness Fishermen are on track to meet or beat their record catch of nearly 16 million pounds of crab for December. The all time record for December was set in 2004. KLCC’s Rachael McDonald reports. Normally, about 80 percent of the total catch is hauled in during the first 8 weeks... »
(GH: Radio producer Anna King of the Northwest News Network reports on a Washington winemaker’s work at brewing local bubbly. Cheers.) KENNEWICK, Wash. — Christmas is over. But a portly guy with a white beard is still hard at work in his workshop. He’s not making toys in the North Pole, but rather bottles of... »
An Idaho Orange Tree I’ve got greenhouses on the brain — thanks to some Idaho oranges. Imagine walking through a field of brittle, mid-winter stubble, a sky the color of cement, the wind biting at the back of your neck. Ahead a nondescript greenhouse sits like so many greenhouses on the Snake River Plain this... »
I don’t pretend to make a subtle statement when I choose lunch at Cafe Vicino over Guy Fieri’s “Kulinary” road show, scheduled for later the same day. I love T-shirt firing bazookas and Metallica blasting over fat speakers as much as the next guy, but Food Network’s Fieri and his cooking-show-on-steroids... »
If you noticed the post a while back, I spent several months this year trying to make cheese. Some attempts turned out surprisingly tasty (yogurt, mozzarella, manchego), others . . . not so much (a “quick” cheddar gave meaning to the phrase “chalk and cheese”). What my self-guided apprenticeship taught me was a deep, worshipful... »
