Organic Ideas for Valentine’s Day

Written by Max Goldberg on February 1, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

Whenever holidays come around, it doesn’t mean that I take a holiday from eating organic.

Since the majority of the world is not yet on the organic bandwagon (including most of my friends and family), it requires that we plan in advance and get resourceful. But it also presents a great opportunity to expose people to some excellent organic products.

Here are a few ideas for an organic Valentine’s Day.

- Equal Exchange is selling a fantastic box called My Fair Valentine Cards & Candy.

Each set includes 24 Valentine’s Day cards and 24 fairly traded, organic dark chocolate minis. The colorful cards are illustrated with animals, and the informative bookmark explains where fairly traded chocolate comes from. Read More »

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Beet Kvass – What is it and Why am I Drinking it?

Written by Max Goldberg on January 24, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

Organic beet kvass isn’t exactly a household name, similar to a coconut water or even kombucha.

And I don’t believe that it will ever come close to having the same name recognition as these other two drinks.

Yet, its health benefits and utility may surpass them both.

A lacto-fermented beverage of Russian origin, beet kvass provides the body with beneficial bacteria and aids in digestion.

It is also touted as a blood purifier and an excellent way to cleanse the liver.

Unlike kombucha, which uses sugar in the fermentation process, the beet kvass from Hawthorne Valley uses no sugar at all. And because it is a raw drink, all of the vitamins and minerals remain intact.

While I tend to drink it straight, the other great thing about beet kvass is that it can be used as a base for soups, salad dressings or marinades. Read More »

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My Friday Night Dinner at The Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC

Written by Max Goldberg on January 23, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

The Natural Gourmet Institute, a cooking school in NYC that places a very strong emphasis on organic, hosts Friday night dinners that are open to the public.

I had been hearing very good things about these fixed-price, four-course dinners at The Natural Gourmet Institute and finally decided to check it out last week. Here’s what I had:

HIJIKI CAVIAR BLINI

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A Fantastic Tasting Organic Dinner for Two for Under $15…Here’s How

Written by Max Goldberg on January 20, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

The one criticism that I hear all of the time about organic is that it costs too much.

Yet, if you take the time to shop correctly and cook at home, organic can definitely be affordable.

Here is how the costs broke down to make this great tasting quinoa dinner, and every single ingredient was organic. Read More »

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Organic vs. Local? Transparent, Says Alberto Gonzalez of GustOrganics

Written by Max Goldberg on January 6, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

One topic that frequently gets discussed is whether it is preferable to buy organic or to buy local.

To many people, especially those in Brooklyn, there can be nothing better than local. In a recent blog post, I address this very issue in detail and discuss why I choose organic.

My friend Alberto Gonzalez, owner of NYC’s only certified organic restaurant GustOrganics, wrote an excellent piece in The Huffington Post yesterday about this subject but distilled it down even further.

What he wants is transparency.

Unfortunately, the word “natural” has become a completely abused marketing term, stands for almost nothing, and is the reason why Naked Juice, Wesson Oil and Frito-Lay are facing class action lawsuits.

Therefore, “organic” has become the term which identifies the “cleanest” foods that we can eat. Read More »

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