If You Give a Health Nut a Fruit Chip

 

“Industrial technologies, particularly synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, has fed the swelling human population during the last century. Can organic agriculture feed a world of nine billion people?” David Biello, “Will Organic Food Fail to Feed the World?”

David Biello’s “Will Organic Food Fail to Feed the World?” examines an issue that “has too often been an emotional debate”: organic vs. non-organic farming methods.

Biello begins by drawing attention to how much civilization truly relies on food: we need it to feed ourselves, to feed the animals we use to feed ourselves, to strengthen our clothing with fiber, and even to fuel our cars. Because we rely so heavily on food, agriculture has wiped out massive amounts of the biosphere: 70% of grasslands and 45% of temperate forests have been converted to farmland. Additionally, farming is not only the leading cause of deforestation in the tropics, but also “one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions.” Continue reading

Animal Butter: Welcoming Sophisticated Street Food to Tuscaloosa

Epiphany, a farm-to table restaurant serving what it calls “new American cuisine,” has established a niche in Tuscaloosa’s foodie market. Since its opening in 2009, Epiphany has served fresh and creative dishes in a high-class but comfortable setting. Exposed brick and immaculately clean glass doors emphasize the rustic, farm-fresh qualities of the restaurant, and the ever-shifting menu and tastefully quiet indie music appeals to the environmentally conscious foodie crowd. Executive chef and owner Tres Jackson has expressed the desire to use his thoughtful and locally based restaurant methods to promote ethical eating for customers and the community.

Members of the class with Executive Chef Tres Jackson at Epiphany

   As Epiphany has met with consistent success, Jackson is looking to expand the reach of both his impact and his innovative food creations. He, with Epiphany’s chef de cuisine Joel Frederick, plans to open an international street food restaurant entitled Animal Butter (presumably acknowledging the frequent use of various animal butters in Epiphany’s dishes). As developing food writers, the students of Dr. Cardon’s class had the opportunity to taste a selection of dishes on Animal Butter’s menu-in-progress. Continue reading