Technology for the Future: Lesson for the Present

It sounds like Science Fiction. Giant, transportable, self-contained biospheres where we can grow our own organic crops and live quite comfortably.

The biggest lesson from the following talk is not how to inhabit space or other planets, but rather that we have a profound impact on our biosphere, and as such we have no choice but to live consciously and responsibly.

Enjoy!

Food Fetish: Spirulina

Gong Hey Fa Choy!

In this New Year of the Rabbit, it is forecast that we shall indulge in many comforts. But not because we'll have more at our disposal, rather because we will truly appreciate what we already have. This lunar year will allow us to slow our pace, leisurely enjoy family, friends, and food.

Hmmmm. Is this a calm before the storm of 2012's year of the Dragon and Mayan Apocalypse? Who can say. Either way, it's best to enjoy this luxurious reprieve while it lasts.

How do you successfully make that switch from a roaring and boisterous year of the Tiger to a contemplative and serene state of mind where less is more? It's time to look at that list of 'must haves' and decide if everything on there is worth the pain in the ass to acquire. You might decide to remove a few of the material items, and instead consider adding your own vibrant health to that list.

Improving ones exercise and diet routines are obvious paths to good health. But there are other little gems out there that wait like little faery helpers, ready to boost our vitality into the stratosphere: Superfoods! Rather than spending hundreds on vitamin and mineral supplements, capitalize on the bounty of high quality Superfoods. Get your nutrients from your food like Planet Earth intended for you.

"Superfood" is an admittedly vague term, but the way I use it here refers to unprocessed foods which have an exceptional nutrient profile, containing high amount of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants.

This month's Superfood Star is Spirulina . Never heard of it before? Don't be fooled. This is no spiral shaped pasta, to be eaten with cream and other naughty sauces. This is a nutrient-dense blue green algae and a power-house of nutritional goodness. I'll forgive you if you stop reading this in order to sprint to the health food store to pick some up.

Our conversation today is with Mishku. With a back ground in Anthropology and Environmental Studies, and a Vegan Chef herself, Mishku has a strong interest in food security. Take note: she is not interested in feeding the poor, she is interested in nourishing them. A huge fan of Spirulina, she is convinced that this deceptively humble blue green algae can help nourish the world if given the chance. Shauna Eve interviews her in this expose, where the naked truth about health and food politics takes center stage.

We had the good fortune of snagging photographer Zipporah Lomax on her way through Vancouver. This San Francisco native and exceptional talent was just back on the continent after a year in India. Her fresh eyes have the uncanny ability of capturing an air of intimacy and a touch of magic.


SE: Why Spirulina?

M: Spirulina is the epitome of clean, fresh, vibrant food. It is so chock full of nutrients, other more humbly put together foods say "Dang Spirulina! You make us look bad!". And I do not underestimate the psychological effects of knowing this. I supplement my diet with this Superfood every morning by adding it to my shake, juice, or chilled tea (heat destroys spirulina's potency). I have the good fortune of living in a region where I can easily procure it, so what good reason would I have not to do so?

SE: You seem to draw a pretty clear connection between good health and diet.

M: Absolutely. It seems strange to me that this is still up for debate. Henry Rollins once said that we are all born as Ferraris, but we end up treating ourselves like beaters with crappy food and other unhealthy lifestyle choices. How is it that he could capsulize the concept so aptly in that one metaphore, yet doctors are still scratching their heads in fascination at the escalating rates of heart disease and cancer?

Vibrant health is not as mysterious as we make it out to be, but we're all waiting for Oprah to verify our facts for us. Or worse yet, for pharmaceutical companies to concoct a fix-it-all drug that promises salvation from responsibility.

I don't make much money, so my retirement plan is my own healthy body. If you can't afford to have someone change your diapers, make sure you keep fit and clean so you can change your own. HA! No, but really, I believe in taking control of having the second half of your life be just as enjoyable as the first.

SE: What about people who can't afford good quality food?


M: That is an interesting question. If you live in Canada and smoke, drink, indulge in 'retail therapy' or drive a car, you probably qualify as someone who has enough disposable income to afford high quality food. I can't imagine being able to afford driving a car everyday, and some people who drive everyday can't imagine being able to afford organic food. It's a question of values and priorities. If you don't prioritize your health, you risk falling into poor shape. The choice is yours.

There are a lot of people for whom this is not the case. It embarrasses me that in a country so full of bounty, we have people who suffer from malnutrition, either through ignorance or poverty.

Our Food Bank system is a great concept, but often falls short of helping nourish people. What do we donate to food banks every Christmas like clock work? All the crappy processed food at the back of our cupboards that we would never feed ourselves or our families. Kraft Dinner is not food, Chef Boyardi is not food. The people on the receiving end of this help deserve high quality food, not processed and flavoured filler.

If through our tax dollars we can afford to help people when they are sick, we can certainly afford to help people prevent sickness in the first place, no?

SE: What options do we have to deal with this?

M: I had the amazing opportunity to prepare meals and snacks for Vancouver's Downtown East Side Neighbourhood House. I prepared high protein plant based meals. "Cheap and cheerful" food bursting with colours and nutrients. People loved it. People in all segments of society crave clean fresh food, and community. Sharing meals in itself is a therapeutic activity. That's what the Neighbourhood House provides. It was an honour to be a part of it. The world needs more places like that.


SE: So with all your cheerleading for healthy living, do you have any vices?

M: Mmmmm, don't we all? I believe in balance, not abstinence. The trick is enjoying sinful indulgences as treats, not habits.

SE: Mishku, make me dinner will you?

M: Of course, darling.


Photos: Zipporah Lomax
Spirulina:E3
Claw foot tub: Care of Shauna Eve
Eye lashes: Shu Uemura, Holt Renfrew


Green Dream Smoothie

1 T Spirulina
handful of blackberries
1 banana
2 C hemp milk
1 t hemp butter
1/2 C chilled green tea

Blender it up. Serves two.



*Disclaimer: The spirulina species of blue-green algae contains the chemical phenylalanine. This might make phenylketonuria worse. Avoid Spirulina species blue-green algae products if you have phenylketonuria.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/923.html

New Year's Resolution: Eating In

When our hominid ancestors first put flame to food, it must have seemed like quite a magical endeavor. And just imagine the excitement when humans realized that not only could fire give us light, heat and degree of protection against wild animals, but that it could also transform the flavour and texture of our food!

A whole world of edibles opened up including many roots, tubers and leaves that are too tough to eat raw.

There remains a certain amount of mystique around this simple act of applying heat to food. An unfortunate by-product of this can be feelings of intimidation or simply an unwillingness to cook or experiment in the kitchen.

Don't let a few botched attempts at an extravagant recipe discourage you!

It's in your best interest to conquer these feelings of intimidation. Namely because home cooked eating is less expensive than eating out, and it's healthier. What of the convenience? Well, you do have to do your own dishes, however you can also eat in your underwear, while watching TV, with your favourite animal friend by your side. Sign me up!

Here are a few tips to help you enjoy your time in the kitchen:

Attitude:
Food is a conduit for love. Making a meal full of things your body needs is an act of love, as is making a meal for family or friends.

Feeding yourself and others can bring an intense sense of fulfillment when viewed in this light. Revel in it!

Proper tools:
Let's keep things simple shall we? You need a chef's knife and a steel to sharpen it with. These two things are the key to all going smoothly and efficiently. They are desert island type requirements.

Get a proper sized knife that fits comfortably in your hand. Let it be an extension of your arm. Ask the vendor how to hold the knife properly and how to use the steel to sharpen it.

All you really need now is a wooden cutting board and fresh ingredients!

Everything else is gravy. You can use hand me down pots and ancient spoons. Your food will still come out just as delicious. Once you get in the swing of things, you may decide to upgrade a few items. When you do, avoid Teflon and plastic.

My personal guilty pleasure is a small inexpensive rice cooker (under $20). You will never EVER burn your rice again. Turn it on and forget about it until you are ready to eat.


Atmosphere:
Cooking should not feel like a punishment. Create an atmosphere that is comfortable. Include anything that elevates your mood: music, company, lighting, snacks, refreshments. What works best for you?

Enjoy solitude when working? Kick everyone out of the kitchen and tell them it will be worth their while! Want company? Ask a friend to pull up a chair, or a cutting board.

Think about what puts you at ease and flow with it.

Personally I love when I have the kitchen to myself, great music I can sing along to, a huge mug of spiced rooibus tea (or glass of white wine if the evening is more festive), and of course a clean kitchen to start off in.

Hosting:
The food you choose to share does not have to be fancy or exotic. If things are taking a bit longer than planned or you are anxious about the way a recipe turned out, distract guests with snacks, yummy beverages, or booze. (Shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone I said this, but a tipsy guest loves almost anything you put in front of them). Keep dessert small and simple. It usually goes unnoticed by the majority of guests anyway.

If you're caught up in trying to show off how fabulous your hosting skills are, you've immediately set yourself up for a stressful evening. Comedienne Amy Sedaris says that when you have people over for a meal, you are basically saying "I like you!". Let that sentiment carry you through your preparations and don't get too bogged down in the details of the recipe or the display.

Food Preparation:
Recipes involve a bit of chemistry, a bit of love, and super fresh ingredients.
Remember, you are more than an observer in their execution. Most recipes are created on the bland side to suit most palates. Your creative hand is required! Add a little more spice, salt, sweet or sour. Be bold and your dish will mirror your confidence.

Feel restricted by recipes? Ditch your cookbooks, or just use the pretty pictures as inspiration. Don't worry, this is the one kind of book for which no one will judge you for only looking at the pictures.

Now the really fun part: how you are going to spend the money you save on take-out and tips?

Food Fetish: Eggplant

Beauty and mystery are everywhere you look. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective to turn the mundane into the sublime.

The humble eggplant is filled with such mystery. The shade of a moonless midnight sky, with smooth shiny skin and earthy flavour. It's plumpness and name symbolic of fertility. When mixed with staple ingredients such as garlic, seasalt or miso, truly amazing things can happen.

Naturopathic Doctor Carmen Tanaka loves beautiful things. She also has a knack for uncovering the type of beauty that lays in wait for a worthy observer. For this shoot her refined aesthetic, along with her photographer husband Yoshinori Tanaka 's sharp eye, guided the way.

Carmen is newly graduated from The Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, and is about to have a baby. What better way to celebrate the New Year than to celebrate new beginnings? And life is definitely unfolding in beautiful ways for Dr.Tanaka right now.

Vibrant Fare is honoured to have the opportunity to capture this spectacular moment, and her fabulous glow.



VF: Training in Naturopathic Medicine must give you a very wide range of knowledge. What modalities do you plan on focusing on?

CT: I am of the mind that there is no separation between the emotional, the mental and the physical. You cannot treat one without the other. My practice will revolve around uncovering the mental and emotional causes of illness: an area often over looked in medicine.

When you're helping someone to heal, you have to start by looking at the basics: is the patient getting enough sleep/water/clean food? Simply correcting deficiencies in these areas will cure a large amount of ailments.

When these basic conditions for health are met and illness still persists, it's time to dig deeper. Lifestyle and emotional counseling are good tools for uncovering non-physical imbalances, and so will play a large part in my practice. I also find a combination of acupuncture, herbs, and homeopathy to be highly effective for rectifying those imbalances.

VF: You became pregnant in the last months of your schooling at Boucher, and are expecting any day now. That must have changed the course of your life immensely.

CT: Yes and no. It might be cliche to say this, but you are never fully prepared for the immensity of creating a life. But priorities naturally shift when you become pregnant, and everything suddenly becomes feasible.

While in school, I was in a very yang mentality: studying, working in the clinic, transforming into a doctor and career woman. Since becoming pregnant and graduating from school, I've settled into a yin state: calm, contemplative, inward facing. The timing turned out to be perfect as I can let all that I have learned at school settle within me, and I have the luxury of a chunk of time to envision the future I desire.

This personal experience will also translate beautifully into my professional life. Pregnant women are notoriously complex to treat. Most adult treatments are inappropriate for the growing fetus. Going through the experience of pregnancy myself will make the prospect of treating pregnant women less daunting.

VF: You are obviously very passionate about the Art of Medicine. What else gets you going?

CT: Food. Every aspect of it. From picking out the perfect ingredients, to preparing them, and especially the act of sitting down to share plates of food.

VF: Why did you choose eggplant?

CT: Having never had it as a child, eggplant seems very exotic to me, which I find appealing. I also love the colour and texture. For me it is a comfort food: soft and grounding, and such a great conduit for an array of spices. I love them in thai green curry, and my husband makes a delicious Japanese miso-eggplant dish that I adore, by itself or on a bowlful of Haiga rice.


Thai Green Curry featuring Eggplant and Bamboo Shoots

1 japanese eggplant, cut into thin half moons
1 fresh bamboo shoot, sliced into chunks
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1/2 cup peas
1 shallot
1/2 red onion diced
3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups veggie stock
1 can coconut milk
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 inch lemon grass stalk
1 T Thai Green Curry Paste
1 t grapeseed oil
1 pinch seasalt
1 inch fresh ginger, grated

In a saucepan heat oil and onions and shallots, with a pinch of salt.
Saute until translucent and add garlic, veggie stock, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass.

In a small bowl, dissolve curry paste in hot water.
Add curry paste to pot and heat. Add eggplant and bamboo shoot, and simmer on med-low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make sure eggplant has lost all of it's toughness and feels mushy. Stew longer if necessary.
Add red pepper and peas in the last few minutes of cooking.

Serve on short grain brown rice or brown jasmine rice, and garnish with fresh grated ginger.








Japanese Miso Eggplant



6 tablespoons shiro miso (white fermented soybean paste)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 1/2 tablespoons water
3 3/4 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional for brushing pan
6 Asian eggplants(about 8 inches), halved lengthwise
2 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat broiler.

Whisk together shiro miso, vinegar, water, honey, and ginger until honey is dissolved.

Brush a large shallow baking pan with oil and arrange eggplant, cut sides up, in pan. Brush tops with 2 tablespoons oil (total). Broil eggplant 4 to 6 inches from heat until it begins to turn pale golden and soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Brush generously with miso mixture and broil 2 minutes more. Brush eggplant with miso again and rotate pan 180 degrees (do not turn eggplant over), then continue to broil until eggplant is tender and glaze is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve sprinkled with scallions.


Photography: Yoshinori Tanaka

Special thanks to 'Nugget'

Seafood de Cliquot: A Conversation with Marine Biologist Sarah Harper

I have a confession: I love seafood. As a strict vegetarian, it is the one animal product I miss.

For years I've struggled to reconcile my morality with my tastes. But I think I may have found a way to satisfy my palate and preserve my integrity. On my birthday.

For that one day of the year I give in to temptation and eat as much sustainably caught seafood as my 5'1" frame can handle.

But is that my best option? Is there an ideal solution?

Marine Biologist Sarah Harper feels passionately about seafood: about it's conservation and its gustatory value.

She shares her personal and professional views on this poignant issue with Vibrant Fare:

Truffles appear only at certain times of the year, in very specific locations and are harvested with the help of a well-trained truffle hog. The effort involved in finding them along with their scarcity cause these lumpy little fungi to cost as much as nice bottle of vintage wine. People pay a high price for having the opportunity to eat such rare delicacies.

Why shouldn't rare things cost more? Certain fish could be considered equally rare, however people want access to cheap fresh fish, every day. It's no wonder fish stocks are reaching dangerously low levels the world over.

For some people, fish is their main, and sometimes only, source of protein. Fishing is a way of life for tens of thousands of coastal dwellers in developing nations around the world who depend on seafood for their diet and livelihood. But for many of us, particularly in the developing world, we have options as to what, when and how much to eat. Our survival doesn’t depend on tuna tataki or ebi mayo, as lovely as that would be.

As a marine biologist witnessing the global fisheries in decline, I often tackle the question, “what is the most sustainable seafood to eat?”

There are many great tools out there to help educate even the most disinterested consumer as to which seafood dish is more sustainable than the next. SeaChoice has developed an iPhone application that will help answer this question while you are out and about. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a handy wallet-sized booklet for the less tech-savvy that lists best and worst seafood choices (mailed upon request from Ocean Wise Program at the Vancouver Aquarium.)

But my personal response to this question is this: Treat seafood as you would a fine champagne. Have it very rarely, such as special occasions, and be willing to pay a little extra to get the trap caught spot prawns from BC or the wild sockeye from a healthy Alaskan salmon run.

I love eating seafood, but I also love the ocean for its amazing diversity of life. I have a vested interest in preserving that diversity. I am after all, a marine biologist and I would hate to see my profession go extinct!

-Sarah Harper, December 2010, Vancouver

For wonderful recipe ideas, check out
The Ocean Wise Cookbook: Seafood recipes that are good for the planet

I'll likely be dipping into this when my birthday rolls around again.
Tuna Tataki with Green Papaya Slaw? Yes please!




For More information about how to identify and source sustainably caught seafood please visit:

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Ocean Wise

Independant and Local Salmon Fisheries

For more information about the state of fisheries in Canadian and abroad please visit:

The Sea Around Us

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization

And remember, when in doubt, Polenta with Roasted Veggies or String Beans with Miso Gravy are always waiting in the wings to make your belly happy!



For further inspiration, listen to this engaging talk by oceanographer and Living Legend Sylvia Earle.

Happy Solstice Season!

The winter solstice season drives people indoors to nest, cuddle, make soup and make love. It's an introspective time of year, and it is no wonder this is also a time for sharing and giving.

To quote my fortune cookie: "If you continually give, you will continually have."

Sounds great to me!

It's difficult to chose only a handful of charities to give to, however here are three dear to my heart. They represent the international, the local, and our dear friends who are not of the human variety.

I'd love to hear about what charities are dear to you and why.

Please share, and give...

Kiva : Small Business loans for individuals in developing countries. Just brilliant. "Teach a man to fish..."

A Loving Spoonful : You don't need to go to developing nations to find the poor and destitute. They live in our backyard.

WSPA : It's easy to forget that we are not the only species that live on the planet. Let's help our fellow Earthings enjoy a quality of life that isn't excruciating.


Have a happy & abundant solstice season! xo

Food Fetish: Chili Peppers

As December presents us with the darkest days of the year, and arctic winds try to nudge their way over the mountains that crown Vancouver, it's the perfect time of year to crank up the heat and turn up the spice.

This all comes very easily to this month's food fetish star Heidi Joy Brown. RMT and veritable fire cracker, Heidi chose a festive and warming food: chili peppers. Varied in size, shape, colour, flavour and heat, this food is always fun to experiment with.

Like love, it's hard to resist indulging in chili, and although there's always the possibility of getting burned, it's so worth it! Time to dive in....

V: Why Chili Peppers?

HJB: I love chili peppers because they are so versatile. Thai, Mexican, Indian: heat adds a whole new dimension to food without drastically altering the flavour. But maybe it's genetic...my father can eat the hottest things imaginable!

V: What do you love about winter?

HJB: I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say this in Vancouver, but I love winter for the snow! I love the crunch of it beneath my feet, the glory of the white against a blue sky (if we ever get to see one) and all the free time previously spent at the beach now devoted to cooking.

V: Favourite winter meal?

HJB: Soup with a mug of mulled wine, hands down! While I am a fan of many soups, my old friend Spicy Ginger-Peanut is at the top of my list. And Mexican-style spicy hot chocolate for dessert.

V: What are you passionate about?

HJB: I feel pretty thankful in my life to have a job that I love, friends and family that support me and the best dog in the world. Those things work in a positive loop to keep me inspired and creating.

V: Favourite money stretching technique?

HJB: I find that when I plan my meals for the week, not only do I eat healthier, my buck goes a lot farther too. The planning process also inspires me to try new recipes, which I coordinate (peanut ginger soup + cauliflower curry) so that mismatched leftovers don't go bad in the fridge.

Spicy Peanut-Ginger Soup

1 tbs. grapeseed oil
1 large onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
1 chili pepper, minced (or more to taste!)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups)
6 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1 tsp honey

Garnish: crushed peanuts and minced green onion

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and carrots and cook, stirring until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cayenne, black pepper, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the sweet potato, broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Puree the soup in the pot using an immersion blender or in a regular blender in two batches and return to the pot. Add the peanut butter and honey and stir, over low heat, until the peanut butter melts.

Aztecan Hot Xocolate

1+2/3 Cup Almond Milk (or hemp milk, for an equally creamy texture)
1 vanilla bean
1 red chili pepper, split with seeds removed
1 cinnamon stick
1 peppermint teabag
1+1/2 oz dark fair trade chocolate, grated
honey or agave syrup to taste

Heat milk with vanilla bean, chili pepper, cinnamon stick, and tea bag. Simmer for 5 minutes, then strain milk, return to pot on medium heat and add grated chocolate.
Allow to melt, add honey to taste.

Serves two, of course!

Enjoy fireside, or snuggled up in your fort made of blankets and kitchen chairs.


Photography: Aja Dawn
Hair and Make-up: Jacqueline Bloxom

Special Thanks: Julian Ing