Mark Bittman’s A Big Deal Food Writer But No Restaurant Critic – There’s A Big Difference
From our Calendar for Wednesday, March 13th: The Future of Food with Mark Bittman
Mark Bittman’s a killer writer, you guys. Have you seen his New York Times blog? This man’s on his game. He writes about food sometimes, but mostly it’s about the grander picture of how our worlds work, how we use resources, how we’re trying to innovate ways of thinking about groceries and diet. Obesity’s a touchy subject, sometimes one that’s close to home—look no further than the brutal shade thrown at Melissa McCarthy by Rex Reed, calling her a hippo in print like that. Well, Bittman’s genuinely trying to convert the masses into a movement, and it starts with knowledge.
He’s fighting pretty hard against GMOs, or genetically modified organisms—biotechnology used for creepy, inorganic and environmentally-harmful methods of yielding the most commercial crop possible despite potential long-lasting consequences. A lot of the no-GMO believers simply want to see a more legit and realistic supermarket-item labeling system. Especially for sugar. And super-processed stuff. Cheese puffs, candy bars, dried-meat sticks, high-fructose iced tea, fruit punch—it’s all so bad for our bodies. But we love it. We’re addicted to it. We have to be stronger and start standing up to these giant companies that tempt us with their evil, delicious intoxication.
What’s worth discussing is how Bittman’s kind of thinking can get spread. Really, it could be as simple as a smarter choice about where to go in your neighborhood. Do you go to the McDonald’s on Girard or do you go to the SuperFresh a block away and buy a pound of hamburger and a loaf of good bread? If you can make it to BJs or Sam’s Club, do you get cases of soda instead of flats of bottled waters? Do you patronize local restaurants or bars that celebrate honest and fair food? It’s about spending wisely and yielding the greatest purchase power over what goes in our bodies.
Bittman’s been working with Temple University’s Feinstein Center for American Jewish History for a while now, addressing the question “What Is Your Food Worth?” in a two-year-long engagement with healthy eating, socially conscience diet, public health and animal rights. Tonight’s event is sponsored by the National Museum of American Jewish History and focuses on the future of food. RSVP is encouraged.
7:30pm. Free. Congregation Rodeph Shalom, 615 N. Broad St. rodephshalom.org
Here’s his NY Times blog. He’s also a highly-respected and regarded chef in his own right, and the author of two biblical cookbooks: How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.
The “Humble Cloth Tote”
A couple of weeks ago, the New York Times announced in an article that the cloth tote has taken the place of the luxury bag. According to the paper, the tote “…telegraphs not money, but access, ethics, culture…”
That’s right, no longer is wearing the latest Vuitton, Chanel, or Jacobs the way to go. Now you can save your hard earned money and just rock a “humble cloth tote.”
Personally, I’m not buying this. Having never been into bags with labels, I think I’m going to pass on this trend. My tote will continue to be reserved for storing sweaty yoga clothes and books. But if you’re digging the so-called humble cloth tote, here’s a few to consider:
Were you lucky enough to score tickets to McQueen’s Savage Beauty exhibition in NYC this past summer?
Want to show the world how environmentally conscious you are?
All about representing Philly?
(You can find these Philly-centric totes at Open House in Center City or online at We Heart Philly)
~Zenovia Campbell
NYFW watercooler banter: the upcoming release of Bill Cunningham New York
He’s a man with a camera, a bicycle and a keen eye for people who take clothing and make them their own. In the coming months the much anticipated documentary, “Bill Cunningham New York,” will be hitting theaters, with the first release happening March 16 in New York City. The New York Times photographer basically built the concept of documenting street fashion and now the rest of the world finally gets to see a work that documents him. Philadelphia’s release date is set for April 1 at Ritz at the Bourse.
East Passyunk in NY Times
Hey, checkitout, East Passyunk got its very own “Ten rando bolded words from an up-and-coming neighborhood!” New York Times article yesterday. I’m gonna skip the “Oh, the New York Times wrote about it, so that would make it officially stale by about six months,” blogger thing, because please, and go straight to the stupid, automatic “Hey, we’re from there! That’s us!!” reaction.
No mention made of POPE, Cantina or Ray’s, but they did mention Second Saturdays and the “hipster-ready cafes and boutiques” (to be fair, they did easily frame three Macbooks AND a guy holding a punk LP originally released before he was conceived in the above shot):
But East Passyunk’s current major draw is its impressive breadth of affordable shopping. Metro Men’s Clothing (1615 East Passyunk Avenue; 267-324-5172; metromensclothing.com), which opened in October, carries form-fitting labels like Ben Sherman and Scotch & Soda. The shop also offers soaps from 4mula, a local company, starting at $18. JimmyStyle (No. 1820; 267-239-0598; shopjimmystyle.com) specializes in great gift items, from home accessories to baby clothes.
No mention was made of King of Jeans.
Rewind
Courtesy of Cheap Chicas
We’re currently stuck on this slide show from the New York Times, highlighting this past year’s events. We’re not sure if it’s a sickness, but we love year in review things, including those VH1 countdowns. They’re like crack. If you’re into best of reviews, InStyle is featuring what seems like a rewind for their Look of the Day – the past few days have featured recycled looks from Beyonce and Suri Cruise.
The Frisky put together a list of boots to wear when dashing through the snow, and Cheap Chicas has sparkly Louboutin-like shoes for when it’s less slippery outside. While we’re still mad at Daily Candy for no longer having a Daily edition in Philly, even though their parent company Comcast is headquartered here – they point the way to some furry boot suggestions as well.
While iPhone is having some issues with data service in NYC, there haven’t been crazy problems like that reported in the Delaware Valley. Lucky for us, since the Beer Cloud app wants to help you pair beer with food. Perfect for when you want to explore microbreweries like Triumph.
Batty Brits
The New York Times dedicated this past weekend’s T – their style magazine to what they’re calling the Batty Brits. Included in the magazine are Boy George, and actress Samantha Morton. The interactive counterpart to the magazine should help you ease into your monday morning, or atleast keep you occupied for the next five minutes.
The chill in the air has made us crave boots. In Imelda Marcos amounts. Oprah gets it. The latest edition of O highlights the best of the boots available this fall, including the most comfortable, and the most affordable.
Self magazine is the lookout for underwear that won’t give you a wedgie at the gym, and Alyssa Milano has some cute stuff to wear while you cheer on the Phillies from her line created just for women, Touch.
Lastly, I Heart Daily discusses the Ralph Lauren model that was heavily photoshopped and allegedly fired, and features a Q & A with a professional retoucher. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty video at the bottom is eye opening to say the least.
Keepin’ It Real
Keeping with the theme of keeping it real…as far as representation of women in magazines, that is…German magazine Brigitte is banning models from the pages of it’s bimonthly. Maybe things are really starting to shift.
Glamour.com has compiled a list of five things that you can thank Coco Chanel for, including the new film, Coco Before Chanel, set to be released at the Ritz Five later this week.
Coco would probably be a fan of what I Heart Daily highlights today – rings with lockets. A bit different with just the right amount of je ne sais quoi that Coco would approve of.
Keeping with the Chanel theme, the New York Times highlights Chanel’s show as well as provides commentary.
Lastly, Clutch points the way to beauty sets priced lower than the individual items. The Dior set in particular caught our eye, as we love the mascara, and the beauty set which includes mascara and shadow comes at the same price as it usually is to just get the mascara. Nice.