The Inedibles: Obsessions Of Extreme Foodists
Since when did ash, hay, wood and air become the stuff of haute cuisine? Since people began paying for them, of course. Here, an excerpt from Dana Goodyear’s Anything That Moves
Among the delicacies Dana Goodyear, a staff writer for the New Yorker andlecturer at the University of Southern California, consumed while researching her latest book were the following: fresh ant eggs, frog fallopian tubes, crème brûlée made with bone marrow, and coffee brewed from beans fed to, and then excreted by, Asian palm civets, small catlike animals found in Southeast Asia.
Below is an excerpt from Goodyear’s non-fiction debut, Anything That Moves: Renegade Chefs, Fearless Eaters, and the Making of a New American Food Culture. It’s a comprehensive, often gut-churning look at the extremes the food movement is embracing; the growing demand for the underground, the raw, the illegal and the otherwise questionably edible; and the chefs and exotic-food purveyors responsible for getting such curios to the table.
Over the years, the chef Grant Achatz, the most romantic of the molecular gastronomists, has experimented extensively with scent. A Pre-Raphaelite among Dadaists, he once put dry ice in a vase with charred garlic, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper: cookout fog. Another time, he leaned hot stones against a live tomato stalk, to conjure the quintessential summer smell of walking in the garden in the morning and brushing up against tomato leaves. In 2005, right before he opened Alinea, his three-Michelin-star restaurant, in Chicago, one of his investors suggested he check out the Volcano, which he had seen while traveling in Amsterdam.
The Volcano
The Volcano is a squat metal cone-shaped heater with a filling chamber for “plant material,” a digital panel displaying the precise temperature, and a large plastic balloon to capture the plant’s vapor. Its traditional use involves fitting a mouthpiece to the air balloon and inhaling. The Volcano’s manual recommends using it with chamomile and lemon balm. “We could see it would have the ability to pump out a lot of scent and vapor and capture it,” Nick Kokonas, Achatz’s business partner, told me. “It worked perfectly, from a culinary—and from a theatrical and emotional—perspective.”
In the years since, Achatz has vaporized grass, oak leaves, and hay. “My favorite is to trick people into thinking they’re eating something that’s not edible,” he says, such as, for instance, venison with leather aroma. His signature vapor is lavender, which he serves in a plastic balloon covered in Irish linen, under a bowl of yuzu pudding, ham nage, and gooseberry coulis. Before presenting the dish, the waiter punctures the bag of lavender air with a syringe in a four-by-four grid, so that the weight of the bowl releases the scent. At Alinea, Achatz’s molecular cocktail lounge, the bartenders use it for the Rob Roy, which comes to the table in a plastic bag filled with lavender air. As the waiter cuts it open with scissors, it looks and smells like a new-age spa treatment. When the Alinea cookbook came out, the Volcano was listed on the equipment page, along with agricultural syringes, a paint-stripping heat gun, and a refractometer for measuring sugar content in Brix. The four Volcanos in the Alinea kitchen are named John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
U.S. Customs prohibits the importation of anything used primarily as drug paraphernalia. A few years after Achatz’s discovery, Customs launched an inquiry into the Volcano, which is made by Storz & Bickel, a German company. Adam Schoenfeld, who imported and marketed it, was at the time in his twenties and had recently graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. “I flew around the world, I did this, I did that, I went to Thailand, I discovered the Volcano, I ate lots of cool food, I designed my own curriculum around travel and business,” he told me. When Adam, whose father is the New York restaurateur and dumpling impresario Ed Schoenfeld (Chinatown Brasserie, Shun Lee, RedFarm), found out that Achatz had a Volcano in his kitchen, he sensed an opportunity. He sent vaporizers to technically experimental chefs like Wylie Dufresne, Dave Arnold, and the pastry-maker Johnny Iuzzini. “It was about expanding the usage,” Schoenfeld said. Customs eventually relented, determining that the Volcano could be used as “a device to aid in a method used in modern cooking called ‘molecular gastronomy.’”
“The premise is that you use heat to gently extract the flavors, essential oils, and aromatic compounds,” Schoenfeld told me. “You can vaporize oils, plant materials. It is not sold for marijuana.” Nevertheless, he has learned that when sending to restaurants he ought to send two if he hopes the Volcano to be used in the kitchen. “Almost inevitably, one makes it back to someone’s living room,” he said.
Source: http://dujour.com/lifestyle/dana-goodyear-anything-that-moves-excerpt/
INEDIBLES {NON-FOOD FAVORITES}
We’re doing something different today, folks! With everyone on the hunt for gifts to be purchased in the next 10 days (AHHHH!), I hoped it might help somebody out there if I point out some of my current favorites. And several of these are under $20 to boot (heck, I even included boots)!
Well Dressed
I’m typically allergic to shopping, but the cool weather here in Florida has me pumped to finally bring out my cold weather gear. Boots and jackets and hats, oh my! Here are some new boot buys:
1) Madden Girl Motorrr Combat Boots
via DSW
Okay, I love this new fold-down combat boot trend. Wearing them makes me feel like the Pink Lady equivalent of 2014. I’m definitely way more Sandy from Grease than Pink Lady, but this makes me think of her last scene – spandexed out, permed, and rockin’ it. Grunge is back(ish)!
2) Nine West Lazona Wedge Booties
via DSW
It took me a while to get on the bootie train, but I have officially gotten aboard. Knee high boots may be my all-time favorite, but booties are PERFECT for Florida, since our winters are super mild. And these wedges? So comfortable I could probably jog in them. Just to catch a train, mind you, but I’d fall over in normal heels trying to pull those tricks. This taupe is an amazing neutral.
Well Read
Reading is one of my favorite things. Being transported to another world, without rotting my brain with TV, is pretty much the best. Here are some of my new loves:
1) Wild, by Cheryl Strayed
via Amazon
I haven’t finished this memoir yet, but carving out time in bed for the last couple nights has already brought me about halfway through Wild. Yes, this is about a 20-something woman finding her way. But unlike all those other, sometimes fluff, novels, this details a woman’s physical journey hiking the wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail. She’s unapologetic, she’s in WAY over her head, and you realize how tough she is before she does. And hey, if you prefer to watch your stories over reading them, the movie adaptation with Reese Witherspoon has been nominated for a Golden Globe. I’m psyched to see it in theaters after I finish the book. I promise not to snootily proclaim, “The book was MUCH better.”
2) Watership Down, by Richard Adams
via Amazon
Okay, this book was written in the 1970s, so this recommendation is a long time coming! I’m out of the loop, though, and only just stumbled upon this book courtesy of my husband. I don’t want to lose anyone by saying Watership Down is about rabbits journeying to a new home, but uh, that’s what it’s about. And it’s AMAZING. Richard Adams is the best storyteller, especially when the rabbits tell their version of fairy tales. He created a wonderful world with its own mythology and traditions, and I seriously don’t think I’ll look at rabbits the same way again. Maybe just trust me on this one?
Well Made Up
I bother getting done up probably twice a week, but when I put in the time, I want great results without insane price tags. Here are a couple must haves to pull it off:
1) Revlon Photoready Kajal Intense Eye Liner + Brightener
via Target
My favorite beauty blogger Maskcara originally recommended this eye liner, which I prefer in the black and cream combo. The cream brightener side is basically my whole reason for purchase. All you do is swipe the pencil along the thin strip of skin of your lower lash line. Voila, your eyes now pop! The cream shade is perfection because it’s not so bright that people notice you’ve perked up your peepers (sorry, had to do it), but the effects are gorgeous. I honestly rarely use the black liner side, but it’s good for smudging/smoky eye looks. This little guy will last me forever…I haven’t even had to sharpen it yet.
2) It’s A 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin
via Ulta
I received this in my Birchbox a couple of months ago, and like every other sample in the box, I casually used it a couple of times to test it out. I eventually realized that on every good hair day, I had sprayed this on my damp hair before letting my hair air dry overnight. This is my too-lazy-to-flat-iron hair potion. It really is a 10, they’re no liars.
PS: None of these products sponsored me. That’d be nice, eh?
Have a great week, and stay warm!
Source: http://www.whipthisup.com/2014/12/inedibles-non-food-favorites/
Choking injuries and food products containing inedibles: a survey on mothers’ perception in the United Kingdom
Although recent investigations showed no specific hazard resulting from Food Products Containing Inedibles as compared to the wider category of toys, in view of recent findings and subsequent study of the European Registry of Foreign Bodies Injuries, a potential threat has been identified in a lack of parental supervision in the event of injury. Indeed, according to the report of the European Registry of Foreign Bodies Injuries, almost 80% of the injuries occur under parental supervision, which is obviously inadequate. The aim of this short contribution is to present the results of a Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing survey in the UK focused on the knowledge that mothers, fathers and other adults have on the issue of choking. A total of 1946 interviews have been conducted in the UK, in January 2001, all of which directed to subjects over 15 years of age. Data are presented as percentages and absolute numbers. The statistical significance of group differences has been evaluated with the chi-square test with continuity correction. All analyses have been performed using the R system. Those replying to the interview comprised 804 males and 1102 females. Of these, 10% had a child between 0 and 36 months, 9% between 3 and 4 years, 16% between 5-10 years and 13% between 11-15 years. Of those responding, 7% had bought Kinder Surprise within the last two weeks before the interview, 14% within the last three months, and the remaining 53% before, while 26% had never bought Kinder Surprise. These findings would appear to offer a confirmation that mothers tend to balance potential risks with the benefits of exposing the child to a stimulating activity. This mechanism of a controlled exposure to risk, has already been identified as one of the important mechanisms in the psychological development of the child.
Keywords: Children, Food products containing inedibles, Choking, Foreign bodies
The Inedibles : Unwrapped : Cooking Channel
Stop! Don't eat that! Today on Unwrapped we're delving into all things inedible. First, see how Sterno is made, visit a Freaky food Lab by Dr. Dreadful and check out a water bottle made from corn that biodegrades in just eighty days. Then, test your knowledge of food witht he Eat It Trivia Game and watch how fake food is made to look just like the real thing. Finally, figure out just what those pillowy packets are in the botom of your bags of munchies.
Source: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/unwrapped/1300/the-inedibles.html
inedibles
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Source: http://www.realfoodconnections.ca/collections/types?q=inedibles
Stop & Shop using inedibles to generate DC power
Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. said it is converting inedible food into energy to help power its distribution center in Freetown, Mass., at a new green energy facility.
The company said the 12,000-square-foot facility, which opened on April 15 is expected to process an average of 95 tons of food per day, or 34,000 tons per year, to produce gas that fuels a generator that creates electricity.
The energy produced by the facility will provide up to 40% of the energy needs of the 1.1-million-square-foot Freetown distribution center — enough power to operate the facility for four months out of the year, the company noted.
Once it is fully operational, Stop & Shop said the facility will create approximately 1.25 megawatts of clean electricity.
According to Mark McGowan, president of Stop & Shop’s New England division, “As a responsible retailer, one of our top priorities is reducing our environmental footprint, specifically through the conversion of food that would otherwise go into a landfill.
“As part of doing business, our stores generate inedible food that cannot be donated. This food will now be sent to our green energy facility, where it will be converted into clean energy and used as a power source for our distribution facility.”
Stop & Shop said the green energy facility houses an anaerobic digester, which turns organic material into sustainable power. Inedible food from the chain’s 212 New England stores that cannot be sold or donated to regional food banks or local farms will be transported to the facility, where, by recreating the naturally occurring process of anaerobic digeston, carbon in the organic materials will be converted into a bio-gas and used as a power source — all within a contained, oxygen-free area that does not produce any odors.
The facility was created through a $400,000 grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to Divert, Inc., the Massachusetts-based technology company that operates the facility.
Stop & Shop is a division of Ahold USA, which has several environmental initiatives, the company noted, including the following:
• Diverting 88% of waste to locations other than landfills through donations, recycling, composting and the green energy facility.
• Recycling enough cardboard annually to save more than 1.8 million trees a year.
• Improving energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gases and decreasing air pollution through partnerships with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Using energy efficient day lighting, T5 fluorescent lighting and refrigeration systems with high-efficiency fan motors; automatic occupancy sensors and reflective roofs to reduce heat absorption during the summer; and systems that curb electric power during peak demand times.
Other inedible animal products
If you export products made from animal materials that are not for human or animal consumption, the destination country may require them to be certified by MPI.
Note: There are no specific requirements for inedible products made from animal materials that are sold in New Zealand.
Defining inedible animal products
Inedible animal products can be defined as any product made from animal materials that is not for human or animal consumption. Common examples include:
- hides and skins
- animal fibres, for example wool and feathers
- biotechnology and scientific materials
- game trophies
- shells
- blood products used for biotechnology purposes or scientific materials.
When MPI certification is required
If you export inedible animal products, you need to meet the requirements set by the country where the product is being sold. These requirements may include MPI certifying your product, by giving it an official assurance, prior to export.
Check the Overseas Market Access Requirements (OMARs) for the country you are exporting to.
Overseas Market Access Requirements (OMARs)
Getting MPI certification (official assurance)
Where official assurances (certification) from MPI are required, these are issued in the form of export certificates indicating that all applicable standards have been met.
You need to comply with relevant parts of the Animal Products Act (APA) 1999 regime, including the following specifications and notices:
Animal Products (Official Assurance Specifications) Notice 2005 (224 KB PDF)
Animal Products (Export Approved Premises) Notice 2006 (88 KB PDF)
Find further information on the Official Assurances Programme (OAP) in the Exporting section of this website.
Official Assurances Programme (OAP)
Registering with MPI
Under the APA, all exporters who require official assurances for the product they export must register with MPI. Find information on how to register in the Exporting section of this website.
Source: http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/Industry/sectors/petfood-inedibles/other-inedibles/index.htm
Petfood & inedibles
If you manufacture or import petfood, render animal material or export inedible animal products such as hides, skins, wool and similar, you need to meet these requirements.
Source: http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/industry/sectors/petfood-inedibles/