Category Archives: Personal

Friday Buffet

This just in from the Not In My Backyard Our Park Department: A British Columbia business association requested that a church stop handing out food donations in a park because it was attracting too many “indigent people.” I guess the association won’t go for this plan, then. — — Food waste and water loss are […]

May 23, 2008 | Also posted in Friday Buffet, Household, International, Restaurant, Waste Stream | Comments closed

That’s My Voice?!

You know how they say ‘He’s got a face for radio?’ Well, I think I may have a voice for blogging. Anyway, here I am being interviewed by Tara Parker-Pope in a NY Times “Well” blog podcast.

May 22, 2008 | Posted in Personal | Comments closed

Watermelon Toss

Yesterday, I arrived at the grocery store just in time for a show. I pulled up as an employee was wheeling some trash and food (two different things) out to the dumpster. After tossing the clear bags of trash, the employee turned to the four watermelons in the cart. I sat in my car dumbfounded […]

April 29, 2008 | Also posted in Supermarket, Waste Stream | Comments closed

Creature Double Feature

Oops. Even I forget about food every once in a while, discovering items after they’ve sprouted tentacles and started torturing the neighborhood. I’m disappointed about wasting my basket of potatoes, but also a tiny bit proud of how scary these spuds have become. The one on the right almost looks like a brain. Normally, when […]

April 16, 2008 | Also posted in Household | Comments closed

Jon and the Bean Sprout

I like different food items from different grocery stores. But, in an effort to not have food consume all of my free time, I’ve reined myself in and only go to two stores a week. As a result, I’m occasionally asked to compromise on price, quality or quantity. Last week, it was the last of […]

March 26, 2008 | Also posted in Household | Comments closed

Kicked to the Curb

I know what you’re thinking–another parking lot photo? Well…I can’t help it. People keep discarding perfectly good fruit behind my office. It must be parking lot produce season. Unlike last time, this apple was untouched. While there’s some logic in discarding a mealy apple, it’s hard to defend treating a Granny Smith this way. I […]

March 18, 2008 | Posted in Personal | Comments closed

Monday pat on the back

I just had a mini photo essay published on a site called The Jew & the Carrot (“Jews, Food & Contemporary Issues” with gentiles cordially invited, natch). Hope it’s kosher to self-reference like this. Anyway, it’s a decent collection of photos I’ve taken over the past year and a tolerable way to ease into your […]

March 3, 2008 | Also posted in Food Recovery | Comments closed

Orphaned Orange

Poor little guy. I came across this orange in my office parking lot the other day. Its skin was really dirty, but otherwise it looked fine. I found myself wondering if would still be good–it had that protective skin, right?–and thought about peeling it to see. But I ultimately decided not to in case whomever dropped the […]

February 13, 2008 | Posted in Personal | Comments closed

French Fry Waste

Let’s have a brief moment of silence for our fallen French fried friends. (moment) There. This post uniquely captures some of the feelings I often have at restaurants. Then its author goes a bit far, but in a fun way. If someone possessed the foresight to construct a potato cemetery for all these fallen soldiers, there […]

January 14, 2008 | Also posted in Restaurant | Comments closed

The Weekly Waste Word: Making Stock

I try to eat as much of the food I buy as possible. I plan out meals before I shop, save leftovers and compost whatever’s left. But until recently, I hadn’t made stock from leftover veggies or bones. To put my money where my mouth is, I set out to make chicken stock.   In my mind, making stock seemed like […]

December 17, 2007 | Also posted in Household, The Weekly Waste Word | Comments closed