With everything I’ve written about factory farming and fisheries, you might think I’d caution against eating fish. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we do enjoy a relative abundance of some species of marine fish—some so fresh we can eat it as sushi. As I talk about in FoodWISE, sustainable fishing is a big issue for…
Author: gberardi
FoodWISE cheesemaking in the summer months
The recipes for cheesemaking are simple—and eerily similar. You warm milk (and maybe add microbial cultures…I get mine from New England), add a coagulator (usually rennet of some sort from a reliable company), perhaps heat the milk some more; then, after a half hour or so, cut the solidified curd that has separated from the…
New York City Ballet dazzles in “Underneath, there is Light” and “Red Angels” at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in July
July 13 2024 7:30 evening Boosted by the music of Jonathan Dove, Michael Zev Gordon, Ottorino Respighi, Aldemaro Romeo, and William Grant, Amy Hall Garner’s Underneath, there is Light is a thrilling ballet. The well-designed costumes of Marc Happel—the women in airy dresses, the men in sleek pants or shorts, allow all to showcase their…
New York City Ballet at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in July
Featured image: New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Peter Walker in George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes/Photo credit: Erin Baiano July 13, 2024 2:00 pm matinee Once a several week residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), with as much Balanchine as one could possibly want in a season, New York City Ballet (NYCB) now…
A month of good food—good to think and good to eat—in Tuscany
Actually, I should say, “months” of good food in Tuscany— a week in June and several weeks in July. This year, 20 of us enjoyed the adventure—18 students, able-bodied and brilliant assistant, Chloe, and myself. The weather cooperated, and, mostly, we kept Covid at bay. We enjoyed the food—its provenance and terroir, the locale, the…
Sustainable Food–Living off the land, the garden, the ferment
Now almost a month after our Western Washington University “cook-in” and “dig-in,” our class is finally over and I’m posting a few pictures of sustainable food. Below, “natural” yoghurt drains, releasing its nutritious whey (for other lacto-fermentation projects), with soft cheese remaining (for spreads). Many recipes for this can be found in both FoodWISE and…
Justin Peck’s ballet dance and more at New York City Ballet
Justin Peck’s ballet and more at New York City Ballet INTERPLAY Interplay debuted in 1945 and is known as a glorious mix of classical and modern high-stamina dance. In promotional materials, dancer Spartak Hexha says he trained for a month, running the ballet repeatedly to build strength. That’s a lot to do and a lot…
New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center featuring Emilie Gerrity, Unity Phelan, Anthony Huxley, Taylor Stanley
Stanley Laracey and Taylor Stanley, SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS All images courtesy NYCB (photo credits: Erin Baiano) NYCB has a lot to celebrate this year. Three ballet masterpieces. SCÈNES DE BALLET Christopher Wheeldon’s Scènes de Ballet is wonderfully nostalgic, a sensitive look into the world of ballet training for young children and older teens. The…
Sorrel soup!
Make delicious sorrel soup, sautéing spring onions, then adding freshly-cut sorrel and broth. Just salt, pepper, and a little thyme creates a delicious meal, especially with some of that bread in the previous post! Now, for a heavier version, one with vegetables and potatoes, more in the Ukraine style, see here.
Review of Edward Villella’s Prodigal Son and Peter Boal’s Illusions of Camelot
Featured image: Peter Boal as a student, courtesy Peter Boal Edward Villella The author discusses dancing as a powerful drug, in which muscles come alive. But performance also can be like running a stamina-draining marathon, tapping into stores of energy, then needing to manage an adrenaline rush that can take hours to relax from. All…