Food – Page 18 – Kristen Baumlier

Category: Food

Change the Way You Think About Food – An Infographic Animation

Posted on February 3, 2012February 4, 2012 by Kbaumlier

Early this year there was lots of talk about the prediction that by 2050 our population on earth will be over 9 billion people.

The question that goes along with these numbers – is how can everyone be fed with this many people, and where will it grow? An infographic animation produced by the World Wildlife Fund called Change the way you think about food asks this question.

The piece gives information graphics and visualizations to present a picture of what would happen if we could freeze the footprint of food by doubling the productivity of farming. The piece indicates that to grow enough food, everything will have to change.

This is the first piece I have seen that uses information visualization effectively to raise questions about our growing population and our food supply.

Image Source:
Change the way you think about food Animation

Links:

Change the way you think about food Animation

Want a Random Sandwich? Order a Randwich

Posted on January 29, 2012January 29, 2012 by Kbaumlier

In the mood for a random sandwich? If you live in New York City, you can order a Randwich, and get a “surprise” sandwich. Randwiches is a new venture by Jenn de la Vega and Jeff Stockton of Escoffiette, wanted to put a spin on ordering sandwiches are delivered. When you order, you can choose some choices in terms of the type of sandwich you want and how you like it – and you get a surprise sandwich.

Calling itself part of the “slow food movement,” Randwich sandwiches are handmade, use local ingredients, and hand-crafted. By delivering surprise sandwiches – people get to try new food combinations. So far some of the sandwiches have included unique such as lavender bechamel, homemade jalapeno mustard, homemade lemongrass strawberry jam, duck salami, broccoli rabe, and arugala. What kind of bread? The sandwiches are made on locally made maple oat break.

The first Randwich sandwich were delivered in October in 2011, and are delivered 2-3 days a week. Jenn de la Vega and Jeff Stockton of Escoffiette, which is a food study and catering service based in Brooklyn, NY.

Live in New York? They have been on break – but after February 3^rd you can order my email at randwiches [at] gmail [dot] com or follow them on Twitter as @randwiches. Since they are delivering on bike and on foot right now, they usually only deliver 8 at a time – so they don’t get smushed.

Don’t worry about having to tip them, they don’t take tips but would rather have you tell your friends to try out our service via word of mouth or email . Also – if you have nonperishable items or kitchen tools, you can tip us with those too, or email them about trading services if you can’t afford a sandwich.

Image Source:
Randwich Website

Links:

Randwich Website

Escoffiette Website

Concrete Jungle: Picking and Using Neglected Roadside Produce

Posted on January 25, 2012January 26, 2012 by Kbaumlier

A few years ago, I saw my friend Ian outside of where I work, picking apples from a tree that I parked near every day. I had never noticed that this small tree was an apple tree. Later that week I went biking with Ian, and we went to several other locations where Ian gathered apples from trees around Cleveland. He used the apples to make apple butter. Urban unharvested and neglected fruit trees exist in lots of cities, and in larger amounts in cities in warm climates.

In 2009, Craig Durkin and Aubrey Daniels had noticed a large amount of apples growing on neglected trees all over Atlanta, GA. The group decided to create an annual gathering, nicknamed “Ciderfest,” to pick these apples and turn them into apple cider.

After several years of larger and larger apple harvests, Durkin and Daniels started Concrete Jungle, a non-profit, which after its third year has documented nearly 1,000 fruit-bearing trees across the city, and has donated over 6,000 lbs of produce to local homeless shelters and charitable organizations.

They organize group harvest events, and harvest hundreds of fruit and nut trees in the Atlanta area that are by the side of the road or by buildings. Before going out to harvest, the group documents the tree to make sure that it will yield healthy fruit. They also get verbal permission if the trees are on private land, and work with the land/business owners to get access to the trees.

Concrete Jungle sorts the fruit once picked, and checks for worms and bruised spots. They wash the fruit and donate to organizations that include churches, homeless shelters, and food banks.

The food map that they made on their site indicates over 573 locations in Atlanta which include apples, peaches, blackberries, blueberries, figs, and other fruits and nuts. If you live in the area, you can volunteer to help pick and the group uses Twitter and Facebook to list picking and community events.

Image Source:
Concrete Jungle

Links:

Concrete Jungle

Concrete Jungle – Food Map

Cleveland – 2012 Year of Local Foods Kickoff Event – This Friday at City Hall 11am-2pm

Posted on January 18, 2012January 16, 2012 by Kbaumlier

With the holidays and Winter weather – there has been less events and activities related to food, sustainability, and energy here in Cleveland. That’s about to change this week.

With the snow that we have here in Cleveland, it might seem like local food is few and far between right now (except for maybe some root vegetables or tomato sauce you might have in your freezer.)

2012 is the year of local food in Cleveland, as part of the 2019 Cleveland Sustainable initiative. This Friday there is a kickoff event organized by the City of Cleveland’s Office of Sustainability with a Local Food Fair on Friday January 20, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Cleveland City Hall.

The event is free and you can meet local vendors, businesses, and farmers who will be there. Samples of local food will be available and information tables will be setup.

I checked, and the exhibitor booth entry is full – so expect a full house of local food providers.

Location Info:

The City of Cleveland’s Office of Sustainability
Friday, January 20, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
City Hall, Rotunda, 601 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114.
(Note: you must bring photo identification to enter the City hall Rotunda.)

Need more information? Call 216-664-2000 ext. 5586
Image Source:
Local Food Cleveland

Links:
Local Food Cleveland

Spending Time Under a Big Mac: Kbaumlier studio update

Posted on January 17, 2012January 16, 2012 by Kbaumlier

Last week I went to a McDonald’s drive-through, ordered a Big Mac, large fry, and a coke. The experience was sort of surreal. I haven’t eaten McDonald’s for years, I don’t eat fast food, and don’t go driving through drive-through lanes to get my food. The last time I was this close to a drive-through window was when I videotaped a Burger King drive-through for a few hours for a video project a few summers ago.

The funny thing about McDonald’s food is that even though I haven’t been close to it in years – it always smells the same, looks the same, and feels familiar.

When I was a kid, my Dad had a job when he would sometimes travel. When he was out of town, we would go out to eat at least once as a treat. When I was young it was McDonald’s. When we got older it became Taco Bell or A & W.

I remember when I was little, my McDonald’s of choice was a Filet of Fish, sharing a large fry with my brothers, and a orange soda. When I got older – it became the Big Mac as my sandwich, my own large fry, and the orange soda.

Last week I spent some time working on some test shoots in my studio with the McDonald’s food that I purchased. When I was photographing the Big Mac I ended up spending lots of time literally underneath it, thinking about the familiar relationship I still have with it after all these years, and amazed by how long the smell of the food stayed in my studio.

What’s in a Big Mac? According to McDonald’s web site it is made of : 100% Beef Patty, Big Mac Bun, Pasteurized Process American Cheese, Big Mac Sauce, Lettuce, Pickle Slices, Onions.

What’s really in the Bun and Sauce – the two mysterious ingredients of the burger? Lots of ingredients.

Big Mac Bun:
— Enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, enzymes)
— water
— high fructose corn syrup
— sugar
— soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated soybean oil

The bun also contains 2% or less of the following:
— salt
— calcium sulfate
— calcium carbonate
— wheat gluten
— ammonium sulfate
— ammonium chloride
— sodium stearoyl lactylate *
— datem *
— ascorbic acid*
— azodicarbonamide*
— mono- and diglycerides*
— ethoxylated monoglycerides*
— monocalcium phosphate*
— enzymes*
— guar gum*
— calcium peroxide*
— soy flour*
— calcium propionate (preservative)
— sodium propionate (preservative)
— soy lecithin
— sesame seed.

* indicates: dough conditioner
Big Mac Sauce:
— Soybean oil
— pickle relish (which is made of:)
— diced pickles
— high fructose corn syrup
— sugar
— vinegar
— corn syrup
— salt
— calcium chloride
— xanthan gum
— potassium sorbate (preservative)
— spice extractives
— polysorbate 80
— distilled vinegar
— water
— egg yolks
— high fructose corn syrup
— onion powder
— mustard seed
— salt
— spices
— propylene glycol alginate
— sodium benzoate (preservative)
— mustard bran
— sugar
— garlic powder
— vegetable protein (hydrolyzed corn, soy and wheat) – fancy name for MSG
— caramel color
— extractives of paprika
— soy lecithin
— turmeric (color)
— calcium disodium EDTA (protect flavor)

My photo shoot turned out pretty well. I’m not sure I’m going to use the burger image in a piece – but it was interesting to be under the Big Mac for a while and to revisit a familiar sandwich that still seems like an old friend.

Image Source:
Kristen Baumlier

Links:

Big Mac Ingredients Article