Monthly Archives: August 2011

Two Traditional Recipes

Posted on August 31, 2011 by patric

During my days as a chef/restaurateur in Sydney I tended to look down on some traditional dishes such as Beef Bourguignon, Coq au Vin and names like Tournedos Rossini, Lobster Thermidor and just about anything with the words Cordon Bleu … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Recipes | Tagged , | 52 Comments

Junk Food is Still Junk Food

Posted on August 30, 2011 by patric

The world’s excessive consumption of junk food harms not only our collective health (and quality of life) but also causes direct and indirect environmental degradation, through habitat loss and increased pollution from agricultural fertilizers and pesticides to deforestation to make … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Environmental Issue, Food | 95 Comments

Big Oil Attempts to Destroy World’s Most Biodiverse Rain Forests

Posted on August 29, 2011 by patric

I have walked in a few rainforests in my lifetime, mostly in Australia and Indonesia. I would never forget the time I spent trekking through the majestic Kakadu National Park trails and being entranced by the amazingly luscious layers of … Continue reading →

Posted in Desertification, Environmental Issue, Water | Tagged | 53 Comments

The World of Charcuterie!

Posted on August 29, 2011 by patric

Throughout my life people have asked me this question: “if you were to have your last meal on Earth, what would be it be?” My answer has remained the same, a study in muted consistency: a large platter of charcuterie … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Recipes | 34 Comments

Good News, Everyone!

Posted on August 29, 2011 by patric

Good news, really? Well, I’ve been writing so many bleak water diaries for so long (I am sure you are well versed about the current water scarcity, desertification and Climate Change) that I need to cheer myself up (and you) … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental Issue, Water | 59 Comments

The Seven Billion of Us

Posted on August 28, 2011 by patric

Our world will hit 7 billion people by the end of October. Yep, 7 billion living souls! The seven billionth baby is likely to be delivered in India, which accounts for a fifth of all global births, on October 31 … Continue reading →

Posted in Desertification, Environmental Issue, Food, Water | 82 Comments

Culinary Remembrances of a Distant Past

Posted on August 27, 2011 by patric

Sometimes I should remain silent. Last week I dared myself into writing a diary based entirely on my remembering the cuisine served in a Vietnamese eatery I frequented during the late seventies in Sydney: a culinary remembrance of sorts, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Memoirs, Recipes | 54 Comments

Hidden Glaciers, Crouching Governments

Posted on August 26, 2011 by patric

A catastrophic water shortage could turn out to be a much bigger threat to mankind this century than wars, soaring food prices and the ever relentless consumption of known sources of energy. The annoying thing is either water is so … Continue reading →

Posted in Desertification, Environmental Issue, Water | 85 Comments

The Water Lords: Who Owns Your Water?

Posted on August 25, 2011 by patric

One of the most important trends (and least understood) in the water industry in the last two decades has been the (selling out) contracting of private companies to operate existing facilities or build and operate new facilities. I don’t have … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental Issue, Water | 43 Comments

The Foie-Gras Cruelty

Posted on August 24, 2011 by patric

The other day I read an article about the joys of Foie-gras by a well known chef and it got me mad. Mad because the same spurious story about “humane force-feeding” made the rounds again, this time ensnaring a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental Issue, Food | 82 Comments