Can dog owners use newspapers (recyclable paper) to pick up dog poop and dispose into the green bins?
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Thursday, January 30, 2020
Dog Poop in the Compost
Here's a lively discussion in our Berkeley Nextdoor email feed about dog poop in the green bin.
I don't think dog poop should go in the green can because of risk of microorganisms, especially in carnivore poop. In theory, it may sound like a good idea, since it does biodegrade, but the system they use will not guaranty to kill all of the microorganisms. Since the resulting compost is sold/given away for garden use, the poop should not be disposed of in green can.
Thanks Ruth. What about use newspapers to pick dog poop abd dispose in grey/ landfill bin?
don't use any plastic (or get plastic bags from stores) !!! Buy 100% biodegradable dog poop bags!!! These are the best ones I have found. http://biobagusa.com/products/retail-products/pet-waste-products-retail/
You can pick up and bring home. Sawdust or pine cat litter will help with the moisture and smell. You can get free sawdust (a wonder! wear a particulate mask) at Home Depot lumber departments. Take a tote. The sawdust will also help limit smell of the green bin. Don't use green bin for dog feces. Start a dog poop septic hole. They sell the devices on Amazon. I used one for about five years. Doggie-Dooley:
Apparently, even poop bags are a complicated issue:
"Here are some facts that even the most eco-friendly of dog owners may not have considered:
On average, one dog generates a kilogram of poop every few days. As of 2016, the dog population of Canada was about 7.6 million. That equals over 2.5 million kilograms of dog poop created a day, and over 924 million kilograms a year. That’s a ton of poop, which leads to a heck of a lot of plastic poop bags being used.
Approximately 500 million plastic poop bags are used annually throughout the world.
One plastic bag can take over 500 years to degrade in a landfill; that is if it ever fully degrades.
Hundreds of thousands of marine animals are killed yearly by plastic bags. Many environmentally-conscious dog owners make sure to pick up biodegradable dog poop bags. However, many of these bags are made with oxo-biodegradable material, which isn’t environmentally friendly at all.
Oxo-biodegradable plastic has a chemical named EPI added within the manufacturing process, which helps it to break down. Instead of fully biodegrading, they break down into smaller pieces. This makes it a lot harder to clean up than the entire plastic bag would be.
This leads to total ecological destruction; it seems that these so-called “biodegradable” products are actually making just as much of a mess as traditional plastic bags are. We need to find another alternative to getting rid of our dog’s waste.
Along with this misinformation being spread regarding oxo-biodegradable materials, humans continue to rely on plastics, and they continue to infiltrate our environment in terrifying ways.
The National Geographic recently revealed that scientists had found significant amounts of tiny plastic particles falling out of the air in a remote mountain location.
If we don’t stop using oxo-biodegradable products, it won’t be too much longer before all of our air is filled with microplastics.
As dog owners, we can start to help reduce plastic pollution on our planet. The more we educate ourselves on this issue, the more we can do to help save the world.
Together, we can make a goal of completely eliminating our use of oxo-biodegradable plastic bags and single-use plastic bags, which can move us forward to a greener and cleaner future.
We can start by using a truly eco-friendly, biodegradable dog waste bag. K9 Clean’s Eco Poop Scoop Bags contain no plastics whatsoever and, when they do degrade, they are completely consumed by micro-organisms. Our poop scoop bags are made of recycled paper, with a unique touchless system so that you don’t have to worry about accidentally touching your dog’s waste.
It is possible to take great care of your dogs, responsibly dispose of their waste, and do your part in taking care of our planet. This is why it is important to not only purchase plastic-free products but to raise awareness with your friends and family about harmful products that are marketed as “sustainable.” When we educate ourselves and others, we have the opportunity to make a difference for future generations of people and dogs.
COMMENTS
Mr. Michael Stephen, Chairman of the Oxo-biodegradable Plastics Association wanted to share his thoughts on this article:
“The Truth About Biodegradable Plastic Dog Poop Bags” is actually full of untruths.
“The Truth About Biodegradable Plastic Dog Poop Bags” is actually full of untruths.
1. EPI is not the name of a chemical
2. The microplastics found in the environment are from ordinary plastics which have fragmented. These plastics need to be urgently upgraded with oxo-biodegradable technology.
3. Oxo-biodegradable bags do NOT just break down into tiny pieces. They convert into biodegradable materials very much more quickly than ordinary plastics, and they are therefore the best alternative. See http://www.biodeg.org/2018/11/06/uk-judge-find-the-case-for-oxo-biodegradable-plastic-proven/
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Mulligatawny Soup=Part 2
Chilly January weather always makes me hungry for soup, so I decided to revisit a blog I wrote six years ago about one of my favorite soups--Mulligatawny. Google blogger doesn't allow users to republish an old blog, so instead of just offering a link, I have pieced together a facsimile of the former post so we can all make this marvelous international concoction again in 2020
My 2014 Blog on Mulligatawny Soup
Quote rom Madhur Jaffrey's An Invitation to Indian Cooking
Traveling in India in 1972, I did not have the pleasure of tasting mulligatawny soup, at least that I can remember. In those days I was more interested in art history and dance than in food, so most meals in India are long forgotten. What remains with me are the vibrant flavors, the scrawny chickens in Delhi, the red-hot vindaloos served in Goa, and the heavenly lobster in Kerala on the Southern tip. Though I was careful to eat only cooked food, only sterilized water, and no yogurt, I got bolder as the months-long trip wore on, and by the end I was indulging in street food with no disastrous results. I came home craving the flavors of the places I had visited.
After traveling for three months in India and Nepal, I returned to Berkeley, an aficionado of Indian food and culture. But unlike today, there were no Indian restaurants in my neighborhood and few in San Francisco. I can only remember The North India Restaurant, specializing in tandoori dishes, in San Francisco and The Khyber Pass in North Oakland offering nearby Afghanistani cuisine. I seldom indulged. In addition, there were few Indian cookbooks available. The famous Time/Life series," Foods of the World," published a lavishly photographed volume in 1969 called Foods of India by Santha Rama Rau, which I devoured. Then, in March 1975, when Sunset Magazine printed a recipe for "India-style Chicken Soup" in a section called "You use every bit of the bargain chicken," I tried it. After faithfully completing the numerous steps in the recipe, I found the result to be quite special. The finished soup had a haunting, exotic curry-like flavor and texture that I had not encountered before. Their "India-style chicken soup" is really mulligatawny.
At this point, I have collected many Indian Cookbooks, both recent and rare, so for another description of mulligatawny soup, I referred to one of my favorites, Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni. She writes, "I first tasted this soup sixteen years ago in an elegant restaurant in Frankfurt Germany... Contrary to what the name suggests (mullaga means pepper, and tanni means water or broth), what I tasted was an exquisitely delicate broth, faintly laced with spices that brought back the familiar aromas of home...
Because of its unorthodox origin, Indian cooks have had a field day exercising their creative genius with it. As a result, there are innumerable interesting variations of this soup around the world today...
This is the one occasion on which I set aside my spices and use a commercial curry powder blend, because then only am I able to re-create the flavor and aroma that once captured my senses."
Longing recently for something exotic, I unearthed the old Sunset Magazine recipe in my files and set about adapting it to my present tastes. This meant using less butter, leaving out the flour, and using freshly cooked garbanzos instead of canned. The idea of utilizing the canned garbanzo liquid didn't appeal to me. Here's the adapted recipe:
First, I made "stewing broth" as instructed. I used two large whole chicken quarters, though the recipe calls for one whole chicken. I simmered them in 5 cups chicken broth and 3 cups water, with one small onion, a stalk of celery, one carrot, 1 t. salt, 2 cloves, 1 T. coriander seeds and one half cup grated coconut. I skimmed fat from the broth and boiled it for 30 min. until the chicken was just done. Then I removed the skin, took the meat off the bones, reserved it and strained the broth, pressing on the contents through a metal strainer. That was my broth. I chilled the meat and broth 'til I was ready to make the Soup: In a soup kettle, melt 2 T butter. Add 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped, 2 cloves minced garlic, 3 t. curry powder, 1/2 t. turmeric and saute until onion is soft. I decided to add three thickly sliced, parboiled carrots to the soup at this point. Stir in prepared broth, and simmer for 15 minutes. Whirl 1 can garbanzo beans with their liquid (or about 2 to 3 cups cooked bulk garbanzos) in the food processor with some water to thin the mixture. Add to soup with all reserved chicken. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring often. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add prepared brown basmati rice, lemon slices and chopped cilantro to soup bowls before serving. (serves 4)
The recipe, printed in 1975, concludes: "At 49 cents a pound, our whole chicken cost $1.47, serving 4 for 37 cents each."
My 2014 Blog on Mulligatawny Soup
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Quote rom Madhur Jaffrey's An Invitation to Indian Cooking
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| Agra 1972--I'm gazing at the Taj Mahal in my seersucker pinafore |
Traveling in India in 1972, I did not have the pleasure of tasting mulligatawny soup, at least that I can remember. In those days I was more interested in art history and dance than in food, so most meals in India are long forgotten. What remains with me are the vibrant flavors, the scrawny chickens in Delhi, the red-hot vindaloos served in Goa, and the heavenly lobster in Kerala on the Southern tip. Though I was careful to eat only cooked food, only sterilized water, and no yogurt, I got bolder as the months-long trip wore on, and by the end I was indulging in street food with no disastrous results. I came home craving the flavors of the places I had visited.
 |
| My old photo of a fish market in Goa ( November1972) |
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| In Kerala at the southern tip of India, with the Indian Ocean behind me |
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| very short Helga Howie dress from the photo above... I still have it! |
After traveling for three months in India and Nepal, I returned to Berkeley, an aficionado of Indian food and culture. But unlike today, there were no Indian restaurants in my neighborhood and few in San Francisco. I can only remember The North India Restaurant, specializing in tandoori dishes, in San Francisco and The Khyber Pass in North Oakland offering nearby Afghanistani cuisine. I seldom indulged. In addition, there were few Indian cookbooks available. The famous Time/Life series," Foods of the World," published a lavishly photographed volume in 1969 called Foods of India by Santha Rama Rau, which I devoured. Then, in March 1975, when Sunset Magazine printed a recipe for "India-style Chicken Soup" in a section called "You use every bit of the bargain chicken," I tried it. After faithfully completing the numerous steps in the recipe, I found the result to be quite special. The finished soup had a haunting, exotic curry-like flavor and texture that I had not encountered before. Their "India-style chicken soup" is really mulligatawny.
At this point, I have collected many Indian Cookbooks, both recent and rare, so for another description of mulligatawny soup, I referred to one of my favorites, Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni. She writes, "I first tasted this soup sixteen years ago in an elegant restaurant in Frankfurt Germany... Contrary to what the name suggests (mullaga means pepper, and tanni means water or broth), what I tasted was an exquisitely delicate broth, faintly laced with spices that brought back the familiar aromas of home...
Because of its unorthodox origin, Indian cooks have had a field day exercising their creative genius with it. As a result, there are innumerable interesting variations of this soup around the world today...
This is the one occasion on which I set aside my spices and use a commercial curry powder blend, because then only am I able to re-create the flavor and aroma that once captured my senses."
Longing recently for something exotic, I unearthed the old Sunset Magazine recipe in my files and set about adapting it to my present tastes. This meant using less butter, leaving out the flour, and using freshly cooked garbanzos instead of canned. The idea of utilizing the canned garbanzo liquid didn't appeal to me. Here's the adapted recipe:
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| simmering chicken legs in broth with veggies |
The recipe, printed in 1975, concludes: "At 49 cents a pound, our whole chicken cost $1.47, serving 4 for 37 cents each."
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| Delectable "India-style chicken soup" adapted from the Sunset Magazine recipe |
My two favorite Indian cookbooks, pictured below, are: Julie Sahni, Classic Indian Cooking, New York, William Morrrow, 1980; and Madhur Jaffrey, An Invitation to Indian Cooking, New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1973. Both authors have written many other excellent books on Indian food and cooking.
Monday, January 6, 2020
Tarte Tatin - Pear or Apple
In the late 1800s the demoiselles Tatin, or Tatin sisters, who ran an inn in France’s Loire Valley, created an upside-down apple tart that still bears their name- Tarte Tatin. They made their dessert in round copper lidless pans which are also used for baking cobblers, quiches and frittatas.
In 2011 Dean and I took a self-guided biking trip to the Loire Valley. Of course, we stopped at patisseries whenever we passed one. Bruno Toutain and his staff at Cycolmundo planned our route, booked our hotels, transferred our luggage and gave us maps and pointers. The Loire Valley is dotted with bike paths as well as pastry shops, so you seldom have to travel on public roads, unless you get lost and lose the path. To our surprise, this happened all too often.
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| Gobbling a tart tatin in the vinyards in the Loire Valley on a drizzly day, shower cap protecting my helmut |
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| Chateau Chenanceau in the Loire (I'm in the top right corner) |
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| Biking back to Amboise from the historic Chateau Chenanceau on a sunny Sunday in September |
To continue with the Tatin sister's theme, my sister Lucia has made a pear tarte tatin many times for Thanksgiving dinner and in 2013, two years after my Loire Valley adventure,she volunteered to tell us about her version and how it differs from the classic apple dessert...
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| Molly O'Neal's Pear Tarte Tatin |
Skip ahead six years to 2020 and still her blog has not come to pass. Lucia sent me her recipe for Molly O'Neal's Pear Tarte Tatin, printed in the New York Times, but she has never written the post. While waiting for her text, I had set up the blog 's outline with the pertinent photos of my bike trip; so I decided to share them at this late date
Actually, I never made the dessert with pears, but I have experimented with the apple version, first in Patricia Wells' The Paris Cookbook, and then from Julia Child's The Way to Cook. Julia's version took less time and was just as delicious, but I would recommend them both if you have an afternoon to bake.
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| Julia Child slices her apples rather than halving them in her apple tarte tatin |
Everest restaurant in Chicago serves a minimalist Alsatian tarte tatin. The classic dessert is still evolving....
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| poached heirloom apple tarte tatin from Everest restaurant |
BON APPETIT
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