December - Willy Street Co-op

Transcription

Reader
A PUBLICATION OF WILLY STREET CO-OP, MADISON, WI • VOLUME 32 • ISSUE 12 • DECEMBER 2005
STORE HOLIDAY HOURS
Christmas Eve (Sat., Dec. 24th), 8am-6pm
Christmas Day (Sun., Dec. 25th), CLOSED
New Year’s Eve (Sat., Dec. 31st), 8am-9pm
New Year’s Day (Sun., Jan. 1st), CLOSED
IN THIS ISSUE
Fighting the Cold War;
Gift Ideas;
The Community
Reinvestment Fund;
The Annual Cheese
Compendium; A Holiday
Baking Guide for Special
Diets; and more!
1221 Williamson Street • Madison, WI • 53703
POSTMASTER: DATED MATERIAL
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
MADISON, WI
PERMIT NO. 1723
IN THIS ISSUE
3
CUSTOMER COMMENTS
Questions, comments and concerns from our customers.
Answers from Co-op staff.
4
GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT
5
BOARD REPORT
6
DELI NEWS
7
PRODUCE NEWS
8-9
COMMUNITY ROOM CALENDAR
10
HEALTH & WELLNESS NEWS
12
HOUSEWARES & BOOK NEWS
13
JUICE BAR NEWS
Anya Firszt talks about improving communication with members.
Dan Frost targets the ideal level of owner involvement.
Dan Moore tells all about the cheese we offer.
Andy Johnston offers some recipes for our lesser-known vegetables.
Classes, meetings and get-togethers. What’s happening in your
Community Room.
Andy Klay tells us how to relieve the symptoms of the common
cold and maybe even get over it more quickly.
Amanda Biederman suggests some gift ideas.
Dan Moore extolls the virtues of fresh citrus juices.
14
COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT FUND
15-18 SPECIALS PAGES
See what’s on sale this month at the Co-op.
19
20
GROCERY NEWS
Learn about chocolate, specifically the kinds on our shelves.
2005 FARM TOUR REPORT
Lynn Olson and Melissa Klemes recount the three-farm tour.
22-23 PRODUCER PROFILE: CLASEN’S EUROPEAN BAKERY
25
ASK THE MIDWIFE
Find out her opinion on eating chocolate while pregnant.
26-27 A HOLIDAY BAKING GUIDE FOR SPECIAL DIETS
28-29 RECIPES & DRINK RECOMMENDATIONS
Recipes from friends of the Co-op; drink recommendations from
our neighbors, Star Liquor.
30
31
NEWSBITES
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Local events around town.
Reader
Published monthly by Willy Street Co-op
1221 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703, 608-251-6776
www.willystreet.coop
EDITOR & LAYOUT: Liz Wermcrantz
ADVERTISING: Liz Wermcrantz
SALE FLYER DESIGN: Amber McGee
SALE FLYER LAYOUT: Chris Hoffman
COVER ART: Amber McGee
ILLUSTRATIONS: Amber McGee
PRINTING: Wingra Printing Group
The Willy Street Co-op Reader is the monthly communications link among the Co-op
Board, staff and members. It provides information about the Co-op’s services and
business as well as about cooking, nutrition, health, sustainable agriculture and more.
Views and opinions expressed in the Reader do not necessarily represent those of the
Co-op’s Directors, staff or membership. Acceptance of advertising does not indicate
endorsement of the product or service offered. Articles are presented for information
purposes only. Before taking action, you should always consult a professional for
advice. Articles may be reprinted with permission from the editor.
SUBMISSIONS
All advertising and editorial submissions must be reserved and arranged with the
editor by the 10th of the month previous to publication. All advertisement copy
must be submitted by the 15th of the month. Submissions should be emailed to
l.wermcrantz@willy street.coop or mailed to Willy Street Co-op according to submission requirements.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: 608-251-6776
BUSINESS OFFICE: 608-251-0884
FAX: 608-251-3121
GENERAL E-MAIL: [email protected]
GENERAL MANAGER: [email protected]
EDITOR: [email protected]
PREORDERS: [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.willystreet.coop
BOARD E-MAIL: [email protected]
STORE HOURS: 8:00am to 9:00pm, everyday
Juice Bar: Monday–Friday: 8:00am to 7:00pm; Saturday-Sunday: 8:00am to 6:00pm
Deli: 8:00am to 9:00pm
Seafood Center: Monday–Saturday: 10:00am to 7:00pm; Sunday: 10:00am to 5:00pm
MISSION STATEMENT
To operate a financially sound store; To hold cooperative philosophy and values as
an essential part of our enterprise; To give equal consideration to members needs;
To recognize workers’ rights to participatory management and a humane work
environment.
WILLY STREET CO-OP BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Doug Johnson, President 241-5667
Renée Lauber, Vice President 251-0227
Megan Christiansen 255-3606
Steve Silverberg 258-8289
Debra Shapiro 238-4368
BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE
On the cover
One of Willy Street Co-op Bakery’s triple chocolate tarts.
2
Willy Street Co-op Reader, December 2005
Dan Frost 245-9384
Buck Rhyme 345-0215
Tamara Urich-Rintz 442-8822
Ann Marie Waterhouse 839-3229
December 19th
January 30th: GM Evaluation
February 18th or 19th (TBA): One day planning meeting
March 20th (if needed)
April 24th: Approve budget for FY07
May 15th (if needed)
June 19th
July 17th (if needed)
August 10th: Annual Membership meeting
September 18th: Special Membership meeting
October 16th
CUSTOMER COMMENTS
Write Us!
We welcome your
comments and give each
one attention and serious
consideration. Send them to
[email protected]
or fill out a Customer
Comment form at the
Customer Service desk.
Each month a small
selection is printed in the
Reader. The rest can be
found in the commons or in
the binder near Customer
Service. Thank you!
Gluten-free pasta specials
Q: It has been well over a year
since you have offered a special on
BioNature’s gluten-free pasta. The
other pasta from BioNature has been
on special often. I wonder if it is possible sometime in the near future to
honor those of us who have a glutenfree diet with a BioNature glutenfree pasta special. We have also been
missing specials on Organic Raw
Almond Butter. We know you have
good reasons for your decisions.
A: I think you raise some good
points about items being on special and
the frequency of them being on sale.
Some things on special do really well
for us and some do not work as well,
but ultimately these specials are driven
by the manufacturers. Certain companies tend to promote their lines through
sales and others do not. BioNature does
an excellent job of supporting their
product and when they put their GF
pasta on a deal I will definitely put it
on sale. I appreciate your feedback!! I
will also look for an Org. Raw Almond
Butter deal as well. Thanks!! Dean
Kallas, Grocery Manager
Sugary kids’ foods
Q: A lot of the “kids” foods (i.e.,
with lots of sugar!) is at their low
eye-level! This makes it hard for
adults/parents to say “no.” That is
the same bad advertising stuff that
regular supermarkets do. Please
move it up on the shelf. Thanx.
A: Yes, many stores do merchandise products at children’s eye level to
capitalize on. However, children are
very much part of the shopping here;
we even have kid-size carts for them to
use. But, based on your comment, we
will review the location of sugary foods
targeting kids. By the way, we do have
a candy-free checkout aisle for parents
if they need this option. Thank you,
Wynston Estis, Asst. Store Manager
Fresh nuts
Q: I would like a better selection of fresh nuts in the shell at this
time of year. The shelled nuts in
bulk tend to be flavorless and a bit
rancid - that’s not the Co-op’s fault,
but it happens to shelled nuts. Fresh
walnuts, pecans, etc. in the shell are
awesome!
A: ‘Tis the season already? We
will have them in soon! Andy Johnston,
Produce Manager
Creative displays
Q: I love the end cap displays,
likewise the harvest décor over the
ice cream freezer. It’s the attention
to details that make this store stand
out—whenever I shop here I leave
feeling cheered up. Not only is the
staff friendly, the produce local and
organic, but the store is beautiful.
My friends from out of town envy
my year-round access to Willy—they
only get to visit once in a while. Joy!
A: Wow, what a great compliment!
I will pass this on to Amber who does
our displays. Thank you very much for
letting us know your feelings. Brendon
Smith, Communications Manager
Coffee Stirrers
Q: Please bring back re-usable
coffee stirrers at the juice bar. I had
really appreciated this. It assuages
my guilt for being wasteful. Thanks
for your consideration.
A: Thanks for the comment. We
struggled with this decision for a
while, but the constant disappearance
of spoons and the difficulty of tracking
them down, getting them washed and
making sure they were labelled made
it necessary for us to make the switch.
Dan Moore, Juice Bar Manager
Conventional ricotta
Q: WSGC (no longer?) carries
“conventional” (non-organic) ricotta? I see two kinds of organic. If
organic ricotta has the same % cost
difference as organic milk (~100%),
I don’t think this serves our mission
of serving the neighborhood. Suggest WSGC carry non-organic.
A: Thanks for writing. We still
carry the conventional. Our supplier
got bought out and there’s been a bit
of confusion and supply problems on
away. All future giveaways will either
be union-made, made in the U.S. but
sweatshop-free, or Fair Trade. Brendon
Smith, Communications Manager
Pie
their end. Hopefully this will return
to normal soon. Dan Moore, Deli
Manager
Q: Your pie rules!
A: Thanks! Dan Moore, Deli
Manager
Local syrup
Alcohol-free echinacea
Q: I was very delighted to see
organic maple syrup from local
producers! I really like being able
to support local organic farmers!
Thanks!
A: We are proud to offer many
great products from local farmers and
businesses. Thanks for your support.
Matt Hofstede, Grocery Supervisor
Friday Night Sampler
Q: Delicious tasting party today.
Thank you, also, for the recipes.
A: Hi, thanks for the compliment!
We have these samplers on the second Friday of the month, November
through April. In May, June and July,
we grill out on the second Saturday of
the month. We hope to see you at the
next one! Brendon Smith, Communications Manager
Lunch bags
Q: Vinyl insulated lunch bags
were made in China and had to be
returned due to lead in them. All
future gifts and giveaways at membership meetings should be unionmade and in the U.S. if possible, but
definitely no sweatshop goods like
those lunchbags.
A: Thank you for your comment.
Our giveaways for the past few years
(with the exception of the lunch bags)—
caps, t-shirts, bandanas, etc.—have been
made in the U.S. and union-made when
possible. I made the unfortunate decision
to buy the lunch bags we had because
the ones made in the U.S. (our rep
couldn’t find any union-made) would’ve
taken longer to receive and print than
we had—10 weeks when the Annual
Membership Meeting was eight weeks
Q: Could you carry alcohol-free
echinacea? Have also preferred it.
Recent article in Alternative Medicine stated alcohol renders echinacea ineffective.
A: Hi! We do carry alcohol-free
echinacea. HerbPharm, Eclectic Institute and Simplers all provide us with
echinacea glycerites. Just ask anyone
in the Health & Wellness department
to point them out to you. Thanks for
your inquiry. Lisa Stag-Tout, General
Merchandise Manager
Meat-based Deli salads
Q: I have noticed that the Deli
has been producing a greater number of dishes that are meat-based,
while the number of vegetarian
dishes has decreased proportionally.
I would like to have Deli dishes for
my lunches during the week, but I
am finding the same “old” choices in
the veg. and the new entreés [are]
meat-based (for me, not a choice).
Also, when I arrive here (usually on
the weekend), there never seem to be
any Pan Bagnas anymore. Thanks.
A: Thanks for writing. We felt
that while we had a decent variety of
vegetarian dishes, we only had two
meat dishes. Since our meat salads
had extremely high sales, I felt it was
in our best interest to develop a few
new selections for those wishing to
buy meat. This isn’t to say we won’t
continue developing veggie salads,
but I felt we should focus on one thing
at a time. The pan bagna shortage is
strictly a supply problem; we continue
to order them and hopefully this will
be straightened out soon. Dan Moore,
Deli Manager
Treat yourself to a
Massage
$30 for a 50 minute session
Provided by Windemere Students
during supervised clinic
Three Fridays and Saturdays each month
Please call ahead to schedule an appointment.
Visit us on the web: www.windemere.org • (608) 442-0182
744 Williamson Street, 3rd floor, Madison, WI
Check our website for Upledger Cranio Sacral and Maya Abdominal Massage trainings!
3
GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT
Getting the Word Out
by Anya Firszt, General Manager
A
s a result of our need to
improve communication to
members, a voluntary e-mail
notification system is being
developed to address this concern.
Additionally, this system of communication would potentially be used for
notifying members of critical agricultural legislative action alerts and education. Current members would need
to sign-up for this service through our
website or at Customer Service, and
new members will be given the option
upon application to the Co-op.
We acknowledge that the tools we
have been using (signage in the store,
receipt messages, Reader announcements) are not as far reaching as they
need to be, and there is gap that needs
to be closed. As soon as the IT requirements have been ironed-out to process
this information, we plan to have this
option available in early 2006.
Speaking of holidays...
In case you had plans to collect
your holiday greenery from the Co-op,
the Co-op is not managing a tree stand
this year in the outdoor corral, so be
advised if you are coming from out of
town. Once again, our yearly tradition
of hosting a staff meal during the holiday season is scheduled for Tuesday,
December 13—this is a chance for our
managers to prepare and serve some
of their favorite recipes for the staff
and owner participants (volunteers)
and for everyone to break bread.
And, as a reminder, the Co-op will
close early at 6:00pm on December
24, and close for the entire day on
Sunday, December 25 and Sunday,
January 1, 2006.
selection and installation committee for
their efforts to advise and streamline
this purchase. Lindsey Lee, WSGC
member and owner of Ground Zero
on Williamson Street, was an absolute
rock star in offering his expertise in our
decision-making process. Lindsey is
a perfect example of someone who is
“walking the talk” of supporting Willy
Street business networking and member involvement. Thank you Lindsey.
Expansion recap
WSGC is into the second phase
of the request for information (RFI)
process. The RFI ad hoc committee has
selected a medium list of nine potential
sites. In December, we will be visiting
and assessing the feasibility of each
site, reviewing the market study reports,
and WSGC sales data by zip code. The
ad hoc committee consists of representatives proficient in legal, financial,
and real estate matters, three Board
members, two opportunities committee
members, and the general manager.
Fiscal Year 2006 capital
improvements
FY2006 capital improvements
have already been initiated—our first
expenditure, I am happy to report, was
the purchase and installation of a state
of the art coffee brewer for the juice
bar. Other improvements we are looking forward to include a new cheese
backstock cooler, sandwich preparation table, additional computers to
support operations, and scheduled
equipment replacements.
Networking
Allow me to take this opportunity
to thank our ad hoc coffee brewer
4
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BOARD REPORT
Owner Involvement
by Dan Frost
T
here was no Board meeting
scheduled for November and
so there is no new Board news
to report since the October
meeting that Megan Christiansen
reported on last month.
This article will focus on two
main points:
• the Co-op needs more owner involvement, and
• the Co-op needs less owner involvement.
Most of you reading this are
owners of this business, so throughout this article keep in mind that I’m
talking about you.
More involvement
Our Co-op needs strong, experienced, people with various skills and
perspectives on our Board. This year’s
Board election was almost uncontested—something I hope was an unfortunate fluke—but I certainly don’t want
to speak only about becoming a Board
member. Taking the time to vote, give
us feedback, or even participate in
the actual operations of the store are
tangible ways to be involved. Indeed,
simply being aware that ‘membership’
is really ownership and following
the happenings of the Co-op month
to month—as you are doing right
now—is an investment that I have no
doubt will benefit the Co-op as well as
the individuals who make it. The main
point is: in order for our cooperative
to function well, we need owner participation—and yes, we need more of
it particularly at election time.
I actually sense quite a bit of
investment from a huge number of
people in our Co-op, though. As an
employee (I am the Co-op’s Operations Manager), I see people who care
intensely about the Co-op every day.
The really challenging thing I feel our
owners face is letting go of control. It
sounds silly to say, particularly while
also arguing for more involvement,
but even more so when you consider
that one of the main reasons for cooperatives to form is to provide control
to its owners. But that is precisely
what I believe must happen.
Less involvement
Let me be more specific: it is
virtually unheard of in the Co-op community to require the membership’s
approval of the annual budget. We
do, and the requirement encumbers
the planning process by causing the
staff to have to work much earlier
than would otherwise be necessary to
forecast a budget. Early forecasts are
inherently less likely to be accurate.
Then, a comparatively short time
before the beginning of the year that
the budget controls is to begin, we put
the budget to referendum—all owners
are asked to approve or reject it. If the
budget were to fail this referendum,
we would have quite a scramble to get
one passed in time for the new year.
The potential for such a scramble may
be slightly less of a danger with our
new fiscal calendar, but timing isn’t
really the danger, in my opinion.
The danger is in the dynamic this
sets up. The process is now like this:
the staff proposes a budget, the Board
approves or rejects that proposal and
in turn proposes the budget to the
membership for approval. Perhaps we
should be holding the Board responsible for this kind of oversight. Is it
fair to expect members at large to be
aware enough of the issues at hand
to determine the appropriateness of
a budget—a budget that controls the
expenditure of over 12 million dollars? Are you, the owners, not giving
a subtle pass to us Directors when the
final responsibility is not on our shoulders? Shouldn’t we be expected to
deeply examine and actually approve
or reject the budget?
Another, similar example is that
that the rules governing our Co-op
require the Co-op to get the approval
of the membership when spending
$50,000 or more on expansion. This
rule is probably outdated and definitely worth examining.
Our Co-op is in active pursuit of
expansion opportunities. It is not hard
to imagine the dedicated and experienced people we have delegated to
lead that search finding an opportunity
that needed to be secured quickly or
even quietly. Imagine the dynamics
of being at a negotiating table with
someone who knows how much your
owners have been asked to approve
for a given project. In order to properly accommodate this rule in the
past, we have either made our owners’
approval a contingency of our negotiations (not a very strong position)
or asked for broad approval ahead
of time (a kind of ‘showing of our
hand’). The question we are asking
now is: why not put in place rules that
are appropriate to the current needs of
our business?
These are just examples, and I
don’t really mean to use this space
to argue specific points one way or
another. I mean to highlight that the
managers and Board of your Coop feel change is necessary and to
motivate owners to be involved in
shaping that change. We believe that
in order for the right changes to be
put in place, input from a wide variety
of perspectives must be accounted
for. That is, after all, the essence of
involved in a cooperative effort.
Seeking your input
So, as many of you are probably
aware, seeking your input is precisely
what the Board has embarked on
doing. The rules I’m referring to are
in fact our Bylaws and, other than
Wisconsin statute, they form the most
basic and core definition of what this
entity that was formed communally
over 30 years ago is and how it operates. The process to which I refer is an
open-minded exploration of our Coop’s needs and our owners’ interests.
The Board has already held a number of owner focus groups to gather
input about our current Bylaws and
how they could change—and more
are yet to come. You may also have
seen an ad in this paper highlighting
two discussion forums the Board has
created to support member input and
involvement. One is online, a Yahoo
group: send an e-mail to [email protected] or go
to the website: http://groups.yahoo.
com/groups/wsgcbylaws. The other is
in our store in the form of a log book
to record member input.
All member input is strongly
encouraged as this kind of change is
literally fundamental to who we are.
Please take the time to keep informed
about proposed changes and to voice
your suggestions and input. As is
of course appropriate, any proposed
changes to our Bylaws will require the
approval of our membership. Invest
the time now in knowing the details
about and motivations behind any
changes—or suggest changes yourself! When the time comes, you will
be ready to make an informed decision
as to how to vote.
5
DELI NEWS
A Compendium of Willy Street Co-op
Cheese
by Dan Moore, Deli Manager
T
he Co-op’s cheese department
carries over 200 varieties of
cheese from around the world.
You can find all things cheese
from Australia, Spain, Mexico, France,
and Italy, and many points in between.
Of course, we also carry a wide variety
of local artisanal Wisconsin cheese.
More importantly, we have a cheese
staff that is extremely knowledgeable
about the cheese. Our buyer, Stuart, can answer almost any question
regarding where and how the cheese is
made, what’s in the cheese, and even
offer suggestions for using the cheese.
To give you an idea of what we have,
here’s our newly compiled version of
our annual cheese compendium.
Asiago: a cheese made in the tradition of Asiago d’Allevo with skimmed
cow’s milk. Its slow maturation process
creates a slightly sharp flavor, if aged
for two years it becomes granular, brittle and intensely flavorful. The mature
Asiago is a good grating cheese.
Varieties available: BelGioso*#,
shredded Wisantigo #, Monti Trentini
Asiago Fresco*
Blue Cheese: Made from many different types of milk. It ranges from soft
to semi-soft in texture. These cheeses
are not cooked or pressed. Instead the
curd is crumbled, eliminating much of
the whey. Then it’s scooped into stainless steel molds to set. Once set they
are rubbed with salt and returned to the
cellars. What differentiates this cheese
from others is the internal mold that
flavors the cheese. In order to cultivate this mold the cheese is pierced so
that oxygen can penetrate through the
channels for the mold to grow. The
blue mold is a strain of penicillium that
is added to the milk before the rennet
is added. These cheeses are aged in a
humid environment that uses fleurines
to circulate the air, assisting the mold
growth. Gorgonzola is a cheese from
the Lombardy region. Some producers
use unpasteurized milk and allow the
curd to hang overnight so that it can
become exposed to mold naturally.
Most producers use pasteurized milk
and add the mold directly in. After
four weeks the cheeses are pierced
with needles to allow the spread of
the mold. This cheese ripens in three
* = rBGH-free
# = uses vegetable rennet
6
to six months, and then it’s wrapped
in foil to keep it moist. The Italian
member of the blue cheese family,
Gorgonzola has a pungent flavor and
crumbly texture, while Gorgonzola
Dolce is sweeter with a softer texture.
Roquefort is a full-fat sheep’s milk
cheese, which many feel is the world’s
best blue cheese. It is produced entirely
from the milk of the ewes that feed on
the vast plateau found in the Aveyron.
White and fairly shiny, this cheese
tastes creamy, soft, and slightly salty.
Saga blue cheese is a cross between
blue cheese and Brie. Saga is a creamy,
blue-veined cheese with a white-mould
rind. It is very mild for a blue-veined
cheese and is a good cheese to use for a
mild blue cheese salad dressing.
Varieties available: Salemville
Amish*#, Rosenberg Danish blue*,
Stilton*, Rosenberg Danish blue
cheese in oil*, Rosenberg Danish
crumbled*, Hooks*, Salemville Gorgonzola*#, Italian Gorgonzola dolce*,
Maytag blue*#, Societé Roquefort*,
Cambozola*#, Saga
Brie: made from unpasteurized
cow, sheep, or goat’s milk. All brie
has a bloomy mold on the outside of
the wheel, which is edible and helps
break down the curd, contributing to
the texture and flavor of this cheese.
The curd is made from coagulated
milk, ladled into perforated molds
and left to drain in high humidity so
it doesn’t lose too much of its whey.
After a few hours the cheese is taken
out of the molds and left to mature
for a few weeks. Their high moisture
content and the humidity of the controlled environment naturally attracts
the white mold to form the rind.
Varieties available: Couronne
60%*, Belmont Brie#, Belmont Brie
w/herbs*#, Belmont Brie w/ peppercorns*#, Belmont Brie w/garlic
& herbs*#, Fromager D’Affinois*,
Rocastin sheep Brie*, Cambozola*#,
Champigon*#, Saint Andre Triple
Cream*, Belletoile*, Florette goat
Brie*, St. Albray*, Saga*#, German
Brie w/garlic & herbs, German Brie
w/mushrooms, Saga
Camembert: a soft cheese similar
to Brie. The special Camembert aging process produces a cheese that is
more pungent and runny if allowed to
ripen properly.
Variety available: Delice De France*
Cheddar: Named for a village in
England. This cheese comes in many
varieties, but all have the same basic
curd made from cow or goat’s milk.
The milk is allowed to settle, draw together into a “cake” and acidify, while
repeatedly being re-layered. The curd is
then milled, and the resultant yield, also
called curd, is salted. The cheese is then
molded, pressed and ripened at 45 to 50
degrees. If the cheddar is yellow, it has
been colored with annatto seed.
Varieties available: mild white*#,
mild yellow*#, tomato basil*#,
horseradish*#, Wensleydale English*,
reduced fat*#, garlic*#, low fat/low
salt*#, jalapeño*#, Cotswold*, Mt.
Sterling raw goat’s milk mild*#, Still
Meadows raw milk medium*#, Still
Meadows raw milk sharp*#, Still
Meadows roasted garlic*#, Organic
Valley’s raw milk mild*#, raw milk
sharp*#, and shredded*#, Wisconsin
Organics’ sharp*#, Brunkow garlic
& herb*#, Grafton village raw milk
maple-smoked*#, Irish Dubliner
Aged Cheddar: Usually this
cheese says how long it’s been aged.
A minimum of 18 months is standard
to qualify as aged and tops out at 4
years. The wait is worth it.
Varieties available: A.M.P.I. sharp#,
Widmer’s 2 year*#, 4 year*#, 6 year*#,
Still Meadows*#, Australian 1-year*,
Grafton Village Vermont 1-year*#
Chevre: this is a goat’s milk
cheese. Fresh or pasteurized milk can
be used in production of this cheese.
The curd is packed into cloths and left
to drain for several hours. All of these
cheeses have a mild flavor and can be
served in olive oil and herbs for added
flavor.
Varieties available: Montchevre
plain*, garlic/herb*, Crottin 4 pepper*, and plain Crottin, Bourdin
w/basil*, Chavrie*, Chavrie w/basil &
roasted garlic*, Capra honey goat
Feta: commonly known as a brined
cheese since it’s stored in brine. The
brine is not intended to overwhelm the
flavor of this cheese, but today’s use of
pasteurized milk weakens this cheese’s
flavor. To reduce the salty effects of
the brine, place this cheese in milk or
plain water for a few minutes or longer
before serving. To make Feta, milk is
heated to 95°, a coagulant is added, and
the mixture is left to curdle. Once the
milk has curdled, the curd is cut and
the whey is drained. The curds are then
put in a bag, pressed and left to dry for
a few hours. It is then salted (the more
salt used the harder the cheese will be)
and left to dry for 24 hours before being packed in brine.
Varieties available: Organic Valley
cow’s milk#, Athenos’ plain*#, garlic &
herb*#, tomato/basil*#, peppercorn*#,
and reduced fat*# (all cow’s milk), Mt.
Sterling goat*#, Chevrotines French
goat*#, Valbreso French sheep milk*#,
Mediterra Feta in oil (cow’s)*
Fontina: the name is used to identify cheese produced in Valle d’Aosta
of Italy. Made from cow’s milk, this is
a dense, smooth, and elastic cheese. It
melts easily, but is runny. Keep it in a
separate bowl and pour it over the top
of any dish you wish to serve it with,
don’t expect it to just melt on top.
Varieties available: Danish Fontina, Italian Vallé D’ Aosta*
Gjetost: a whey cheese that is
boiled slowly for hours until the
lactose caramelizes, giving it it’s light
brown coloring. It has a slightly sour,
yet sweet, flavor (similar to caramel,)
and the texture of good fudge.
Varieties available: Ski Queen*,
goat milk
Gouda: made from pasteurized cow or goat’s milk. Gouda is a
traditional semi-hard cheese. It also
is made into a round wheel and aged
with a very smooth yellow, waxed
rind. The flavor is sweet and fruity.
As time passes, the taste intensifies
and becomes more complex.
Varieties available: Dutch red
wax milk*, Dutch yellow wax aged*,
smoked*, aged goat*, Roth Kase Van
Gogh#
Havarti: A washed rind cheese
with irregular holes throughout. This
cheese gains flavor with age while
the younger cheeses are creamy and
mild. Tilsit originates in Poland. This
cheese started as an attempt by Dutch
immigrants to recreate Gouda. This
cheese is washed and brushed for the
first 2 months to form a crusty rind.
This protects a smooth interior with
tiny holes and keeps the cheese from
drying out. A buttery, mild flavor becomes much more pungent with age.
Varieties available: Danish*, dill*,
Tilsit havarti*
Idiazabal: Made from sheep’s
milk in the Spanish region of Basque
and Navarre. This cheese has a com-
Continued on pg. 29
PRODUCE NEWS
Weird Produce: Trying Something
New this Holiday Season!
by Andy Johnston, Produce Manager
I
t’s that time of the year again.
Time to start planning the holiday
menu. Turkey, ham, green bean
casserole, sweet potatoes—all
traditional holiday standards for most
of us. How about something different,
maybe something new that could soon
become a family tradition!
Kohlrabi, salsify, pomegranates,
sunchokes, celeriac, fennel, yah, I
know what you’re thinking, “What
do I do with this stuff?” If you’re the
cook in the family, as I am, things can
get a little crazy in the kitchen around
the holidays. I’ve put together some
wonderful recipes containing some
“not-so-familiar” produce items here
at the Co-op. Give them a try!!
So many of the weird produce
items we carry at this time of the year
are locally grown storage crops. Not
only are you trying something new,
you are also supporting local farmers.
I recommend the salsify from West
Star Farms; this stuff is all the rage
at gourmet restaurants. You can try
it at home without the gourmet price
tag. Check out the recipe kiosk near
customer service in the produce aisle.
Here you’ll find recipes for just about
every produce item you can find,
including the “weird” ones.
Have a great holiday season, and
have fun in your kitchen!!
Salsify with Parmesan
Recipe from: Pete’s Frootique
2 lb salsify, scrubbed and trimmed
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
salt
a pinch of cayenne pepper
Place the whole, unpeeled salsify
roots in a steamer basket over two
inches of boiling water. Cover and
steam for about 10-12 minutes, until
barely tender. Drain and rinse under
cold running water, and then peel and
slice in 4-inch lengths.
Heat the butter and olive oil in
a frying pan, and sauté the salsify
for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.
Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with the
parmesan cheese, and season with
salt and cayenne pepper, or serve atop
bruschetta.
Serve this on thick slices of toasted
Italian bread that have been rubbed
with a cut garlic clove and drizzled
with olive oil. Serves 4-6.
Lamb Stew with Chestnuts
and Pomegranates
Recipe from: Unknown
1 lb chestnuts, roasted and shelled
2 onions
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb, cut into
1/2-inch cubes
1/4 tsp turmeric, ground
1/4 tsp saffron threads, crushed
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 cup walnuts, minced fine
1/4 tsp mint, crushed
1 cup pomegranate juice, fresh
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced fine
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup fresh mint as garnish
Directions: Heat the oil in a heavy
casserole over medium heat then sauté
the onions and garlic for 10 minutes.
Raise the heat to high; add the meat,
turmeric, salt, pepper, and brown meat
on all sides. Stir in the saffron, cinnamon, mint, walnuts, tomato paste, and
chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce
heat to low, cover, and simmer for
1-1/2 hours. Add lemon juice, pomegranate juice, and chestnuts. Stir well,
then cover and simmer for 10 more
minutes. Serve over a bed of saffron
rice. Serves 6
NOTE: You may add other fruits
such as prunes, raisins, apricots,
apples, etc. to this dish. Use approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup of extra fruit(s)
as a total amount.
Celeriac Bisque
Recipe from: Ditty’s Sunday
Supper
1 1/2 lb celeriac
1 yellow onion
3 ribs fresh celery
4 cups turkey stock
Sour cream or crème fraîche (optional)
Directions: Peel celeriac and cut it
into 1” cubes. Peel and coarsely chop
onion and celery. Place the celeriac,
celery ribs and onions in a large pot
and add 3 cups of turkey stock. Cover
and bring to a simmer. Cook over
low heat about 30 minutes or until the
celery root is very tender.
Puree all ingredients (including the
liquid) in a food mill. Add more stock as
needed to get the consistency of bisque.
To serve, reheat over a low flame
and top with a dollop of sour cream,
crème fraîche or a combination of the
two (depending on what you have leftover over from Thanksgiving dinner).
Rosemary Roasted Fennel
and Zucchini
Recipe from: VegWeb
1 fennel bulb
1 zucchini
1/4 cup vegan Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp pinenuts
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
Directions: Preheat oven to 400
degrees. Cut ends off fennel and then
cut bulb into 1/3 inch thick slices. Cut
zucchini in half then cut each half into
4 or 6 sticks (1/2 inch thick).
Layer zucchini sticks and fennel slices in baking pan—try not to
overlap much. Drizzle with olive oil,
chopped rosemary, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle on vegan Parmesan cheese
and pine nuts. Bake for 25-30 minutes
or until light brown. Serve immediately! Serves 4
German-Style Stuffed
Kohlrabi
Recipe from: Gourmet
8 kohlrabies (about 5 lbs), bulbs
peeled, stems discarded, and the
leaves trimmed of tough center ribs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 lb ground pork
1/2 cup cooked long-grain rice
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
leaves plus additional for garnish if
desired
2 Tbsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp dried marjoram, crumbled
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions: Trim 1/4 inch from
the root end of each kohlrabi bulb so
the bulb will stand upright, scoop out
the pulp from the opposite end with
a small melon-ball cutter or spoon,
leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells, and chop
it fine (there will be about 2 3/4 cups).
In a large kettle of boiling salted water
cook the kohlrabi leaves for 3 min-
utes, or until they are just tender, drain
them well, and chop them fine (there
will be about 2 cups).
In a large skillet cook the onion
and the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the
butter over moderate heat, stirring,
until the onion is golden and transfer
the mixture to a large bowl. To the
bowl add the pork, the rice, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the paprika,
the marjoram, the caraway seeds, the
tomato paste, the eggs, 1/2 cup of the
kohlrabi pulp, 1/4 cup of the chopped
kohlrabi leaves, and salt and pepper
to taste and combine the mixture well.
Divide the mixture among the kohlrabi shells, mounding it, and arrange the
shells in a shallow flameproof baking
dish just large enough to hold them in
one layer. Scatter the remaining pulp
and leaves in the dish and pour in the
broth. Bring the broth to a boil and
simmer the shells, covered partially,
for 30 to 50 minutes, or until they can
be pierced easily with a sharp knife.
Transfer the shells with a slotted
spoon to a plate, reserving the cooking
mixture in the baking dish, and keep
them warm.
In a small saucepan cook the flour
in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter
over moderate heat, whisking, for 3
minutes and whisk in the cream. Bring
the mixture to a boil, whisking, simmer it for 1 minute, and stir it into the
reserved cooking mixture, a little at a
time. Add salt and pepper to taste and
cook the sauce over moderate heat,
stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is thickened. Return
the stuffed shells to the baking dish
and garnish them with the additional
parsley. Serves 4-8.
7
from being a rock, and how yeasted
treats can spend the night happily rising in the fridge while you sleep.
Longtime baker Deb Shapiro joins
us to share recipes and techniques for
making various yeasted sweet rolls,
coffee cakes, and savory focaccia, all
perfect for relaxing holiday brunches.
The class will be in our Community Room. Cost for members is $12.00
and $15.00 for non-members. Please
pre-register by Dec. 8th by stopping in
or calling Customer Service at 2516776.
CLASSES AND EVENTS
Irish Music Jam
Sunday, Dec. 4th, 1:00pm–
3:00pm (and continuing the first
Sunday of every month). All those
interested are invited to come and
play—or relax and listen. For more
information check out www.celticmadison.org or call Karen at 2336298.
Wellness Wednesday—
FREE Lecture, Isthmus
Acupuncture Center
Wednesday, Dec. 7th, 6:00pm–
8:00pm. Practitioners Rick Oberg,
CA and Michelle Buchanan, CA from
Isthmus Acupuncture Center will
discuss the three pillars of Traditional
Chinese Medicine: acupuncture, herbs
and massage. This lecture is FREE,
however please pre-register by Dec.
5th by stopping in or calling Customer
Service at 251-6776.
Baking for Brunches and
Other Breakfast Treats
Saturday, Dec. 10th, 10:00am–
12:00pm. Holidays are happier when
accompanied by a warm baked treat,
fresh from your oven, especially when
the work’s been done the day before.
If you’ve been wary of using yeast for
baking, find out how to keep your roll
8
The Co-op Label –
Authors Book Signing
and Reading
Saturday, Dec. 10th, 2:00pm–
3:00pm. Meet Jim Johnson and
Marlene Wisuri, authors of The
Co-op Label, as they sign copies of
and read from their recently released
book of poems and images exploring
the complex issues of immigration
and the cooperative movement in the
U.S. From the early years of the 20th
century to the McCarthy era of the
1950s, this book poses the question of
the relevance of cooperative ideals to
contemporary society.
Books will be available from the
Willy Street Co-op as well as Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative and is
offered as an educational resource for
all of Madison’s many cooperatives.
In the Community Room and
FREE for members. Please pre-register by Dec. 8th by stopping in or calling Customer Service at 251-6776.
Seasonal Vegetables in
the Italian Kitchen,
Francesco Mangano
Sunday, Dec. 11th, 11:00am–
1:00pm. Born in Bologna, Italy,
Francesco Mangano displayed voraciousness for cooking at a young age
and later attended school in Tuscany
where he completed his Master in
Food & Wine Tourism and Promotion
of Regional Products. Now living in
the U.S., he’s eager to share some of
his recipes and techniques, highlighting an Italian, savory flair for those
vegetables available in our wintry
Wisconsin climate.
Francesco will demonstrate how to
prepare the following items, followed
by a sampling of each dish:
• Butternut Squash Dumplings with
Aged Ricotta Cheese
• Fennel, Leek, & Turnip Gratin
• Yellow Potato Flan
• Lacinto Kale & Kidney Bean Soup
(Ribollita)
Cost for members is $12.00 and
$15.00 for non-members. Please preregister by Nov. 17th by stopping in or
calling Customer Service at 251-6776.
“Cooking the Casbah”
Cooking Show Filming
Monday, Dec. 12th, 6:00pm–
8:00pm. Chef Sabi, “Madison’s TV
Chef,” will again tape his television
show “Cooking The Casbah” at the
Willy Street Co-op. The two-show series “Food for Fitness” will be filmed
before a live audience. The event will
feature recipes from Monkey Bar
Gymnasium fitness guru Jon Hinds,
Naturopathic Doctor and Natural
Health Educator Dr. Chad Oler, and
Chef Sabi. Audience members will get
to try the tasty creations.
Jon founded his “Intuitive Body”
training system through combining
“High Energy Yoga” with “Full Body
Exercise.” The Co-op’s wide selection
of organic, unprocessed food fits perfectly with Jon’s culinary and dietary
philosophy that natural, unprocessed ingredients make for healthy recipes. And
Dr. Oler’s fifteen years of experience
researching and consulting on nutrition
and exercise make him an excellent
resource for anyone trying to live a
healthier lifestyle. The three culinary
naturalists will give their Co-op guests
some food for thought as they approach
the new year with its annual resolution
of better health and fitness.
Come be a part of this “Food for
Fitness” feast. Sign-up today for this
free live event at the Customer Service
desk. Seating is limited, so reserving
your spot is recommended.
Seafood Center Cooking
Demonstration with Tom
Wolowika
Tuesday, Dec. 13th, 6:30pm–
8:30pm. Do you love seafood, but are
too afraid to try cooking it at home?
There’s a lot to learn about preparing seafood and the Seafood Center
is providing this informative class on
recipes and techniques just in time for
the holidays!
Fishmonger Tom Wolowika has
taught this class for more than a few
years and promises to pass on some of
his favorite recipes, how to choose the
best variety for a recipe, tips on proper
cooking as well as side dish and wine
recommendations. There will also be
sampling of each dish, so bring your
appetite!
Cost for members is $12.00 and
$15.00 for non-members. Please preregister by Dec. 14th by stopping in or
Ki and Heart Practice
with Deb Bachman
Sunday, Dec. 18th, 10:00am–
12:00pm. This introductory class is
a chance to experience Ki (life force)
and to practice living from the heart. It
is not about knowledge from the mind.
All that is needed is a sense of humor
with an open heart.
It is for everyone from complete
beginners to experienced yogis, bodyworkers, martial artists and meditators.
A variety of ancient Eastern practices
that unify body, heart and universal
life force will be introduced. Oneness
exercises, meridian yoga, meditations,
Reiki (qigong movement), and Shiatsu
(hands-on healing) will be taught and
practiced.
The class fee is a donation of nonperishable food items to the Willy St.
Co-op food bank. Please register by
stopping by the Co-op Customer Service desk or by calling 251-6776.
Deborah Bachmann is a certified
Tao Shiatsu practitioner and instructor.
She studied with Master Ryokyu and
Mayu Endo for 4+ years in Kyoto,
Japan. If you have any questions about
the content of the class, please contact
her at 257-4663 or [email protected].
Please pre-register by Dec. 16th by
stopping at the Customer Service desk
or by calling 251-6776.
New Owner Orientation
Thursday, Dec. 22nd, 6:00pm–
7:00pm. Owning your own business
is hard work and WSGC members
are encouraged to attend New Owner
Orientation (normally scheduled on
the fourth Thursday of every month at
6:30pm). Included in the orientation is
a full tour of the Co-op, inside and out
(depending on the weather).
New owners have a right and the
privilege to see, first-hand, their own
locally owned business and gain a
better understanding of how it works.
PLUs, GORPs, POS and other exciting acronyms will be defined and demystified for you by Member Services
Manager, Lynn Olson.
New Owner Orientation will start
in the Community Room. Please
register by calling Customer Service
at 251-6776.
Kids Bookbinding Event
Wednesday, Dec. 28th, 10:00am–
12:00pm. Laurel Fletcher will be presenting this opportunity for children
(5 and up) to create a one-of-a-kind,
handmade book to use as a journal or
cookbook. Using simple materials and
stressing fun and creativity, children
will learn to construct a blank book
and personalize the cover for their
own use or to be used as a gift.
This event is $2.00 for members
and $5.00 for non-members. Please preregister by Dec. 26th by stopping in or
Series Classes
Sustain Dane Discussion
Series: Healthy Children,
Healthy Planet
Sundays, Jan. 8th – Mar. 5th,
4:00pm – 5:30pm. Have you ever
felt stressed by having to continuously navigate through the blitz of
mixed messages or overwhelmed by
the accelerating pace of everyday life?
Now, imagine if you were a child. As
outside influences on a child’s worldview have become widespread, it is no
wonder that it has become so difficult
for those who care about children to
reinforce our values upon them.
Sustain Dane, a local non-profit
organization, is offering its newest
course “Healthy Children, Healthy
Planet,” an eight session discussion
course, in the Community Room of
the Willy Street Co-op. The course
will allow participants an opportunity
to discover ways to create meaningful
family times and healthful environments for children. The course is intended to help people understand how
the pervasive effects of advertising,
media, and our consumer culture can
influence a child’s view of the world
and explore ways to develop a child’s
connection to nature, and to foster
creativity.
The course is not just for parents,
but anyone who is involved in the life
of a child. Concern for the wellbeing
of children and their children is something that everyone shares. Identifying pressures and finding antidotes
to strengthen our relationships with
children are key themes addressed in
the discussion course.
The course is one of six sustainability courses offered by Sustain
Dane. In Dane County alone, over
1,000 community members have participated in one or more of the courses. The courses provide an enjoyable,
supportive setting in which to examine
personal values and habits, engage
in stimulating discussion, and make
personal changes if desired.
Registration for the course is free
and is limited to 12 participants per
course. The required supplemental
book costs $20.00. To register or for
more information, contact Sustain
Dane at (608) 819-0689 or email
[email protected]
Co-op 101
Tuesday, Jan. 24th and 31st,
6:00pm–8:30pm. In order to support
our own Ends Policy (A1) to provide
opportunities for our members to
make informed choices about food,
agricultural practices, environmentally
sound practices and the cooperative
movement, we are once again offering
this two-evening workshop designed
by the UW Center for Cooperatives.
Session I (January 24th) is a general overview of cooperatives including a description of the cooperative
model, when it should be used and
how cooperatives have helped communities.
Session II (January 31st) will
cover each of the actual components
needed to start a co-op: conducting a
feasibility study, writing an outline
for a business plan, legal structure of
cooperatives and some keys to success
and potential pitfalls.
This class is free to members of all
Madison co-ops, for non-members, it is
$5.00 for each class. Both classes will
meet in the Community Room of the
Willy Street Co-op. For more information or to register for the class, please
stop by the Willy Street Co-op Customer Service desk or call 251-6776.
IN THE GALLERY
Julie Staskauskas
Opening on Friday, Dec. 2nd,
5:00pm–7:00pm. The show will be
displayed through January.
Artist’s statement: “With my art, I
find a truth and the truth found is my
own unique exposure to myself. The
answer lies deep and my creative work
pulls from the core within. I cannot
know what my art has to ‘say,’ only
what my pieces mean to me and their
effect at a given point and time. I am
only a catalyst at a particular moment
for the creative force within us all.
“On a more personal level I use
my artwork to expose myself, to take
off my “masks” through art. My pieces each have their own unique essence
that they are living entities that come
into their own meanings. My works
are like my own brood—they are my
children because they come from my
own conceptual sufferings. The works
are trying creatures, but of course I
cannot help but love them—they come
from me. My thought, my energies
and my feelings are poured into these
pieces from a cauldron of what makes
up my being. The ingredients that are
mixed into this cauldron include the
eternal, the fun, the mundane, the anger and frustration of everyday life.
“I will continue to apply methods in the process of my art that will
coincide with my personal healing and
self-revelation. My art may be self-indulgent, but the questions and answers
I bring up are also the same for many
other people. The more I expose
myself through art, the more I realize I
am not alone in my thoughts and feelings. My belief is that the truth of life
and living is inside and even though
man will set out to explore space in
the near future, the frontier worth traveling is the one inward. Even though
the experiences are different for each
person in the physical world, the pool
of love, knowledge and creativity
come from the same source and that is
the bond we all share.”
Community Room
Information
The Community Room is
available to you! Do you need a
space to hold your next meeting
or gathering? Are you an artist who would like to exhibit in
our gallery space? Do you need
a room with a kitchen to hold
your kid’s next birthday party?
Would you like to teach a class
and have it be available to our
11,000 members? The Community Room is available for gallery
space, private rentals, as well as
public functions and classes. If
you would like to submit a class
proposal, or for information about
fees and availability, please contact Lynn Olson, Member Services Manager at 251-0884 ext.
320 or [email protected].
Refund Policy
If we must cancel a class for any
reason, we will contact you by
phone and refund your tuition. If
YOU must cancel a class, notify
us at least 5 days in advance for
a full refund. There will be no
refunds less than 5 days prior to
class.
9
HEALTH & WELLNESS NEWS
Fighting the Cold War
by Andy Klay, Health & Wellness Staff
Y
ou get to bed late and have
to wake up early the next
morning. The following
day is hectic and stressful at
work. You’re on your way home when
you are suddenly struck with a dull
headache and a sense of great fatigue.
What can be done to avoid getting
sick when you’ve already felt that telltale tickle in the back of your throat?
I like to have some of the following remedies in my backpack so they
are always with me during the fall and
winter months, when catching a cold
in the early stages can mean not having to catch it at all!
The homeopathic remedy Dolicoccil is new to our shelves and a great
method of flu prevention. According
to Randall Neustaedter, OMD in FLU:
Alternative Treatments and Prevention, Dolicoccil is “a proprietary
preparation...produced by Dolisos
pharmacy each year using the flu virus
strains recommended by the World
Health Organization for the year’s
vaccine production.” Neustaedter
states that, “the typical dosage is once
per week for four weeks beginning in
October or later, followed by another
dose three weeks later.” This remedy
can also be taken once you feel the
first signs of the flu – simply empty
the contents of one tube under the
tongue, and allow all the pellets to
dissolve fully while under the tongue.
Repeat every 6 hours as necessary.
The Nature’s Acres certified
organic Echinacea tincture is locally
produced using locally grown plants,
and is a great choice for staving off
an oncoming virus. It is a blend of
Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea
angustifolia, which is a less common
but some say a more potent variety of
Echinacea. The Chinese formula Yin
Chiao (chieh tu pien) is another excellent remedy to take when you feel the
first signs of a cold. The suggested
dosage is four tablets, three times daily. The homeopathic remedy Aconite
(Aconitum napellus) is helpful for “a
fever that comes on suddenly,” when
brought on by “exposure to cold, dry
winds [or cold weather],” according
to The Family Guide to Homeopathy
by Dr. Andrew Lockie. Aconite is
only called for in the first twenty-four
hours or so of the illness. Fresh raw
garlic with meals, and fresh ginger
root (perhaps in a fresh juice from the
Willy Street Co-op juice bar) can also
help you overcome a developing cold.
If the virus has already made itself
at home, here are some remedies that
may help make the symptoms more
bearable.
Cough suppressants and
expectorants
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus &
V. olympicum) leaf and marshmallow
(Althaea officinalis) root can be quite
helpful for dry coughs; marshmallow can be helpful with sore throats
as well. Grindelia (Grindelia robusta),
according to herbalist Ed Smith, is
useful for “harsh, dry, unproductive
coughs with wheezing and constricted
chest.” Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
can be useful for “soothing coughs
and clearing phlegm,” says Smith.
Elecampane (Inula helenium), Smith
advises, is helpful for “all affections
of mucous membranes with excessive
mucous secretions, [and] bronchial
and lung irritation with teasing cough
and abundant discharge.” To relieve
sore throat pain and some types of
coughs, one can also suck on a clove
bud. The numbing properties of clove
will likely provide temporary relief.
We also have a wide variety of
homeopathic cough syrups that may
provide some welcome relief from
an annoying cough. The B&T Nighttime Cough and Bronchial Syrup is
often very helpful for those situations
when one needs rest but cannot sleep
because of their cough.
Salvation for sore throats
There are some excellent throat
sprays available that can reduce the
discomfort and duration of a sore
throat. Herb Pharm’s Propolis-Echinacea Throat Spray is one of these.
According to herbalist and founder
of Herb Pharm Ed Smith, this spray
“fights infection, relieves swelling
and soothes pain...[it] can be useful
in the treatment of pharyngitis and
laryngitis.” Propolis is a bee product
that is rich in minerals, B-vitamins
and antibiotics. According to literature from Y.S. Organic Bee Farms,
propolis is a “resinous substance
gathered by bees from leaf buds and
barks of various trees. This amazing
substance is made as the bees treat the
tree resins with wax flakes secreted
from special glands on the underside
10 Willy Street Co-op Reader, December 2005
of their abdomen.” Propolis is used to
coat the bee’s entire hive to “protect
from harmful bacteria, virus, fungi
and other microorganisms.” Finally,
bee propolis is one of the best sources
of biologically active bioflavanoids
known to humankind.
Nutribiotic’s GSE Throat Spray
includes the soothing herbs licorice and
slippery elm bark, as well as grapefruit
seed extract, which is effective against
a wide variety of bacteria and viruses.
There are a number of herbs that
are very soothing for sore throats when
made into tea. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza
glabra) is soothing to mucous membranes, an expectorant, and also has
antiviral properties. It should not be
taken in excess, however, as it depletes
the body of potassium. According to
the online Physicians Desk Reference
at www.pdrhealth.com, a good daily
dosage is between 1 1/2 and 5 teaspoonfuls made into tea daily. It is also
a good idea take it for a week, and then
abstain for a week, to give the body a
break from it. It is important to consult
with your healthcare practitioner before
taking this herb, as with any herb, as it
may not be right for you.
Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra or fulva)
is also excellent for sore throats due to
its high mucilage content. According
to Phyllis A. Balch, CNC in her book
Prescription for Herbal Healing, “Since
slippery elm is also a food product,
there is no upper limit on dosage, but
taking 2 teaspoons dissolved in 1 cup
of water is the minimum amount that
works, and 5 teaspoons is the maximum
that will dissolve in 1 cup of water.”
She adds that, “Slippery elm is regarded as safe. However, because of the
high mucilage content, it may interfere
with the absorption of medications
taken at the same time.”
Fighting nasal congestion
Nasal congestion can sometimes
be the symptom that breaks your spirit. You wake up with a mouth made of
sandpaper as a result of not being able
to breathe through your nose all night,
and sometimes the stuffiness hinders
your breathing all day long. I know
I feel exasperated if I can’t breathe
freely through my nose. But do not
despair, there are ways to conquer the
congestion.
A Chinese remedy called Pe Min
Kan Wan is a remedy you may want
to seek out. According to National
Board Certified Chinese Herbalist
Mark Taylor, author of Chinese Patent Medicines: A Beginner’s Guide,
this formula “dries phlegm and opens
nasal passages, eliminating stuffy
nose, sneezing, and allergies.” (As a
side note, “It can be taken long-term
during allergy season to eliminate or
reduce the symptoms of hay fever and
other allergic reactions.”) So, if you
still have some Pe Min Kan Wan left
over come spring, it may not just sit
in your medicine cabinet all summer.
The Willy Street Co-op carries the
Plum Flower brand of this product,
which is a very high-quality Chinese
herb company.
Simplers Sinus Oil is a great remedy for congestion and can also soothe
coughs. It is a blend of the following
essential oils: eucalyptus globulus,
rosemary cineol, and inula. According
to the Simplers First Aid Guide, this
essential oil blend is a “clearing blend
of oils [which] opens the sinus and
lung cavities, increasing circulation
and helping expel mucous, while healing inflamed mucous membranes.”
Inula is also an antispasmodic specific
for the lungs, so it can be quite helpful
with coughs as well. A facial sauna
can be prepared by boiling water,
pouring it into a large bowl, and adding 10 or so drops of this oil. Cover
your head with a towel, making sure
the towel is blocking the sides, then
relax and enjoy.
For those colds that just
won’t go away
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
is an herb that can be particularly
helpful with colds and flu that seem to
linger for a long time, although it can
also be very beneficial when taken at
the onset of a cold, especially the type
with chills and muscle aches. According to Stephen Harrod Buhner, in his
book Herbal Antibiotics, Boneset can
increase phagocytosis to four times
that of Echinacea. (Phagocytosis is
invader-engulfing activity.) Buhner
asserts that clinical trials have also
shown that boneset is analgesic (at
least as effective as aspirin), and reduces cold and flu symptoms. Finally,
it can be helpful for chronic coughs,
bronchitis, and pneumonia (of course,
see a qualified healthcare practitioner
for these types of conditions!). Be
aware that large doses can cause nausea and that this herb has a somewhat
laxative property. It can cause vomiting if large doses are taken hot.
One of my favorite herbal compounds that utilizes boneset’s healing
power is the Immune Defense Tonic
by Herb Pharm. Eupatorium perfo-
Continued on pg. 24
Deli Platters
See willystreet.coop/Departments/deli.html
for photos. Order forms available at the Deli.
Fruit & Cheese Platter
$40.00 + tax
A selection of seasonal organic fruit perfectly complimented by our
favorite cheeses from around Wisconsin and around the world.
Southwest Platter*
$45.00 + tax
A collection of soft tortillas ﬁlled with southwestern-inspired dips
and spreads, surrounding our own freshly made salsa.
Domestic Cheese Platter
$30.00 + tax
This combination features Wisconsin-made cheeses including mild
yellow cheddar, Colby, Gouda, and goat cheese.
��
Imported Cheese Platter
$40.00 + tax
An exquisite display of imported cheeses including Brie, chèvre, and
other seasonal specialty cheeses from our own delicious selection.
Middle Eastern Platter*
$35.00 + tax
A sampler platter highlighted by our versions of the Middle Eastern
classics —tabouleh, hummus, and baba ganouj—arranged with sliced
cucumbers and tomatoes accompanied by lightly toasted pita bread.
Spinach Bowl*
$40.00 + tax
Freshly baked La Brea bread stuffed with Willy’s Own amazing spinach
dip. Served with plenty of bread and veggies for dipping.
Meat & Cheese Platter
$30.00 + tax
A pound of Lange’s Farms ham and roast beef as well as Applegate’s
oven-roasted turkey share top billing with Wisconsin-made Swiss,
provolone, and cheddar.
Crudités Platter*
$40.00 + tax
Arranged into a colorful mosaic, this mouth-watering array of veggies
is hand-selected from our own exceptional produce department and
accompanied by the Deli’s own veggie cream cheese or spinach dip.
Willy’s Wrap Platter*
$40.00 + tax
An assortment of ham, turkey, and veggies rolled into a four tortilla
with lettuce, tomato, and cream cheese. A hit at any party.
Mediterranean Platter*
$35.00 + tax
Feta-stuffed pepperoncinis, kalamata olives, big juicy grapes, and chunks
of Asiago cheese surround a trio of the deli’s own Mediterraneanthemed dips.
*Vegan options available
All platters serve 10-12 people. 48 hours notice is required for all
platter orders. 50% deposit required on orders over $75.
11
HOUSEWARES & BOOK NEWS
What we learn with pleasure
we never forget ��
Gift Ideas
��
��
Noncredit classes for adults
Art • Dance • Music • Theatre
History • Languages • Writing • & more!
��
��
DIVISION OF CONTINUING STUDIES • LIBERAL STUDIES AND THE ARTS
E
Ian Colin MacAllister
Second Sight
Psychic Readings
Spirit Medium, Clairvoyant
Energy/Aura, Tarot and
Psychometry Readings
Pet & Animal Communication
Reiki Master
&
Astrology
Natal (Birth Chart)
Transits (Future Trends)
Relationships/Synastry
Relocation/Astrocartography
Child's Charts & Reports for Parents
(608) 204- 0324
Holiday Gift Certificates Available!
Over 20 Years Experience O All Readings are Confidential O [email protected]
by Amanda Biederman, Housewares/Book Buyer
A
s December rolls in and the
season of gift giving comes
upon us, the Co-op has prepared to offer a selection of
gifts and products perfect for the holiday season and for your own personal
enjoyment. This month all books,
cards, posters, and calendars will be
10% off their regular price; taking
advantage of this could save you from
the typical holiday shopping experience of overcrowded stores and pricey
gifts. Our wide selection of books are
great for giving, or for personal reference for meal ideas, gift-making ideas,
and ideas for staying sane to those of
us who can get a little crazy during
this cold and busy season. You may be
surprised at the wide selection of nonfood items the Co-op offers, which
we do so that you can get all of your
shopping done with the convenience
of one stop.
Books are a great gift for anyone, including you! A great book for
those looking for gifts this season
is The Soapmaker’s Companion by
Susan Cavitch. Susan gives illustrated
instructions on making 40 different
kinds of soaps, from beautiful marbled
and layered body soaps to liquid
laundry soaps. Another great book,
The Complete Book of Essential Oils
and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann
Worwood, is an excellent resource,
with 600 original recipes for health
and beauty and the uses of essential
oils. If a healthier diet is something
that you or someone you know is
looking to achieve, Living in the Raw
by Rose Calabro is a great choice.
Rose provides information on recipes
and setting up the kitchen, along with
fundamental information you need on
the health benefits of living and eating
raw foods.
If you’re looking to support local
businesses and artists, or just want
to be sure that what you buy was
made under Fair Trade practices, then
you’ll be pleased to know that many
of our products do just that. We carry
a variety of greeting cards from local
artists that include Mary Fiore, Lisa
O’Connor, Dorith Steinberg, KLN
Gallery, and the ever-so-popular Red
Oak line. Lakeside Pottery is a local
Madison business that makes beautiful handmade pieces such as vases
and planters; Healther Fischer and
Mark Meyer make cups, plates, and
teapots, all of which are great for that
hard-to-shop-for person on your list.
Aside from local products, we also
carry Fair Trade, handmade products
from Bali and Soul, a local Madison
business that supports artists and their
artworks from Bali, Indonesia. Janice,
owner of Bali and Soul, has family in
Bali, which enables her to pay artists
directly. Tribal Fiber is a network of
village cooperatives in Thailand that
offer variety of Fair Trade linens and
potholders made with a hemp/cotton
blend and all natural dyes.
Another great gift for just about
anyone is the wonderful and environmentally friendly bamboo products
here at the Co-op. From plates and
utensils to steamers and cookware,
bamboo, one of the earth’s fastest
growing natural resources, is the
perfect non-timber alternative. Since
bamboo is not a wood, but instead a
grass, it has a growth cycle of three
to five years. The hardness factor is
comparable to maple and oak, and the
natural beauty of bamboo products
could fit just about anyone’s home
décor. If that’s not enough to convince you of this amazing resource,
bamboo is also an oxygen generator,
releasing 35% more oxygen than
timber, and it plays a vital roll in the
reduction of timber and petroleum
consumption.
So this holiday season, feel free to
feel good about the money you spend
and where your gifts are coming from.
With so many wonderful products
available, you’ll be sure to find something for yourself or someone you care
for. December is a great time to save
big so go ahead, splurge and feel great
about it!
TAI
CHI
C E N T E R
O F M A D I S O N
T'ai Chi and Qigong•Since 1974
Energize your life!
Gentle exercise
for mind,
body & spirit.
Classes Begin January 9
Free Introductory Class!
Thursday Jan. 5, 5:30 - 7:00
301 S. Bedford St., Downtown
For class times, descriptions & more
information, visit us online or call
(608) 233-1953 www.taichihealth.com
JUICE BAR NEWS
Citrus and Holiday Drinks
by Dan Moore, Deli Manager
O
ne concept I’ve never been
able to grasp during my
years in the food industry is
that winter is citrus season.
I mean, seriously, when do you use
more citrus—December or July? Lemonade, orange slushies, and lime margaritas all have a distinctive summer
afternoon feel to them. Maybe it’s my
northern upbringing—citrus grows in
weird foreign places like Florida, and
so I have trouble relating. The bottom
line is that peak citrus time matches
up with Christmas and New Year’s
Eve and New Year’s Day. Which is
actually quite handy.
If you shop at the Co-op and read
the Reader (and why would you be
reading this if you don’t) you probably already know the health benefits of citrus. It’s high in vitamin C,
potassium, vitamin A, B complexes,
bioflavonoids, and fiber. The antioxidants in citrus can also help prevent
things like strokes, heart disease,
arthritis, cancer, and on a slightly less
scary level the common cold. So, you
have the stress of the holidays in the
middle of cold and flu season and
citrus comes into season to save the
day. Pretty handy, and I haven’t even
mentioned the obvious use at your
holiday parties.
Citrus juices make the perfect
base for holiday drinks. For starters,
fresh juice is lower in sugar. When
making punches and cocktails, the
point of adding citrus is to provide
the sour and acidic pop of freshness
to complement the sweet and strong
of the other ingredients. If you use
commercially processed concentrates
or juices, you add additional sweet
to the beverage and mask the flavor
of the juice. Fresh juice also has a
much more intense flavor. You can
use about a third of the amount of
fresh lime juice in your margarita,
compared to bottled juice. Fresh
orange juice will also greatly enhance
the flavor of your New Year’s Day
mimosa, bringing out and melding
with the flavor of the champagne.
In punches, a little bit of lemon and
lime go a long way. For example, a
punch for 10 will use only 2 lemons
and 4 limes and have a much brighter
flavor than any punch using a sour
mix. Here’s a holiday punch to get
you started.
Sparkling Ginger
Pineapple Punch
Ingredients for ginger syrup
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup thinly sliced unpeeled fresh
ginger (two 5 in. pieces)
Ingredients for punch
3 cups unsweetened pineapple juice,
chilled
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (4 limes)
3 cups sparkling water, chilled
4 cups ice cubes
Directions for making the ginger
syrup: Bring water, sugar and ginger
to a boil in a 1 qt. saucepan, stirring
until sugar dissolves. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally,10 minutes,
then remove from heat and steep,
uncovered, 15 minutes. Pour syrup
through a sieve into a bowl, discarding
ginger. Chill, covered, about 2 hours.
(This will keep chilled about 2 weeks.)
Directions for making the punch:
Stir together ginger syrup and fruit
juices in a punch bowl. Stir in sparkling water and ice. Enjoy, and Happy
Holidays.
This just in....
The winner of our coffee poll has
been decided. And the winner is Just
Coffee, by a 2-1 margin. We have our
new brewer and dispensing pots as
of the start of November and will be
bringing in an assortment of roasts to
try out and tinker with over the next
few weeks. Once we’ve figured out
grinds and brew times look for Just
Coffee at the Juice Bar, right next to
the EVP roasts (which, by the way,
have also greatly benefited from our
new brewer). If you haven’t tried
either, stop by and find out how good
our local roasters are, and look for a
more in-depth portrait of Just Coffee
in an upcoming Reader.
13
A History of Grassroots Giving
by Lynn Olson, Member Services Manager
C
ooperative Principal #7,
Concern for Community, is
the primary motivation for the
Williamson Street Grocery
Cooperative (WSGC) Community
Reinvestment Fund.
This annual sowing of community
seeds is funded through unclaimed
and abandoned membership money,
or equity, that has accumulated over
past years. Specifically, our bylaws
state: “the Co-op shall dedicate any
funds (equity) remaining unclaimed to
educational and charitable purposes.”
Each year, a mailing is sent to the
last known address of any owners who
still have equity in WSGC, but whose
accounts have remained inactive for
over a year. Once/if contacted, those
owners have the option to renew their
membership (by making an equity
payment toward their full fair share),
to withdraw the equity (cancel the
membership), or donate their equity to
the Community Reinvestment Fund.
Since 1992, the WSGC Community Reinvestment Fund has endeavored
to make a difference in the quality of
life for members of our community by
supporting a diverse array of projects.
Programs have focused on the areas of
Food, Nutrition, Health/Well-Being,
Sustainable Agriculture, Cooperative
Education and Social Change, and
have included the following:
• A local youth radio initiative
• An after-school healthy snack
program
• A youth business mentoring program
• Healthy cooking classes for adults
with developmental disabilities
• A low-income food voucher program for fresh local farm products
• Emergency food assistance
• A local childcare agency’s share in
a Community Supported Agriculture
farm
• Gardening tools for a community
youth group
The focus of this funding is to
provide grants to local, non-profit
groups with an otherwise limited access to funding. In 2005, the commit-
tee received 33 applications and made
9 awards totaling $12,000.
Community Reinvestment Fund Guidelines
Applications are on our website
(www.willystreet.coop) and at Customer Service. Please read the application carefully, as there are additional
guidelines on it.
Priority will be given to developmental projects, educational projects,
and events that are consistent with
WSGC’s goals. This includes, but is
not limited to, a focus on:
• Food
• Nutrition
• Health/Well-Being
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Cooperative Education
• Social Change
Priority will also be given to
organizations working in the near-east
side community of Madison. Women,
people of color, and members of other
protected groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applications should be typed or
printed legibly in blue or black ink.
Please attach a copy of the Internal
Revenue Service determination letter
indicating 501(c)(3) status of your
organization. Also, attach any relevant
information about the organization,
such as marketing materials, letters of
recommendation, and financial statements relevant to the application.
Applications must be received
or delivered by February 28, 2006 at
9:00pm to the Willy Street Co-op,
1221 Williamson Street, Madison, WI
53703. Grants will be announced in
writing by April 4, 2006. Questions
about the grant process can be directed
to Lynn Olson, Member Services
Manager, WSGC at (608) 251-0884 or
e-mail at: [email protected]
2005 Community Reinvestment Grants
ABC for Health: $500.00
In order to familiarize Dane county health care providers and outreach
workers, ABC for Health has planned
a series of trainings for these professionals, aimed at educating them in
reaching non-English speaking Hispanic agricultural workers about area
healthcare programs. A staff attorney
and Health Benefits Counselor will
facilitate the program and this funding will pay specifically for staff time,
printing of materials, refreshments and
lunch for the attendees.
Bicycle Federation of WI:
$400.00
Promoting bicycle safety throughout Madison, a BFW representative
will conduct several area bike repair
workshops for all members of the
community. Specifically, at local eastside festivals (Atwood Summer Fest,
Willy Street Fair, etc.), this funding
would pay for staff time, printing and
supplies to carry out the project.
Friends of Troy Gardens:
$2,500.00
This community garden project
has already established the Field
to Farm program for several years
on the Troy Community Farm on
Madison’s northeast side. This
funding will enable FTG to provide
an opportunity for 12 low-income
neighborhood teens to learn sustainable farming practices, natural habitat
landscaping and receive additional
education on nutrition and seasonal
cooking.
Lincoln Elementary School:
$2,000.00
On Madison’s south side, Lincoln
Elementary School has been at the
center of efforts to introduce organic agriculture and good nutrition
practices to its students through the
Homegrown Lunch program. This
project would further enhance this
program for 40 students at the school
by providing a seed starting project,
farmers market and an overnight trip
to a tribal-owned farm in Oneida
County.
MACSAC: $1,000.00
Continuing the Partner Shares
Program, this organization will use this
funding to promote their new effort
called Program Participation and Nutrition Education workshops. Some of the
funding will help them purchase artist’s
clay for use in their Annual Empty
Bowls fundraiser. Program participation
and the Nutrition workshops are open to
members of the community throughout
Madison’s east and north sides.
Malcolm Shabazz City High
School : $750.00
This funding will support the
development of new curriculum
targeted toward students interested in
pursuing a culinary profession. This
quarter-long course called “Play with
your Food: Discovering the Art of
Cooking,” will culminate with preparing the food for a fundraising dinner
at a local restaurant and catering for
a learning trip to Vernon County in
May 2005.
Red Caboose Day Care Center:
$1,000.00
The School Age Program at
Marquette Elementary School in the
Wil-Mar neighborhood hosts a large
number of children throughout the
school year and over the summer. This
on-going program will be enhanced
with this funding to create their own
cookbook after learning about foods
and how to cook them from the Willy
Street Co-op. The project is planned to
culminate in a cookbook celebration
with the students preparing recipes
from their book.
Safe Haven: $1,850.00
As one of the shelters of Dane
County providing services for the
homeless with severe mental illness,
they plan to purchase four CSA shares
at Troy Community Farm, nearby.
Interested guests of Safe Haven would
have the opportunity to visit the CSA
grounds, participate in special activities and volunteer on the farm.
GROCERY NEWS
STAFF PROFILE
The Chocolate We Carry
by Lucas Barraza, Merchandiser
C
hocolate candy bars, after-dinner mints, brownies, truffles,
doughnuts, and chocolate
milk—if it has chocolate in
it, we eat it. Hot, cold, solid, liquid,
over ice cream...even over meat! Yes,
a Mexican sauce called “mole” uses
unsweetened chocolate in a sauce that
is served over meat. It’s a versatile
ingredient, chocolate.
Good and good for you
It has other benefits besides just
tasting great.
• Adam Drewnowski at the University
of Michigan found that consuming chocolate causes the brain to
produce natural opiates, in turn
decreasing pain, reducing tension
and creating a sense of euphoria.
• Chocolate contains the same type of
disease-fighting “phenolic” chemicals
as red wine, fruits, and vegetables.
• Chocolate and cocoa butter contain
large quantities of natural antioxidants, called flavonoids. Antioxidants
are believed to reduce the number of
free radicals in the body that contribute to medical problems, such as
heart disease and cancer. Forty grams
of chocolate contain about 400 milligrams of antioxidants. Dark chocolate contains about twice that amount.
Unsweetened cocoa powder has the
most: about two times as much as
dark chocolate.
• Chocolate makes milk easier to
digest if you are lactose-intolerant.
Researchers at the University of
Rhode Island found that adding 1 1/2
teaspoons of cocoa to 1 cup of milk
blocked cramping, bloating and other
signs of lactose intolerance. Cocoa
stimulates lactase enzyme activity.
There are about 400 varieties and
uses of the cocoa bean and the quality
and texture varies considerably. Fine
gourmet chocolate has the most intense flavor due in part to its high percentage of cocoa and the long conching process (the grinding of the cocoa
and sugar particles) it undergoes.
Some of our top varieties
The Co-op actually carries close
to eighty different chocolate bars,
some of which are strictly for baking
purposes and others for making your
day that much better.
Endangered Species has twentyone different flavors alone! Dagoba,
Green & Black’s, Equal Exchange,
Terra Nostra, Chocolove and Lindt
are also top chocolates that we carry.
Dagoba was rated “Best Dark
Chocolate” in 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle. They are Fair Tradecertified and have many selections
enhanced by infused exotic oils, fruits
and nuts from around the world.
Green & Black’s features nine
different flavors, including one of my
favorites, Caramel Center Milk Chocolate. Green & Black’s adds no synthetic
chemicals or genetically modified ingredients to their chocolates. Unlike plantation-grown cocoa, their farmers grow
their cocoa trees under the shade of
indigenous trees alongside other crops,
including pineapple, coffee, papaya and
bananas. They are pricey at $3.35 a bar,
but definately worth your dollar.
Equal Exchange chocolate bars
combine famous Swiss standards in
chocolate making with cocoa from
three farmer cooperatives in the Dominican Republic and Peru, as well
as sugar from their cooperatives in
Paraguay and Costa Rica.
Terra Nostra, which means “Our
Earth” in Latin, is also a Fair Trade producer but pay their growers directly.
Chocolove bars resemble a love
letter, addressed and affixed with a
“stamp” that declares the cocoa content. Waiting inside each Chocolove
wrapper is a romantic love poem and,
of course, delicious chocolate!
Lindt originated as a small, father
and son Zürich chocolate shop in
1845. Lindt was the first company in
the food industry in Switzerland to
receive the highly esteemed Quality
Assurance Certificate.
Chocolate is one of my favorite
sweets to indulge in. It is not something
that you can just take one bite of and
walk away. Every bite seems to lure
you closer until you have consumed the
whole bar! I am new to working at the
Co-op and already I have tried almost
all the chocolates that we carry. There’s
chocolate all over the place!
KATIE
POWDERLY
Produce Stocker
Q: How long have you
worked at the Co-op and
what positions have you
held?
A: Almost three years. I was
the freezer girl, a dairy stocker,
I “Willy-Packed” briefly, and
now I’m a produce stocker.
Yay vegetables!
Q: What is your favorite
meal made with Co-op
ingredients?
A: I love grilled salmon
steaks with a side salad of
arugula, goat cheese, avocado
and tomato.
Q: What is your favorite
thing about Willy Street
Co-op?
A: It’s very neighborhoody. I
like the feeling of community.
I also like our commitment to
supporting local and organic
farmers. And the people, too.
annQ:danaWhat do you like to do
when
you’re not working at
sart
the Co-op?
A: I play in a bluegrass band,
I make jewelry and play
guitar and sing and garden
and take naps. I make bowls
and vases out of gourds, I get
coffee from Café Zoma and I
hang out with my boyfriend
and his daughter.
Q: What one question do
you get asked a lot at the Coop and what’s the answer?
A: “How did you get your
hair like that?” “I didn’t brush
it for seven years.” I hate that
question.
19
2005 FARM TOUR REPORT
Three Farms, Eight Hours and
One
Good
Time
by Lynn Olson, Member Service Manager, and Melissa Klemes, WSGC Staff
T
he annual Willy Street Co-op
Farm Tour took off down the
road on an early grey morning
on Sunday, Oct. 9th and, by
the time we reached our first destination, the sun was shining and provided
another perfect day for touring. At our
first stop, the Scott Trautman farm in
Stoughton, WI, they were enjoying
their first official days as a certified
organic farm. While Scott’s products
aren’t available at WSGC yet, this
and personal, provided a significant
glimpse of the obstacles and a direct
experience with the animals.
After a big thank you from us, Scott
bid us farewell and we were back on
the bus, headed for the Michael Fields
Agricultural Institute (MFAI). Upon
arriving at the East Troy location, we
were greeted by Aura LaBarre, Farm
Education Coordinator. She started
our grand tour with a walk through the
Stella Gardens, an integral component
to the organic teaching farm.
The three acres of raised bed plantings and creative composting systems
are all hand-worked by students as part
plan for long-term strategies and environmental benefits.
Aura and Alan spoke a lot about
the pains and pleasures of hand-pollinating the corn on the farm, a neces-
“To forget how to dig the earth and to tend
the soil is to forget ourselves.”
—Mohandas Gandhi
sary step of control during hybrid tests
of air pollinated plants. Also highlighted was a view of the fields where
organic wheat is grown for Nokomis
Bakery to make their delicious breads,
which are available at our Co-op.
We then headed to our next stop,
the Krusen Grass Farms where the
entire Krusenbaum family, their two
Some of the Trautman Family
Farm cows.
farm was included in the tour to give
the group a pragmatic example of the
challenges in putting together a new
organic farming operation.
A healthy herd of curious Jersey
beef cattle met us at the edge of a
paddock while Scott spoke frankly
about his farm’s journey to becoming
organic. He addressed the need for
thoughtful planning in planting and
maintenance of grazing areas, choosing the breeds, and the quality of the
end product.
Scott described the many types of
grasses and other grazing plantings he
sows for the herd during the growing season and the benefits of using
a rotational grazing system (moving
the herd from one paddock, or fresh
grazing area, to another). Traditionally, some farmers employ a method
of feeding only grain to their animals
before harvesting (called “grain-finishing”) in order to promote marbling,
or fat. Scott detailed the characteristics
of the grass-finished beef and how
the pasture-fed method means that
the harvested meat produces a denser,
leaner cut. Because grass-finishing
avoids producing extra fat, his beef is
a source of low-fat protein.
Witnessing this small-scale
pasture-fed beef operation, up close
Before leaving the barn, Altfrid
directed our attention to a display of
organically approved substances used
to treat the heifers, which was laid out
for the group to review, including aloe
vera, iodine, garlic juice and vinegar.
We moved out of the barn and
down the cow path, as the cows would
twice daily, and Altfrid described examples of some biodynamic approaches to their dairy farming. The cows on
the farm are sheltered over the winter
months by a half-barn structure with a
cement floor and hay is regularly ap-
plied as bedding for the animals under
the canopy.
Over the winter, the bedding area
becomes packed with layers of hay
and dung, which can become valuable fertilizer, but it first needs to be
stripped up and off the cement. Altfrid
illustrated the process of manually digging out thin lines on the packed beds
and “hiding corn” under some areas
to symbiotically encourage the pigs
to root around in search of the corn,
thereby aerating the composting layers
of bedding. In spring this process also
makes it easier to remove the entire lot.
Riding through the Michael
Fields Institute Farm.
of their vegetable production training.
Aura described the composting projects that students build as part of their
training. Like building a cake, these
compost mounds bake themselves and
do not regularly require turning. Hay
bales are lined up to form an oval shape
before the many ingredients are layered
inside. Leaves, produce, garden scraps,
soil, hay and other biodynamic ingredients are all laid inside the formed
hay bales, then covered with a layer of
hay to prevent the dirt from drying out.
Undisturbed, the mounds then “bake”
slowly for roughly two years to become
rich, nutritious, recycled soil. Aura
told us that students also spend time at
nearby Ela Orchards to receive training
on the fruit production end of farming.
After a short walk through the
gardens, the group was invited to
ride along on a tractor/wagon combo
through some of the 200 acres of the
farm, accompanied by Alan Wood,
MFAI Farm Manager. Alan manages
all of the farm operations for MFAI,
coordinates the machinery on the farm
and projects crop rotations out to seven
years into the future in order to better
A view of Stella Gardens at
MFAI.
interns and Michelle Pedretti from
Organic Valley, the Krusenbaum’s
cooperative, eagerly greeted us.
After a brief introduction from
Altfrid Krusenbaum (who also served
on the Governor’s Task Force on
Organic Farming), the group was
brought into the milking parlor for a
thorough “walk through” of the milking process. From the many mechanical components to the subtle evaluation and cues of heifer health and the
timing of insemination methods.
Farming organically at this location since 1990, the Krusenbaums are
committed to participation in a program designed to train new farmers:
Collaborative, Regional Alliance for
Farmer Training (CRAFT). CRAFT is
an alliance of Illinois and Wisconsin
farms and market gardens committed
to the education of beginning agriculturalists. The alliance offers a yearly
program of on-farm demonstrations,
tours and work exchanges.
Getting the tour of the
Krusen Grass Farm’s milking
parlor.
We were again treated with a
wagon ride out to the farthest reaches
of the farm where some of their 110
cows were grazing. The Krusenbaums
practice what is called an intensely
managed, rotational grazing system,
much like the Trautman farm, where the
animals are moved daily to individually
apportioned paddocks with the use of
portable electric fencing. In all, there
are 47 paddocks on the 320-acre farm
with 80 acres in hay and forage crops.
Thank you to all of those who
attended this year’s Farm Tour and
we look forward to providing this
valuable experience indefinitely and
to keep emphasizing the connection
between our food and our farmers.
Games
happy
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**Register by the early registration deadline, and receive approximately 15% off the cost of the class!
Activity
Instructor/Facilitator
Day
Start Date
End Date
Weeks Time
Kristy Cheadle
Kristy Cheadle
Eliza Tyksinski
Eliza Tyksinski
Eliza Tyksinski
Eliza Tyksinski
Kristy Cheadle
Kristy Cheadle
Saturday
Saturday
Monday
Monday
Wed
Wed
Monday
Monday
1/7/06
2/11/06
1/9/06
1/9/06
1/11/06
1/11/06
1/9/06
2/13/06
2/4/06
3/11/06
3/13/06
3/13/06
3/15/06
3/15/06
2/6/06
3/13/06
5
5
10
10
10
10
5
5
Kymm Ann Wallin
Kymm Ann Wallin
Hannah & Kim
Trish Cremeens
Trish Cremeens
Trish Cremeens
Arlinda Michael
Arlinda Michael
Arlinda Michael
Arlinda Michael
Arlinda Michael
Arlinda Michael
Kim Reain
Trish Cremeens
Kim Reain
Jennifer Hassrick
Kymm Ann Wallin
Kymm Ann Wallin
Trish Cremeens
Kim Reain
Kristy Cheadle
Kristy Cheadle
Trish Cremeens
Beth Jennings
Beth Jennings
Weds
Weds
Friday
Monday
Saturday
Monday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Thursday
Monday
Thursday
Weds
Thursday
Thursday
Monday
Thursday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Monday
Saturday
Saturday
1/11/06
2/22/06
2/3/06
3/6/06
2/18/06
1/9/06
1/10/06
2/14/06
3/14/06
1/17/06
2/21/06
3/21/06
1/5/06
2/20/06
3/16/06
3/1/06
1/12/06
2/16/06
2/27/06
1/19/06
1/10/06
1/10/06
3/13/06
1/21/06
3/18/06
2/1/06
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2/3/06
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2/28/06
2/28/06
3/13/06
1/21/06
3/18/06
4
4
1
1
1
6
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
5
5
1
1
8
8
1
1
1
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Music & Movement
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But that’s not all! Be sure to check our website for up-to-date information, new additions, and other activities:
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21
PRODUCER PROFILE
by Lynn Olson, Member Services Manager
R
esponding to an ad for baker
positions in Middleton, WI,
two brothers in post-war
Germany were facing a bleak
outlook at home. Already trained as
Master Bakers, the Clasen brothers set
out to the US and worked for two years
with a Wisconsin employer before
opening their own bakery, Clasen’s
European Bakery, not far from the
current location on Donna Drive in
Middleton, WI. In addition to a long
list of traditional European breads, the
family continues to make Old World
treats here in the US through a large
array of cherished foods.
Today, hundreds of thousands of
loaves later, Michelle Clasen is continuing the family tradition of excellence in
baking and in business. Although she
had been baking since age 5 with her
A thriving sense of
community
Michelle admits that watching her
father, who did most of the baking
himself for the business while she
was growing up, has had an enormous influence on her own business
philosophy. “He’s an honest business
man and I follow the same idea: that
the product, the customer and the
employee comes first and after that
follows the profit if you’re doing all
of that right. It isn’t just about making
money, it’s about being proud of what
you make, it’s about treating the staff
like people.”
Clasen’s 42 employees manage the baking, receiving, retail and
delivery on a nearly 24-hour time
schedule. Employees are provided
health insurance, matching 401K
accounts and
holiday pay,
as well as
competitive
wages. Among
them, more
than a handful
of employees
have been with
the company
for more than
10 years, with
a few close to
20. Throughout the long
history of this
company, the
family of owners has conMichelle Clasen, pictured with members of
tinually worked
Clasen’s retail staff, values the sense of commuclosely with or
nity among their 42 employees.
alongside their
staff, creating a
thriving sense
family, Michelle worked and trained in
of community.
Germany as a Pastry Chef for over three
Another win/win commitment
years before returning home to the busithe family has held to throughout
ness, eventually purchasing the operatheir history is the German Master
tion from her father and mother.
Baker program that provides recent
graduates of
German Master
Baker programs
an 18-month
experience
working with the
Clasen’s crews.
Two-fold, this
program provides housing,
transportation
and a valuable
opportunity for
those who participate during their
stay. In return,
Tom Siewert,
Clasen’s BakFermentalevains (French-made sourdough
ery Manager,
starter vats).
summed it up
by saying, “The
German master
tain their particular “ripeness.” Rye
bakers bring a new perspective, new
flour fermentations referred to as a
ideas, sometimes it translates into a
“crazier kind of beast” by Tom, ferbetter or new way to do things.”
ment faster than wheat flours and can
Baking 6,000–8,000
be considerably harder to perfect.
loaves a day requires
While conducting a tour of the
some assistance
bakery, Tom began by saying, “The
To remain competitive and mainsingle biggest thing that makes a loaf
tain consistency, Clasen’s production
of bread better is pre-fermenting part
area of the bakery is somewhat of a
of the flour. Whether it’s a yeasted
technological playground, bedecked
sponge or a sourdough bread, that’s
with some of the finest French and
the biggest single thing that can turn
German baking equipment availan ordinary loaf of bread into an exable. French-made sourdough starter
traordinary loaf of bread.”
vats, called Fermentalevains, look
Beginning at around 9:00pm each
oddly like R2D2 (from the movie
night, staff begins mixing 400-lb.
yoga
Star Wars), and consistently probatches for the
day’scoop
production.
duce over 200 pounds of signature
A hydraulically assisted mixer was
sourdough starter in only two days’
added to the production line to relieve
time. Traditionally, artisan breads do
the physical demands on staff to move
not add yeast granules, but harness
large batches of dough. The hydraulic
the yeast that occurs naturally in the
feature on the mixer allows staff to
environment by combining flour and
easily tip the dough from the mixer
water and allowing nature to take it’s
directly onto the adjacent table for
course over time. Other sourdough
dividing and weighing into smaller
starters for Clasen’s German and rye
amounts. Between each step, the
bread recipes require only a room
dough rests for approximately 15-30
temperature, low-tech method to atminutes.
Another marvelous machine, the
loaf cutter, uses the dough from the
last step and systematically divides the
larger slabs of pre-measured dough
into individual loaf pieces. Resting
again for about 15-30 minutes, the
loaves are then traditionally handmolded by the bakers. Baguettes, a
more labor-intensive loaf, are the only
breads molded by a specialty machine
in order to maintain consistency in its
shape and texture.
Next, the loaves are placed in a
room-sized, temperature- and humidity-controlled proofer before baking
to allow enzyme activity to perfect
the loaf’s volume. After spending
hours in the proofing box, another
crew begins preparing the individual
loaves and, as Tom illustrated, a systematic process of using a conveyor
belt to move the breads into the oven
for baking.
Tom was pleased to display their
new Germanmade oven.
“The [oven] is
really the secret
to our beautiful
crust we have
and the nice
blistering you’ll
see on the loaf
of bread. It’s
really a limiting factor if
you don’t have
a good oven.
You can make
up for a lack of
equipment in
other areas of
Baking directly on stone decks in the oven
the production,
but [not] if you
helps ensure Clasen’s breads are of the highest
don’t have a
quality.
good oven.”
On the conveyor
belt, crews cut
or “score” the
loaves before
baking. Tom
says they’re
“creating a guide
for the loaf, telling it where you
want it to grow
and letting out
excess carbon
dioxide.”
Baking
honestly
Asked about
her business
Loaves on the rise in Clasen’s temperatureand food phiand humidity-controlled proofer room.
losophies for
Clasen’s,
Michelle said,
Willy Street Co-op is pleased
“We bake honestly; we don’t use any
to feature the following breads from
garbage in our breads, just flour and
Clausen’s European Bakery in our
water and yeast.
bread aisle: Artisan Sourdough, Mul“In Germany, one man I worked
tigrain Sourdough, Rosemary Potato,
for taught me, ‘if it’s not good
Multigrain Wheat, Oatmeal Artisan,
enough for your mother to eat, don’t
Olive Sourdough, Italian Country,
sell it,’ so that’s the philosophy I
Wheat Artisan, Cracked Wheat, White
follow. And really you’re doing it for
Artisan, Italian Rosemary, French
yourself as much as for the customer.
Cinnamon Swirl, French Country SixAt the end of the day, when I see one
Grain, Farmer’s Rye, Sourdough Rye,
of [our products], I want it to look
Classic French, and Pumpkin Seed
good to me.”
Bread.
OakSong
School
Waldorf Initiative of Madison
Discover the fastest growing independent school movement.
Parent & Child
Playgroups
2 Day
Toddler Program
OPENHOUSE
January 21, 2006
10am - noon
3 & 5 Day • Meet teachers and parents
Kindergarten • Tour the school and 2 acres
of playgrounds and gardens
First Grade
• Learn more about Waldorf
The many
faces of
THE MADISON TIMES
THE PAPER THAT’S MORE THAN BLACK AND WHITE
“If I had a child of school age, I would send him to one of the Waldorf schools”
Saul Bellow, Author and Nobel Laureate
www.oaksong.org
Call 608-838-8323 for details and application materials.
OakSong School (Old Waubesa Schoolhouse)
3579 Siggelkow Road • McFarland, WI 53558
15 minutes from the Capital
(Take Stoughton Road south to Siggelkow Road, then turn left and go one mile.)
23
Colds article continued from pg. 10
The Petinary
Mike Kohn DVM
Joe Novotnak DVM
1014 Williamson St.
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 255-1239
A full service
veterinary clinic.
I focus my financial planning and investment practice on people who want
environmental and social value sensitivity reflected in their investment
holdings. Free, no-obligation consultation.
liatum can also be very helpful when
taken homeopathically for severe
cases of the flu.
Osha (Ligusticum porteri), too, is
“very useful for stubborn respiratory
conditions and viruses that linger,”
according to Balch. “It is ideal for
viral infections of the sinuses, throat,
and upper and lower respiratory systems,” she continues. “It helps bring
up respiratory secretions and relaxes
smooth muscle, making it beneficial
for coughs and asthmatic breathing
difficulties.” The Willy Street Co-op
carries osha root in tincture form,
which is the medicinal constituents extracted into alcohol (or glycerin). We
also offer a formula called Osha Root
Complex Syrup by Herbs, Etc., which
is a perennial favorite with customers.
(It does have a celery-like flavor, just
to warn those who detest celery.)
Persistent conditions should always
be assessed by a qualified healthcare
practitioner, as they could be indicative of a more serious problem.
Strengthening your
immune system
Ideally, of course, we would like
to not catch any viruses in the first
place. I feel that a positive attitude,
abundant rest, healthy meals of whole
foods, and big mugs of steaming
tea are the best ways to keep yourself well. There are, however, many
herbal allies that can help you if your
immune system needs bolstering. Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus)
root is a stellar herb in this realm.
Astragalus root, according to Buhner,
is an “immune enhancer, stimulant,
and restorative; antiviral; adaptogen
(herb that aids the body in adapting
to stresses and in general maintaining optimal function); tonic; diuretic;
enhances function in lungs, spleen,
and digestion.” In addition, research
has shown that astragalus “protects the
liver from a variety of liver toxins.” It
is important to note that the liver is an
important organ in the body’s immune
support system, and that immune
system function can suffer greatly if
the liver is even slightly damaged by
a toxic chemical. “No toxicity has
ever been shown from the ingestion of
astragalus...This is certainly one of the
top herbs to use to restore a depressed
or damaged immune system,” Buhner
says. However, while this herb is a
great choice to strengthen the immune
system when in fairly good health,
this herb should not be taken during a
fever, cold, flu, or acute inflammation.
Medicinal mushrooms are an often-overlooked, yet extremely powerful way to enhance one’s immunity.
Shiitake, Reishi (Ling Chi), Cordyceps, and Maitake mushrooms have
all been extensively researched and
shown to have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and immune-enhancing properties. We also carry a product by New
Chapter called Host Defense, which
is a blend of 17 different species of
organically grown mushrooms. According to the world-famous mushroom expert (and formulator of Host
Defense) Paul Stamets in his book,
Mycomedicinals, “to maximize a hostmediated response—that is, to ‘awaken’ the immune system—a panoply
of polysaccharides and medicinal
mushroom constituents is best. These
constituents increase the number and
activity of macrophages, killer T and
NK (natural killer) lymphocytes.
Combining medicinal mushroom species sends the immune system multiple stimuli, awakening the body’s
natural defenses.”
I hope this article ensures a
healthy and happy winter season for
all. Remember, being sick is nature’s
way of reminding us to be grateful for
the good health we enjoy most of the
time....and, it’s a great way to catch up
on all those books and movies we’ve
been wanting to spend time with.
Reminder: special holiday
store hours! See cover.
ASK THE MIDWIFE
Chocolate, Love, and Pregnancy
by Ingrid Andersson, CNM, WSGC Member
Why an “Ask the
Midwife” column in
The Reader ?
Because the food choices
we make go right to the
source of human health.
Everything women take into
their bodies goes into forming the first ecosystem for
human life. As embryologist
Sandra Steingraber puts it,
the fetus sits at the top of the
food chain. As a midwife, I
help protect the ecology of
the first human ecosystem,
for the sake of women, their
babies, and our collective
quality of life.
Defining
True Health
But this column might
also be called “The Midwife
Asks.” I am not an expert
with answers in nutrition,
biochemistry, embryology, or neonatology. I am
a Certified Nurse Midwife
with a culturally diverse
private practice and personal
background that has taught
me to question health care
norms and assumptions.
Despite local, state, and
national policies of health
care, I believe there is no
one true definition of health.
It is neither fair nor effective
to leave the responsibility
for our health to experts,
be they obstetricians or the
FDA. Together we can ask
questions, share research,
and tell stories toward defining true health and wellbeing for ourselves and our
communities.
Q: In Germany my midwife told me to stay away from chocolate. This is
very hard for me to do! Is it really bad if I eat chocolate in the evening,
when I have some relaxing time to myself?
A: The pre-holiday season is the
time of year when I get the most questions on the subject of chocolate. I’m
happy to report that the research continues to weigh in positively regarding
chocolate. Like all foods, its dangers
lie in excess and adulteration – the
take-home message isn’t as easy as
“eat chocolate and be merry!”
It is clearly not bad for you to eat
chocolate, even on a daily basis. Since
my first article on chocolate (06/2004),
more findings have come in on its positive cardiovascular and other medicinal
effects. Other findings reveal clues to
why it seems to be the most craved
substance by women and why jokes are
made comparing, or even preferring,
chocolate to sex. This dawning research
focuses on love and pleasure hormones.
Crude chocolate is the fermented,
dried, and roasted seeds of the pod of
the cacao tree. Depending on growing
conditions and processing, chocolate
and cocoa can vary a lot in the levels of
phytochemicals they contain. Processing cacao beans with alkali—referred to
as “Dutch” process cocoa—significantly diminishes the beneficial flavanols.
Read the labels and choose cocoas that
have been “naturally” processed. The
darker and more bitter the chocolate,
generally speaking, the better for you.
Milk chocolate is much less beneficial, typically contains more sugar and
calories, and is implicated in chocolate allergies. Make sure the fat in the
chocolate you choose is cocoa butter
and not a less expensive substitute. The
main fat in cocoa butter, stearic acid,
is a saturated fat that doesn’t appear
to raise cholesterol. Another dominant
fat is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat
identical to that found in olive oil.
The flavanols and anti-oxidant
properties found in cocoa beans, some
cocoas, and chocolate are similar to
those found in coffee and tea. But while
an 8-ounce brewed cup of coffee averages 184 mg of caffeine and a cup of
tea 96 mg, 1 ounce of dark bittersweet
chocolate has 20 mg of caffeine. The
March of Dimes says women who
consume more than 300 mg of caf-
feine a day may experience delayed
conception, and higher amounts (>500
mg/day) may be linked to shorter gestations and lower birth weights in babies.
Caffeine can also pass through breast
milk, and very high caffeine intake may
result in a baby’s disturbed sleep cycles
or irritibality. So if you’re a chocolatelover who drinks tea or coffee, keep
these caffeine quotas in mind.
The research has found that the
flavanols in cocoa and chocolate make
blood vessels more responsive to the
cell messenger nitric oxide. Nitric oxide
is critical in lowering blood pressure,
and insufficient response to nitric oxide
is implicated in preeclampsia and other
hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.
Flavanol compounds help keep blood
platelets from sticking together and
forming blood clots, another protective
mechanism in pregnancy and postpartum. Strong antioxidant compounds in
cocoa and chocolate have been shown
to keep bad LDL cholesterol from
oxidizing. Oxidized LDL cholesterol is
easily incorporated into plaque, clogging coronary arteries.
New research has shown that the
chemical, theobromine, in dark chocolate is a more powerful cough suppressant than codeine, without the side
effects. Two ounces of dark chocolate,
containing about 900 mg of theobromine, is the amount shown to be effective for adults. Cocoa consumption is
also being studied to treat diarrhea and
other intestinal problems, because it
decreases salt and water loss. Cocoa
may become a natural and inexpensive treatment for dangerous diarrheal
conditions around the world.
What’s the link between chocolate
and love? Well, scientists can now tell
us what poets and romantics through
the ages have known—the same regions of the brain become active when
eating chocolate as when embracing
your lover. Chemically speaking, love
translates into serotonin, dopamine,
oxytocin, endorphins, and other brain
chemicals. Some of these love chemicals are controlled by phenylethylamine
(PEA), which happens to be found,
among other places, in chocolate and
strawberries. (Lovers of chocolate-covered strawberries, more power to you!)
Chocolate also contains anandamide,
a chemical that targets the same brain
structure as THC, the active ingredient
in marijuana. Oxytocin and endorphins
are the hormones of well-being, bonding, and trust and are pivotal hormones
in orgasm, labor, birth and breast-feeding. Surges in oxytocin and endorphins
flow from our brains when luxuriating
in the food and company we love.
Do we crave chocolate because
we need to give ourselves more moments of love and luxury? Do we
crave chocolate because it has more
iron, ounce for ounce, than beef liver?
Do we crave chocolate because it is
loaded with copper, magnesium and
potassium, is low in sodium, and good
for our blood pressure? Whatever
the reasons, it seems we do not have
to guiltily steal this dark pleasure
any longer. Doing a self-inventory
to detect areas in our lives and diets
that can use balancing seems a useful
response to any craving. But chances
are, in the case of chocolate, our bodies are steering us to a good medicine.
This column offers an on-going forum for your reproductive and
family health questions. It is intended
to promote informed choice, not to
give medical advice. Please email
all questions to Liz Wermcrantz,
[email protected].
25
department, we do have a nice assortment of some basic baking necessities
including wooden mixing spoons,
measuring cups, measuring spoons,
whisks, and smaller size mixing bowls.
Two Recipes For Holiday
Baking
Here are two recipes for holiday
baking—one sweet, the other savory.
Thanks to the bakers at our Willy
Street Co-op Bakery for sharing their
recipe for the always popular and
much-requested almond thumbprint
cookies. This recipe is vegan, wheatfree, gluten-free, and contains no
added sugar. It is sweetened only by
the unrefined, naturally occurring
sugars found in maple syrup and fruit.
I love these cookies—they’re really
scrumptious, and look so festive!
Willy Street Co-op Bakery’s
Almond Thumbprint Cookies
A Holiday Baking Guide for Special Diets
by Ingrid Gulliksen, WSGC Staff
O
nce again, December is here,
and even for those of us
who are not fans of winter
(myself included), this most
festive time of year is still full of fun
and excitement. Regardless how each
of us celebrates, one holiday tradition
that many of us share is the pleasure
of baking for our families and friends,
as well as for our own enjoyment.
Holiday time is baking season!
We’re Here For You
If your holiday baking plans
require ingredients tailored to special
diets, Willy Street Co-op is here for
you. We have a wide selection of baking ingredients for a variety of special
diets: vegan, vegetarian, organic/
whole-foods, gluten-free, wheat-free,
sugar-free/low-sugar, and many others.
Professional Advice
Willy Street Co-op baker Life
Molitor advises those with special diet
baking requirements to first, and foremost, consult a good-quality cookbook
aimed at their particular needs. She
states that most if not all standard baking recipes were originally designed to
be used with classic European pastry
ingredients: butter, eggs, cream, milk,
wheat flour, and cane sugar. Fortunately, nowadays adjusted and adapted recipes are widely available for all types
of special diets. For example, individuals who do not want to bake with any
type of cane sugar can easily substitute
honey, maple syrup, or other sweeteners. However, in some instances the
liquid content of the recipe needs to be
reduced (see table at right).
Produce, Bulk and Willy
Pack
To begin with, our outstanding, almost entirely organic Produce Department has a plethora of fresh fruits and
vegetables for your sweet and savory
baked goods. Not to be outdone, our
Bulk aisle is brimming with baking
ingredients: flours including very
low gluten and gluten-free varieties,
grains, nuts, seeds, sweeteners, and
spices. We’re equally proud of our
Bulk aisle’s “Willy Pack” dried-fruit
selections; some of our offerings are
yellow, golden, and black raisins, figs,
cranberries, cherries, bananas, mango,
papaya, and coconut. In addition,
there is a cooler located in the bulk
aisle, containing Willy Pack baking
ingredient products that need to be
refrigerated. (Please remember to keep
them refrigerated after you bring them
home.) If, like me, you prefer to bake
with as many organic ingredients as
possible, you’ll be glad to know that
the majority of our bulk and Willy
Pack products are organic; all items
are clearly labeled.
Dairy, Cheese and Grocery
We offer both organic and nonorganic dairy products and free-range
eggs, as well as a large selection of
soymilk, soy yogurt, and soy cheeses.
In addition, we carry the very popular
Earth Balance, a non-dairy, non-hydrogenated solid shortening that is
perfect for baking. In fact, our Co-op
bakers use Earth Balance in many of
their vegan recipes. The well-stocked
and beautifully-organized Cheese
department has a wonderful variety of
both domestic and imported selections. Many cheeses (especially the
domestic choices) are vegetarian:
they do not contain animal rennet as
a binding agent. (These are marked in
the cheese case.) Significantly, some
of our cheese selections are made
from raw milk: this is important to individuals like myself who do not like
to consume homogenized milk or milk
products. And last but by no means
least, our exceptional Grocery department offers a cornucopia of packaged
goods for your baking needs. These
include vanilla and other extracts, a
large assortment of flours, sweeteners, cornstarch, baking powder, sea
salt, and oils, among many others.
The majority of these selections are
organic—check labels to make sure.
Don’t forget Housewares!
Although we don’t, unfortunately,
have room for a large Housewares
Vegan, Organic Ingedients, GlutenFree, Sugar-Free, Wheat-Free
All ingredients for this recipe are
available at Willy Street Co-op, in the
Bulk and Grocery aisles. Most of the
ingredients can be purchased as organic.
Makes 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients
6 cups raw almonds
6 cups oats
36 ounces oat flour
11/2 Tbsp cinnamon
3 cups maple syrup
3 cups canola oil
3/4 cup raspberry fruit spread
Directions: Preheat oven to 350º F.
In a food processor, grind oats and
almonds to a coarse meal. Combine
this mixture with oat flour and cinnamon. In a large bowl, first combine
maple syrup and canola oil, then add
dry ingredients, and mix thoroughly.
Form dough into 2 1/2-ouncesize balls. Place each ball of dough
on cookie sheet, and slightly flatten
them. In the center of each one, make
a small indentation with your thumb.
Fill each indentation with 1/2 teaspoon raspberry fruit spread.
Alternative sweeteners and their equivalent to one cup of granulated
cane sugar:
Sweetener
Amount To Replace
One Cup Sugar
Reduce
Liquid By
Barley malt
Brown rice syrup
Date sugar
Fruit sweeteners
Honey
Maple syrup
Molasses
Sucanat
Turbinado
1-1 1/4 cup
1-1 1/4 cup
2/3 cup
1 cup
1/2 cup
1/2-1/3 cup
1/2 cup
1 cup
1 cup
1/4 cup
1/4 cup
none
1/4 cup
1/4 cup
1/4 cup
none
none
none
From Sweeteners:The Co-op Shopper’s Guide, available at the end of the Bulk aisle.
Bake for 7 minutes, then turn cookie
sheet 180º and bake for an additional 5
minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven and cool on a
wire rack to room temperature.
Almond thumbprint cookies are
perfect for serving at your holiday parties; boxed and festively wrapped, they
make delightful gifts as well.
And from Patricia Mayo’s classic
The Sugarless Baking Book,
here’s her recipe for savory cheese bread.
This recipe is
suitable for
individuals
who, like
myself, are
vegetarians
who consume dairy
products
but not eggs.
(The step requiring egg
white to be brushed on
the tops of the loaves can
easily be omitted.) Although
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, it
looks delicious, and I’m planning to
use it for baking holiday gifts.
Cheese Bread
Sugar-Free, Egg-Free Option, LactoOvo Vegetarian, Organic Ingredients
All ingredients in this recipe are
available at Willy Street Co-op: in the
Dairy cooler, Cheese department, Bulk
aisle, and Grocery aisles. Most of the
ingredients can be purchased as organic.
Makes 2 or 3 loaves
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups milk
1 Tbsp sea salt
4 Tbsp safflower oil
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp dry yeast
5 to 7 cups whole wheat flour
6 to 8 ounces grated sharp cheese
1 egg white
Sprinkle of sesame seeds
Directions: Place the milk in a
saucepan and scald over medium heat,
heating to approximately 180º F, or
until a ring of bubbles forms around
the edge of the milk. Do not boil.
Pour the scalded milk into a large
mixing bowl. Add the salt, oil, and
honey, and stir well. Allow the mixture to cool.
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast
in the warm water. When the milk
mixture has cooled to warm, stir in the
yeast. Add 2 cups of the flour and stir
until smooth. Add the cheese and mix
until well blended. Add the remaining
flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each
addition, until the dough is too thick to
stir. Fold in more flour until the dough
forms a firm mass and pulls away from
the sides of the bowl, but is still moist.
Scrape the dough from the bowl
onto a lightly floured board. Knead
the dough for 10 to 20 minutes until
dry and elastic. There may be some
cracks in the surface from the cheese;
these will smooth out during rising
and baking.
Return the dough to the bowl and
cover with a warm, moist towel. Allow
the dough to rise in a warm place, free
from drafts, for 1 to 2 hours,
until double in bulk.
Scrape the dough
out of the bowl
onto a lightly
floured board.
Cut the dough
into 2 or 3
equal portions,
depending on the
number of loaves
desired. Form the
portions into loaves
and place in either three
oiled 7 7/8” x 3 7/8”
loaf pans, or two 8 1/2” x
4 1/2” loaf pans. Allow the
loaves to rise in the pans for 1/2
hour. Brush the top of each loaf with
egg white diluted with a little water;
sprinkle with sesame seeds. (This step
can be omitted if desired.)
Preheat oven to 350º F. Allow the
loaves to rise for approximately 15
minutes more, until again double in
bulk. Bake the loaves for 50 minutes to
1 hour, until evenly browned and hollow-sounding when tapped. Carefully
remove the loaves from the pans and
allow to cool thoroughly on wire racks.
Attractively wrapped loaves of
your homemade cheese bread would
be most welcome as holiday gifts.
Sliced and served warm or at room
temperature, with a mug of cider or
mulled wine, this bread would also be
perfect for your holiday gatherings.
Would you
like to CHIP?
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CRANIOSACRAL SOLUTIONS
Gently Encouraging Your
Body’s Own Healing
Get Creative!
We’re in the hustle and bustle of
the holiday season now, and both the
winter solstice and the first day of winter will soon be here. One fun way to
fend off winter’s chill is to roll up your
sleeves and get creative in the kitchen!
No matter what your particular dietary
needs and requirements are, there
are baking recipes available just for
you. Your local public library or your
favorite bookstore are two excellent resources for finding exactly the baking
recipe that you are looking for. And
remember to check out the Co-op’s
cookbook shelves located at the far end
of the Health and Wellness Department, across from the salad bar. Space
limitations do not permit us to stock a
large number of cookbooks, but we do
offer a small but interesting selection
of baking books. Happy baking, stay
warm, and enjoy the holiday season!
Add 1% to your purchase to
donate to Community CHIP at
the Willy Street Co-op
and other participating stores.
“I expected CranioSacral Therapy to
be subtle, possibly even too subtle. I
was pleasantly surprised and awed by
the experience I had.”
-Teresa Mertens-Pellitteri
CranioSacral Therapy
CranioSacral Therapy helps the
body release restrictions which it
has been unable to overcome on
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DAWN PAPKE
CRANIOSACRAL SOLUTIONS
2044 ATWOOD AVENUE
438-6649
WWW.CRANIOSACRALSOLUTIONS.NET
1000 Friends of Wisconsin
ABC for Health
ACLU of Wisconsin Foundation
Action Wisconsin Education Fund
Arts Wisconsin
Bayview Foundation
Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
Center for Family Policy & Practice
Chrysalis
Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger
Citizens’ Utility Board Public Interest Fund
Clean Wisconsin
Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups
Common Wealth Development
Community Action on Latin America
Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison
Friends of Wisconsin State Parks
Gathering Waters Conservancy
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
- South Central Wisconsin (GLSEN)
Grassroots Empowerment Project
Honor Our Neighbors’ Origins & Rights
(HONOR)
Housing Initiatives
League of Women Voters of Wisconsin
Education Fund
Legal Action of Wisconsin
Madison Area Community Land Trust
Madison Audubon Society
Madison HOURS Cooperative
Madison NOW
Madison Physicians for Social Responsibility
Midwest Environmental Advocates
Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin
OutReach
People First Wisconsin
Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin
The Progressive
Project Home
Rape Crisis Center
River Alliance of Wisconsin
Sierra Club Foundation, John Muir Chapter
Tenant Resource Center
UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence
Urban Open Space Foundation
WORT - 89.9 FM Community Radio
Wheels for Winners
Wisconsin Apprentice Organizers Project
Wisconsin Citizen Action Fund
Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy
Wisconsin Council on Children & Families
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
Wisconsin Early Childhood Association
Wisconsin Family Ties
Wisconsin Literacy
Wisconsin Wetlands Association
Wisconsin Women’s Network
Women in Transition
Community CHIP is a sister organization
of Community Shares of Wisconsin.
www.communityshares.com
27
RECIPES AND DRINK RECOMMENDATIONS
DRINK RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STAR LIQUOR, 1209 WILLIAMSON STREET, 255-8041
Take 10% off recommended beverages… Just show your member card at Star Liquor!
WINE DESCRIPTIONS
RECIPES
Braised Garlic-Squash
Pizza
Anselmi San Vicenzo
Clear straw color, with gentle
white fruit aromas and a
crisp, citric flavor that comes
across as slightly sweet, with
light acidity to balance and
hints of minerality.
Kris Pinot Grigio
The nose recalls acacia flowers and the delicate scent of
almonds. Clean and refreshing on the palate with hints of
linden and honey.
Marietta Old Vine
Red
Impessive red table wine!
Mostly Zinfandel with small
amounts Syrah & Mouvedre.
Full of ripe berry flavors
and loads of spice. Incredible quality and a wonderful
price!
Kali Hart
Chardonnay
This will be a great match! A
nice rich and buttery Chard
will stand up to this dish
easily. Slight pear and apple
notes layered over an oaky
frame.
Duche du Loungville
NV Sparkling Cider
A new addition at Star, this
is full of bright citrus notes,
with a dry softly sparkling
body. This is fun!
Supplies and prices limited. Not valid with
other offers or discounts.
By Robin Asbell, Natural Foods
Chef
1 16-inch prebaked pizza crust
3/4 pound winter squash peeled
and cubed (about 4 cups)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 tsp salt
6 ounces smoked mozzarella or
an aged cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, coarsely
chopped
Directions: In a 14-inch nonstick skillet with a lid, sauté squash
in olive oil over medium high heat,
stirring. After 5 minutes, add garlic
and stir. Add wine and cover for 5
minutes; make sure pan does not
dry out. When squash is tender,
uncover and cook 5-8 minutes until liquids are evaporated. Take off
heat and cool squash and garlic.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush
olive oil onto prebaked pizza crust.
To assemble, sprinkle some cheese
on the crust, top with squash, garlic, parsley and salt, and then top
with rest of cheese. Bake for 15-20
minutes, until cheese is melted and
golden on top. Serves 4.
Star Recommends: Anselmi
San Vicenzo
Wild Rice Cakes
Leah Caplan, Chef at Washington Hotel Culinary School,
Washington Island.
1 quart water
1 cup wild rice
1 cup diced vegetables, such as red
pepper, onions, carrot, celery, etc.
1 Tbsp olive oil (plus more for
sautéing wild rice)
1 1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
Directions: Bring water to
a boil. Add rice. Boil about 55
minutes. Strain any excess water
and let cool.
Meanwhile, sauté diced
vegetables in 1 tablespoon olive
oil. Cool. Stir together wild rice,
Please drink responsibly.
vegetables, bread crumbs and
eggs. Refrigerate overnight.
Shape into 3-inch patties and
sauté on both sides until golden
brown. Top with a little sour
cream and chives.
Star Recommends: Kris Pinot
Grigio
Harvest Pasta with
Organic Roasted
Vegetables
By Doug Roese of Lakewinds
Natural Foods, Minnetonka,
MN
Pasta:
1 lb. bow-tie pasta
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp rosemary and thyme, fresh
4 oz. red pepper, thin 1” slice
4 oz. red onion, thin 1” slice
12 oz. eggplant, 1/2” cubed
8 oz. sunburst yellow squash, thin
sliced
8 oz. zucchini, thin sliced
Dressing:
9 oz. Muir Glen diced, fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano,grated
3 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
Directions: Preheat oven to
400°F. Place cut eggplant, onions,
yellow squash and zucchini, red
pepper, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and both herbs into a large
bowl and mix well. Spread out in
single layer on two cookie sheets
and roast at 400°F until done. Cool.
Cook pasta in salted water until
done, drain well. Mix with cool
veggies, and then add dressing.
Serve chilled. Makes 6-8 servings.
Star Recommends: Marietta
Old Vine Red
Wine-Braised Chicken
Delight
By Isabel Hubbard
1/2 lb. pearl onions
1 cup thinly sliced white onions
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced, button mushrooms
2 Tbsp butter
6 boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, (1 1/2 lbs.)
1 cup Wollersheim Chardonnay
wine
1 1/3 cups chicken broth (if
canned, try Swanson’s brand)
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (2
tsp if using dried)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
2-3 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup of milk or evaporated
milk
Directions: In a Dutch oven or
large sauce pan, sauté sliced onion,
pearl onions, carrot, celery, and 1
tablespoon of butter until tender.
Remove vegetables and set aside.
Add chicken to the pan,
brown and remove. Add wine,
simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup.
Stir in broth, bay leaf and seasonings. Return the chicken to
the pan, cover and simmer for 5
minutes or until juices are clear.
Remove chicken to a serving
dish, keep warm.
Make the sauce in the same
pan. Combine flour and milk until
smooth, bring to boil and stir for 2
DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE TO SHARE?
Now’s your chance to see your favorite recipe in
print! Do you have an old family recipe you’d like to
share? Or an easy family standby? Please send us your
recipes! We would love to include them in the Reader.
Send it to [email protected], drop
it off at Customer Service, attn: Reader Recipes or
mail it to 1221 Williamson Street, Madison, WI, 53703.
minutes or until thickened. Return
vegetables to the pan. Remove
from heat, cover and set aside. In
a skillet, sauté mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Add
mushrooms to other vegetables.
Discard bay leaf and spoon sauce
over chicken and vegetables.
Star Recommends: Kali Hart
Chardonnay
Macaroni and Cheese
From Scratch
Created By Eric Rupert
2 cups whole milk
2 cups cream
Large pinch of salt
A little fresh-ground black pepper
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp arrow root powder (cornstarch)
4 Tbsp water
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated
(sharpest cheddar you can find)
1 cup coarse bread crumbs
2 Tbsp melted butter
12 ounces macaroni noodles,
cooked al dente and cooled with
cold water, then drained.
Directions: In a large sauce
pan over medium heat, bring the
milk, cream, salt and pepper to a
simmer. Meanwhile, mix the flour
and arrow root with the water and
whisk to a slurry to remove any
lumps. Whisk into the cream mixture to thicken and simmer for two
minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk
in the grated cheese and turn off
the heat. Place the sauce and the
boiled macaroni in a bowl and mix
well. Place in a well buttered 9x13
inch baking dish. Mix the bread
crumbs with the melted butter and
sprinkle over the mac and cheese.
Place in a preheated 350 degree
oven and bake about one hour.
Star Recommends: Duche du
Loungville NV Sparkling Cider
Hempen Goods
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Cheese article continued from pg. 6
pact texture with tiny holes, it is a dry
smoky cheese but not crumbly.
Variety available: Spanish Raw
Sheep’s Milk*
Le Roule: a triple cream cheese
rolled with minced herbs. Visually
attractive, with a light flavor, it’s the
perfect cheese for entertaining.
Variety available: Garlic and Herbs*
Limburger: A washed rind cheese
with an exterior mold. This cheese is
know for its strong flavor, the higher
the fat content the fuller the flavor.
Variety available: Country Castle#
Manchego: Made exclusively
from the milk of sheep raised in La
Mancha, which graze on open pasture
and produce a richly aromatic milk
that gives Manchego it’s flavor. To
qualify for the Manchego label the
cheese must be firm and dry, yet rich
and creamy. Also the pattern on the
rind, originally achieved by encircling
the rind with braided esparto grass,
must be visible. The color of the rind
indicates the age of the cheese. The
cheese itself should be ivory with
small irregular eyes. This cheese is
sold at different ages anywhere from
13 weeks to over 3 months.
Variety available: 12-month*
Morbier: Made from cow’s milk
this cheese has a horizontal band of
wood ash and salt through it’s center.
The mixture was originally sprinkled
over the fresh curds made from the
morning milking, left through the day,
then covered with the curds from the
evening milking. It has a smooth texture, a fruity flavor, and a strong aroma.
Variety available: au lait cru du
haut-Libradois*
Mozzarella: typically made from
cow’s milk that is pasteurized then
coagulated to form curds. Once the
curds set they are cut into small pieces, mixed with hot water and “strung”
or “spun” until long ropes of cheese
form. When the proper smooth, elastic consistency is reached, the curds
are formed into loafs which are then
tossed into cold water so that they
maintain their shapes while they cool.
They are then salted and packaged.
Varieties available: Organic
Valley’s* part skim*#, part skim shredded*#, and part skim string cheese*#,
Wholesome Valley reduced fat slices*#, Anthony’s part skim string*#,
Crave Brother’s part skim rope*#,
American Gold part skim*#, Belissimo
whole milk*#, Polly-O smoked*#
Ossau Iraty: Ossau in the valley
of Bearn and Iraty in Basque country
combine to make this cheese. Made
with sheep’s milk and sealed in a rind.
A flavorful cheese that is sliceable,
goes well with fruit or on its own.
Variety available: Onetik*
Parmesan: An Italian style hard
cheese made from cow’s milk, a good
shredding cheese.
Varieties available: organic*,
Grandé grated#, BelGioso*#, Wisantigo shredded Stravecchio#
Parmigiano-Reggiano: The
premier Parmesan of Italy comes from
the Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia
regions. It is made from skimmed milk
from small farms that are required to
feed their cows only grass, hay or alfalfa. It is an unpasteurized cheese. In
order to protect the cheese from drying
out, the rind is sealed in brine baths
for about 21 days, moved to storage
rooms for maturation. It is first kept
at 60-64°, and then held at 50 –54°.
Grana Padano* is a cow’s milk cheese
originating at the turn of the millennium. Grana means grain, and this is a
fine-grained cheese that is fragrant and
delicate. This cheese is aged at 59-68°
for 12 to 18 months, another Parmigiana cheese, it is excellent for grating.
Variety available: Italian Reggiano Parmesan*
Pecorino Romano: Pecorino
indicates a pure sheep’s milk cheese;
Romano indicates the region, which is
just outside of Rome as well as what
type of sheep the milk is from. One of
the oldest cheeses, it was eaten by the
ancient Romans. The cheese is made
from November from late June when
the sheep are grazing on natural pastures; this cheese is larger then most
of this type and must be pressed. It is
aged between eight to twelve months.
It is a granular cheese that is fabulous
for grating, the older the cheese the
more prominent the tangy flavor.
Varieties available: grated* and
whole*
Pecorino Toscano: A Pecorino
produced in Tuscany, this cheese ripens more quickly. The young cheese
has a yellow rind, rubbed with olive
oil, and is firm but not hard, those
with a black rind have been aged for
six months and have an intense flavor.
Variety: Italian Pecorino Toscano*
Provolone: A kneaded cheese
made from cow’s milk. After the curd
has drawn together it is cut up, allowed to further acidify, and then cut
up into smaller pieces. These pieces
are cooked in hot water and worked
into dough, which is then pulled
into ropes and placed in molds to be
pressed. These molds are dipped in a
salt bath and hung up to ripen.
Varieties available: smoked#, regular#, aged*, Grandé smoked aged*
Swiss: a cheese made from cow’s
milk to imitate the well-known Ementhal Swiss cheese. Like all Swiss style
cheeses it has eyes that are a result of
many facets of the production process. This cheese has a mild flavor,
melts well and has a nutty quality that
makes it very popular. Emmenthaler
is a similar cheese to Gruyere. Swiss
Emmenthaler is made from raw milk,
but when produced outside Switzerland it is often made with pasteurized
milk. Emmenthaler is sweeter and more
elastic than Gruyere. It takes its name
from the Emme River in Switzerland.
Gruyere is made from raw cow’s milk,
and comes in many variations. The
best known is dense and compact yet
flexible has a mild, even flavor, and is a
very good melting cheese. Jarlsburg is
a Swiss cheese that blends the flavor of
Ementhal and the texture of Gouda. It’s
a good slicing cheese for a cheese plate.
Varieties available: Swill Valley
medium*#, Aged*#, Swiss Emmenthaler*, Swiss cave-aged Gruyere*,
and Pleasant Ridge Reserve*, Norwegian Jarlsburg*, Jarlsburg Lite*,
Appenzeller*
Swiss, Baby: A smaller block of
Swiss cheese that has a higher moisture content and is aged for less time
that the traditional Swiss.
Varieties available: Deppeler’s*#,
Chalet smoked
Varieties available but not described:
Chihuahua*, Huntsman*, Safr Port
Salut*, St. Albray*, Iberico 3 milks*,
Crème Fraiche*, Butterkase#, Oka*,
Dubliner*#, drunken goat*, boursin*,
valfrais*, Merkts spreads, Raclette*, St.
Nectaire*, Holland Edam*, Brick*#,
Cheese Curds*#, Colby*#, Cream
Cheese*#, Farmers*#, Marscapone#,
Monterey Jack*, Mozzarella*, Muenster#, Ricotta*#
Cheese Tidbits
Lactose-intolerant individuals can
often use goat’s milk as an alternative
to cow’s milk products. While goat’s
milk does contain lactose, it’s easier to
digest and lacks the major protein in
cow’s milk that may induce an allergic
reaction in those who are lactose sensitive. Higher in calcium than cow’s milk,
goat’s milk also contains vitamins A
and B6, as well as potassium and niacin.
rBGH is not approved for use in
the EU, so import and organic cheeses
are a good choice if you are committed to avoiding this substance.
Softer cheeses have higher moisture content and therefore a lower
percent of fat than harder cheeses.
Making a cheese platter for the
holidays? Stuart Mammel, our cheese
coordinator, suggests trying these five
cheeses:
1. Widmer’s 4-Year Aged Cheddar
2. Pleasant Ridge Reserve
3. St. Andre Triple Cream Brie
4. Iberico Three-Milk Blend
5. Cave-Aged Gruyere
Resources: The World Encyclopedia of Cheese, The Cheese Bible,
fromage.com, frencheese.co.uk, Andy
Johnston, Stuart Mammel
29
NEWSBITES
Gathered from the Organic Consumers Association and
Nukewatch’s Pathfinder newsletter. Reprinted with permission.
School Districts Reject
Irradiated Beef
This spring, the Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA conducted a
nationwide survey of school districts
to identify their interest in irradiated
meat products for the 2005-06 school
year. The results encouraged irradiation opponents: Not a single school
district placed an order! The positive disinterest marked a significant
change over last year when schools
in Texas, Nebraska and Minnesota
all ordered irradiated beef. The turn
around is attributed to the higher price
of the treated meat and general public
resistance to the technology. -NWP
Higher Level of X-Rays
Allowed for Irradiating
Food
The past winter, the FDA quietly
announced that it was allowing the
irradiation industry to dramatically
increase the permitted dose of X-rays
used to irradiate food. At the higher
dose rates, 7.5 million electron volts,
trace minerals in food (potassium,
magnesium, nickel, etc.) can become
radioactive, according to the FDA.
The FDA and Sterigenics, the irradiation company that sought the rule
change, claim that the radioactivity
will be short-lived. However, the FDA
has not conducted studies of a diet of
foods exposed to huge X-ray doses.
Consumer groups including Public
Citizen complained that the public
should not have to tolerate radioactivity caused by food industry treatments.
Lab animals fed irradiated foods
have been observed suffering from increased stillbirths, mutations, tumors,
organ damage, stunted growth and
premature death. -NWP
Senate Debates Cutting
Food Aid To 150,000 Impoverished U.S. Children
The Senate is currently debating
cutting $3 billion from farm conservation and food stamp programs. Spearheaded by Senator Saxby Chambliss,
the proposal would eliminate food
stamps for more than 300,000 impoverished people. Currently, more than
half of all food stamp recipients are
children, and a quarter are senior citizens. While millions of Americans are
looking for ways to cope with the after-
math of hurricanes and drought, powerful members of the Senate are being
swayed by agriculture industry lobbyists, who are pushing for food stamps
cuts while supporting massive tax
payer subsidies to the nation’s wealthiest industrial agriculture operations.
“Right now the difference between life
and death for many Americans is the
food stamp program,” said Sen. Max
Baucus. “We should not, we cannot,
cut the very nutritional programs that
are literally saving lives.” -OCA
Low Income Kids Create
Healthy Food Ad Campaign
Bus riders in Seattle are seeing
many of the traditional junk food
advertisements on the buses converted
into pieces of art made by children.
According to students in the area, they
had never seen an advertisement for
fresh fruits and vegetables, but could
list countless junk food ads they see
daily. Thanks to several local grants
and a wealth of creative thinking, a
small group of local organizers created
an innovative program to improve the
nutrition of low-income inner city kids
by teaching them gardening, cooking and food self reliance skills. The
program has helped nearly a thousand
minority and low income kids create
their own advertisements for healthy
foods, which are posted on city buses.
The same program is now offering
opportunities for low income innercity students to tour local farms and to
learn about gardening. -OCA
Mmmm...Clones!
The Food and Drug Administration
is expected to announce a new policy
that would legalize the sale of milk and
beef for from cloned cows. Hundreds
of cloned pigs and cows are already
living all across the U.S. but can not
yet be sold for human consumption.
A 60-day public comment period will
follow the FDA proposal. -OCA
Indoor Composing
Just because winter is on its way
doesn’t mean you have to stop composting. It’s quite easy to set up a small,
clean and effective indoor composting
system that will turn your food waste
into the best organic fertilizer on the
planet. Learn how at http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/compost.cfm.
LISTING INFORMATION
We welcome your submissions
to the Community Calendar.
Please send via mail or via
the [email protected]
email. Submissions must be
received by the 8th of each
month for inclusion in the following month’s issue. If space
is constrained, priority will be
given to those pertaining to
food and farming, health and
wellness, environmental, and
neighborhood events.
Fair Trade Holiday Festival
Saturday, Dec. 3rd, 10:00am4:00pm. NEW LOCATION: MATC
Downtown Education Center, 211
Carroll Street. 25+ vendors of Fair
Trade gifts, including coffee, tea,
cocoa, chocolate. Also vendors of
Nicaraguan pottery, Tibetan rugs,
Guatemalan textiles, Mexican iron
work, and more gifts from around the
world. Give the gift that gives twice!
See www.calamadison.org for more
information.
Shambhala Meditation
Center of Madison, Public
Talk:“Becoming a Warrior-Bodhisattva in the
Shambhala Buddhist
Tradition”
lives, we can bring our innate fearless,
gentle, and awake mind to our work
to benefit our world. 408 S. Baldwin
Street, to the East side of the Co-op.
Enter from the side. For more information, please visit www.shambhala.org/centers/madison, or leave a
message at (608) 441-8868 and we’ll
return your call.
Thursday, December 8th, 7:30
pm registration. Reception to follow
the talk.
“If we want to help the world, we
have to make a personal journey.”
—Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Acharya Richard John, a senior
teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist
lineage, shares the Shambhala vision
of gentle warriorship, the courageous
path of awakening compassion for
oneself and others. By cultivating mindfulness and awareness and
bringing this practice into our daily
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With all the conveniences of online banking, our
Greener Choices Checking
program saves you a lot of time.
It also saves paper, lessens the impact of transportation on
our environment, and supports our local economy.*
It’s all part of a commitment we’ve had for over 100 years,
and will have for 100 more: To be a positive influence on
the quality of our Dane County communities, both
economically and environmentally.
For more details about Greener Choices Checking
just call Home, stop by or visit us online.
Checking. Saving.
*You’ll get a $25 Downtown Gift Card
when you open your account.
One card per household.
h o m e - s a v i n g s . c o m
6 0 8 . 2 8 2 . 6 0 0 0
31
DEC. 7
is this month’s
Wellness
Wednesday.
Get 10% off all
Wellness items.
Next month's Wellness Wednesday is January 4th.

December - Willy Street Co-op

Transcription

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