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If I am Drinking Straight from the Tap, Those Microbes are Drinking from the Tap

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For the first time that day, I scuttled down the few steps outside of my apartment building. It was already 2:00 p.m., and I took the opportunity to stretch my arms and move my body. A typical April day in quarantined upstate New York, mid-forties and cloudy with sporadic rain showers. I took a seat on a wooden bench on the sidewalk. With the corner of my eye, I spotted a jar hugging the leg of the bench.

Dining

Food Ethics | The Third Saturday

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The local restaurant in Pennsylvania where I worked was easily defined by seasons. The year started off in a barren winter. The garden beds out front were hugged in snow, the thermostat dropped low and customers, especially after a holiday shopping spree, were scarce. I’d find myself staring at the clock, willing it to chime closing time, 2:00 p.m. Winters were scarce of many things: Fresh food, warmth, entertainment, customers and, most importantly, tips. I never liked winters in the restaurant very much.

adobe

Food Ethics | To Make Margaritas

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To make margaritas, you need lime juice, and a lot of it. Limes are not native to central New York, so I knew this would constitute the greatest sacrifice of food miles. However, due to our special occasion, I decided it was a worthwhile sacrifice. Isaac is Mexican and missing home, so I hoped this would bring him joy. As we were both very hungry, Isaac offered to help me juice the limes.

Dining

Food Ethics | Zen Instructions on How to Treat Your Eyeballs

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I watched in horror as the half cup of uncooked Jasmine rice slipped from my hands and scattered across the carpet floor. The metal measuring cup ricocheted off the ground, projecting rice in every which way. This was my first attempt to prepare a Zen cuisine meal and, from a Zen perspective, I was having an abysmal start. My mind raced to my closet where my vacuum sat waiting and without hesitation my legs meandered to the corner. It was the quick and effortless solution.

Dining

Caffeine Dependents Take Heed: Bring Your Own Mug

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I never leave home without my phone, wallet, keys, water bottle and coffee mug. Those last two items have become essentials on campus. Before I left for college, I was gifted a fourteen-ounce stainless steel carafe by my mom, who supported my coffee consumption. As soon as I set foot on campus a year and a half ago, I began drinking coffee almost daily. According to an article in The New York Times, coffee in moderation is associated with lowered risk of mortality and was included in the 2015 dietary guidelines as part of a healthy diet.

Dining

Food Ethics | Perú, Pepe and Prayers

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As a lawyer, my father traveled to other parts of Perú and even other countries following different judicial cases of interest, and he loved every day of his job. Whenever my father came back, he always brought interesting travel stories and sometimes even food. He was a firm believer in buying in bulk from people who lived nearby the sea or those who farmed. He loved seafood so much that he wished he could eat it every day, but he knew that it was not possible since he could not stop by the seafood market in Callao, Perú daily. Whenever he travelled by the coast, he would bring fresh fish back.