In an attempt to ween our household off the corn industrial complex (see chapter four in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore’s Dilemma, we’ve been eating more grass fed beef.

It’s lower in fat, has more omega-3s than corn-fed beef, and generally the animals are treated more humanely. Not to mention that farms with grass fed animals have a much smaller carbon footprint.
While I confess that I like the flavor of well-marbled beef, fattened up on a corn diet, I’ve learned that the way you cook grass fed beef has everything to do with the taste. And the conventional rules of cooking beef do not always apply.

The pork industry has received its share of bad press. Rolling Stone recently published an article entitled
Boss Hog The subtitle reads "America's top pork producer churns out a sea of waste that has destroyed rivers, killed millions of fish and generated one of the largest fines in EPA history. Welcome to the dark side of the other white meat."

The lengthy subtitle says it all and even a glance at the upsetting pictures will certainly make you pause next time you pass the bacon. The good news is that there are humane, sustainable options that actually taste better. Just ask Corby Kummer, an Atlantic writer, who is a bona fide expert about the plight of pork.

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla) is often relegated to the world of soaps and lotions but this sophisticated and elegant herb can be paired with foods just like you would use any citrus.

This is the time of year when I cut back my lemon verbena plant so it can regroup and get ready to bust-out again after winter has passed. What better way to make use of those pruned sprigs than to simply throw a handful of then into a teapot and let them steep in hot water to create perfect dessert tisane? This light aromatic tea is perfect with anything chocolate, fruit tarts and pies, or splendid for dunking a cookie.

‘Tis the season to bake lots of cookies, so when I saw Gourmet had dedicated a good part of their December issue to the art of the cookie, I was curious to read their baking sheet reviews.

Their winner was a textured sheet like this one by Doughmakers ($9.95 - $23.95).

Apparently, the texture helps heat the cookies evenly, making them perfectly crisp while preventing sticking. The extra perk – since these sheets are Teflon free, the editors noted that they’re also environmentally friendly which got me wondering why, exactly, is Teflon so bad.

Have you ever considered what sugar was like before we industrialized it into the pearly white granulated stuff? When I discovered a slew of artisan sugars made the old-fashioned way retaining high levels of molasses and fronting unmistakable flavor, I began to understand how refining foods can kill the nuance of natural ingredients.

Some of these sugars are organic, some are fair trade and others are both. The best thing about all of them is that they are unrefined and have very distinct characteristics. That means when it’s brown sugar, it’s really brown from molasses – not brown from food coloring like the stuff you buy at the grocery store. It also means that it’s vegetarian friendly because it’s not bleached using bovine bones.

Jack Creek Farms is a 5th generation family owned and operated farm. There used to be 21 small family farms in their neck of the woods in the Central Coast (between San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles) but now there are only three.

Joy B and her two daughters Becky and Mandy do all the work – and they’re the first to admit that staying the course is a struggle. But when you see their produce – they specialize in antique heirloom varieties - you understand why they stay committed to their passion.