Irradiated Foods vs. Sustainable Foods?

When I was a little girl my grandmother and I would go out into the backyard and plant orange seeds from the oranges that we ate.  A sprawling plant would grow winding it's way up the brick wall of our house.  I would get so excited and always hopeful that oranges would grow.  They never did, but the plant was pretty.

I use to do the same thing with an avocado seed and a potato, sticking toothpicks into the sides and setting them in a fresh glass of water.  In days a plant would grow.  It was so much fun to watch.

Then today, I read a New York Times article talking about using the seeds in your kitchen, right out of the refrigerator, to grow a plant.

I've never been much of a green thumb but after reading the article I've decided to order the book, "Don't Throw It, Grow It".  The book shares how to grow 68 windowsill plants from your kitchen scraps.  This will certainly be entertaining for me but thrilling to watch if you have any young children.

In reading this article they talk about irradiation and how it's used on many of our foods to "exterminate pathogens like E. coli, listeria and salmonella. The food does not become radioactive; by eating it, you will not become the Incredible Hulk. But a high enough dose will kill the living tissue in a plant or seed."

Although irradiation has been around for a while it's still a controversial topic.  For me, the thought of eating food that's been irradiated is unappealing.  We all know how the FDA approves drugs, etc., only to find out months or years later the effects that it ends up having on people and animals.

What are your thoughts on the topic?  If you know a food that you're getting at the grocery store has been irradiated, would you buy it or find another alternative?  Foods that have been irradiated have the U.S. "radura symbol" on them.  This is what it looks like:

Which, in my opinion, is all the more reason to purchase sustainable food, found from the farmers markets near you.

Think about this.  Do the cons outweigh the pros?  What are your thoughts?  I'd love to hear your comments.

First Low Carbon Restaurant

For those of you that are vegetarians or vegans you might find this restaurant to be a MUST on your list the next time you're in New York or London.

I discovered this restaurant while reading one of my foodie magazines today. I found it so fascinating and amazed that it's actually taken this long for one to open.

The restaruant is called Otarian. Their menu looks delicious to me and I like how they describe their vision. Of course, if you eat meat it may not appeal to you. I eat meat but claim I could be a vegetarian since I could eat veggies all day and prefer them over almost anything. I'm not sure that I could become a vegan though.

Check out their site and the menu. Each menu item lists their carbon comparison with nutritional information and ingredients. I especially like the looks of the Roasted Vegetable Lasagna.

Browse their website and please let me know what you think. It doesn't say that franchises are available but it does have career opportunities for those of you that may be interested.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and if you're a vegetarian or vegan how has it changed your life.