Drought and Rising Food Prices
We are all so interconnected. I knew rice prices here in Kuwait had gone sky high, so high that imported American rice is now a relative bargain. I always bought Indian rice, in an effort to buy more (relatively) locally, and I knew India had restricted rice exports, but I didn’t know that the long drought in Australia was also contributing to the short supply.
You can read the entire article at this New York Times link.
THE FOOD CHAIN
A Drought in Australia, a Global Shortage of Rice
By KEITH BRADSHER
Published: April 17, 2008
. . . . . .
The collapse of Australia’s rice production is one of several factors contributing to a doubling of rice prices in the last three months — increases that have led the world’s largest exporters to restrict exports severely, spurred panicked hoarding in Hong Kong and the Philippines, and set off violent protests in countries including Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, the Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
Drought affects every agricultural industry based here, not just rice — from sheepherding, the other mainstay in this dusty land, to the cultivation of wine grapes, the fastest-growing crop here, with that expansion often coming at the expense of rice.
The drought’s effect on rice has produced the greatest impact on the rest of the world, so far. It is one factor contributing to skyrocketing prices, and many scientists believe it is among the earliest signs that a warming planet is starting to affect food production.
It is difficult to definitely link short-term changes in weather to long-term climate change, but the unusually severe drought is consistent with what climatologists predict will be a problem of increasing frequency.
Read the rest of this article, and related articles, by clicking HERE.
Cynthia’s Praline Cake
My friend Cynthia, who knows I love mysteries, confessed to me that it was HER praline cake featured in JA Jance’s Joanna Brady series, and that she was the Cynthia who, in the book, brings it to the community potluck supper. And . . . she shared the recipe with me!
My friends, it is an easy recipe if you have the ingredients on hand (oats, brown sugar, butter) but I warn you – no substitutions! Yes, it is full of sugars and fats – why do you think it tastes so good??
Cynthia’s Praline Cake
(This is another one you can make in two 8″ round pans, and freeze one for later.)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup cold water
1 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Icing
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2 Tablespoons milk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cut chopped pecans
In a small bowl combine the oats and water, set aside. In another small bowl, combine and mix the dry ingredients – the flour, soda, cinnamon and salt.
In a larger mixing bowl, cream together the sugars, oil and eggs. Beat, add the oat mixture alternately with the mixed dry ingredients. Mix well.
Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 – 40 minutes.
For the icing: Just before the cake is done, combine butter, milk, and brown sugar in a saucepan, bring it to a boil and boil for one minute. Add the pecans and mix. Spread over cake.
For Jewaira, who always asks for pictures, this is what the finished cake looks like:
Shop and Eat Locally
I’m fascinated with the concept of trying to eat “local” and there is an article in Wired: How to Shop and Eat Locally that tells us more about it. Below is an excerpt:
Innumerable books and other media extol the virtues of eating food that’s grown and processed near you: it benefits the planet, it benefits the farmers, it tastes better, it’s better for you. ReadMichael Pollan or Barbara Kingsolver for examples.
But piecing together a local menu isn’t as easy as going to the Local aisle of your supermarket. Here are some tips for bringing your meals closer to home.
Start small. Shopping locally goes against the grain (pun intended) of our globalized economy, so it’s not the easiest thing to do. Even if you live in a region that’s rich in vegetables and meats, chances are you won’t have easy access to staples like sugar, salt, oil, and flour. Just focus on what you can get, and keep an eye out for sources and/or substitutes for what you can’t.
Personalize. If you want to try the classic 100-mile diet, you can find your personal 100-mile radius at 100milediet.org.
Get a supplier. You can find farms, greenmarkets, and locally oriented stores in your area using web tools offered atEatwellguide.org and Localharvest.org. If you live in a city, investigate CSA — Community-Supported Agriculture. Citydwellers pay a fee to subscribe to a farm, and get a share of its output delivered in weekly boxes of joy. Just Food offers a listing for New Yorkers.
Pecan – Date Pie (for Mrm)
This is for Mrm, who requested EASY recipes. My friends, good cooking CAN be easy, and with rare exception, all my recipes are EASY. The treasures are the recipes which are EASY and yummy, too. This one is so rich and so sweet that people can’t resist it – they go back for more, and they want the recipe. It was sent to me by one of my Southern friends – they always have the best recipes!
The hardest part of this recipe is getting the seeds out of the dates – but it only takes a half cup full of dates, and that isn’t much.
Pecan – Date Pie
1/2 cup whole pitted dates, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 T. all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs
Sprinkle dates and pecans over crust. Combine corn syrup and next 5
ingredients in a bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until well
blended. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 325 degrees F. (180 degrees C.)
for 55 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Serve
with whipped cream.
“Pour into prepared crust” – Hohohohohoho – if you can find a prepared crust in Kuwait!
But you can find digestive biscuits/ graham crackers, so make this easy easy crust – crush about 1 cup of the crackers/biscuits, add 1/4 cup medium chopped walnuts or pecans, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Press into the bottom and a little up the sides of a BUTTER greased pie tin.
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