What's New
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2013
Listen to Alimentary Initiatives' founder, Aruna Handa, interviewed on CTV News Channel today for reaction to the UN Report recommending the eating of insects. Click on the image to view the interview.
Aruna Handa interview on UN Report on CTV Newschannel, May 14, 2013.
May 13, 2013
FAO ADVISES WORLD TO EAT INSECTS; RELEASES BOOK ON ENTOMOPHAGY
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FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Download Full Report |
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has released a book on entomophagy. The book is free and available for download here.
The raising of insects for food, and the eating of insects represents a core component of the third millennium agricultural revolution.
Second millennium agricultural methods simply are not up to the task of feeding what the UN predicts will be a global population of between 9 and 10 billion people by 2050. Current methods of agriculture are simply not sustainable: water resources are drying up, arable land is shrinking, and the oceans are depleted of fish. Manna from heaven comes in the form of edible insects.
Estimates vary about the number of edible insects, reflecting the fact that we simply do not how many we could eat. But about 500 species are eaten and roughly a third of the global population includes insects as a regular part of the diet.
One billion people are chronically hungry. Entomophagy with the sort of farms envisioned by inventor Jakub Dzamba, currently a PhD student in architecture at McGill University, could solve food security issues whilst at the same time addressing the persistent problem of food distribution. His designs and prototypes are cricket farms, which he calls "reactors", that sit on less than a metre of land, and could sit in the corner of a home, converting the household food scraps into high quality protein, omega 3 fat and iron.
Insects provide excellent sources of protein, heart healthy fats, and some species, like crickets, also provide iron and calcium. They are efficient in terms of their feed to protein ratio in that bugs do not waste precious resources growing bones or fur or skin. Since we eat the entire bug, there is little waste, and the raising of insects uses far less in the way of water, land and feed. They also reproduce quickly, and are found everywhere on the planet.
But the really great part? Bugs taste very good indeed. North Americans and Europeans will likely be more inclined to eat insects when they are disguised in sausages, burgers or other food products, and when they are referred to by names other than bugs...micro-livestock, protein powder, or AP (alternative protein). But while when we were foragers, the taboo against eating worms and bugs was a healthy one--carion with worms on it was clearly not good eating--the time has come to retrain ourselves in a bid to take advantage of one of the world's most efficient and sustainable sources of protein.
Bugs...they're not just for the birds anymore.
Save a river...eat a bug. (Many rivers are depleted to provide water for cattle ranching...)
Philosophers do it. Architects do it. Even culture of cities theorists do it. Entomophagists do it. Let's do it. Let's dine on bugs.
Alimentary is proud to partner with the Culture of Cities Centre to bring a series of Future Food Salons that explore the amazing benefits of eating insects.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CRICKETS ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE: FUTURE FOOD SALON TORONTO
Thursday April 18, 2013 Doors Open at 7 PM; Talk at 8 PM
$25 Artist/low income/students $18
Gallery 345, 345 Sorauren Ave.Toronto
tix: http://futurefoodsalon.eventbrite.ca
INFO: http://alimentaryinitiatives.com/future-food-salon
416.606.0799
FOOD AT THE FUTURE FOOD SALON
Daniel Holloway or Urban Acorn Catering is preparing a selection of cricket canapés designed to tempt your tastebuds to get you over any anxiety you might have munching on insects. Self-professed flexitarian, Chef’s first taste of crickets was this week at the Centre for Social Innovation’s Café. “Delicious!”, he exclaimed. “I really like the taste of them. “Cashewy, shrimpy.” We agreed that they were on the unami side of the taste spectrum.
Cookie Martinez is working on a chocolate cricket crunch cookie. She looked a bit dubious when I delivered her raw crickets for her cookie tests. “Aruna! One is moving!” she exclaimed. “These are not raw; they are alive.” I quickly disabused her of this notion arguing that there was no way a cricket could survive five days in my freezer.
But it turns out I was wrong. Crickets are quite amazing and built, it would seem, to last.
Cassandra Rizotto of Earth and City are preparing their stunning raw vegan canapés: a feast for the eyes and for the palate. These will be cricket-free!
PLUS
Mixologist Melina Giannella, lately of the Spoke Club, is creating a special cocktail to go with these canapés….plus there will be beer and wine (for purchase).
There will be prizes for the most fetching futuristic or insecty attire, as well as a silent auction for some of Jake's fantastic prints and posters.
Gallery 345 is located just south of Dundas St. W. on Sorauren, not to far from Roncesvalles.
JAKUB DZAMBA WILL BE IN TORONTO TUESDAY NIGHT AND IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS WED APR 17
CONTACT: ARUNA HANDA 416.606.0799
Chef Daniel Holloway has a demonstrated flair for the unconventional. After studying Culinary Management at Humber College, chef Daniel began as an apprentice under Chef Tobias Pohl-Weary of Red Canoe Bistro in Burlington. In 2009 he branched out as a private chef in the Halton region. Flirting with less familiar flavours, Chef Daniel gained a reputation for turning the unusual into comfort food. Believing sustainable cooking practices are important to the future of food, Chef Daniel jumped at the opportunity to work with his most challenging menu item to date, crickets. Chef Daniel’s most recent enterprise is Urban Acorn Catering, a Toronto-based boutique catering company he co-founded with partner Marie Fitrion in 2012. As a self-proclaimed 'Local Flexitarian Caterer”, the cuisine focuses on locally produced and organic ingredients to create plant-based meals rich in nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, using animal products in moderation. Check out their upcoming Voodoo Haggis at the Depanneur.
Cookie Martinez -Natalia-, is a Colombian native, recently named by Blog TO as one of the ten best cookie bakers in the city. First is first, her goodies are artisanal made, by hand, using mostly local, organic ingredients with a latin twist. “When I got my first cookbook from my lovely country Colombia, I was very inspired while looking through all the recipes. It took me back to my childhood in Colombia when my mother and godmother frequently delighted me with their amazing baking.
Along with being spoiled by these lovely ladies’ baking, I was also very happy every Christmas when visiting my godmother’s daughter, La Nena, and her business partner, La Tia Sigrid, and working in their cafe K.R.K. Caffeto — it was an amazing experience selling cakes and tasting all the varieties of pastries they had.
Cookie is working on a chocolate chirp cookie.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday April 18, 2013 Doors Open at 7 PM; Talk at 8 PM
$25 Artist/low income/student $18
Gallery 345, 345 Sorauren Ave. Toronto
tix: http://futurefoodsalon.eventbrite.ca
and at the door (if not sold out).
416.606.0799
The first Future Food Salon in a series of four planned for 2013 will take place in Toronto at the Gallery 345 on 345 Sorauren on Thursday April 18, 2013. Doors open at 7 pm with the program beginning at 8 pm.
Some talk, some art, some music, something to amuse your palate.
Complimentary cricket-free canapés will be served.
Cricket tastings and other insecty delights. Libations for sale.
Dress: cocktail party attire… Door prize for most futuristic frock or suit.
“Crickets tonight, dear?”
“Yes darling...you know I just love your cricket ragout...”
What will be on our plates in a few decades time? Crickets, like other insects, are an ancient food--Aristotle waxes eloquently about the taste of cicadas in Book II of his History of Animals. And in many countries of the world, insects feature in the current diet. But here in North America? In much of Europe? Only the brave or foolish seem to partake.
Come find out why insects and crickets in particular make good eating. Not only are they a versatile culinary ingredient, but pound for pound, far fewer of the planet’s resources are needed to raise them and they are rich in protein and iron as well as other nutrients.
By the year 2050, the world’s population is expected to reach 9 billion people. Traditional livestock requires vast amounts of land, water, energy, and feed. As water and land resources are already stressed, Entomophagy, the eating of insects, is steadily gaining traction as a viable alternative to traditional livestock consumption, Raising insects as human food addresses many current ecological concerns, including: global population growth, sustainability of livestock production, water shortages, CO2 emissions, and rising urbanization. Micro-organisms (phytoplankton and algae) and micro-livestock (insects) rapidly reproduce – for instance, a female cricket can lay from 1200-1500 eggs in her lifetime – one of many factors that make crickets excellent alternatives to traditional livestock. Crickets in particular are found in every climatic zone, so they are the perfect future, adaptable and posing no ecological disaster by their escape.
Hosted by Alimentary Initiatives and the Culture of Cities Centre, this salon is first in the 2013 series of four that will take place in Toronto, Waterloo, Manhattan and Montreal.
You will hear from Toronto born Jakub Dzamba, an architecture Phd candidate at McGill University by day, and a mad inventor working on his cricket reactors by night. For four years, Jakub has been experimenting with different prototypes of cricket farms in his quest to discover the most efficient way to raise crickets to a human food grade quality. His sketches and posters will be on display on the gallery walls. Jakub has spoken about his work in Bangladesh, in Germany, in the Czech Republic... we thought it was about time that we here in his hometown got a chance to hear about his marvellous inventions. Ask him about cricket psychology...ask him about cricket herding. Prepare to be amazed.
This salon also features improvised music by the So-called Quintet, an amazingly talented ensemble of award-winning musicians who studied with Casey Sokal in his Improv Lab at York University. They will be providing future music to go with our future food.
Han Zhang and Helen Yung will be hanging their art installation in the gallery exploring
utopian / celebratory / optimistic themes. They are working with two expressions:
chinese : 天上掉馅饼 ( pie from the sky / free & delicious food falling from heaven / unexpected good fortune) and english : manna from heaven.
In addition to door prizes for most fetching futuristic or insect frock and suit, there will be a silent auction for some of Jakub’s prints, as well as beautiful and tasty canapés.
A copy of David George Gordon’s Eat a Bug Cookbook will be one of the prizes. This is its fifteenth year in print, and in July, an updated version of the book will be released.
Local caterers and market veterans, Earth and City will be providing (cricket-free) sumptuous tasting and stunning looking raw and vegan canapés; but for the more adventurous, there will be a variety of cricket tastes to sample including cookies from award-winning Cookie Martinez and even an insect-sourced wine!
Program
Doors Open
Opening remarks
So-Called Quintet Improvised Music
Jakub Dzamba Entomophagy Expert & Cricket Reactor Inventor
So-Called Quintet
Jakub Dzamba is a Masters of Architecture graduate from the University of Toronto, currently pursuing his Ph.D. in architecture at McGill University. During his studies in the Masters program, Jakub initially focused on the idea of becoming a Space Architect. While awaiting his first lunar commission, Jakub’s interests evolved to focus on the issue of sustainability and food production here on Earth. In collaboration with Stafford Haensli Architects, Jakub has been researching and developing an approach to urban agriculture named Third Millennium Farming (3MF). He will be talking about his current research on the design of hygienic farms for cricket livestock.
Doug Tielli (trombone-The So-Called Quintet) is a musician and singer living in and working in Toronto. A multi-instrumentalist (guitar, banjo, trombone, keyboards…) he finds himself on the edges of many musical practices (song-writing, pop, jazz, country, free-improvisation, composition and sound-art). He has performed with such renowned musicians as: Marshall Allen, Baby Dee, Eugene Chadbourne, Amy Millan, John Oswald, Evan Parker, Dan Whiteley, and he has had chamber music pieces performed by Arraymusic, Contact, and Neither/Nor. As a singer-songwriter, and with co-lead bands Drumheller, The silt and The Reveries, he has toured Canada, U.S.A., Italy, Germany, U.K., Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Finland and Estonia.
Bea Labikova (saxophone-The So-Called Quintet) is an emerging Slovak-Canadian improvising musician. Based in Toronto, she studied contemporary improvisation, jazz performance and South Indian music at York University. She is a recipient of the Oscar Peterson Scholarship for Excellence in Jazz Performance, the Saint Thyagaraja Music Award for Achievements in Indian Classical Music, as well as multiple Slovak national music awards in solo saxophone. She has worked and studied with Mike Murley, Kelly Jefferson, Casey Sokol, and Trichy Sankaran. Bea plays with many multidisciplinary ensembles, dancers and artists across Europe and is a co-founding member of Lila Ensemble which recently returned from their first international tour.
Dan Friedman (saxophone-So-Called Quintet) has been making up music in Toronto since the mid-90s when he was a member of Casey Sokol's improv ensemble. These days he divides his time between computers, martial arts, parenting three children, and just enough music to keep things interesting.
Chris Adriaanse (bass) is a young bassist, composer, educator who graduated from York University with a Bachelors in Fine Arts, specialized honours in music. He was awarded a York University Talent Scholarship, one of the Dean’s Prizes for Excellence in the Fine Arts, and the Oscar Peterson Scholarship for excellence in Jazz performance. In his final year, Chris was selected as one of the few participants of Jazz FM 91’s ‘Jazzology’ program. Chris manages a busy schedule as a bassist and occasional trombonist in the Barrie and Toronto area. He appears as a member of a number of ensembles, and as a freelance musician, open to play any situation or style. He dabbles in composing for small jazz ensembles, and the Chris Adriaanse group performs his songs in appearances in the GTA.
Raphael Roter (drums) is a drummer/percussionist and dancer from Toronto, Canada. He leads the percussion group Samba Elegua, and works regularly with West African dance company Ijo Vudu, Brazilian percussion group Maracatu Nunca Antes and Folk artist Crissi Cochrane. Raphael earned an honours Bachelor degree in music from York University, where he focused on dance accompaniment, jazz and contemporary improvisation.Among his most influential music teachers are Casey Sokol, Mark Adam, Terry O’Mahoney and Aline Morales. Currently, Raphael performs with a number of popular music and jazz groups including Asiko Afrobeat Ensemble, Melanie Brulee, and the Emerald Jazz Trio as well as in the improvised music scene. He also accompanies dance technique classes at York and at the School of Toronto Dance Theater. Visit www.raphaelroter.com for more info.
Han Zhang is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the subject of language, translation, meaning, and cross-culture communication. http://www.han-studio.com. She questions the problematic issues in literary translation: loss of meaning, vulnerability of language structure, and subjectivity of interpretation. Wood, thread, paper, ink, glass, mirror and other fragile materials are the resources which Han Zhang uses to construct and deconstruct language, challenging viewers’ perceptions and interpretations of the poetic nature of language and translation. She is currently a PhD Candidate in the department of Communication and Culture at York University.
A scenographer and writer by training, Helen Yung (www.helenyung.com) makes art in the form of interactions, installations and interventions. This usually involves a combination of scenic design, storytelling, secrets, mystery, joy, wonder, public participation, relational aesthetics, technology and sound. Based in Toronto, Helen has also worked in France, Argentina, Quebec and Asia. Her collaborations include projects with Oboro, Harbourfront Centre, Dreamwalker Dance, Festival Accès Asie, Gladstone Hotel, Dasein Dance, Foundation Creative Studio. Helen has received many grants from Fondation Tenot (France), Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and support as artist-in-residence at L’Institut international de la marionette (France), Centre d’art Marnay Art Centre (France), Oboro (Montreal), and The Banff Centre (Alberta). Helen also operates a Gift List.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday November 21 12:17 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday November 14
MINIMIZING RISK IN THE GOOD FOOD SECTOR:
or everything you've wanted to know about food insurance but were afraid to ask
Alimentary Initiatives is proud to present a free information session on Risk Management and Insurance for enterprises working in the Good Food Sector. Carly Dunster of Carly Dunster Law and Stephen J. Smith of Jones Brown Insurance Brokers and Consultants will discuss such topics as product liability insurance, how insurance is structured, minimizing risk and getting the right coverage for the right enterprise.
Innovations in the Good Food Sector have spawned new business models and insurance brokers working in the sector understand the need to keep up to date in order to give meaningful quotes. Stephen J. Smith and Carly Dunster work with large and small enterprises to help them get the coverage they need to grow their businesses securely.
This session is beneficial not only for food enterprises but also for the risk managment professionals as both clients and consultants deepen their knowledge of the sector's current concerns and directions and how insurance fits in.
Carly Dunster's practice is quite possibly Canada's only dedicated food law company. Having consulted clients including supper clubs, markets, nutritional consultants, food carts and food start-ups, Carly Dunster is a lawyer with intimate knowledge of the Good Food Sector who is always keen to build on that expertise.
Drawing on his expertise working with a variety of both food and other start-ups as well as with multinationals, Stephen J. Smith's clients include caterers, clubs, food manufacturers and more. His vast experience with the Food and Beverage industry has allowed him to suss out which insurance companies are best suited to give the right sort of coverage for the new and emerging food enterprises.
The event will take place at 10:00 am on Wednesday November 28 at the Paintbox Bistro's Cabaret Space in Regent Park. The event is free. Registration is recommended as space is limited. Register here.
For more information: please contact Aruna Handa, Alimentary Initiatives, 416.606.0799 or email here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday October 11, 2012.
CONTINUING UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER…
ALIMENTARY INITIATIVES PARTNERS WITH THE FOOD NETWORK, SHAW MEDIA AND
ST. ANDREW’S UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA FOR A NEW OFFICE MARKET
ALIMENTARY INITIATIVES is thrilled to announce a weekly Fall Local Food Market, brought to you by the Food Network, St. Andrew’s United Church of Canada and Shaw Media. The weekly market takes place on Thursdays from 4:00 in the afternoon and runs until 7 pm (dusk). This Toronto Office Market takes place outdoors, adjacent to the Shaw Media building, in the courtyard in front of St. Andrew's United Church of Canada at 117 Bloor St. E.
The Fall Local Food Market features fresh produce, local cheeses, local lake fish, breads and condiments as well as dinner solutions, like fish chowder, steak pot pie, seasonal quiches, hemp seed pestos and sous-vide beef or chicken. The emphasis is on fresh local food that office workers can take home to enjoy in their kitchens and dining rooms.
This week’s market features the following local food vendors and farmers:
–Monforte cheese and other local delights from Crème Fraîche
–Sourdough breads from Nice Buns
–Sous-vide meats from By Amos
–Sustainable seafood from Hooked Inc.,
–dinner and dessert pies from Yorktown Pies
–hemp seed pestos, hot sauces and marinades from Mr Spinners
–horizontally traded chocolate and coffee from ChocoSol
–gourmet sorbetto and gluten free cookie dough from Bix Bakery
Food Network, Shaw Media and St. Andrew's United Church of Canada are collaborating as hosts to make this Alimentary's best local food market to date.
Cash donations are collected at the market to purchase food for the benefit of The Yonge Street Mission.
For more information: Aruna Handa, Alimentary Initiatives 416.606.0799
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