by Lou Bendrick
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Are you faux real?
A tasting of four meatless “turkeys” for the holiday table 31
Posted 1 week ago There are ways to celebrate Thanksgiving that don't involve turkey carnage. Lou Bendrick and her motley band of tasters deliver the goods on four meatless "birds." Read More -
Buzzkill
Heat makes honey toxic, and other myths of the hive 10
Posted 4 weeks, 1 day ago Dear Lou, I heard a rumor that honey is toxic when placed in hot water. Is that true? Doesn't the whole world drink honey in hot tea? Also wondering about the harvesting of honey -- is it harmful to the bees and their sustainability? Lou Bendrick has the answers. Read More -
You glow, girl
Thoughts on irradiated food 14
Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago Dear Lou, Is food irradiation good enough that we could theoretically go back to having rare hamburgers, soft-boiled eggs and unpasteurized milk? I miss all of those! Carla Read More -
Mercury rising
To change your tuna, consider the sardine 7
Posted 2 months ago Can tuna melts kill you? Grist foodie Lou Bendrick explains how you can enjoy your favorite childhood comfort food and avoid mercury poisoning. Read More -
Sweaty palms
Palm oil, healthy rainforests, and your kitchen 20
Posted 3 months ago To avoid trans-fats, a lot of folks are looking into palm oil as a shortening for baking. A reader wants to know: Is this the way forward, eco-wise? Lou Bendrick bakes up an answer. Read More -
Cat(fish) fight
What’s the dish on farm-raised catfish? 9
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago With the globe's fisheries in trouble and farmed salmon making bad headlines, it's harder than ever to choose safe and environmentally responsible seafood. What about farmed catfish, a reader wants to know? Food sleuth Lou Bendrick pounces. Read More -
Triclosan or treat?
Saying goodbye to a common—and toxic—antimicrobial chemical 9
Posted 4 months ago Remember the '90s, when everyone and their mama became a germ freak and started buying anti-microbial everything? The trend has faded, but the personal-care and home-products industries keep clinging to an anti-microbial chemical called triclosan. A reader wants to know if triclosan should be avoided. Lou Bendrick has answers. Read More -
The Root of the Matter
A tasting of nine “natural” root beers yields surprising results 12
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago Your beverage aisle might showcase retro, handcrafted "root sodas" with exotic spices, certified organic root beers, a green-tea root beer, and a diet root beer spiked with an eco-sounding plant-based sweetener. Which to choose? Let our taste test be your guide. Read More -
Going bananas
Can we be ‘green’ and eat tropical products, too? 7
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago It's hard to be a locavore when you're hooked on coffee, like bananas in your smoothies, and enjoy an afternoon cuppa for a quick pickup. Lou Bendrick weighs in on how to keep your green cred and consume tropical products, too. Read More -
Seedy business
Beyond the compost heap: what to do with fruit and veggie seeds? 6
Posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago As anyone who composts knows, when you cook a lot, you generate lots of seeds. What can be done with them? Food sleuth Lou Bendrick weighs in. Read More
