text:
Want to hear more?
Have a question about IFS or our solutions?
Our contact form and local phone numbers can be found on the Contact Us page.
You are visiting the Sri Lanka site. You might be interested in the United States site.
Long-term management and maintenance of assets is critical for offshore service companies.
An owner-operator or contractor doing asset upgrades or lifecycle extensions on drilling rigs or production platforms is met with strict quality requirements. Unwarranted downtime directly impacts the bottom line and must be avoided. IFS offers owners and contractors an industry-based software solution for more effective processes and increased service revenues.
Project lifecycle management, service lifecycle management and asset lifecycle management for advanced maintenance contracting - all in a single enterprise suite. IFS Applications and IFS Enterprise Service Management products are the ideal solution for companies operating in the demanding and dynamic oilfield service industry.
Fritz Ekløff, SVP Corporate IT & Systems, BW Offshore selecting IFS as an ERP vendor. BW Offshore is a leading global provider of floating production services to the oil and gas industry.
Rig operations and maintenance, whether it is carried out by an owner/operator or oil field service provider, requires robust enterprise asset management (EAM), project management and field service management. IFS Applications delivers it all.
You live or die by your assets… the capital equipment you deploy on site or operate offshore. Only IFS Applications is proven worldwide across the entire lifecycle of assets and projects in your market. IFS is the number one enterprise asset management (EAM) software provider to the oil and gas industry according to ARC Advisory Group.
Oil field equipment operates in a complex and demanding environment, and a standard computerized maintenance system won't do the job. You need a specialized enterprise asset management (EAM) system like IFS Applications.
To ensure optimum cost and delivery-time management, large service contracts are typically executed as projects. In IFS Project Management, designated project activities, executed within a collaborative network, are the basis for the planning and scheduling of work elements, including equipment and personnel. Configurable operations planning boards allow visual monitoring and tracking of progress, costs and on-going changes. Project engineers need only a moment to see where they're at.
Major offshore drilling companies are adopting IFS Applications for enterprise asset management (EAM). With native offshore data replication, NORSOK compliance and integrated document management and engineering register, nobody helps you with asset integrity management like IFS!
IFS Applications for Oil Field Service companies is an industry solution that includes top-rated offerings for project management, material management/logistics, maintenance planning, work/service order management, resource allocation, document management, financial and performance measurement, as well as human resources.
IFS Applications brings customer- and field-service facing applications together as a stand-alone solution; integrated with existing corporate enterprise systems; or as part of a more comprehensive IFS Applications deployment.
The services management solution supports contracts, including service-level agreements, revaluation and pro-rata calculations. Team planning, competence management, time-and-attendance tracking and work-load analysis are included.
Mobility solutions include complete job reporting and job creation from the field. Integrated document management functionality allows secure collaboration with colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners. The right information is available to the right people at the right time, enabling better decisions and faster response.
Have a question about IFS or our solutions?
Our contact form and local phone numbers can be found on the Contact Us page.
This survey looks at responses from manufacturing companies on the universal talent challenges and their abilities to resolve them.
The fall in oil price since mid-2014 is impacting nearly every niche within the oil & gas market, including companies which own and operate offshore supply vessels (OSVs).
Read the free whitepaper to discover much more.
In this whitepaper you will discover:
Find out how ERP can help EPC contractors, equipment fabricators and service providers meet new demands from oil/gas companies.


text:
MrCodeDude necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 33 diseños de 9 diseñadores freelance.
BFAds.net is the premiere Black Friday website on the internet. Black Friday is the Day After Thanksgiving, a day where most retailers (Walmart, Best Buy, Target, etc.) have their best sales of the year.
BFAds.net catalogs sale items from each retailer's advertisement and then advises users on which deals we think are best.
Our main demographic are middle-aged women, although we're trying to keep the design as neutral as possible.
You are only redesigning the center column of the site (width is 580px). In this column we need the following:
Header (see attached header.png):
1. Store name
2. Sale start time & Store locater
3. Icon legend
4. Ability to filter by Category or "Early Bird" sale
5. Page Navigator.
Additionally, some sales occur at different times (see: http://bfads.net/Kmart ) and we'll need another announcement box to alert the user of the various start times. (#6)
Body (see attached body.png):
1. Category heading
2. Item name and price
3. Link to cropped image of the advertisement scan featuring item (currently the camera icon)
4. An indication if it is an "early bird" item (currently the big bird icon)
5. An external link to the item on the retailers homepage (currently turns the text into a link, if applicable)
6. A way for users to add the item to their shopping list (currently achieved by an option that occurs after a user hovers over the row)
7. Ideally, the manufacturer's product image
8. Ideally, some way to change the item price to a "BUY NOW" link if the current price is less than the advertised price
The Good: http://bfads.net/Lowes
The Bad: http://bfads.net/Sears
We're not designers, so while it looked nice when we started out, the more stuff we added, the more cluttered it got.
We're not looking for a complete redesign, but rather a simple touch-up.
Thanks and Good Luck!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
3 Port Valve SC0526GH
3 port valve SC0526GH
Detailed description
3 port valve SC0526GH
|product specification
|Rated voltage
|Rated current
|Exhaust time
|Max. 3.0 seconds from 300mmHg reduce to 15mmHg at 100cc tank
|Max. 3mmHg/min from 300mmHg at 100cc tank
|Insulation level
|Apply for
|Life test
|200,000 Times (12s on and 5s off)
|2 position 3way
About us
Founded in 1998, Shenzhen Skoocom Electronic Co., Ltd. is a professional company which is applied in developing, manufacturing and marketing in pneumatic pumps, solenoid valves and electromagnets with various specifications.
We have made the business relations with more than 1500 enterprises from all over the world, we possessed 25 patent, we owe the rubber factory and tooling factory, which contained plastic and rubber injecting model equipment for more than 30 sets. Moreover, Skoocom has passed the identification of ISO 9001:2008, and our products has also passed the certifications of UL, CE, PoHS, FDA, NSF, Reach, etc.
How to choose a suit pump or solenoid valve?
Pls provide the pump size,parameters of flow,pressure,noise,life time, etc,
For the solenoid valve, do you need NO(normally open) or NC(normally closed type)? How much pressure you need? For negetive or possitive? One way,two way or three way? Port size requires.
According to your requirements and application,we can suggest a suit pump or valve.
Advantage of Skoocom
3.1 The products of our company is designed and developed by ourselves and what is essential is that our products has the relevant patent.
3.2 The key devices of the rubber diaphragm are designed by ourselves, we have all kinds of rubber formulas, which are characterized by strong resistance of high and low temperature, long-life time, good acid-base tolerance, and it has also achieved the standard of food grade and medical level.
3.3 Our products has passed a series of reliable tests.
3.4 We have the professional and international development team.
3.5 Our products is bountiful, and it is also can be made by our customers' requirements.
3.6 We have made a tight contact with 1500 enterprises from all over the world, what's more, we have worked in the period of pump for more than 13 years.
Company Pictures
Established in 1998, Skoocom Electronic has been developing, manufacturing and marketing quality 3 port valve sc0526gh and become well-known as one of the professional manufacturers and suppliers. Equipped with a productive factory, we warmly welcome you to buy our 3 port valve sc0526gh, and customized service is also available.


text:
SEOUL, South Korea -- Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska rallied from a set down on Sunday to beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-4 and win the Korea Open.
Radwanska hit five aces and took advantage of 10 double-faults by the third-seeded Russian player to win in 2 hours, 45 minutes at Olympic Park tennis stadium.
Sunday's win was Radwanska's first since winning the Apia International in Sydney in January.
Radwanska, No. 4 in the world rankings, improved to 3-1 in head-to-head matches against the 32nd-ranked Pavlyuchenkova.


text:
I'm on a cheesy-bread kick I guess but I make no apologies. You'll find none necessary when you try this tasty bite--but better bring a fork and knife because it's rather sloppy.
Hey! That's it! This is the French version of the famous Sloppy Joe--let's call it a Sloppy Jacques!
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
8 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
ground nutmeg to taste
8 slices of thick crusty French bread
6 ounces baked ham, sliced
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, lightly grease a baking sheet and set it aside.
In a medium saucepan melt the butter then stir in the flour, stirring carefully to form a paste then whisk in the milk. Keep whisking, scraping the bottom of the pan continually, until the mixture becomes thick and bubbly. Once it begins to boil reduce the heat and allow it to gently boil for two more minutes.
Take it off the heat and stir in the grated cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Place four slices of bread on the buttered baking sheet and spread 1/4 cup of the sauce over the slices. Cover with a slice of cheese, a slice of ham, another slice of cheese, a second slice of bread, then top with more sauce and finally with some grated cheese. Let's hope your arteries can handle this.
Bake for about 5 minutes until golden brown then serve immediately.
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life and all who voted at the Bloggy Hoss awards--it was so wonderful to find that nice little present waiting for me!
Sponsored by: The Fine Art of Family--Lasting jewelry, gifts & accessories by Monica Rich Kosann
Technorati tags: recipes, sandwiches, cheese


text:
Nox Goes In On Timbaland! "F**K Timbaland. The Funeral Is Right Across The Street. How You Gotta 6 Pack On The Back Of Your Neck. Come To North Philly & You Will Be Touched" + Says Tell Doe To Come At Him.
Nox responds to Timbaland
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Bank Robber Sentenced To Federal Prison For Series Of Robberies In Texas And Michigan
In San Antonio, 34-year-old Michael Albert Amirante was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for robbing several banks in Texas and Michigan announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Armando Fernandez, San Antonio Division.
In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Orlando Garcia ordered that Amirante pay $11,352 restitution to the financial institutions he robbed and be placed under supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.
In January, Amirante pleaded guilty to three counts of unarmed bank robbery. By pleading guilty, Amirante admitted that he robbed the San Antonio Federal Credit Union (SACU) branch on Bandera Road on August 30, 2012; the First Convenience Bank branch in Duncanville, TX, on April 18, 2012; and, the First Convenience Bank branch in Mesquite, TX, on May 29, 2012. Amirante also admitted to robbing the Fifth Third Bank in Lansing, MI, on December 21, 2011.
Amirante has been in federal custody since being arrested by FBI agents on August 30, 2012, following the SACU robbery. This investigation was conducted by FBI agents in San Antonio, Dallas and Lansing together with the San Antonio, Duncanville, Mesquite and Lansing Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hardy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.


text:
There are numerous factors in making a private community work. I was around in the seventies and watched many large and small planned communities go into receivership or incorporate into an existing town. Honesty is one issue. A defunct community in California placed fireplugs on the corners of the subdivision streets. They "placed," not installed. There was no water line in the subdivision but the fire hydrants gave the impression the water lines had been installed. Money was not lost on the hydrants because a water line would eventually be a working utility. No lies were told because the salesmen never actually said the water line was completed, but they made certain the hydrants were in the promotional brochures. The community that finally caught the attention of the federal government was a proposed village in Florida. I had a good friend invest in that disaster. The lots were actually in the swamp.
The federal government passed a regulation which stated any proposed amenity drawn on a map of the new community the developer had better be prepared to build said amenity. Also, the maps must indicate date and percentage of utilities installed and proposed date of completion. In the Florida case the houses would have been difficult and expensive to build in the swampy area. When the regulation was passed, Jim Gore, the head engineer in charge of Cooper Communities engineering department, called in all of the maps of Hot Springs Village. There really wasn't a big problem and the removal of a horseback riding stable and an artificial ski lift was not even noticeable compared to the promises of other gated communities at that time.
Fortunately, we had an honest developer. When we gave Mr. Cooper Jr. the information on the progress of a construction job, along with the completion dates, we had better be telling the truth to the best of our ability, no fudging to save face. A woman in one planned community is being fined every day because she was given permission, even though it was against regulations, to plant a small garden in front of her door, and she will not remove it. Her problem is understandable, and this situation can happen because one staff, committee, or board member allows a rule to slide. Even the most innocuous rule or regulation can come back and bite you. The person or persons who give a property owner permission to break a rule or regulation will eventually leave and the next member will decide it is not in the best interest of the community to allow, as in her case, a small garden in front of her condo.
In developing a planned community, rules were not meant to be broken. That is why the rules and regulations should be carefully planned. Restrictions in other gated communities can be amusing. One town in the North did not allow pick-up trucks, except for workers during the day. The opposite of this, as I have written before, happened in the early seventies in the Village. The men would move south and buy a pair of cowboy boots, a chain saw and a pick-up truck. Usually the wives won out in the long run. After about a year he would trade the truck in for a convertible, the boots in for loafers, and the chain saw went into the garage sale. A community can write rules and regulations all day but if you can or will not enforce them you will understand the word chaos up close and personal.


text:
Review: Sonnet Technologies Volta Rechargeable Battery Pack for iPod with video
Company: Sonnet Technologies, Inc.
Website: www.SonnetTech.com
Model: Volta
Price: $70
Compatible: iPod 5G
[Editors' Note: On November 1, 2006, iLounge published The 2007 iPod Buyers' Guide, with more than 30 brand new, capsule-sized product reviews - only for products we considered to be amongst the very best we've seen throughout the year. The short review below is excerpted from the Guide, which you can download here.]
Once upon a time, it was merely difficult to develop a universal iPod battery solution, but now, with radically different sizes for iPods, nanos, and shuffles, no one's even trying. So our Buyers' Guide has focused on batteries for the iPod that needs extra power the most: the fifth-generation iPod, which despite recent gains in video play time still requires external assistance for extended movie watching. Sonnet's Volta delivers that help in an inoffensively thick black package, which straps on to the back and bottom of 30GB, 60GB, and 80GB iPods, using a soft foam spacer for thinner 30GB units. It promises - and actually does - add 60 continuous hours of music playback time and between 9 (original 5G) to 16.5 (Enhanced 5G) hours of video to the iPods' original run times, letting you hear 74-80 hours of music or watch up to 23 hours of video with a fully charged, 80GB iPod. For what it accomplishes, it feels small and light, and looks quite nice.
A Dock Connector-to-USB cable is included for recharging - an extended (5-hour) process - and a twistable, detachable belt clip is there if you want it. Four bright but small LEDs on the front detail battery status. While not as fully conceived as iLuv's i603 and i604 case-slash-batteries, reviewed elsewhere on iLounge, Volta performs well at a fair price point given the battery's capacity, isn't a chore to carry around, and works with any 5G model you may have.
Editors' Note: iLounge only reviews products in "final" form, but many companies now change their offerings - sometimes several times - after our reviews have been published. This iLounge article provides more information on this practice, known as revving.


text:
BOSTON — A judge is set to hear arguments on reputed Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger's claim that he was given immunity to commit crimes while he was an FBI informant.
Bulger, the former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, is awaiting trial in a sweeping racketeering indictment accusing him of participating in 19 murders. He claims a federal prosecutor gave him immunity for his crimes while he was providing the FBI information on local leaders of the Mafia, his gang's main rivals.
Bulger's lawyers want to use his immunity claim as a defense at his trial. Bulger contends former federal prosecutor Jeremiah O'Sullivan, who led the New England Organized Crime Strike Force, gave him immunity while he was an FBI informant in the 1970s and '80s. O'Sullivan, who died in 2009, denied ever making an immunity deal with Bulger during his testimony before Congress in 2002.
Federal prosecutors have called Bulger's claim "absurd" and have asked U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns to decide the issue before trial.
Stearns has scheduled a hearing Wednesday.
Bulger, 83, fled Boston in 1994 and was one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives until his capture in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2011.
Kate Hall of Casco wins national title
Boston Celtics
LaVine scores 42 as Bulls handle Celtics, 126-116
Varsity Maine
Saturday's high school roundup: Winthrop boys reign in Class C South
Saturday's Top 25 basketball: Top-ranked Duke downs Syracuse
Mills faces higher-than-expected inauguration costs


text:
The Volvo S80, through both of its generations, has been known for its safety features, unique cabin designs, and reliability. Though not necessarily the first choice for those looking for a luxury sedan, the S80 has plenty going for it.
The start of the automotive era moved across almost every part of the world. Companies that had once made carriages and buggies moved into creating engines and body frames. Other types of industrial plants were also converted into automotive factories. In Sweden, Volvo began its journey towards automotive fame in 1925. Volvo is the brainchild of its two original founders, Gustaf Larsson and Assar Gabrielsson. These gentlemen made it their goal to produce cars of high quality, while ensuring the safety and reliability of their products. Volvo continues to strive for these goals with every vehicle it manufactures.
World War II brought about some changes for the Swedish automaker. Volvo was forced to slow production during the war years, however the company did manage to stay in business and even introduce some new vehicles.
Like so many of the other European and Asian automakers, Volvo chose to bring its vehicle lineup to the United States in the years following World War II. During the 1950s, Volvo produced its first small car, named the PV444, and introduced it with a great deal of success. The car company continues its success to the present day with a variety of models including the S80.
It's no big secret to the auto industry, or fans of Volvo, that one of the most important qualities it offers is safety. This company outfits its products with in-cabin comfort and convenience. With the S80 series, Volvo has made no exceptions.
In addition to the roomy cabin, safety features, and reliability, Volvo has created an alternative option to the typical sedan. The S80 series also provides high performance; much like the competitors in its class. In reality, the S80 doesn't have the luxury feel one can get from higher trim levels in other cars. However, it does have a very nice, affordable price tag compared to its competitors. Many industry leaders feel Volvo's attention to detail in regards to solid construction, safety, and reliability, as well as good looks, makes the S80 a worthy choice.
Volvo chose to offer the S80 in the 2012 model year. This car remains similar to its mates in the second generation and offers Volvo's famous safety features. For this model year, the S80 Series comes in two trim levels: the 3.2 and the T6 AWD.
As the base model of the S80, the 3.2 edition features all kinds of amenities such as power accessories, 17 inch alloy wheels, and even leather upholstery. This model also offers power front seats, automatic climate control, and heated mirrors, among several other features. Keeping with Volvo's tradition, this vehicle comes equipped with all kinds of technological features, including Bluetooth capabilities and a state of the art audio system.
Under the hood, the base model 3.2 S80 houses a 3.2l, inline-six engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. Together the powertrain offers 240 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque.
The upgraded T6 edition with all-wheel drive has the above mentioned features and a few more besides. This car offers 18 inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, and keyless entry and ignition. This model contains a 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-six engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Volvo S80 Series offers two distinct generations, the first available new from 1999 to 2006. This S80 generation marks a diversion from Volvo's traditional, boxy body style. This car features a more curved and streamlined design than ever before.
Volvo kept with tradition when taking care of the engineering under the hood. The first generation of the S80 offers three engine choices. Two of the engines are turbocharged for enhanced performance. The first is a T6: an inline-six, 2.9-liter engine capable of 268 hp. Buyers can also opt for the T6 in a 2.8-liter capacity, as well. Volvo offers two other engine options, including the T5, inline-five engine and a naturally aspired inline-six motor.
Volvo introduced the second generation Volvo S80 in the 2007 model year with some new options. While by outside appearances the second generation looks similar to the first, Volvo did make some dramatic changes to the car's platform and engine options. With this generation, the S80 comes with an inline-six engine or a massive V-8. Keeping with tradition and its reputation for safety, Volvo also adds a large variety of safety features to the second generation S80.
2016 Volvo S80
Luxury, Sedan
2015 Volvo S80
2014 Volvo S80
2013 Volvo S80
The 2013 Volvo S80 is the flagship sedan for the Volvo line of cars, and as such, it's at the forefront of design and technology for the manufacturer.
2012 Volvo S80
The only changes for 2012 include a new Biarritz Blue Metallic color, and a new model level philosophy: Premier, Premier Plus, and Platinum.
2011 Volvo S80
Regardless of the effort Volvo made to bring its S80 up to mark with the latest sedans, the fact remains that the car is strongly reminiscent of older-generation Volvos.
2010 Volvo S80
The S80 soldiers into 2010 with list of small refinements. In addition to several visual enhancements, the luxury-oriented interior gains softer-touch leather surfaces, with matched stitching that's echoed on the door panels. The slim, waterfall center-stack acquires a silk metal surround. Meanwhile, the 3.2 and T6 models gain a new optional Multimedia Package including the Dynaudio Premium Sound with headphone jacks in the rear.
2009 Volvo S80
The 2009 Volvo S80 attains an essence of classic luxury sedans, while being true to its original build with tank-like protection and a solid emphasis on function over form.
2008 Volvo S80
The S80 is a midsize four-door executive sedan made by the Swedish automaker, Volvo.
2007 Volvo S80
Volvo hits the mark with its 2007 S80.
2006 Volvo S80
Soft lines define the flagship 2006 Volvo S80 from other Volvo models.
2005 Volvo S80
The Volvo S80 was a high-performance, classy vehicle with rounded features, a V-shaped bonnet, an abrupt rear cut-off, and large taillights, which in an interesting turn of events became the company's flagship sedan.
2004 Volvo S80
The 2004 Volvo S80 classifies as a midsize executive sedan and continues a model produced by Volvo since 1998.
2003 Volvo S80
2002 Volvo S80
The 2002 Volvo S80 competes with some real heavyweights in the luxury sedan segment.
2001 Volvo S80
The Volvo S80 signaled a significant technological step forward, ushering in what many consider to be the era of modern car design thanks to its integration of high-tech electronics.
2000 Volvo S80
Volvo reengineered its S80 significantly during the 1999 and 2000 model years.
1999 Volvo S80
The 1999 Volvo S80 classifies as a midsize executive sedan manufactured by Sweden-based Volvo, and it replaces the rear-drive Volvo S90 or 960.


text:
Update: The Shopify Widget is now the Shopify Buy Button.
Wouldn't it be nice to put a Buy Now button for your products anywhere on the web?
It'd be even more awesome if you could embed product previews or entire collections in forums, your Tumblr and Wordpress blogs, or wherever else you'd like it to appear. Now you can.
Introducing Shopify Widgets: embed your products anywhere. Like these great looking Shopify shirts :)
You can also create simple Buy Now buttons for when you need something simple but effective:
Looks awesome, right? Let's get you set up and rocking your own widget.
1) Install it from the Shopify App Store.
2) Choose which widget you'd like to use. Let's give the product with an image widget a shot.
3) Select the product you'd like to feature.
Try playing with the colors and other options to make it look just right:
4) Hit "Give me code" when you're ready.
5) Copy and paste the HTML code that pops up into your Shopify, Tumblr, Wordpress blog, or wherever you'd like it to go. Note that some free sites don't allow iframe code, but most places should be ok. Make sure that when you're pasting in HTML, that you're in HTML-mode, otherwise it won't work. Here's an example in Shopify:
You're done! Nice work. Take a look at the top of this post for an example of what the embeds can look like :)
Shopify Widgets is launching with iframe support exclusively, but watch out for some exciting updates down the road. After all, it sure would be nice to have your entire store embeddable…
Questions? Add your comments here or hit the "Give the developer feedback" link on the Shopify App Store.
Join 446,005 entrepreneurs who already have a head start.
Get free online marketing tips and resources delivered directly to your inbox.
Thanks for subscribing
You'll start receiving free tips and resources soon. In the meantime, start building your store with a free 14-day trial of Shopify.
36 comments
January 12 2012, 01:00PM
Nice! We will use this feature on the Maxton Men Tumblr.
January 12 2012, 01:02PM
What an awesome app, Edward! It's doing it right all the way!
PS. May I ask who designed that cute app logo?
January 12 2012, 01:27PM
Very cool.
January 12 2012, 03:55PM
Caro: That would be yours truly. :)
January 12 2012, 04:41PM
@Warren I learned that you designed the app as well! (Thanks Twitter) Like a baws!
January 12 2012, 06:17PM
Can this be used for a Facebook store? How many products can I feature all together
January 12 2012, 07:49PM
This is super cool. Would be even cooler if anybody could embed this to earn a slice of the transaction.
January 12 2012, 07:53PM
Just tried the app and LOVE it. Nicely done. Now I wish I had more places to embed the code :-)
January 13 2012, 06:18AM
This is fab – but how does it handle multiple purchases and customers that want to 'add to cart'?
Almost perfect.
January 13 2012, 11:31AM
Fantastic work as usual you guys!
January 14 2012, 08:37AM
Thepost preview at wordpress shows a link and att tumblr a small gray icon. Does that animate to have a closer view?
January 16 2012, 07:34AM
Looks great! Can this work together with an affiliate app such as Wigify, thus allowing affiliates to spread the word easily?
January 16 2012, 04:50PM
Awesome feedback so far guys, glad to hear it. Embed away!
Donna: This could be used on Facebook if a Facebook app exists that allows for simple HTML embedding. I did some quick digging for you but didn't come up with anything just yet. If you find something, let me know!
Kai & Kym: A front facing embed code on your store-front would be amazing and we have definitely considered it. All I can say for now is there is still more in the works with widgets. I can't give away any secrets just yet. ;)
Stefan: Our testing on WordPress and tumblr produced great results, but perhaps you can send me a screenshot of what you're seeing so we can lend a hand?
January 17 2012, 02:44PM
Installs fine but when I try to get embed code I can't see it… Is it in Flash? (I'm on an older machine).
Stefan, Home and Heart Company
January 17 2012, 03:13PM
I was able to get the code, but when posting to Google+ or Facebook, the code remains in the post as well as the photo, which only has a miss-spaced price line when you click on it.
January 18 2012, 09:27PM
Can we paste this code into email/newsletters to let buyers quickly buy the product?
January 20 2012, 05:47AM
I tried pasting the code in a Mailchimp newsletter template and although it shows on the editor, it won't show up in the preview or the test email. Any deas?
January 22 2012, 01:08PM
I tired it on Tumblr but it wouldn't work.
any tip I should know?
January 27 2012, 03:25PM
Have you tested the widget on a product with a stock level of Zero? For me it blew up with an ugly error message, in hex no less. I sell one of a kind things so a zero stock level is easily possible.
January 30 2012, 05:25PM
To post to tumblr:
In a "Text" "quote" or "video post. Click on the "HTML" button and paste your code in the HTML editor. If you are experiencing an error, place the code between
code here
does NOT work in an empty "photo" post. You must add a photo in order to make it work.
Can I suggest adding a "save preferences" to the widget? Would save a lot of time to not have to manually set the colors/style/padding every time I want to embed a product.
January 30 2012, 05:28PM
sorry, html didn't display properly.
should read " If you are experiencing an error, place the code between "p" tags. " < >
February 01 2012, 03:14PM
I wish that had worked on the newsletter too :(
But it didn't.
February 02 2012, 05:54PM
Great first wave. Love to have it either show a random collection or scroll through a collection. One static product doesn't really hold much weight on our web properties.
March 03 2012, 05:24PM
Edward – great app. Is there any way to change the behaviour of "buy now" to "add to cart"?
Maybe this is not a use-case you anticipated: I'm using the Widget to create 'product-line' landing pages, for SEO and SEM. I'm using the Widget to add products w/Buy button to static Shopify pages. The Buy button action should be "add to cart" so users can continue shopping and add more stuff.
April 12 2012, 05:18PM
"It'd be even more awesome if you could embed product previews or entire collections in forums, your Tumblr and Wordpress blogs, or wherever else you'd like it to appear. Now you can." If every e-commerce site used shopify this statement is true. Till then not quite. Great direction though!
May 30 2012, 02:49AM
Would love an option to set the image size to none. Great app.
November 19 2012, 11:32PM
When I set the embed product widget to take users to the cart, it opens the cart in a new browser window. When I set to go to either product or checkout, it opens in the same window.
Anyone know why the "buy now" set to go to cart opens in a new window? And, how can I change that so it opens in the same window?
Thanks in advance.
February 27 2013, 09:28PM
Is there any way to have the shopify widget point to a collection. I can't seem to work around the 3 options (cart, checkout, product).
September 09 2013, 11:29AM
Allow option to open in current window when sending to cart.
As it is now when sending to cart it opens a new browser which is not very professional and seamless.
Please fix.
December 18 2013, 05:25AM
Is there a way to embed it in Mailchimp?
May 22 2014, 04:23PM
It looks like the widget code just got broken. I use this widget a lot, and all of my images just disappeared. My products still have their images, by "No Image" shows up on every instance of the widget on my site. Interestingly, the same thing has happened on this page (the widgets just below the text "Like these great looking Shopify shirts" show "No Image" It would be awesome if this could get fixed so that the widget would work again. Thanks!
June 26 2014, 05:30PM
Hi there…the widget code for embedding the shop does't function on Blogger. But the single product widget does. can you tell me if i'm doing something wrong?
October 06 2014, 02:34PM
How can we use this in a Mailchimp email?
November 15 2014, 08:59PM
I want to use the imbed code for my site. How do I obtain this. Check out my current site soulgirlyoga.com
and let me know
December 04 2014, 04:31AM
Hi guys
Love the store for Facebook & love the idea of the Shopify Widget.
I have been trying tirelessly to upload 2 of my collections using Java on my Facebook page post. I copy the script & paste it into my post, but the actual link appears as code, nothing else. I have tried to do only one collection too & the same happens.
Please let me know how I could sort this issue out.
Thanks very much…
February 18 2016, 05:34PM
Doesn't work for Tumblr posts anymore. The HTML elements are blocked and it just becomes a text link.


text:
Leaves Are Falling Kit 1
By Let Me Scrapbook!
Related Products
More By This Designer
|(0 Total Votes) | Rate It
Please sign in to rate this product! Log In
Product Information
- Type: Combo Pack
- Designer: Let Me Scrapbook!
- Download Size: 58 MB (approximate)
Design Elements
- Digital Papers: 6
- Page Elements: 24
Designer Notes
After a long, hot summer, I welcome the cool, crisp days of fall and the beauty of the leaves changing colors and falling softly to the ground. My "Leaves Are Falling" collection was designed to help you record your own playful days spent celebrating autumn. NOTE: Not all embellishments are shown on preview.
Image Quality
High-resolution (print quality) JPG and PNG files (with transparency).
Download Options
Easy install directly into My Memories Suite software. Purchase My Memories Suite
General use installer for other software applications (i.e., Adobe Photoshop & Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, etc.).
Album and Photobook templates are intended for installation in the MyMemories Suite software only.
The General download will still contain all of the digital paper and page element files and template pages in a flat jpeg format so that you can recreate the template.
The layered pre-built pages are not available in the general download.
Download Access
All download options are available after checkout by clicking the "Access Your Downloads" provided on the order confirmation page. You may also access your downloads after logging into the My Account section located at the top right of the website.


text:
I don't know the first real thing about the dating game. I don't know how to talk to a specific person and connect. I just think you have to go to person by person and do the best you can with people in general.
Someone able to carry on a conversation whether the topic is silly or serious. Knowing enough about life so that you always have something to say is a definite bonus.
Flirthut is a completely free dating site where people like you meet other people looking for a relationship, love or just friends. You can message Hunchogang400 by signing in or registering.Find out more about us » Join us for free and get searching for your match


text:
I've been dating since I was 15 years old, and I just don't seem to do it well.
Intelligent, sweet, down-to-earth and adventurous. Bonus points if you're a little bit quirky.
Flirthut is a completely free dating site where people like you meet other people looking for a relationship, love or just friends. You can message franciscaogb by signing in or registering.Find out more about us » Join us for free and get searching for your match


text:
SurvivingInfidelity.com® > Fun & Games
You are not logged in. Login here or register.
The S.I. Official Cookbook Thread
Pages: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14
BrokenRoad posted 12/30/2008 11:17 AM
Breakfast on the go idea/Get rid of your Cranberry Jelly:
Cranberry Raisin Muffins
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the milk, eggs, and melted butter and oil. Stir quickly just to combine. Add the cranberry jelly, raisins, and both sugars and stir just to distribute the fruits, and sugar evenly throughout the batter.
Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned on the top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.
3 cups Flour
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups Whole Milk
2 Eggs
1 stick butter
1/2 cup oil
1 - 16oz Can of Cranberry Jelly
3/4 cup Brown sugar
3/4 cup White sugar
[This message edited by BrokenRoad at 11:19 AM, December 30th (Tuesday)]
SerJR posted 1/3/2009 13:09 PM
Chicken Normandy:
Main Dish (Poultry)
Serves 4
Cooking Time: 1 hour
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
Combine these ingredients in a bowl for the batter.
6-8 slices bacon
4 bone in, skinless chicken breasts
Batter (above)
1 small chopped onion
4 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup Brandy
1 cup apple cider
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup cream
4 tbsps butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Fresh chives
In a large saucepan cook the bacon at med-high until crispy. Remove the bacon and keep the fat.
Roll the chicken breasts in the batter mix until evenly coated. Place the chicken (turn it over every 5 minutes or so), onion, and garlic in the bacon fat and cook until onions start to brown. Add in the brandy and simmer until reduced by about half. Add in the apple cider and mushrooms and again reduce to about half. Add the cream and simmer until reduced by half. Reduce the heat until medium low and add in the thyme and the butter (1/4 at a time) and blend in with the sauce. Garnish with the crumbled bacon and chives.
wifehad5 posted 1/4/2009 12:36 PM
Spam Burgers
(They taste better than they sound)
2 cans Spam
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 large onion
Small Size Buns
Grind together the spam, cheese, and onion. Add a little catsup to moisten.
Spoon mixture onto buns. Place buns on cookies sheets. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes @350.
Makes 45-50 - Good for parties
SerJR posted 1/6/2009 16:25 PM
Eggplant Stuffed with Roasted Vegetables:
Side Dish: Vegetable
Serves: 2
Cooking Time: 1.5 hours
1 eggplant (cut in half lengthwise)
1 small tomato (top cut off)
1" thick slice of onion
4 cloves of garlic (peeled)
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
olive oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper
Scoop out the centres of the eggplant. Rub the hollowed out parts with lemon juice. Transfer the portions that were scooped out to an oiled baking dish with the other vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put in the oven at 375 for about 40 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Transfer the vegetables and oil into a blender, add the parmesan cheese and blend. Scoop this back into the hollowed out eggplant. Transfer the eggplant back to the baking dish and cook for another 40 minutes or so until it gets a nice golden brown colour.
Greenegirl posted 1/11/2009 11:29 AM
Rich Hot Cocoa
Try adding light coconut milk to hot chocolate (homemade or premade). It gives it an incredible flavor boost & a yummy richness. I made some for H & DS last night after snowblowing and they lapped it up!
cantlivewithouth posted 1/17/2009 13:57 PM
15 Bean Soup
Soup (Crock Pot)
1 package of 15 Bean Soup beans
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 small package baby carrots
1 package fresh sliced mushrooms
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
Spices to taste
Soak beans overnight in water.
Chop onions and garlic in a food processor.
Add all ingredients to the crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
cantlivewithouth posted 1/19/2009 19:27 PM
Johnny Marzetti
Main Dish/Casserole
3/4 pound of ground beef, chicken or turkey
1 box of elbow macaroni
2 large cans tomato sauce
1 package fresh sliced mushrooms
Garlic powder to taste
Parmasean cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni. Fry meet in large skillet and drain.
Mix everything together in a 13x9x2 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle parmasean cheese over the top and bake for 20 minutes.
severely wounded posted 1/19/2009 21:04 PM
Enchilada casserole
I made it like an enchilada casserole to keep it simple and less messy and it turned out fabulous.
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 tsp chili powder
1 small can of green chiles
Minced or fresh onion
Jalapeno pepper flakes
1 small can fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 small can of fat free cream of chicken soup
1 10 oz can of enchilada sauce (I used hot)
12 flour tortillas
2 cups Mexican cheese
Cook the ground beef, onion and chili powder and jalapeno flakes together.
In another saucepan, mix both types of soup and green chiles and enchilada sauce together. I also added a smidge of chili powder to that.
Spray a casserole dish with PAM. Spread lightly the bottom of the pan some of the soup mix before adding it to the meat. Mix the sauce with the ground beef mixture with the soup mixture.
Layer the bottom of the pan with flour tortillas. Spread the meat mixture on the tortillas and sprinkle a little bit of mexican cheese on top of that. Put another layer of tortilla shells over the mixture and layer again. When you put the last layer of tortilla shells on top, spread a lighter mixture of meat and sauce on top.
I cut the edges of the pan free of any tortilla shells that weren't covered in sauce (similar to lasagna).
I cooked this at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. For the last ten minutes, I added more cheese on top of the mixture.
I cut it and served it like lasagna.
My family absolutely loved this recipe and my youngest said it's his favorite thing I've ever made. He said I have to make it again.
It was hearty and tasted delicious. If your family likes enchiladas, it's easy and not too messy to make it this way.
I hope you enjoy it. I took as many calorie reductions as I could out of it and it didn't taste bad at all. Next time I will try ground turkey too but I used lean ground beef with this one.
ImGonnaMakeIt posted 1/22/2009 16:43 PM
Very Strong Party Punch!
1 can Pulp-Free Orange Juice concentrate
1 can Fruit Punch concentrate
2 liters of Sprite
750 mL Southern Comfort
Thaw the 2 cans of juice, but do not dilute them with water.
Mix all the ingredients in a punch bowl.
Now go make up the guest room and prepare for overnight guests as this punch will getcha before you know you've been got!
You could use less Southern Comfort, I suppose.
cantlivewithouth posted 1/25/2009 15:47 PM
Swiss Steak
Main Dish: Beef
1 1/2 pounds of round steak cut into serving pieces
3 tsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. of Nature's Seasoning
1 medium onion, sliced
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
14 1/2-oz can diced tomatoes
Combine flour and Nature's Seasoning . Dredge meat in the mixture.
Place onions in the bottom of a crock pot. Add meat. Top with carrot, celery, and tomatoes.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 3-5 hours.
Serve over steamed rice.
ichoose2live posted 1/28/2009 13:16 PM
Fabulous Chili
**(Slow Cooker)
1 lb ground beef
1 lb italian sausage
1 (46 oz) can tomato juice 1(29 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drain & rinse
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drain & rinse
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chili powder
Brown beef and sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until browned. Add onion and garlic to meat and cook until translucent. Drain and put into slow cooker.
Combine the tomato juice, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, onions, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar, oregano, pepper, salt, cumin and chili powder. Add to cooker and stir.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
**Note: If using regular soup pot instead of slow cooker, after all ingredients are mixed, cook over low heat (simmer) 1 - 2 hours.
[This message edited by ichoose2live at 12:34 PM, February 22nd (Sunday)]
ichoose2live posted 1/28/2009 13:39 PM
Creamy Rich Potato Soup
(Serves 8)
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6-8 potatoes(medium)peel& cubed
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup half & half cream
1 tablespoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned. Remove it from pan, and set on a paper towel to drain. Pour grease from skillet, reserve just enough to saute the onion, celery. Saute until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Saute for 4 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan. Add chicken stock (this should cover the potatoes). Cover with a lid, and simmer until potatoes are just becoming tender.
In a smaller pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook & stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the half & half cream, chives and celery seed. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until thick. Stir the cream mixture into the potatoes. Remove 1/4-1/2 the soup and puree it in a blender/food processor. Return the pureed potatoes to the pan. Stir well and heat a few minutes. Top with cheddar cheese if desired.
*Not for anyone counting calories!
[This message edited by ichoose2live at 12:36 PM, February 22nd (Sunday)]
Charli posted 1/31/2009 19:28 PM
Category: Hot vegetarian pasta :)
(serves 2-3)
* 1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeded and diced
* 500 g. ripe cherry tomatoes
* 2-3 spring onions, finely sliced
* garlic to taste, finely chopped (I tend to use 2-3 large cloves)
* 150 g. coarsely chopped rucola (rocket)
* 300-400 g tagliatelle, preferably fresh
* 100 g flaked almonds, toasted
* 100 g fresh finely grated parmesan
* 1 tsp of dried thyme
* olive oil
* salt and pepper to taste
1) preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the pumpkin cubes in a baking tray or oven dish, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the pumpkin until pieces are evenly coated with oil, and roast for half an hour or until the cubes are soft. Stir halfway if the cubes are beginning to char.
2) When the pumpkin has been cooking for about fifteen minutes, gently sauté the spring onions for about five minutes, then add the garlic to the pan. After another five minutes, add the cherry tomatoes, sautéing them for five minutes. Remove the pumpkin cubes from the oven, and add them to the tomatoes and spring onions in the pan. At the last moment, add the rucola, and fry for one more minute.
3) While the tomatoes and spring onions are cooking, prepare the pasta according to packet instructions. Distribute the pasta and sauce evenly over the plates and garnish with a little of the almonds and Parmesan. Serve the remaining Parmesan and almonds with the dish as garnish.
[This message edited by Charli at 7:29 PM, January 31st (Saturday)]
tputer posted 2/13/2009 18:38 PM
Crock Pot Beef Fajitas
I just posted about this in tonight's dinner thread, but I'll post the recipe here. This recipe makes the best fajitas I've ever tasted!!
1 1/2 pounds of beef flank steak
1 cup chopped onions
1 green pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 14 1/2-ounce can stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 tablespoon lime juice
12 7-inch tortillas
Shredded jack cheese (optional)
Guacamole (optional)
Dairy Sour Cream (optional)
Salsa (optional)
1) Trim fat from meat. Cut flank steak into 6 portions. In a 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker combine onions, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and salt. Place meat in cooker. Add undrained tomatoes.
2) Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
3) To heat tortillas, wrap them in foil and heat in 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until softened. Remove meat from cooker and shred using two forks. Return meat to cooker. Stir in lime juice.
4) To serve fajitas, use a slotted spoon to fill the warmed tortillas with the beef mixture. If desired, add shredded cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. Roll up tortillas.
ETA - Deathbybetrayal modified this recipe subsituting chicken breast, and carmlized the onions. She reports it turned out good
[This message edited by tputer at 7:37 AM, February 23rd (Monday)]
cantlivewithouth posted 2/19/2009 18:48 PM
Main Dish-Sandwich
Fiesta Chicken Wraps
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 can (11 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 corn tortillas (6 inches) warmed
In a large saucepan combine the chicken, corn and salsa. Cook over medium heat until heated through.
Sprinkle cheese over tortillas. Place about 1/2 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up and secure with toothpicks.
Yeild: 4 servings
cantlivewithouth posted 2/23/2009 14:47 PM
Main Dish: Poultry
Chow Mein Casserole
1 18.6 oz can chicken and sausage gumbo soup
2 10 3/4 oz cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups cut up chicken strips; pre-cooked
1 cup milk
6 oz can chow mein noodles
1 pint frozen corn
Combine ingredients in slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours.
thyme2go posted 2/28/2009 11:16 AM
Low Carb/No sugar added Cheesecake Crust
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup almond meal -- flour
1 1/4 sticks butter -- (5 oz) 150gr
1/4 cup Splenda
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp nutmeg
1 egg -- beaten
Mix well, press into 9" (230mm) pie pan and bake in a 340°F oven for fifteen minutes.
Low Carb/No sugar added Cheesecake Pie - Baked
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
16 oz cream cheese -- 454gr
5 lg eggs
3/4 cup Splenda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
Two packages of Sugar Free Jell-O Instant pudding. (I used Cheesecake and Chocolate Fudge flavors.)
Preheat oven to 325°F
Make sure that the cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature. (Very important).
In a large bowl mix cream cheese, sour cream, Splenda, and vanilla extract. Adjust sweetness to desired level. Some recipes called for 1 ½ cups of Splenda for this much cream cheese but I found ¾ cup to my liking.
Now blend in eggs, one at a time until mixed well.
Split batter in half to two separate bowels (if you want to marble the cake with two flavors)
Blend one package of Jell-O pudding into each half of batter. It will stiffen to heavy peaks. Pour (blob!) into cheesecake crust lined pie pan completed earlier and spread to even out.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until desired doneness is achieved. This cheesecake will rise significantly.
Cool all the way on a rack. I left in fridge overnight.
Raspberry sauce
8oz Raspberries (I used frozen)
2 tsp lemon juice (to brighten flavor)
3-4 tbs Splenda (adjust to desired flavor as berry natural sugar content will vary)
3-4 tbs water
Place raspberries in sauce pan and cook over medium heat until berries break down enough to mash. Add water and mash berries.
Pour berry mash through a fine strainer to remove seeds. Press with back of spoon to gather all drips of juicy goodness.
Pour juice back to sauce pan and cook over medium heat to reduce and thicken. I added back about a one tbs of the seed mash for sauce texture and identity.
Cool sauce completely.
Slice and plate pieces of cheesecake pie and drizzle with as much raspberry sauce as is desired. (I used copious amounts! )
cantlivewithouth posted 3/2/2009 18:02 PM
Main Dish: Poultry
Chicken In Wine Sauce
2-3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of French onion soup
1 cup of dry white wine or chicken broth
Mix the soups and wine together in a bowl.
Put chicken in a crock pot and pour sauce over it.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Serve over rice, pasta, or potatoes.
Pages: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14


text:
Thanks—or no thanks—to the new high priests and hipster philosophers of the food world, lately it feels like everything on the menu comes with a heaping side order of guilt: Is that mâche local and roof-raised? What's the carbon footprint of your burger? Was your salmon farm-slaughtered or delicately line-caught? It's enough to put a man off his meal. But not Alan Richman. The man who's always been the Defender of the Appetite makes a thirty-day pilgrimage from perfectly sustainable farm to perhaps unsustainable sea to, uh, chicken coop in search of what it means to eat ethically—and still savor the pleasures of eating—in the twenty-first century
Once we were sun kings, every little one of us, rulers of our hometown restaurants, demanding whatever extravagances our incomes allowed. We indulged ravenously and gleefully, beneficiaries of a trend known as world cuisine, which meant fresh food flown to the kitchens of top dining establishments at unimaginable expense. Sourcing from faraway places was thought to be the ultimate in elite eating, and nobody I knew had the slightest idea that the pursuit of wanton culinary pleasure wasn't an advancement in the progress of the human race.
That was in the '90s, when fine dining had become our principal amusement. We ate mindlessly and ecstatically, cherishing foie gras from tormented barnyard fowls, our only debate being whether goose or duck produced the superior product. We craved caviar from the Caspian Sea, not caring that the beluga sturgeons knocked on their heads and gutted (often while alive) were as old as Russia's Fabergé eggs. Life was good, at least for humans.
I never changed. I never criticized. I never learned anything, except that the Iranian caviar I ate on the Concorde was superior to the Russian caviar I ate while earthbound.
I had one admirable moment, in a New York restaurant, when I became a virtuous eater, briefly and unconvincingly. I was served a plate of small, crisp, fried fish that the waiter called "bait," but it wasn't the unappetizing name that temporarily transformed me. It was the idea that a shockingly large quantity of once living creatures (that I suspect were smelts) would be the first course of a meal in which I would go on to eat many more once living creatures. For reasons I no longer remember, I immediately thought of the culture of Tibet, which mandates slaughtering a single animal, a yak, for the good of a community, using all body parts, wasting nothing. That's respect, thrift, goodness, and the most significant term in dining today—ethical eating.
These days almost everyone has the highest ethical standards, to say nothing of a newly published book on the subject. Food writers ponder little except good versus bad, right versus wrong, royalties versus advances. Somehow I was left behind, licking goose fat off my lips, more of a doubter than a believer. I became disillusioned with farmers' markets, which have become boutique shopping malls with elitist prices. I've eaten jewel-like products from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco that awed me, but who among us is able to afford $8-per-dozen free-range eggs laid by grub-eating hens? And how many well-heeled swells are willing to stand in the rain at 7 a.m. waiting for a truck from an organic farm to pull up with the day's meager supply?
When a Whole Foods opened in Manhattan's Time Warner Center in 2004, I walked the aisles, expecting to be awed. After all, Whole Foods has become the mecca of grocery-store goodness for most right-thinking Americans. Instead I counted ninety-nine different sausage products on sale, not my idea of a healthier way of life. Not long ago, I asked a friend of mine, Michael Pecht, to shop with me at his neighborhood branch in Edgewater, New Jersey. As we walked into the store, he told me his definition of ethical eating was to consume only vegetables and to leave the smallest possible carbon footprint, which represents the greenhouse gases emitted in the performance of a task. Then he innocently picked out organic vegetables shipped in from Mexico, Guatemala, California, and Washington. The closest he came to home was shiitake mushrooms from Massachusetts. I wasn't surprised. To me, Whole Foods has commoditized ethics and dazed shoppers with natural snacks, solar panels, composting, and cash back for reusable bags.
Of course, we can obtain plenty of organic products, those grown in California and shipped long-distance in bulk. It's all you can eat, if you care to eat it. I'm convinced that the majority of organic products sold in chain supermarkets are a waste—their only unequivocal virtue is that workers who pick them are saved from breathing inorganic weed killers. My list of worthless organic products ranges from Mexican grape tomatoes (tasteless) to Heinz ketchup (more like salsa than the regular Heinz we cherish). Supermarket organic is not the quick fix, the easy ethical solution, that so many shoppers desire, not when you don't know how the product was grown or how long it's been in transit.
Uncertain whether or not my skepticism made sense, I set off earlier this year on a monthlong journey of ethical enlightenment, a pilgrimage to visit farms, restaurants, and even two of my relatives, who are pretty much the living moral compasses of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Their righteousness does not run in the family. I'm just a guy who eats. I eat more than almost anybody I know, and I eat better than almost anybody I know. I have always eaten exclusively for taste, which seemed like a good plan until now. The idea of my trip was to meet people who labor to raise, grow, prepare, and eat food that meets whatever definition of ethical eating they have embraced. I wasn't seeking audiences with our Aristotles, writer-philosophers such as Michael Pollan. I wanted our artisans. My plan was to listen to them, ask to be led through the riot of morality that has overwhelmed this seemingly honorable cause, find a way to sort through a dizzying and growing array of ethical beliefs: local, seasonable, sustainable, organic, biodynamic, green, environmentally friendly, nontoxic, grass-fed, and labor-friendly, to note most. In addition, I decided that for the thirty days of my trip, I would try to eat not by whatever feeble guidelines of ethical eating I might have picked up in the past few years—primarily avoidance of mushy farm-raised fish—but by paying attention to those I met. No matter where I went, I asked this fundamental question: What does ethical eating mean to you?
I traveled to farms raising animals in North Carolina, Michigan, and Massachusetts, where I was awed not only by the humane treatment of cows, pigs, goats, and sheep but also by the commitment of the people caring for them. I was even impressed with myself, at least for the three days I spent at Tantré Farm in Chelsea, Michigan. Long ago, while in the army, I lived in a tent for five months, but that was a delight compared with my two February nights in central Michigan. The weather was so cold that I slept under five blankets and wore a hooded sweatshirt, pajamas, and socks. Farms provide a commendable way of life for their owners, but insufficient credit is given to those who work on them for wages. I suspect such individuals turn out healthier and more compassionate than city dwellers, and they are inclined to own little clothing except the sort that keeps them warm and dry.
I made my way down to Florida to see the winter farming operation of Satur Farms, which in other seasons grows herbs and vegetables on New York's North Fork. I went up to Maine to visit Eliot Coleman, fabled farmer, and his wife, Barbara Damrosch, gardening authority, to talk to them about the mind-set of the people who are again returning to the land. (Americans do so approximately every thirty years, a cycle as predictable as that of droughts or locusts.) Coleman, recalling those who found salvation in farming in the '60s and '70s, said, "Back then they were against business, whatever their parents did, and The Man. They were hanging out. These days kids know they have to make a living." In Berkeley, the heart of enlightened antiestablishment culture in America, I met Mollie Katzen, who more than thirty years ago compiled her famed vegetarian bible, The Moosewood Cookbook. She reminded me that vegetarianism back then had little to do with vegetables and was mostly about avoiding meat. Those two made me realize that the current ethical-food infatuation is more complex, more positive, more wholesome, and more thoughtful than most popular obsessions that grip this country.
I started my journey with a few preconceived notions. Excused from ethical considerations, I decided, were birthday cakes; Communion wafers; your grandmother's cooking; lemons (since they are indispensable and grow in only a few warm spots); all ancient spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and saffron (since the spice trade basically created modern civilization); and wine, regardless of where it was from. Wine is as much about the land as it is about sustenance and deserves a cultural bye. I asked my niece Nicole Adelman, and her husband Mike Appel, those relatives in Ann Arbor, to keep a diary of the tribulations of eating ethically, which they have been doing for years. Neither one eats meat (although occasionally he weakens for pork), but that seems secondary to their true dedication, which is to eat mindfully. I affectionately refer to them as part of the lunatic fringe of eating, but they decidedly are not. They don't condemn those who fail to eat as they do. They are simply dedicated, and thus tolerable. Appel classifies himself and my niece as "less wacky foodwise than most people in Ann Arbor but certainly more wacky than most people who live elsewhere." (I suspect this comes of living in a university town.) Her diary reinforced what I would soon learn: Eating ethically means constantly asking questions of yourself. It means hearing voices in your head that turn out to be your own. If you are overheard mumbling responses to yourself, only you will understand that you're not a little nuts.
"We went to the People's Food Cooperative in Ann Arbor, where we do our grocery shopping. We're members and can vote on relevant issues. Mike and I have daily discussions. Today it was over garlic. I noticed right next to each other some nice-looking organic garlic from California for $4.99 a pound and also some not-as-nice-looking garlic that was not organic but was very local, from a nearby Michigan farm, for $8.99 a pound. I handed Mike the local stuff, and he put it back. I asked why, because I'm always trying to learn, since I don't seem to get it right. He said the local guy didn't bother to grow it organically and it's a big scam. He believes he can charge more because of the so-called local-food buzz."—Nicole
Ethics in eating, throughout history, have primarily been the purview of a fringe class, including vegans, vegetarians, the religious, and just about anyone else who feels that abstention and restraint constitute an ideal. Remember macrobiotics? Its disciples endured a colorless life of brown food and brown clothing. Today our true believers fervently pursue such principles as ecologically sound, socially just, humane, halal, kosher, nitrite-free, gluten-free, free-range, certified organic, or raw, whatever their cause demands. Yet not even vegans, our ultimate culinary ideologues, can match the commitment of those who dedicate themselves to the land. Farmers are, literally, America's unwashed nobility.
Eberhard Mller and his wife, Paulette Satur, own and operate Satur Farms, located one hundred miles east of New York City, where he used to be chef of the once revered restaurant Lutèce. They recently began winter farming in Florida, and Mller and I are driving from the outskirts of West Palm Beach to his 140-acre plot of leased land. As we come closer, we see black smoke rising and smudging a clear Florida day. He explains to me that the billowing smoke comes from sugarcane being burned before mechanical harvesting, one step in a dubious but established farming practice. Those who are convinced cane sugar is a healthier and thus more ethical product than corn syrup should gaze upon a soot-blackened Florida sky punctuated by crop-dusting planes dropping pesticides while gusts of wind blow away too-dry topsoil.
We are in the Everglades, or what was the northern Everglades until the Army Corps of Engineers drained 700,000 acres of it, more than a quarter of the Great American Swamp. The primary benefactors, as far as I can tell, were sugar producers. The Everglades Agricultural Area, as it is now known, is dead flat and bisected by canals that drain excess water. I don't see a lot to admire, because in this part of America, not much appears to be determined by anything except the core beliefs of retirees, rich folks, and rednecks, all living in incongruous accord. I don't see much in the way of ethical eating, either, although lunch at an obscure spot called Don Café near the airport in West Palm Beach got me thinking about the virtues of food cooked by immigrants. I instinctively felt they had a better appreciation of fresh food than American-born cooks, usually generations removed from farms and other primary sources of food. Don Café offers a weekly lunch plan for $30, a hot meal for farmworkers that's superior to what's available at alternative restaurants, almost all of them chains.
Satur Farms' vegetables, whether grown on Long Island or in Florida, are not beloved by ethical purists who accept nothing but the loftiest ideals. Satur Farms is not biodynamic. It is not 100 percent organic, which means that technically it must be classified as conventional farming. Mller uses organic sprays until something stronger is required to save his crop and compares it to a doctor prescribing orange juice and honey until antibiotics become the only remedy. I'm not even certain the Florida outpost of Satur Farms can be considered sustainable, since Mller and Satur lease the land and their operation could go out of existence at any time. The irresistible virtue of the products—particularly those grown in New York and sold to restaurants and specialty stores in that state—is that they are both local and seasonal. That means they are fresher, tastier, and almost certainly more wholesome than food shipped long-distance. To me, little is of more significance. Unless America is struck by one of those catastrophic famines that plagued Europe in centuries past, I cannot envision any drawback to reliance on local crops. In fact, ethical eating would not be such an unfeasible goal if we had preserved the farms that used to surround our cities, but we've paved over those fields. Small farms have become the vanished rain forests of America.
I do not fantasize about owning property, except maybe a French vineyard. Nevertheless, what Satur Farms does is breathtaking, especially compared with the huge properties that surround it and grow vast quantities of iceberg or romaine lettuce for shipping to out-of-state distributors. I don't romanticize vegetables. I don't believe in their nobility, nor have I been convinced by those who claim plants have feelings and scream silently when tossed into a hot pan. (I wouldn't mind if that were true, since it would require vegans to starve themselves to death.) Still, I find it essential that we stop treating them as insignificant commodities.
In the Satur Farms fields, I see beets and cauliflower of all colors, spinach, radishes, wild arugula, seemingly limitless crops destined for shops and restaurants willing to pay a premium for vegetables approaching perfection. Mller's heads of escarole wear tiny plastic hats so the centers remain white, and each is so huge it is capable of providing a salad course for six or eight. His arugula, just pulled from the ground, is perfect to me, sweet, spicy, and bitter, but perhaps that's because I recently bought arugula at my local supermarket and noted that the huge commercial growers had finally bred the taste out of their crop.
In the Whole Foods market located in nearby Wellington, a community of horsey folks with little but time, money, and saddles, I counted twenty-one kinds of organic vegetables, almost all shipped from California. No Satur Farms produce is on the shelves. Says Mller, "In two generations, we have lost the ability to grow food and distribute it where it came from." His wife, who handles the business end of farming, occasionally deals with wholesalers and says of them, "They don't care if our product is better. They know it is. But if a cheaper product is acceptable, they'll take it. Eberhard and I are mad constantly. We're seething."
The soil at Satur Farms is nearly black, in stark contrast to the dreary and endlessly gray adjacent acreage. Much of that farmland is littered with broken school buses and discarded tires—thoughtless farmers employ used tires in a multitude of ways, not seeming to notice how hideously they deface the earth. The products grown on the nearby lands end up in processing facilities that are to vegetables what meatpacking plants are to cows. If there is such a thing as man's inhumanity to plants, this is where it occurs, not on the stove. Mller's rainbow-hued herbs and vegetables seem unrealistically beautiful, an artist's rendition of idealistic farming, shocking in contrast to the surrounding landscape. Imagine walking into a neglected urban neighborhood and seeing a single Victorian house that has magically survived unharmed. The soil is loamy, deep, and full of nutrients. My feet sink far into it as we walk the rows. He points to an alligator, six or seven feet long, sunning itself on the banks of one of the canals that run through the property, and says, laughing, that one of the men he brought with him from Long Island saw it and was so frightened he wanted to go home. Mller appreciates the diligence of the beast. He says it does voluntary guard duty and nobody comes onto the property at night.
His workers, all from Central America, live in a garden apartment with a swimming pool that Satur Farms rents for them. If there is an injury, which miraculously didn't happen when one of them drove a tractor into a canal the day I arrived, Mller or his wife care for them. He says that freshness is the peak of ethical eating, but he adds two additional definitions of ethics: taking care of employees and not paying them the very minimum allowed by law. He is blunt about the unlikelihood of Americans going to work on farms for the wages that most farmers are able to pay. "If we would charge the proper price for food, farming would be a job Americans would do. It's hard, but it's out in the air, and none of my guys make minimum wage." He says the only time he was accused of abusing them was when he tried to teach them to play tennis, figuring they could use a recreational diversion. According to Mller, they cried out, "No mas! No mas!"
Meat is a part of practically all my meals. Nobody believes that's a levelheaded idea. My ex-wife once suggested to our doctor that I needed a nutritionist, and he replied, "He doesn't need a nutritionist. He needs a psychiatrist." Eating ethically, as I've sheepishly pointed out, wasn't an aspiration of mine prior to this trip, and even during it I realized that I would most likely succumb if offered a prime, dry-aged, grain-fed, succulent strip steak, the unholy grail of unethical eating in America. (The French have their equivalent, the ortolan, a tiny, endangered songbird eaten by depraved aristocrats and government officials on their deathbeds as they insincerely beg forgiveness from God.)
I did not require tutoring in the shame of "commodity meat," animals raised inhumanely on an industrial scale so that consumers might dine rapaciously and crassly while simultaneously saving a few dollars at home, even more in restaurants. I have nothing but contempt for those who eat this way; unfortunately, I have trouble separating myself from those who do. At least I do not feel self-satisfied and manly when ripping into a blood-rare porterhouse with a carved-stag-bone-handled knife. I give myself credit: I know I am morally wrong whenever I yield to the temptation of commodity meat—incidentally, commodity is the latest word in our vocabulary to be bestowed with an entirely new definition.
It now stands for that which is commercial, abundant, and unexceptional, like Brad and Angelina's commodity kids.
We Americans prefer not knowing that the food we eat had a life. That way we don't have to face the awful truth—that the food we eat had to die. We push away fish that arrives whole, with its glazed eyes, distressed not by the fate of the animal but by our own discomfiture, a dinner date ruined. Most of us would prefer that our livestock were treated indifferently, even inhumanely. If we consider animals inconsequential, a meaningless food source, we won't be ill at ease when they emerge from the kitchen nicely cooked. Should we be made to think of them as something that has been hand-raised, named, and sometimes even loved, we become uncomfortable. We are a squeamish people. After this trip, I cooked ethically raised lamb at home and expounded on the fine existence the animal had led. A guest pushed her plate away and said queasily, "You sound like a funeral director."
In my travels I repeatedly came across animals living in exquisite natural balance, operating in harmony under a code of fundamental animal behavior I never knew existed. In Hardwick, Massachusetts, at a farm called Stillman's at The Turkey Farm, the ground floor of the barn is patrolled by two goats who prevent the family dog, which is wary of them, from harassing the sheep, which are penned up with a Norwegian Fjord, a small draft horse that protects them from coyotes out in the fields. It's a Disneyish amalgam of animals living in tranquillity (if not perfect friendship). At MAE Farm in Louisburg, North Carolina, I watched goats, almost impossible to pen up, steeplechasing over a fence, coming home from a neighbor's field and moving more like a flock of birds than a herd of animals. At Rare Earth Farms in Zebulon, North Carolina, I stood at the edge of a meadow of bucolic beauty, with wood posts, strands of wire, and Black Angus cows. The cows came to the fence to greet me, and an owner, Karl Hudson, told me that even in the heat of summer they'll leave the cool of the trees to visit small children who have come to the farm. The alternative is factory farms that treat animals with indifference at best and cruelty at worst, making excessive use of drugs, crates, and cages. If you're wondering, chickens are the most abused of our commodity animals, followed by cows and pigs.
I drove to Chestnut Farms, also in Hardwick, where I was met by Caroline Wise, 19, the daughter of the owners and a student at Smith College. She was walking about the family farmhouse like a new mother, cradling a baby pig she had named Clarabelle and feeding it milk from a bottle. She told me that the piglet was the first for its mother, who had abandoned it and walked away "like a 12-year-old girl who never realized she was pregnant." Wise offered one of the most thoughtful definitions of ethical eating I heard, in essence saying that anybody who eats food has a responsibility to understand the life of that food. "People don't want to know," she said. "We don't want to know that our food had an emotional life." Her intensity, even more than her words, made me realize something essential: All of us like to be conversant in fashionable topics such as ethics. It's less demanding than being knowledgeable about them. The ethics of eating is about more than menu items. It doesn't stop at what's on our plate. It's about life and death.
I mentioned to her that the day would come when Clarabelle would be sent to slaughter, and she said, unfazed, "There's a disconnect between food as a grocery-store product packaged by machine and food that is grown by a person. I know somebody who didn't know eggs came from a chicken."
Foolishly, I asked her where that person lived. She stared at me without admiration and replied, "New York."
"We're eating leftover Chinese food. There was moo shu shrimp, but Mike wouldn't eat the shrimp. He said it wasn't an ethical choice. This confused me, because he's been claiming that I should always opt for shellfish over other fish because they're more ethical. So it seemed to me that eating little shrimp was okay, but he said he meant mussels and scallops and lobster and other hard shellfish. The shrimp, he says, are probably tropical and farmed in big swamps where there used to be mangroves. The owners of the land cut them down, put a levee around the outside edge, created huge shrimp ponds that decimate coastal wetlands, thus making tropical countries more susceptible to sea-level rise and saltwater infiltration and more vulnerable to climate change and big storms."—Nicole
In a tiny, windowless basement office a few blocks from Times Square, a whiteboard filled with multicolored scrawls looks to be the work of a criminal mastermind planning a bank heist. I am in a conference room used by the chefs of Le Bernardin—the very restaurant that twenty years ago brought me that first ethically dubious food, the school of tiny fried fish. I had requested an ethical dinner from the chef, Eric Ripert, and he responded by bringing in members of his staff and asking them to decide what was ethical and what was not. The scribblings are the result.
Ripert practices Buddhism, and he says that if he were to operate his restaurant under those religious teachings, the decision of what to feed customers would be simple: vegetables, nothing else. He cannot very well do that, since his is a seafood restaurant, but he and his chefs discussed the products they would prepare, the price they should charge, and how to make certain my meal was a special experience, the primary obligation of any restaurant of Le Bernardin's reputation. After that he wanted to make certain the fish was sustainable, which he broke down into two essential categories: Was the species of fish he served endangered, and did the practices used to harvest the fish endanger the ocean?
In choosing what to serve, not just the fish and seafood, the staff focused on the local, seasonal, artisanal, and humane. I hadn't prompted Ripert to say this, but he added, "We debated what is better, killing one big or many small animals. To me, the big piece is better, the way a tuna serves fifty people." He even discussed whether it would be unethical of him not to serve local wines—he is no fan of those produced in New York. Ultimately, my meal incorporated a Pinot Noir from Long Island, a wine that his sommelier, Aldo Sohm, admired. Ripert came to what I think is an inevitable conclusion about eating ethically: There is no illuminated path to understanding, no inner light or vision that will reveal all. "The answer," he said, "is to find a balance."
That seems to be the default position of most everyone, including those who are most passionately ethical. Blue Hill at Stone Barns, located in Westchester County, New York, is the restaurant of an agricultural center whose barns were built in the 1930s so the children of the Rockefellers could benefit from fresh milk. (We tend to idealize the wholesome values of an earlier America, but it seems that nutritious food wasn't always so obtainable back then.) Today, updated at enormous expense, the old Rockefeller property is a farm, an animal-breeding facility, and a destination restaurant with Dan Barber as chef.
He will not deviate from his conviction that vegetables must be grown organically. Yet when I ate there, he had just flown in sockeye salmon from Alaska (seemingly a violation of carbon-footprint idealism) because he has faith that the fisheries up there are "the best-managed in the world." Nor is he bothered by eating meat, as one might expect a chef so devoted to vegetables to be. He said, "You cannot have a diverse, successful ecological system without animals. Particularly here. We are not in vegetable territory. Where we are, the environment is telling you to eat meat. We should pursue a diet based on what the land is telling us to grow."
Essentially, Barber is recommending limits on our habit of eating whatever we want whenever we want it, making him an advocate of seasonal and local to the extreme. It sounds terribly restrictive, but of course it is reasonable: We would eat what we are used to eating, which is basically the definition of comfort food. Like all the chefs I met, most with reputations for paying attention to ethical eating, Barber was convincing. My only surprise was their tendency to justify—or rationalize, depending on your point of view—the use of farm-raised fish. This is controversial. For each person who believes that the practice pollutes the oceans, or that it might result in genetically modified fish being released into the population, or that it's wrong to feed ground-up wild fish to farm-raised fish, there's another who believes it's a way of preserving our vanishing wild-fish population. I could not fault the taste of the farm-raised fish I ate, nor did I feel I was being deprived of the best in luxurious products. This extended to sushi, although I'm certain that aficionados of toro, the fatty belly of the recklessly overfished bluefin tuna, might feel destitute if obligated to carry on without it. (Certainly the Japanese feel this way.) My favorite sushi happens to be raw scallop, and at the restaurant Tataki, in San Francisco, I was served "suspension-farmed" scallops from Japan. When I asked how this worked, the waiter said, "Picture a chandelier, a scallop chandelier."
Unless you require toro, now a primary luxury food, I see little reason to prefer sushi that comes from a species in danger of extinction to that from an abundant species. American spiny lobster is a fine substitute for Caribbean spiny lobster. You won't miss a thing. The terrible truth, one that sushi gluttons hate to face, is that one raw fish tastes pretty much the same as the next—it's like trying to differentiate one member of the Radio City Rockettes from another. Anyway, when eating sushi, we're supposed to say it's about the rice.
I met Rabbi Avrohom Keller, who supervises kosher food at the restaurant Le Marais in Manhattan. Kosher slaughter practices, until recently thought to be humane, are now being questioned because religious tenets do not call for animals to be stunned beforehand. The rabbi said, "The laws of slaughtering animals are God-given, and nobody has a right to change them," but he added that stunning animals is not discussed in the Torah, the Jewish legal texts. Therefore whether or not to allow it has become the purview of influential rabbis. "It is likely that some will find it permissible, and others will find it not permissible," he said. "The majority would say no, but you can find a rabbi who says what you want to believe, and you can follow his way of living." I've taken a stand on the ethics of kosher killing, and this is it: All things considered, the Jews treat animals a whole lot better than the world has treated the Jews. My vote is to leave the Jews alone.
Brad McDonald, a chef at Crabtree's Kittle House in Westchester, is as meticulous about products as anyone I know, and his sweet-and-sour Berkshire pork-belly confit from the farm of John Ubaldo in Cambridge, New York, was of unmatched sweetness. He sent out farm-raised halibut from Scotland and lamb loin from Laid Back Lamb in New York's Hudson Valley. When I asked McDonald about ethics, he replied, "The owner of Laid Back Lamb, Dane Martindale, actually names his animals. I've wrestled with that." Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa in Boston prepared meat from pigs that he had fed and touched, which raised this ethical point: "I felt the pressure. I had to do them justice."
Michelle Bernstein, chef-owner of Michy's in Miami, served fried pigs' ears of astounding delicacy because, she said, "Ethical is using parts of the animal that other people discard." Although we seem to be increasing the consumption of less-cherished animal parts, thanks mostly to chefs who practice nose-to-tail cooking, we remain an overstuffed nation that worships such illustrious cuts of meat as the strip loin. We're willing to throw almost anything away.
Nobody loves pigs more than Ed Mitchell, chef and co-owner of The Pit, in Raleigh, North Carolina, the only ethical barbecue establishment I've come across in a lifetime of hungering for barbecue. His uncomplicated philosophy is that restaurants should get back to what's right, which is growing and serving food the way it used to be done. "The difference between an animal raised naturally and one raised industrially is in both humaneness and flavor—the sweetness, the succulence, the moisture," he said. He's right, of course. The meat from his hogs, raised on small farms and cooked whole over hickory, oak, and charcoal, possesses incomparable purity and richness. I suspect the small farmers who supply his pork deserve the honor of being called American artisans. The word artisan, much like the word ethical, has become a culinary catchphrase, too often used indiscriminately and excessively, usually for self-promotion. These producers raise meat of exquisite value in tiny quantities. What is artisanal if not that?
The Pit, located in a refurbished meatpacking plant, also serves the most unlikely ethical product to be found in a barbecue restaurant anywhere: tofu, made locally in Morrisville, North Carolina. The Pit is one of the most principled meatcentric restaurants in America, although I suppose it can be criticized for offering complimentary valet parking to customers. This does not encourage the use of mass transit.
Erik Desjarlais, chef-owner of Evangeline in Portland, Maine, added another ethical category. He told me that when purchasing lobster and shrimp locally, he has this thought: I buy that and the person I buy it from buys shoes for his kids. Tony Maws of Craigie on Main in Cambridge, Massachusetts, served the collarbone of a sea trout, usually discarded in American restaurants, like the ear of a pig. It was marinated, roasted, and scented with chilies. He said, "When considering 'ethical,' a restaurant also has to take into account the back end—the energy used by lightbulbs and dishwashing, paper tablecloths versus cloth, waste, even take-home containers. Doesn't ethical involve giving the staff health care? The customer has to be aware, too. You drove here. Why didn't you use public transportation?" Okay, call me a hypocrite, but you try taking Boston's Red Line on a Sunday night.
"We usually buy the local milk that's not organic, but also it's not from a milk pool, and it's hormone-free. It's in a glass bottle, which we bring back for a deposit each time. The bottles get reused. It's $3.35 for a half gallon. The alternative is less local but organic milk that comes in a plastic jug and is $5.99 a gallon. After some discussion, we opted for the more expensive local milk because even though the plastic jug gets recycled, it's more energy-intensive than reusing glass bottles. Mike tells me that those empty plastic jugs get shipped in huge bos to the dairy, so they take up a lot of resources in the shipping process. And they created the plastic from petroleum. Making glass requires tons more energy than making plastic bottles, but the glass is reused and reused and reused. But even that has a downside, because they have to be sterilized with very hot water before reusing. He also said that every time we break one of those glass bottles, it's a tragedy for the planet, because apparently there's no market for recycled glass right now. It's cheaper to go scoop sand out of the quarry and make new glass bottles than to buy recyclable broken glass. Mike tells me it gets ground up and used as road base. I want to know this: Where does he store all this information?" —Nicole
I came to some conclusions. Dining can no longer be entirely about gratification; it also has to be about vegetables. The best I ate were Charlotte potatoes of unmatched purity grown in Maine by Eliot Coleman and Mokum carrots of otherworldly sweetness grown by Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barns. I developed high regard for the underrated winter vegetables kohlrabi (raw, it has sweetness and turnip-like crunch) and kale (roasted with olive oil, it's addictively crisp). You can have meat, but only if it's humanely raised on farms by people who willingly endure more discomfort than the animals in their care. Today, even Mollie Katzen eats meat. "For decades I ate brown rice, broccoli, and tofu," she told me. "And I felt tired, depressed, and irritable. As I've aged, I've felt a need for animal protein."
Preparing a quick and ethical meal for myself proved nearly impossible. It was the same for my friends. When Michael Pecht returned from our shopping trip to Whole Foods and attempted to cook an ethical meal for his family, he ended up complaining, as everyone who isn't a well-trained cook inevitably will, about the time it took. "When you cook ethically, every ingredient is in its most elemental form," he said. A friend in California who had bought half a grass-fed cow and struggled to prepare it properly told me she finally learned from her housekeeper to "cook like a peasant," relying mostly on braising to tenderize the meat. I was hopeless. Not only was I unhappy with the quality of the presumably ethical products available, I also lacked the knowledge to cook them efficiently. I didn't have the skills. I didn't have the strategies. When preparing food ethically, you must plan. It's more like a mission than a meal. Nothing is obvious or instinctive.
We are no longer a nation of cooks. We are reheaters and microwavers—when we don't substitute takeout. Cooking from scratch would require a seismic shift in the American way of thinking about food. It requires shopping, chopping, heating, and most of all, deliberation. We would have to change the thrust of our lives and no longer spend our free time seeking personal development and managing our Twitter accounts. Kitchen labor is something your grandmother accepted, and she probably didn't complain about it, either.
I had wonderful home-cooked meals, even if none of them were my own. Mitchell Davis of the James Beard Foundation prepared an ethical dinner for me, but he lost credibility when I realized that the knives at his place settings had rhinoceros-horn handles. Barbara Damrosch cooked a pasture-raised chicken from Old Ackley Farm in Blue Hill, Maine, that was a dream realized. It was one of the few times in my chicken-loving life that a free-range chicken tasted as meaty and profound as promised.
One day I brought home two packages of country ribs from a Stop Shop. I cooked them identically, in the same roasting pan. The cheaper, run-of-the-meat-counter ribs came out juicy. The pinker and prettier ribs labeled Nature's Promise, a delu store brand guaranteeing "all natural…no antibiotics administered…no growth stimulants or added hormones…fed a vegetarian diet," were dry, tough, and tasteless. In time I understood how nonsensical, wasteful, and unethical virtually all packaging promises have become. Advertising claims are doing for our metabolism what investment banking did for our economy. American food companies employ so many deliberate distortions that nothing they say can be trusted. They aren't in business to assist us. They're in business to entice us, and they seem willing to do anything short of breaking whatever ineffectual laws we have.
I suggest you write your congressman to demand a ban on TV food advertising. Remember that all commercial products that are fortified, portion-controlled, enhanced, powerized, and supposedly better for you are not. We eat every foodstuff in this country that promises health and very little that delivers it. (Only your doctor or your mother should tell you what to eat, and these days I'm not so sure about Mom.)
While you're at it, here's something else to tell Congress: Every American should be required to kill a chicken or grow a vegetable. It's good training, an alternative to the compulsory military service we don't have.
We have become a nation where the rich eat one way and the poor another, unlike, say, in Italy, where the perfect tomato is admired by all. We no longer regard food as a gift, the way so many foreign cultures and religious families do. Instead of giving thanks and expressing gratitude on holidays, we gorge ourselves with meat. I blame Norman Rockwell, who painted the ideal Thanksgiving dinner, a dimpled family sitting around an overstuffed table as Grandma brings out a sacrificial thirty-pound turkey in order to satisfy her family's overdeveloped carnivoral lust. If it makes you feel better, we're not the only society that has the wrong idea about food. The Japanese produce the most perfect, delicious fruit in the world, then go out and slaughter the maximum number of whales.
There are still people out there who believe we can put our nation into reverse and learn to eat correctly. One is Eliot Coleman. When I told him it couldn't be done, he replied, "You mean like people in the 1940s saying it was impossible for a human being to run a four-minute mile?"
I argued this with Alice Waters, whose restaurant, Chez Panisse, is famous for the deliberation that goes into every product served. She is eternally optimistic, which of course I am not.
I told her that the turnaround so desperately needed was unattainable, and she said, "There's only one way. Go into the schools and teach our children very, very young. Begin in kindergarten, before they develop their addiction to salt, sugar, and fast food."
I reminded her that school cafeterias were disasters where the rustling of food being unwrapped had replaced the clang of pots and clatter of plates. She said that children in schools should be given free meals, prepared from local products, cooked on stoves.
I mentioned that we have lost not just our love of cooking but also our will to cook. I told her about young women in Manhattan with three items in their refrigerators: wine, vodka, and nail-polish remover. We have more people with eating disorders than eating ethics in New York. I told her about me, defeated in my quest to eat ethically.
"You need a crash course in making a vinaigrette and slicing an onion," she said. "Everybody should have a few things under their belt. Sauté greens with garlic. Scramble an egg. Make a chicken stock. Once you know those things, you can make a meal in ten or fifteen minutes."
She made it sound uncomplicated. And perhaps it is. In truth, ethics is a simple concept. It prevents us from doing whatever the hell we want to do, puts the brakes on unseemly expressions of free will. The simple fact that the word has entered the mainstream and is not automatically being dismissed as elitist, holier-than-thou pretentiousness is a positive development. Even the emergence of culinary ethicists as our new gurus—replacing, I hope, diet counselors—is hopeful, as long as they avoid the appalling answer that America always embraces: quick-fix books. Nevertheless, I'm not convinced we'll become a nation where man, beast, and vegetable live in exquisite natural harmony. That is not the American way.
Food has become a great national dilemma, a dizzying near calamity. The people I met managed to briefly dissipate my gloom, but none offered a realistic solution. We are still in the most elemental stage, trying to articulate the crisis in a way that will stimulate change.
Marion Nestle, a teacher of food and nutrition, spoke of "the tension between convenience and ethics," which nicely sums up where we stand, in an academic sense. One of my niece's friends proposed what I believe is the most easily understood guideline for eating ethically when she said that it came down to "not eating like an asshole." How sad that in America today, even that seems an unattainable ideal.
alan richman _is a _GQ correspondent.