Calder, Untitled (Mobile), 1959, Courtesy of The JPMorgan Chase Art Collection

Fascinated by kinetics, by movement and physics, Calder studied engineering and would go on to find work as an automotive and hydraulics engineer, before committing himself entirely to art. In the early 1920s, Calder settled in New York, adopting the bohemian life of the era and working for hire as an illustrator. Eventually, Calder would follow the wave of creative expats relocating to Paris. It was in France where he would begin to sculpt his first major works.

Calder's Studio on the Rue de la Colonie, Paris, 1931, Photo by Marc Vaux

Utilizing metal wire as a flexible alternative to harder metals, Calder discovered a method of bending and cutting which allowed him to create complex images and shapes – among these – portraits of his circle of friends, which included the artists Marcel Duchamp and Joan Miro.

Meanwhile, Calder was also experimenting with abstract painting, more sculptures (both wood and metal) and classic illustration. Finally, in 1931, he experienced a tremendous breakthrough. By marrying his artistic explorations with his engineering skills Calder created his first truly kinetic sculptures, a series of objects powered by motors and cranks and which his colleague Duchamp dubbed “mobiles.” Calder’s invention literally created a new form of art, a genre to which he was immediately devoted.

Feathers, 1931, Wire, wood, lead & paint 38 1/2 x 32 x 16 in., Courtesy of Calder Foundation

These mobile were a revelation, hanging, moving works which seem suspended in air and powered by invisible forces. Formed of floating bits of colored metal, each piece cut into abstract yet simple shapes – teardrops, triangles – they were both playful and mysterious. The mobile would come in all shapes and sizes, some suited to hang in sunlit window, others to be suspended above the massive entries of public buildings. No matter the size, Calder had hit upon something truly unique. There had been nothing quite like them before, and his colorful mobiles went on to become a worldwide sensation.

Rouge Triomphant, 1963, sheet metal, rod & paint 110 x 230 x 180 in., Courtesy of O'Hara Gallery

After returning to the States in the mid-1930s, Calder was embraced by the American art world, hired to create sets for Martha Graham ballets and construct massive versions of his sculpture in outdoor public displays. Some of these monumental works include everything from an enormous mobile for JFK airport in New York to a 67 foot tall piece that welcomed visitors to the Olympic Games in Mexico City.

Alexander Calder, Roaring with his Circus Lion, 1971, Courtesy of Calder Foudation.

Today Calder’s works are reproduced in large numbers, and his hanging mobiles, colorful and complex works of moving Modern art, mark his legacy as one of the most prolific and imaginative artists of the 20th Century.

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Image by jakob Mosur, Courtesy of Chronicle

Kaufmann Mercantile: What kind of pumpkin grows to be 1,323 pounds, anyway?
Dan Carlson: It’s a Dill’s Atlantic Giant – or just ‘Atlantic Giant’. Howard Dill is the guy who developed the seed way back in the sixties, I think.

KM: How do you grow it?
DC: Basically you grow a plant for two months, and then you get a pumpkin started by hopefully early June, and then you got the month of June and July, and then you got August to get it as big as you can possibly get it.  And at that point… well, this fruit that won this year was 65 days old.

Dill's Atlantic Giant Seeds

KM: Do you live on a farm?
DC: Nope, I live in town.  My pumpkin patch is in the empty lot next to my house.

KM: When you wake up in the morning, do you go straight out to your pumpkins to see how much weight they’ve put on in the night?
DC: [This year's winning pumpkin] put on about 950 pounds in the month of July.  With 31 days in July, it averaged about 31 – 32 pounds a day.  That’s a pretty good grower.

KM: Will you harvest the seeds from this pumpkin for next year or will you buy new seeds?
DC: Nope, I’ve never bought a seed and I’ve never sold a seed.  I usually give them away for those who want to try it.

KM: Nice.  So this year’s seed?  Where did it come from?
DC: This particular seed that we grew this year was from our 1370-pounder that had been attacked by a groundhog two years earlier…a groundhog had come in and started eating it and – yeah, pretty much cost us a good pumpkin there.  That was 2008.  Oh well, that’s the way it goes sometimes.  Pretty much if it can go wrong, you pretty much experience it – but that’s how it goes in the pumpkin world.

Image by Robert Guth, Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal

KM: What else has gone wrong in the pumpkin world?
DC: I’ve had ‘em blow up, I’ve had ‘em split – hail.  Hail is hard as hell on ‘em, let me tell you.

KM: How do they blow up?
DC: They grow too fast and blow up on one side.  You’re growing a freak of nature that’s about as fragile as an egg.  You’re going against all odds, and a lot of stuff goes wrong.

KM: Do you ever name your pumpkins?
DC: Aw years ago maybe, but you don’t want to get too friendly with them, because they can disappoint you so quickly.

KM: What are your secrets to success?
DC: Well, one of them is that you gotta have good seeds.  But another one is you gotta have nice, fertile soil and we use nothing but natural stuff.  We get our manure from the Blue Hill Dairy in Andover.  They got some of the best crap in eastern Iowa, let me tell ya.  We use manure, leaves in the fall, and we get all that to break down – we run a soil test to make sure the Ph level is where we’d like to see it, but as far as putting chemical 10/10/10 or 20/20/20 – I haven’t put a chemical like that on my patch for probably ten years now.   I do spray for a couple of bugs that if I didn’t spray, they’d kill me – but other than that, I don’t use anything I don’t have to use.  We’re not totally organic, but we try to be as organic as possible, and the pumpkins really seem to like it.

1524 Pound Pumpkin, Thad Starr of Pleasant Hill, Oregon

KM: Can you imagine if a boar grew to that size in 65 days?
DC: Yeah, I don’t think anything in the world puts on 40 pounds in 24 hours – or 50 pounds.  We’ve had them put on as much as 60 pounds in 24 hours, but those are the ones that blow up.

KM: Have you ever had a pumpkin come out looking like someone you know, or something?
DC: I can’t tell you what my pumpkin kind of looked like this year.

KM: C’mon.  What?
DC: Did you notice that lump on the one side that stuck out?

KM: I’ll have to study my photograph, because I can’t say that one lump stuck out for me.
DC: Well there’s one lump that looks just like a boar nut.  I’m not kidding you – if you took a picture of the boar (and you can’t help but notice [his nuts]), and you took a picture of the pumpkin at the right angle, you would swear it’s the same thing.

FURTHER READING
Big Pumpkins – Giant Pumpkin Community
The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth
Iowa State Fair

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Meyer lemons are less acidic than the standard lemon, and have bright, thin skins with an aromatic, almost herbal scent. The description hardly does it justice. Meyer lemons are delightful. As their season wanes, save a dozen or two to preserve.

Fragrance of the Lemon Peel by Ilya Zomba, Oil on Canvas, 1997, Courtesy of Zombart

Sugar preserves the lemons, and pectin is what makes it into marmalade, instead of just a glass of sugary juice full of peels. Pectin occurs naturally in the rind and seeds of citrus fruits, and there’s enough in the lemons of this recipe to keep you from having to supplement it with a store-bought thickener. The trick with marmalade is giving pectin enough time to develop and boiling the juice and sugar to 220° F so the mixture gels together as it cools. Unless you plan on immediately eating the whole batch, the jars must be sterilized and processed to keep bacteria from forming in the damp, dark recesses of the stored container.

This recipe has always worked for me, but don’t double it. Volume and proportion relative to heat is important for getting the marmalade right. Besides normal marmalade uses, you can also stir this into some bubbly water for an off-season lemonade or use it to sweeten cocktails.

Botanical Drawing of a Lemon, Courtesy of Botanical

PREPARATION

Put two glass plates in the freezer. Make sure you have a 5-quart non-reactive pot, 6 ½-pint sealing jars, cheesecloth or a coffee filter, and kitchen string.

Ingredients: 6 Meyer lemons (1 ½ lbs.); 4 cups of water; 4 cups of sugar

1.     Quarter each lemon lengthwise. Remove the seeds and collect them in the cheesecloth. Tie the little bag of seeds with kitchen string and place it in the pot.

2.     Thinly slice the lemons and scoop them into the pot. Cover the pot and let the lemons soak with the seeds on the kitchen counter for 24 hours.

3.     With the seeds still in the pot, bring the lemon mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir in the sugar and boil over moderate heat for 15 to 30 minutes. At this stage, the sugar thickens and will not gel when cool until it reaches the right temperature. You can test this with a candy thermometer, or by putting a few drops onto the frozen plate. If the drops turn to jelly on the plate, the marmalade is good to go. The longer you cook it, the more caramel-y and solid it gets. I think the marmalade tastes best erring on the lighter side.

4.     While the marmalade simmers, sterilize the jars. The method differs depending on the jars you use, but the point is to boil off absolutely all the bacteria in the jars and lids before filling.

5.     Ladle the hot marmalade into the jars until they are ¼ inch from the top. Wipe the rims with a damp cloth and place the lids.

6.     Jars need to be processed in a water-bath canner to activate the rubber seal. This is essentially a large pot with a wire rack set at the bottom to keep the jars from making direct contact with the heat source. Water should be filled at least an inch above the top of the jars. Bring the water to a boil, and boil the jars for 5 minutes. Remove the jars with tongs and let them cool completely on a rack. The marmalade should gel as it cools, and opened jars should be stored in the refrigerator.

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Steve McQueen and Neile Adams Taking Sulphur Bath, Los Angeles, June 1963, Photo by John Dominis

First, let’s define what it means for a wine to be organic, biodynamic or natural. Calling a wine natural implies that the grapes are organic, harvested by hand and fermented with wild yeasts. The wine should have little to no sulfites. Sounds good, but ‘natural’ is a somewhat controversial term – there is currently no established process certifying that the wine was produced with limited technological intervention.

Organic is a term loaded with many meanings and connotations. Wines labeled organic are simply made with organically grown grapes, which is only one step of the wine-making process. Although this guarantees that you have no unwanted added ingredients to your wine, such as pesticide residues, there is no certainty that the environment surrounding the vineyards has been cared for.

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), Courtesy of Despertar Conciencia

Biodynamic is a stricter organic standard developed by Austrian scientist Rudolf Steiner in 1924. Growing, harvesting and production techniques revolves around the central tenet that the farm itself is a living being. Any wine claiming to be biodynamic must follow strict regulations laid down by the Demeter Association, which incorporates a wider range of growing standards beyond simple organic methods. This standard means that native plants and animals are included in the vineyard environment, ensuring that the well-being not only of the vineyard itself, but the entire ecosystem that it is connected to.

But is all of this additional time and effort really necessary when picking out a bottle of wine? According to a recent report by Dr. Magali Delmasat at U.C. Santa Barbara, eco-labeling is more of a marketing strategy than an indication of which vineyards are organic and which are not. The study asserted that many wines are not labeled organic, despite the fact that they adopt organic practices. Surprisingly, this is due to the negative perception that many consumers have of an organic or biodynamic wine. Because wine is often associated with a specific region, which is embodied in its taste (terroir), consumers believe that if organic is the main focus, taste will be abandoned in favor of maintaining organic standards. This leads to a negative bias against organic wine and even a rejection of wines that bear the organic label.

Bordeaux Advertising, Circa 1933, Courtesy of Antiques Plus

After reading the study, I went back to the wine store and bought two wines from similar regions — one biodynamic and the other conventionally produced. I paid about twenty dollars for each wine. While both were good quality, the biodynamic wine, full of lush dark fruit and a hint of spiciness, won out in taste. None of the flavors overpowered the wine and I fell in love with the first sip.  Several factors besides being biodynamic could have made the wine better. Maybe the terroir was simply superior, the vintage was particularly good, or the production more skilled. But the point is that just because a wine is labeled eco-friendly, doesn’t mean that the taste will suffer.

The protracted process of certification – known to take between three and seven years – and cost a substantial fee, is a lot to of work for a label that may make a wine less marketable and perhaps even diminish its price. It is hardly surprising that some vineyards opt to keep their status a secret.

Wine-making traditions that extend beyond the relatively new trend of organic labeling can make certification unnecessary by implication. Certain regions in France and South America have historically used minimal pesticides and have been making organic or almost organic wine long before it was a marketable concept. Yet a recent study by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) showed that the temptation of yield-enhancing pesticides can trump traditional practices. Out of 40 wines tested, the only wines that had a minimal amount of pesticides were those labeled organic.

Courtesy of Vacca Vineyards

Another thing to consider is the distance between you and the vineyard the wine comes from. In a country as vast as the U.S., for example, a wine shipped from California to New York actually uses more energy for transport than a wine that comes from France. A study by the American Association of Wine Economists found that the cut-off for Californian wines is approximately Ohio. East of Ohio, you’re better off drinking a wine from Western Europe.

A good wine is hard to find, and a label is more complicated than it looks. If you want to make sure that your wine is organic or biodynamic, eco-certification is the fastest way to know. However, your favorite wine could already have organic standards and could simply be uninterested in marketing themselves this way. The bottom line is to look into the vineyard practices to get a better idea of what their policies are, or look past its bad reputation and use that handy eco-label.

"Unwind with a Little German", Ad for Schmitt Sohne Wines, Courtesy of Adiocracy

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Pipe Models "Meerschaum" ("Sea Foam") and Nylon, 1974-1976

Bauhaus brought the world mass-produced modernism, but it was post-war Finland that was ready to carry the torch. Never having had a tradition of lavishness or luxury materials, Finnish designers embraced the concept of clean lines and truth to materials, and combined it with a naturalist craftsman feel.

Courtesy of Tapio Wirkkala Rut Bryk Foundation (Click on Image to Enlarge)

Tapio was trained as a decorative carver and sculptor, graduating in 1936 from the Institute of Industrial Arts in Helsinki. He was so adept in his art, that he would often carve the molds for his pieces by hand, including the ones made of metal. This unusual level of personal skill ensured that the hand of the designer was evident in the final product, and allowed him more control over the surfaces and textures of each piece than if he were simply handing over a stack of flat sketches to be interpreted by the factory foreman.

"Ultimate Thule" Sculpture, Laminated Birch, 1967

Today, when design consumers think of Tapio Wirkkala we think of elegantly carved wood and sophisticated chunky glass, but for many years his most widely recognized design contributions were the table service for Finnair and the Finlandia Vodka bottle.

Jäänsäro (Iceblock), molded & cut crystal, 230 mm diameter, Produced by Littala Glassworks 1951-1969, Courtesy of Finnish Glass Museum

The collection for Finnair, particularly the cutlery and the eggcup, were no doubt inspired by Tapio’s time in New York working for Raymond Loewy. This was the era of streamlined, motion-inspired design, and Tapio looked to the innovative form of the jet, particularly the wing, to inform the collection. In addition to accessorizing the heyday of international jet-setting, Tapio designed many, many utilitarian products that do not bear his name: plastic toilet seats, wall sockets, light bulbs, and ketchup bottles. This legacy of careful design paid to everyday objects is perhaps what endears him most to the Finnish people and makes him unique among internationally lauded designers.

Bolle Bottles, 1968, Produced by Venini

As much as he influenced the design of everyday things, Tapio was best known as a glass designer. Among his most memorable collections were Ultima Thule for Littala, a Finnish company, and Bolle for the Italian glass house, Vinini .

First row: "Caravelle Cup", Produced by Stroemfors 1960-1972. Second Row: "Lufthansa Cup", Never Produced.

Ultima Thule was inspired by the Finnish landscape, with vases, glasses and pitchers cast with the look of eternally melting ice. The original molds for the collection were hand carved by Tapio in wood, so that the first pouring of hot dripping glass altered the mold as it ran down the sides, making the distinctive dripping effect.

'Caravelle' Flatware Series, 1960, Designed for Finnair

The Bolle collection makes beautiful use of incalmo, the Italian technique that uses two or more colors for blown glass. Tapio worked very closely with the master glassblowers at Vinini to perfect the colors and blow the glass as thinly as possible.

Whether working with plastic or fine crystal, his own hands or directing a master Murano glassblower, Tappio Wirkkala was dedicated to making art. High-brow or low, sleek or crafty, he always produced something delightful.

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Underwater Image of Waves Breaking by Mark Tipple, Courtesy of Telegraph UK

WD-40 issues 1950s style collector’s can by Philip Kennicott, The Washington Post
“Can a toxic liquid that feels like some frothy byproduct of making jet fuel or plastic really attract online fans?”

NRDC Ratings for a Selection of U.S. Popular Beaches, NRDC
“Each star indicates that this beach met a specific standard”

Display
“a curated collection of important graphic design books”

Photographer captures amazing underwater images of waves breaking by Mark Tipple, Telegraph UK (pictured)
“heavy enough to hurt”

Is Coconut Water Really Better Than Sports Drinks? by Kiera Butler, Mother Jones
“a natural alternative to Viagra”

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African American Cotton Workers, Courtesy of Voices Education Project (Click on Image to Enlarge)

Traditionally farmed cotton employs the use of a massive amount of pesticides. While cotton accounts for only 2.5% of the globe’s total cultivated land, the crop uses a whopping 16% percent of the world’s insecticide. In fact, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, pesticide usage for cotton runs “3 to 5 times greater per hectare than applications of pesticides to corn.” That’s a whole lot of chemical gook per acre.

Grades of cotton, Courtesy of Lowell Mills

Which is all the more troubling when you realize that all of that chemically tainted cotton will be used to make everything from baby pajamas to bedsheets – everyday items that come into direct and constant contact with sensitive human skin. One conventional cotton T-shirt, for example, uses almost a third of a pound of pesticide – practically the weight of the shirt itself. That’s 140 grams of insecticide pressed against your body.

Weighing Sacks of Cotton, Postcard, Courtesy of Textile Industry History

On the upside, this has led to a boom in organic growing alternatives; methods of production that negate the use of harmful chemicals. The transition to organic cotton begins with the seed. Certified growers must abandon genetically modified seed in favor of traditional seeding techniques. It also requires healthy soil development, and aggressive, but biologically sound pest control, including compost, mulch, hand weeding and crop rotation. The resulting cotton is markedly kinder to the environment.

Cotton Plants, Courtesy of Earth Wear

However, that is not to say it is without its drawbacks. Firstly, the majority of organic cotton is grown abroad, mainly in South East Asia, India and China. This means a hefty carbon footprint in getting that t-shirt from here to there. Thankfully, this may soon change, as states such as New Mexico and California up their domestic organic cotton production. But, with 71% of our 15 million cotton acres in the States still grown with genetically engineered “Roundup Ready” and “Bt” varieties, there is still a long way to go.

Map of the “Cotton Kingdom,” Courtesy of The New York Public Library

Secondly, between the laborious growing methods, and the manufacturers’ defiance of old school industrial sweatshop production, items made from organic cotton can cost between 10 and 45 percent more than conventional cotton products. But, as demand grows, there’s good reason to believe those numbers will decline. Sales of organic cotton have increased rapidly in the U.S., climbing from $69 million in 2002 to $521 million in 2009, which has led major brands like Patagonia and Nike, as well as a fast-growing number of smaller, independently owned companies, to embrace the use of more organic materials. The result has not only been a boom to the few American upstart farmers who can offer certified organic, it has also helped to reduce the material’s expense.

Men opening bales of cotton at the White Oak Mill in Greensboro, North Carolina, Courtesy of National Museum of American History (Click on Image to Enlarge)

So, while difficult to produce, and an underdog on the market, organic cotton is still much better for you and the environment, which means a calmer conscience all around. I admit that, “doing the right thing” does come with a price. But really, isn’t it worth it?

Article first published at COMMERCE WITH A CONSCIENCE

FURTHER READING
Commercial Appeal
Epoch Times
Green Living Tips
Grist
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
Organic Exchange
Organic Trade Association

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Giò Ponti, Courtesy of Life Magazine (Click to Enlarge)

He was born in Milan Italy in 1891, the only child of a middle class family. Ponti suffered a sickly and lonely childhood, but credits this for focusing him on his immediate environment and cultivating a work ethic and attention to detail.

Giò Ponti for Richard Ginori, Courtesy of Craig van den Brulle

In the early ‘20s Giò participated in and helped organize Triennial exhibitions of art and design in Monza and Milan. These exhibitions were instrumental in ushering in the Italian avant-garde. Though he was around its players, he never joined the Futurist movement or Group 7. His dedication to the immediate and concrete kept him on the edges of the theoretical debates. He was in love with the practice of architecture, reportedly working in his studio up to 20 hours a day. He busied himself with the search for the finite form; not ruminating on the need for radical or sweeping changes.

Dormitio Poltrona Chair

In 1928 he founded Domus magazine, an architecture and design publication that is still in print today.  He did not shy away from using Domus as his soapbox, lecturing on everything from family lifestyle to his theories of architecture as crystal, but his pluralist stance, and love of life always kept him from being overly self-referential or dogmatic. He was Editor-in-Chief of Domus almost continuously until his death in 1979.

Domus Magazine

Ponti wanted a modernism that was his own, site specific; functional with a lightness and elegance, saying, “the public wants the fantastic, the comfort of the fantastic.”

He was a friend and admirer of Le Corbusier and the Bauhaus masters, but he was not, as Frank Lloyd Wright once said, one of “those glass box boys”. Ponti’s rationalist yet decorative tendency takes more aesthetic cues from the Viennese masters whom he admired than any International Style heavy hitter.

Apta Table, Giò Ponti 1970

Looking at Ponti’s oeuvre you would be hard pressed to classify him as belonging to any particular style or camp. He was dedicated to the assignment at hand. He cared about human scale, sense of entry and ritual. He was a humanist, but did not consider Brutalism or socialist modernism to be anti-humanist; he was simply dedicated to his own form of humanism. His early work for ceramicist Richard-Ginori is neo-classical in motif, colorful and whimsical, it predicts some of the postmodern gimmicks of the 1970s and ‘80s.

Painting by Giò Ponti

His penchant for and mastery of faceted, angular, elegance in architecture and industrial design foreshadows the clumsier and teched-out work of Zaha Hadid and Daniel Libeskind. His furniture designs in wood, particularly the dinning collection for Cassina (still in production) and tables for M Singer & Sons show the influence of Danish modernism.

Drawing of Lounge Chair by Giò Ponti

Ponti voraciously pursued a life that celebrated living and an architecture that captured the spirit and complexity of modern life, he was in search of finite form.

Ponti Floor Lamp, Brass with Enamel Head, 1965, Courtesy of frankandoliver (Click on Image to Enlarge)

FURTHER READING:

Design Museum, Gio Ponti Biography

Domus Magazine

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Heirloom Tomato, Courtesy of Oui Chef Cook

The word heirloom has been tossed around farmer’s markets and food magazines for years, often without much regard given to the actual meaning of the term. It seemed a stylish food spread simply wasn’t complete without an heirloom tomato. With the rise in interest in urban homesteading and the Grow Your Own movement putting modern consumers in charge of their food’s origin, the idea of growing heirlooms now goes beyond culinary trend – it’s about protecting biodiversity in the food supply and preserving our agricultural heritage.

Country Gentleman, Sept. 1945, Courtesy of Cover Browser

By definition, an heirloom crop is one that has been passed down through generations. Years ago, families were seed savers and chose to grow the crops they had always grown, the ones that suited their climate, stood the test of time and took pride of place in cherished family recipes. Ask anyone with a green thumb and romantic inclination which heirloom they are most passionate about – amongst all the Kentucky Wonders and Black Beauties of the world – and people inevitably go misty-eyed the most over their favorite heirloom tomato.

The mutations and nuances of texture and taste appear endless, the names dream-like: Brandywine, Principe Borghese and Cherokee Purple. The whimsically named Zapotec Pleated, a pink variety said to resemble a girl’s twirling dress. The voluptuous shapes and brash colors of these fruits appear like characters from a Picasso painting, with each edible gem seemingly endowed by nature with a particular destiny: Amish Paste for sauces, Chianti Rose for cool weather, San Marzano for just about everything from canning to eating barefoot in the garden.

Courtesy of Eat. Drink...Better.

From a more scientific perspective, heirloom crops are open pollinated varieties that existed before mass hybridization became commonplace, before commercial farming started breeding crops to resist certain diseases and to last longer on the shelves and in the backs of long-traveling trucks. The result however is that many of our oldest native crops, ones that had adapted over time to thrive in specific regions, making up the fabric of local agriculture – have been lost. Now, as more home growers and small farmers look to simpler, organic growing techniques, the idea of seed saving and seeking out heirloom crops is returning to the fore.

First Shipment of Tomatoes, Jacksonville, Texas, 1906 (Click on Image to Enlarge)

Growing heirlooms means preserving a variety of a crop that for years has grown successfully in one’s local area, naturally adapting over time to the weather and pests of the region, surviving the elements without the need for chemical fertilizers. It also preserves the tastes and characteristics that might otherwise have been bred out commercially – those unusual colors and textures, once considered imperfections, now cherished for the regional personality and history it embodies.

Growing these crops also means protecting biodiversity. When these heirloom varieties are lost, we narrow our pool of crop species, thus opening our society to risk when large scale commercial crops are hit by disease, weather or pests. The more varieties we maintain in our food supply, the less disastrous crop failures will be.

Courtesy of Clay Irving's Flick Stream

Thus friends, families and neighbors are once again making a move to become more self-sufficient as food consumers and choosing to take up the old time tradition of swapping seeds at markets, exchanges or simply over the backyard fence. The result – that kaleidoscope of fruits and vegetables, with quaint names and unique characteristics – links us to the past and our pioneering ancestors who introduced Old World crops to these lands. New enthusiasts who have missed out on the chance to grow their own pieces of agricultural history this year can do some enviable homework this summer and sample the heirloom varieties available in their local areas, in anticipation of next year’s garden plan.

FURTHER READING:

Oui Chef Cook Journal, a cook blog by chef Connie Thadewaldt

Seed Savers Exchange, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

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Crocodile on Deck of a Steamer in Africa, Courtesy of Gordon Mumford (Click on Image to Enlarge)

Grabbing hungrily at the essence of exotic hides, rabid consumption has instead cheapened the unusual material, transforming it from a mark of quality and class to one of superficiality and vulgarity.

Revered for centuries as a luxury item, the utility of exotic skins has been obscured by its role as signifier of wealth. While exotic skins may have been part of the trousseaux of ancient Egyptian royalty, strong, water resistant salmon leather was used by the Nanai of Siberia for at least three of the things necessary for survival in the frigid north—clothing, tents, and boats.

Eel skin, prized for its thin and delicate feel, is far from flimsy. The tensile strength of eel is one hundred and fifty times greater than a cow leather of the same thickness. Crocodiles can lounge languidly on river banks and at the top of food chains in part because of the strength of their armor, a quality retained in the preserved hide. And in Medieval Japan, the handles of samurai swords were bound with the skin of stingrays. When preserved, the hide develops a coarse pattern of raised beads, perfect for keeping a tight grip on your sword, even when drenched in blood.

Vintage Crocodile Trunk, Courtesy of 1stdibs

Closer to home, exotic skins were traditionally used for the items that were expected to endure time and use. The best steamer trunks, built to be knocked around in passenger ships and locomotives, were made of crocodile. The worn edges of a crocodile Hermes Kelly bag is testament to a time when an expensive object was meant to return dividends in longevity.

Hermès Vintage Kelly Handbag, Courtesy of Portero

The use of exotic skins, however, is more than just a matter of taking it back from the tawdry. A hundred years ago, consumers, producers and poachers operated with the mistaken notion that anything in nature existed in endless abundance, when in fact they were driving animals of land and sea to the verge of extinction.

Two Woman Posing with Stuffed Alligator in Florida, Circa 1910s, Courtesy of Florida Memory

Conservation and wildlife management have slowed humanity’s species death count, but consumers will have to take responsibility for our insatiable appetites, and perhaps bear the lessons of exotic skins in mind: buy few and far between, buy for quality and longevity, and be wary of the slippery slope between the beautiful and the grotesque.

During the Alligator Hunting Season in Florida, Courtest of Life Magazine

FURTHER READING:

K. Fuchs, M. Fuchs, and L. Deidrich. Fascination Leather: Common and Exotic Skins Under the Microscope. Editions Chimaira. April 2010.

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Joe Magarac Squeezes Steel Rails between his Fingers, Courtesy of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

While the college world outside our doors wandered from one humdrum kegger to another, Roberto was hosting dinner parties that I’ve never been able to replicate: course after course, beginning with oysters on the half shell, fondue, marching through to trout almondine and always ending with his signature banana flambé. Throughout these nights, the mess grew ever worse, pans atop bowls, which horrified his true foreign exchange roommates. Roberto — laughing with a cavalier flair — never cleaned a thing until the next morning once he’d pulled a few shots from his Pavoni Espresso machine. Except for his knives.

Roberto had a beautiful set of vintage Sabatier knives. Always carefully oiling, and constantly drying and wiping his knives after every cut, they’d taken on slight patina (which actually helps protect them from rust). He explained that was from the high carbon content in the steel. Making them thinner, sharper and better knives, but more susceptible to stains.

Sabatier Knives

While all steel has carbon in it, in typical knives, even many of the higher end drop-forged knives we’re familiar with, the carbon content is lower. This makes the steel more stain resistant, and more ductile, easier to bend and more resistant to cracking.

But while pluses to stainless knives abound, the beauty and craftsmanship of a higher carbon knife makes these the choice for the more patient and dedicated carver. Carbon steel knives can be sharpened to a finer point and can hold an edge longer. When needed, they’re easier to sharpen. Also, producers can make a thinner blade with carbon steel, resulting in a more ergonomic blade and handle.

U.S. Steel Workers at South Works, Courtesy of Pullman State Historic Site

A stainless steel knife, the more common knives today, don’t rust and tend not to pick up stains. Anyone who has left a knife of any sort in salty water overnight, or gone to bed with out wiping the tomato juice and seeds off their knife left on the counter, can attest that even the most “stainless” of knives should rather be called stain resistant. That said, if this occurs with a high carbon knife, like those found in the Thiers Region of France, it would require ages of scrubbing and a healthy dose of mineral oil to remedy this mishap.

Because all steel contains carbon, there’s no hard and fast rule for what constitutes a carbon steel knife. If true strength and function is your aim, and you’re willing to spend the time wiping and drying these knives, then the best, like the classic French knives, have a carbon content above .60%. More commonly, well-made, high-end knives today will have a carbon content hovering between .55% and .60%.

FURTHER READING:

Sarah Jay. Knives Cooks Love: Selection. Care. Techniques. Recipes. Andrew McMeel Publishing, 2008.

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Enamelware Cup, Circa 1920s

There are so many looks and uses for enamel: jewelry, desk lamps, outdoor grills, tiled walls and subway tunnels. However, the place we usually interact with enamel in our daily life is in the kitchen; enamel kitchenware products include pitchers, a plethora of bowls, coffee pots, plates, serving spoons, and many more.

Brightly colored enamel houseware was mass-produced and appeared on the US market in the late 1800s. These first collections of ladles, baking pans, and colanders were stamped out of thin sheets of aluminum, steel or iron before being coated with enamel, giving a touch of porcelain‘s luxury to everyday items.  They were quite popular due to their lightweight, durability and housewives were pleased by how easy it was to clean their smooth, glasslike surface.

"Krenit Bowl" by the Danish Designer Herbert Krenchel (born 1922), Circa 1950s

Krenit bowl in Red & White

If you have ever sipped watery hot cocoa from a blue and white speckled camping cup, you have experienced the more utilitarian side of enamelware and the casual pleasures of using an no-fuss product of the mass-produced domestic experience. Its first users had a similar feeling back in 1880. You many have also felt the cup becoming too hot to continue holding, this is thanks to the thin materials’ heat conducive efficiency, which makes it ideal for slow roasting.

Display with Enamelware, 1923, Courtesy of Shorpy (Click on Image to Enlarge)

Today enamelware has taken a more sophisticated place in our lives: it has a classic, yet modern look and feel, it is tough and colorful yet sleek and presentable. The sheer number of high quality enamelware for sale at flea markets and vintage stores is testament to its durability: it is stain resistant and its non-porous surface keeps it nearly germ free, therefore it will not react with food products.

Finel Enamel Percolator, Designed by Antti Nurmesniemi (1927-2003), Courtesy of H Is For Home

If you’re a collector, you know that small cracks and rust spots are common on older pieces. Pieces exposed to heat, such as teakettles and cookware are less susceptible to blemishes because the iron bonds to the glass more and more with repeated heating. You may notice vintage spoons stamped out of steel have rust spots because steel is more susceptible to rust than iron.

Antique Enamelware Cup, Circa 1920s

It is recommended that you wash your enamelware by hand using hot soapy water and a soft cloth, do not use brillo pads or anything that might scratch the surface.  Washing by hand will also help avoid banging against other dishes, which can lead to chipping. It is also recommended that you dry immediately after washing, as water can encourage corrosion and cracks or nicks can rust.

FURTHER READING:

“The Fisher Enamels”, The House Beautiful: The American Authority on Household Art. March, 1900.

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"After the Rape...", Fake Perrier Advertising by the French Magazine Hara-Kiri, 1970s

From these humble origins, the European bottled water market grew to represent a $39.3 billion segment of the market. Individual European countries often top the list of consumers with 4 of the 10 largest bottled water markets and 13 of the 20 top per capita volume of bottled water consumption. Although some countries, such as Germany and the Netherlands, purchase a high volume of sparkling water which can be categorized separately from still water, the majority of the market share is still comprised of natural water. This begs the question whether bottled water is simply a trend, as in the United States, or a necessity.

Medicine or Water? "Cures Gout, Stomach, Urine, Bladder and Kidney Ailments", Germany Mineral Water Advertising

Beneath the calm shores of European bodies of water, lies a history of industrialization, pollution, and pesticide usage that calls water quality into question. Following scrutiny in the 1960s and 70s, the quality of European tap water became the focus of E.U. and national policies, with countries such as Germany taking the lead in cleaning some of the remnants of industrial and agricultural pollution. However, not all countries have adopted strict guidelines to protect their water sources and many Eastern European countries lack adequate monitoring and compliance mechanisms.

PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, is the most commonly used material for water bottles with 82.4% of water bottle packages made from it. Some plus sides of PET is that it can be recycled and reused indefinitely, but the most problematic aspect of bottled water is the disposal of the empty bottle. The materials cycle encompassing the production, use, and disposal of the product is often unaccounted for when considering the environmental impact of products. The American case against bottled water is mainly contingent upon the lack of adequate recycling and fact that most bottled water containers wind up in landfills after use. The case in most European countries is often different, as there is a greater emphasis on recycling than currently in place in the U.S.

Vittel Advertising, 1905, Courtesy of Fab Frog

Does this mean that bottled water is less environmentally harmful in Europe than in the U.S.? Not at all. The fact is that many European countries often have pre-existing recycling infrastructure in place and recycling is more ingrained in the habits of consumers. Additionally, the distance that bottled water has to travel to reach its final destination is unaccounted for in this article, but an important aspect of this issue. Tap water from a reusable container is the most environmentally conscious choice, but as water quality is variable and based on location the best choice is to get information before drinking tap water.

Perrrier Advertising, Courtesy of FFFFOUND

Tap water in a reusable container, when safe and available, is the best choice regardless of where you live. The key is to inform yourself about water quality in the area whether at home or traveling and unsure of the quality of tap water. Usually countries in Western Europe have good quality tap water, but be aware that the quality in Eastern Europe is often lower. If buying bottled water then try to buy as local as possible and find out where to recycle the used bottle. This will ensure the least harmful environmental impact, while giving you the ability to choose the best option for the area.

Further Reading:’

The Water Information System for Europe

European Federation of Bottled Waters

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