“This is anti-diet,” said Dr. Jan Chozen Bays, a pediatrician and meditation teacher in Oregon and the author of “Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food.” “I think the fundamental problem is that we go unconscious when we eat.”

The NYTimes just posted an absolutely amazing article on mindful eating. It’s literally made us rethink the way we eat, especially the pace. In fact, we can’t wait for our next meal so that we can do just the opposite. Wait.

Click here to read the entire article and make sure you share this with a friend.

In October, an online campaign called Just Label It began collecting signatures and comments on a petition to the F.D.A., requesting rules similar to those in the European Union, Japan, China, India and Australia, stating what transgenic food is in the package. (For example, an ingredients list might say “genetically engineered corn” instead of just “corn.”)  If organic produce is important to you, be sure to join the “Just Label it” campaign, as well as vote and speak out in support of organic farmers in order to keep GMO seeds out of organic crops.

Click here to read more.

One dish that really uses Arborio rice like it was intended is a traditional Italian Risotto. This time of the year when we’re getting in tons of locally-grown mushrooms, we like to mix these two together for a hearty and soul-warming wild mushroom risotto.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, smashed with heel your hand

1 1/2 pounds assorted fresh mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster or cremini, cleaned and sliced

Kosher salt

1 cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaking in 3 cups hot water

1 medium or 2 small onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 cups or Arborio rice

2 cups dry white wine

6 to 7 cups hot low sodium chicken or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped chives

2 teaspoons porcini salt

Directions

Coat a large saute pan generously with olive oil and add the smashed garlic cloves. Bring to a medium-high heat. When the garlic cloves have begun to brown and are very aromatic remove and discard them. Add the assorted fresh mushrooms to the pan and season with salt. Saute the mushrooms until they are soft and pliable. Turn off the heat and reserve.

Using your hand, carefully scoop the porcini mushrooms out of the hot water. (At this point the water should have cooled off significantly. If it is still too hot for your hand, use a slotted spoon.) Pour the top 2/3 of the mushroom water into another container and reserve for use while making the risotto. Discard the bottom third. It contains a lot of sand and dirt from the mushrooms. Puree the rehydrated mushrooms with a little of the reserved mushroom water to make a smooth mushroom paste. This will not look good but it will certainly taste good! Reserve.

Coat a large saucepot abundantly with olive oil. Add the onions and season generously with salt. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat. Cook the onions, stirring frequently until they are very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the rice and stir to coat with the olive oil. Cook the rice for 2 to 3 minutes to toast, stirring frequently. Add wine to cover the surface of the rice and stir frequently until it has completely absorbed. Add the reserved mushroom water and then add stock until the liquid has covered the surface of the rice. Stir frequently until the stock has absorbed into the rice. Repeat this process 2 more times. Check for seasoning, you probably will need to add salt.

During the third addition of stock, add the reserved sauteed mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of the pureed porcini mushrooms. When the stock has absorbed into the rice and the rice is cooked but still “al dente”, remove the pot from the heat. Add the butter and cheese and whip until well combined. This will set the perfect consistency of the rice. The rice should flow and not be able to hold its shape and look very creamy. Serve immediately garnished with chives.

Amande is now available in the refrigerated aisle.

Here’s 5 beers that we’d like to share!

Le Bilboquet L’Affriolante / Quebec, Canada / 7.0%ABV Herbed Spiced Ale

This baby comes from north of the states where it’s REALLY feeling like winter. Pouring a rich, unfiltered brownish-red with a nice frothy head, it’s aroma starts you off with that of a red ale but soon lends its way to cream and sweet syrup. The honey character is there for sure, with a little waxy honeycomb flavor too. Amber malt, and maybe a whisper of toasted/smoked malt. Nice length finish and great balance. We ended up liking this more than we imagined.

Mikkeller It’s Alive! / Denmark / 8.0%ABV Belgian Wild Ale

This fermented Belgian wild ale has an aroma of vibrant pineapple with a funky wild, almost barnyard yeast, laced with spices, faint phenol and honey. The taste follows the nose with huge wild funky yeast in a playful sloshly and bubbly concoction. .Touches of pine, honey, citrus, coriander, cloves, and of course, alcohol.

Cigar City Brewing Guava Grove / Florida / 8.0%ABV Saison Farmhouse Ale

NASCAR and sunscreen aren’t the only good things to come out of Florida! Cigar City brings us this delicious 8% Saison Farmhouse Ale with a nice tangy fruitiness, tons of carbonation, and a nice note of guava in the flavor to balance the tart. One of the best Saison style ales we’ve had in a while. Perfect for that 60 degree winter evening looking over the river.

Ommegang Seduction / New York / 6.8%ABV Belgian Dark Ale

A true winter beer! Ommegang Seduction is lovingly brewed with six different malts. Chocolatier Callebut provides the chocolate, while Liefmans brings the cherries. This international romance is consummated with a full body, alluring aromas and flavors of Belgian chocolate, and tart cherries. When it eventually does get cold, this is the bottle to reach for.

Woodchuck Cider Farmhouse Original ’91 / Vermont / 6.9%ABV Cider

It was 1991, the birth year of Woodchuck. In a small garage in Proctorsville, VT there was a winemaker tinkering with apples, wanting to create something a little different. And he did — a real American hard cider. Farmhouse Select Hard Cider is a throwback to the early days. The attention to detail coupled with fresh Vermont apples and premium Belgian beer yeast give Original ’91 a unique local flavor with a natural cloudiness and pleasing feel on the palate in every expertly crafted small batch.

Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale / Belgium / 5.5%ABV Flemish Sour Ale

Simply delicious! Seriously, it’s fantastic! Period. Rich, red and brown color with a white fizzy head. Wonderful sour aroma with hints of citrus and cherries. Fantastic taste, great balance between sweet and tart and an amazing finish. Very drinkable. Get one of these before they’re gone.