Consumption, Sustainability, Life

At the Javits Center another expo was brewing, one with a broader scope than the veggie-queer crowd.  The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York featured booths with food vendors, restaurant equipment and supplies, packaging systems, education, and so on. I again gobbled my way through the corridors, tasting samples of herbal tea, fine Italian espresso (s), micro-greens, Japanese ramen and Sake (a new favorite), gluten-free breads and muffins, specialty sauces and mustards.

I couldn’t imagine being a full-fledged omnivore instead of a vegan like myself and tasting all the items, for I was beyond stuffed! Massive artisan cheese wheels, bulk spices, carved animal, soft-serve ice cream (16 Handles is everywhere in NYC now, if ya want to open an ice cream shop, there are so many machines to choose!), frozen slurpee-style drinks, and countless pastries and cakes provided samples. I was pleased to see the silly cake-pop/mini cupcake trend over. What a tease! I want a whole slice.

 Countless chocolate vendors displayed intricate delights, and a group of culinary students competed for best artistic creation made from the luscious food of the gods. Some sculptures were massive and deliciously amazing!

I attended an educational lecture on Sustainable Seafood where Steve Phillips of Philips Seafood shared anecdotes of growing up off Hoop Island near Chesapeake Bay and his connection to the entire process of crabbing, and the decline of the industry in his home town. Phillips tales included the story of his trip to the Philippines in search of a new source of crabs more than 25 years ago. He was the first to bring the pasteurization process to Southeast Asia and built his own packaging/processing plant to be able to control hygiene, quality, service, etc. of his goods.

It was clear Mr. Philips was very involved in the entire process of crabbing, expressing concerns about social responsibility (i.e. the local economy/fisherman in particular). He is a strong advocate of elementary educational programs.

Suggestions included: the need for customers to demand sustainable practices, companies must all contribute financially to solve the issue, and NGOs to be more realistic and less black-and-white about ways to solve the problem. Mr. Philips authenticity about sustainability was clear. It was wonderful to know that he cares.

We can make a difference. Let us work together to make this world a better place for all. Aho!