This story was published by the New York Times over a week ago, but I keep finding myself talking about it, so I figured I would bring it up with the legions of Griddle readers.
Despite the horrific title, "Hip Hop Cuisine" (which just makes me think of this atrocity), the article is an interesting discussion
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Nic Esposito and a new generation of urban activists are starting in the garden
Answering a question about his favorite things to grow is a challenge for Nic Esposito. After a few nods to his Italian heritage—eggplants, tomatoes—he settles on a response that speaks volumes about the work he is doing in his West Philadelphia community: “I love
9 mins read
A U.S. Department of Transportation grant should mean big things for the city’s walkers and bikers
The final weeks before spring—when the itch for the outdoors becomes borderline unbearable—is the perfect timing for this announcement: TIGER, The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Discretionary Grant Program, has awarded our region $23 million in
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by Lee Stabert | photo by Lucas HardisonKatie Cavuto-Boyle’s Healthy Bites fills a void in Graduate Hospital
They say one of the keys to a successful business is seeing a need, and then filling it. That is Katie Cavuto Boyle’s plan. Her newly opened Healthy Bites To-Go Market/Café looks to bring wholesome, locally-sourced grab-and-go products
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Spotted Hill Farm proves that size doesn’t matter
Donna Bowman’s farm isn’t very big, but neither are its primary inhabitants: a herd of miniature Nubian goats.
They’re inquisitive, friendly little creatures, with long, floppy ears and prominent noses. Bowman breeds them, and uses their milk for the homemade soaps and lotions she sells through the farm’s website
1 min read
When it comes to seeds, Kim Massare does the work for you
A few years ago, frustrated by the lack of heirloom varieties available at local garden centers, South Philly gardener Kim Massare went on a seed catalogue shopping spree. She lit up her rowhouse’s basement with grow lights and brought down all those non-recyclable plastic containers she’d
1 min read
Gardeners, meet your new best friend: the brown snake
Don’t freak out—it’s just a snake. It’s a really tiny snake, totally harmless. The worst it can do is poop on you.
Sure, you weren’t expecting to find a real live snake in West Philly (or North Philly, or Northwest Philly), roaming the soul patch of green that passes for
2 mins read
Come spring, we local eaters are deeply hungry for regionally-grown produce beyond cold-loving Brussels sprouts and storage apples, potatoes and onions. Sadly, with a stinging chill remaining in the air, summer berries, stone fruit and corn (oh corn!) are still a long way away. Happily, there’s one plant that starts appearing earlier than all the
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I really hate malls, which is one reason I love this idea. From the original story in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer: Now Vicky Poole, the Galleria’s marketing and events director, who worked on her grandpa’s farm as a child, expects that by late spring or early summer, there will be fresh tomatoes for sale among the
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Now that temperatures are on the rise and spring is growing near, our attention is once again brought back to the garden. Also growing near is the release date for Urban and Suburban Meadows: Bringing Meadowscaping to Big and Small Spaces, written by photographer, certified horticulturalist and landscape designer Catherine Zimmerman (my mom!).
Urban and Suburban
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