a little bit of heaven; vanilla and cardamom rice pudding

Ok, if you haven't figured it out yet, I absolutely adore rice pudding. And perhaps it seems like I am obsessed with many things, but I can't help but to come back to this one true love. I think this time, I got it right. This is the closest I've come to recreating Rice to Riches at home!! It is just so hard to really do it justice. Honestly, I'm not very fond of the photo below. It looks like a little girl in an overly poofy dress, when all of her friends no longer wear poofy dresses, but tailored frocks, and she's still toting the pink-patent shoes with a buckle, and a lacey pink headband. But seriously, this is the best rice pudding I've ever made. There is, allelujah, a secret. Custard! Why I continued to go on, thinking that I knew that was the key, but never really making it, is beyond me. It was never really rich enough, if chocolate was involved. Well now that I have the key, you will probably see several more rice pudding flavours strolling through in the next while, as I'm now pretty motivated and inspired.... definitely needing some improvement on the photo front.... Vanilla Bean and Cardamom Rice Pudding 2 cups arborio rice 4 cups water 1 1/2 cups whole milk & 1 3/4 cups whole milk 1 vanilla bean 2 egg yolks 1 cup sugar (divided) 6 green cardamom pods Rice: 1. In a 5-quart (or larger) saucepan combine the arborio rice and the water. Split the vanilla bean, and scrape the contents into the rice. Add 6 whole green cardamom pods. Cover, and bring to a boil. 2. Once boiling, lower the heat, and continue to simmer on low until the water is nearly all absorbed. 3. Once the water is absorbed, add 1 1/2 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup sugar, stirring gently to combine. Keep covered after ingredients are added. If the rice is nearly cooked before the custard is ready, turn the heat off, and remove from heat. Custard: 1. In the meantime, in a medium saucepan, bring 1 3/4 cups whole milk to a boil. In a bowl, combine and whisk the egg yolks, and 1/2 cup sugar, until resembling yellow ribbons. At first, it will not seem possible, but give it a minute and it will work itself out. 2. In a very thin stream, and only a little bit at a time, add 1/8 of the milk to the eggs; whisk as often, and as much as possible. Continue to whisk, and slowly adding the rest of the milk, bit by bit. 3. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and continue to stir on medium-low heat. Cook until the custard becomes *close to coating the back of the spoon, or five minutes, whichever happens first... (*close because an ice cream recipe would require 4 egg yolks, so it won't get quite as thick with 2 egg yolks). Rice Pudding - when the custard is prepared, and the rice is nearly cooked: 1. Remove the cardamom pods from the rice mixture. 2. Add the custard to the rice. Turn the heat to medium-low, and heat for approximately 4-5 minutes, stirring. The consistency should be thick and creamy, and not too dry in appearance, but not too soupy either. The rice should still be al dente. Turn off the heat, and remove from the burner. Keep covered until served. Enjoy immediately!
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not sure what the restaurant looks like?

Google maps now has street level view. It is literally like walking on the street, and pretty unbelievable. Go to Google maps, and search Times Square. Zoom in. Click on the little orange guy in the left. You're suddenly walking down the street in New York. And, if you're not sure about the facade of your destination restaurant reservation, now you'll know.
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delicious ChikaLicious Dessert Bar, nyc

ChikaLicious gets straight to the point. Dessert. And a very sweet point it is. Three courses of artful proportions beginning with an amuse bouche, a dessert of your choice, and petits fours. It enhances the experience to include a wine-pairing, or savour an organic coffee or tea. Chika, the pastry chef, and Don, the sommelier, ensure that very few details go unkempt. The space itself is almost stark-white to focus the eye to the stage at hand - to the preparations by Chika and her assistant. They work as nimble and deftly as possible, occasionally chatting with the curious ogling onlookers, as fascinated by the desserts as intrigued by the artistic process. Intricate details and plating techniques are delicately executed, creating the "perfect afternoon delight." Be sure to coordinate a visit appropriately, the demand is high for a dessert of this caliber without having to wade through multiple courses at a 4-star restaurant with the commendable goal of reaching dessert, and then immediately calling your broker, "sell, sell, sell!" This requires a necessary sense of determination to go out of your way and learn the iPhone's scheduling software and trek to ChikaLicious. Although it is too bad, to those without a tad of patience to wait in line, or willing or able to go early enough to think of ChikaLicious as a necessary pre-dinner evil; think tea-time. Or not, perhaps then there will be a seat left for the rest of us, as there are only 20 intimate seats. Get there early to secure a coveted seat at the counter. If waiting is not possible, or Chika is having an extremely well-deserved day off, then head to the Dessert Club, across the street to stave off a potential dessert drought. ChikaLicious Dessert Bar (203 E. 10th St.), Open Thu.-Sun. 3pm to 10:45pm., Closed Monday - Wednesday Above: stawberry soup with balsamic jelly, and honey lace crisp. Below: profiteroles with espresso granita Refreshing watermelon with coconut sorbet: Coconut marshmellows, mango and lime gels, chocolate pudding kisses:
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Clinton St. Bakery, New York City

Brunch in New York is a big deal. Seriously, everyone goes out for Sunday brunch. Sure, Anthony Bourdain says brunch only exists as a restaurants way to use up leftovers (beware of omelettes with bolognese sauce), but what if the place kinda specializes in brunch? While Clinton St. Bakery doesn't only have brunch, they do also serve their blueberry pancakes at dinner. And while every other plate of food I saw looked divine, and tempting -- after trying the pancakes, there's no going back - even though Clinton St. has also had their biscuits, muffins, and their burger voted "the best". The first time I headed to Clinton St., it was because they have eggs benedict with Petrossian smoked salmon - on a biscuit! Now, that is how eggs benedict should be done (although Iberico ham, could be killer too), irregardless of fear about salmonella infestation. Now, these biscuits aren't just any biscuits, they are very light, buttery, and most importantly to me at that moment - big. Yum. The next visit, I ate the same thing. But Jeff ordered the famous pancakes. And so, I had to taste them, of course! It's a good thing he'd hardly eaten any of them yet, or I'm sure he would have reluctantly clung to his plate, like a lion that's guarding its prey. I once read somewhere, that the pancakes are so fluffy because the eggs are separated and then they beat the whites. I've tried it, it failed, and I'm still addicted to Clinton St. So now, I always get the pancakes. I'll even wait for the pancakes. When you go to Clinton St. Bakery (on Clinton St.), be prepared to wait at least an hour or more. The Lower East Side of New York will keep you entertained; there's an adorable pastry shop up the street with pear & chocolate turnovers, or check out a few vintage shops. Maybe one day, I'll venture onto the truffled fried eggs, or the lobster BLT. Sounds great. But perfect pancakes? With fresh wild maine blueberries and maple butter? Sign me up. Clinton St. Baking Co. & Restaurant, 4 Clinton Street (btw. East Houston & Stanton), New York, NY 10002, 646-602-6263
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'inoteca, nyc

I have at least a slight inclination towards restaurants and shops that I wish I lived around the corner from, really, this is a strong preference for all the places I wish were just around the corner from my house. All of the best boulangerie's, gelateria's, patisserie's, and wine bars of the world, just seconds away on foot, or even a short subway ride away. But sadly, as wonderful as that sounds, this close proximity to all things wonderful, just might take out all the fun of travel and discovery. I should probably say discovery loosely, as I do love serendipitous jaunts while traveling, it is very hard to really discover something new. I do plan and read in advance. It's like my flirtation with the idea of travel, and builds excitement about an upcoming trip. Like life, I travel with certain planned destinations along the way. Then there are those points of interest, I had heard about but didn't plan to visit. But then, as you stand there reading a menu with swelling feet, and a growing appetite, you realize this was a destination meant to be all along. Somehow for me, 'intoeca, is one of those places. This past June, I didn't plan to return to 'inoteca, nor did I plan to eat here the first time I did in January 2006. Even though the menu sounded right up my alley, it just didn't grab me. But yet, I've still eaten here twice. When you see the place and the diners, you just want to join in. It's not a destination, until you realize, that it is everything you always wish for (but secretly would never let on) It's not fancy or complicated, and that's why I love it. Just a lot of very good things all on the same menu. The menu features wines by the glass, by the bottle, Italian cheeses, panini, tramezzini, and bruschette. There are also plates of fried items, plates of various items including lasagnette with eggplant or meatballs. There are also plates of a variety of salumi, and there are salads too. I love this menu; refreshingly, there is nothing on it I do not want to eat. The truffle egg toast is a splendid affair, as is the verdure misti (above). The culatello panini with noci and mozzarella, is rich and delicious. The panelle (chickpea fritters) were also tasty. Everything here is just a little bit more unusual (I wish it weren't so), and simply delicious. The dishes are satisfyingly full of flavour, but leave me yearning for more when I am thousands of miles away. Next time I am in New York, I will start my trip here. It's all good.
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Rice to Riches

I have made a bit of a pilgrimage here each time I make to nyc. To here? Yes, every time I'm in town, I must go to Rice to Riches, a gelateria-styled rice pudding bar. If you love rice pudding, this is the place for you. Even if you think you don't love it, this place might just have you re-thinking your priorities. Why not? First of all, it's fun. We all love ice cream, and while rice pudding is not ice cream, but the concept is so similar and that's what Rice to Riches is all about: FUN. Just as with ice cream or gelato, we love to admire the flavours under the glass, choose the flavour, or maybe even taste a couple just to be sure. There's usually twenty kinds to choose from. Then there's the size: solo, epic, sumo, or moby. The solo will set you back $6, while the moby serves 10 for $40. In case there weren't already enough options, there are more decisions to be made. Which topping(s) will you choose? There are several, to help everyone make their own original concoction. Choose from, "toasted buttery pound cake", or "chilled espresso with a hint of cocoa." I take mine plain. I've sampled enough now to know that my favourite flavour is man-made mascarpone with cherries, or I'll willingly suffer through hazelnut chocolate bear hug. If need be of course. But don't attempt to share, it just doesn't work. If you can't make it to New York, you can always have it shipped within the US. Rice to Riches, 37 Spring Street, between Mott and Mulberry St, New York City - 212.274.0008, Open: Sun-Thu 11am-11pm; Fri & Sat 11am to 1am, www.ricetoriches.com Rich and creamy mascarpone with dried cherries: The counter with all the scrumptious flavours:
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more wd-50

Warm gianduja, ice milk, hazelnut, fennel Restaurants can be complicated beasts. There can be more than meets the eye. With an increasingly knowledgeable clientele, establishments are continually required to up the ante. Not only does service have to be spot-on, but the food has to taste great. Everyone of course, has a different definition for both of these requirements. At wd-50 in New York, I think both of these requirements are satisfied to please most any discerning customer, or to out of town chefs. It is a restaurant for food lovers, and a visiting chef's delight. I had heard many things about wd-50, but the deal was sealed with a recommendation from a friend of a friend, who is a chef. While many restaurants focus on perfecting their image with perfect china, elaborate centerpieces, and extravagent decor; wd-50 focuses on the execution of perfect dishes every time. The staff are not intrusive, and simply serve to heighten the experience of the food. Knowledgeable, but not patronizing, the staff was fantastic. If they had a suggestion for a dessert, it is whispered in your ear, like a discreet little secret. Of course, I couldn't help but become smitten with a view of the kitchen at the end of the night. Genuine, honest service. While I can ramble about Dufresne's dishes for quite some time, my overall impression can be summarized as "artful food which actually tastes good". There have been many times I have enjoyed seemingly "high-end" food, which looks beautiful, but does nothing for me... In a dining experience, I long to crave my dish, or even a taste of something enticing, and hopefully be lured back to the scene of the crime. I might go back to wd-50 again, although my visiting time in nyc is usually limited, but I would look forward to it. Foie gras, fennel, malt, sherry vinegar jam appetizer: Octopus, avocado, and pumpernickel: Duck breast, spaghetti squash, almond polenta, pomelo molasses: Pistachio ice cream, pineapple, pandan (with heavenly citrus foam): Passionfruit tart, sesame, argan oil, meringue:
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nyc food show: tastes, and trends

So yes, I loved the food show. Many samples, and many fascinating people to meet! So much so, that you have to have a plan to see everything, or you could get completely stuck. I suggest walking semi-continuously until you know you find something you really love. For example, be careful not to stop at every chocolate-covered-pretzel booth, or you could spend all four days at those alone! The place was semi-organized by country or state, with some countries being represented on two floors. One smaller floor had an area dedicated to natural and organic foods.

Let's go to Italy! I think I spent the most time there, not only because was it the largest section overall, but it was just so intriguing to watch the smartly clad Armani suits go about their business. Italians don't mess around here. They dress professionally, and are there to do some serious business. Everything is just a bit more discreet, no one trying to flag you down to taste their wares. There was everything you can think of from Italy: pastries, juice, olive oil, olives, fish, prosciutto, mortadella, sparkling waters, wine, pickled vegetables, coffee, pasta and on and on. My favourite tastes were from a very jovial gentleman from Sardinia with smoked fish, sea urchin, and bottarga. I was fortunate enough to try blue marlin, and tuna which were fantastic - a little sweet, a delicate texture, and not at all salty. But his translator emphasized that the best is swordfish. It was not just good, but fantastical! The texture was literally like butter, and just melted away into nothing. Very exquisite. I almost became hysterical when I ran into a booth representing the Giusti family of Modena, and their balsamico. Perhaps I was foaming at the mouth! My new goal in life is to eat at their 4 table only restaurant, in the back of a salumeria. I tried to get a reservation last summer, but they were closed the entire length of our three week trip. Sigh... I did get a little taste of what I believe was a fifty year old balsamic, which was like candy... I almost could have sworn that the gentleman said 150 years old, but now I'm not sure. Although, Giusti has been around since 1605, so who knows. Mind boggling either way. If you see Giusti vinegar, buy it! Delicioso! The other high point of the entire conference was Iberico ham from Spain. My goodness, it was everything I want to eat in a ham. It is cooked with a little fattiness around the edges, but is very, very sweet and juicy. The presentation was what attracted the crowds: a gentleman in a white coat, and gloves was cutting the giant ham on specific apparatus, and you took the piece of ham directly from him. I could have eaten the entire thing ham! Hopefully, soon I'll be able to enjoy it at home occasionally as the company has the proper documentation to be imported into Canada, so only time will tell. I know it is crazy to have foods shipped such a long distance, but maybe this way Canadians will be encouraged to create comparable, and unique products too! To me, this is still real food, and at least it isn't powdered junk, like so many other products which are shipped further distances... I think this is the company, and you can check out the very important slicing technique, Jamondul. Canada had some good representation, and I can't imagine how expensive it is to import goods from Canada. I had never even heard of or seen many of the products or companies represented. I never knew Dr. Oetker was a Canadian company, or Terra Nostra Organic Chocolate. Of course, there were representatives of maple syrup. But there seems like a lot of potential for growth here, with only 60 booths most of which weren't really food at all, but water or exporting companies. Not bad, considering we don't have that many people in comparison to nearly every other nation. The natural and organic pavilion was my least favourite as there were miles upon miles of booths dedicated to energy drinks and teas. It was all about marketing, with pretty little substance behind most products. Either there were teency models hawking energy drinks, or the opposite selling "healthy" cookies. It kind of made fun of the whole idea of organic, with excess packaging, plus all the shipping required to get an organic "cookie" or "puff" across thousands of miles. Besides which is really healthier, a non-organic apple, or an organic cookie? What about organic high-fibre macaroni and cheese? I think like many people, I like the idea of organic and "natural", but putting it in a package just doesn't really work. I think of organic as also good simple stuff, without it being overcomplicated. Then there were the food stands, simply for everyone's enjoyment! This meant...you never had to leave! I picked up a nice little selection of dishes from Egypt. There was a little falafel-like bite in a pita, bean stew, a wonderfully silky and tasty feta salad, and some nice olives. One other dish was described by the chef as a "phyllo-lasagna" and this was quite enjoyable too, certainly something I've never had before.
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last meal

Luckily, the food show in NYC was amazing. I loved.. well every last bite of it. However, it was not quite nearly as good as the food I would not want to die without. You know, the meal when you ask for a cigarette and what you want to eat before the electricity zaps the taste buds off your tongue. Yea, okay I know they use drugs now, but still. Okay, so promise me that if I am on DEATH ROW or about to be shot point-blank, that you'll find me the PORK BUNS from Momofuku to give me a little bit of salvation before I die. I beg of you! Now, what's cool is that Calgary is just getting into pork mania. But New York, just seems to be coming off the high. Sweet, I get to enjoy good things for longer! But unfortunately, I have no pictures to show you. This is probably better because then you won't drool on the computer, and if you have a laptop then you' screwed. Thank me later. I will just describe them to you instead, give you a few videos, and dream of these gosh darn delicious morsels and wreck my own computer instead. I have one word for you: Momofuku Noodle Bar. If you go to New York, you must go. Do not try to run or walk, take a cab. Better yet, take a $159 helicopter ride from the airport. This will change your life, the food not the helicopter. Momofuku is kinda like a diner, but it's not. The idea is that it's all about the food rather than the surroundings, and keeping things simple and honest. These pork buns, are sort of like the pork buns you get at dim-sum. The dumpling ones with the soft bread on the outside, and a nice surprise of pork in the middle. Well, just the outer part is the same, the bread is the similar part. Then, the rest is not at all the same. At Momofuku it's a folded in half sandwich with a bit of hoisin, scallions, pickled cucumber, and the most incredible melt-in-your-mouth pork belly. That's right. Pork belly. The whole thing is sweet and salty all at once. Divine. I ordered only just one order, and then had to order another plate! "Jay" joined me and ordered the kimchi stew. I thought there would be a lot more kimchi, than there was, but the bowl was overwhelmingly full of beautiful bits of pork. She loved it more than anywhere else on the trip. Now, Momofuku is not what I expected. In photos, it looks so modern and refined. After sitting at the bar at ChikaLicious only a few hours before, watching meticulous Chika at work, exaggerated the contrast. Momofuku is raucous, and fun. The chefs are hastily slathering on hoisin on the pork buns. But don't step out of line, or you get the impression a chef will kill you. Hoitey-toitey is simply not allowed. The tables are communal, and the food is served fast, and there is no messing around. The chefs were literally bitching that they had to make so many pork buns, it seems they have other dishes they think people should order. But I certainly can't blame anyone who orders the pork buns. Although, I want to try everything else. Hopefully, if I survive death row, I'll make it back. Want to join me? Momofuku has a few other operations in the works too. Check out their website, and these addicting mouth-watering videos too: David Chang with Mark Bittman: Momofuku Noodle Bar in NYC with David Chang:
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Grom Gelateria

I should probably preface this post with my favourite quote, "gelato makes you beautiful." As if anyone needs an excuse for gelato, but it is a fail-proof way to convince female friends to partake in the fun. And sometimes I truly believe, or at least it is a secret wish of mine, that at least a little bit of sweets can't hurt right? Oh if you only knew, how much I do truly adore sweets! And yes, gelato really does make you beautiful - I swear! As part of the NYC eating part of my trip (which sometimes seemed more like a walking tour) I had to make it to GROM, a gelateria import from Italy. I had formerly enjoyed it in their Florence shop, and quite liked it. However, it all began in Turin, and the proprietors wanted to create a product using the best agricultural products available in Italy. There are now three stores in New York City alone, the lines were apparently too long with only one shop! They insist their standards are very strict, using "only fresh and in-season fruit, coming from the best consortia in Italy, no colorings or additives that are not natural, Lurisia mountain water used as a base for sherbets and high-quality whole milk for the creams, organic eggs and selections of the best cocoas and coffees from central America." Basically, this means I have much less guilt about eating the stuff, as my body was meant to digest good stuff like this. As a result of this attention to detail, the quality of the product is very good, and most importantly for me, as close to Italy as I can get without being there. The pistachio was my favourite, and I often use it as a gage for rating the quality of a gelateria. For example, if the pistachio flavour appears too green in colour, as opposed to a brownish-green hue, then the chances are fairly good that there are no real pistachios involved. I loved the pistachio at GROM. I could feel tidbits of pistachio lingering until the next spoonful. Very nice. My other favourite, was the limone granita, essentially a lemon slush, made with lemons from Amalfi. I wish I could enjoy one of these every summer day, a little sweet, a little tart, but very refreshing. Who can resist? I must be a nut, as I really love nut gelato. Pistachio, and hazelnut as nature intended: Limone granita almost as tart, and perhaps more sweet than I!
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Taste of the show

An empty stomach and grocery store shopping do not mix. I would probably buy the entire store! This is probably also good advice for attending a food convention. With row upon row of samples, and vendors looking to entice new buyers, one could easily eat everything within sight. Which is fine, except in New York, when there is more than just a convention, after all, it's New York! The eating possibilities are endless. I just got back from the Fancy Food Show in New York City, and just want to give you a sneak peek before I give you all the details on the trip, and all the accompanying yummy eats. New York already has some of the very best eats one could imagine, and was miraculously even more enticing with the show. What a great combination! If you can stomach it of course... At first, the food show seemed daunting as there were miles and miles of booths, with samples, tastes, and an overwhelming amount of information. There were thousands of rare and unusual products, and more familiar favourites as well; everything from smoked blue marlin to Walker's Short Bread. As an obsessive-compulsive only virtual New Yorker, I spent hours planning and poring over which restaurants I would check out. It starts to become difficult to choose. Restaurant reviews help, but there are many oddball reviews, which need to be taken with a grain of salt. Finally, the anticipation subsided as I made it to most of the places on my "must eat" list. Usually, my restaurant lists include places with more unusual dishes, which are not available in Calgary. If a restaurant can make it in New York, it pretty much has to at least be good, or it just won't survive. New Yorker's are picky, and for good reason - there's so much choice! In the next few days, I will be making several posts for the highlights of the food show and the city. I think my feet are just starting to recover from all the walking. I just hope my feet won't walk away, as they are very confused, before I can finish giving you the complete details from the trip. Just to get an idea of the enormity of the place, check out those booth numbers! These wheels were fantastically enormous too. It was hard not to want to eat the entire thing, right then and there. Here's an idea of what the booths look like: At the Rougie booth, I ran into Julie from Bite here in town. She introduced me to Chris from Rougie, and we all enjoyed some champagne, and foie gras torchon. How cool is that!?
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Oooey gooey mozzarella

Buffalo mozzarella is an Italian treasure - or is it? I had intended to start off writing that these gems might no longer grace the deli's at Italian grocery stores, or fortunate recipients in North America. However, it seems that there could be some dioxin contaminants, which are potentially cancer causing, and which were found in several samples of buffalo mozzarella from Campania. A recent NYTimes article, would lead you to believe that the odds are perhaps unlikely you would come in contact with these dioxins if you were to buy buffalo mozzarella. But who knows.

This potentially doesn't look good for Obika, initially a Roman mozzarella bar, which has also recently opened in Milan, London, and is soon to be open in NYC, Kuwait City, and Torino. This bad press is like mad cow disease for a steak house. The website for Obika is also not it's normal self - is this because of the buffalo mozzarella problems? I am not sure, but hopefully the situation gets better before it becomes any worse.

The fascinating thing about Obika is that at first glance you think mozzarella is the only thing of importance, when in fact many Italian specialties are highlighted. Culatello from Zibello, and prosciutto di parma are already a good start. I was really excited to check out Obika this past summer, and I think the concept is great especially...for curious time-crunched tourists. Lucky for us, Roma was on the tail-end of the trip, and we had already been to many of the regions with specialties highlighted at Obika. We had already sampled some of the best products that these areas have to offer. That being said, Obika is still a great place to check out many unique items without going to the grocery store, or traveling all over Italy....

I had a spritz and Jeff had a Peroni. We ordered burrata which came with a spicy sausage (right), and three balls of mozzarella (left). These mozzarella's were described to us as one which was a little sweet, one which was pretty standard, and a smoked mozzarella. The "sweet" one was my favourite, but I have to say that the smoked mozzarella was incredibly unique, unlike anything I had tasted before. Jeff describes it as a "dry-wet cheese with no hickory flavour or anything, but just like campfire smoke."

Burrata (below) is like the creamiest goo, you ever wish mozzarella could be. There were also accompanying breads, oils, and vinegars which were great - especially for the leftover greens. Really yummy cherry tomatoes too!

As you can see, the interior design is quite modern, and in a very different style than most of the other restaurants we enjoyed on this trip.
I really sincerely hope that the fears created by this media monster are mostly just that - some isolated pieces of cheese somewhere which have probably already been destroyed. The article seems to be quite vague, and not entirely specific. ie. "While the exact cause of the contamination has not yet been established, they said the producers with elevated levels of dioxin in their milk were few and that none belonged to the consortium that receives the Protected Designation of Origin quality seal from the European Union. The protected region, they noted, is big, and much of it is far from illegal trash." This actually sounds quite promising.

I have never regretted eating a single morsel of calorific-cheese, or any food, made by real people with real ingredients....or what I perceived to be real food by real people. Now should everything be "certified organic" for me to eat it? Perhaps, but what is really organic anyways? You can't change the air of the world, or have perfect water either. (although I do buy many "organic" and local products because they just simply taste better) This makes me think that now even ingredient listings are not doing anyone justice. Sad as it is, perceived threats or not, we all need to keep examining the sources of our foods, as well as the media-hype regarding these issues, which may or may not be exaggerated. I'm still confident that there are "worse" foods to eat, with far dire consequences....we're not talking about excessive consumption of generic burgers from cardboard boxes, but artisanal cheese. I think I'll fore go the media hype until there are more facts. This cheese is really good stuff! In the meantime, I'll just drink more green tea, and hope that there are not excessive dioxins in that!

And I'll hope that places like Obika, can make it through this media onslaught, and the ensuing multiple bans many countries have created against the import of the cheese. Not everything can be contaminated, or we're all pretty much screwed anyways.
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