If you’re making resolutions for 2010, how about becoming a master of artisanal baking?

Check out Mark Bittman’s recipe, along with his follow up comments, from Jim Lahey at Sullivan Street Bakery. This was published in 2006, but it took us two years to start experimenting with it. It is nothing short of incredible and requires only 5 minutes to mix up. We have added various goodies, such as walnuts, currants, green olives and rosemary, and kalamata olives to this recipe. Stir in whatever you’re planning to add at the very beginning and use plenty of flour in the towel during the final rising stage to prevent the dough from sticking.

I may never buy store-bought bread again.

Here's the bread I baked this morning.

It is heartening to read stories like the one in yesterday’s New York Times about steps some businesses are taking to educate employees about healthy eating as a way of reducing health insurance costs. The article covers a line of healthy food products called Full Yield that Safeway, Stonyfield Farm and others have embraced to take the guesswork out of what constitutes a healthy diet. Sadly, this approach also eliminates the need for cooking, “which so many workers say they have no time for,” according to the article.

The objective of building a healthier workforce should be applauded on many fronts, but I’d like to see cooking education included in this program. It takes no more than 30 minutes to cook a simple, healthy meal. One just has to understand basic cooking techniques and have a rudimentary knowledge about what foods are healthy. I’d like to see Safeway and Stonyfield Farm add this educational component to their employee health programs.

Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post

It’s heartening to work with companies that are doing things right. We hate to brag about our clients, but Panorama Meats fits snugly in that category. Their latest business initiative with the Northern Arapaho Indian Tribe in Wyoming makes sense on so many levels. It brings a healthy, organic, environmentally sustainable, humanely raised grass-fed beef to Whole Foods Markets customers in the Rocky Mountain region. And, it offers financial rewards for the Northern Arapaho, who have raised cattle on the Wind River Indian Reservation for decades. Read more about it in this major feature story that appeared in the Denver Post on Sept. 30.

Last week’s New Yorker contained a revealing article by Elizabeth Kolbert about the forces behind the scenes that are contributing to obesity in the U.S. Here’s an excerpt, which points to cheap food as one of the factors that has made us a nation of chubbies (more…)

Boulder, Colo., July 23, 2009 — Naturally Boulder Days 2009 — the nation’s only conference designed specifically for natural and organic product entrepreneurs in partnership with a city economic development initiative — returns to Boulder Sept. 2-3. This year’s conference features several enhancements that include an expanded roster of national speakers, an Opening Night Awards Dinner, a Product Fair and new one-on-one mentoring sessions with leaders and legends of the natural and organic products industry. (more…)

When Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy closed its farm last fall, Margaret, the farm manager, selected a few of the best goats and moved them to her one-acre plot in East Boulder. This winter, she successfully bred her herd and ended up with eight baby goats and a new supply of high-quality goat milk from their moms. (more…)

Kudos to Chef Hosea Rosenberg of Jax Fish House here in Boulder for winning Top Chef on the Bravo show of the same name last night. Those of you who watched the competition know that it was grueling and challenging at every stage.

I believe Hosea won the final challenge because he is accustomed to the breakneck pace of Jax’s always-busy kitchen, where he has been executive chef for many years. It was this experience that enables him to muster all of his creative skills, conceive his dishes and then completely focus so he can deliver a beautiful and delicious meal. We can’t be more proud of our hometown boy. Congratulations, Hosea.