Celebrate the best of humanity.
::: Encouraging belief in humanity, one article at a time.
++ Heros Among Us: San Diego, CA, USA / Don Cook / Don's Digital Café
Here we strive to lessen the effects of negative media by calling attention to uplifting stories and stories of persons and/or organizations who make a difference in the world.
The above photo is one of many sailors that carried a giant American flag on to the field at Petco Park, San Diego, California, USA, on September 11, 2008. You can view more photos that Don Cook shot of this great ball game at Lens Magik.
The are many heros in this world, this page is devoted to ours. If you would like to know about other heros, visit "The Hero Project", you'll be glad you did.
"Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the gods? Where's the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds? Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed? Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need. I need a hero!" ~ Bonnie Tyler (from her song, "Holding Out For A Hero", from the motion picture, "Footloose").
:: Source: [Don's Digital Café, San Diego, CA USA]
:: Image Credit: [Don Cook, Don's Digital Café, San Diego, CA USA]
:: Innovation: People helping people (what a concept).
:: Available: Each and every day.
:: Cost: Priceless.
Raster MasterA very Noble family.
::: Sage Mountain Farm is owned and operated by the Noble family.
++ Organc Farm: Aguanga, CA, USA / Phil Noble / Sage Mountain Farm
All of the fruits and vegetables grown by Sage Mountain Farm uses sparkling clean natural well water and healthy organic processes. At their high desert property, they use pure organic guidelines to grow fruits, vegetables and greens, and to raise steers, chickens, pigs and goats, so that they can enjoy farming far enough away from the contamination of conventional farms, to practice and maintain a sustainable and organic lifestyle.
This photo of Phil Noble was taken by Don Cook as he was standing in front of a pond created by pure water gushing from a natural artesian well.
They supply Whole Foods Market and other healthy food stores, several restaurants and hotels, including the Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa and Resort. Their Heirloom Tomatoes, Sage Candy Onions, Crimson Red Watermelons, and other high quality organic fruits and vegetables (and greens) are helping them to become one of the most well-known and popular organic farms in the local area.
They also supply fresh organic produce to Bistro 150, the organic kitchen at Don's Digital Café.
Note from Raster Master: Phil Noble and his family, and workers are our heros because they work hard to bring healthy and nutritious Certified Organic food to the marketplace that is free of pesticides and herbicides. They deserve all the support and respect that we can offer.
:: Source: [Don's Digital Café, San Diego, CA USA]
:: Image Credit: [Don Cook, Don's Digital Café, San Diego, CA USA]
:: Innovation: Organic and sustainable agriculture.
:: Available: Now.
:: Cost: Varies according to product and season.
A cool school revolution.
::: A revolution in food served up to our kids.
++ Revolution Foods: Oakland, CA, USA / Don Cook / Revfoods
The Santa Cruz City Schools district hired Jamie Smith, formerly of Sestri Restaurant (closed), as culinary director for Santa Cruz schools. Smith has considerable experience in planning mass food production, having worked as chef de cuisine and executive sous chef at UC Santa Cruz’s Terra Fresca.
Note from Raster Master: It is hoped that Smith will raise the caliber of school cafeteria food by providing freshly cooked meals using locally grown fruits and vegetables, as opposed to the processed foods that now feature on the menu.
The School Board also contracted with Revolution Foods to provide the fresh produce. Revolution Foods delivers tasty and healthy meals and nutrition education to schools and programs across the country. They are moving the revolution forward in Northern and Southern California, Colorado, and the Washington DC Metropolitan area.
This is a great start! Way to go! Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
:: Source: [Santa Cruz News, Santa Cruz, CA, USA]
:: Image Credit: [Pete Shea, Santa Cruz Sentinel, Santa Cruz, CA, USA]
:: Innovation: A revolution in food service for kids.
:: Available: Now.
:: Cost: $Priceless.
The "Green Gourmet".
::: Graham Kerr (like me) went from high fat to high flavor in his cooking.
++ Minimize Risk, Maximize Flavor: San Diego, CA, USA / Don Cook / Don's Digital Café
Graham Kerr is an internationally known culinary and television personality, award-winning author, and master of metaphorical speaking. His focus is on serving people who want to make healthy, creative, lifestyle changes and believes that the only lasting changes are the ones that we enjoy. His life goal is “to help to convert habits that harm into resources that heal.” Same as us.
Some of the inpiration for Don Cook's ("El Cosinero") "Mini-Max Fusion Vegan Cuisine" came from Graham Kerr, also known as the "Galloping Gourmet".
The above photo is of the "Galloping Gourmet" (the old Graham, who used copious amounts of butter, cream and fat in is cooking) ghosted behind the "new" Graham, who supported a different style of cooking (low fat, nutritious and high in flavor).
The origin of his "Galloping Gourmet" persona stemmed from a 1967 book that he co-authored with wine expert Len Evans, The Galloping Gourmets. They got their nickname from a 35-day worldwide trek to the finest restaurants around the globe.
During "The Galloping Gourmet's" successful run, Graham became a worldwide sensation, wrote an abundance of cookbooks, and earned two Emmy Award nominations. The series was known for its lighthearted humour, tomfoolery and the copious use of clarified butter, cream and fat.
After his wife Treena's stroke, then heart attack in 1986, Kerr was prompted to create a new style of cooking that he dubbed "Minimax". This new method of food preparation minimized ("Mini") fat and cholesterol, while it maximized ("max") aroma, colour, texture and taste. Just what we do at Bistro 150.
Following is a video of Graham demonstrating how to make a Beet Salad from all organic ingredients:
"Minimax" led to the successful Graham Kerr show, originally produced at KING-TV in Seattle in 1990 and 1991, it was later syndicated to local stations and to the Discovery Channel. Minimax also led to three successful cookbooks: "Graham Kerr's Smart Cooking
Following are just a few of his career highlights and awards:
- 2003 Honorary Doctorate in “Culinary Nutrition” from Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island.
- 2000 Awarded Honorary Membership to the American Dietetic Association and Honorary Membership to the Food & Culinary Professionals (a Dietetic Practice Group of the ADA).
- 1999 Inducted into the American Culinary Federation Hall of Fame.
- 1997 Appointed, College of Diplomats, The Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association.
- 1997 James Beard Foundation Award.
- 1994 Commissioners Special Citation. United States Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Food and Drug Administration.
- 1993 Winner, International Association of Culinary Professionals, Julia Child Cookbook Award for Graham Kerr’s Minimax Cookbook, Best Health and Diet Cookbook.
- 1970, 1971 Emmy Nomination for most Outstanding Achievement Daytime Programming (USA).
- 1965 Penguin Award Winner (Australia’s “Emmy”).
- 1965 Personality of the Year, New Zealand Television Awards
- 1964 Gold Medal for the Graham Kerr Cookbook (New Zealand) International Culinary Olympics, Frankfurt, Germany.
- 1963 Personality of the Year, New Zealand Television Awards.
In 1995, he appeared in a PBS special with Julia Child called, "Cooking in Concert: Julia Child & Graham Kerr".
In 2005, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Culinary Nutrition, the first to receive that award in any category. In 2008 he began working on his latest book, “Growing at the Speed of Life” in which he journals his daily encounter with his first ever kitchen garden and beheld a whole new reason for his fabled enthusiasm for creativity and change.
Note from Raster Master: There where rumors that Graham suffered from an addiction to drinking too much "Kool Aid". I don't care. This man is my hero because he turned his life around, and helped his wife and countless other people in the process (including me).
:: Source: [Wikipedia, San Mateo, CA, USA], [Graham Kerr, Camano Island, WA, USA]
:: Image Credit: [Artist Unknown, NewsWise, Charlottesville, VA, USA]
:: Innovation: Turning habits that harm into resources that heal.
:: Available: Now.
:: Cost: $Priceless.
Books, DVDs and videos by Graham Kerr:
Graham Kerr is definately one of the most prolific authors that I know of. Following is a fairly large collection of his works (I'm pretty sure it does not contain all of them, but it's a great place to start):