Month: November 2016

American outdoor retailer Patagonia, Inc. made $10 million in Black Friday sales, which isn’t just a lot—it’s a whopping five times more than the $2 million the company expected to earn. As CNN reports, 100 percent of those proceeds will now be donated to environmental causes, just as the brand pledged a week prior to the year’s biggest holiday shopping extravaganza.

According to Patagonia, the money will benefit “grassroots organizations working in local communities to protect our air, water, and soil for future generations. These are small groups, often underfunded and under the radar, who work on the front lines. The support we can give is more important now than ever.”

Patagonia’s commitment to environmental causes has been a hallmark of the brand since 1985. The company donates one percent of its sales to nature and conservation organizations, and last year, it partnered with Portland, Oregon’s Hopworks Urban Brewery to create a beer made from sustainable ingredients. This year’s massive Black Friday giveaway, however, was spurred by current political events.

“During a difficult and divisive time, we felt it was important to go further and connect more of our customers, who love wild places, with those who are fighting tirelessly to protect them,” Patagonia explained on their blog. “… The threats facing our planet affect people of every political stripe, of every demographic, in every part of the country.”

As CNN reports, the company claims that more than 800 environmental groups received a Patagonia grant over the past fiscal year, totaling more than $7 million in donations. Past recipients have included the Wildlife Conservation Society and the New York Botanical Garden.

“These groups often have less than five paid staffers; some are run entirely by volunteers,” Patagonia explains on its website. “Instead of giving large sums to a handful of causes, we give modest grants—which typically range between $2500 to $15,000—to hundreds of groups every year for whom this money makes a world of difference.” You can view the full list of grantees online.

[h/t CNNTech]

The sandwich, a.k.a. foodstuff delivered inside a bread vehicle, is a timeless classic. The formula is open to endless interpretations, like lobster rolls, deep-fried Fluffernutter sandwiches, and donut grilled cheeses. In 1909, diners were arguably more creative with what they put between two slices of bread than they are today. The Up-To-Date Sandwich Book: 400 Ways to Make a Sandwich breaks the sandwich down into its seven main categories: fish, egg, salad, meat, cheese, nut, and sweet. No matter what you choose for filling, the turn-of-the-century publication emphasizes the importance of starting with good bread. A product “at least one day old” is preferred.

1. APPLE AND GRAPE SANDWICH

A sandwich can be so many things—a snack, a dessert, a weird salad you eat with your hands. This dish is a great example of all of the above. Start by chopping up apple, celery, and white grapes and toss the ingredients together with French dressing. Spread your mixture on thin slices of buttered white bread to make your sandwich.

2. OYSTER SANDWICH

Like oysters on the half-shell, the shellfish in this sandwich are garnished simply with oil, lemon juice, and Tabasco sauce. Mix together these ingredients with finely chopped raw oysters and serve on thinly-sliced white bread—add a lettuce leaf for some extra crunch.

3. HOT HAM NUMBER TWO

The book’s second take on a hot ham sandwich is reminiscent of a Monte Cristo. After spreading minced ham onto buttered bread, assemble the sandwiches and cut them into triangles. Dip the sandwich points into a mixture of beaten eggs, milk, and salt and cook them up on a hot griddle. Once the sandwiches have been fried French toast-style, serve with a slice of roasted tomato.

4. LEMON SANDWICH

Not many recipes feature whole lemon slices as the star ingredient. After removing the rind from the slices, dust them with powdered sugar and stack between buttered slices of white bread that have been cut into circles. A candied cherry on top will hopefully help to reduce the pucker-factor.

5. DAIRY SANDWICH

The dairy sandwich stays true to its name: The simple recipe asks you to spread fresh butter onto thin slices of Swiss and press the cheese together. There’s no mention of bread, suggesting this is literally meant to be a butter sandwich served between two slices of cheese. Unfortunately for sandwich purists, the protein-in-place-of-bread-theme has only gained traction in the last 100 years.

6. LOBSTER AND CAVIAR SANDWICH

Sandwiches aren’t typically associated with fine dining, but even luxurious ingredients like lobster and caviar can shine between bread. For this recipe, spread caviar onto lightly buttered bread and sprinkle with lemon juice. Spoon minced lobster meat on top and cover with the second slice of bread. Serve over a lettuce leaf—ideally on the beach with some chilled wine to wash it down.

7. OLIVE AND NUT SANDWICH

Unlike peanut and jelly, olive and nut never caught on as a popular pairing. This recipe calls for sandwich builders to finely chop olives with English walnuts and combine the ingredients together with mayonnaise. Served on buttered brown bread, the mixture makes for a light sandwich that’s big on texture.

8. FARMER SANDWICH

Pork chops and applesauce are commonly seen together on the dinner plate. Here they come together on a sandwich to make a savory-sweet lunch item. You can put this one together by layering thinly sliced cold, roast pork onto white bread and topping it with applesauce. Cap it with the second slice of bread and dig in.

9. TOMATO AND HORSERADISH SANDWICH

Here’s another curious food combination that’s failed to stand the test of time. To assemble a tomato and horseradish sandwich, start by sprinkling thin tomato slices with salt. Combine a half cup of horseradish with two tablespoons of mayonnaise and spread the mixture onto pieces of buttered white bread. Place the tomato slices between the bread and enjoy your meal while clearing out your sinuses at the same time.

10. CALF’S LIVER AND BACON SANDWICH

If you’re not a fan of calf’s liver, perhaps the addition of bacon will change your perspective. Take the well-done liver and chop it up fine with crisp slices of bacon. Season with salt, pepper, and ketchup and serve with a lettuce leaf between buttered graham or white bread.

11. EASTER SANDWICH

Whether or not you make it for Easter, this recipe should be saved for special occasions. Dip a crisp lettuce leaf in mayonnaise and lay that on a slice of buttered white bread. Fill the lettuce with slices of cold hard-boiled egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper. After the sandwich has been cut into squares, tie them up with “lavender baby ribbon” and present your guests with the world’s most adorable finger food—just remind them to remove the ribbon before taking a bite.

12. ASPIC JELLY SANDWICH

No list of early 20th century recipes would be complete without aspic. This retro delicacy is made by mixing gelatin and meat stock to create a savory JELLO mold. To prepare it for a sandwich, soak two ounces of gelatin in one cup of chicken stock until soft. Pour in three more cups of chicken stock that have been seasoned with cloves, parsley, celery, mace, salt, and pepper. Strain the liquid into a dish and mix in shredded chicken before refrigerating. Once the gelatin has set, cut it into “fancy shapes” and serve on buttered wheat bread.

Beppu, Japan—already famous for its hot springs—is promoting a whole new take on the standard amusement park. In the somewhat wacky YouTube video below, spotted by Gizmodo, the city shared its dream of building a spa-themed amusement park, or a “spamusement” park.

The viral video showcases jacuzzi-esque roller coaster cars, steam room carnival games, and merry-go-rounds that feature single-person hot spring pools. The city promised that if the video, posted on November 21, reached 1 million views, it would look into implementing the idea. Obviously, it easily surpassed that goal. (A week later, it’s at more than 2 million views.)

It’s uncertain what a spamusement park would look like in reality. It might be hard to make a jacuzzi roller coaster, but the steam room carnival games seem relatively simple to run.

The concept video comes from a city YouTube channel, named, according to Google Translate, something to the effect of “Hot Spring High Standard! Paradise Hell Beppu”—a reference to the city’s “Eight Hells” hot springs, which can reach temperatures of more than 300°F.

In a press release, the mayor confirmed that with the video surpassing its goal of 1 million views, the city hopes to now organize a task force that will help implement the whimsical idea.

[h/t Gizmodo]

Teaser image by Soramimi via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0

It’s hard not to be impressed by artists who can construct entire worlds on a small scale. To raise awareness about global sanitation issues as part of World Toilet Day, artist Anastassia Elias—who specializes in cutout art built in toilet paper rolls—teamed up with nonprofit organization WaterAid to create mini cityscapes inside the cylindrical cardboard tubes.

Elias’s art depicts cities as diverse as Dhaka, Bangladesh; Agra, India; Bogotá, Colombia; and New York City. Her tiny works feature notable architecture from each metro area, from the Taj Mahal to Big Ben.

Here’s Bogotá in miniature:

WaterAid explains how cities figure into the fight for better sanitation like this:

“The success of cities like London, Tokyo, Sydney, Toronto, Stockholm, and New York is in part due to the fact that they all have safe sanitation systems, which protect their inhabitants from disease.

“However, more than 700 million people in towns and cities across the world are living without decent toilets. Around 100 million of these people have no choice but to do their business in the open—using roadsides, railway tracks, waste-ground, or plastic bags. As a result, disease can spread quickly.”

To get a better idea of how this kind of art comes together, you can watch Elias at work in the video below. 

All images courtesy WaterAid.

A future in which homeowners display “Beware of Drone” signs on their property may not be too far off. As CNN reports, Sunflower Labs, a startup based in Silicon Valley and Zurich, Switzerland, plans to beta test their drone-based home security system halfway through 2017.

Like conventional security technology, the Sunflower Home Awareness System is designed to detect possible intruders. Smart lights in the ground pick up on vibrations, and the system discerns whether they were produced by an animal, vehicle, or person. It can also tell the difference between threatening visitors and trustworthy people like mail carriers, based on their behavior.

What sets Sunflower Labs’s product apart is the drone feature. After sensing a suspicious character, the system contacts the homeowner through his or her smartphone and asks if they’d like to deploy the drone. The onboard camera records the source of the disturbance from 30 feet above, allowing users to judge if it’s worth notifying the police. The startup hopes this aspect of the system will limit the rate of false alarms.

Like any company looking to launch drones on U.S. soil, Sunflower Labs has a lot of legal hoops to jump through. As of August, the Federal Aviation Administration made it illegal for commercial drones to fly autonomously. That’s the reason why companies like Domino’s have been forced to take their drone technology ideas overseas. But because these security drones will be used by homeowners for non-business purposes, the team believes they should have no trouble passing for recreational drones.

Sunflower Labs plans to sell the system for $160 per light and $800 per drone when it’s made available next year. Customers who reserve the security system early will receive a $100 discount when it’s shipped.

[h/t CNN]

Countries like France and Switzerland may be world-famous for their exceptional chocolate, but they’re not the only places that have a variety of finely crafted, processed cacao. These U.S. chocolate companies will have you looking no further than your own backyard for some of the best in artisanal chocolate.

1. THEO CHOCOLATE // SEATTLE

Theo Chocolate is known for its specialty bars made from organic, fair-trade cacao specifically sourced by owners Joe Whinney and Debra Music—former spouses-turned-business partners. Since 2006, Theo Chocolate has created “bean-to-bar” chocolate, meaning cacao beans are roasted, ground, and turned to chocolately bliss in one location. At times, Theo Chocolate is so slammed for orders that it manufactures chocolate bars—like its coconut dark chocolate and black rice quinoa crunch—24 hours a day.

2. RECCHIUTI // SAN FRANCISCO

Many small-scale chocolate creators look for quality ingredients sourced from organic cacao farms to produce high-quality bars. Recchiuti takes its chocolate production one step further by creating bars with local ingredients, including Napa Valley champagne. Owners Michael and Jacky Recchiuti opened the artisanal chocolate company in 1997 and focused on producing small-batch chocolates featuring quality ingredients, often sourcing fresh herbs from area farmers’ markets. Plus, earlier this year Recchiuti teamed up with brewmasters from two California breweries to craft beer that needs no pairing: a chocolate stout featuring the Recchiuti’s signature chocolate and burnt caramel syrups.

3. ROGUE CHOCOLATIER // THREE RIVERS, MASSACHUSETTS

Rogue Chocolatier is run by one man, features two simple ingredients, and is based out of Three Rivers, Massachusetts. The small bean-to-bar chocolate producer, lead by Colin Gasko, focuses on highlighting chocolate’s underlying flavors by using only cane sugar and single-source cacao. If you’re a fan of chocolate add-ins and flavoring, Rogue Chocolatier may not be your first pick, as Gasko believes “it’s a wasted effort to make really great chocolate and then throw some nuts on it.” But when you’re craving a pure, premium chocolate bar? Even Martha Stewart is a fan.

4. BEDRÉ FINE CHOCOLATES // DAVIS, OKLAHOMA

Potato chips, corn twists, and sandwich cookies are all high-demand, chocolate-dipped snacks sold by Bedré Fine Chocolates. But the company’s unusual cacao-based snacks aren’t the only thing setting this American chocolatier apart from other confectioners. It’s also the only U.S. chocolate factory owned by a Native American Tribe. In 2000, the Chickasaw Nation purchased the company, at the time operated out of a former elementary school in south-central Oklahoma. Since then, the company has created local jobs while boosting tourism—not to mention producing a variety of fancier chocolates such as its fudge, filled “meltaways,” and filled chocolate bars.

5. FRAN’S CHOCOLATES // SEATTLE

If the White House is asking for more boxes of your chocolate, you know they’re doing something right. Seattle-based Fran’s Chocolates became a favorite of not only the Obamas when they were on the campaign trail in 2008, but also their Secret Service agents (despite President Obama’s reported unwillingness to share). Fran’s Chocolates opened in 1982 under the charge of Fran Bigelow, a chocolatier inspired by a trip to Paris, and has created high-quality truffles, caramels, chocolate bars, and dipped fruits and nuts since.

6. CHRISTOPHER ELBOW CHOCOLATES // KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

You may have to throw an elbow to get a bite of these Midwestern candies. Christopher Elbow Chocolates is known for its small batch, artful chocolates, as well as its lengthy line of customers waiting to snag a few treats. Chocolates are hand-painted like small canvases, but the flavors—such as citrus praline, mango basil, and whiskey walnut—are the real masterpiece. But owner Christopher Elbow isn’t just focused on the final look; chocolates are made from scratch featuring fresh ingredients and no preservatives—meaning they have a short shelf-life (which shouldn’t be an issue for chocolate lovers).

7. BON BON BON // HAMTRANCK, MICHIGAN

The owner of Bon Bon Bon was told that she’d have to move to a big city for her chocolate shop dreams to be successful. But Michigan native Alexandra Clark chose to stay close to home, sharing artisan truffles and chocolates in nearly 100 flavors with Hamtranck (and nearby Detroit) chocolate lovers. Since 2014, Bon Bon Bon has seen staggering support for the tiny chocolate treats, selling more than 2000 per day of its artisan chocolates such as Goat Honey, Margarita, Sticky Bun, and Johnny Cashew. While many flavors are seasonal, like Fried Green Tomato and Caprese, Bon Bon Bon takes time to honor its hometown with a specialty “Detroit Collection,” with flavors inspired by the city’s classic culinary tastes.

8. TCHO // SAN FRANCISCO

If you can’t easily pronounce this chocolate brand’s name right off, that’s OK—tasting it is more important anyway. Considered a tech start-up meets culinary delights kind of company, TCHO (pronounced “choh”) relies on its own cloud-based technology to determine the best time to pick cacao beans for maximum flavor and minimal rejection for farmers. The end result of this technological influence is a variety of bean-to-bar flavored chocolates, such as Mint Chip Gelato, Mokaccino, and Coconut Crisp.

9. NO CHEWING ALLOWED // NEW YORK CITY

You don’t have to visit France to find mouthwatering chocolate truffles—No Chewing Allowed takes a 75-year-old French recipe and creates swoon-worthy truffles here in the States. Beyond the classic truffle, chocolate lovers can enjoy Coffee Beans, Candied Orange Peels, and Salted Toffee flavors, among others. As for the name? Owner Lior Genzel means it. The best way to savor a truffle is to let it slowly melt on your tongue, otherwise you’ll miss out on the full chocolatey experience.

10. K’UL CHOCOLATE // MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

Chocolate is known to have some health benefits, and K’ul Chocolate aims to make the best use of them. Owner Peter Kelsey is a cancer survivor on a mission to show that high-quality cacao has healthful antioxidants and glycemic index levels. Following radiation treatment, chocolate was one of only three flavors Kelsey could taste (next to coffee and protein), and in 2015, he launched K’ul Chocolate with the idea of returning chocolate to its roots as a health food. Since then, the company has focused on bean-to-bar chocolate in Minneapolis, featuring pumpkin seeds, guarana, and other nutritional ingredients in its bars. And with chocolate bars created to boost endurance and restore electrolytes, there’s no reason to feel guilty for indulging your taste buds.