Organic produce: what's a girl to do?

If you're anything like me, organic and natural can cause some confusion. Yes, I know that foods that are natural are good for me, and yes, I feel like foods that are organic are probably even better, but unfortunately, my wallet doesn't always agree with me. I try to get as much organic produce as I possibly can, but let's face it: sometimes I just can't find or can't afford to get every fruit and veggie organic. Then I am wracked with guilt and worry. Will I die because I got something non-organic that might have harmful pesticides? Am I contributing to the destruction of the earth because the sale on non-organic carrots was too good to pass up?

The internet to the rescue! A few years ago I had seen this extremely handy site that features a card-sized list you can clip and carry in your wallet that lists foods you should always choose organic versus foods you can get nonorganic without worry. Then, like many good things I find on the internet, I lost the website before I could bookmark it. It's back, and now I want to share it with you. Go to the site to cut out the list to carry with you. And for the sake of convenience, here are the two lists.

THE DIRTY DOZEN (always buy organic)

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (imported)

THE CLEAN FIFTEEN (lowest in pesticides)

1. Onions
2. Avocados
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potatoes
15. Honeydew Melon

Interestingly enough, I already sort of tend toward these lists in my current shopping habits. I try to always get organic spinach, celery, apples, and berries. And some of the clean fifteen foods simply aren't available as organic options at my local supermarket, so I just get my non-organic asparagus because I can't pass up eating asparagus. But now I know that it's okay to eat it, non-organic and all.

Of course, we're left to wonder where along the pesticide spectrum other forms of produce we eat fall. (WHERE ARE CARROTS?) But this small guide is at least a good start, and I think the main Food News website yields even more information about this stuff. What are your thoughts on organic produce? Do you religiously buy all organic? Or do you think this is all an elaborate hoax set up by the government and food industries to get us to spend more money on food?

More best-of lists

I would talk about the Top Chef finale except that I only saw the last few minutes of judges' table last night and thus only know who won! I don't know anything about the challenge and I'd rather watch the whole episode before I talk about it. (Yes, I know I've been eagerly awaiting the finale for MONTHS, so it seems rather hypocritical of me to miss most of it, but I was at a friend's holiday party and Bravo will rerun the death out of this episode so I think I have a valid excuse. Also, I made my famous peanut butter molasses cookies for the party, scrumptious huzzahs!)

So instead of discussing it, I'll instead post yet another one of these year-end round-ups of food books. This link is actually a round-up of round-ups. A lot of people are making a big to-do about this Momofuku book, and one of the authors is actually going to be at the Harvard Bookstore tonight, so I'm wondering if I should go and see what all the fuss is about. We'll see how I feel tonight; right now I'm having some stomach issues (it's all rumbly and queasy) and am sipping peppermint tea hoping it will help me feel better. Of course, if I go, there will be some full reportage.

What are some of your favorite food books of the year? Even though I'm happily paired off, I adore Judith Jones's The Pleasures of Cooking for One, which I bought after seeing her and Lidia Bastianich speak together recently. It's a beautiful little book and I love the fact that it celebrates treating one's self to the fine pleasure of making a nice meal solo. Some of the recipes in the book seem like they'd yield leftovers or like they could be adapted for two, so I'm looking forward to trying some. It's full of helpful kitchen hints. The photography is lovely. And she's got great recipes like one that yields exactly 2 popovers. Until I get a better knack for baking, I can't figure out how to minimize recipes for a smaller yield, but I love that now I can make 2 popovers for me and Jeremy.

50 best things to eat: a list

I love lists. Maybe it's my obsessive nature or just the satisfaction I get from seeing a numbered/organized collection of facts, but I love lists of all kinds.

The Guardian recently published a list of the 50 best things to eat in the world, and where to get them. I'm proud to see that Spain makes the list several times. Woot!

Have you ever eaten at one of these places? I have to say that I want to try this bacon cheeseburger at Little Owl in NYC. I also am ashamed that I've never eaten a massive pastrami sandwich at Katz's Deli. (I could mail-order a salami to myself from there though.) I'll have to put these places on my must-visit list next time I venture south. And I must get myself to Gramercy Tavern to eat pork belly. Viva the pig!

But I have to say that I don't think this list is in any way comprehensive. It leaves off a lot of cuisines and seems to take sort of a scattershot approach to food. And of course, since it's a British publication, it seems to have somewhat of a British slant. What foods do you think are must-haves/must-eats that were left off this list? (CHEESESTEAKS!)