Now that the Do It Yourself attitude has swept the nation and more and more people are trying to live more like their grandparents did, it really should come as no surprise that the movie, “Julie and Julia” has inspired many to return to the kitchen and experiment with cooking.

Julia Child’s book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” is listed as the top choice in the New York Time’s Best Seller Hardcover Advice section. This is a terrific choice for the kitchen cook wishing to expand their culinary expertise. The National Cooperative Grocers Association has some more recommendations.

• “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, 10^th Anniversary Edition,” by Deborah Madison. Madison’s book is considered the definitive vegetarian cookbook, and it’s also a great place for all aspiring cooks to start, omnivores included!

• “The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution,” by Alice Waters. Waters is a pioneering food activist and a leader in the natural and local food movement. She distills her experience and passion into 200 simple yet savory recipes.

•  “How to Cook Everything 10th Anniversary Edition: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food,” by Mark Bittman. The New York Times ‘minimalist’ offers a 1,000+ tome with a literal soup-to-nuts overview of great breakfasts, lunch and dinner meals and snacks.

• “Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine,” by Bryant Terry. Terry fuses two seemingly distinct food traditions – soul food and vegan food – into deliciously creative and healthy meals, with dishes like double mustard greens and roasted yam soup.

• “Joy of Cooking, 75^th Anniversary Edition,” by Irma Rombauer. The most popular and thorough cook book of our time. First published in 1931 and updated throughout the years, Joy of Cooking remains a key go-to reference in the kitchen.

Prevention and partnerships are going to be the guiding influences when it comes to safeguarding the food that Americans eat. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new strategies that focus on prevention. They will work closely with growers, food processors, and consumers to achieve their goals.

As a first step, Secretary Sebelius praised three draft guidances prepared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) aimed at minimizing or eliminating contamination in leafy greens, tomatoes, and melons that can cause foodborne illnesses.

“These proposed controls provide a guide for growers and processors to follow so they may better protect their produce from becoming contaminated,” said Secretary Sebelius. “This strategy represents the kind of positive change promised by President Obama.”

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced that USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing guidance for inspectors to begin conducting routine sampling of bench trim for E. coli.  Bench trim are the pieces left over from steaks and other cuts that are then used to make ground beef. FSIS will also be issuing streamlined, consolidated instructions to its personnel for inspection, sampling and other actions to reduce E. coli in beef.

“These new food safety guidelines will facilitate the development of enforceable food safety standards and ensure a safer supply of fresh food for all Americans,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “The three draft guidances are designed to help growers and others across the entire supply chain minimize or eliminate contamination in leafy greens, tomatoes, and melons that can cause food borne illnesses.”

Commissioner Hamburg said the draft guidances represent a shift in strategy for the FDA, from a food safety system that often has been reactive to one that is based on preventing food borne hazards

“We must set as our highest priority the creating of enforceable standards for food safety that prevent the food Americans eat from ever becoming contaminated,” she told those gathered at the Eastern Market.

The North American organic coffee market topped 1.3 billion dollars in 2008, making it the single most valuable organic product imported into North America, according to new data released today by coffee market analyst Daniele Giovannucci. The event was hosted by the Organic Coffee Collaboration, a project of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), at New York City’s Union Square Cafe.

According to The North American Organic Coffee Industry Survey 2009 by Giovannucci (with support from the Specialty Coffee Association of America), approximately 89 million pounds of organic coffee were imported into the United States and Canada in 2008, a 12 percent increase from 2007, with most of the sales taking place in the U.S. The 29 percent annual average growth rate for the organic category documented by Giovannucci between 2000 and 2008 dwarfs the estimated 1.5 percent projected annual growth rate of the conventional coffee industry.

“Consumers have spoken loud and clear,” said Christine Bushway, OTA executive director. “Consumers choose to support organic agriculture even when times get tough.”

Giovannucci agrees. “Consumers are being more selective and increasingly moving toward products they perceive to provide real and lasting value, both personal and to the environment.”

Mingle, network, socialize, and have fun at the next Nevada County TweetUp. BriarPatch Co-op will be hosting this event on Thursday, July 23 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

If you are new to Twitter and social media or consider yourself an expert, this TweetUp is for you. Its purpose is to take the on-line world into the off-line. In other words, the event gives you an avenue in which to meet face to face.

A panel of local social media users will share their knowledge of social networking tools, including Twitter. Paul Smith is a sustainable, green business consultant and blogger. Vanessa Smith is a wellness coach, speaker, and author. Machen MacDonald is a bestselling author, business coach, and speaker. Brenda Horton is the owner of Hware, a software company that designs online business planning tools for small businesses, nonprofits, and start-ups. There will be lots of time for questions and answers from the panel.

Get off of your computer and hang-out at the Nevada County TweetUp. There will be food, drinks, prizes, and plenty of opportunity to meet others interested in utilizing social networking as a tool for community interaction.

Interested in attending? Please R.S.V.P. to Mellisa Hannum at mellisah@briarpatch.coop. More information is available on BriarPatch’s website, www.briarpatch.coop and on their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/BriarPatchCoOp.

I used to live in a neighborhood full of eucalyptus trees. They could be quite dangerous when the wind began to blow. First they’d sigh, then they’d sway, then branches would begin to fall, and if there had been a hard rain – look out. One tree took out an entire playground.

Obviously, eucalyptus is not native to California. In fact, it’s listed as an invasive species by the California Invasive Plant Council.

The USDA is considering a proposal by the biotechnology firm, ArborGen, for field trials of a genetically engineered eucalyptus tree that will be cold tolerant. More than 260,000 GE trees would be planted out in the open as a part of these trials.

This is a concern since contamination is a risk. Creating a cold tolerant eucalyptus tree could make them an invasive plant in any environment, as they already thrive in warm climes. Another concern is for the health of human beings and animals. One of the experimental tree varieties is a known host for a potentially fatal fungus, Cryptococcus gatti. According to many studies, including one by scientists at the University of Sydney, it has been found to cause pneumonia, meningitis, lung nodules, and can affect the central nervous system.

A public comment period is open until July 6, 2009. If you’d like to join an email campaign, the form letter can be found at http://ga3.org/campaign/GEtrees.