Welcome to this week's edition of our Friday Quality Linkage column. Please enjoy this week’s collection of interesting and entertaining links. Brew a fresh cup of coffee, find a comfortable place, and relax.
Featured Links
Resources for Ethical Living Online »
Thanks to Jason Kottke, I discovered this site called Ethical.net that provides a massive list of alternatives for living an ethical life online — including web browsers that treat you like a real human, search engines that care about your privacy, web hosts powered by renewable energy, podcasts on sustainability and slow living, books on mindfulness and philosophy, and much more.
Who are we?
ethical.net is powered by a community of contributors who want everyone to have access to the information they need to shop and live ethically, easily.
What do we mean by ethical?
We know that “ethical” isn’t an objective word — it can mean very different things to different people. But for us, ethical means moving in the direction of least possible harm against other people, animals and the planet.
They've also got a whole community forum where you can discuss and discover these kinds of alternatives. What a cool idea for a site.
Illustration: Cari Vander Yacht, The New York Times
What to Cook in a Changing Climate »
Speaking of making ethical choices, those of us here on the ground level are increasingly being left with the task of figuring out which foods are okay to buy and cook if we want to reduce our carbon footbrint as the world nears the brink of climate disaster.
The Food and Climate desks of the The New York Times have teamed up to answer your questions on the subject:
Yes. The world’s food system is responsible for about one-quarter of the planet-warming greenhouse gases that humans generate each year. That includes raising and harvesting all the plants, animals and animal products we eat — beef, chicken, fish, milk, lentils, kale, corn and more — as well as processing, packaging and shipping food to markets all over the world. If you eat food, you’re part of this system.
[…]
Consuming less red meat and dairy will typically have the biggest impact for most people in wealthy countries. That doesn’t necessarily mean going vegan. You might just eat less of the foods with the biggest climate footprints, like beef, lamb and cheese. If you’re looking for substitutes, pork, chicken, eggs and mollusks have a smaller footprint. But plant-based foods like beans, pulses, grains and soy tend to be the most climate-friendly options of all.
While I know this kind of information's been floating around on the 'net for a while, this is exactly the sort of easy-to-digest (if you'll excuse the term) resource I've been looking for.
Be sure to check out their list of climate-friendly recipes, which you can read about here.
Guacamole Taquero: Taco Shop Guacamole Sauce »
Continuing this train of Related Content™, I have a recipe to share that I already mentioned earlier this week but wanted to include in today's linkage as well because, well, it's that good. I'm talking about this smooth, pourable guacamole sauce, which comes from Roberto Santibañez and JJ Goode's Truly Mexican cookbook.
Before you start gobbling delicate corn tortillas topped with salty, tasty meat in the taquerias of central Mexico, you get to crown your snack with your choice of several salsas, often including what might be my favorite taco condiment of all: guacamole taquero. Blurring the line between guacamole and salsa, this smooth blend of creamy avocado and tart tomatillos packs a spicy punch from serrano chiles and a hint of pungent epazote (many cooks add cilantro instead and so can you). I'll put this on just about any imaginable taco, but it's especially amazing spooned over those filled with carnitas, steak, and grilled cactus.
This is the kind of condiment that goes good with just about anything, though you'll find it especially potent on taco night, I'm sure. If you want to add a creamier touch, take a cue from Charbel Baker, who uses a cup of Greek yogurt in her recipe.
Miscellaneous Links
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Curious about the hero image above? It comes from Norway's third-generation passports, which has a panoramic illustration that turns into a night scene (complete with Aurora Borealis) when shone under a UV light. I guess Canada's passports now have something of a rival? Either way, it's a gorgeous design.
I just wish I knew when they will finally be in people's hands; they were announced back in 2014 but the release date apparently keeps getting pushed back each year (ಥ_ಥ)っ|??
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[Video:] If you've ever wondered what synchronized Shaolin Kung Fu training might look like from space, well, now you know. (via My Modern Met)
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Ever feel awkward making small talk? (I feel your pain, friend.) Here's the only icebreaker you'll ever need.
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[Video:] Filed under "After-Midnight Recipes I Absolutely Need to Make": garlic egg fried rice. Wow.
Photo by yours truly.
Neat Stuff We Published This Week
- The best way to freeze soups/stocks/broths/sauces: “Souper Cubes” Soup-Freezing Silicone Trays
- For all your hair trimming needs: Wahl Lithium Ion+ Stainless Steel Grooming Kit
- Handcrafted for those of an old-fashioned sensibility: Rivet & Chain “Journeyman” Notebook Wallet
- Fine-pointed touchscreen stylus that brings the accuracy and responsiveness: MEKO Active Digital Stylus Pen
- Beginner's guide to cartoon drawing: Modern Cartooning by Christopher Hart
- Durable mid-range speaker that fills rooms with 360° sound: Bose SoundLink Revolve+ Bluetooth Speaker
Got any suggestions for articles, videos, stories, photographs, and any other links you think we should be posting in our weekly Quality Linkage? Please do let us know on Twitter.