Happiness makes up in height
what it lacks in length.

-- Robert Frost


Photography by Denise Blasor

A stick called Kishu

A Brita filter is a handy way to filter water and while it
beats buying endless supplies of bottled waters in the end it
is just another product using plastic that will end up cluttering
landfills for a gazillion years.

Now there is an alternative worth trying out and it's in the form
of an eco-friendly, small stick of activated charcoal that
when placed in a pitcher of water absorbs toxins commonly
found in tap water, like lead, mercury, cadmium, copper and
chlorine.

On top of that, this little stick of charcoal releases healthy minerals
like calcium and potassium. It even enhances the quality of the
water, with users commending how fresh and pure the water tastes.

Kishu filters are made from the branches of holm oak trees from
the forests of Japan's Wakayama region (once known as Kishu).
Turns out the Japanese have been using charcoal filters for
centuries and now U.S. consumers  are discovering the benefits
of this natural product.

A Kishu charcoal stick is good for four months, purifying
approximately 2 quarts of water per day. Once a month you need
to boil the stick in a shallow pan of water for 10 minutes to keep
exterior pores open and then let it dry for 30 minutes before
replacing it in the water pitcher. The charcoal starts absorbing
impurities right away but it is best to let it sit five hours for
optimal effect.

Some might consider the wait period and the need for periodic
boostups a bit of an inconvenience but consider the stick's
virtues: it is made from a sustainable resource and it is
compostable.  Brita casings, alas, are not bio-degradable though
the company in 2009 began a recycling program in Canada
under which used pitcher filter casings are recycled by another
company, Preserve, into such household items as toobrushes,
cups and cutting boards.

Amazon offers several kinds of Kishu sticks with prices ranging
from $5.99 for a stick to be used in a water bottle to $18 for two sticks.

Disappointingly, this is one more product that Amazon does not ship
to Puerto Rico which leaves island consumers with no recourse but
to order from the company through stateside relatives or friends.

Martin Travieso Street Mural, San Juan

I promise I shall never give up,
and that I'll die yelling and laughing.

Jack Kerouac

BUEN PROVECHO


Puerto Rico Restaurant Week kicks off May 14
(through May 20), an opportunity for locals and tourists
alike to try out some of the best restaurants on the island
through pre-fixe menus at lower prices.

More than 40 restaurants are participating in the event
which is not limited to dinner but, in the case of some
restaurants, also includes lunch.

Pre-fixe dinner menus are priced at $28 and $38, while
lunch menus are $14 and $19, tax and gratuity not
included.

Check out participating restaurants and their offerings at
www.prrestaurantweek.com and as Puerto
Ricans like to say, "Buen provecho," or "Enjoy your meal."




☛ A simple recipe: Red-Bean Burgers

Folks seeking a tasty, non-meat alternative to the common
burger should try this fabulously simple and appetizing recipe
recently published in Martha Stewart's Living magazine. The
recipe calls for shredded carrot, as one of the ingredients,
but onions work just as well. And for dried breadcrumbs,
use crumbled Mestemacher Three Grain Bread to give
the burger a richer taste.

Ingredients: 2 cans of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained;
1/2 a cup of shredded carrot (or onion); 1 teaspoon of chili
powder; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs;
2 large eggs, lightly beaten; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive
oil; salt and pepper.

1. Lightly mash beans in a bowl.
2. Add carrot, chili powder, oregano, breadcrumbs, eggs.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Mix together with a spoon or fork.
5. Shape into four patties.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, add patties and cook
over medium heat until bottom is browned, about 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Flip over and cook until browned.

Serve on a bun with condiments.

Artwork by Lorraine Blasor

There is a happiness which is perfect
and real as long as it lasts;
it is transient, but its end
does not negate its past existence
and prevent he who has experienced it
from remembering it.

Casanova 
"Story of My Life" 

ⓒ 2014 Lorraine Blasor all rights reserved☂