Entries tagged with 'water'
Page 2 of 4
Creative Commons In memory of the amazingly prolific writer and critic John Updike, here are some favorite lines from a piece he wrote for the New Yorker last year on one man's satisfaction glugging down a glass of water each night: The bliss goes back, I suppose, to moments of thirst satisfied in my childhood, five states to the south of this one, where there were public drinking fountains in all the municipal buildings and department stores, and luncheonettes would put glasses of ice water on the table without your having to ask, and drugstores served Alka-Seltzer up at the soda fountain to cure whatever ailed you, from hangover to hives....
Continue reading »
Photograph from notinponce on Flickr Salted Water for Boiling is easily Epicurious' most commented-on recipe, with 801 responses at last count. The thread has become a treasure trove of sarcastic comments: I am frustrated with these "advanced" recipes. Does everyone think we're ALL professional chefs?? I can't tell at what point to add the salt, and what kind of salt? Kosher? Fleur de Sal? Iodized? And then what kind of water? Tap? Distilled? Artesian? How long do I boil it? I am so confused. Please, Epicurious, screen your recipes better. Don't waste your time on this one. I substituted leftover hot dogs for the salt, and used a combination of maple syrup and salsa instead of water, and it didn't...
Continue reading »
A comprehensive study done by the Southern Nevada Water Authority in Las Vegas has detected the top 11 compounds found in U.S. drinking water, including atenolol, a beta-blocker used to treat cardiovascular disease; carbamazepine, a mood-stabilizing drug used to treat bipolar disorder; and meprobamate, a tranquilizer widely used in psychiatric treatment. These compounds were found at extremely low concentrations that the study says post no public health threat. [via Boing Boing]...
Continue reading »
U.K.-based website Do the Green Thing gives its community members one green thing to do each month. August's "green thing" is asking for tap water. To illustrate the point, the site has produced this video (after the jump), which mocks the myriad designer bottled waters out there....
Continue reading »
The formula for selling mineral water to Estonians in the 1980s was so simple. Go to the desert, throw in a parched guy who crawls toward a case of mineral water as a bunch of people dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," insert a random dog, and at the end let the guy take a victorious swig of water. Every part of this commercial is inexplicable. And that's why it's so good. Watch the video after the jump....
Continue reading »
Water filtration pitchers can certainly be useful for improving the quality of tap water, but they have their drawbacks. Filter pitchers require regular replacement of disposable plastic filters to maintain performance, and they are generally big, bulky, and nothing to look at. For all but the most casual gatherings and dinner parties, I decant filtered water into a glass or ceramic vessel that looks better and takes up less table space than my filtration pitcher. Though it may not be ideal, this method works well enough that I’d never much considered another possibility. Filtering with Charcoal and Stones Design Within Reach Then, while flipping through the pages of the latest Design Within Reach (DWR) catalogue, I found a tempting alternative:...
Continue reading »
Photograph from bfurnace on Flickr We are plagued by water hang-ups: bottled water obsessing, bottled water loathing, and recently, fees for filtered tap water. Eater SF reports that Millennium Restaurant in Nob Hill will soon charge guests a buck for water filtered through a nifty Natura carbon and UV filter. In case you're wondering where that dollar is going, Millennium Restaurant explains that it's for fancy filters, visits from water filter technicians, and the UV lightbulb maintenance. When you spend twenty bucks on beautiful restaurant scallops, only a fraction of that money actually goes to the food cost. There's labor, rent, and that classy plate on which your scallops lie. Not to mention last week's emergency dishwasher repair, the air...
Continue reading »
©iStockphoto.com/KMITU We have seen bottled water snobbery peak—such as when diners feel pressured to order it to impress friends—then plummet, due to recent environmental awareness. Author Elizabeth Royte analyzes the commercialization of our basic human need in Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It, published in May. This week, The Economist reviewed Royte's book which investigates the $60 billion global bottled water industry and how it's swelled to include waters laced with sugar-free fruity flavors, caffeine, and appetite suppressants. While some are tickled by the concept of water sommeliers, others admonish the excess, and millions of people still lack access to clean water. Have you downsized your water bottle consumption? Got a sleek (and pricey)...
Continue reading »
The Soda-Club Home Seltzer Maker kit costs less than $100, and contains a carbonating bottle with enough carbon dioxide to make up to 110 liters of seltzer. Think about it: that's 110 less liter-sized bottles in the recycling bin, or worse, the trash can.
Continue reading »
Millions of women and children in Africa have no access to clean drinking water, causing them to walk for miles every day to collect water that is dirty and unsafe to drink. charity: water, a non-profit organization that raises money to fund well-building projects, produced this PSA starring Jennifer Connelley to portray what life in New York City could be like if the taps went dry and there were no clean water. You may never have to carry 40-pound jerry cans of water home from Central Park, but millions of people around the world have to do something like this every day. Watch the video, after the jump....
Continue reading »
