Dive - Living Off America's Waste

Recently I watched the thought provoking film, Dive - Living Off America's Waste, by Jeremy Seifert. At only 53 minutes it is chock full of facts about food production and waste in the USA. Mind boggling figures and comparisons made me rethink everything I consume and waste personally and left me wondering what are the figures like for the rest of the world. The documentary follows a group of dumpster divers in Los Angeles. These are educated men, not bums on the street, who get the majority of food for themselves and their families from the trash bins of supermarkets. The tremendous amount of food wastage blew my mind and left me feeling sick thinking of the millions of needy people in the world and knowing that most of the excess ends up in landfills (another problem altogether). Does anyone know what food wastage in like in Malaysia? What happens to food from supermarkets when it's close to the expiry date? Does it get thrown out or is it donated to shelters or non-profit organizations to feed the homeless or others in need?

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Ludvigs in Sitka, Alaska

You might think that in the isolation of a small Alaskan island like Sitka, amidst the abundance of trees and wildlife, you would be hard-pressed to find culinary offerings other than what you can catch with your own two hands. An evening at the town's famous watering hole, The Pioneer Bar, might conjure up images of barbecue and cheese whiz. Imagine my delight when crossing the threshold of Ludvigs -- a small seasonal bistro run by chef Collette and her partner. Oh, what a little candle light and a good wine list can do after a day on a boat!

The heart of their menu, and their most successful dishes, feature Alaskan salmon, rock fish and King Crab. White Salmon (to some, albino) was particularly well appointed on brightly flavored risotto and sauced with a glorious tomato reduction. The Bistro Steak was unfussy and well-seasoned. Other dishes added a good portion of bacon, including the Tuscan scallops (a local favorite) and the day's fresh catch. While I'm no a stranger to a good porcine fix, bacon overpowered the delicately flavored fruit de mer. The Mediterranean dishes, like the Cioppino and Paella, were generous in seafood but fell a little flat on the palate. Our meal ended on a highest of notes -- desserts and cappuchinos-- with a lemony cheese cake and a perfectly crisp creme brulee.