Nature gives us some foods that come in their own packaging – apples, walnuts, bananas, coconuts. You can probably think of some more. Humans have also created some edible packaging, most memorably the ice cream cone. Filmy cling wrap made out of vegetables has been in development for years (I wrote about it in 2002 and again in this space last year), though I haven’t seen any in the market yet.

In another twist, edible plants are being turned into packaging to cushion electronics for shipping.  Let’s just hope we don’t reverse that trend and start eating iphones….

A neat website called fastcoexist.com, a goldmine of interesting ideas, highlighted a coffee cup that is a cookie you can eat after you’ve finished your beverage. It’s not in production yet, but go here for a photo.

OR you could make your own edible cup. An unnamed culinary genius turned muffin tins over, draped bread or cookie dough over the protruding bulge, and voila! Remove from your oven a set of concave cookies, all ready to be filled with ice cream or quiche or whatever is your personal indulgence. See a neat photo here. 

Dear friends,

Please accept this as a belated holiday gift! My niece forwarded this recipe to me, which was very thoughtful, since she is a carnivore. Surely one of the best ways we can welcome our carnivore friends and family to the world of compassionate eating is to tempt them with such delicious and versatile dishes.

Quinoa patties

Cook 1 1/2 cups quinoa in 3 cups water with 1/2 tsp salt for 25 -30 minutes.

Place in a large bowl and add:
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (whole grain if you have them)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
4 large organic genuinely free-range eggs (or ½ cup mashed silken tofu)
1 medium onion very finely minced
1-2 cloves garlic minced (optional)
1/3 cup chopped chives (chopped green onions also work)

Mix together well.  In a non-stick skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil to low medium heat.

With wet hand place, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of mix in pan and lightly flatten into cake to about 1/2 inch thick.   Fry till golden brown, then flip and do the same on second side. Heat may need to be turned down as pan gets hot. Take off heat while adding additional patties to avoid burning.

These can be refrigerated and microwaved when needed. At room temperature, they make good snacking, too, as my carnivore husband showed me.

If you know the author of this recipe, please let the rest of us know, so we can send to him or her some appreciation and fame!