Hoping to eat fabulous food while saving the planet at the same time? This week, the experts from Sprig chatted about the recent Slow Food Nation conference and shared ideas on how to make your refrigerator and pantry contents and your restaurant choices a little more eco-friendly. At Sprig, you'll find tips on green shopping, fashion, entertaining, decorating and more.

Sprig's editor Jeanie Pyun and food correspondent Alisa Weinstein were online Thursday, September 18 to talk about living a life that's delicious, stylish AND green.

Jeanie Pyun is founding editor of Sprig. She was the editor of Organic Style magazine back when "organic style" was considered an oxymoron, and co-editor of InStyle Home magazine, where celebrity and style unquestionably and always go together. She thinks that shopping and doing good can be uttered in the same sentence. Alisa Weinstein attended the Slow Food Nation conference, where she wrote about her most delicious moments and favorite farmers there.

For all the latest on environmental science, policy and living, visit washingtonpost.com's Green Section.

A transcript follows.

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Jeanie Pyun: Hi, everyone! We're here today to talk about food and everything about it. Alisa Weinstein is Sprig's San Francisco food correspondent, and she covered the recent Slow Food Nation festival in a series of fabulous slideshows -- on farmers, mail-order food and green moments. I'll send links. Here we go!

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Alisa Weinstein: Hi everyone. I'm really pleased to be here chatting with you today. Slow Food Nation was one of the most exciting events I've attended. About 60,000 people gathered in San Francisco to celebrate our nation's food traditions and taste the best food grown by sustainable farms and made by hand with love. I'm looking forward to your questions.

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washingtonpost.com: The Most Mouthwatering Gourmet Treats (Sprig.com)

Jeanie Pyun: Here's a Slow Food Nation food slideshow link. Careful: May cause drooling. :-)

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Green kitchen: I have a question about kitchen utensils. I assume plastic utensils are not so good (correct me if I'm wrong), so wood and metal are the way to go. But then the conundrum of how to clean and disinfect wooden cooking utensils. Traditionally we've been told to maintain wood cooking utensils and chopping boards with mineral oil, but isn't that a petroleum product? What's a cook to do?!

Jeanie Pyun: Hi, Green kitchen: It's true, plastic utensils are not so good. I'm looking at one now (don't worry -- I use Bambu bamboo utensils at work -- I had to scrabble about to find one for ya) and it doesn't have a number on it, but number 3 is not good for you or me (memorable? can try again). Plastic is often mixed with softeners or phthalates, which have been associated with a range of ailments, from allergies in kids to hormonal disruptions to brain cancer. And plastic utensils are often in your mouth. So avoid those whenever possible. Also, silverware -- vintage, heirloom, flea market, collector's items -- is just so much prettier and lasts for generations. As for wood cooking utensils and chopping boards -- well, first of all, one should separate their meat chopping board from their everything-else chopping board, as even a good scrub with soap and water and lemon juice and vinegar might not get every little bitty bacterium out (okay, use diluted bleach if you're that concerned -- keep well-ventilated though and be sparing). To maintain by not using a petroleum product like mineral oil, you can use other kinds of oils, food grade ones, like coconut oil. Walnut or even almond oil could work, but they could go rancid, and of course, should absolutely not be used if someone you know who eats in your house is allergic to nuts. There are also rubber boards out there, which may be an option if you are not a big wood-seasoner type.

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Jersey City, NJ: What are some of your tips to eat local even through winter, when fresh-produce options are limited?

Alisa Weinstein: Great question. I recently interviewed the chef of L'Etoile, a restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin that serves seasonal, organic foods, even in the winter months. In preparation for the long, cold Midwestern winters, he and his staff freeze, as well as preserve and pickle their favorite summer fruits and vegetables. It's a great way to keep bright, summer flavors around all year and preserve heirloom recipes -- the kind of work our grandmothers did in the kitchen. At Slow Food Nation, the underlying theme of the pavilion that featured pickles and chutney was that pickling is something anyone can do. Ingredients are simple and canning supplies like glass mason jars are very reasonably priced. You can even check with your local Slow Food chapter to find classes and workshops on canning and pickling near you.

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washingtonpost.com: Slow Food USA Local Chapters

Alisa Weinstein: Here is the link to Slow Food USA's local chapter finder!

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green booze: I have definitely been more eco/organic-conscious in the last couple of years, but it occurred to me that hasn't carried over to my choices in wine, beer and other adult beverages. What are the best/most available "names" in alcohol providers? Am especially interested in my favorite, CHAMPAGNE (or sparkling wine, really - can't afford the fancy stuff as often as I'd like).

Jeanie Pyun: Hi, green booze! This is a fun question! There are tons of options in wine, beer and other spirits. It used to be that organic wine was considered a joke -- that the effort put into getting organically certified (a multi-year process) was taking energy away from making good wine. That is far less and less the case these days. Also, many traditional European vintners are de facto organic, if not certified, as that's just the way it's been done for generations. The trick is knowing which -- as they may not use organic language on the label. I'll send you links, oh so many links, on champagne, wines (budget ones, too!), beers, putting together a home bar with our favorite liquor recommendations. I can say off the bat that Fetzer and Bonterra are pretty widely available and among the largest organic wineries for most kinds of wine. Also many wine stores in neighborhoods that have an organic bent are likely to have at least one shelf dedicated to organic and biodynamic (and even more rigorous -- and some say, touchy feely woo woo, i.e., bury cow horns of manure by the crop at certain phases of the moon... however the end results can be delicious) and the proprietor who knows his or her stuff is likely know about which labels use organic practices but may not market as such. Finally, I will say that a fine organic wine can blow your mind and tastebuds as much as a non-organic one -- and anecdotally speaking, is less likely to give headaches the day after, due to containing zero or fewer sulfites, a preservative that some people are allergic to. Thanks for your question! Okay, now for your recommendations via links....

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New York, NY: If I have the option between a regular locally grown piece of fruit and an organic fruit grown in another part of the country or world, which is better?

Alisa Weinstein: Definitely the locally grown food -- the food that comes from another part of the world has a much bigger carbon footprint. The best option would be to shop at your local farmer's market and talk to the farmers before you buy. Ask them what they use for pest control and how they treat their soil. The best thing we can do for our health and to support local agriculture is to get to know the people who supply our food.

Alisa Weinstein: Another option is to take part in a Community Supported Agriculture program that delivers fresh, locally grown produce directly to your door or to a nearby pick-up point. There are even some CSAs that allow you to go online and choose the vegetables and fruit you want in your delivery. They often also offer recipes and tips for storing your produce.

Jeanie Pyun: Just wanna add that many say that local is better for the environment, but that doesn't mean that if you choose organic, you're being somehow more evil. You're supporting the organic agricultural movement, which is good, and you're continuing to prove that there is a demand for organics. Like anything, it's your choice and when you look at the big picture, you may add fuel miles to your food choices if you choose organic over local, but you are probably making it up somewhere else in your footprint. Finally, you can find a CSA at localharvest.org, eatwellguide.org and increasingly, farmandfood.org.

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washingtonpost.com: Can Vendrell Cava Brut Reserva (Sprig.com)

Jeanie Pyun: Here's a list of some bubblies, as promised, since you like them, green booze. I have a good budget link coming up, as these might not be bargains -- but they're great places to start in your organic spirits quest.

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washingtonpost.com: 5 Fabulous Rose Wines (Sprig.com)

Jeanie Pyun: Who doesn't like a nice rose. Of course, it's getting to red wine season again, but experts say that increasingly things like traditional food pairing and seasonal rules are relaxing, and whatever tastes good to you works (like clothes! wearing not tasting, of course). This list is starting point for resources....

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washingtonpost.com: NYC Greenmarkets

Alisa Weinstein: A great way to find local producers or a local CSA in New York City is to visit the NYC Greenmarket site. A lot of farmers are participating in CSAs now as a great way to support their farms and connect people with good, nutritious food while providing a little education to boot!

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washingtonpost.com: Best Organic Beers (Sprig.com)

Jeanie Pyun: Hope I'm not boozing everyone out. Here are some organic beers that Sprig staffers taste tested (the video is on the site -- no, no scenes of people falling off their stools).

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washingtonpost.com: Best Organic Home Bar Basics (Sprig.com)

Jeanie Pyun: Second to last link (!). If you like vodka, gin, whiskey, etc., in this home-bar-basics video, there are some great companies led by visionaries that make pretty green and great-tasting products.

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washingtonpost.com: Eco-friendly and organic wines available everywhere for under $25 a bottle (Sprig.com)

Jeanie Pyun: Lastly, the budget link. Enjoy (but not too much)!

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Washington, DC: I have a 27 year old wood cutting board that I have never treated with oil, mineral or otherwise and it holding up quite well. I tend to give it a good scrub with soap and hot water after using it. The board is an actual round tree trunk. The bark had some sort of protective coating on it. The coating has probably worn off since the bark is pretty worn down.

Jeanie Pyun: Hi, Washington, DC: I will admit that I have never treated or seasoned my cutting boards either. Shh? Your cutting board sounds lovely -- I love the fact that it's a cross section of a trunk with bark on it. Thanks for your comment!

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Washington DC: No matter how you measure it, a vegetarian diet - one entirely free from meat - is the only type of diet which materially reduces the pollutant footprint. And there so little domestic press about it; most of the press comes from abroad. Why?

Alisa Weinstein: Hi Washington, DC. Thanks for your question. I recently interviewed journalist Michael Pollan for Sprig and asked him about his views on vegetarianism. As you may know, he is not a vegetarian, although he advocates that the best thing for the environment and for greening the food industry in general would be to have people include less meat in their diets. Michael Pollan's own website includes links to all of his past articles, as well as links to articles by U.S.-based food philosophers, many of whom are dedicated to advocating the humane treatment of animals raised for food. Of course, Michael goes into greater detail on all of this in his book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. He even talks about his attempt to go vegetarian for the sake of the environment. It's a great read!

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washingtonpost.com: Interview with Michael Pollan (Sprig.com)

Alisa Weinstein: Here is a link to the Sprig interview with Michael Pollan. In the interview, he talks about where he stands in his thinking about the ethical implications of being a vegetarian or vegan versus meat eating and his 2002 New York Times article, "An Animal's Place." It's good stuff.

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New York, NY: I'm on a budget and can't afford to completely go organic. What swaps will make the most difference for the environment and my health?

Jeanie Pyun: Hi, New York, NY: If you're on a budget, it makes sense to buy your organic foods strategically, i.e, where they'll do the most good nutritionally and do the least harm to your health in terms of pesticides residue. In terms of best choices, I defer to Dr. Greene, who yes, is a green pregnancy expert, but what's good enough for the goose-plus is good for anyone, ganders, goslings (sorry), methinks. Here are his five top organic picks:

1. Beef

2. Milk

3. Potatoes

4. Apples

5. Soy

Why? Beef from grass-fed, organically raised cattle has five times the omega-3s and none of the hormones that has depressed sperm levels in men raised by meat-eating moms by 24 percent. Same goes for milk -- plus over a quarter of conventional milk contains synthetic pesticide trace, while only 5% organic milk does. Potatoes have one the most highest levels of pesticide contamination, as do apples (plus organic apples have much higher nutrient levels). Finally, regular soy is most likely genetically modified, and if you have faith in the studies that say there are no health risks to eating that stuff (even though it's not like we have generations of test samples to study) then keep in mind that GMO crops are contaminating species and varieties, and who knows what that will do to our ecosystems. So organic soy or tofu ensures that you are not supporting GMO soybeans. Now you might be thinking that beef and milk and even more so, organic beef and milk, are expensive. This is true. However, eating less beef and milk (and less overall, although tell that to my tummy) is much better for the environment. If you make meat your side dish and not your main dish, your grocery bills are going to go down no matter what.

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Alexandria, Va: Ok, milk and egg carton conundrum... is it better to buy milk in a recyclable plastic container (usually non-organic store brand milk), or organic milk in a non-recyclable wax-cardboard container? Not to mention it irks me to no end that most organic eggs come in non-recyclable plastic or styrofoam containers. What's a conscientious person to do!?!

Jeanie Pyun: Hi, Alexandria, VA: For reasons mentioned above -- higher nutritional content and lower pesticide trace and antibiotics and hormones in organic milk -- you should buy for yourself and your health first (in my opinion) and get the organic milk in the non-recyclable wax-cardboard container. I hear you about non-recyclable egg containers! But oh nothing's yummier than a farm-fresh egg.

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DC: I understand that organic farms make weekly deliveries to subscribers in the DC metro area. Can you make any recommendations?

washingtonpost.com: Here's Local Harvest's CSA directory which can help you find such programs all around the country.

Alisa Weinstein: Here's more information on finding CSAs in the DC Metro area. There is a very exciting food movement happening there. You can also get in touch with your local Slow Food chapter for more information. I posted a link to a local chapter finder earlier!

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washingtonpost.com: Our washingtonpost.com food blogger Kim O'Donnel also blogs today about the environmental benefits of cutting back on meat, even having just one meatless day a week.

Jeanie Pyun: Just wanted to give a shoutout to a great food blogger here on washingtonpost.com. Check it out!

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Jeanie Pyun: Thanks so much, everyone, for joining us and sending your excellent questions -- nice to take a moment to focus on simple pleasure amidst financial chaos (oh I had to go and say it). A pleasure as always, and have a great green rest of your day,

Jeanie

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Alisa Weinstein: Wow, time flew by. Thanks, everyone, for the great questions. It's been a pleasure chatting with you!

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Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.