When people make the decision to go vegan, they tend to focus on ensuring that the food they eat is free of animal products. Many new vegans are surprised to discover, though, that they must also consider the use of animal products when choosing what to drink. Proteins and other solids can give wine a cloudy appearance and affect the flavor. Winemakers use fining agents to remove the solids and adjust the flavor. These agents usually either bind with the solids due to the opposite electrical charges of the two substances or simply absorb the impurity. Fining agents like …

  Sustainable food is about sustainable agriculture, food distribution, and food choices that allow us to produce healthful food while preserving future generations’ ability to do the same. And, yes, it really does matter. A lot. In 2011, a global consortium of scientists published a study aimed at determining whether or not we could feed the world’s population without destroying the environment and, thus, ourselves. We could, they say, but only if we change five things in combination: halt farmland expansion, close yield gaps, use inputs more strategically, shift diets, and reduce waste. Sustainable food may seem like an abstract …

Jacksonville’s newest nonprofit-in-the-making, GastroJax, Inc., recently announced that their signature event, , a comprehensive, totally local festival celebrating the food culture of Northeast Florida and those involved in it, will take place in , formerly Hemming Plaza, during the weekend of March 21, 2015. It’s been a long summer, so here’s the scoop in case you missed it. The concept was born in the fall of 2013, when its creator, , suddenly realized that Jacksonville doen’t have a food festival that brought together all of the gastronomic traditions and experiences available in the area. “We’ve got some great festivals in …