titanium cookware

[macroPsychotic]

Does anyone know of any dangers associated with using 100% titanium cookware? I generally use stainless steel but would like to use titanium for hiking because it is much lighter and durable. Is it acceptable to use it for macrobiotic cooking? I found no negative evidence online but realize this may be due to its relative newness. I actually found more evidence about stainless steel leaching a variety of heavy metals as it is an alloy and composed of a variety of metals.

Thanks

"Those who sacrifice freedom in the name of security, deserve neither" <-- I think this quote was from an educated, thoughtful, and articulate political mind from our past.

[Bruce Paine]

macroPsychotic,

They say that titanium http://www.chem.ed.ac.uk/chemcon/metals/titanium.htm is non-reactive to food but that it is bonded to other metals (like aluminum) via hard-anodizing.

How thick the plating is and how long it would take to wear through, I guess might be determining factors, regarding how safe it is to use.

More emphasis in the cooking classes that I attend focus on dense heavy pots that help to bring warmth and energy into food.

How lightweight pots are for camping or travel does not seem to be much of a concern.

Most macros I know are more interested in living near natural surrounding than going off on camping trips, backpacking in the wilds that would need lightweight equipment.


Speaking of unusual places for macrobiotic people to cook and feed themselves, how do you suppose an astronaut who decided to follow a macrobiotic diet, would cook and prepare foods for him/herself in a gravity-free environment?

Can astronauts be macrobiotic or is the diet, planet bound?

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

[macroPsychotic]

Hey Bruce, thanks for the quick reply. I guess you haven't read my new book entitled 'Macrobiotic weight: the best places on earth to get your gravity'. http://cybermacro.com/forum/newreply...uote=1&p=2669#
Yes

But seriously, I think gravity is very essential to our body as a whole and I am sure extended periods in space have detrimental effects on the body.

I would to live near the wild or in the wild but my present occupation dictates that I live in Los Angeles as much I would rather not. Lightweight is a crucial factor when you are planning to hike 2000+ miles through the rockies over a period of months. But I am the only long distance hiker to eat rice or millet four times a day with some veggies/seaweed that keep well. I forego dehyrated food (which is lighter) because I definitely feel the difference.

I would much rather cook over a nice wood burning fire with a thick, hardy pot every meal but there are environmental impact concerns to worry about. But I'll never hike without my gravity.

After a little more research, I did find this site that had something positive to say about titanium cookware and interestingly enough something negative to say about stainless steel cookware.
http://www.therealessentials.com/cgi...cessories.html

For home cooking, do you know a good source for cast iron that has not been treated or coated in any way. I distrust the cookware at most stores. Or what is your most highly recommended cookware, weight/price not withstanding?

Thanks, Dan

[Bruce Paine]

Dan,

What part of L.A.?

Try this on for size:

http://www.lodgemfg.com/

Have you had dehydrated daikon?

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

[macroPsychotic]

We live in Hollywood Hills (Franklin and Beachwood area) and are planning to hike the continental divide trail next summer which runs from mexico to canada through the rockies.

I haven't had dehyrdated daikon and any other recommendations for yummy dehydrated macro food are appreciated as well as preparation tips. Dehydated foods are great for long distance hiking as they save weight, cooking time, and fuel. I tried dehydrating millet but the dehydrating product was so unappealing I didnt bother rehyrdrating it. I am very interested in any sources of quality dehyrdated whole grains/ precooked whole grains. I might try dehyrating brown rice but have a feeling it just wont compare.

Thanks

[Bruce Paine]

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha,

You are so funny!


Whole grains (and beans) before they are cooked are much less hydrated than afterwards and so, in a sense they are already dehydrated.

Vegetables on the other hand can be dehydrated but interestingly enough, after cooking they usually become smaller, unlike the grain and beans which become larger.

Also, with all the emphasis of whole grains as the center of our diet, isn't it interesting that it's the vegetales that we put the most effort into preparing?


I spent the 6th grade going to a school in Laurel Canyon while living in a house that had both views of the Valley, and the Basin, while my closest cousins lived in a house in the hills bordering Griffith Park.

Hope you and yours are enjoying the view.

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

[garymill]

Hi Dan,

I have just as of this morning finished the prepared dinners section of our new CyberMacro Natural Foods catalog, that will be online in a few weeks.

Here is just a summary page of the products, full details will be available when the new catalog goes live.

Focus on the sprouted rice packages.
Gary




Mr. Kojima has been studying brown rice for over 50 years. has recently made a major breakthrough in developing greater nutritional characteristics for brown rice. By slightly sprouting the rice before cooking a heretofore unknown amino acid known as "Gaba" (amino butyric acid) is produced. Scientists in Japan say Gaba has a remarkable ability to lower blood pressure. We are the only source for this exciting new product.

Uses: Eat right out of the package! An ideal snack for at home, in the office or on the road. Ideal for packing in your lunch box, a picnic basket or in the car. Great for hiking, skiing or camping trips. Ingredients: "yuuki-grown" sprouted brown rice, and wakame.
Made in Japan by the Kojima Mochi Co.

[macroPsychotic]

Hey Bruce, do you know of any macrobiotic restaurants in LA?

Hey GaryMill, thanks for the link, the prepared meals look delicious although for the price I would be more interested in bulk quantities.

[Bruce Paine]

Here are several macrobiotic leaning restaurants in Los Angeles:

INAKA : 131 S. La Brea
L.A., CA 90036
(323) 936 9353

Real Food Daily (RFD)
http://www.realfood.com/

RFD -Santa Monica
514 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA. 90401
(310) 451-7544
Fax (310) 451-7154

RFD - West Hollywood
414 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 289-9910
Fax (310) 289-9911

RFD - Beverly Hills
242 S. Beverly Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 858-0880
Fax (310) 858-0980

Considering this:

"After a little more research, I did find this site that had something positive to say about titanium cookware and interestingly enough something negative to say about stainless steel cookware.
http://www.therealessentials.com/cgi...cessories.html ",

I say, let's find some positive proof that stainless steel is bad for us before we start switching to other materials.

Titanium is a relatively new material and we have little information on how nonreactive to foods it is or any information on how durable it is after years of rugged use (after all it is a thin layer of metal bonded to aluminum).

Okay?

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine

[macroPsychotic]

Bruce, thanks for the restaurant tips.
I agree in that no need to hurry on finding the 'best metal'. Like I said earlier, I was looking for something to compromise between lightweightness and healthfullness and was surprised to find different opinions on stainless steel.
Using heavily refined unnatural metals of any sort sounds a little un-macro in and of itself, doesn't it?

Thanks, Dan

[Bruce Paine]

Dan,

I believe that the most natural materials to cook in are either ceramic (like the Chinese (sappo) sandy pot , Spanish terracota cazuela or Mexican terracota cazuela or porcelain glass (like enamelware) , yet you might not want to carry those kinds of pots with you on a long backpacking trip because of their fragility.

Titanium might be dishwasher safe but that doesn't tell us how tough it might be on an extended camping trip, washed in a stream, riverbed, or lake and being exposed to a varying types of cleaning conditions including sand and gravel.

Though a few people have voiced concerns about stainless steel, isn't interesting that most of those people appear to be the ones who are selling things like titanium cookware.

Many more people (especially in macrobiotics) are concerned about aluminum and avoid using pots and utensils with exposed aluminum food cooking and preparation surfaces.

People have been using stainless steel for several generations now and there are hardly any complaints from the regular users, but if you are really concerned, maybe you can use a ceramic insert like a Ohsawa Pot in your pots and pressure cooker.

Otherwise, just jump in and be a Titanium Pioneer, and find out for us what using it is like.

And have a good trip!

Thank you, very much.

Bruce Paine