Of course we know that Earth day should be every day, but sometimes a special day like Earth Day, which is Sunday, April 22, is a good reminder to take good care of this planet on which we live.

One way to do that, aside from choosing earth-friendly chocolate when indulging, is by using bamboo kitchenware. Bamboo is a plant that grows quickly, which means it is highly renewable, which means it works for sustainable living. Anything in your kitchen or on your dining table that is plain old "wood," you can switch to bamboo -- serving trays, salad bowls, dinner plates, and cutting boards. And what a lovely thing that bamboo looks so pretty, too.

Acrylamide is a chemical compound that can be found in fried or baked goods, produced by the reaction of a naturally occurring amino acid, asparagine, and sugars. More acrylamide is found in overcooked fried or baked foods. It can also be found in coffee and in microwaved foods. You can see a list of the amounts found in some foods here.

The reason that acrylamide is a carcinogen that is found in fairly high amounts in cigarettes, as well as in foods, and because it is a carcinogen, eating it might be associated with an increased risk of cancer. Some lawmakers have campaigned for warning labels to be added to foods in an effort to make sure that the public is properly informed, but without much success. Fortunately for them, Chinese scientists may have found a way to reduce acrylamide in foods by simply soaking he food in question in a bamboo leaf extract before cooking.

"Bamboo extract has potent antioxidant properties" that apparently contributed to the nonformation of acrylamide. Raw potato pieces soaked in the stuff had 75% less acrylamide when fried into french fries and potato chips afterwards - and the scientists noted that the bamboo extract did not change the food's flavor.

Bamboo is now used to make tableware, wallpaper, flooring and lacquer-ware.

A company in the UK has just begun importing the lacquer-ware, The dishes are coiled by hand and impregnated with 18 layers of natural, food-safe lacquer. They retail for £12.50 and up each. Vibrantly coloured and waterproof. They join Zak-Designs Bambu trays, chopping boards - which look particularily good - and kitchen utensils in one impressive and design-conscious range. Even the bamboo is organically grown.

The manufactuer has its own website.

We talk a lot about organic, local, and sustainable foods, but what about the tools we use to prepare the foods? I just came across Branch, an online store that sells products for the home, kitchen, kids, and accessories, that are sustainably made. For example, the chopping board pictured is handmade in China by a company called Bambu. The chopping board itself is 100% organically grown bamboo and made with non-toxic adhesives and natural wood oil.

The beauty of Branch is that, well, there is beauty in the design of the products they sell. They are an online store only, but are hoping to open a physical store in San Francisco.

Sarah J. Gim already mentioned that one of the food traditions for Chinese New Year is to have dumplings, which are meant to bring good fortune in the next year. She didn't mention that they also make a delicious snack or a quick lunch and, with some rice and vegetables, can make an exceptionally tasty dinner. Soft, fluffy "bao" are steamed buns that are typically served as dim sum or yum cha in Chinese restaurants and they'll be on my Chinese New Year menu. You can make them yourself, using any filling you wish, or pick up a few at your local asian market. Good luck and a good lunch? How can you go wrong!

[Photo by Nicole Weston]