Always organic? Not in this economy...

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So I try to buy organic as much as I can- it tastes much better, helps preserve the environment and often supports mid-sized and small farms- but (as I'm sure many of you understand) in the last few years it's become too expensive to buy everything organic.
So then how do I decide, standing there in the produce aisle biting my lip, which kinds of apples to buy? For a while I was choosing based on price: potatoes, onions and carrots are cheap anyway, so going organic there wasn't much of a price jump. Raspberries? Forget about it.
But I recently came across this handy pocket guide and thought it might help my readers too. Below is a little card you can print out and put in your wallet that shows which produce gets coated in pesticides (so buy organic!), and which ones are less heavily sprayed (so save your pennies!).
Plus, it's cute.

The Best Soufflés Ever

Yeah, I said it. And if you try these soufflés, you will fully agree. This recipe was originally developed by Sarah Tenaglia, one of the geniuses in the Test Kitchen at Bon Appétit I had the great good fortune to work with and learn from. I've lightly modified this recipe for my own purposes, but if it works for you it's all because of Sarah's great wit and skill. I served these as the sexy finale for a very fancy dinner party I catered and everybody went berzerk. They thought I was a goddess.

And let me add, I'm not much of a baker. I'd only made soufflés once before with brownie-like results. This recipe is so foolproof even I was wildly successful; I like these better than most restaurant versions. If you were afraid to give soufflés a whirl, today is your day. And do it now, while you can still get your hands on blood oranges.

Remember: if you're worried they won't puff, use slightly smaller ramekins. The batter's got to go somewhere, and in a smaller dish there's only up!

Blood Orange and Dark Chocolate Soufflés
serves 6

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons grated blood orange peel
10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs, separated, room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt (measure it out, this is baking)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chilled whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons blood orange juice (from the one you zested earlier)

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Place six 3/4-cup soufflé dishes on baking sheet. Mash sugar and blood orange peel in small bowl. Stir chopped chocolate in medium bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted. Remove from over water; whisk in egg yolks, 3 tablespoons blood orange sugar and salt (mixture will become thick). Beat egg whites in large bowl to soft peaks; add 3 tablespoons blood orange sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Whisk 1/3 of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten; fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Don't over-fold (something I tend to do). Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon mixture equally into dishes. Bake until softly set and puffed, about 14 minutes.
Meanwhile, whip cream, 4 tablespoons blood orange sugar and juice to firm peaks in medium bowl.
Top warm soufflés with cream, then sprinkle with blood orange sugar. Serve to lusty applause.

The textures are amazing: the supple, warm near-cakiness of the soufflés with the softness of the (barely pink) whipped cream and roughness of the damp blood-orange sugar-- it's some of the best foodsex around.
I need to get out more.

The Lusty Orange

I must sing the praises of the Blood Orange. If you've never tried one: stand up, get your keys, go outside and don't return to this post until you've got one in your hot little hand. Seriously. I'll wait... hmmm, gotta call Linda back, do laundry this weekend, buy sexy black shoes with a lower heel I can wear with jeans-- oh, you're back! Good, let's get to it then.

Blood oranges are the lustiest fruit, their sharp citrus scent even smells adult. Don't waste them on the kids, or people who don't care about food. (Why are you hanging out with them anyway? You know they've got no soul.)
Originally from Sicily, these oranges dance on the tongue. The exterior looks like someone rolled it in red clay dust, and inside. Oh Goddess, inside each fruit is a complete and decadent sunset. I encourage you to peel the thin film that covers each segment; there is breathtaking variety in the colors within. And it varies with each orange, sometimes you see light pink that fades into a russet red-brown, or a deep fleshy purple with bright hits of orange, or even the color of claret wine.
And the taste. Blood oranges don't give themselves to you immediately, they tease and tickle on the tongue. They start with a nuanced tartness, not grapefruit harsh tart, but a hint of pucker that starts in the back of the mouth. The surprise and delight comes at the end when the high sweetness swoops in and magically balances it out, a twist that exhilarates.
How often do you find ecstasy in fruit? Their season ends soon, revel while you can.