By Laura Stec
E-mail Laura Stec
About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and en...
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About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and environment pioneer, macrobiotic, Master Cleanser, ayurvedic, and officially-designated health-nut or party-girl (depending on the year). Professionally, I've worn many industry hats including: line cook, corporate chef, Food Coach, caterer, product developer, restaurant reviewer, culinary school teacher, corporate wellness educator, food co-op clerk, author, and even Cirque-du-Soleil lead popcorn concessioner! For years I managed an outdoor kitchen, deep in the bear-infested woods of Tahoe, and also for hospitals (the most unhealthy kitchen I ever worked in?), Singapore high-rises, mule-pack trips, Canadian catholic rectories, and more events than I could ever recall. Yet I still keep discovering. Actually, I adapt everyday by new lessons learned from teachers, customers and students. However there is one food truth I now hold sacrosanct: Eaters are motivated by pleasure. So no matter what we discuss here - recipes or restaurants, food politics or pairings, local events, food as art, or even as God, I will always come from a high-vibe, party perspective. Oh I do still long to change the world with great tasting food, but know in my heart, "If it ain't fun, it don't get done!" So - wanna come to the Food Party? By the way - it's a potluck.
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So, I spent the week opening bottles with lids made of one material (plastic, metal) and bottles made of another (glass, plastic) still wondering:
Cap on? Cap off? I also spent the week reading your comments, thankful for the time folks put into their answers and the knowledge I gained, but also wondering if there is anywhere society can go these days to have a conversation / discussion that doesn’t include belittling and insulting people who think or act differently. I hope The Food Party! continues to be that place. Readers please note: a
blog that has the word
party followed by an exclamation point in the title means we are here to have a good time (and we are serious about that effort). Thanks for supporting the goal.
I also spent time calling around to San Mateo and Santa Clara county recyclers and heard what I thought I might: confusing, uncertain responses. Every person who answered the phone had not heard of the issue of bottle caps getting in the way of the processing system, but still answered the question whether to leave the cap on, or take it off. Their reasoning was mostly if the top is made of a material they recycle - leave it on. If they don’t recycle the material the cap is made of, take it off and throw it in the garbage. Honestly, I don’t think anyone felt confident about their response.
In sum, I was told to leave the cap on for all of San Mateo county, but did not get the same blanket answer for Santa Clara county.
Mountain View – leave on the cap
Cupertino – take it off
Sunnyvale – take it off
Portola Valley – leave it on
Woodside – leave it on
Los Altos Hills – leave it on
Menlo Park – leave it on
San Carlos – leave it on
If you decide to call, it would be interesting to hear what answer you get.
Please let us know.

- thanks Brainy Quote