hello, dear readers! my fabulous cuz sent me this link about the slow food movement and i thought i’d share it with all of you. have you heard of the movement? what do you think about it? what do you think about this article? does the slow food movement make sense in our current global economic times?
while i agree with most of the article’s points, what really made me think was the statement: “We’re all full of gastronomy, recipes etc. Turn on a TV anywhere in the world and you will see an idiot with a spoon. And every newspaper and magazine has recipes and a photo of the dish taken from above like a cadaver…We must normalise food rather than put it on a pedestal far out of reach.” ok, so i am most certainly full of recipes, i may just be another “idiot” with a spoon, and i definitely take tons of pics of food, but my goal with this blog is to share with all of you how much fun i have cooking with seasonal and simple ingredients. i also try to convey my personal belief in the importance of enjoying the process of taking care of yourself by making healthy and delicious meals instead of eating calorie laden and nutrient deficient fast foods. so stay tuned for many, many more recipes!
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February 19th, 2009 at 9:23 am
i agree with his idea of slowing down and enjoying food, and making organic food affordable for everyone, not just the rich. how that’s going to happen i don’t know, it seems like trying to make mercedes affordable for everyone. it probably has to start at the growers. but the whole thing is just another example of our culture’s emphasis on instant and disposable everything.
as for the weblog i say do what makes you happy, screw what other people may or may not think.
February 19th, 2009 at 11:22 am
i love that you wrote about this!
one of the things i love about your blog is that you are beautifully “normalizing food” and making recipes extremely accessible. when mr. petrini refers to any “idiot with a spoon”, he is referring to the celebrity of those who land on the food networks of the world. what was born of the slow food movement is everything you’re doing- slowing down and replacing the need to eat now and on the go with the enjoyment of the process.
in response to btz: organic food has come a long way in being affordable and attainable within our communities. whole foods market has done a crappy job of making the food seem way too expensive and suitable only for the rich. it’s a racket. i could break down the true costs of not eating organically/locally that go well beyond your pocket book…but i’ll keep it on the positive. it’s important to deeply understand that by supporting farmer’s markets and strengthening the presence of smaller farms in your community, you’re making the food more accessible and the prices, cheaper. there are so many regulated, governmental taxes and costs associated with organic farming. these farmers are constantly butting their heads up against the walls of huge corporate farms who are dead-set against them taking any more slice of the pie. by making these farmers stronger, their ability to fight the anti-small farm aspects of the farm bill will be wider felt. by voting and taking a stand with your dollars, you are voting for the local, passionate-about-the-food-he/she-grows farmer who had dedicated his/her life to making food accessible and enjoyable.
i can’t tell you how much more i enjoy cooking knowing that the chard i’m using was grown a small town away by a farmer who’s hand i’ve shaken.
February 19th, 2009 at 11:46 am
I think fast and slow are misnomers. You can have crappy “slow” food and wonderful “fast” food–and vice versa. It depends on what the ingredients are and how you cook things. So just keep on doing what you are doing.
The economy seems to be encouraging people to grow some of their own food. I like that. I also saw a plan for a high rise garden that could be made from any tall building with vegies growing throughout! A new concept of community gardening when your garden is on the 14th floor! I prefer mine at ground level.
February 21st, 2009 at 8:55 am
@btz: I agree with your agreement that organic foods should be available to everyone, regardless of income. I think Farmer’s Markets are the perfect solution to this – a lot of the produce there is a heck of a lot cheaper than Whole Foods, etc, and furthermore is LOCAL. A long time ago, I heard a program on NPR that discussed a movement to give people who are on food stamps the equivalent in tokens to spend at Farmer’s Markets. What a great idea! I’m going to research that and see if it’s still happening.
@cuz: Ok, ok, I’ll let go of the “idiot” title and allow it to represent the Food Network 30 minute chefs, etc. :) Thank you so much for sending me the link to this article – it was really interesting, and I enjoy the conversations it brings about amongst the readers of my blog! I can’t help but think that your comment about chard remind me of The Omnivore’s Dilemma – I’m sure you’ve read that book, right?
@BB: Thank you for the reminder that slow and fast aren’t accurate descriptions! I think Dharma’s here in SC is a perfect example of fast healthy food. I love the idea of a high rise garden! I also love the amazing food that comes out of your ground level garden!