Holdiday Cleansing? ...Mmm nope.

Disclaimer: I have no real background in the subject of diets and health, only my own experience and observations. These are my thoughts:

Somewhat ironically, I suppose, following the rant I posted last week I was taking my lunch break at work. Sitting in the lunchroom, not only eating the lunch I brought plus a side of the leftover bagels from the breakfast meeting that day, and feeling pretty good, I might add. Well the conversation inevitably turned to the holidays coming up. One coworker mentioned that she would be at the beach over the New Year and therefore wanted to diet before heading out in her bikini. All right legitimate, however—unable to keep my mouth shut, I still said my two cents, going on about the absurdity of dieting during the holidays. Okay, shut up.

Anyway, another girl chimed in to the conversation asking if we had ever done a cleanse diet. Here I am, thinking that she means eating maybe whole foods or raw foods, even possibly cutting out (here’s the reason why I could never do this) alcohol. But, no, she is talking about that cleanse that I had only heard rumors of—or seen something similar on Glee, perhaps—the water, lemon juice, honey, and cayenne pepper (Or something to that effect). This girl apparently had consumed that and only that for an entire 10 days (she mentioned she was supposed to do it for 40 but decided 10 would be enough). I’m sorry, excuse me—how did you not keel over at some point? Seriously? That can’t be good for your body.

Yes, I agree with her point that we can confuse hunger and thirst—so when we think we are hungry it often means we are thirsty. All right, drink a class of water with a snack. And I even agree (hope you’re not eating here) that everyone needs a good flush every now and again. Great. Eating some Fiber One or drinking a large cup of coffee often does the trick.

I will be the first one to say that we, as Americans, put a whole lot of CRAP in our bodies. Considering the processed, packaged, and preserved food that we consume on a daily basis—no, that is not going to do wonders for our hearts or blood pressure. However, eating this way with a periodic “cleanse” of a cayenne pepper-maple syrup infused drink, and then right back to the same diet, well, let’s just say, from a health stand point (with no scientific background, I may add) it seems a little … terrible for you.

Wouldn’t it be better to make a transition to eating more healthfully, switching to fresh foods rather than frozen dinners, for example? Or better yet, don’t WORRY about dieting and do that thing we call enjoy yourself in moderation and exercise. I don’t recommend eating only Big-Macs and running for miles after to make up for it—your body may or may not deteriorate after a while. You know though, if you really crave a Big-Mac at some point in time, I am a firm believer in indulging every once in while, for the sake of psychological health.

Do me a favor, one the holiday indulgence is done, please just go back to the regular diet–don’t cleanse for the month of January. By the time the spring rolls around, it will be as if the holiday binge never happened.

Holiday Cookin'

There’s about a month and a half period during the year that we stop caring. We forget how to count calories (or maybe we just lose count); we don’t worry that our afternoon snack that could qualify as a second lunch will ruin our appetite for dinner; and we certainly don’t skip on those tasty, hot beverages that should be a dessert, yet we can’t seem to drink one without a baked good along side…Mmm.

This month and half is now, my friends. Yes, whether we like it or not, the time post-Thanksgiving and pre-New Years is truly a celebration of food. After the feast of Thanksgiving, we are given a taste of the holiday and we just can’t let it go! But do we really need to? It’s the one time of year that the coffee shop has that latte special and the perpetually filled plate of home-baked cookies in the office kitchen. Well you never know, it might stop filling at some point, plus you have to at least try them—I mean, it would just be rude not to!

Before I go on, I want to pause and emphasize that I don’t think this is a bad thing at all. In fact, I think it’s great—we stop worrying, we begin to just appreciate the season, the company, the food. We don’t think about the bathing suit that that extra cookie might just—Oh my gawd!—ruin because you won’t be wearing one anyway for another six months. And, you know, if you do find yourself in a compromising bathing suit situation, it will most likely be in a Jacuzzi at night and no one cares at that point.

This mentality seems to last through the month of December. Who are we kidding if we think we can get through this month without the extra comfort carbs and an abundance of alcohol that makes any drink an adult beverage—that’s why they make Bourbon, right? Once the month closes, we have one last hurrah with the New Year and we enter January, hung-over, probably ashamed about the indulgent month we just had and ready to face the bleak winter with wilted salads and [insert alcohol of choice here] and tonics.

But screw that depressing thought. We don’t have to worry about THAT until next year, when we can all start anew anyway. So we might as well make the most of what we got of this one and enjoy it! With that thought, I encourage you all to be merry and celebrate the one time of year when a little bit extra is perfectly acceptable.

Oh, and don’t feel bad if all the candy in the store seems to be call your name. I am convinced the companies change the foil of the wrapping to be more appealing during the holiday season. Fortunately during this time of year capitalism and marketing are perfect and legitimate scapegoat for anything.

Cheers!

Homemade

The moment I arrived in New Hampshire, my Mother picked me up from the airport and informed me that we were going to get pasta. Oh, Okay, great—grocery store run before heading back to the house? Oh no, we are driving an hour in the opposite direction to get homemade pasta.

And the whole drive over, my Mom raved about the pasta my family had eaten the weekend before.

We arrived after following the directions that described this pasta palace as the yellow house with the red barn across from the church.

Walking in, I was hit with the aroma of pumpkin and sweet potato—the newest additions to the ravioli menu. The shop made pasta and ravioli—along with deliciously rich pumpkin cupcakes— which it sold at locals farmers markets as well as the red barn.

With a culinary background and realizing the opportunities were low for the high-end restaurants in Southern New Hampshire, the family started making pasta sauce and sold it all. With this success, they began making pasta and put that up for sale. And, man am I glad they did—and that we went out of our way to get it.

Our dinner that night consisted of the pasta, sauce with elk meat from my parents farm and wine my father made. It looked, it smelled, and it tasted so much better than any other pasta dinner I had eaten before. The sauce was a perfect combination of fresh tomato, garden herbs, and tender elk meat — grass fed, free range, no hormones and if you don’t believe it from the taste, all I needed to do was look out to the backfields for confirmation. The pasta was unlike any other box pasta I had eaten—it wasn’t the rubbery pasta that comes from a box, but it wasn’t super doughy as if I was eating boiled, unbaked bread. Rather, it was light and full of flavor, the way pasta was meant to taste.

Perhaps part of the deliciousness of the meal was understanding each aspect of the dish—I had literally talked to the maker of everything. It wasn’t a mystery meal and it wasn’t a guessing game to discover the ingredients—it was something that I could appreciate with the understanding of the food. It was beyond simply cooking, it was a process that took the day, going from location to location and gathering the ingredients. Isn’t this the way meals were supposed to be made?

With Food, Sharing is Caring

This past weekend we celebrated my friend’s birthday (pause for a shout out here: what up M! Happy Birthday!) Thanks to her girlfriend's planning skills, (what up K!) we had a perfect meal at a tapas restaurant: 14 guests, 20 tapas, two large paella dishes, and pitchers of sangria, oh and one slice of rich chocolate cake for the birthday girl. The best thing about the meal, besides the company, of course, was the fact that we really shared everything.

Each dish arrived at the table and we all dutifully shoveled a few scoops on our plates and passed it on. Everyone got to try a bit of everything, everyone rolled themselves home after and everyone got their fill of sangria. But more importantly, we not only sat down and enjoyed a meal together, but we shared it.

When we talk about sharing food, often it is a bite off a fellow diner’s plate or offering the unwanted side of fries to a friend. But really sharing is something that is quite unique from that. Sitting down at a table “family style” is something that truly brings people together. There is no food possession—it is all our food, and with the loss of said possession we seem to lose some of that stuffiness, uptightness, or whatever you want to call it. Maybe it is the act of taking food from the same dish, maybe it is the passing of plates, or maybe it just demands more social interaction that triggers something in us to open up a bit more, drop the barriers we put up, and be comfortable with one another.

Think about the times that you ate with someone. Then think about the times that you shared food with someone. Often the times you share is a time with family, old friends, or new budding relationships, but more often than not, it seems to be with people we care about.

Sharing a meal, not only brings people together for a common purpose, but it creates an intimate experience for the diners. Along with the fact that you are sharing a moment, you are also sharing the experience. And with that said, a meal allows us have this intimate experience with not just one person, but with however many people you want. It can create a new bond for some—you didn’t just go out to eat together, you shared a meal together.

So, as we sit down this week for Thanksgiving dinner across America, whether you are with family, friends, or people you are meeting for the first time, take the opportunity to appreciate the experience of that meal. Not only to appreciate the food, but to appreciate the people that you are sharing that meal with.

Happy Eating, Happy Sharing, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Wasted: Jonathan Bloom talks food waste.

November 12th at Borders in downtown Washington D.C., I spent my Friday night listening to Jonathan Bloom, author of American Wasteland, discuss the rarely talked about issue of food waste in this country. Not a surprise to anyone really—we live in a society that wastes nearly everything. We have such an abundance of stuff that it loses value and importance. Food falls right into this category; we have an obscene amount of cheap food (Thank you, government subsidies!) at our fingertips at any given moment, between grocery stores, restaurants, convenient stores, and vending machines. Dropping a half eaten bag of chips in the trash doesn’t seem like such a big deal if you can always buy another for less than a dollar in the next twenty minutes if you change your mind.

Bloom explained that when he started to investigate the amount and manner in which food is wasted on a daily basis, he began to write about it in—wait for it—a blog. Upon sharing his ideas with the Executive Director of the New York Times, Jack Rosenthol responded with: “Hm, interesting—why do I care?” Bloom found himself stumped—why shouldn’t you care?!—But realized his challenge: how could he convince people to care.

Bloom took the standard three-fold approach to argue his case: Environmental, Ethical and Economic. His research methods were also three-fold: Traditional Journalism, Immersion Journalism, and Experimental Journalism. Traditional journalism is the typical process of research, gathering statistics, and interviews. Immersion journalism offered a personal stake in the matter as Bloom entered the work force in the food industry, including: the produce department at a supermarket, an organic farm, a fast food restaurant, etc. Finally, experimental journalism brought it home—as he candidly states this means going out to eat at a lot of different places.

With his personal experience on various levels and areas with the industry and communities in the country, Blooms narrative is honest, entertaining, and eye opening. At the book discussion he covered the themes of his new book, shining light on everything from the food thrown out and consumed at all-you-can-eat buffets, the expiration dates on food (p.s. They don’t really matter, it turns out), to a college that invites scroungers in their cafeteria, reducing the waste, and food recovery organizations to redistribute left over food from one location to another (by the way those of you who are worried about diseases and law suites, there was a Federal Good Samaritan Act passed in 1996 that offers legal protection to anyone donating food.)

Much of how we view food and our wasteful routines is deemed acceptable by society. We see the re-use of food as unclean, or of lesser value, whether it is eating leftovers for dinner or a restaurant taking bread from one table for the next. But isn’t it slightly against common sense, Bloom questions. For a country that has a hungry people throughout it, it is disturbing to hear a statistic like; the average family wastes at least 25% of their food.

So why don’t more people care? Well, more people are starting to talk—it does seem a bit hard not to think about it when you throw out half a perfectly good uneaten sandwich and then watch food riots on the television. And now that we know about the problem—the classic follow up—how can we do anything to change it? Of course the half of a sandwich will not help the starving children in Africa, as they always say, but Bloom suggests building a more efficient system for distributing food from the start throughout the country and worldwide will benefit us all and decrease the food waste. We find ourselves back at the supply and demand economics, if we have less food waste, we have less demand to buy more unnecessary food, and with the a decrease in demand, the supply can then decrease in the States, and that food could potentially get redirected. Perhaps becoming a smarter eater and therefore shopper, there are countless things to act upon on a personal level and day-to-day basis, and, hey, actually save the leftovers and eat them the next meal!

It's all about the package...

As somewhat of a follow up to last weeks comments on tricking kids to eat their veggies… I started thinking about how the appearance of food influences our taste. Just as in the lunch line, we can be persuaded to choose what we eat by how we view the food. The presentation, whether that is in the packaging or the plate is a huge factor in our decision of what to eat and how we expect it to taste. There is an entire field devoted to just this, and it is becoming better known as we try and influence the choices of others.

I had this realization after bringing the same dish to two different office potlucks. For the first lunch, I brought homemade hummus and pita bread. I had made two different batches of hummus, each in it’s own jar—I should note here they were re-used jars, probably peanut butter or salsa and the pita bread was still in the bag. After the lunch was done, I had a lot of hummus left over because people had not eaten it. Walking into the kitchen, their eyes drifted over the jars and without the obvious recognition of the appetizer, people didn’t go for it.

The second lunch, I brought hummus again this time I had feta cheese, olives, and pita bread to go with it. Along with the accompaniments, the biggest difference of the main event—the hummus, of course—I put it in a Tupperware. Low and behold, the hummus was gone and people told me how much loved it. I was a little confused though, because it was the same dish I had brought a few weeks before, but I didn’t receive the good feedback.

As a side note, I made hummus again for a dinner party this weekend, it was in a nice dish, and it was the first appetizer scrapped clean.

So what is it about the three dishes? The hummus on each occasion was nearly the same and the reactions that I got were so different. I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t about the recipe; rather it was more about the packaging. Serving it from the jars, people were not immediately sure what it was, as it was unlabeled and unfamiliar—it was not an obvious homemade dish so they were not as likely to try it. But in a Tupperware, it was an obvious homemade dish, and in a potluck setting, people were more likely to try it and like it. Placed in a nice dish, it was much more appealing and therefore readily eaten.

So what does this say about our judgments? Do we base it all on the package? Don’t they always say that good things come in small packages, (or perhaps unexpected packaging in this case) if so, why do we reject the package that is a-typical? Is it because it is unfamiliar or that we don’t understand it? And why don’t we care to find out? Why don’t we want to try something if the packaging is unappealing, regardless of the deliciousness that may be inside?

I don’t necessarily have an answer to these questions. In fact, for me, it leads to more questions: if we are so influenced by the manner our food is presented to us, what other packaging are we influenced by that we don’t even realize?

Kids and Veggies

I heard a story on NPR the other morning that made me to perk up from my drowsiness. The discussion was about the psychology of food in terms of the vegetable appeal for kids. Everyone knows that “kids don’t like veggies” and the biggest challenge is getting the next generation to eat enough green leafy’s to consume the necessary nutrients. But, how do we do that without them knowing? But, more importantly, why shouldn’t they know?

I started to think about when I was a kid and getting home from school, I would go to the pantry or fridge for my afternoon snack. Hungry and tired, I would reach for whatever was the most convenient. (Hell, I do the same thing now coming home from work…although the afternoon snack moved from 3pm until about 7pm) My point is: if chips and cookies are the most convenient, that’s what I will be snacking on. If on the other hand, there are cut up fruits and veggies sitting on the counter when I walk in the door, I’ll take that. (Lesson learned: cut up the fruits and veggies, kids are much more likely to go for it if it is ready-to-eat) It is more about the presentation, the convenience, and the ease of accessibility that draws people to make the healthy choice.

This is exactly what the story on NPR said: if we get the kids to eat healthy by hiding it, they will never actually learn what is healthy and therefore will not be able to make those decisions for themselves later on in life. Instead, kids need to be presented with the option, but in a way in which they can make the right choice for themselves. The discussion, inevitably, turned to school lunches and the example was given regarding milk. Apparently, most kids don’t really care if their milk is chocolate or white, so by simply putting the white milk in a more accessible position, kids will be more likely to choose that over the chocolate.

Often hiding healthy food in another route many people take—or at least the media wants us to take. I think about those commercials where kids eating cans of ravioli or spaghetti-O’s while their Moms sit and say things like, “wow, and they don’t even know they are eating a full serving of vegetables in that can!”—Yeah, a full serving of vegetables… with a full day’s worth of sodium, and not to mention the artificial flavors, coloring, and preservatives! All that crap for one serving of vegetables. Come on, Mom, a carrot stick can give you that without the rest of it! There is no need to disguise or hide the good food so kids will eat it. We are so convinced that the kids don’t like vegetables; we don’t even give them a chance. And what to we end up teaching our kids? Well, a whole lot of fluff, it seems–but it’s in that peanut butter sandwich, so at least they are getting protein…

For further information: NPR Morning Edition Story

Comfort Cooking

What is it about food that is so comforting to us? Is it the familiarity, the necessity, or the enjoyment that it brings? But, I wonder is it so much the food that we find comforting—or is it the cooking?

When I travel, I find that I am not homesick so much for my neighborhood, house, room, or even my bed my (okay, true, I often do miss my closet…) but rather I find myself homesick for kitchen! While I enjoy eating out, trying new foods, and having a meal without planning the menu, I really miss cooking; from waking up in the morning and reading a cookbook, going grocery shopping, spending an afternoon cooking, and, yes, sitting down and eating. Call me crazy, but I find meals to be much less satisfying if I take out all the work.

I know I’m not the only one who finds food to be such a draw, especially when away from the regular routine. I remember, back in day, I was on a college tour and in one of the sessions, and the speaker asked the crowd of parents and potential student: “What is the channel most watched by college students?” I was a bit surprised by the answer: Food Network, until I got to college and sure enough cooking shows were the most played on my TV. Living in a dorm, and not walking though the kitchen every day as I did at my parent’s house, I found I had to get the culinary fix from somewhere—and it sure wasn’t the dining hall.

Enjoying a great meal is always wonderful, but I have to wonder if that Protestant work-ethic America was built on has prevailed, and we still find the work of cooking to be comforting, even more than the end result. When boxed-mixes for baked goods first hit the stores, it was a “just-add-water” deal; however, these didn’t sell so well. So they changed to have more of a “cooking component” with the mixing of egg, oil, and water or milk. It turned out that people wanted to feel like they were doing a little more work. Convenience and speed is key for the American cook, however, people still want to spend at least a little quality kitchen time.

So, perhaps the comfort we find is in the food (as a special on fried food comes on Food Network…) but perhaps we really find the comfort in the process. Despite the complaints that sometimes slip out, I think that we like the comfort of routine that food brings to our day-to-day.

Lunch Hour

We always hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day: you start your day right, get that metabolism going, have energy to stay active physically and mentally…and on and on. You know the drill. When I wake up in the morning, half of the reason to get out of bed is to get breakfast. (If I know there is nothing good in the kitchen waiting for me, well, I might as well just sleep a bit longer…) Anyway, I may be an anomaly as I find it shocking that anyone will skip this meal—and forgetting about it? I just don’t even believe you.

But, I am starting to think that it may not be the most important meal of the day. What I mean to say is, aren’t all meals important? With so much emphasis on breakfast, I think we are overlooking the importance of another meal: Lunch…And actually taking that mid-day break to enjoy it.

Here’s an example of my day at the moment: Get up, breakfast, run, (throw a shower in there—don’t worry!) get to work at 8:30am…work…leave work hopefully by 6:30… wait a minute… Lunch? Oh ate that at my desk…in front of the computer…while working. Isn’t there something wrong with this picture?

Failing to pause work to take lunch, or even worse skipping the meal all together will hinder productivity on the job. While I pride myself in multitasking, it is important to remember that it is not always the best option. I have found that eating lunch at my desk, I really don’t get as much work done as I think I do. I mean, I am pausing every few moments to take a bit. I am working more slowly with less focus, I give myself leeway to check my email a few more times… in general, I would say the hour is not spent productively working, nor am I spending the time to focus on my lunch, enjoy myself, and give my brain a break!

I realize that it is so much easier said than done. At the office here, everyone takes a lunch, so you feel that you are able to take that break without making an excuse. On the other hand, when hardly anyone in the office takes a real break for lunch, if you do, well you feel like a slacker and like you need an excuse to leave the desk. It’s one of those work dilemmas that we all face… and those of us that has a boss who takes lunch, or a boss that’s not around can count ourselves lucky!

As I write this, I am in Latin America for a few weeks. And you know what? My schedule here is: Get up, run, (yes, again, that shower!), breakfast, at the office at 8:30, work, around 12:30 break for the hour lunch eat, sit, relax, chat with colleagues, work, leave work at 5:00, and then… whatever!

People here couldn’t understand when I said that in the States, most time we eat at our desks, rushing through lunch, plus working long hours into the evening. Taking the hour for lunch, by either leaving the office and eating out, or even bringing lunch and getting up from my desk to go eat with others in a different location, is so much better! I take a break, socialize, am able to relax for a little bit and when I return to work after the hour, I focus better, and get the same work done with more attention! A win-win, if you ask me.

To be or not to be...a carnivore? Jonathan Safran Foer on Eating Animals

Jonathan Safran Foer, in his latest book, Eating Animals, asks not whether it is right or wrong to eat animals, but rather, is it right or wrong to raise animals the way we do? Author of two best-selling novels, Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Foer switched gears in his latest book. As a vegetarian, he tackles his own values, as well as his families values, throughout his investigation of the meat industry in the United States today. On September 25, he spoke about his new book at the National Book Festival on Washington, D.C.’s Mall, where Foer asked his readers the question: what is the value of meat? And is it worth it?

The book is about changing the view of food. Foer begins his exploration very close to home, in his own family: his grandmother. He explains that after barely surviving World War II, for her, food was a necessity, sustenance and a source of life. This idea of food is common in past generations, but has been engulfed with today’s opinion that food is enjoyment; it is something we want and not need.

Today, we have a focus on efficiency in our system: we want better food, more of it, at our convenience, and we want it now—oh, and cheap. Many of us know the terrible conditions of the meat industry. It is not only a matter of animal rights, Foer furthers the severity of the matter, stating that it is our most important relation to both environment and the animal world. The meat industry impacts our planet, environment, personal health as we are essentially creating “science experiments of ourselves”.

Foer expressed his desire to help people understand and care about these matters with choices to better reflect their values. It is not necessarily about becoming a vegetarian, but still, “we need to eat less of this stuff.” By making the choice to eating meat for only 20 meals rather than 21 meals per week is the same benefit to the planet as taking 5 million cars off the road in terms of lowering greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

While our own personal choices can make a difference in our lives and on the planet, it is clear that living in the U.S., we already have a plethora of choices everyday when it comes to our food. Foer asks us, are our choices the solution? With our government is in charge of food safety, is it time to turn to it to solve the problem? The United States Department of Agriculture both works to protect consumer safety while also endorsing the farming industry. As far as Foer is concerned, there is little reason not to change laws. The lack of backlash from the meat industry responding to the statements made in his book surprised Foer. There was not an argument to defend factory farming.

As the public gains access to more information regarding the system, a greater movement to change it is developing, 96% of Americans believe there should be laws to protect animals. More college students identify themselves as vegetarians than ever before, 18% claiming to maintain a meatless diet. The concern does not stop at meat; one of the fastest growing food industries is the cage-free and free-range label that is applied to all animal products.

Last week in the Nation’s Captial, Foer spoke with passion about changing the meat industry in our country. He did not preach his vegetarianism, though he did not hide the fact that he was proud of his life choice. He did not condemn the meat eaters in the crowd, he simply suggested that eating less is a better decision on multiple levels. At the end of his talk, his bottom line was not to remove the meat industry from the country, but rather to change the current industry and remove the practices of factory farming.

Food is Peace

“I am at peace with the world.” My friend announced this as she put her fork down after taking the final bite of her pollo con mole. I insisted I we went out for Mexican food on September 16th to celebrate the bicentennial. Plus, I wanted the chile en nogada, a dish that only comes out once a year in Mexico. I knew I had picked the right person to accompany me on this mission after she made that statement at the end of the meal.

If there is one thing I appreciate, it is a good meal. I have been known to take a bite (or a sip for that matter) of something delicious and savor the aftertaste for a good five minutes. Usually I am pretty vocal about it as well and will proceed to discuss the amazing flavor with whomever. Think When Harry Met Sally (but perhaps not as obnoxious or as sexual…although in some cases…)

It’s even more fun when I find someone who appreciates food as much as I do, especially when they are very vocal about it—I can then feel a bit less awkward when it takes me twice as long to eat a meal because I insist on exclaiming over every bite. But really, it is so much more enjoyable and satisfying when I can share the experience with someone else. That was one of those moments.

Finishing a satisfying meal is one of the greatest feelings. It doesn’t often happen. For me, I feel like I am so busy I am constantly rushing to eat in the morning as I run out the door, eating at my desk as I take a bit and continue typing away, or eating as I stare mindlessly at the television. It seems like a rare occasion when I get a chance to sit down, relax, focus and enjoy a meal.

I really do try to enjoy my food at all times. But as the days get busier and busier, it is harder to justify spending time “just eating” when there is work to be done (things to do and places to go!) And as I write this, I realize how important it is to allow time for the simple act of eating. Spending the extra few time really does create a more satisfying experience, and not to mention you wont be sitting at your computer after you finish lunch, a) not remembering what you just ate and/or b) craving something more (I always say: “Now I want something sweet…”)

Rather, you may actually feel, as my friend would say “at peace with the world.”

Culinary Truths: The Bourdain Way. A Book Reflection.

Reading Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, I found myself more and more fascinated by the culinary industry. I also found myself wanting to sit down with Bourdain, chat, and become best friends—with his conversational writing style, it is not hard to imagine that he would be a great dinner date.

It isn’t great literature, rather, it’s an ideal Metro read. (Which, to be honest, is really all I have time for these days!) It’s an enjoyable easy read; very funny, interesting, and I am going to go as far to say it is eye opening and educational. However, I say it is a great Metro read because while it is all of these things, you don’t get too attached or immersed by it; you can read a few pages and stop, or if you have an especially long wait—maybe even a few chapters. It’s entertaining enough to hold my attention on a crowded train, but not so much that I feel the need to walk down the street reading it. (It kinda bothers me when people do that...watch where your going!)

This book will not make you want to become a chef. It actually specifically states that you have to be a bit crazy to consider it. However, it might make you want to become friends—well, maybe acquaintances—with a chef; possibly Bourdain himself, if you appreciate someone who is a bit (probably, rightfully so) full of themselves, a little more than a but crazy, and most likely a very good time.

Bourdain is honest about his career path, and while it is someone non-traditional and off the beaten path, it is almost to be expected in the line of work. Once introduced to his fellow industry workers, it is soon clear that it is almost necessary to fall into the kitchen unexpectedly. It is almost like reading those ‘true life’ stories about being a rock star or an athlete—it’s glamour on the outside and kind of a bitch on the real side. It seems to be one of those things that you have to be 100% in it to stay in it, which a lot of people don’t necessarily have or aren’t willing to put out.

If nothing else, Kitchen Confidential offers a new perspective on the culinary industry, and certainly brings a new light to going out to eat. I also find myself filled with a greater respect when someone tells me they are a chef. The light that is shown upon the career in the movies or otherwise—whether positive, negative, or indifferent—does not do it justice. Bourdain, on the other hand, shares his experience in a brutally honest manner, shedding away the exterior and making a bold step to get to the gritty reality.

Baked.

Baking is incredible. Every time I bake something new, I find it more intriguing. Combining ingredients that seem to make no sense together, but with a little bit of mixing, a hot temperature, and wait for a bit…voilà! You have something completely deliciously different!
Maybe it comes from my hidden love for science…hmm, well maybe not, unless it is very deeply hidden… I do find an aspect of baking that reminds me of high school chemistry class, measuring out each ingredient, mixing, and observing. It is not quite the bangs and whistles that Bill Nye offered (I think I am dating myself here…) But, it there is something to say about seeing the transformation of a product you are creating and learning to make those perfections with each attempt at it.

Or maybe it is about getting back to being a kid…this is the one that seems more likely! Isn’t there apart of us all that wants to go back and play in the dirt, create those cauldrons of grubs and leaves in the ground, and make mud pies? Baking, in some ways, offers an acceptable way to get your hand dirty again. (Seriously, half the reason I bake anything is to make a bit of a mess—and lick the bowl!) I was once told, after asking someone if they wanted to help me put the cookies I was making on the pan, “no, I don’t really like to get my hands dirty.” I couldn’t really believe it! How does one not like to get their hands dirty, it’s my favorite part! And not mention this is sugar, flour, eggs, and chocolate that we’re talking about, which can hardly qualifies as “dirty”—especially if you enjoy licking it off. (Wow, that’s what she said…)

I think in overall, baking has an element of mystery and excitement that I don’t always get when I am cooking. Cooking, on a stovetop or whatever manner you prefer, you have the opportunity to see the product along the way, taste as you go, and make alterations as needed. With baking, you do your thing, put it in the oven, and hope you it will work out.

And sometimes it doesn’t. I am constantly burning batches of cookies, forgetting about the bread in the oven or realizing a key ingredient was forgotten (like flour…oops, that was a bad one) after it is too late. And that’s all part of the fun, or maybe not necessarily the fun—but it certainly makes those times when something comes out looking, smelling and tasting perfectly baked.

And with that, I better run and check on that bread in the oven…

Picky, picky, picky...

“If you are going to be a picky eater, you have to be able to pick,” my friend announced to me after I commented on the onions left on her plate from the huevos rancheros I had made for brunch. She has a point; picky eaters that refuse to eat a dish because of one ingredient often drive me a little bit crazy. Some people make a huge deal about their selective diet, while others tend to flow a bit better, eating around the less-than-appetizing bites. Picky eaters, selective eaters, for one reason or another, it creates a less than ideal situation at a dinner party. These days there seems so much more to think about when accommodating for the varieties of eaters out there. Remember the days when the vegetarian option was unique? (Side note to the selective eating: Allergies, well, you can’t really blame them.)

I used to be more a picky eater: when I was really young, I didn’t eat sauce. (What little kid do you know that actually eats sauce, though?) Then I moved onto not liking anything tomato-based, and that turned into just not liking actual tomatoes—but tomato products were okay. Eventually, one day I got tired of picking out the tomatoes and requesting modified dishes at restaurants. So, I said to myself, I would like tomatoes, and, hey, I tried them, started eating them and I love them now. And I did the same thing with yogurt. You know what? I hardly go a day now without eating both yogurt and tomatoes at some point.

When people tell me they don’t like something now, I often wonder—is it something that they really don’t like, or is it something they are just in the habit of not liking, or is something they just never tried? Tastes change all the time, in fact, there was an article in the City Paper last week about growing up and changing tastes, apparently you shouldn’t disregard something because “you never liked it” but you should try it again, try it prepared differently or a different atmosphere—you may be surprised!

At the family dinner table, my parents went with the principle of you have to try everything on your plate before refusing to eat it, calling it a “No-thank-you-bite.”A friend of mine took this philosophy to the next step, telling me one of his “rules to live by” is: “Try everything twice.” (While our conversation concerned food, I think you can apply it to many situations!) He maintained the first time you might not be ready for it, maybe something is not done well, so give it some time to sit with you and then try it again. He says if you still hate it, then don’t force it.

Maybe picky eating isn’t always something you can change, or even want to change, for that matter. There are so many aspects to food that fall into consideration beyond taste—texture, smell, appearance, and then you can get into the values and ethics. Perhaps though, there is a time and a place for picky eating—when buying and preparing your own food, pick away! But sometimes (especially when accepting a prepared dish from someone else) try to leave behind some of the pre-conceived ideas about what you already think you don’t like. I know a few people who should stand to try something for that second time—and when that fails: learn to pick!

Current Events: The Chicken or the Egg?

By now, you have probably heard about the egg-recall across the country. It’s not anything new—recalling mass produced grocery products. In fact after the e-coli/spinach fiasco a few years back, is anyone really that surprised to hear the words are now replaced with salmonella and eggs? We hear about the dangers of salmonella in un-cooked meat, so it makes sense for eggs, a product from the same animal to have the same concern.

And why has this happened this time? Some of the blame goes straight to the U.S. Government, arguing USDA and FDA should maintain better control over food regulation. In fact, the idea that the FDA has complete control is not necessarily the case. The processes are often monitored only at certain stages, and not throughout, therefore some conditions and critical consequences can easily be over-looked. So, the solution, of course, is to tighten regulations and increase the presence of the supervision.

Another reason is the corporate control, the mere fact that so many of these brands are controlled by the same company. Think back to the days of Trust-Bustin’ Teddy Roosevelt, we can easily think that we have over-come the monopolization of the large corporations. However, in some ways we are back where we started, with lessons learned—now corporations know to better conceal their seemingly never-ending reaches. Different brand names create an illusion of variety and competition, but often they are all supplied by the same mega-farms. Therefore when an outbreak occurs, it is harder to locate the potentially bad items and the recall becomes a much bigger problem.

So now what? Well, this is where the green, sustainable, local, farmers’ market movements of today can come into play. By shortening the chain, creating more transparency, understanding the food and making education decisions, we can take back some the control in our hands as consumers. When an event like this recall occurs, we are reminded of the lack of understanding and the complete separation we have from our food and the producers. Taking that back—when we are able to—is an important step to take to consider both our consumer rights and health.

Further Information: See the recalled egg companies on The Washington Post: Egg Recall. Learn more about the science behind the outbreak, check out CNN’s article: What? Chicken butt. Why there's Salmonella in your eggs.

Sources:

Eckholm, Erik. “Egg Industry Faces New Scrutiny After Outbreak.” The New York Times. 23 August 2010.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/us/24eggs.html?_r=1&ref=us

Layton, Lyndsey. “As egg producers consolidate, problems of just one company can be far-reaching.” The Washington Post. 24 August 2010. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/23/AR2010082305118.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2010082305302

Waldrop, Chris. “Expert: Egg recall shows FDA needs more power.” Interview: Director of the Food Policy Institute, Consumer Federation of America. The Associated Press. 23 August 2010. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/08/23/VI2010082304261.html?sid=ST2010082305302

Concert Review: Matisyahu

As I walked through the doors of the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. on August 25 to see the Matisyahu show, I could tell this was not the average rock concert. The crowd was a mix of the hard-core and hipster regulars, Jewish guys wearing their Yarmulkes, and families. Yes, folks, this is the kind of concert you can bring Mom and Dad to—not only that, parents can bring their kids too. And sure enough, at one point, I find myself next to a kid, whose age I can only guess is about 10, as he rocks out singing along to the hit “One Day”.

Going to a Matisyahu concert is a little bit like, I would imagine, going to a really kick-ass synagogue. Hailing from New York, the Hasidic Jewish man turned reggae-hip-hop musician brings a new energy to both his music and his religion. All of Matisyahu’s songs are based around his religion as he takes influence from the culture, his upbringing, ancient Bible verses, and current events. His message is one of pride, struggle, and peace, relating to not only those who practice Judaism, but to the masses, providing a popular venue, mixing modern rock, reggae, hip-hop, in a jam-band style performance.

Matisyahu brings an unsuspecting presence to the stage, walking on wearing an all-white outfit that can only be described as something a house-painter would wear, a traditional scarf, and tops this off with a white Yankees hat and Converse chucks. He moves with an energy that seems to come from within and brings the crowd on a journey through his music—and the crowd is eager to go wherever he feels.

The show is a bit more, well, Jewish than I suspected—which seems redundant to say as Matisyahu’s niche is a Jewish musician. The show kicks off with an emotional sentiment, Matisyahu singing in a spiritual, almost chant-like manner, leading into an energetic beat. There was much more of his slower, improvisational singing and chanting than he has on his albums, though he intermittently interjected these bouts with some fast-paced rapping and beat boxing. To the ecstasy of the crowd, he also rocked the hits from his 2006 Youth album, including my personal favorite “Time Of Your Song”. Towards the end of the show, he brought out his popular songs from his newest Light album.

Matisyahu talents range from what a friend of mine calls “his Jewish singing voice” to “traditional Jamaican Bob Marley style reggae.” He also rocks the hip-hop beats, rapping with speed that can rival anyone, and at times he whips out a sick beat box. Matisyahu has an uncanny ability to change the mood between and within his songs from a slow and contemplative to a lively and up-beat jam. At times the change is swift and other times he creates quite a build-up, creating a layers of progression and resulting in a full-on dance party. He moves with lightness across the stage, sometimes swaying on his toes and sometimes breaking out in a full-on jig around the stage.

Though a bit out of place, and a little lost at times—especially during the times when biblical versus were chanted—the night was a success and one thing his for sure, Matisyahu is an extremely talented guy. I strongly recommend checking him out if you either have not heard of him or appreciated his jam-packed songs—visit his website where you can stream his music and learn more.

Get a taste of Matisyahu’s Dance Moves on stage!

The Convenience Factor

One of the hesitations towards moving to “green,” as they say, or living in a more sustainable manner, is the loss of convenience. Often making the move to the sustainable choice means a little more thought and effort on the individual’s part. This may mean walking a few extra blocks, spending a longer commute on public transit, walking out the recycling or actually considering the ingredients at the grocery store.

I think about this loss of convenience pretty much every time I take out the recycling. My apartment actually has single-stream recycling—which means I don’t even need to separate it! And therefore makes it by far one of the easiest things to do in terms of the small steps to more sustainable life-style. I’m not going to lie though, there is an extra step take in the process. Taking out the trash, for example, only requires I walk down the hall to throw it out, but with the recycling I have to take the elevator down to the basement to drop it off. Okay, I know down the elevator is not that much further than down the hall—not complaining here at all… it really is just an extra step in the process. However, it still always dawns on me—the fact that it really does take a little bit more time and I wonder if I were not so worried about it, would I even bother? And for that matter, how many others even bother?

On Saturday, I woke up and decided I wanted to have a small dinner party. After walking to the store and buying ingredients, I spent about three hours cooking. Now, this was exactly what I wanted to do with my gray Saturday afternoon but I realize that cooking from scratch takes a great deal more time than say, ordering out, throwing some frozen treats in the oven, or whatever easier way you choose to go about it. Granted, I was in the mood for cooking, and hence the dinner party—didn’t want to make all that food for just me ☺. I can tell you that the meal I made, although the bread ended a little burned was received very well by my friends and at least they were a little impressed that I had spent extra the time to cook for them!

My point is, it is great to take the extra step: to recycle, to cook from scratch, to live consciously and sustainably… all the things that I do strive to do. However, I get it—it’s not always the easy way out and for those that can make the change, need to let go of that “convenient factor” in the day-to-day activities. What about those people who want the dinner with out the prep-time? What about those who don’t have any prep-time to spare? Of course, not everyone has the option, and those that do can make a choice and losing the convenience of all the modern technology we have today is a hard one to take.

So, if you are able and ready to do so—taking the extra step away from convenience can be rewarding. And who knows, maybe on that trip to the basement recycle bins; something great will happen (something like my recycling not ending in a landfill!)

Current Events: School Food, Healthy Kids, and What is Being Done Now!

It’s not quite breaking news, nor a done deal, but changes are certainly happening on the U.S. political front concerning school lunches. Last week, on August 5, the Senate unanimously passed a bill to combat the problems of childhood malnutrition and obesity in this country. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act proposes an increase funding to schools by $4.5 billion that will not only go towards increasing the number of students with access to school food, but it will also better the nutritious quality of the food.

The Bill increases access to healthy food by implementing new standards in eligibility for free lunch programs as well as better food in both after school and summer sessions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will enforce regulations for nutrition and health standards concerning the food offered.

One of the controversies with this bill is –Surprise! - Corporate involvement in school food programs. Offering the high sugar sodas and snacks to students is a large addition to the schools revenue. However, schools have found that eliminating the availability of the unhealthy snack food and drink leads to an increase in school lunch buyers. This leads to healthier eating habits and has shown an increase in revenue.

As one of the biggest barriers to providing fresh ingredients and made-from-scratch food is the demand for a more funding to cover the costs; with an increase in the budget, there is an opportunity here to gain greater access to less processed and more local food. Accompanying a bill such as this also should come with recognizing the need for programs that can increase health awareness, which could include education programs, school gardens, and exercise routines. Pairing this Bill with other action movements, such as Michelle Obama’s campaign is a huge step in the direction towards combating this national epidemic of not only obesity but also the increase in early on-set diseases such as diabetes in children.

The fight is not over yet; now the Bill will go to the House for vote. President Obama must sign the legislation before September 30, when the bill will expire. It is not expected to go to vote in the House until after the August recess, possibly not until September.

So keep an eye out for the vote and for the kids!

Sources:

Black, Jane. “Ky. Schools' Healthy Example Could Shape a National Policy.” The Washington Post. 29 June 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2009/06/28/AR2009062802929.html?sid=ST2009062803185

Legislative Bulletin. “The Lincoln Substitute Amendment to S. 3307, Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.” Democratic Policy Committee. 5 Aug 2010. http://dpc.senate.gov/dpcdoc.cfm?doc_name=lb-111-2-134

Lowrey, Annie. “Senate Unanimously Passes Sweeping Child Nutrition Bill.” The Washington Independent. 5 Aug 2010. http://washingtonindependent.com/93897/senate-unanimously-passes-sweeping-child-nutrition-bill

Eating out...Reasoning the Restaurant Experience

I think the main draw to eating out for me is the company with which I go. While I do enjoy the solo-dining experience on occasion, I am more likely to go out for a meal with another. It seems to be one of the occasions when I have the acceptable undivided attention of the other person and no excuse or distraction from the conversation—except the food, of course!

Growing up, going to restaurants was a special occasion kind of event for my family. My parents are great cooks and love to do it, so it was always a kind of thing that we only would splurge for the really excellent restaurants, specialty, exotic food, or those nights we were especially lazy. Now that I am on my own, I eat out a lot more. Partly because I don’t always have the best place for entertaining, partly because I don’t yet have my parents’ cooking skills, and mostly because I always seem to be especially lazy…

Last week, I was on vacation and therefore eating out a lot—mostly for necessity’s sake. As I walked away from a recent meal with good friends in a sub-par location, I asked myself: do we care more about the company or the food? Like anything, it really does depend on the situation—and the expectations of the place, for that matter. If I am going out to order something specific, accompanied by a friend or not, I want that meal to be at least decent. If my aim is to spend time with a person, I tend not to worry about the quality of the restaurant as much.

The meal that brought these thoughts to mind took place on Saturday when I went out to brunch with some old friends at a restaurant that I thought looked rather nice. A few hours later, we had played many rounds of cards as we waited for the waitress to take our order, we finally received our food after we watched it waiting on the bar getting cold, there was excessive amounts of cheese smothering the under-seasoned potatoes and my omelet was stuffed with under-cooked vegetables (at least the eggs were cooked through!), the juice was too sweet, the toast too buttery and our waters finally showed up with the check. Does this sound like complaining? Needless to say, it was a pretty shit meal with pretty shit service. But you know, I didn’t mind it. I enjoyed the company of my friends and even though I lost at cards, we had good conversation and few laughs. It was the kind of brunch my hung-over body and fried brain called for at that moment.

So maybe sometimes we do want the classic dining experience with the bells and whistles to enhance the hopefully tasty food. But sometimes, spending that extra dollar in a restaurant is really just an excuse to spend time with others and possibly to drink more… without feeling the guilt of a morning bar trip!

School Lunch Revolution

A chat with Chef Allison Sosna, Part II

“Sourcing local food just makes so much sense,” Allison Sosna explains, there is no reason not to do it—it’s there, fresh, and available. Working at local, sustainable mission-driven restaurants in the city, she realized that sustainable food didn’t have to be something for only people who can afford to eat out, it can be something for everyone. Fresh Start Catering, an enterprise of D.C. Central Kitchen, not only provides students at D.C. Charter Schools with good food, this is coupled with other initiatives such as starting school gardens and education programs to further the children’s knowledge on the subject. And during the winter? “A lot of sweet potatoes,” Allison says with a grin. Preparing produce to store is another tactic, “every big batch of tomatoes we get in is cooked into sauce” because it keeps for longer.

This journey is not without its challenges; one of the biggest hindrances’ is the cost involved with bringing this food to schools. Mitigation solutions are there, Allison explains, through a change in federal policy and subsidies when it comes to public schools. The other roadblock faced is the bureaucracy involved with the day-to-day decisions in the schools. To make these life-changing decisions for the children, all parties and powers need to be on board, which is a challenge when finances are such a delicate aspect of the schools’ livelihood.

Doing this on a small-scale, Allison explains, is incredible because you can see the changes, “the attendance rates are rising because kids are served breakfast and their attention is better in class.” She can walk around and talk to the students during their meal times, get feedback on the food they serve, and see first-hand the difference she makes in their days by providing a substantial meal. “The salad bar is the greatest,” she says, “the kids’ can’t have seconds, but they can go to the salad bar if they are still hungry and so they eat so many more vegetables that way.”

Not alone in her efforts, the hype is growing; thanks to the Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign and other internationally known chef’s jumping on board to change the way we eat. The country may just be beginning to realize the health, obesity, and environmental problems it faces with the current food system. However, the door has been thrown wide open for innovative solutions to change it. Making changes in the schools, Allison says proves that “we can do this at a small scale level—we are doing it on the small-scale,” we just need to bring it nation-wide and show the rest of the country they can do it too.

A Chef’s Road to Sustainability

A chat with Chef Allison Sosna, Part I

The energy exuding from Allison Sosna as she launches into her story is palpable. I met her years ago as a fellow rower at American University, where she was studying and working part-time in the kitchen of a local restaurant. Four years later, I sat down with her to find out what that restaurant gig had turned into.

Allison’s life with food really began when she moved to Italy to study. “That was the game-changer,” she said, realizing then that her passion for food was something could not ignore. Returning to the United States, Allison knew she wanted to make this newfound passion her life.

Working her way through the kitchens of bars to the high quality fine dining in Washington D.C., Allison gained valuable skills not working with food but working with a plethora of people behind the scenes in the restaurant business. After working for a few years, she knew she needed the formal training; so she went back to school and graduated from L’Academie de Cuisine culinary school. But Allison knew that she wanted to bring her passion to something beyond the restaurant scene. She wanted to be a part of revolutionizing the food system—bringing together her passion of food with doing good for the people who consume it.

Finding an incredible opportunity at D.C. Central Kitchen, Allison quickly began to climb the ladder, bring the non-profit organization with her. Managing and cooking with ex-convicts to bring opportunity to the citizens of Washington, Allison found that her passion persevered through the challenges. She says, “it’s totally athletic” to survive in the business you have to have the ability to thrive through stress, long hours, and high-pressure situations.

Allison continues her work with the Kitchen, and now is the Executive Chef for Fresh Start Catering, working in the kitchens of D.C. Charter Schools, sourcing locally and sustainably grown food and bringing to the children. According to her, that is exactly the move that needs to be made, the kids are where it’s at and bringing real food to them will really make a difference to teach them the life lessons they need. “Kids do so much of their eating at school, we need to be teaching them the right things about food.”

To be continued…

American Food?

In the aftermath of the Fourth of July and the World Cup… I find myself asking: Why don’t Americans have a good cuisine??

I find it interesting that as Americans, much of our food is based on international cuisine. When I go out to eat, the conversation usually goes something like: “So what kind of food do you feel like?” “Mm, Italian? Mexican? Maybe Thai? …Etc” I hardly get a response from someone saying, “Oh, I really want American food.” (All right, Disclaimer here: I’m not talking Fast Food here…) And of course we have “American food”—Hello, Bar and Grill! But it is more unusual for it to come up as a nice dinner option.

I don’t mean to sound like I am Anti-American here. I’ll be honest, I am the first to complain when the food in America is not authentic to the country of origin and I just want the “real” stuff. On the other hand, I find it to be exactly what our nation’s about –the American melting pot. The country takes in countless of people and cultures, then melds them all together to create something that is not the original, but something unique and special.

International food in the States exemplifies our melted culture. The food here that we get, while it may not be that authentic dish you had in that tiny village. (but let’s be honest, you’re not going to find that anywhere except that little village) it holds the roots and the essence of that food but it has become something different—which is not to say it is bad by any means.

Walking along my street in Washington DC, I pass by countless Mexican-Salvadorian restaurants. My first thought was “oh come on… those cuisines are nothing alike, and really, isn’t it just typical American to assume that just because the two countries are both Latin American it means they are the same?” And you know, mixing those two cuisines, it is “typical American” but not necessarily with the negative connotation. Rather, it is what America is about, we take in cultures and melt them together, creating something that is unique and furthermore, it is unlikely to occur anywhere else in the world.

So, maybe we don’t necessarily have our own cuisine. Instead, we have everyone else’s cuisine and we have made it our own. And I suppose from there, we can all form our own opinions as to whether we think this to be positive or negative.


-----

And apparently this is a very controversial and touchy subject for some: Check out TNG readers' responses.

Food Stereotypes

I often wonder what kind of judgments are made every time I order at a restaurant or ring my items up at the grocery store. I am sure that it is not even considered by some, as I am probably the 100th customer of the evening and who really cares if I get the pasta or salad?

But, let’s be honest here, I know there are times you are standing in line at the supermarket, watching that person load up groceries in front of you and deciding what they are going to make for dinner that night. Or even more likely, out on a date and asking that inevitable small-talk question, “so, what looks good?” holding your breath that the other person is not going to say, “Mm, how 'bout that tofu?” (Oh, wait... I have totally said that before…I wonder if that’s why we aren’t still dating?)

Let me not be the first to tell you, not everyone who is vegan is a member or PETA, and not every person who loves the steak house BBQ wears boots and a trucker hat. Just because I tell you that I like organically grown, local food does not mean that I don’t enjoy a juicy medium-rare burger every once in while. And you may love a Coca-Cola and a Mickey-D’s Big-Mac, but that doesn’t make you a tasteless money lovin’ *gasp* capitalist … well, maybe in that case … (I’m just kidding!)

Why do we judge people based on the food they eat? I mean, of course, it is inevitable that we will. Judgment is all around. We LOVE to judge others. I’m not saying it’s necessarily a bad thing, in fact I am an advocate that judgments don’t necessarily have to be negative; sometimes you judge someone in a positive light. And food is one of those things that is easy as we all have our own tastes in food of what we like and don’t like. Therefore, we feel we can consider ourselves well versed enough on the subject to have an opinion on someone else’s tastes.

News flash here, you probably are in no position to hold those judgments about others. Unless Anthony Bourdain or that guy from Top Chef, is reading this right now, I would say the average eater is still discovering new flavors and therefore should try and pass on the forming a solid opinion next time you talk to someone and says they only eat vegan—or, for that matter, only eat professionally cut filet mignon with freshly ground pepper.

I suppose that we can’t help making those quick passing judgments every once in while, especially when it comes down to something that we think we know so well, such as food. But, at the end of the day — don’t knock it ‘til you try it.

"The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread"

Really, what is so great about sliced bread anyways?

Every time I hear this common phrase, I think to myself--wait a minute, isn't sliced bread representative of everything that is wrong with out society at the moment? Okay, maybe not wrong, but at least controversial?

The industrialization, the corporate reliance, and the culture of convenience… this is exactly the thing that we are questioning. It’s is all well and good, and makes our lives that much “easier;” on the other hand, it’s not sustainable—meaning that it can’t last, at least not the way we have it now, and in the system we have now.

Sliced bread: made from wheat that most likely came from genetically modified seed, then cultivated using methods of mono-cropping and excessively sprayed with chemicals. The next step is processing with large machines using large volumes of foreign oil, and sent to a large factory to be processed and stripped from the majority of essential nutrients. When all is said and done, the loaf of bread full of preservatives is sliced to uniform sandwich sized pieces and slipped into plastic bags to be shipped across the country.

Now, what is not to love about that? We as consumers can peel off a slice of bread from the loaf at our convenience and we don’t even need to think about any of those steps it took to bring that bread to our plate. We can remove our selves completely from the chain, our part is simply a once a week trip to the store and few dollars.

What happened to making bread—letting the dough rise, experiencing the moment when you just start to smell the bread baking, and pulling that golden loaf from the oven and waiting for it to cool before you (gasp) slice the bread yourself.

With all things considered, it may be possible there are greater things than sliced bread—I’m just sayin’.

Local Food: An age-old alternative to the new world problems?

The weekly farmer's market attendees are quick to tell you the biggest advantage is the low carbon footprint of local food. This is often calculated as food miles and is cut back due to a decrease of transportation. Even when some pesticides are used in the cultivation, the overall environmental impact decreases. Moreover, with the farmer in front of you at the market as you decide what to buy, the customers are able to ask directly about the farming techniques and agricultural inputs used to better make an educated purchase.

As it is the case with Organic food, the other big issue that must be mentioned, is that local food has become a luxury item due to the fact the cheap supermarket food is often subsidized. Not to mention, the people who have the time take that leisurely stroll with their leashed-dog to the local farmer’s market are probably not tight on cash.

Despite the financial concerns, which have a potential to change with a new policy, the biggest drawback to each of us becoming local foodies is the very thing we are trying to protect—the natural environment. The natural seasons and eco-systems tend to be problematic for the New England farmer who, for example, wants to grow tomatoes in the middle of December. The only option in this case would be to grow those desired fruits and veggies in an artificially warm greenhouse as the snow howls outside, which in the end creates just as much environmental destruction from the energy used to heat it, as does the 18-wheeler bringing those tomatoes up from Florida. So, if we want to eat our veggies on a low-carbon diet in the winter, it looks like it’s back to the old days of preserving food by canning or drying—and, hey, now we can freeze it too! However, who really wants to do that when they know there is a decent looking head-of-lettuce at the nearest supermarket?

For me, the best thing about eating locally goes back to “voting with your dollar” and showing the support for the local farmer over the multi-million dollar trans-national corporation. It brings the attention to local businesses, and more than that, attention to where the food is actually from—that burger was once a cow, it did not come from cellophane wrapping. I think many of us sometimes prefer the illusion and separation the modern supermarket offers, rather than face the facts. The idea that our food came from a farm complete with dirt and animal shit can be less than appetizing when we can simply imagine the fluorescent aisles lined with colored boxes and shiny jars. If we begin to face the facts, then we can begin to understand the system and all factors involved. We can further begin to make our own decisions concerning how we want to eat and the impact of our food.

An evening rant.

I don’t necessarily want to knock on Chipotle here—Here’s my disclaimer: I think they do have good principles; sustainably sourced food is always a plus for a chain restaurant.

However, the new ads that are all over the metro just piss me off. My least favorite says the following: “We wanted to have farmers in our ads, but big burritos sell better than lessons on sustainable farming.”

Wait a minute! Why can’t lessons on sustainable farming sell? Is our society than shallow that we will only pay attention to a mouth-watering burrito over the future of our planet?

Okay, yes, its marketing tactics, and I suppose they work on some level. I get it, they are a sustainable company and burritos are yummy… but it bothers me still, the message is all-wrong.

Yes, this rant is a little, well there’s not much to it, except the fact that the ad annoys me so much on my way to work everyday. And, hey, what do I have this blog for anyways?

Certified Organic: The importance behind label

I find that individuals, who start to buy “sustainable food” items, often fixate on buying solely organically certified products. While this is a good step, to begin thinking about our food—organic is not synonymous with sustainable. It is a common misconception we have as consumers prone to marketing tactics and green washing of products.

As vulnerable customers, we need to remain wary of the product’s legitimacy. Labels can say “natural” or even “organic” without actually obtaining the certification—therefore the product is not necessarily complying with the regulations as it claims. Even with an “official seal” of organic, there is reason for question. Different organizations offer third-party certifications and while all claim to offer the best package of compliance rules and regulations, the specifics are not listed on the package. (And let’s be honest, who really is checking the company or label’s background when doing the week’s shopping?)

For example, the United States Department of Agriculture has it’s own set of guidelines, with the National Organics Program, but as we all know—any government program (Okay, any program really—but government in particular!) is accompanied by a great deal of compromise. This is not necessarily a negative component of our system; in fact, it is often one of the greatest aspects of it. However, in situations such as with food and agricultural policy, really do need strict guidelines and sacrificing standards and assurances may be in the best interest of the policy makers but not of the general public.


I am not claiming that organic certified products are bad here—it certainly is a step in the right direction and good when it claims are fulfilled. If nothing else—green washing or not—the mainstreaming of organic food instills awareness in the public. It is merely important to remain conscious of the information we are fed and to be cautious concerning the matter of what our food claims to be and what it, in fact, contains.

The Cost of Food Part II

Can sustainable food be ethical if it is socioeconomically un-just? A peek at the American food system and why we need a change.

I feel the need to the write a follow-up to my previous post, The Cost of Food. In reference to a comment stating that sustainable food is a result of privilege and access—and I agree. Yes, I am privileged in that respect—I have access and the choice, there is no denying that. And yes, I do choose to prioritize both my time and money to ensure my food is more sustainable, for the reasons I have explained.

I should, however, clarify that when I talk about the need to eat sustainably and make the sacrifices to do so, I am talking about people that are able to do that. Let me be clear that an overwhelming number of people, who are able to do so, choose not to. I am not denying the fact that there are people who do not have the means to guarantee their next meal, let alone debate between organic versus local vegetables.

Herein lies the problem with the American food system. Quick lesson: government subsidies are provided to large corporations that manufacture unhealthy food at a cheaper cost, creating the situation we have today where it is cheaper to buy a bag of chips and a soda than apples and milk. For people who struggle to make ends meet, the concern is not centered on if the food is ethical, but rather if the price is affordable. The affordable food is not ethical nor is it healthy—hence the health crisis. But the system does not have to be this way; it is not something that we should take as it is. The richest nation in the world should not be food insecure; Food security is not only defined as access to food, but as access to nutritious food.

Is this too communistic for you? I am not advocating for handouts here, rather I think market-based solutions can be found that do not compromise the livelihood of the consumer not the future of the planet. I am not naïve to think that we can change the system overnight or single-handedly. Nevertheless, I am still idealistic enough to believe that with effort, with a movement and with collective steps, a difference can be made. And part of that is making the effort to do what you can in your own life.

So, to reiterate, often eating sustainably at this time in our society is a privilege. However, if you are privileged enough to be able to do that—than it’s a good place to start and then the next step is to insure that sustainable food is not a privilege, but a right.

The Cost of Food

The other day a friend of mine asked me if my groceries cost me more than normal people. My first response was to question the integrity of the question—excuse me, what qualifies “normal people”? After thinking about it—I said, yes, when I go to the organic market, the farmers market, or even the Supermarket, my food probably does cost me more than “the average person.”

But, then again, maybe not—I buy lots of fruits and vegetables, I don’t buy meat, I don’t buy ultra-processed snack foods… I buy whole foods (no, not the store), raw foods, and ingredients. Regardless of the cost of my actual groceries, the cost-benefit (what up, economics!) analysis will still come out in my favor if I am paying more for my food in order to ensure that it is good for me.

The taste is the most common reason. Paying for higher quality food just plain tastes better and I enjoy what I’m eating. When it costs more, I am more conscious about my appreciation for it. (See previous post to hear more of my ranting on this matter!)

Beyond the obvious, the health benefits from eating better quality food also weigh into the cost. Paying the higher price for food, the health care costs are often reduced. As epidemics of diabetes and obesity are becoming bigger issues for the public, the cost of healthy food that prevents these diseases is low in comparison.

The benefits behind the price of food do not stop on the personal level. The environment, of course, is another major reason to care about our food. The environmental impact of industrialized agriculture and farming the United States uses today is catastrophic. Buying food that has less of an impact may cost more at face value, but the long-term costs on the planet are far worse.

I am going to conclude with something that my vegetarian roommate (who is doing her best to convert me—into a vegetarian, that is) lives by. Although we spend more on our vegetables when we buy high-quality Organic, we still are saving money compared to the “conventional” shopper because we do not buy meat, which is expensive on all accounts.

So, “Average Shopper,” next time at the store, spend a little extra on the spinach and apples—it might be worth it at the end of the day.

Combining Flavors

Why is it that we always seem to separate our foods? Do we like the organization? Or is it the familiarity of that division? Think about a meal. The traditional meal is a “square” meal, as they say, separated into categories: a meat, a starch, a vegetable, etc. “The American Way of Life” teaches us that for Sunday dinner, we sit around a table, pass our plates, and eat that square meal for obligation’s sake.

But why don’t we have more emotion—some excitement—in our meals? Rid our plates of separation and bring in something mixed, scrambled, and stirred—those one-of-kind, no recipe needed, exotic foods that when asked about the recipe, you can honestly say: “No, I can’t give it to you, it’s only in my head.”

I made banana bread a few days ago. I had a couple very brown bananas and because I can never throw anything out to waste, I decided to make use of them. Banana bread is one of my favorite things to bake; there is something so delightful about turning fruit into bread. (And then when I eat it, I can pass it off as a fruit and not just bread—because I know there are in fact real bananas in it!)

One of the wonderful things about banana bread is that each recipe I find is different and there are so many different ingredients to mix into it: chocolate chips, raisins, coconut, poppy seeds…I have even put coffee in it (thank you Molly Katzan!). And this time, I added peanut butter. It made such perfect sense: I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches—so why not just combine all three in one!

Lesson of the day: Combine the flavors! Choose something you love and add it to something else you love. The chance that you will love the result is high. Use what you have and be creative! Don’t be afraid to take the chance to discover something new and unexpectedly beautiful.

Marketable Farming: Advocating the locally grown

This weekend, my roommate and I ventured out to the local farmers’ market and spent the morning soaking in the warm sun, the colors and smells of fresh produce and the friendly smiling faces of the local crowd. It does not take long in a great market to forget any reason to go into the overwhelming and falsely shiny grocery store ever again. Enjoying a morning out, and experiencing the friendly demeanor of both the vendors and customers is enough to put a smile on your face for the rest of the day.

While the large box grocery stores are selling more and more organic food, it does not beat the freshness of recently harvested produce. Despite the lack of the official certification seal, verifying that the food has been monitored and is safe, which is necessary to overcome the anonymity today’s grocery stores maintain; the farmers are right there to tell you anything you want to know about their product. The atmosphere of the market opens the dialogue between the producer and consumer that is impossible to match in a store.

Farmers’ markets allow a former farm girl turned city dweller, like myself, to access the local food of the region (albeit, nothing can beat walking out to the back field to grab a fresh tomato.) Normally, however, I am accustomed to standing on the other side of the table—for a vendor it is almost as important to spread awareness and information about the product, as it is to make a sale.

The local food movement has become more popular with the passing days as more people want to find out more and have the assurance by word of mouth that their food is healthy. Buying locally supports the small business over the corporate companies and contributes to the community development, both economically and socially.

While I think the markets still seem to be a niche for the select group of the locals, as the area expand and the crowds grow, something seems to be catching on. I don’t want to say that we are regressing back to the weekend market days and seasonal foods; but rather we should think of it as progressing towards a healthier relationship with understanding and appreciation for our Sunday dinners.

Buzz Words: Walking the Talk

Green, Sustainable, Locally Grown, Organic.... These words are popping up everywhere, and don't get me wrong—I am a totally on board with this. But, I can't help to feel that I these words are overused and becoming too commonly placed in everyday conversation to the point that sometimes we don't even know what they stand for anymore. Everyone seems to have their own description or idea concerning the recent growth of these terms. Using the buzz words can sometimes come off as pretentious or even worse lose the weight of their meaning. It is important in conversation to not forget the significance of them, but to continue to use them in order to promote a common language.

I tend to look at environmentally consciousness as something that is unique to each individual. It again, comes down to questioning the impact of our actions and understanding how those decisions affect others. The first rule of ecology teaches us that everything is interconnected; therefore, whatever aspect or sector we find ourselves drifting towards is connected to the others. The beautiful thing about this movement in time is that we can all choose something that is close to us and invest our efforts into that aspect of our lives—whether it is energy, agriculture, transportation, conservation or whatever else you can dream up. By combining our efforts and passions, we can all make a difference collectively.

The most important part of this movement is that we need to make sure that we are all walking the walk, as they say, and not just talking about it. Talking is important—it leads to the sharing of ideas and the changing of minds. This is where the buzz words enter the conversation, agreeing upon a common language promotes consensus in the movement. Once we can do that, however, we need to start living up to our big ideas and to make the changes we talk about.

Something Uplifting

I know that I can be kind of a downer...So I think it is time for motivational story time. (P.S. I am not making this up and/or exaggerating anything--this really did happen.)

Last year I was repelling down waterfalls in the Mexican jungle with the Club Alpino from UDLAP. Since there were a limited number of ropes to repel, we went one at a time and waited for the rest of the group. On the first route, I was one of the first to go, so I had a while to wait.

One of the people I was with was my great friend, Lili, a self-proclaimed environmentalist, vegetarian, yoga-loving Australian...you get the picture. Anyways, we were sitting by a stream, resting and commenting on the beautiful day. A little ways down there were some big boulders with trash on top, left from previous hikers. Well, Lili climbed up there (which was was more challenging than it sounds), put as many empty bottles and trash as she could fit in a plasic bag, and then tied that to her backpack.

When she climbed back down I just rolled my eyes. "Come on Lili, seriously? Did you really just climb up there to get a few bottles? You're gonna hike for the rest of the day with a plastic bag full of bottles hanging off your back? Plus, there is trash still up there, its not like those bottles made much of a difference anyways."

Well, she looked at me and said, "Yeah I am going to, because if another person comes along and does the same thing, and then another person...eventually they will all be gone and it was be beautiful again"

At the time, I said she had too much faith in humanity.

Now that I look back, I realize she's brilliant. We can't necessarily rely on someone else to make a change--we have climb up and do our small part that we are able to do. However, we can't NOT assume that someone else won't do the same thing. We are all in this together and we can make it happen together as well. That's what it's all about--a collaborative movement. We have to have more faith in humanity, but we also have to have faith in ourselves.

And, I did begin to change my own attitude, in other words, I learned my lesson. A few months later, I was walking along the Oaxacan coast with another friend of ours, Mirte, and I started to collect the trash as we came across it. Then I turned to Mirte and said, "Lili would be so proud of us."

Links: Food Labels

I found this cool link... and I think it will be beneficial to all you conscious shoppers out there. :)
Enjoy!

(Copy and Paste)

http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating-recipes/stories/17-eco-food-labels-decoded

More on Food Labeling... Coming Soon!

We Need to Rally People!

This weekend I went to the Climate Change Rally on the National Mall.
First: AMAZING=Passion Pit, The Roots, Joss Stone, John Legend, and Sting!! (..If you were there and saw some random girl dancing up a storm and having the time of her life.. that was me! hah!) But, on the other hand, despite the gloriousness of the music and the dancing, I was actually a pretty disappointed walking away from the crowd.

In between all of the music performances, there were speakers from across the country talking about the importance of Climate Change awareness and what we can do as citizens to combat that. While some were better than others, everyone had something important to say and they all said something along the same lines: This is a huge problem and we need to do something about it NOW. Not only that, but they called upon the young generation--the crowd at the Rally, to make a change and make a difference.

And what did the crowd do? That's right--Nothing. Everyone stood there, didn't pay attention to the speakers or to what they were saying, they just yelled for the Roots to come on. Seriously! I mean, the Roots are awesome. And I was pumped to see them to. But the REASON for the concert, for the Rally, was to raise awareness about Climate Change and the contributing causing factors that we are doing to contribute to it. So pay attention to that too, please!!!

On my way home, I talked it out with my friend and tried to make sense of it. Why DON'T people care?? I reasoned that maybe it is something too huge to comprehend and therefore I can't expect people to spend much time trying to figure out what to do about it, if they can't even understand it on a fundamental level. I also thought maybe it is because this movement is asking for change that doesn't necessarily fit in to the Culture of Convenience that we are all used to, instead it is asking people to go out of their way a bit and make lifestyle changes. Or maybe it is simply true that less people actually BELIEVE it is happening. It is not something you see on the street or on a day-to-day basis. From an individuals perspective, life is pretty much business as usual, so there is not desperate reason to worry about it.

Whatever the reason, and I can list off more, we need to figure out a way to create the necessary mass support movement to change our day-to-day lives, to push policy change, and to first of all CARE about something as frightening and destructive as Climate Change!

Food does not equal Waste.

I may have mentioned the following statistic before (In fact, I know I have touched on this subject in my Michael Pollan rant) -- But, it is so ridiculous that I feel it can be emphasized again. I read it in an issue of the Economist last year: Americans waste 40% of there food.

First of all that sounds completely absurd. How can we possibly waste almost half of our food? Especially considering all of the people who are starving in this world? It's as if we are playing a very sick joke on the rest of the planet.

Anyway, this came to mind a few weeks ago, while I was at lunch with a friend (who shall remain nameless!) and I mentioned this very blog. He asked me to write about him and I said sure--what do you have to say about food? He didn't have anything to tell me, so the conversation turned.

As we were getting up to leave, I had finished my sandwich and went to through away the wrapper (I know, how can I even say anything when I am contributing to the landfill with to-go food, sorry!!) and he did the same. However, he had not finished his salad and sandwich that he ordered and proceeded to through away the remains--about 40% of his meal. Well, needless to say, I had a lot to say at that point (I never did learn to keep my mouth shut and my thoughts to my self...)

I realized as I started spewing about the Economist, starving children in Africa, and how could he throw away such good food? that this was exactly the problem. When people decide they are done eating, they just leave the rest--to be thrown away, to go bad in the fridge, to go back to kitchen...but ultimately, that food is wasted. And if everyone does that to their meals (or the majority of them) then it soon adds up, and we as Americans are wasting nearly half of our food.

This is not intentionally trying to attack the integrity of my friend here, he is just a textbook example of this issue. So, my friend, you have made the blog. Sorry that it's not the in the best light, next time hopefully you will have a more positive review!

The Revolution will be Televised… And you will Probably See it in the Commercials First: The Unlimited Power of Food Advertising

As much as I hate to admit it, like most people, I find myself falling victim to advertisements and food commercials, in particular, tend to be my weakness. I recall one day, I was watching television in the mid-afternoon with some friends and a commercial for Olive Garden came on the screen. We all made the usual murmurings about how good the food looked and then—even through it was nowhere near mealtime nor were we hungry before the commercial—we proceeded to get in the car and drive to the nearest Olive Garden. This was about four years ago and moment stands out in my mind when I realized how much power a well-designed commercial has on me.

Food is often a central theme of advertisements. While food-like products tend to dominate the programming, other commercials incorporate food in them as well. It is a relatable subject and can draw in nearly everyone on some level; everyone relies on food, but for consumers who have the time to sit and watch television, it is often a matter of choosing what food to eat or in today’s world, what processed substance to consume. We are constantly inundated with advertisements and products that will offer us the access to the sought after life of luxury and ease. Why would we consider if we intake all our needed nutrients in our meals, when we can pop a supplemental pill or prepared boxes of food-like substances shipped to our doorstep that promises better results than real food. Commercials and advertisements tell us what we need, so we do not have to think for our selves.

The oxymoronic tendencies of some commercials can only be described as disgustingly clever. The message often portrayed is a misconception at best, if not a complete lie, that is presented to the public as absolute truth. It would be hysterical, if it were not such a serious matter that the majority does not realize the truth behind the advertisements. A recent commercial promoting the three top soft-drink companies: Coke, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper, announces the new movement to integrate soda with fewer calories in schools. The soda companies have found a way to weasel their way into schools to sell to children (who should not drink soda in the first place) with the message that it is now a healthier option. I can only speculate that they teamed up to enter the schools and will follow-this with campaigns against each other to show who is in fact the healthiest.

Other companies also follow in this path, wanting to prove that they too can follow the trend of healthy eating and living. McDonalds, for example, often in their commercials emphasize the need for fruits and vegetables to the point that sometimes it is unclear that it is even a McDonalds’ advertisement until the very end when the golden arches pop up. They portray themselves as a healthy restaurant, so consumers think they have healthy options when they go, however, once one enters the actual store, they will most likely feel themselves overwhelmed by the smell of fried food, the thought of the fresh salad from the commercial the day before has become a distant memory.

Very rarely does one see a public service announcement with an informational focus on eating with facts behind the message. Often dominating commercials focus on processed food with claims of health benefits. There are countless examples of this, but one that stands out in my mind is the commercial for Special K. The company now offers not only cereal, but also drinks, and snack bars. The advertisement claims that consumers will lose weight by eating Special K, though it is still unclear to me how this claim is supported. Does it mean that if you eat Special K as a snack you will lose weight? Or is the real message that if you only eat Special K you will lose weight (and probably become very ill)? Regardless of the truth behind the advertisement, it seems to work as I have had friends tell me they in the context of their diet they are eating Special K. The truth behind commercials is acknowledged to be a stretch and while it may be the case that the public will generally agree if pressed, often during the moment of viewing we do not question the validity of the subject.

Today, the professionals who design the advertisements are very good at what they do, but not only in the actual advertisements, but in the integration of the programming as well. Commercials also change depending on the targeted audience, the time of day and the program. During the day, commercials are longer and tend to be on the infomercial side. The focus of daytime television advertisements often is centered on supplements or weight-loss systems. In my experience, when I watch daytime television during the week it is because I am home sick and have nothing else to do, and therefore my focus is already on the show and the commercials, so the advertisements do not have to need to draw me in. The prime time television advertisements are shorter, catchier, and the item or subject is already popular, so the commercials are entertainment rather than informational. Usually the focus of food advertisements is on the convenience, the savings, and compares well-known brands. When I watch evening television, I am usually with my friends and more likely to talk during the commercials, therefore the advertisements need to be more appealing and distracting. The advertisements shown during late night television are always louder than the programming, so if the viewer has dozed off during the show, they are more likely to stir during the commercials. The food commercials show the appeal of food, often focused on fast food and take out restaurants. An audience watching television at night is more likely to fall victim to the commercials, succumb to the late night munchies and order that mouth-watering pizza shown on the screen.

I often get frustrated when I think about the influence commercials have on the purchasing decision of the general public. We are surrounded by advertisements nearly at all times and we come home and turn on the television to make it easier for the companies to get to us. It makes me cringe when I think about the amount time everyday we expose ourselves to capitalistic advertising, drenched in the same message of consumption. Even when we do not have a particular interest in the item, a good commercial is often a subject of conversation or discussion in a group of peers. How often do you hear, “Oh, I just watch it for the commercials” when referring to the Super-bowl? It is tradition to gather round the television, with obscene amounts of consumables and watch the commercials. Commercials are a seemingly non-controversial subject of conversation, and therefore they are “safe” to share and discuss. The most disturbing aspect of this is we all spend so much time watching, discussing, and thinking about commercials and we are either knowingly or unknowingly discussing the products that are advertised to us. Wendell Berry points out in his essay titled, “The Pleasures of Eating” in his collection, What Are People For? (1990), that responsible eating is freedom (147), but how free are we really when it comes to our choices if we are told what to consume on a regular basis? I do not have a scientific answer, but on a regular basis, I have to say that we are not always free when it comes to the decision of: “What’s for dinner?”