Alice Waters on the Leonard Lopate show now!

She has been credited with being the pioneer of the culinary philosophy that cooking should be based on the freshest seasonal ingredients that are produced sustainably and locally. Sometimes it seems like this is still a very new concept to eat what's in season and to eat local food--  even though her restaurant Chez Panisse has been open for over 35 years! I really hope the rest of the country will come to mirror the food culture in the Bay area. People that have worked for her or have eaten at her restaurant have gone on to create restaurants of their own in the same spirit (us included!) Her work with gardens and The Edible Schoolyard is important so that we have a future generation of people that are passionate about eating locally and will become advocates for this way of life. I'm so glad that NYC is comparable and has an amazing local food economy, but I'm hoping I will see the day where this entire country moves towards a food system based on thriving, local farm communities.