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.

There is so much to learn about the world we live in and I'd like to start sharing a little of what I think is interesting.

So to start, here is a link to an article about how Governor Christie of NJ vetoed a bill to ban gestation crates used in the pork industry-- a practice that even McDonalds, Wendy's, and Burger King have deemed so terrible they have committed to end their use in their supply chains. Gestation crates are cages that impregnated pigs are housed in. They are so small that these pigs can not turn around, lie down, or move. They pretty much go insane as they spend most of their entire existence kept in these crates.

Regardless of whether or not you eat meat, like animals or not, or what political party or religion you belong to or believe in, does this sound like something that is right to you? Studies have shown that pigs are more intelligent than most dogs (not implying that intelligence should determine how living beings are treated). Is this a life you would wish on your dog or your neighbor's dog? 

I actually don't have a problem with eating meat, as I serve it in our food business. Humans have evolved to eat meat. But I don't eat meat anymore and it's because of factory "farming" and the state of current meat production. I don't want to have to explain to people that I only eat pastured meat from small, local farms. The fact is that a majority of people in this country and throughout the world do not eat this way. Factory produced meat fuels the entire world. Just because you don't see something does not mean it's not happening. And if you ever saw where your meat comes from, I doubt you would want to eat it.

There are more reasons to stop eating factory-produced meat than there are benefits (the main benefit being your enjoyment.) If you don't care about perpetual animal suffering, then what about the environmental and health impacts. How many tons of shit do you think is produced from a factory in a single day? Where do you think the waste goes? What about increased use of antibiotics (not to mention hormones) in your meat to counter the effects of poor sanitation in cramped quarters? 

I just read here that the US Dept of Agriculture has approved four companies IN CHINA to begin processing chickens slaughtered in the US/Canada and then export the meat back into the US. Does this seem logical to you? Do you want to eat chicken that's been processed in China?? 

I have decided that the consequences outweigh any craving I have for any meal or dish. It's just not that important to me anymore.

I'm not sure how this all started for me, but I think back at the person I was in college living in Southern Cali, a "foodie" that wanted to try all the authentic Guatemalan eateries and find the best Chinese dim sums in the San Gabriel Valley. When I moved to NYC, I carried Robert Seitsema's Guide to the Best Ethnic Eating everywhere I went. Everything was new and exciting. Upon graduating from nursing school, I met my chef husband, who now says that I am clearly not the same person as when he first met me. The person that would try new trendy eateries and also chow down at Noodle Town with him at 3 in the morning. These last few years I have stopped wanting to eat out and opt to cook and eat at home instead. I want to create things myself and want to know where the ingredients came from. I'm trying to find a balance now and be more flexible (I don't want to be a snob!) But I also want to make a statement with what I choose to eat. If one person can veto a bill that the state passed and which 90% of its constituents agreed with, then we can't always rely on government to act for us. The food I decide to spend my money on is one of the only direct ways I can affect any change on a daily basis. Everything we do on this earth has some kind of impact. I can't change anybody else, but I hope that I can make some kind of difference as an individual.

There is so much to learn about the world we live in and I'd like to start sharing a bit of what I think is interesting.

Here is a link to an article about how Governor Christie of NJ vetoed a bill to ban gestation crates used in the pork industry-- a practice that even McDonalds, Wendy's, and Burger King have deemed so terrible they have committed to end their use in their supply chains. If you know nothing about this or have never thought about where exactly your food comes from, these are cages that impregnated pigs are housed in. They are so small that these pigs can not even turn around, lie down, or move. They pretty much go insane as they spend most of their entire existence kept in these crates.

Regardless of whether or not you eat meat, like animals or not, or what political party or religion you are affiliated with, does this sound like something that is right to you? Studies have shown that pigs are more intelligent than most dogs (not implying that intelligence should determine how living beings are treated). Is this a life you would wish on your dog or your neighbor's dog? 

I actually don't have a problem with eating meat, as I serve it in our food business. Humans have evolved to eat meat. But I don't eat meat anymore and it's because of factory "farming" and the state of current meat production. I don't want to have to explain to people that I only eat pastured meat from small, local farms (and sound like a complete snob!) The fact is that a majority of people in this country and throughout the world do not eat this way. Factory produced meat fuels the entire world. Just because you don't see something does not mean it's not happening. And if you ever saw where your meat comes from, I doubt you would want to eat it.

There are more reasons to stop eating factory-produced meat than there are benefits (the main benefit being your enjoyment.) If you don't care about perpetual animal suffering, then what about the environmental and health impacts. How many tons of shit do you think is produced from a factory in a single day? Where do you think the waste goes? What about increased use of antibiotics (not to mention hormones) in your meat to counter the effects of poor sanitation in cramped quarters? 

I just read here that the US Dept of Agriculture has approved four companies IN CHINA to begin processing chickens slaughtered in the US/Canada and then export the meat back into the US. Does this seem logical to you? Do you want to eat chicken that's been processed in China?? 

I have decided that the consequences outweigh any craving I have for any meal or dish. It's just not that important to me anymore.

I'm not sure how this all started for me, but I think back at the person I was in college living in Southern Cali, a "foodie" that wanted to try all the authentic Guatemalan eateries and find the best Chinese dim sums in the San Gabriel Valley. When I moved to NYC, I carried Robert Seitsema's Guide to the Best Ethnic Eating everywhere I went. Everything was new and exciting. Upon graduating from nursing school, I met my chef husband, who now says that I am clearly not the same person as when he first met me. The person that would try new trendy eateries and also chow down at Noodle Town with him at 3 in the morning. These last few years I have stopped wanting to eat out and opt to cook and eat at home instead. I want to create things myself and want to know where the ingredients came from. I'm trying to find a balance now and be more flexible. But I also want to make a statement with what I choose to eat. If one person can veto a bill that the state passed and which 90% of its constituents agreed with, then we can't always rely on government to act for us. The food I decide to spend my money on is one of the only direct ways I can affect any change on a daily basis. Everything we do on this earth has some kind of impact. I can't change anybody else, but I hope that I can make some kind of difference as an individual.

Estimates report that at least 10,000 people may have died from Typhoon Haiyan, the storm that hit the Philippines on Friday. An excerpt from a NY Times article: 

"As aid crews struggled to reach ravaged areas, the storm exposed some of the perennial problems of the Philippines. The country’s roads and airports, long starved of money by corrupt and incompetent governments, are some of the worst in Southeast Asia and often make traveling long distances a trial. On Monday, clogged with debris from splintered buildings and shattered trees, the roads in the storm’s path were worse, slowing rescue teams." 

The storm surge was so powerful and destructive that it mirrored the aftermath of a tsunami. Survivors have no power or water. People will talk about climate change and fault the government for lack of preparation and poor infrastructure-- all of which are valid-- but meanwhile, the death toll will continue to rise.



We're doing a Filipino event this Thursday where we'll help collect what we can to donate-- canned goods, water, whatever people can contribute. It's something small but I hope it will be able to provide some help to those who have been affected.