Filed under: Uncategorized
I just came across this terrific 30 day guide to “going green” with your food choices. Published by The Daily Green, this guide would be an incredible way to improve not only your diet, but your life in general – in so many ways. It might be tough to do ALL of these things in just one month, but even doing 1/2 of them would be a huge step in the right direction. Check it out!
Gk
Filed under: Wholistic Nutrition
Wrap – Part Three
In a previous blog entry, I mentioned the wonderful food served at the Urban Agricultural conference in Milwaukee – food that had been locally sourced and presented by Slow Food chefs. I later received a comment asking what I meant by a “Slow Food” chef.
Slow Food is a worldwide non-profit “eco-gastronomic” movement with over 83,000 members. It was founded in 1989 by an Italian man named Carlo Petrini, who was troubled by the encroachment of fast food restaurants in his home country. Italy has always been very proud of its food traditions and the family connections that go hand in hand with the growing, preparing and serving of fine foods. Petrini decided to form an organization that would challenge the ever-quickening pace of not only our food, but our lives in general.
Slow Food is not just about gourmet foods, but about the entire culture surrounding food and the relationships that develop between the farmer, the grocer, the cook or chef, and ultimately the person who eats the food. In recent years Slow Food has expanded its mission to include the environmental, social, and economic benefits of a local, susutainable food system. With all of the recent attention being given to locally produced foods and organic farming, it’s no wonder that Slow Food has seen its membership increase substantially.
The Slow Food organization is still headquatered in Italy, but many countries, including the U.S., have their own chapters. These chapters are sub-divided into state and local branches called “convivia”. Slow Food USA currently has 160 convivia with over 14,000 members.
A Slow Food chef goes to extra lengths to make sure the ingredients he/she uses are not only locally sourced, but are grown or raised in a sustainable, humane way. The indredients must also be visually appealing and, of course, have excellent flavor. In most cases, slow food, like its name suggests, does take longer to prepare- we’re talking good old home cooking here – but the end results are absolutely DELICIOUS!
Slow Food invites the eater to sit down, relax, and converse with family or friends. It invites us to involve ourselves in our food and to be grateful for the bounty that surrounds us.
Gk
