2.23.2009

Mommy, why does that cow have three heads?

We all have different expectations when we sit down to a meal. For some each meal must be nothing short of a religious experience, a divine moment in which all the spirits of this world and the next come together with every bite, swirled together with a glass of beatified wine.

Others need only to be somewhat surprised, and still others merely comforted by the sustenance they are to consume, and finally some couldn't care less whether it's a burrito or a cold slice of pizza, as long as it fills the stomach and gets followed by a beer.

Whatever your inclination; five star dining or cooking for family and friends, the expectation should be that what you eat be not only good, but good for you. Being a father, I care about what my daughter eats. We try to enforce a "no two fried foods on one plate" rule. (note, I say 'try'--doesn't always work with a determined four year old) Gianna eats well though-she is very receptive to trying new things at least once, and even more receptive when they are covered in ketchup. We had her eating broccoli very early, and I am convinced to this day that it was because her mother consumed large fields of broccoli during pregnancy. Still, Gianna loves the smell of the green florets simmering in a saute pan with shavings of garlic drizzled in olive oil, seasoned with sea salt. And nothing makes her parents more proud than watching her devour the broccoli on her plate and having her ask for more.

And that's the gist of eating; even at four (almost five! yikes, where does the time go) Gianna has developed a sense of taste, and a knowledge that good food tastes best when it is minimally prepared. Broccoli, garlic, olive oil, sea salt. Done. Ten minutes from pan to plate. She loves a simple roasted salmon filet, add some oven roasted potatoes, and she's good to go. We shop at Fairway Market in Brooklyn, and our first stop is always the olive oil station, so we can dip a piece of bread in different kinds of olive oil and balsamic vinegar--thatsa my little girl!!! Yes, chicken fingers, french fries, hot dogs, they are the preferences when we go out, but that's what your supposed to eat when you go out, the food you don't get at home.

Some folks are probably scratching their heads at the last post about the cows. That's okay because it was sort of intended. I used to tell that story when teaching a food workshop for the kitchen managers where I work. The idea is to get across the understanding that food is best in its most pure form; a steak from a cow that is raised grass fed, drinking from a stream of water where the grounds have no added fertilizers, chemicals, and certainly the cow has not been given anti biotics or growth hormones, will taste better and BE BETTER for you. I don't want growth hormones or anti biotics in my body, so I don't want to eat anything that has partaken in such a meal.

The same goes for fruits and vegetables. I grew up with my dad's garden; a real cornucopia of veggies that he started growing indoors in the late winter, transplanting in stages to the ground when ready in late spring. By mid summer we feasted on three different varietals of tomatoes, two types of corn, carrots, radishes (not much of a feast there, ok) and more zucchini and cucumbers than you could imagine. And all of it was grown naturally, from seed and water. By late August, the cantaloupes were ready and we ate the freshest, sweetest melon in town. And that was it. When cantaloupe season was over, it was over. We didn't eat melon in the winter. And the store bought tomatoes were of course plastic and had no flavor. My mother shopped and bought whatever was fresh. And the late winter, it started all over again. The soil in the garden was rich from the mulched lawn clippings, which had covered the garden soil all winter. This process was a natural one, and delicious on so many levels, because we ate real food grown from our own backyard, and seasoned with our own herbs too. There was never a question about where it came from or what was done to it. It was REAL food.

A great book everyone should read is Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma." It's a fantastic read that breaks down the history of food, our country's dependency on corn, and how sustainable agriculture is the method we should be using for farming, not only to create a healthier food supply, but to help save our environment. I read this book and even visited a farm in West Virginia, Polyface Farms, run by Joel Salatin. Polyface practices true sustainable agriculture--animals and crops grown by using the most minimal amount of carbon resources possible. It's farming the way nature intended, before any hormone or syringe or fertilizer found its way into human hands. Food raised and grown in this manner is clean food, real food, that will improve our health, and our environments health. And it is totally and completely economically feasible. Farming of this nature needs more manpower, not machine power, so it would create jobs too.

If you think about the amount of processed foodstuff in your own cupboard, on the shelves in supermarkets-how many items contain high fructose corn syrup, or the root of all evil as I like to call it--it is amazing how we can NOT understand the links to the food we eat, and the diseases we get. Growth hormones given to dairy cows so they can lactate more frequently and produce more milk, except those growth hormones have been proven to cause cancer. Yeah, but that's so indirect, it can't be true, right? WRONG. Why on earth would you want to ingest something that has been tainted with a known cancer causing agent? Commercial pork farming is another ill fated business; hogs raised in pens with no movement allowed, practically wallowing in their own filth and feces, pumped up like Barry Bonds with steroids, and presto! Bacon's ready! Come and get it kids!

NO THANK YOU! I want my bacon from Niman Ranch, out in Iowa, where pigs are raised in their own natural environment, no needles, drugs or other funny stuff, and they get to eat their own natural diet, nest and create their own bedding, and raise their young the way pigs would do in the wild. (Yeah, they have one bad day in their life, but hey, I like pork chops, especially with some caramelized red onions, a poached pear...mmmm, mmmm-yummy!)

If we all take the time to read a label--or not, just find out where the food you're buying comes from, how it was raised and what is raised on--and then put food on your table that has been as minimally processed as possible, and cooked simply and with care, we'll be creating a greater sense of self, a greater sense of pride, and a greater sense of security in our environment. If there's a green market in your neighborhood, then shop there on Saturday mornings. Talk to the farmers that are there. Ask them questions. If there's no green market, more and more supermarkets have organic sections, and it doesn't have to be "organic" either, as long as it's been treated humanely, raised naturally, no hormones, no antibiotics--shop there! You don't have to go to Whole Foods. You can get good food-REAL food, from your local shops. Just do a little homework. And when you do, and you get home, put on some Sinatra, fire up the saute pan, and cook a great meal, simple, real, and delicious.

Buon Appetito!

And that's the view from my table.

1 comment:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ said...

how many people do you know that are aware of this chris??? on the west coast it is common knowledge...over here people look at me with blank, ignorant stares...it is not only sad, it's downright scary!!! FOOD is what nourishes our bodies; it is what fuels everything that we do; it is among the few true necessities a human requires to remain alive and yet so many people regard it with a casual indifference that chills me to the core.
the question is: how did we allow our society to stray from the natural into the unknown realm of pesticides, anti-biotics, steroids, overly processed and genetically altered "food?"
and even more importantly, how can we DEMAND that our children NOT be poisoned by these man-made techniques that challenge the integrity of nature...?

RESEARCH, ASK QUESTIONS...take an active role in your own health and the health of those you love!

REFUSE TO COMPROMISE>>>
DO NOT SUPPORT THE LARGE CORPORATIONS THAT IMPLEMENT SUCH PRACTICES>>>
DO SUPPORT LOCAL ORGANIC FARMERS!!!!

i have a lot of information regarding this issue if anyone is interested in learning more!